As MUBI opens up its library section, it’s a great time to please your cinematic tastebuds with some excellent Indian films.

If you like indie movies, down below is a curated list of outstanding Indian indie films that are streaming on MUBI. The films will introduce you to some auteurs from the gorgeous tapestry of Indian cinema.

Safar (2014)

Safar is a short film that tells the story of Gouri, a sixteen-year-old girl, who comes from a village in south India. She is sold by her parents to God as a part of the Devdasi tradition. The film begins when Gouri makes up her mind to embark upon a deeply personal journey, choosing to leave behind a life that was forced upon her. But just as Gouri seems to find her feet, her past rears its ugly head again. A film that is about half an hour in duration, is made with a lot of control as it portrays several important and complex sociological issues. This movie spectacularly speaks about the position of women in several cultural systems and how they learn to survive or protest under them.

Placebo (2014)

Placebo is a film that proficiently overrides the significance we often give to technique and cinematography and entirely places that importance on portraying the story with honesty. The story is about a filmmaker who infiltrates the complex mindscape of restless youth and ambition. The handheld camera is incisive and the narratorial voice represents the amount of emotional drain you, as a viewer might go through while watching the film.

River Song (2018)

While watching this bi-lingual film, you will start wondering why we don’t get to watch more Indian films that skillfully explore the convergence of different languages, regions of the country, and cultures. The film tells the story of Tashi, the owner of a fuel station, in a small town in Arunachal Pradesh, and his newfound bond with a North Indian woman. River Song is a powerful movie about rebellion, love, identity, and marginalization. This dichotomous tale beautifully depicts an unsettling story.

Cat Sticks (2019)

Cat Sticks does not mellow the truth on its portrayal of addiction for the viewers to accept. But the film also does not demonize addicts, instead, it tries to comprehend how and why addiction works. All the characters in the film seem far too real to dismiss the truth and reality that the movie is trying to depict.

BinnuKaSapna (2018)

BinnuKaSapna is a melancholic yet poetic testimony of toxic masculinity and its impact on young men. Spanning over thirty minutes, this film will take you on a surrealist journey into the mind of Binnu, a disillusioned boy, who was raised by a violent and abusive father.

Are you ready to immerse yourself in these amazing movies?