Top 250 Movies Like Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar
Where courtesans were queens...
A list of the best movies similar to Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. If you liked Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar then you may also like: Yeh Ishq Nahin Aasaan, Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke, Uphaar, Vaishali, Valli and many more great movies featured on this list.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali brings his majestic signature flair to stories of love and betrayal in the lives of courtesans in pre-independence India.
Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke
A commercial pilot is arrested and charged with killing his wife's lover.
Uphaar
Anoop studies law in Calcutta, while his widowed mom in a small town in West Bengal. He has a sister, Sudha, who is married to Anil and lives in Calcutta. Since Anoop is of marriageable age, his mom has seen a girl for him, whose name is Vidya, and is the daughter of Shankarlal. When Anoop returns home, she asks him for his approval, but he says he wants to see the girl first. He goes to see Vidya, and also gets to meet another belle by the name of Minoo. He returns home, tells his mom that he cannot marry Vidya, but will marry only Minoo.
Valli
Valli returns to her village after studying for 15 years in the city. Her cousin celebrates her arrival to the city. He is in love with Valli from childhood days. But got changed after she went to study in the city. She is no more in love with him.She falls in love with a city guy called Shekar who came to the village with his friends for hunting. Shekar cheats her and escapes from the city. Later shekar was brought back by her cousin. Instead of marrying the city guy she kills him for cheating.
Viceroy's House
In 1947, Lord Mountbatten assumes the post of last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people, living upstairs at the house which was the home of British rulers, whilst 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants lived downstairs.
War Chod Na Yaar
War Chhod Na Yaar is India’s first war comedy movie, set on the backdrop of India-Pakistan war.
Way Down East
A naive country girl is tricked into a sham marriage by a wealthy womanizer, then must rebuild her life despite the taint of having borne a child out of wedlock.
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai
A tale of two gangsters from the eras of past and present, whose lives enter parallel paths as they struggle to survive within Bombay's criminal underworld.
Oru Muthassi Gadha
It narrates the story of two grandmothers in the backdrop of their children, families, and an old age home.
Redeeming Love
A retelling of the biblical book of Hosea set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush of 1850.
Jeevan Mrityu
An honest bank manager is arrested for embezzlement on the eve of his marriage. After his release, he seeks out his fiancee and decides to take revenge on his colleagues, who falsely implicated him.
Kaajal
The Munim (Clerk) in Ranimaa's family lives with his son, Kaushal and daughter, Madhavi. After he passes away, Ranimaa brings up both children as her own, along with her only son, Rajesh. Years later, Rajesh has grown up and is of marriageable age. He meets with beautiful Bhanu Saxena and both fall in love with each other. Shortly thereafter, in a boating accident, Kaushal passes away, leaving behind a devastated Madhavi, Rajesh, who blames himself for his death, and Ranimaa. A few months later, Rajesh gets married to Bhanu and she moves in with them. Bhanu dislikes Madhavi and would like her out of the way, she goes to the extent of accusing her of having an affair with her husband.
Kala Dhanda Goray Log
Gourishankar is an eyewitness to the murder of an honest customs officer Sudarshan Kumar who dared to defy Jethia, the kingpin of an organization of cocaine smugglers called "Shangrila". The smugglers implicate Gourishankar in a false theft charge and his wife dies of shock. The evil organisation kills his son and kidnaps his daughter. Gourishankar only mission in life is to find his daughter and take revenge on Jethia.
Kala Pani
Based on A.J.Cronin's 'Beyond This Place', this movie narrates the story of an untiring crusade for justice. A young man, learning about his father's wrongful implication in a fifteen-year-old murder, vows to bring the true criminals to justice and release his innocent father from 'kaala paani' (life imprisonment), for which he enlists the help of a press reporter, a retired police inspector and an unwitting prostitute who happens to possess some key evidence.
Khamoshi: The Musical
The daughter of deaf-mute parents seeks their understanding when she discovers a love for music.
Khoon Bhari Maang
Nandini and Sanjay Verma are lovers, and they conspire to take over the vaste estate of Mr. Saxena and his only widowed daughter, Aarti, and her two children, with the help of Sanjay's maternal uncle Heeralal, a longtime employee of Saxena. After Saxena passes away suddenly, Sanjay woes Aarti and marries her. On a boating trip both Nandini and Sanjay do away with Aarti, making it look like an accident, and subsequently take over the entire Saxena estate. But Aarti survives, disfigured beyond recognition by a crocodile attack, With the help of plastic surgery transforms herself to a successful model, Jyoti. She then plans to carry out her vengeance against Sanjay, but finds that he has been physically abusing her children, pets, and servants. She must now decide to reveal her identity, or continue with her plan and be a spectator to the abuse on her loved ones. Written by rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
Bajirao Mastani
Peshwa Bajirao married to Kashibai, falls in love with Mastani, a warrior princess in distress. They struggle to make their love triumph amid opposition from his conservative family.
The Black
Black movie deals with the underworld operations in Kochi City. Karikkamuri Shanmugham (Mammootty) who is a hit man and a contract killer. David Carlos Padaveedan (Lal) who is a lawyer who masterminds and controls the operations of the underworld in Kochi..David and Shanmugham are friends and Shanmugham does whatever David asks him to do. As a child Shanmugham was picked up from the slums by the local secretary of the Marxist Party (Janardhanan) and put in an orphanage. He grew up without any love and affection and turned out to be a real goonda. He becomes a ruthless and cold blooded killer. As the story goes, Shanmugham was entrusted with the custody of a girl by the party secretary. It turns out to be that the girl is his own daughter.
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha
Amongst the communal riots that erupt in the city, Tara shelters a wayward Sakina from a crazed mob and a bond that blossoms into love is created. The two eventually get married and have a son. The happy family, now living in Amritsar, gets the shock of their lives when Sakina learns that her father (Amrish Puri), whom she previously believed died in the riots back in Amritsar, is still alive after seeing his picture in a tattered, old newspaper. Upon contacting him, Sakina's father, now the mayor of Lahore in Pakistan, arranges for his daughter to arrive in Lahore to see him. Sakina leaves for Lahore minus Tara and her son, and upon reaching the city, learns of her father's plans for her - plans that include forcing Sakina to forget about her family and start life anew in Pakistan. Then begins an extraordinary journey which will lead Tara to cross the border into Pakistan to find his love Sakina
Thugs of Hindostan
After the British company’s officer Clive takes over the kingdom of Mirza, Princess Zafira and Khudabaksh aka Azaad form a band of rebel pirates who swear to defeat the English officer and win their freedom back. The British Company in return, hire the wily thug Firangi track Azaad’s gang and thwart his plans.
Yaara
Story of 'Chaukdi Gang' and the two men who helped build this gang played by Vidyut Jammwal and Amit Sadh. This gang of four which includes Vijay Varma, is nabbed by the police and serve their time in jail. However, both men who once ruled the drug smuggling, gun-running and looting struggle in their own different ways to escape their past and start a new life after being released.
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela
Ran and Leela are passionately in love with each other. The only problem is that their respective clans have been enemies for 500 years.
Children on Their Birthdays
Havoc is created in a small Southern community when a 12-year-old shows up, causing a couple 13-year-old friends to fall in love with her, thus possibly jeopardizing their friendship.
Iyobinte Pusthakam
Set in the backdrop of the picturesque Munnar, it tells the story of Iyob, a slave-turned-master.
Gangubai Kathiawadi
Duped and sold to a brothel, a young woman fearlessly reclaims her power, using underworld connections to preside over the world she was once a pawn in.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
The true story of the "Flying Sikh" world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh who overcame the massacre of his family, civil war during the India-Pakistan partition, and homelessness to become one of India's most iconic athletes.
Mangal Pandey - The Rising
The film begins in 1857, when India was ruled by the British East India Company. Mangal Pandey is a sepoy, a soldier of Indian origin, in the army of the East India Company. Pandey is fighting in the Anglo-Afghan Wars and saves the life of his British commanding officer, William Gordon. Gordon is indebted to Pandey and a strong friendship develops between them, transcending both rank and race.
Heat and Dust
Anne is investigating the life of her grand-aunt Olivia, whose destiny has always been shrouded with scandal. As Anne delves into the history of her grand-aunt, she is led to reconsider her own life.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Nandini has to choose between Sameer, the man who taught her to fall in love; and Vanraj, the man from whom she learnt how to abide and fulfill promises of love.
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
In 1890s India, an arrogant British commander challenges the harshly taxed residents of Champaner to a high-stakes cricket match.
Lust Stories
An anthology of four stories that sheds light on modern relationships from the viewpoint of the Indian woman.
The Miniver Story
The Second World War is over, and the Miniver family is trying to keep themselves together in post-War Britain, among continuing shortages and growing tensions within the family.
Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa
When ad agency executive Pooja (Kirti Reddy) attends a wedding and meets lovable but broke Kabir (Abhishek Bachchan), it's love at first sight -- but only for Kabir. Pooja heads back to her fast-track life and gets in dutch with the head honcho for prolonging her vacation. To save her job, a co-worker explains Pooja's delay with a phony story about her engagement to Kabir, and all's well till she meets her dream man: the boss' son (Sanjay Suri).
Thunderbolt
Documentary about the U.S. Air Force's P-47 Thunderbolt bomber's role in the Italian Campaign.
Tu Hi Re
Nandini(Sai Tamhankar) is someone who is a staunch believer in love marriages but following her father's orders, she gets married to Siddharth (Swapnil Joshi) who is coping with heartbreak. Eight years later, Siddharth and Nandini are leading happy lives in Mumbai with their daughter. Kamlakar Bhanushali (Girish Oak), a politician who has some connection with Siddharth's past, comes to Siddharth's workplace and makes a proposal to him. He tells Siddharth that he's ready to fund Siddharth's work plant with Rs 25 crore provided he gets rid of Nandini. Turns out, Siddharth used to be in a relationship with Bhanushali's daughter Bhairavi (Tejaswini Pandit).How this situation resolves forms the crux of the story.
Cousin Bette
Cousin Bette is a poor and lonely seamstress, who, after the death of her prominent and wealthy sister, tries to ingratiate herself into lives of her brother-in-law, Baron Hulot, and her niece, Hortense Hulot. Failing to do so, she instead finds solace and company in a handsome young sculptor she saves from starvation. But the aspiring artist soon finds love in the arms of another woman, Hortense, leaving Bette a bitter spinster. Bette plots to take revenge on the family who turned her away and stole her only love. With the help of famed courtesan Jenny Cadine she slowly destroys the lives of those who have scorned her.
1942: A Love Story
The son of a politician loyal to the British rule falls in love with the daughter of a freedom fighter.
Mere Huzoor
Akhtar Hussain saves the life of Nawab Salim, and earns his gratitude. Salim invites Akhtar to come to his palatial home, and Akhtar does so. On the way, he meets beautiful Saltanat, and falls in love with her. On arrival at Salim's house, Akhtar is treated with utmost respect, provided employment, and a place to live. Akhtar meets with Saltanat and both plan to get married. Unknown to them, Salim also loves Saltanat, but Saltanat rejects his advances, and proposal, leaving his heartbroken. Soon Saltanat and Akhtar get married and settle down. Saltanat soon gives birth to a son. Salim is very affectionate with this child, and the child too grows to like Salim. Akhtar, meanwhile, has fallen in bad company, drinks alcohol, and romances a courtesan.
Prem Kahani
Rajesh is in love with Kamini in their college days. But he chooses to become a revolutionary freedom fighter and abandons Kamini due to the fear that he might die during his struggle leaving her as a widow. The vicissitude of time, however, gets Kamini married to Dheeraj Kumar, a police inspector, and also a friend of Rajesh. Rajesh takes refuge at Dheeraj's government quarters and encounters his past as he meets Kamini again. Eventually, Dheeraj finds out about their past relationship. He is encountered with the challenge of believing the chastity of his marriage or the doubt in his mind whether his trust has been broken while he was away from home on duty.
Anuradha
There are moments in our lives when our whole being is put to the test. Our ideals, our ambitions, are forgotten and we crave for escape. Escape into our world of dreams. And such is Anuradha's (Leela Naidu) story. The daughter of a rich man, she has everything she desired, yet she goes on to marry Dr. Nirmal Chowdhary (Balraj Sahni), an idealistic doctor, who wants to serve the poor in the villages of India. Later when she is shown what she is missing by living with this poor doctor, she has to make the choice. The choice of her life or her love.
Kalank
Set in 1945, in Pre-Independent India, the elite, opulent and solemn world of the Chaudhry family, and the wild, mysterious and musical underbelly of the town, Hira Mandi, clash when Roop Chaudhry encounters Zafar, a daredevil from Hira Mandi, unleashing deep-buried truths, secrets of betrayal and affairs that threaten to bring both worlds crashing down.
Before the Rains
Set in southern India in the late 1930s, this provocative tale traces the story of three people caught in an inexorable web of forbidden romance and dangerous secrets. After a British spice planter falls in love with his alluring servant, an idealistic young man finds himself torn between his ambitions and his family, his village and his past.
Mehboob Ki Mehndi
Yusuf lives a wealthy lifestyle with his businessman dad, Safdarjang, who is confined to a wheel-chair. When Yusuf's precocious nephew, Khalid alias Phirangi's tutor, Mrs. Albert complains about him and quits, Yusuf hires Shabana, who along with her granny, have come to live with them for a short period of time. He also hires a man named Khairudin as a servant to look after his dad. Yusuf and Shabana are attracted to each other and intend to marry, much to the joy of Safdarjang and the granny. The wedding preparations are on, but there are a couple things Yusuf and his family do not know. One is that Shabana is the daughter of a Courtesan named Najma; and that Khairudin has secured employment in order to kill Yusuf.
Of Human Bondage
Medical student Philip falls in love with Mildred, a waitress. Although she is a flirt, they have a love affair. But when Philip is told about her constant infidelity, they break up. Mildred quits her job and becomes a prostitute. But Philip is still in love with her.
Intaquam
Reeta Mehra gets a job at a department store to support her ailing mother. After she refuses sexual favours to an important business partner, her boss Sohanlal has her framed for shoplifting. When Reeta gets out of prison, her mother has died. She meets Heeralal, who has also been cheated by Sohanlal, and together they work out a plot for revenge. Reeta is to marry Sohanlal's son and then reveal her history, disgracing Sohanlal's name. Things quickly become more complicated than anticipated.
Sadhna
Mohan lives a middle-class life with his ailing mother, and works as a college professor. His mother would like him to get married, but he asks her to be patient as he awaits his probationary period to end at the college. At the college he lectures his students about Vasantsena, the evils of prostitution and his personal hatred of courtesans, who sell their lives for money. Things take a turn for the worse, when his mother suddenly collapses, loses consciousness, and is not expected to live long. The only way he can bring peace to his dying mother is to get married. His neighbor, Jeevan Ram, agrees to find a woman who will pose as a wife for a fee, and introduces him to a woman named Rajni, who is then introduced to his mother.
Dilwale
Raj is a Mafia member. One day he meet a girl (Meera) while chasing by his rival gang and falls in love with her. Later he finds out that this girl is the daughter of the leader of his rival gang. Yet their love story continues until he was shot by his girlfriend upon a deep misunderstanding. After that incident these two lovers lives separate until their siblings fallen in love. With this new love story their paths intertwines again.
Samrat Prithviraj
The true story of legendary Hindu warrior king "Prithviraj Chauhan" including his early military successes, love story with Sanyogita & clashes with Muhammad of Ghor, a ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who led the foundation of Muslim rule in the Indian subcontinent.
Raavana Kottam
Set in the backdrop of Tamilnadu's Ramnad district, Senguttuvan's love for Indhira leads two peacefully co-existing factions they belong going against each other, without realizing that they’re mere pawns being exploited by politicians for their own benefits.
Bhuj: The Pride of India
Set in the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, the film tells the story of the IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, and his bravery, patriotism and determination.
Hameshaa
Two close friends, Yash and Raja, share a passion for cars and beautiful women. Both come from different backgrounds, while Yash is wealthy, Raja comes from a poor family. Raja meets with Reshma, who is attending a nearby college, and falls in love with her. Reshma eventually also falls in love with him. When Yash meets Reshma, he also instantly falls in love with her. When Yash finds out that Reshma loves Raja, he has both of them tragically separated.
Ennu Ninte Moideen
Based on the real life love story of Moideen and Kanchanamala, which happened in 1960s in the backdrops of Calicut.
The Mystic Masseur
Circa 1940 in Trinidad, still a British Colony, lives Ganesh Ramseyor, of East Indian origin, along with his wife, Leela. He longs to reach out to people, especially to Hindus, in order to promote the Hindu Faith, and be known as a writer. He does get considerable success, so much so that he becomes famous as a miracle worker, having cured a man of sharing intimacy with his bicycle; prevented a man from believing that he can fly; and convincing a young woman to end her fast. His fame spreads all over the island and thousands throng to seek his blessings, which he does dole out quite benevolently, without charging any fees from the poor and the needy. He then decides to spread his wings by challenging the local politician Pandit Narayan Chandrashekhar alias Cyrus T., and takes over The Hindu Organization, thence opening his way to a seat in the prestigious Member of the Legislative Assembly
Mirza Ghalib
This movie depicts the life of once wealthy poet and nobleman Mirza Ghalib. This story portrays his trials, tribulations, triumphs, and ultimate descent to poverty, and then to prison; and his tragic and ill-fated love with a beautiful courtesan named Chaudvin.
Raksha Bandhan
Lala Kedarnath is blessed with 4 sisters. But his only worry is to find suitable grooms for each of them, as only then can he marry his childhood love. To what lengths will he go to succeed?
Phas Gaye Re Obama
Phase Gaye Re Obama is a comedy set against the backdrop of global recession/meltdown that originated in USA. The film traces the journey of OM Shashtri, an American citizen of Indian origin, who loses all his wealth overnight to the global recession & has been asked to vacate his home by the bank unless he pays up $100,000 (mortgaged amount) within 30 days. Seeing no other option Om comes to India to sell a small piece of an ancestral property. But within days of landing in India he is kidnapped by a 'recession-hit' underworld gang those who think that he is still a millionaire. What happens to Om, is he able to save his home, how did the 'poor' gangster cope with their 'poor' catch & what do small town Indian gangsters have to say to President Obama...is largely forms the rest of the story. The film, showcases how global recession/ meltdown impacted lives from an America based businessman to underworld dons in the dusty plains of small town India.
Left Thumb Signature
In a village called Savargaon in Maharashtra, six male and female teachers are told to conduct the adult literacy program. This requires extra working hours but they run the program with no result.
Sillu Karuppatti
An anthology of four romantic stories across four age groups connected by that magical thread called love.
Mehbooba
A singer by profession, Suraj gets stranded in resthouse in the coutnryside during a rainstorm. While there he experiences ununsual feelings, as if he has been there before. He feels himself transported to another time and era, to another birth, and drawn to a woman named Ratna. He is unable to leave this experience behind him, and decides to find out what this means. He discovers that in his past life he was a Chief Singer in the emperor's court, his name was Prakash and he had fallen in love with a courtesan named Ratna, much to the chargin and anger of his family and the emperor's and his officials. They are tragically separated. He subsequently comes across a portrait of Ratna, and shortly after he meets a gypsy, Jhumri who looks exactly like Ratna. Soon Jhumri is also able to recollect her past life, and her love for Prakash.
Do Raaste
Navendu was a young motherless boy when his father married again. The step-mother saw the fear and doubt in the eyes of the boy and she promised him that he will be like a real son to her. Many years later his father on his death-bed took another promise from young Navendu, a promise to look after his step-brothers and sisters and step-mother, as if they were all of one blood. Navendu kept up his promise till they all grew up and he was like a father to them. Soon the day, came when the young brothers and sisters stood at the same window of life from where they have to select the Road of Sacrifice And the Road of Selfishness. The story of Do Raaste is the Drama of those brothers and sisters who take the different roads.
Dharmputra
During the British rule in India, the families of Nawab Badruddin and Gulshan Rai in Delhi are so close that they virtually share the same house. Husn Bano, the daughter of the Nawab, has an affair with a young man named Hamid. When she gets pregnant, her lover abandons her.
Staying On
A british colonel and his wife decide to remain in India after the departure of the British raj in the 1940s.
Anmol Ghadi
School-going Chandrabhan lives a poor lifestyle with his widowed mom in a small town in India, and has a childhood sweetheart named Lata, who is the daughter of the wealthy Deputy. Chandrabhan is heartbroken when Lata leaves town, and he has only a time-piece left with him as a token of their friendship. Years later, Chandrabhan has grown up, and has found employment in a guitar and musical instrument repair shop run by the owner and his friend, Prakash. Chandrabhan, a frequent reader of poetry, is fascinated by the poems of Renuka Devi, and longs to meet her. He does get to meet her, only to find out that the woman in reality is her friend, Basanti, who was impersonating her, as she had fallen in love with him, though he has no similar feelings for her. He does get to meet Renuka Devi, and is pleasantly surprised when he finds out that she is none other than Lata herself. Before Chandrabhan could plan anything els
Kiss
Kiss tells the love story of Nandini and Arjun. Nandini is a young, modern day college student who holds on to traditional values and Arjun is a rich, carefree guy. The film is an exploration of young love, directed by A. P. Arjun and produced by V. Ravi Kumar under Rashtrakuta Pictures. The lead actors are Viraat Vellanki and Sree Leela. The credit for the music score goes to V. Harikrishna and Adi Hari.
Ek Paheli Leela
It is a reincarnation story about the love between Leela and her lover, which is left incomplete because one of them has been murdered. The story comes to circle after 300 long years; when Leela has taken birth as Meera and her lover's character is also reborn.
Maayakumari
Set in the Backdrop of 1940s, the film is based on Maayakumari’s sudden disappearance.
Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi is a 2012 Bollywood romantic comedy film directed by Bela Bhansali Sehgal, starring Farah Khan, Boman Irani, Kavin Dave, Shammi, Kurush Deboo and Daisy Irani.
Kinare Kinare
After losing his family during partiton Puran is taken in by a landowner and he falls in love with the daughter, Neelu, but is unable to declare his love and then Neelu falls in love with Kamal, a young graduate from Bombay.
Bhagavanth Kesari
Bhagavanth Kesari's life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes the guardian of Vijaya Lakshmi aka Vijji, daughter of his jailer. Kesari, with his unwavering sense of justice, embarks on a journey to nurture Vijji into a resilient young woman aspiring to join the Indian army. Intertwined in this narrative is the presence of Rahul Sanghvi, a power-hungry tycoon whose connection with Bhagavanth and Vijji, unravels hidden secrets.
A Secret Love
Amid shifting times, two women kept their decades-long love a secret. But coming out later in life comes with its own set of challenges.
Design for Death
Documentary Feature winner "Design for Death" (1947) examines Japanese culture and how it led to Japan's role in WWII.
Yeh Ishq Nahin Aasaan
Architect and Poet Salim Ahmed Salim lives in Nizamuddin, India, along with his widowed mother. He re-locates to Lucknow where he is employed with Shirazi & Company. He instructs her not to leave the house, and when she persists, he sells the house and decides to re-locate to Lahore, Pakistan. Salim attempts to stop them but Hamid assaults him and leaves him senseless. Salim does recover but takes to alcohol and a Courtesan named Phoolrani in a big way. His mother intervenes, and compels him to get married to their new neighbor's daughter, Sahira, which he reluctantly does. Now trapped in a marriage with a woman he does not love, Salim continues to frequent Phoolrani's brothel, with hopes of being re-united with his estranged sweetheart - only to find that the seemingly demure Sahira will not let go of him that easily.