1. Raazi

This film is an Indian spy thriller, directed by Meghna Gulzar. The film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat which is inspired by real events. The plot of the films tells about an Indian spy (Alia Bhatt) who married to a Pakistani military officer (Vicky Kaushal), prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 on the order of her father (Rajit Kapur). Raazi earned over ₹180 crore (US$28 million) worldwide to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Indian films featuring a female protagonist.

2. Udta Punjab

Udta Punjab is an Indian black comedy crime film co-written and directed by Abhishek Chaubey. It is loosely based on and revolves around the drug abuse by the youth population in the Indian state of Punjab and the various conspiracies surrounding it. At the 62nd Filmfare Awards, the film won four awards, including Best Actress (Alia Bhatt) and Critics Award for Best Actor (Shahid Kapoor).

3. Highway

This film is written and directed by Imtiaz Ali. The film stars Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt. It tells the story of a girl (Alia Bhatt) who develops Stockholm syndrome after being kidnapped. Upon release, the film met with positive reviews, with Alia Bhatt’s performance being praised by both audiences and critics alike.

4. Dear Zindagi

This film is written and directed by Gauri Shinde. The film features Alia Bhatt in the lead role along with Shah Rukh Khan. The plot centres on a budding cinematographer named Kaira, who is discontented with her life and meets Dr Jehangir, a free-spirited psychologist who helps her to gain a new perspective on her life. The film received a number of accolades at Bollywood award organisations, with particular praise for Bhatt’s and Khan’s performances.

5. 2 States

This film is co-written and directed by Abhishek Varman based on the 2009 novel of the same name written by Chetan Bhagat. The film stars Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in lead roles. The plot of the film is that a man and a woman come from two very different cultural backgrounds, and decide that they won’t get married until they convince their parents. As feared, differences between the families pose a hurdle.