#BingeRewind: Films in 2025 served hope, hyper nationalism, and hard truths!

This year, cinema tried everything from blurring the lines of fact and fiction, flirting with tokenism to indulging in bad girls and man-child behaviour. Let’s break down what really went on!

As the year draws to a close, we naturally pause to reassess how it unfolded. In cinema, this usually takes the shape of endless lists - favourite films, best performances, and the “best of 2025.” While these lists help us understand what worked and what didn’t, they rarely capture the bigger picture. To truly grasp where cinema is headed, it’s just as important to look at the themes that quietly ran through the year. Amid the relentless debate about Hindi cinema losing its sense of vision, a conversation that refuses to die, 2025 also revealed a subtle resurgence of hope, especially in terms of range. Whether it was a shift toward films that trusted their own stories instead of trying too hard to impress or newer voices and ideas that genuinely sparked curiosity. There is no denying that despite the controversies and contradictions, the year showed signs of stories told with more conviction. In that sense, 2025 wasn’t just about hits and misses, it was more than that! 

Also Read: #BingeRewind: 2025 became the year where two stars were born - Saiyaara and The Bads of Bollywood!

Here are some themes that we noticed! 

Patriotism or propaganda? Fact vs fiction gets messy!

2025 made one thing clear that “inspired by true events” is still doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Post Dhurandhar, the debate around propaganda films serving up nationalistic agendas as patriotism only got louder but this blurring of fact and fiction isn’t new. From Chhaava to Kesari Chapter 2, Emergency, The Bengal Files, Ground Zeroand 120 Bahadur, real life incidents were reshaped into cinematic truths all along. What matters is that regardless of the film's politics or one’s inclination with it, it is important to remember to watch these with curiosity, not blind belief as all these films borrow from history but they are not entirely “based on a true story”!

Content is back or is it just visiting?

Post pandemic, Hindi cinema has largely survived on great intent, poor execution. But this year finally offered some relief as Sitaare Zameen Par, Metro In Dino, Gustaakh Ishqand Nishaanchibrought emotion and sincerity back into focus. But a little shaky execution kept them from becoming classics. Like Aap Jaisa Koi or Jolly LLB 3, they’re well-meaning but fleeting proof that content has returned for good, but Hindi cinema still suffers from commitment phobia, leaving intention and execution stuck in a situationship!

Return of romance with a pulse?

The audience was desperately starving for a good love story. But films like Loveyapa, Nadaaniyan, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyanand Bhool Chuk Maaf promised rom-com revival and delivered, well, disappointment. As most vanished under the radar, some got heavily trolled. ThenSaiyaara arrived and did the unthinkable of telling a love story without trying to be Gen Z coded. Add Metro In Dinocapturing modern relationship anxieties, and suddenly the lost hope of romance finally felt alive again. Yet, it didn’t last as long since ridiculous titles like SSKTK, TMMTMTTM and Param Sundari, with their remixed old-school romance, felt more like parody than nostalgia.

Horror-comedy and brainrot doesn’t always work!

The biggest letdown this year was Thamma from the Maddock Horror-Comedy Universe that was ambitious, but unable to sink its vampire teeth into the larger universe. Still, it worked better than the year’s comedy sequels like Housefull 5, Mastiii 4, Son of Sardaar 2 or Mere Husband Ki Biwi which dragged cinema back to boys locker room jokes best left on WhatsApp forwards. Ironically, the only film that truly understood the assignment was Badass Ravi Kumar. It was unapologetic, self-aware and gloriously brainrot, marking Himesh Reshamiya’s return!

Big stars stumble, small films shine but the CBFC still selectively swings its scissors

If anything, 2025 states it clearly to the industry that star power alone can’t carry a film anymore. Big-ticket releases like Sikandar, War 2, Raid 2, Sky Force, Param Sundari, and Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumarimet with more shrugs than cheers, signalling clear audience fatigue. Meanwhile, smaller, content-driven films like Homebound, Jugnuma, Sabar Bonda, Phule, and Agra quietly broke through despite limited screens. Even on OTT, titles like Mrs., Baramulla, andRaat Akeli Hai, held their own beyond star-led spectacles. Yet just as content found its moment, the CBFC’s blade stayed sharp and selective. Films like Santosh and 96 struggled to see the light of day, while others faced heavy cuts, even as some questionable content passed through untouched.

Regional cinema thrives but Malayalam cinema still steals the show

Regional cinema had a solid year, with buzz around Rajnikanth’s Coolie from Lokesh Kanagaraj’s universe and Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 exceeding its already massive expectations. Still, the year unmistakably belonged to Malayalam cinema. Fearless in experimentation and grounded in storytelling, it delivered range like no other, from the eerie Dies Irae and fantastical Lokah, to eco-conscious Eko, action-packed Kalamkaval, and emotionally rich films like Avihitham, Thudram, and Hridayapoorvam. The message was loud and clear - Malayalam cinema can hardly go wrong!

Move aside bad boys, it’s ‘Bad Girls’ time!

For decades, cinema has romanticized male rage but 2025 finally tapped into the fury of women to remind us that it is not wise to underestimate a woman scorned. Films like Bad Girls, The Girlfriend, Sister Midnight, Lokah, Dhadak 2, and Mrs.showed that a woman’s anger isn't just dramatic but meticulously brewed to a breaking point, where in pursuit of claiming what’s rightfully hers she doesn’t burn the world. Of course, there were cautionary tales like Tere Ishq Mein that flipped the concept of the “bad girl,” showing the male gaze assumption of being “bad” for women!

Masculinity in reverse as man-child mode engaged

Meanwhile, masculinity on-screen largely stayed in man-child territory. Revenge was still romanticized as the rightful solution, and films like Tere Ishq Mein and Baaghi 4 reminded us exactly what not to do. Even when a movie like Deva hinted at a more nuanced approach yet loud, gory and testosterone heavy scenes dominated the screens with Dhurandhar and Chhaava. Even though the film may demand it, the raging violence only stated that even rage isn’t equal where women can be empathetic in pursuit of vengeance while men, well, sometimes still just scream a lot! 

Soft lens yet still bold and brave

While hyper-masculinity and nationalist tales hogged the spotlight, several films reminded us that cinema can be gentle and nuanced, and still be called bold and brave. The Mehta Boys, Homebound, Sabar Bonda, Superboys of Maelgoan, Kaalidhar Laapataa, and The Storyteller showcased softer masculinity through their focus on relationships like father-son, lovers or friends. Meanwhile, The Great Shamshuddin Family, Stolen, and Humans in the Loop explored the quiet realities of living in a divided India where fear is inherited not boiling rage. They were all unique perseptives that were much needed to sit with!

Animation, re-releases and English hits

Animation soared with Mahavatar Narsimha emerging as a surprise hit. Re-releases became mini-events with Sholay’s 25-year uncut 4K version and SRK classics drew nostalgic crowds. English films also performed well with Sinners, Weapons, new parts of The Conjuring, Final Destination and Avatar bringing audiences back to theaters, proving that there is still space for all kinds of cinema.

Which themes did you notice in 2025? Tell us in the comments below!

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This article is a part of our #LetsKetchup series that sums up the year from our perspective!