A mix of ‘old and new’, ‘hit and flop’, spanning across genres and languages, claimed their spots among the ‘Most searched movies of the year on Google’. As the popular search engine unveiled its annual ‘Year in Search’ feature, it offered a glimpse into what captured the movie lovers’ imagination in 2025. From Saiyaara to War 2, the Top 10 isn’t about the commercial success, but the movies that truly set conversations rolling.
Here’re the Top 10 highly searched movies of the year.
Saiyyara
Saiyaara, the launch vehicle of two newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, made waves for its refreshing take on love, reminding audiences of intense romances of romantic hits like Aashiqui 2 and Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. One of the most loved musical stories, directed by Mohit Suri, connected with Gen Z the most, and went on to become the second most successful films of the year.
Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1
Very rarely do prequels or sequels do justice to their predecessors. Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 was one such film that bettered the box office collections of the original film. Sparking a massive frenzy among fans, the Kannada film that released on October 2 shattered multiple records across the country and didn’t stop creating box office magic even after its OTT release on October 31, 2025.
Coolie
Borrowing its name from Amitabh Bachchan’s 1983 blockbuster, his Hum co-star Rajnikanth starred in the Tamil language film of the same name, more than four decades after its release. The high-octane action thriller, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, shattered records and won hearts courtesy its star power and entertainment quotient.
War 2
Released on August 14, the same date as Coolie, the sequel of Hrithik Roshan’s 2019 massive hit, turned out to be one of the most disappointing films of the year. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film marked Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s much-hyped on-screen collaboration. However, despite a massive buzz and star power, the film failed to recover its grand budget, becoming one of the biggest letdowns of 2025.
Sanam Teri Kasam
Originally released in 2016, the romantic drama, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane, turned out to be a box office failure. However, upon its re-release in 2025, the film unexpectedly became a huge hit, scripting its success story afresh.
Marco
The Malayalam action thriller starring Unni Mukundan was another film that caught viewers’ imagination this year. The film also became the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time, with its success fuelled by Unni Mukundan’s matchless performance and the movie’s gripping storyline.
Housefull 5
While the audience’s interest is fast evolving and has expanded across genres and languages, Housefull 5 showed that familiar formulas, especially successful franchises can still win hearts when delivered as a complete entertainment package. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Housefull 5 starred an ensemble cast of Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Dino Morea, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, and Chunky Panday.
Game Changer
The Telugu film with Ram Charan and Kiara Advani was another major fit of 2025. Directed by S. Shankar, the movie revolves around Ram Nandan, an upright IAS officer who takes on corrupt political figures and fights for the integrity of the election system. Known for its grand scale, stylish action sequences, and a powerful narrative, the film was a complete package as a mass entertainer.
Mrs
Released on Zee 5, Mrs starring Sanya Malhotra was more than a perfect watch. The film sparked conversations on gender roles and unfair expectations from daughters-in-law. Supported by a great script and a stellar performance by Sanya, the Arati Kadav directorial was widely watched across India and beyond.
Mahavatar Narsimha
The animated devotional film based on the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu was another box office success. Directed by Ashwin Kumar and produced by Kleem Productions, the film premiered at the International Film Festival of India on November 25, 2024, and was theatrically released on July 25, 2025, in 2D and 3D formats.