The classic Bollywood comedies that still make audiences laugh are Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Chupke Chupke, Golmaal, Chashme Buddoor, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Andaz Apna Apna, Hera Pheri and Dhamaal. They rely on good writing, timing and believable characters rather than loud gags, which is why they hold up decades later.
Comedy is often treated as lesser than drama, yet it is one of the hardest genres to get right. India makes well over a thousand films a year across languages, but only a handful of Hindi comedies are rewatched by every generation. Here are eight of them, with one new addition to our earlier list. For more film picks, visit our entertainment section.
At a glance
| Film | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi | 1958 | Satyen Bose |
| Chupke Chupke | 1975 | Hrishikesh Mukherjee |
| Golmaal | 1979 | Hrishikesh Mukherjee |
| Chashme Buddoor | 1981 | Sai Paranjpye |
| Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro | 1983 | Kundan Shah |
| Andaz Apna Apna | 1994 | Rajkumar Santoshi |
| Hera Pheri | 2000 | Priyadarshan |
| Dhamaal | 2007 | Indra Kumar |
1. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
The three Ganguly brothers, Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar and Anoop Kumar, play three brothers who run a garage and have sworn off women. Then Madhubala’s car breaks down at their door.
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Kishore Kumar’s energy drives the film, and songs such as “Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si” and “Paanch Rupaiya Barah Aana” are still sung today. It mixes romance, comedy and a crime subplot with ease.
2. Chupke Chupke (1975)
Dharmendra plays a botany professor who poses as a driver to tease his wife’s know-it-all brother-in-law, played by Om Prakash. Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore and Jaya Bhaduri complete the cast.
Seeing Dharmendra and Amitabh, then known for action roles, in pure comedy is part of the charm. The film was a remake of the Bengali film Chhadmabeshi, and its gentle humour around language and pretension still works.
3. Golmaal (1979)
Amol Palekar plays Ramprasad, a young man who lies about having a moustache-free twin, Lakshmanprasad, to keep a job with a strict boss, Bhavani Shankar, played by Utpal Dutt. One lie leads to another until the whole household is involved.
Utpal Dutt’s obsession with moustaches and Amol Palekar’s panic make it one of the most quoted comedies in Hindi cinema. It is a story about ordinary middle-class ambition, which is why it still feels familiar.
4. Chashme Buddoor (1981)
Sai Paranjpye’s film follows three Delhi students. Two loafers, played by Rakesh Bedi and Ravi Baswani, boast about winning over the girl next door, while their studious friend, played by Farooq Shaikh, actually falls for her, played by Deepti Naval.
Made on a modest budget, it captures student life and friendship with warmth. A 2013 remake by David Dhawan did reasonably well but lacked the original’s simplicity.
5. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)
Two honest photographers, played by Naseeruddin Shah and Ravi Baswani, stumble upon a murder linked to a corrupt builder and officials. Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Shah and Bhakti Barve play the corrupt and the confused.
Produced with support from the National Film Development Corporation, it is the sharpest satire on corruption in Hindi cinema. The chaotic Mahabharata stage scene near the end is one of the funniest sequences ever filmed in India.
6. Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Aamir Khan and Salman Khan play two small-time dreamers who both try to win over a rich heiress. Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal in a double role and Shakti Kapoor as Crime Master Gogo round out the cast.
It was a box-office failure on release but became a cult favourite through television and home video. A 4K restored version returned to cinemas on 25 April 2025, 31 years after its first release. We have added it to this list because it is now impossible to leave out.
7. Hera Pheri (2000)
Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal play three broke men who get caught up in a kidnapping ransom call meant for someone else. It is a remake of the Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking.
Paresh Rawal’s Baburao Ganpatrao Apte became one of Hindi cinema’s most loved characters, and his lines now live on as memes. The sequel, Phir Hera Pheri, followed in 2006.
A third film has been in the news for years. In 2025, Priyadarshan was confirmed as director. Paresh Rawal announced his exit in May 2025 and was later reported to have returned. As of October 2026, no release date had been announced.
8. Dhamaal (2007)
Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey and Aashish Chaudhary play four broke friends who hear about hidden treasure from a dying thief. They split up to race each other to the money, with Sanjay Dutt as a police officer on their trail.
Its slapstick style made it a family favourite and led to a franchise: Double Dhamaal in 2011, Total Dhamaal in 2019 and Dhamaal 4, which released in 2026. The first film remains the best of the series.
Why these comedies last
Each of these films has a simple premise, characters with clear motives and humour that comes from situations rather than insults. They are easy to watch with family, and the dialogue keeps finding new life on social media. If you enjoy film history, our infotainment section has more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best comedy film in Bollywood?
There is no single answer, but Golmaal, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Andaz Apna Apna and Hera Pheri are most often named in critics’ and audience lists.
Is Hera Pheri 3 releasing?
Hera Pheri 3 has been announced with Priyadarshan as director, but it had no official release date as of October 2026.
Which films did Hrishikesh Mukherjee make in comedy?
His best-known comedies include Chupke Chupke, Golmaal, Bawarchi and Khoobsurat.
Was Andaz Apna Apna a hit?
No. It flopped in 1994 but later became a cult classic and was re-released in cinemas in 4K on 25 April 2025.
Sources: Andaz Apna Apna (Wikipedia), Hera Pheri 3 (Wikipedia), Dhamaal film series (Wikipedia).
