25 Underrated movies of Bollywood everyone should watch

Here's a list of 25 such films which will satiate your desire for quality cinema:

1. Masaan (2015)

Masaan follows two separate story arcs in the town of Varanasi that eventually converge. One follows the journey of Devi (Richa Chadha), who has to deal with the loss of her boyfriend and overcome the guilt she feels for his death. The second follows the journey of Deepak (Vicky Kaushal), who comes from a family that burns funeral pyres at the Varanasi ghats. The film was highly appreciated by critics and won a few awards at Cannes Film Festival as well.

2. Ankhon Dekhi (2013)

Ankhon Dekhi, directed by Rajat Kapoor, is a bittersweet tale of a man who has an epiphany and decides that he will only believe what he sees with his own eyes. Sanjay Mishra has given a flawless performance in this one as the patriarch of a middle class family living in Old Delhi.

3. Titli (2015)

In the badlands of Delhi's underbelly, Titli, the youngest member of a violent car-jacking brotherhood, plots a desperate bid to escape the 'family' business which is shady as hell. His schemes are thwarted by his unruly brothers, who marry him off against his will. But Titli finds an unlikely ally in his new wife, Neelu, who nurtures her own frustrated dreams. What happens next will suck you into Titli's life!

4. Filmistaan (2014)

Filmistaan is the story of a filmy man from India who is mistakenly kidnapped and made to cross the border while shooting a film. Even when he's being held hostage in Pakistan, his only hope for survival is Hindi films. This film received a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

5. Chittagong (2012)

Chittagong, directed by Bedabrata Pain, is based on British India's Chittagong uprising. The film stars Manoj Bajpai in the lead role. It garnered positive reviews from critics and won the National Film Award for the Best Debut Film by a Director.

6. Shahid (2013)

Shahid is a biographical film based on the life of lawyer and human rights activist, Shahid Azmi. The film focuses primarily on the lawyer's two major cases: the 2006 Mumbai train bombings and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. This film won the National Film Award for Best Actor (Rajkummar Rao) and Best Director (Hansal Mehta) at the 61st National Film Awards ceremony.

7. Margarita, with a Straw (2015)

This film starring Kalki Koechlin is the story of a bi-sexual woman who has cerebral palsy. Laila, played by Kalki, discovers her own self through the course of this film. This film is a must watch for those who are looking for good cinema and coming of age stories.

8. Gour Hari Dastaan (2015)

This film directed by Anant Mahadevan is the story of an Indian freedom fighter from Odisha, Sri Gour Hari Das. Gour Hari Das fought for a certificate recognizing his work as a freedom fighter which took three full decades to arrive. Vinay Pathak plays the lead role in this film and stands out for his outstanding approach towards such a sensitive character.

9. Antardwand (2010)

This film is based on the cases of groom kidnapping in Bihar. It won a National Film Award for Best Film on social issues and was highly appreciated by critics as well as commercial filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali and Rajkumar Hirani.

10. Ugly (2014)

Ugly is a neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Anurag Kashyap. The film tells a terrible tale of corruption, indifference, and systemic violence which starts to unfold when the 10-year-old daughter of an aspiring actor disappears.

11. Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women (2003)

This film talks about the imbalance of gender in society and presents a fictional account of the near future when there will be very few women left in the country. This film is a wake up call for society that discriminates based on gender.

12. I Am Kalam - 2010

A boy derives inspiration from late former President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and decides to change his name to Kalam. On the inside, the rural boy also harbours the dream of meeting the visionary once in his lifetime. The child actor, Harsh Mayar, got the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for this film.

13. Dasvidaniya (2008)

The film starring Vinay Pathak is the story of a man who discovers that he only has three months to live and thus makes a list of 10 things and sets out to do that. This film was highly appreciated by critics.

14. 15 Park Avenue (2005)

This film is the story of Meethi, played by Konkona Sen Sharma, who suffers from schizophrenia. The film traces Meethi's relationship with her older sister Anjali, played by Shabana Azmi. This film, directed by Aparna Sen, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English.

15. Rockford (1999)

Rockford is the story of a 13-year-old boy, Rajesh, who is sent to the Rockford Boys' High School. He experiences the joy and agony of living in an all male boarding school, learning to fend for himself without the safety net of his parents. This film was directed by Nagesh Kukunoor and carries the trademark subtle brilliance of the filmmaker.

16. Raincoat (2004)

On a rainy afternoon, a lonely wife meets a man she was once engaged with. Both have their set of difficulties but try to help each other out. This film by Rituparno Ghosh won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

17. The Blue Umbrella (2005)

This film by Vishal Bhardwaj is based on Ruskin Bond's novel by the same name. It is a story of a girl who finds a blue coloured Japanese umbrella and is enamored by its beauty. The umbrella then goes missing and she is left heartbroken, thereby ensuing her search for the thief.

18. The Last Lear (2007)

The Last Lear, directed by Rituparno Ghosh, is the story of an ageing Shakespearean theatre actor, Harish, played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film is based on Utpal Dutt's semi-autobiographical play Aajker Shahjahan.

19. Manorama Six Feet Under (2007)

This film is the story of an amateur detective (Abhay Deol), in a small, sleepy town in Rajasthan, who finds himself caught in a web of lies, deceit and murder. The film didn't do well commercially but critics appreciated the film's brilliantly-written dialogues.

20. Sankat City (2009)

This film is the story of a bunch of petty car thieves who unknowingly get in the bad books of a ruthless gangster. This film was directed by Pankaj Advani and has shades of dark humor.

21. Monsoon Wedding (2001)

This film, directed by Mira Nair, has gained a cult status over the years. Set in the backdrop of a wedding, this film highlights different characters and their stories. Issues like child abuse are also dealt with in the film. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

22. Astitva (2000)

Astitva is the story of a woman whose past comes back to her after her music teacher's demise. The film deals with the chauvinism that is deeply embedded in our society. Directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, this was a bi-lingual film made in Marathi and Hindi.

23. My Brother... Nikhil (2005)

My Brother... Nikhil is the story of a man who is found to be HIV positive. The story is set in Goa in the late '80s when HIV was a big taboo in our society. Nikhil, played by Sanjay Suri, receives support only from his sister (Juhi Chawla) and his boyfriend (Purab Kohli). This film created quite a stir when it released and is one of the best films made on the subject.

24. Mirch (2010)

The film, made by Vinay Shukla, is a compilation of four short stories set in the main narrative. The stories are inspired from the the tales of Panchtantra and are imagined in different contemporary settings.

25. Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

Konkona Sen Sharma plays a Tamil Iyer Brahmin and Rahul Bose plays a Bengali Muslim in this Aparna Sen film. The story revolves around these two lead characters during a fateful bus journey amidst riots in the country. This film won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration in India.

Ek Do Chaar