We need to talk about Hulu. When Disney moved Hotstar’s content to Hulu in 2022, it instantly made Hulu a major source for Indian content in the United States. This included not just new original series and movies — branded as “Hotstar Specials” — but a lot of older films as well, particularly in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.

Well, there have been some changes. I decided to check some titles on my Bollywood Movies Streaming on Hulu page at random to make sure nothing major had happened, and boy was I surprised. A LOT of movies are no longer available for streaming. And when I say a lot, I mean it.

On January 31, 2025, I clicked on each title I had under the “Hindi Movies Streaming on Hulu” section, beginning with titles that started with a numeral through those that started with the letter D. Of the 108 titles that I checked, 98 were no longer available for streaming. You read that right — 90% of the movies are gone.

It’s going to take me a long time to check each of the 1,974 title links currently featured on my Bollywood Movies Streaming on Hulu page, especially since new movies are series are still being added. And I don’t know if these removals apply to series as well as films. Just know that the page could be much, much shorter by the time I’m finished.

As for why this is happening, it could be that a bunch of licensing contracts expired at once (likely at the start of the new year). Or it could have something to do with Disney’s recent merger with Reliance, owner of the Indian streaming service JioCinema. They still haven’t announced where the two company’s streaming portfolios will ultimately be hosted in the US, so these removals could be paving the way for whatever comes next.

Either way, I’m bummed to see so many movies lose their streaming home for now. It’s a reminder that: if there’s a film or show you really love, find a way to own it, whether in physical or digital form. The contents of streaming catalogs are always changing.

If you appreciate my efforts to keep these streaming lists up to date, please consider sending a donation via PayPal or Venmo. Your support makes it possible. Thank you! — Kathy