9 Best Apps to Watch Indian Movies on Android
No less exciting than Hollywood movies, Indian movies or commonly known as Bollywood now have garnered a number of fans. What sets them apart and captivates the attention of viewers are the delightful and eccentric songs that have become a distinctive hallmark of Bollywood cinema.
These Indian movies are not only gaining popularity domestically but are also being broadcasted on numerous international television channels.
Are you a fan of Bollywood movies? To easily enjoy Indian movies and stay up-to-date with the latest releases, you can streamline your experience by downloading the following 10 apps to enjoy Bollywood films hassle-free.
These 10 applications are relatively easy to use and arguably has a fairly complete collection of Indian films. Let's check out the list!
1. Disney+ Hotstar
Disney+ Hotstar provides a convenient platform for easily accessing and enjoying movies and series from India. This streaming service has a fairly complete collection of Bollywood shows. No wonder, as Disney+ Hotstar itself is managed by an Indian company.
Hotstar offers Disney+ streaming services specifically for India and surrounding areas, while also expanding its services to several countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.
Interestingly, Disney+ Hotstar also serves local series and movie content depending on the country you access the service in.
The Carisinyal team recently subscribed to the monthly streaming service of Disney+ Hotstar and found it to be a satisfying experience. The platform offers a diverse range of well-known Indian movies and series titles, including popular Fitoor, Jodha Akbar, Baaghi, Special Ops, and Mohenjo Daro.
One of the standout features of Disney+ Hotstar is the flexibility in choosing video quality. Users may choose their preferred video quality, ensuring they can manage their internet quota effectively. It also offers audio captioning and conversion options, as well as convenient sharing options through links.
The updated interface of Disney+ Hotstar boasts a sleek and minimalistic design, making all the features easily accessible. However, there are limitations in terms of interesting content availability in certain regions or countries. Additionally, the option to share content via Instagram Story is currently unavailable.
For your information, this service is known as Hotstar in the US and UK.
2. SonyLIV
Another prominent streaming service for Indian movies and series is SonyLIV. This platform offers a wealth of content, including original series and movies produced by SonyLIV itself. It has earned a well-deserved nickname as 'India's Netflix'.
SonyLIV is known for its exclusive shows, featuring content that is uncommon or rarely found in mainstream media. The platform is diligent in regularly updating its collection, ensuring viewers have access to fresh and engaging content.
In terms of features, SonyLIV shares similarities with Disney+ Hotstar. Users can select video quality, view ratings, download content, and easily share via email or WhatsApp chat. These user-friendly features contribute to a convenient and enjoyable streaming experience.
During the trial, the Carisinyal team discovered that SonyLIV provides a brief 10-minute preview of movie content. Additionally, they were able to enjoy one free episode of an Indian series, while the remaining content required a premium subscription.
SonyLIV's service is specific to the India-Pacific region, limiting the availability of audio language options to those spoken in the region. However, the platform does offer English subtitles, ensuring accessibility for a wider audience.
3. Lionsgate Play
Lionsgate Play, the streaming service offered by Lionsgate, is a familiar name for movie fans. Lionsgate, a Canadian production company, is known for producing popular films. Lionsgate Play boasts an extensive collection of movies and series, primarily featuring content produced by Lionsgate itself.
Lionsgate Play not only offers a range of Hollywood movies but also includes Bollywood films. While the Bollywood movie collection on Lionsgate Play may not be extensive, the films available are generally captivating and often not easily found on other platforms.
This app provides playback features that are not much different from its competitors. You can download content, share it, or even save it to your watch list. Interestingly, Lionsgate Play offers the option to watch on five different devices, as well as 4K quality video playback.
To access the full range of services on Lionsgate Play, a subscription is required. However, the monthly subscription rate is reasonably affordable.
According to the feedback from the Carisinyal team, Lionsgate Play is not suitable for those who want to watch Indian movies only as there isn't a huge collection of Bollywood series found here. The app is also worth it for those of you who really want to enjoy Lionsgate's notable works.
4. ZEE5
This service comes straight from Mumbai, India. So, it's obvious that the collection is filled with Bollywood movies and series.
The Carisinyal team appreciates the fact that ZEE5 provides free access to some of its content. Additionally, there are series and movies available with audio options in users country. Although ads may appear during the free viewing experience, the team doesn't mind them as it can sometimes be challenging to find specific Bollywood titles to watch.
ZEE5 delivers high-quality content, up to 1080p. Furthermore, viewers have the flexibility to customize the streaming quality, allowing for data savings.
For uninterrupted ad-free viewing, ZEE5 offers a premium subscription option. The service is available not only in India but also in numerous countries worldwide. If you're interested, you can download ZEE5 from the Google PlayStore and give it a try.
5. JioCinema
JioCinema presents content in the form of movies and series from various countries, including India. Despite offering popular Indian series titles, JioCinema also features special content from platforms such as HBO Go and Disney+ Hotstar, allowing viewers to access series like The Last of Us or Game of Thrones.
Unfortunately, Indian YouTuber TekNixHaX mentioned that this app might not be worth it for some users as it only provides one subscription option at the time of writing. However, the app is still suitable for some of you who are looking for an Indian streaming platform.
Moreover, JioCinema already supports 4K and HDR video playback on some devices as well.
FYI, the JioCinema service is exclusively only available in India. Therefore, the app is perfect for those who are living or visiting the country. If you live outside of India, you'll definitely have to rely on a VPN to access JioCinema. Make sure to use a legal and secure VPN service.
6. Hungama Play
Hungama Play offers Indian series and movies of various genres including thriller, horror, romance, drama, to mystery. Not only original series or movies, you can find classics on Hungama Play. One of them is the Mahabhrata animated series.
The Carisinyal team tried Hungama Play and checked out the collection. The platform offers a combination of free and paid shows, with varying quality for the free content. While the quality may not be exceptional, it is still decent. However, viewers will experience advertisements while watching the free shows.
Some of the free shows on Hungama Play come with subtitles, but not all content has subtitles available. Users can only customize the subtitle font, and in the free version, English is the only subtitle language option.
Apart from what has been described, Hungama Play also features interesting premium content and offers the option to watch video clips of certain songs. Want to try Hungama Play?
7. Netflix
Although it originated in the United States, Netflix still serves Indian movies and series. Some of them are even originally produced by Netflix itself.
There are countless movies and series that you can watch here, including the timeless classics like Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gam as well as modern titles like Dilwale.
The Carisinyal team appreciates several standout features of Netflix, including spatial audio, DOLBY, high-resolution video quality, and a comprehensive range of subtitles and audio options. Spatial audio and DOLBY features can enhance the audio experience, particularly for devices with limited audio capabilities.
Please note that Netflix only provides a paid service. However, there is a wide range of plans to choose from. Especially for the most expensive package, you can enjoy watching on multiple devices with clear video and audio quality. Try Netflix by downloading it from the Google PlayStore.
8. Amazon Prime Video
Surprisingly, the collection of Indian movies and series on Amazon Prime Video is quite comprehensive. We could even find classic and popular movie titles, such as Kuch-Kuch Hota Hai and Padmavaat.
Amazon Prime Video provides comprehensive information about the actors and actresses, as well as the director of the movie or series. This is a distinct advantage for the Amazon Prime Video streaming platform. Furthermore, you can enjoy content with 4K and HDR resolution
Some people find the user interface of Amazon Prime Video too simple. In fact, it's sometimes confusing.
However, now it seems that Amazon has taken some of the user complaints into consideration. There is an option to search for series or movies by the category. It will also recommend certain shows that are suitable for you.
The Amazon Prime video service is available in almost every country in the world. Download Amazon Prime Video on Google PlayStore.
9. ShemarooMe
ShemarooMe is a great choice for those looking for Indian movies and series, with a huge collection of content. The platform not only offers ShemarooMe original series and movies, but also a comprehensive selection of popular TV shows.
The Carisinyal team was intrigued and decided to try out the app to watch Indian movies. While ShemarooMe does offer some free shows, the team discovered that a premium subscription was required to access most of the content.
Nevertheless, watching Indian movies and series on ShemarooMe is relatively convenient, provided you opt for a premium account. Similar to other streaming platforms, ShemarooMe allows users to download their favorite series or movies, enabling offline viewing.
ShemarooMe offers two subscription plans: quarterly and yearly, with standard rates commonly found among streaming services. By subscribing to the premium plan, users gain additional benefits, such as the ability to select specific audio options and the flexibility to watch series or movies on different devices. Download ShemarooMe on Google PlayStore.
That was a review of the apps to watch Indian movies on Android phones. If it's hard to find Indian shows on TV, just use one of the apps above and enjoy all the Indian movies and series. Do you have any other recommendations for apps to watch Indian movies? Write it down in the comments section!