From Ek Hasina Thi to Andhadhun, watch and enjoy these best thriller movies of Sriram Raghavan before watching Merry Christmas.
One of the most well-known actors in Indian cinema, Sriram Raghavan is praised for his extraordinary narrative skills and distinct style of writing suspenseful thrillers. He has produced several visually stunning films that explore the complexities of psychological drama, crime, and suspense.
Through the films, the director always tried to pay homage to his favourite books and movies and it shows in his movies. Many other filmmakers have been influenced by his work, and Hindi-speaking movie buffs already have Sriram’s small but noteworthy body of work on permanent display in their libraries.
Sriram Raghavan debuted in Hindi films with Ek Hasina Thi in 2004 and gave some of the best thriller movies that were directed by Sriram Raghavan. And now this year in 2024, Sriram Raghavan debuted in Tamil Movies with the Tamil version of Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas which was released yesterday mainly received positive reviews from the critics. But before watching Merry Christmas in theatres, watch and enjoy the previous work of Sriram Raghavan and make yourself a fan of his storytelling and direction.
Ek Hasina Thi (2004)
The debutant film of Sriram Raghavan ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ was released in 2004 which is an Indian Hindi language neo-noir thriller film. This film was also special because it was produced by Ram Gopal Varma who is known for starting the gangster movies in Indian cinema.
This film is also a revenge thriller but it invites us to cheer on Sarika (played by Urmila Mantodkar), the protagonist, instead of ruminating about the moral complexities of revenge. In the film, the character of Urmila Mantodakar (Sarika) decides to avenge the wrongs done to her after being convicted for a crime she never committed. Along with Urmila Mantodkar, you can see Saif Ali Khan in the film with one of the best performances as a negative character in his career.
Johnny Gaddaar (2007)
We can bet that still many of you haven’t heard about this film. Johnny Gaddaar was the debut film of Neil Nitin Mukesh alongside Rimi Sen, Dharmendra, Vinay Pathak, Dharmendra, Dayanand Shetty, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Govind Namdeo. This neo-noir thriller is a fun suspense-filled escapade that might not have earned well at the box office but gained great critical acclaim.
It centres on five individuals who become embroiled in a drug trade orchestrated by a dishonest policeman. When one of them chooses to betray the rest and take off with the money, things take a bad turn. Later, many felt that Johnny Gaddaar is an uncredited adaptation of the 1962 French Novel Les Mystifies by Alain Reynaud Fourton, which was the first adapted into a 1963 French film Symphonie Pour Un Massacre by Jacques Deray.
Agent Vinod (2012)
Though this film was not as up to the mark as the filmography of Sriram Raghavan you can opt for this movie for the songs, cinematography, actions, and acting performance.
This action spy film was released in 2012 and stars Saif Ali Khan, and Kareena Kapoor alongside Adil Hussain, Prem Chopra, Ram Kapoor, Prem Chopra, Zakir Hussain, and Gulshan Grover in cameo roles. The main highlight of the film was its song Raabta which featured Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor and was shot in just one take.
Badlapur (2015)
If Ek Hasina Thi is the best work of Sriram Raghavan then Badlapur is the best work of Varun Dhawan followed by October directed by Shoojit Sircar. The director is credited for Dhawan’s to deliver a career-best performance.
The story of Badlapur is about a guy who chooses to exact revenge on the murderers who murdered his family. It stars Yami Gautam, Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte, Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. As with Raghavan’s other film, it is also based on the Novel ‘Death’s Dark Abyss ‘. It was one of the best films of 2015.
Andhadhun (2018)
The Film That Won a National Award Andhadhun pulled off the impossible by gathering together a diverse group of moviegoers to engage in nonstop discussion about the film. The intense discussion on the internet made sure that the film became a cultural phenomenon of the year.
In the novel Andhadhun, a blind pianist inadvertently contributes to the death of a retired actor. It features Radhika Apte, Tabu, and Anil Dhawan in pivotal roles along with Ayushmann Khurrana. Along with the National Film Award for Best Film, Andhadhun won the National Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor to Ayushmann Khurrana.