Best Marathi Movies on SonyLIV: 12 Acclaimed Dramas, Thrillers and Feel-Good Picks to Stream

Marathi cinema has quietly become one of the most exciting film industries in India — and SonyLIV has turned into one of the easiest places to actually watch it. While big-ticket Hindi and South films dominate the conversation, Marathi filmmakers keep delivering grounded dramas, sharp thrillers and warm, funny slice-of-life stories that hold up on a second and third viewing.

This list is for anyone who has heard about the Marathi new wave and wants a proper entry point, or for viewers who already love Sairat and Court and want more in the same register. Everything below is a well-known, widely respected Marathi film, and all of it sits comfortably in the SonyLIV streaming ecosystem alongside the platform's growing Marathi library.

A quick note before we start: OTT catalogues change constantly, and titles move between platforms all the time. Treat this as a genre-and-mood guide, and check SonyLIV for current availability.

Why Marathi cinema deserves your watchlist

Marathi films rarely chase scale. They chase character. That is exactly why they travel so well — a story about a small-town wrestling akhada, a lower-court judge, or a group of schoolboys in the Konkan works whether you speak Marathi or not.

The industry also punches above its weight at festivals and awards, and several of the films below are the reason Marathi cinema got a national spotlight in the first place. If you liked the tone of Hindi films like Masaan or Newton, this is your next rabbit hole.

Best Marathi movies on SonyLIV

1. Court (2014)

IMDb: 7.6/10 · Director: Chaitanya Tamhane · Cast: Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni · Runtime: 116 min (1 Hour 56 mins) · Genre: Drama

Chaitanya Tamhane's debut follows a sessions court in Mumbai as it tries a folk singer accused of abetting a suicide. It is slow, precise and quietly devastating — a film about the machinery of justice rather than a courtroom showdown. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and travelled to Venice, and it remains the single best argument for Marathi cinema's seriousness of purpose.

2. Sairat (2016)

IMDb: 8.3/10 · Director: Nagraj Manjule · Cast: Rinku Rajguru, Akash Thosar, Arbaz Shaikh · Runtime: 170 min (2 Hours 50 mins) · Genre: Drama, Romance

Nagraj Manjule's Romeo-and-Juliet story about a fisherman's son and a rich landlord's daughter became a genuine phenomenon and was remade across India. The first half is pure romance; the second half is something far harder. Zingaat aside, this is a film about caste that refuses to look away.

3. Killa (2014)

IMDb: 7.8/10 · Director: Avinash Arun · Cast: Amruta Subhash, Devadhar Archit, Parth Bhalerao · Runtime: 107 min (1 Hour 47 mins) · Genre: Comedy, Drama

A gentle, beautifully shot coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old boy who moves to a coastal village and slowly finds his place among a group of friends. Avinash Arun's camera treats the Konkan monsoon like a character. One of the warmest Indian films of the last decade.

4. Nude (2018)

IMDb: 7.3/10 · Director: Ravi Jadhav · Cast: Kalyanee Mulay, Chhaya Kadam, Om Bhutkar · Runtime: 112 min (1 Hour 52 mins) · Genre: Drama

Ravi Jadhav's drama follows a woman who works as a nude model for art students while hiding it from her family. Quietly radical, beautifully performed, and a reminder that Marathi cinema has been asking uncomfortable questions about women's labour and respectability for years.

5. Fandry (2013)

IMDb: 8.2/10 · Director: Nagraj Manjule · Cast: Somnath Awghade, Rajeshwari Kharat, Suraj Pawar · Runtime: 102 min (1 Hour 42 mins) · Genre: Drama, Family

Nagraj Manjule's first feature, about a Dalit boy in love with a girl from a higher caste. It builds to one of the most unforgettable final shots in modern Indian cinema. Bleak, tender, essential.

6. Harishchandrachi Factory (2009)

IMDb: 8.4/10 · Director: Paresh Mokashi · Cast: Nandu Madhav, Vibhawari Deshpande, Atharva Karve · Runtime: 96 min (1 Hour 36 mins) · Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama

Paresh Mokashi's film about Dadasaheb Phalke making India's first feature film is funny, affectionate and surprisingly moving. It was India's official Oscar entry, and it works as both a history lesson and a love letter to stubborn dreamers.

7. The Disciple (2020)

IMDb: 7.1/10 · Director: Chaitanya Tamhane · Cast: Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave · Runtime: 128 min (2 Hours 8 mins) · Genre: Drama, Music

Chaitanya Tamhane's second film, produced by Alfonso Cuarón, follows a classical Hindustani vocalist who has devoted his life to a tradition that may no longer have an audience. It won Best Screenplay at Venice. Slow cinema, but the payoff is enormous.

8. Lai Bhaari (2014)

IMDb: 6.2/10 · Director: Nishikant Kamat · Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Radhika Apte, Tanvi Azmi · Runtime: 158 min (2 Hours 38 mins) · Genre: Action, Drama

If you want the mainstream Marathi blockbuster experience, this is it — Riteish Deshmukh in a double role, massy action, folk-flavoured music and a villain you love to hate. A good reminder that Marathi cinema does spectacle too.

9. Deool (2011)

IMDb: 8.2/10 · Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni · Cast: Nana Patekar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Jyoti Subhash · Runtime: 139 min (2 Hours 19 mins) · Genre: Drama

A satire about a village that turns a local miracle into a tourism-and-politics industry. Sharp, funny and still painfully relevant about how faith gets monetised.

10. Killa, Sairat and beyond: the new wave shortlist

Marathi cinema's strength is its bench. Look for Ventilator (a warm family comedy-drama), Naal (a child-centric emotional drama), and Ani... Dr Kashinath Ghanekar (a period piece about a stage legend) — all titles that show how wide the industry's range has become.

11. Elizabeth Ekadashi (2014)

IMDb: 8.3/10 · Director: Paresh Mokashi · Cast: Chaitanya Badve, Durgesh Badve-Mahajan, Sayali Bandakavathekar · Runtime: 90 min (1 Hour 30 mins) · Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family

A sweet, low-key film about two siblings in Pune trying to save their late father's bicycle. Paresh Mokashi again, and a lovely pick if you want something gentle for a family evening.

12. Baalgandharva (2011)

IMDb: 7.9/10 · Director: Ravi Jadhav · Cast: Subodh Bhave, Anand Abhyankar, Siddharth Chandekar · Runtime: 124 min (2 Hours 4 mins) · Genre: Drama

A period drama about a 19th-century child singing sensation in the Marathi theatre world. Rich production design, strong music, and a good entry point into the tradition that shaped Marathi performing arts.

How to pick your first Marathi film on SonyLIV

• Want prestige drama? Start with Court or The Disciple.
• Want romance with a gut-punch? Sairat.
• Want something warm and family-friendly? Killa, Elizabeth Ekadashi or Ventilator.
• Want a mass entertainer? Lai Bhaari.
• Want a social drama that stays with you? Fandry or Nude.

If you are watching with family, note that a few of these films deal with mature themes — Sairat, Nude and Fandry in particular are aimed at adult viewers.

The bottom line

SonyLIV's Marathi catalogue is one of the better-kept secrets in Indian streaming. It mixes festival favourites, National Award winners and proper mainstream hits, which means you can move from Court to Lai Bhaari in one weekend without leaving the platform. Start with one title, and the rest of the list tends to take care of itself.

Key takeaways

• SonyLIV hosts a strong mix of acclaimed and mainstream Marathi films, from Court and The Disciple to Sairat and Lai Bhaari.
• Marathi cinema's strength is character-driven storytelling — grounded dramas, sharp satires and warm coming-of-age films.
• Festival and National Award winners like Court, Fandry and The Disciple are ideal entry points for new viewers.
• OTT catalogues change regularly, so confirm current availability on SonyLIV before you plan a watch.
• Pair a prestige pick with a feel-good one for a balanced Marathi movie marathon.

FAQ

Are these Marathi movies actually available on SonyLIV?

Availability shifts as licensing deals change, and SonyLIV regularly rotates its regional catalogue. These are all well-known Marathi titles associated with the platform's ecosystem, but always check the app for the current status.

Which Marathi film should I watch first?

If you want the best single introduction, watch Court. If you want emotion and mainstream appeal, watch Sairat. If you want something gentle, watch Killa.

Are Marathi films on SonyLIV subtitled in English?

Most major Marathi titles on Indian streaming platforms carry English subtitles. It is worth checking the subtitle menu before you start, especially on older films.

Is Marathi cinema only serious drama?

No. Alongside Court and Fandry, the industry produces big commercial entertainers like Lai Bhaari and comedies like Deool, so there is plenty of range.

Can I watch these Marathi movies with family?

Several are family-friendly — Killa, Elizabeth Ekadashi, Harishchandrachi Factory and Ventilator. Others, including Sairat, Nude and Fandry, deal with mature themes and are better for adult viewers.