India Loves Long Films:5 Indian Films That Proved Length Matters
Indian viewers have never had a problem watching long movies. In fact when the story is strong, people enjoy longer films even more. This has been true for decades. For example Sholay (1975) was over three hours long yet it became one of the most iconic films in Indian history. With the film set for a rerelease next week it reminds us again that a long runtime has never stopped Indian cinema from delivering powerful stories.
Some of India’s biggest hits both culturally and at the box office have been films that took their time to tell their stories. These movies used the extra minutes to build deeper emotions, stronger characters, bigger worlds and more meaningful payoffs. A short two-hour film simply couldn’t achieve what these films did.
Here are five films that proved longer duration can create a bigger impact
1. Gadar 2
This film stays true to the emotional core of the original Gadar. It mixes patriotism action and family bonds in a way that feels complete because of the long runtime. The father son track grows naturally and doesn’t feel rushed giving the audience time to connect with the characters.
2. Animal
Animal is not a typical story-driven film. It is a deep look into a complicated man and his disturbed mind. The long duration lets the audience witness Ranbir Kapoor’s character his love, anger, loyalty, and mistakes without shortcuts. The film uses its length to show intense action family drama, and powerful music sequences that make the experience even bigger.
3. Arjun Reddy
This movie is like looking straight into someone’s emotional world. Arjun’s heartbreak mistakes addiction and eventual healing all need time to feel real. A shorter film would have felt disconnected. The raw emotions and slow changes are what make Arjun Reddy unforgettable and the length is a big reason why it works.
4. Pushpa 2: The Rule
While the first film introduced Pushpa’s world, the second part takes everything to a larger scale. It goes deeper into politics, rivalry, betrayal, and the rise of Pushpa Raj. Bigger fights, stronger emotional moments, and a grander hero image all need more time to unfold and the runtime helps build that larger than life feel.
5. Dhurandhar
Director Aditya Dhar brings together a powerful star cast led by Ranveer Singh, with actors like Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun. The story includes secret missions, political drama, shifting loyalties, hidden networks, and major twists. With so many layers and characters a long runtime is necessary to tell the story properly.
These films prove that when the story is strong and the world is big extra time in a film only makes the experience richer and more memorable. Long runtimes don’t slow down Indian cinema they help it shine.
