Revenge drama movies serve several purposes. For starters, they usually highlight some of the several social evils that plague Indian society. Secondly, these films also sometimes put the spotlight on an often-overlooked element of our day to day lives and highlight its significance in an artful way. Thirdly, given that revenge dramas usually end with the protagonist obtaining justice in some shape or form, it also helps us reinstate our belief in the fact that the good side can in fact emerge victorious.

This article is essentially about such revenge drama films that have served the aforementioned purposes as well as kept moviegoers on the edge of their seats in the recent past. While some of those are already available for streaming on ZEE5 Global, other titles will be making their streaming debut on the platform soon. Read on to know more about them.

Haider (2014)

This political revenge thriller, which is essentially Vishal Bharadwaj’s Indianized version of the classic Shakespeare play Hamlet, is one of those films that puts on display the mettle that its leading star, Shahid Kapoor, is made of. Those who are familiar with the play can easily guess the direction in which the film will be headed as it progresses. However, it is the execution of the movie and the socio-political context it is set in that makes this film worth watching multiple times over. This movie was a raging success at the time of its release.

Yeh Saali Aashiqui (2019)

Then-debutants Vardhan Puri and Shivaleeka Oberoi carry this revenge drama on their fairly-able shoulders. The film follows a seemingly mentally-deranged man (Puri) who is accused of allegedly murdering his former college-time lover (Oberoi), and is thus brought in by the authorities for investigation. As the film progresses, it becomes evident that an intricate web of lies is at the heart of this film, which slowly begins to unravel in the most unexpected ways. The Cherag Ruparel film was praised by many upon its release. This movie can be streamed on ZEE5 Global as well.

Haddi (2023)

First on the list of revenge dramas that you must keep an eye out for is the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Haddi. This feature presentation, which will see Siddiqui play a transgender queen of crime in her universe, is about a disgruntled aspiring transgender who travels to Delhi from his hometown to join a group made up of people like him. As the film progresses, Nawazuddin’s titular character can be seen rising quickly through the ranks as a crime lord, with the intention of amassing power for the day he would want to go up against a bunch of very powerful people who have brought him a great deal of trauma in the past. 

Given its premise, one can safely assume that Haddi is a gritty revenge drama as well as a rags-to-riches story in equal measures. Not to mention that the trailer also reveals that there is a very tasteful and nuanced romantic angle in the film as well. Haddi will make its ZEE5 Global streaming debut on September 7, 2023.

Badlapur (2015)

This Varun Dhawan-starrer has gained somewhat of a cult following since its release in 2015. The film follows a happily-married man whose life turns upside down after the tragic deaths of his wife and child. The traumatic event in question leads Dhawan’s once happy-go-lucky corporate employee character down a dark path of vengeance, and at the end of it stands the man who is responsible for the harrowing event. This Shriram Raghavan directorial stunned one and all upon its release in 2015, as it showcased Varun Dhawan in the darkest possible avatar anyone thought he could do up until that point. This film can also be streamed on ZEE5 Global.

Mom (2017)

This film stars the late and great Sridevi, who can be seen playing Devki Sabarwal, a once happy and content biology teacher who turns vengeful after the men who assaulted her daughter are acquitted by law. She embarks on her pursuit of justice alongside a private detective, Daya Shankar Kapoor (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), which makes her a force to reckon with in the film. This movie has been appreciated by millions and can now be streamed on ZEE5 Global as well.