Indian political satire movies that take a humorous route on social issues

As the world of cinema and politics go hand in hand, the genre holds a special place in the Indian Film Industry. Stories heavily inspired by politics seem to have a strong influence on the audience. It is not an unknown fact that directors use this mass medium to sway the societies beliefs. Political satires on the other hand have seen major success in terms of delivering the necessary message to the mass audience with the help of humour and irony. If you are someone who would like to venture into a new genre, here is a list of the best Political satire movies from the Indian Film Industry.

Scroll down for the best Indian political satire movies to watch and enjoy some political humour.

#1 Mandela

Directed by Madonne Ashwin in 2021, this Tamil political satire received various accolades. Despite this movie being his directorial debut, Ashwin was praised for his efforts. Named after the South African President Nelson Mandela, the movie stars Yogi Babu in the lead role. The story is about how a single deciding vote in a small village politics, comes down to a small-time barber. The movie is available on Netflix.

#2 Joker

A 2016 political satire directed by Raju Murugan is about a villager who declares himself as the President of India and fights corruption and social injustices. The movie won two national awards, including Best Feature Film-Tamil. The sleeper hit movie stars Guru Somasundar, Ramya Pandian, and Gayathri in lead roles. Watch the movie on YouTube.

#3 Tere Bin Laden

Directed by Abhishek Sharma, the 2010 political satire is about how a frustrated reporter who is rejected for his US visa stumbles upon a lookalike of Osama Bin Laden and releases a video on the internet, and creates widespread havoc. The movie stars, Pradhuman Singh, Ali Zafar, and Rahul Singh in lead roles. Watch the movie on 

#4 Topiwala

The 2013 Kannada political satire starring the famous Upendra Rao, was directed by M.G. Srinivas. The movie is about how a politician’s Swiss bank account details are stolen and the black money is used for the development of public welfare. The movie’s cast also includes Bhavana and P.Ravi Shankar in supporting roles. Watch the movie on Disney+Hotstar.

#5 Well done Abba

Directed by Shyam Benegal in 2009, this political satire stars Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba, and Sameer Dattani in lead roles. The movie is about a village stricken by severe drought and completely neglected by the government. One of the villagers, tired of the false promises of the government decides to raise his voice. Watch the movie on Disney+Hotstar.

#6 LKG

The 2019 Tamil political satire is directed by Prabhu. The story shows how a small councillor aspires to become the Chief Minister of the state and his journey with other politicians. The movie stars, Priya Anand, J.K. Ritesh, and RJ Balaji in lead roles. Watch the movie on 

#7 Zed Plus

With an aim to chase his political ambitions, a villager who runs a small business accidentally meets the Prime Minister of India and requests special security. Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, this 2014 political satire stars Adil Hussain, Mona Singh, and Sanjay Mishra in pivotal roles. Watch the movie on Amazon Prime.