14 Best Bollywood Thrillers With Plot Twists

There’s a special kind of cinematic thrill when a movie completely flips your expectations. One moment you think you’ve solved the mystery, and the next — everything changes. That’s the magic of the best Bollywood thrillers with plot twists.

Bollywood thrillers have evolved tremendously over the past two decades. Gone are the days when suspense films relied only on melodrama or predictable storytelling. Today, Indian filmmakers are crafting intelligent, layered thrillers that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global cinema.

These films don’t just shock you. They engage emotionally, challenge perceptions, and often leave you reflecting long after the credits roll. Whether it’s psychological tension, crime investigations, social commentary, or survival drama, Bollywood thrillers are increasingly diverse and sophisticated.

This blog post covers 14 of the best Bollywood thriller movies with twisted plots and unexpected endings, so you can confidently plan your next binge watch. Because with great thrillers, you think you know the truth. Until you don’t.

What Makes a Great Bollywood Thriller?

A compelling thriller isn’t simply about suspense. It’s about emotional investment. The audience needs to care about the characters before the twist lands — otherwise, the shock feels empty. The strongest Bollywood suspense movies share several qualities:

• Complex, layered characters rather than obvious heroes or villains
• Subtle clues planted early in the narrative
• Emotional stakes are tied to personal relationships
• Moral ambiguity that keeps viewers guessing

Directors like Sujoy Ghosh, Neeraj Pandey, Reema Kagti, and Vikramaditya Motwane have elevated Bollywood thrillers by combining realism with cinematic storytelling. Their films prove suspense doesn’t require huge budgets — just strong writing and confident direction.

Quick Overview: Best Bollywood Thrillers at a Glance

14 Best Bollywood Thrillers With Plot Twists

1. A Wednesday (2008)

“One ordinary Wednesday. One anonymous caller. One city held hostage.”

Director: Neeraj Pandey IMDb Rating: ⭐ 8.2 / 10 Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video

Cast:

• Naseeruddin Shah — The Common Man (anonymous caller)
• Anupam Kher — Police Commissioner Prakash Rathod
• Jimmy Shergill — ACP Arif Khan

An anonymous man calls the Mumbai Police Commissioner with a chilling ultimatum — release four dangerous terrorists or he will detonate bombs hidden across the city. As the clock ticks and the police scramble to track him down, nothing about this ordinary Wednesday turns out to be ordinary at all.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ The final revelation reframes everything — who this man is, what he wants, and why, delivers one of the most satisfying gut-punches in Indian cinema history.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Naseeruddin Shah delivers a career-defining monologue in the final act
• Made on a lean budget — proof that a great script beats spectacle every time
• The twist is logical, emotional, and completely earned

2. Dhamaka (2021)

“Live television. A terrorist. And a journalist willing to do anything for a comeback.”

Director: Ram Madhvani IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.0 / 10 Streaming: Netflix

Cast:

• Kartik Aaryan — Arjun Pathak (news anchor)
• Mrunal Thakur — Sona Mathur (his estranged wife)
• Amruta Subhash — News Channel Head

Disgraced news anchor Arjun Pathak gets a second chance when a terrorist calls him live on air, threatening to blow up Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sea Link. What starts as a hostage negotiation quickly spirals into a deeply personal moral crisis — with Arjun’s ambition, ethics, and marriage all coming apart.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ The twist here is less about plot mechanics and more about character — what Arjun chooses to do when no one is watching reveals a darkness that reframes the entire film.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Kartik Aaryan’s most mature, committed performance to date
• Shot almost entirely in real-time, the tension is relentless
• Raises uncomfortable questions about media ethics and moral compromise

3. Rahasya (2015)

“A loving father. A dead daughter. And a truth no one wants to find.”

Director: Manish Gupta IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.3 / 10 Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Cast:

• Kay Kay Menon — CBI Inspector Sunil Sen
• Tisca Chopra — Ayesha Rajput (the mother)
• Ashish Vidyarthi — Defense Lawyer

Inspired by the real-life Aarushi Talwar murder case, Rahasya follows CBI Inspector Sunil Sen as he investigates the brutal murder of a teenage girl, with all fingers pointing at her own parents. As evidence mounts and media pressure intensifies, Sen begins to sense that the truth is far more disturbing.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ The final revelation is deeply uncomfortable — not because it’s shocking, but because it forces the viewer to question their own assumptions and the nature of love itself.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Kay Kay Menon is simply outstanding — every scene, every look, every pause
• A rare Bollywood thriller rooted in real events without sensationalising them
• The courtroom sequences are among the best in Indian cinema

4. Talaash (2012)

“Some answers lie beyond the world we can see.”

Director: Reema Kagti IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.7 / 10 Streaming: Netflix, JioHotstar

Cast:

• Aamir Khan — Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat
• Kareena Kapoor Khan — Rosie
• Nawazuddin Siddiqui — Tehmur

A film star dies in a mysterious car accident in the red-light district of Mumbai. Inspector Shekhawat, himself battling personal grief, takes on the case — and finds himself drawn deeper into the city’s shadows, and into an inexplicable connection with a woman named Rosie.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ The twist is genuinely supernatural — and yet, when it arrives, it feels emotionally inevitable rather than cheap. Reema Kagti earns it completely.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Aamir Khan’s most emotionally restrained performance in years
• Ram Sampath’s haunting background score makes Mumbai feel like another character
• The twist hits differently on a rewatch — every scene recontextualises itself

5. Kartik Calling Kartik (2010)

“What if the person gaslighting you — is you?”

Director: Vijay Lalwani IMDb Rating: ⭐ 6.7 / 10 Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Cast:

• Farhan Akhtar — Kartik Kumar
• Deepika Padukone — Shonali
• Ram Kapoor — Boss

A loser at work and in life, Kartik begins receiving mysterious phone calls — from himself. The caller gives him advice that transforms his career and personal life. But as the calls continue, Kartik’s grip on reality begins to slip in ways that are deeply, disturbingly personal.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ A psychological reveal that reframes the entire film through the lens of mental health — ahead of its time in how it handled its subject matter.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Farhan Akhtar’s raw, committed physical and emotional performance
• One of the first mainstream Bollywood films to tackle dissociative identity and trauma honestly
• The twist is genuinely unsettling on reflection

6. Ittefaq (2017)

“Two stories. One murder. Only one of them is lying.”

Director: Abhay Chopra IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.2 / 10 Streaming: Netflix

Cast:

• Sidharth Malhotra — Vikram Sethi
• Sonakshi Sinha — Maya Sinha
• Akshaye Khanna — Inspector Dev

A man is found at the scene of his wife’s murder. A woman claims she witnessed everything. Their stories completely contradict each other — and only one of them can be telling the truth. Inspector Dev must decide whom to believe before the real killer escapes.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ A Rashomon-style structure where both versions feel entirely plausible — until the film pulls the rug out from under both simultaneously.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Lean, tight, 105-minute runtime — not a single scene wasted
• Akshaye Khanna is quietly magnetic as the detective who trusts no one
• A remake done right — improves on the 1969 original in every structural way

7. No Smoking (2007)

“What would you give up to quit? Everything?”

Director: Anurag Kashyap IMDb Rating: ⭐ 6.8 / 10 Streaming: YouTube, JioHotstar

Cast:

• John Abraham — K (Kay)
• Ayesha Takia — Anjali
• Paresh Rawal — Baba Bengali

An arrogant, chain-smoking man is forced by his wife to seek help from a mysterious rehabilitation clinic run by the enigmatic Baba Bengali. What seems like a quirky de-addiction programme quickly reveals itself to be something far darker — a nightmare where the price of failure is unimaginably high.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡ The “twist” here is more of an unravelling — Anurag Kashyap deliberately refuses easy answers, leaving the film open to interpretation in ways that reward multiple viewings.

Why You Must Watch It:

• The most Kafkaesque film ever made in Bollywood — genuinely unlike anything else
• Paresh Rawal is terrifying and mesmerising as Baba Bengali
• Divisive at release, now considered a cult masterpiece

8. Trapped (2016)

“No food. No water. No way out. Just you — and the city that forgot you exist.”

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.8 / 10 Streaming: Netflix, Mubi

Cast:

• Rajkummar Rao — Shaurya (the only character for 90% of the film)
• Geetanjali Thapa — Noorie
• Anish Trivedi — Landlord

A young man moves into an abandoned apartment in Mumbai and accidentally locks himself inside with no phone signal, no food, no water, and no one who knows where he is. What follows is one of Indian cinema’s most viscerally uncomfortable survival stories — and a meditation on urban isolation.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡ Less a plot twist, more a devastating tonal shift — the film’s final act redefines what the entire experience was about.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Rajkummar Rao carries 95% of the film entirely alone — it’s a masterclass
• Vikramaditya Motwane makes Mumbai’s indifference feel like a horror villain
• Shot with minimal resources — a technical and creative triumph

9. Chup (2022)

“He kills critics. And he leaves a star rating on everybody.”

Director: R. Balki IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.1 / 10 Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Cast:

• Dulquer Salmaan — Danny (the killer)
• Sunny Deol — Inspector Arvind Mathur
• Shreya Dhanwanthary — Nila (journalist)

A serial killer is targeting Bollywood film critics — and leaving star ratings carved into their bodies as a calling card. A florist named Danny begins a romance with a journalist covering the case. The film pays tribute to Guru Dutt while building a disturbing psychological portrait of obsession, art, and vengeance.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ The reveal about Danny’s identity and motivation is deeply personal and surprisingly moving — a twist that makes you feel sympathy for someone you know you shouldn’t.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Dulquer Salmaan is magnetic and quietly terrifying in equal measure
• R. Balki’s tribute to Guru Dutt runs through every frame — beautifully layered
• The concept alone is unlike anything Bollywood has attempted

10. Chehre (2021)

“In this courtroom, everyone is guilty — especially the audience.”

Director: Rumi Jaffery IMDb Rating: ⭐ 5.5 / 10 Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Zee5

Cast:

• Amitabh Bachchan — Jagdish Acharya (lawyer)
• Emraan Hashmi — Sameer Mehra
• Annu Kapoor — Judge

A businessman gets stranded in a snowstorm and takes refuge with a group of retired lawyers and judges who spend their evenings playing a mock trial game. When he agrees to participate, he becomes the accused — and the “game” quickly reveals uncomfortable truths about his own past.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡ The moral twist is more philosophical than plot-driven — the film asks whether justice delayed is justice delivered, and the answer is deeply uncomfortable.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Amitabh Bachchan at his theatrical, commanding best
• The courtroom game concept is genuinely inventive
• Flawed but ambitious — rewards patient viewers

11. Badla (2019)

“Every story has two sides. Every lie has a truth hidden inside it.”

Director: Sujoy Ghosh IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.8 / 10 Streaming: Netflix

Cast:

• Amitabh Bachchan — Badal Gupta (lawyer)
• Taapsee Pannu — Naina Sethi (accused)
• Amrita Singh — Supporting role

A successful businesswoman is the sole suspect in her lover’s murder — locked in a hotel room with a dead body and no memory of what happened. She hires a legendary criminal lawyer to help her recall events. As each layer of memory is peeled back, the story shifts completely — multiple times.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ Possibly the most structurally elegant twist. Sujoy Ghosh plants every clue in plain sight, and the reveal makes you want to immediately rewatch the film from the beginning.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Bachchan-Pannu’s verbal sparring is some of the finest acting chemistry in recent Bollywood
• Adapted from the Spanish film The Invisible Guest — executed with surgical precision
• The twist is satisfying on every level: plot, character, and emotional

12. Jalsa (2022)

“An accident. A secret. And two women who cannot both be telling the truth.”

Director: Suresh Triveni IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.5 / 10 Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Cast:

• Vidya Balan — Maya Menon (journalist)
• Shefali Shah — Ruksana (her housekeeper)
• Vidhatri Bandi — Alia (Ruksana’s daughter)

A celebrated TV journalist accidentally hits a young girl while driving and flees the scene. The girl’s mother — her own housekeeper — doesn’t know who was responsible. What follows is a taut psychological drama about guilt, power, class divide, and the moral price of a secret.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ The “twist” is the slow, devastating revelation of Maya’s character — what she chooses to do or not do, and why, reframes the entire film’s moral universe.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah are both extraordinary — two of India’s finest in the same frame
• Suresh Triveni handles class dynamics with rare nuance and intelligence
• The ending is deliberately uncomfortable — no easy resolution

13. Kahaani (2012)

“A pregnant woman in Kolkata, looking for her missing husband. What could go wrong? Everything.”

Director: Sujoy Ghosh IMDb Rating: ⭐ 8.1 / 10 Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video

Cast:

• Vidya Balan — Vidya Bagchi / Agnes D’Mello
• Parambrata Chattopadhyay — Inspector Satyoki “Rana” Sinha
• Indraneil Sengupta — Arnab Bagchi

A heavily pregnant woman arrives in Kolkata during Durga Puja, searching for her missing husband. The police find no record of him. Her investigation takes her through the city’s labyrinthine lanes — and into a conspiracy far larger and more dangerous than a missing person case.

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ One of the greatest twist endings in global thriller cinema — not just Bollywood. The final revelation is both completely logical and emotionally devastating.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Vidya Balan’s performance is one for the ages — physical, emotional, and completely magnetic
• Kolkata during Durga Puja becomes a character in its own right
• The twist redefines everything — motivations, identity, every single scene

14. A Thursday (2022)

“She has 16 children as hostages. And a list of demands addressed directly to the Prime Minister.”

Director: Behzad Khambata IMDb Rating: ⭐ 7.1 / 10 Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar

Cast:

• Yami Gautam — Naina Jaiswal (preschool teacher)
• Neha Dhupia — DCP Nusrat Saeed
• Atul Kulkarni — ACP Javed Khan

A preschool teacher takes sixteen toddlers hostage and locks herself in with them — calling the shots with the composure of someone who has planned this for a very long time. Her demands go straight to the Prime Minister. As the city panics, the question everyone asks is: why?

The Twist Factor: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ The why — when it comes — is the twist. And it reframes Naina from villain to something far more morally complex and devastating.

Why You Must Watch It:

• Yami Gautam’s career-best performance — quiet, controlled, heartbreaking
• The film raises urgent questions about justice, law, and institutional failure
• A companion piece to A Wednesday in spirit — citizens pushed to the absolute edge

Also Read: Top 7 Iconic Movies of Salim-Javed That Defined the Angry Young Man Legacy

Types of Bollywood Thrillers Explained

Not all thrillers are the same. Here’s how these films fit into different subgenres:

Psychological Thrillers

Examples: Talaash, Kartik Calling Kartik, No Smoking
Best for viewers who enjoy introspection and character-driven suspense.

Crime & Mystery Thrillers

Examples: Kahaani, Badla, Ittefaq, Rahasya
Perfect for puzzle-solving audiences.

Social Thrillers

Examples: A Wednesday, Jalsa, A Thursday
Blend suspense with social commentary.

Survival Thrillers

Example: Trapped
Raw, intense, minimalist storytelling.

Noir & Dark Thrillers

Examples: Chup, Chehre
Stylish, morally complex narratives.

Where to Watch These Bollywood Thriller Movies

Most of these films are available across major OTT platforms:

Netflix

• Kahaani
• Badla
• Talaash
• A Wednesday
• Trapped

Amazon Prime Video

• Rahasya
• Jalsa
• Chup
• Chehre

JioHotstar

• A Thursday
• No Smoking

Note: Always check regional availability before streaming.

FAQs

Q: Which is the best Bollywood thriller with a plot twist for first-time viewers?
→ Start with Kahaani or Badla — both are perfectly constructed, globally acclaimed, and deliver twists that genuinely earn their impact.

Q: Which film on this list has the most shocking twist?
→ Without spoiling anything — Kahaani and Badla are the consensus picks. But Talaash and A Wednesday run them close.

Q: Are any of these films based on true stories?
→ Rahasya is inspired by the real-life Aarushi Talwar murder case. A Wednesday draws inspiration from broader themes of civilian frustration with terrorism policy.

Q: Which Bollywood thriller is best for a rewatch?
→ Kahaani, Badla, and Talaash — all three reward a second viewing with clues you completely missed the first time.

Q: Are there any female-led thrillers on this list?
→ Several — Kahaani, Jalsa, A Thursday, and Badla all centre on powerful, complex female protagonists. Bollywood’s thriller genre is one of its most female-forward spaces.

Conclusion: The Golden Era of Bollywood Thrillers

Bollywood thrillers have quietly entered a golden phase. With better writing, stronger performances, and diverse storytelling styles, they now rival international suspense cinema.

From psychological dramas to crime mysteries and socially relevant narratives, the best Bollywood thrillers with plot twists offer something for every viewer. And most importantly, they remind us why we love movies — the thrill of not knowing what comes next.

So grab popcorn, dim the lights, and pick a film from this list.

Because once the twist hits — you won’t stop thinking about it.