Geetasri Roy
The year 2023 gifted us some of the most iconic movies that impacted the box office as well as the audience. Movie freaks must know that Barbie and Oppenheimer have become international hits. On the other hand, movies such as SRK’s s Pathan and Jawan were the highest-grossing Bollywood movies.
Unfortunately, this year, not all movies got the same attention they deserved. In the vast landscape of Indian regional movies, some cinematic treasures were hidden from the mainstream limelight. Hence, this post will focus on the best underrated Indian regional movies of 2023.
7 Best Underrated Indian Regional Movies of 2023
The year 2023 has marked itself as remarkable in the Indian film industry with its diverse storytelling movies. But some films didn’t even get their deserving responses. Hence, we will share a curated list of the top 7 underrated Indian regional movies of 2023 that have craved their niche in Indian regional cinemas. These films surely possess a magnetic charm that can draw viewers and leave a long-lasting impact on the audience.
1. Chittha
The raw and hard-hitting movie Chithha is one of the best Indian regional movies of 2023. You must add this underrated movie to your watchlist. Based on an actual incident, this movie depicts the kidnapping story of a schoolgirl named Sundari, who was living with her uncle, Eeswaran, a government employee from Palani, who is quite protective of her. In this movie, Siddharth delivered his career-best performance with grace.
Director: S. U. Arun Kumar
Cast: Siddharth, Sahasra Sree, and Nimisha Sajayan
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar
IMDB Score: 8.3/10
Malikappuram
Vishnu Sasi Shankar’s Malikappuram is a watch-worthy movie that deals with how faith takes root in young minds. This film is specifically made for kids. In this movie, an eight-year-old girl meets a kind man on an independent pilgrimage to the Sabarimala Temple. The man accompanied the girl throughout her pilgrimage. For people who have been to Sabarimala before, watching this beautiful movie will feel like revisiting the temple. Deva Nandha, who played Kallu and Malikappuram, has charmed the audience through her innocence and boundless faith.
Director: Vishnu Sasi Shankar
Cast: Unni Mukundan, Deva Nandha, and Sreepathy
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar
IMDB Score: 7.4/10
Maurh
Maurh is one of the best Indian regional movies of 2024. In this movie, in a simple village in colonial Punjab, Jeona Maurh is forced to pick up the gun to avenge the demise of his bandit brother, Krishna. Jeona is determined to demolish the exploitative land tax mafia that made the villagers poorer. In this movie, Jeona and Krishna Maurh emerge as beacons of hope in the sandy badlands of southern Punjab. They are shown fighting for their native rights and challenging the oppressive rule of British colonizers.
Director: Jatinder Mauhar
Cast: Ammy Virk, Dev Kharoud, and Naiqra Kaur
Available on: Zee 5
IMDB Score: 7.5/10
Anur: Eyes of the Sunshine
Directed by Monjul Baruah, Anur is a beautiful Assamese movie which revolves around aging and how people deal with love, their past, future, and memories. Anur depicts the life of a retired teacher who struggles with loneliness and insecurities. But her life changes when destiny seems to bring some changes with the arrival of an IAS officer, Loshit Modliar. The film can be interpreted in multiple ways, and you may also interpret it as a psychological thriller. Anur won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese at India’s 69th National Film Awards.
Director: Monjul Baruah
Cast: Jahanara Begum, Rajat Kapoor, and Boloram Das
IMDB score: 9.3/10
Subhedar
The storyline of this movie dives into the story of the Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare, who risked his life fighting against the Mughals at the battle of Sinhagad. The first half of Subhedar sets the film’s tone while recreating the pages of history. This movie speaks about the contributions of unsung warriors such as Shelar Mama, Yesaji Kank, Suryaji, Moropant, etcr.
Director: Digpal Lanjekar
Cast: Ajay Purkar, Digpal Lanjekar, and Smita Shewale
Available on: Amazon Prime Video
IMDB score: 8.3/10
Viduthalai Part 1
Regarding the underrated regional movies of 2023, you can surely count on this movie. The film starts with a striking single shot. In this movie, director Vetri Maaran builds up a brutal and unforgiving world of guns and violence. A policeman named Kumaresan battles with his inner conflict to catch hold of the local activist, Perumal, the leader of Makkai Padai. People who love action must watch this film at least once.
Director: Vetrimaaran
Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Soori, Bhavani Sre
Available on: Zee5
IMDB score: 8.3/10
Iratta
This movie is one of the best Indian regional movies of 2023. The film starts with the murder of 52-year-old ASI Vinod Kumar. In the movie, he is the twin brother of DYSP Pramod. There are three suspects: CPO Bineesh, SCPO Sandeep, and ASI John, three police officers who worked with Vinod in the same police station and have hatred towards him for different incidents. Watch the movie to unravel the mystery!
Director: Rohit M.G. Krishnan
Cast: Joju George, Meenakshi Dinesh, and Arya Salim
Available on: Netflix
IMDB score: 7.7/10
You may have enjoyed the blockbusters of 2023, like Jawan, Pathan, Animal, Dunki, etc. But if you are a true film lover, you must definitely watch at least few of such underrated regional movies mentioned in our list. These top 7 underrated Indian movies in 2023 of different genres will draw your attention towards such movies, and you won’t be disappointed.
