By Decade
The Best Hindi
Films of the 1950s
11 films from this decade made the canon, 5 of them inside the ranked top 100.
The studio era at its height. Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor and Mehboob Khan were building a national cinema at the same moment the nation itself was being built, and the films carry that double weight — social realism financed by song.
11 films from the 1950s made the canon, 5 of them inside the ranked top 100, led by Pyaasa at #2. The decade leans Drama (9), Musical (4), Romance (2), and the directors carrying it here are Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Mehboob Khan.
Every title below has its own page with links to Wikipedia, IMDb, trailers and legal streaming. Compare against the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, or read how the ranking was scored.
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1957Pyaasaप्यासा2
Pyaasa
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1957Mother Indiaमदर इंडिया4
Mother India
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1951Awaaraआवारा7
Awaara
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1959Kaagaz Ke Phoolकागज़ के फूल8
Kaagaz Ke Phool
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1953Do Bigha Zaminदो बीघा ज़मीन9
Do Bigha Zamin
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1955Shree 420श्री 420
Shree 420
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1958Chalti Ka Naam Gaadiचलती का नाम गाड़ी
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
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1956Jagte Rahoजागते रहो
Jagte Raho
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1957Naya Daurनया दौर
Naya Daur
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1955Devdasदेवदास
Devdas
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1958Madhumatiमधुमती
Madhumati
| Rank | Film | Year | Director | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Pyaasa प्यासा | 1957 | Guru Dutt | Drama, Musical |
| 4 | Mother India मदर इंडिया | 1957 | Mehboob Khan | Drama |
| 7 | Awaara आवारा | 1951 | Raj Kapoor | Drama, Musical |
| 8 | Kaagaz Ke Phool कागज़ के फूल | 1959 | Guru Dutt | Drama |
| 9 | Do Bigha Zamin दो बीघा ज़मीन | 1953 | Bimal Roy | Drama |
| – | Shree 420 श्री 420 | 1955 | Raj Kapoor | Drama, Musical |
| – | Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi चलती का नाम गाड़ी | 1958 | Satyen Bose | Comedy, Musical |
| – | Jagte Raho जागते रहो | 1956 | Amit Maitra, Sombhu Mitra | Drama, Satire |
| – | Naya Daur नया दौर | 1957 | B. R. Chopra | Drama |
| – | Devdas देवदास | 1955 | Bimal Roy | Romance, Drama |
| – | Madhumati मधुमती | 1958 | Bimal Roy | Romance, Fantasy |
Other decades