Indian RAW thrillers, which are often laced with nationalistic and political drama, are earning a name for themselves in the film industry. The intelligent portrayal and presentation of the films’ dramatic stories, mind-blowing action, and other elements contribute to the films’ widespread acclaim.
There are so many excellent spy thrillers out there that picking the greatest one might be a challenge. However, if you haven’t seen them yet, here are some of the best Raw Movies in Bollywood that you must see.
1. Pathaan (2023)
Indian RAW agent races against time to prevent an end-of-the-world attack on his country from a vengeful mercenary. RAW agent “Pathaan” learns of a huge strike planned against India by a mercenary gang lead by the mysterious and merciless Jim who has his own mysterious past. Pathaan faces innumerable betrayals and devastation as he fights with Jim, all while the clock counts down to the end of the world and his only probable ally is an agent named Rubai.
2. Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW) 2019
Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW), John Abraham’s latest leading vehicle, is a spy thriller set during the India-Pakistan War of 1971. The incidents shown in the film are said to be based on reality. Robbie Grewal, film’s director sets out to be a thrilling trip of an undercover RAW agent but, around the middle, abandons its convictions in favor of Bollywood cynicism.
3. Parmanu (2018)
In this historical drama, John Abraham plays IPS officer Ashwat Raina, the driving force behind India’s nuclear testing in 1998, during the tenure of ex PM of India Atal Bihari Bajpayee.
You can watch Parmanu right now on Netflix. The spy movie Parmanu has a 7.7/10 rating on IMDb. Zee Studios, JA Entertainment, and KYTA Entertainment are all involved in the production of this movie.
4. Holiday (2018)
This year’s Christmas movie stars Akshay Kumar in yet another spy drama flick from Bollywood. This celebration was inspired by Vijay’s role in the Tamil film Thupakki. It was produced by A.R. Murugadoss, who also oversaw the Hindi version.
A group of military officials, including Virat, takes a vacation in Mumbai. Virat is a buddy and RAW Defence Intelligence Agent that can’t keep a low profile. Virat’s search for a missing wallet on a bus leads him to a much larger discovery.
Minutes later, the bus explodes into smithereens, and he assists law enforcement in apprehending the bomb’s bearer, who later escapes from the medical facility only to be recaptured by Virat. Virat carefully investigates each lead in an effort to find the terrorist who gave orders for the sleeper cell to unleash havoc on Mumbai.
The film follows an Indian army commander as he secretly works for RAW to root out and eliminate sleeper operatives stationed all throughout the country. We recommend watching this movie, which has a 7.2 rating on IMDb and can be viewed on the OTT service Zee5.
5. Raazi (2018)
Sehmat, played by Alia Bhatt, is an undercover agent who marries into a powerful family in Pakistan in order to transmit intelligence back to her native country. This film is more realistic than others that have dealt with the two countries and doesn’t paint either side in a negative light. It’s more about responsibility than fake patriotism. That’s why expert think the film is so great.
It is one of Bhatt’s finest works, with plenty of tense moments. Alia has won awards for this movie, for her exceptional performance as a lady spy.
6. Naam Shabana (2017)
This is a sequel of the blockbuster Baby, but it excels in more ways than the original. The story follows Shabana through her life, mostly focusing on how she became a spy. One of Taapsee Pannu’s finest performances comes from this film.
The average score on IMDb is 6.5%. Shivam Nair helmed the movie, which she and her sister Aruna Bhatia produced through their companies.
7. Baby (2015)
If you have access to Disney+ Hotstar, you should definitely check out the spy film Baby. This criminal thriller, written and directed by Neeraj Pandey, is a spy film. It was inspired by operation Baby, that was put into effect after the 26/11 attacks in 2008. It has an 8.0 rating on IMDb and has been well reviewed by critics.
The movie fits the bill for a perfect Bollywood spy thriller. It shows the inner workings of a spy agency, including how spies connect with terrorists and plot covert missions around the globe.
8. Phantom 2015
The film follows an Indian soldier on a personal mission to track out the terrorists responsible to the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. It has a 5.9 rating on IMDb and is centered around Saif Ali Khan & Katrina Kaif in Kashmir’s picturesque hills. In actuality, it’s one of the movies that will make you feel like you’re in Kashmir, surrounded by its breathtaking scenery.
Saif Ali Khan plays Rajputana Regiment Captain Daniyal Khan, while Katrina Kaif plays Nawaz Mistry, a top R&AW agent. When it comes to espionage movies, Netflix has some of the finest of the best in Phantom.
Romeo (Abraham) is a bank employee in Pakistan who is recruited on behalf of RAW to become a spy. India’s head of intelligence, Srikanth Rai role played by Jackie Shroff, trains Romeo before sending him to Pakistan to gather classified data. After assuming the identity of Akbar, Romeo begins informing Indian authorities of Pakistan’s preparations to attack an Indian aviation base.
9. Madras Café 2013
Although the Madras Cafe appears to be fiction, it is based on a genuine place. References to real events and people, such as the struggle for a separate homeland, the refuge in India of one Anna Bhaskaran of LTF, who couldn’t be anyone but the LTTE head Prabhakaran, and the disputes among the various Tamil groups themselves, will be familiar to readers familiar with the conflict between Sinhalese as well as the Tamils minority of Sri Lanka in the 1980s and 1990s.
Madras Cafe, on the other hand, is less of a political or ideological picture and more of a thriller about a massive plot that ultimately claims the life of India’s former prime minister.
10. Ek tha Tiger (2012)
Ek Tha Tiger, starring Salman Khan, chronicles his efforts as an R&AW agent to gather vital intel before Pakistan does so, despite being sidetracked by his attraction to Zoya, an ISI agent.
Despite receiving only 5.5/10 stars from IMDb users, this film still managed to earn over Rs 335 crores at the box office in 2012. The film was produced by Kabir Khan and co-written by him and the late great Neelesh Mishra of Red FM’s Gaon link.
Conclusion
Audiences tend to avoid the subgenre of Bollywood RAW flicks. Suspenseful spy thrillers are a favorite of all of us. Numerous high-quality spy flicks with twisty plots and thrilling action have been released and televised in India throughout the years.
The genre of spy film is still not widely seen in India. To make a high-quality spy film, directors need a sizable budget and access to locations in a variety of foreign countries, neither of which are usually possible.
But if you are fond of some of the best RAW movies, then watch the above-mentioned thrillers and have an amazing experience.
