Movies like 3 Idiots: 20 to watch next
If you loved 3 Idiots (2009) — a drama and comedy film directed by Rajkumar Hirani — these 20 movies are the closest matches.
The first picks are what fans of 3 Idiots most often go on to watch; the rest share its genres and themes like challenge, middle class and slapstick comedy. 8 of them are streaming in India right now — each entry shows where.
Where to watch 3 Idiots →·Get picks for your whole taste →
- 1
Napoleon Dynamite 2004★ 6.8
Shares: Comedy
A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 2
Accepted 2006★ 6.5
Shares: Comedy
A high school slacker who's rejected by every school he applies to opts to create his own institution of higher learning, the South Harmon Institute of Technology, on a rundown piece of property near his hometown.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 3
Sky High 2005★ 6.3
Shares: Comedy
Set in a world where superheroes are commonly known and accepted, young Will Stronghold, the son of the Commander and Jetstream, tries to find a balance between being a normal teenager and an extraordinary being.
Stream in India on VI movies and tv
- 4
Welcome to the Dollhouse 1996★ 7.1
Shares: Comedy, Drama
An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive parents and bullies at school.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 5
Sixteen Candles 1984★ 6.7
Shares: Comedy
With the occasion all but overshadowed by her sister's upcoming wedding, angst-ridden Samantha faces her 16th birthday with typical adolescent dread. Samantha pines for studly older boy Jake, but worries that her chastity will be a turnoff for the popular senior. Meanwhile, she must constantly rebuff the affections of nerdy Ted, who is unfortunately the only boy in school who seems to take an interest in her.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 6
Half Brothers 2020★ 7.2
Shares: Comedy, Drama
Mexican aviation exec Renato is shocked to learn that he has an American half-brother he never knew about: free-spirited Asher. They are forced on a road trip together, tracing the path their father took from Mexico to the U.S.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 7
Old Boys 2018★ 6.6
Shares: Comedy
In the school-set re-working of Cyrano, an awkward but imaginative pupil helps the handsome but spectacularly dim school-hero pursue the fiery daughter of a visiting French teacher.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 8
Zapped 2014★ 6.1
Shares: Comedy
Zoey is a talented dancer whose organized life is rudely disrupted when she moves in with her new step-dad and three step-brothers, until she discovers a dog-training app that can get boys to obey her every command. But she soon learns that it isn't the cure-all she had hoped for.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 9
The Kid 1921★ 8.1
Shares: Comedy, Drama
A tramp cares for a boy after he's abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later the mother has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son.
Stream in India on Lionsgate Play, Lionsgate Play Apple TV Channel, Lionsgate Play Amazon Channel
- 10
Hindi Medium 2017★ 7.4
Shares: Comedy, Drama
Mita and Raj Batra, an affluent couple from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, are grappling with getting their daughter admission into an English medium school. But there is one big problem. Their zubaan is Hindi, and the elitist snobs won’t let the Hindi speaking hoi-polloi fit in.
Stream in India on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 11
Carnage 2011★ 7.2
Shares: Comedy, Drama
Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 12
Leo 2023★ 7.3
Shares: Comedy
Jaded 74-year-old reptile Leo has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle. When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher.
Stream in India on Netflix
- 13
Delhi Belly 2011★ 7.1
Shares: Comedy
Three unsuspecting, average guys find themselves on the hit list of one of India's most-powerful crime syndicates.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 14
Thunderstruck 2012★ 6.2
Shares: Comedy
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 15
Desi Boyz 2011★ 6.2
Shares: Comedy, Drama
When two cash-strapped UK-based Indians become male escorts amid an economic downturn, money flows right in but everything else in their lives starts falling apart.
Stream in India on Amazon Prime Video, Eros Now Select Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 16
Phir Hera Pheri 2006★ 6.9
Shares: Comedy
Raju, Shyam and Baburao are living happily after having risen from rags to riches. However, they lose it all after falling victim to a chit fund scam due to their greed for more money. Soon, they find themselves in new mess and encounter eccentric and dangerous characters in their quest for a shortcut to riches again.
Stream in India on Amazon Prime Video, ShemarooMe, VI movies and tv
- 17
Like Stars on Earth 2007★ 8.0
Shares: Drama
Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 18
Fukrey Returns 2017★ 6.5
Shares: Comedy, Drama
A year after the first movie, the four friends are enjoying their lives to the fullest, get in trouble once again with Bholi, who is released from prison earlier than expected and is broke.
Stream in India on Netflix
- 19
Sleepover 2004★ 6.1
Shares: Comedy
Desperate to improve their social status, four best friends enter into an all-night scavenger hunt against the popular clique in their school.
Stream in India on MGM Plus Amazon Channel
- 20
Sacramento 2025★ 6.2
Shares: Comedy, Drama
When free-spirited Rickey suddenly reappears in father-to-be Glenn’s life, the two former best friends embark on a spontaneous road trip from LA to Sacramento.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now