These 12 Indian films offer sharply different portraits of older characters: an isolated widower, a woman living with Alzheimer’s, a fading aristocrat, a comic pair of crooks, and a grandfather watching history close in. The selection first appeared in Scroll on April 13, 2020, during India’s first COVID-19 lockdown. It is an editorial watchlist—not a ranking or a comprehensive survey—and its viewing notes date from that time.
12 Indian films about older characters
The films span languages, decades and styles, from intimate dramas to comedy, crime and political cinema. Their characters’ experiences belong to their individual stories; they are not a single portrait of old age.
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Sandhya Raagam (1989)
Balu Mahendra’s black-and-white film follows an older widower who leaves his village to live with his nephew’s family in Chennai. As the household struggles to accommodate him, the film considers urban pressures and the vulnerability of elders left to fend for themselves. Scroll’s 2020 note said a non-subtitled print was available on YouTube; that historical pointer does not establish current availability.
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Astu
Marathi actor Mohan Agashe plays a Sanskrit professor with Alzheimer’s disease who becomes lost while following an elephant. His daughter searches Pune for him, while the story draws attention to care and empathy across class lines. Scroll named Amazon Prime Video in its 2020 viewing note, not as a current availability guarantee.
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Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958)
Satyajit Ray’s film centers on an aging landlord whose fortune is declining. He tries to preserve aristocratic pride through musical concerts, even as his world contracts and the effort ends tragically. The film also contrasts inherited landed wealth with new money and considers the role of patronage in classical arts. The Criterion Collection describes it as a portrait of a fallen aristocrat clinging to a fading way of life; its official page lists DVD and Blu-ray formats: Criterion: Jalsaghar. A separate restored DVD listing from trigon-film specifies Bengali audio, English, German, French and Italian subtitles, and all-region coding; those details apply to that edition alone: trigon-film: Jalsaghar. These are physical-media options for this one film, not a set containing all 12.
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KD (2019)
In Madhumita Sundaraman’s comedy-laced drama, 80-year-old Karuppu Durai leaves his family and enlists an eight-year-old orphan to help him complete a bucket list. Their companionship brings desire and mortality into a story with room for humor. Scroll named Netflix in 2020; check your territory and service for present-day availability.
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Victoria No 203 (1972)
This caper pairs veteran actors Ashok Kumar and Pran as older career criminals. Their comic exploits are balanced by softer sides, giving the film a lighter, more playful place in the selection. Scroll’s 2020 note linked to YouTube, which should not be treated as a current viewing listing.
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36 Chowringhee Lane (1982)
Aparna Sen’s film stars Jennifer Kendal as Violet Stoneham, a single Anglo-Indian teacher in Kolkata. When a former student and her boyfriend take advantage of Violet’s hospitality, the story turns on loneliness, trust and the unequal terms of their relationship.
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Atanka (1986)
Soumitra Chatterjee plays a teacher who witnesses a former student commit murder. When he considers going to the police, intimidation puts his moral choice under pressure. The film situates that dilemma within a portrait of Kolkata’s middle class and the political violence of the 1980s.
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Saaransh (1984)
Mahesh Bhatt’s drama follows older parents—played by Anupam Kher and Rohini Hattangadi—grieving a profound loss. Their lives are changed by the arrival of a pregnant tenant, redirecting a story shaped by bereavement and the possibility of renewed purpose.
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Mammo (1994)
Shyam Benegal’s film follows a Muslim woman displaced across the India-Pakistan border who later returns to India on a temporary visa. It is part of the triptych Benegal made with writer Khalid Mohamed, alongside Sardari Begum and Zubeidaa.
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Bhuvan Shome (1969)
Mrinal Sen casts Utpal Dutt as a crusty Indian Railways officer. A hunting trip and an encounter with Gouri unsettle his habits and open him to change and new beginnings.
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Naseem (1995)
Saeed Mirza’s film unfolds in the run-up to the December 6, 1992 destruction of the Babri Masjid. Its bed-ridden grandfather, played by Kaifi Azmi in his only film role, is one of its most memorable characters.
Rank #4
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Ankhon Dekhi (2014)
Rajat Kapoor’s film follows Bauji, played by Sanjay Mishra, as he decides to believe only what he has seen for himself. That conviction reshapes his relationships with his family. Scroll named Amazon Prime Video in 2020; Prime Video’s listing identifies the 2014 film and shows a DVD purchase option in the accessed storefront, but neither source establishes universal current streaming access: Prime Video: Ankhon Dekhi.
Which film should you start with?
Choose by tone, period or the older character’s central predicament rather than expecting one definitive account of later life.
- For humor and companionship: start with KD or Victoria No 203.
- For solitude and family strain: try Sandhya Raagam or 36 Chowringhee Lane.
- For memory loss and caregiving: Astu places those concerns at the center of its story.
- For pride, decline and artistic life: Jalsaghar offers a tragic portrait of a landlord holding on to status and patronage.
- For moral or political tension: consider Atanka or Naseem.
- For grief, displacement or renewal: look to Saaransh, Mammo and Bhuvan Shome.
Where to watch these films
The platform references in Scroll’s April 2020 article are historical, not a reliable current catalogue. Streaming rights change by territory and over time, so check the title directly with services available where you live. For Jalsaghar, Criterion lists DVD and Blu-ray editions, and trigon-film lists a separately specified restored DVD; inventory and availability may vary.
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