Science fiction films have always been a forte of Hollywood. It has been tough for other film industries around the globe to match up to the standards set by Hollywood sci-fi movies. However, the Indian film industry has been catching up and producing some great science fiction movies in the past decade.
After 2020, Indian filmmakers are trying to make many science fiction films in India, and some of them look impressive, recently we have seen the Teaser of Kalki 2898 Ad, which was quite impressive and interesting.
While the Indian film industry is finally getting some recognition for its contribution to the sci-fi genre, we decided to check out the top Indian science-fiction films ever made.
Best Indian Sci-Fi Films of All Time
The sci-fi genre is the toughest of all other genres as you need to introduce technology either under development or never heard before. The challenge is that the sci-fi film must feel real and amaze the audience.
Thankfully, the Indian film industry has tried this genre and at times has been successful in entertaining the audience fond of the sci-fi genre.
Here are some of the best Indian Science Fiction movies of all time:
Robot (2010)
Shankar’s 2010 film Robot took the Indian science fiction genre to a new level. Although a story adapted from a Kannada film; the breathtaking scenes and technology used in this multilingual film made it unique. The film tells the story of a scientist who develops an android that exhibits human emotions. When the Android falls in love with the scientist’s girlfriend, the once-marvel creation becomes a danger to human society. Whether the scientist is able to stop it or not forms the rest of the story.
Koi… Mil Gaya (2003)
Directed by Rakesh Roshan, Koi Mil Gaya is a 2003 film and Bollywood’s first film about Aliens. The central theme of the film is the friendship bond between an intellectually disabled boy named Rohit and an alien. After the boy uses the machine invented by his father to communicate with the aliens, the aliens respond. When they arrive on Earth, they leave one of their kind behind. The rest of the film shows the developing bond between the alien and the boy and how the alien helps the boy become the smartest of all.
Krrish is the sequel to the 2003 Koi Mil Gaya and tells the story of Rohit’s son Krishna. More than a science fiction film, Krrish is a superhero film and the origin story of the superhero of the same name. Krishna inherits superpowers through his father, thanks to the alien from the first film who treats Rohit before he leaves. He takes the persona of Krrish to hide his identity and fight the evil in the world. Hrithik Roshan plays the double role as Rohit and his son Krishna in this film.
Krrish 3 (2013)
Krrish 3 is the sequel to the 2006 Krrish. With this film, Krrish became the first superhero franchise in the Indian film industry. While Krrish was the origin story of the superhero, Krrish 3 shows him as a renowned Indian superhero, who faces an evil scientist and his creations. The film tries to justify the power of Krrish by pitting him against his equals, at least in terms of superpowers. Whether Krrish triumphs over them and eliminates Kaal, the evil scientist, or not becomes the rest of the story.
Ra.One (2011)
Although it collected a handsome amount at the Box Office, Ra. One isn’t considered as successful as the Krish franchise. Maybe, it was because the film’s concept is beyond its time as Indians aren’t used to the gaming universe as the West does. Shahrukh Khan’s dream project Ra. One is basically a film that takes two characters from the gaming universe and pits them against each other in the real world. While Ra.One is the supervillain, G.One is the superhero and the only thing that can stop Ra.One.
Mr. India (1987)
Considered the first successful science fiction film in the Hindi film industry, Mr. India is a film that has become a cult over the years. The film follows the story of Arun, who takes in orphan kids and cares for them by giving them shelter, food, and education. He comes across a gadget invented by his father which when activated turns the person wearing it invisible. Arun uses the device to fight crimes under the disguise of Mr. India until he and the kids are captured by Mogambo. Whether he rescues himself and the kids by defeating Mogambo’s army or not becomes the rest of the film, Mr India is in our list of All Time Best Movies on Invisibility.
Shree (2013)
Shree is not the first film in India about Time Travel. Earlier few attempts have been made but Shree makes an exception because it deals with the development of the concept of time traveling. Basically, the film follows the life of Shree, who is struggling financially and when he is offered money to become a subject for an experiment that deals with time travel. Again, the film was beyond its time and couldn’t justify the plot as the Indian audience isn’t ready for such complex sci-fi films. However, it is a must-watch as such attempts must be praised to encourage Indian cinema to work in this genre.
Mr. X in Bombay (1964)
While Mr. India is renowned as the first science fiction Hindi film, here’s a classic from the 60s which actually claim the title. Yes, Mr. X in Bombay is not entirely a science fiction film but it surely qualifies as the complete plot of the film relies on a man turning invisible using the potion created by a scientist. Directed by Shantilal Soni, the film features Kishore Kumar in the lead titular role in the film.
If Mr. X in Bombay is the first Hindi sci-fi film, then Kalai Arasi is definitely the first Indian science-fiction film. Released in 1963, the film is also the first Indian film to deal with aliens. The film follows the story of a girl who is abducted by the aliens and taken to their planet. Later, the girl’s boyfriend seeks an opportunity to get to the alien planet and rescues the girl. Directed by A. Kasilingam, the film was beautifully crafted and way beyond the time at the time of its release.
Hollywood (2002)
The original inspiration behind the story of Shankar’s Enthiran/Robot, the 2002 Kannada film Hollywood was one of the first Indian films that dealt with humanoid robots. Directed by Dinesh Baboo, the film features the Kannada superstar Upendra in the lead role. The title of the film is justified by the fact that the film is actually shot in Hollywood, California. The story resembles the story of Enthiran with some twists here and there.
Action Replay (2010)
Action Replay is a film about the past events repeated, justifying the title of the film. Well, the story of the film shows a young man going back in time using a Time Machine to rekindle love between his parents before their marriage. The film shares a few plot similarities with the Hollywood blockbuster film Back to the Future. Directed by Vipul Shah, the film features Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai, and Aditya Roy Kapoor in the lead roles.
Elaan (1971)
The 1971 Bollywood thriller Elaan is yet another film featuring the power of invisibility. However, this time the power comes from an atomic ring which can turn the man invisible when he keeps it in his mouth. The entire film is then a cat-and-mouse game to get this ring. The film features Vinod Mehra and Rekha as the protagonists, whereas Vinod Khanna plays the antagonist.
Dasavathaaram (2008)
Dasavathaaram is one of the few films where one actor plays ten significant characters in the same film. The feat is only achieved by Sivaji Ganesan and Sanjeev Kapoor in the past and now with Dasavathaaram, Kamal Haasan also joined their league. Directed by K.S. Ravikumar, the film basically revolves around a bio-weapon and the struggles to ensure that it doesn’t fall into the hands of terrorist groups.
7aum Arivu (2011)
7aum Arivu is a science fiction film based on martial art techniques. The film portrays two stories set centuries apart. The film basically follows the life of Bodhidharma, who is sent to China to help them counter the pandemic disease and stop it from spreading to India. When he decides to return, he is killed and buried there by the villagers. Now, after centuries in Modern China, an evil group hatches a plan to use the same pandemic diseases to start a biological war against India. Whether Bodhidharma returns as a savior this time is what forms the rest of the story.
24 (2016)
24 is another Tamil science fiction film starring Surya in triple roles. Directed by Vikram Kumar, the film revolves around a watch that can take a person forth and back in time for 24 hours. The story of the film follows the life of a young man who finds the watch without knowing that it is his father’s creation. He is also unaware that his father’s evil twin is after that watch as well. It is then the story of revenge and betrayal begins.
Miruthan is a 2016 film featuring the Zombie Apocalypse. Directed by Shakti Soundar Rajan, the film is a sci-fi zombie horror film where a group of people including doctors and a traffic police officer are trapped inside a house invaded by zombies. While the doctors try to find a vaccine to cure the zombie disease, the police officer must keep them protected against the zombie attack.
Indru Netru Naalai (2015)
Here’s another film featuring a time machine and this time it is the 2015 Tamil film Indru Netru Naalai. The film begins in 2065 when a scientist invents the time machine and sends it back to 2015 only for a test run by setting a timer to bring it back within 40 seconds. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come back and is seen by three people. From there, a series of comical events begin as the trio try to use the Time Machine to their advantage. Directed by R. Ravikumar, the film is an interesting comedy set around the sci-fi genre.
Aa Dekhein Zara (2009)
Aa Dekhen Zara is a Bollywood science fiction thriller starring Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu in the lead roles. The film follows the life of Ray Acharya, played by Neil Nitin Mukesh, who comes across a camera that can take snaps that predict the future. As Ray begins using the camera for his selfish needs, he catches the eye of criminals and other security officials. From there, a cat-and-mouse game begins and ends up in Bangkok.
Over to you!
Despite so many films in the sci-fi genre over the past few decades, there are still many scopes of improvement. While the future of the Science Fiction genre in India looks bright, the filmmakers need to take it to the next level and move out of the plots centered on invisibility and time machines.
We hope you loved this list of top Indian science fiction films. If any of your favorite sci-fi Indian films didn’t make it to our list, then feel free to mention it in the comments section below.
Rajeesh Nair is a true Gizmofreak and an addictive movie buff. He blogs at LifeBlender.com – a lifestyle Blogzine which focuses on general life related topics of the 21st Century.
