हो गए थे

had become

→ होना
phrase Rare #6,659
had become Describes a change or resulting state that had occurred in the past. The form can also be used with polite or plural subjects.
HI: वे बहुत थक गए थे।
EN: They had become very tired.

तो, वापस दंगे शुरू हो गए थे ना, सर।

So, the riots had started up again, right, sir?

— Black Friday (2004)

हम परेशान हो गए थे।

We were fed up.

— రౌద్రం రణం రుధిరం (2022)

इतने ही ख़ुश हो गए थे तो दो-चार गाँव लिख देते।

If you were so pleased, you could have written down a few villages.

— Padmaavat (2018)

हो गए थे फेल।

They had failed.

— Sardar Udham (2021)

चार साल हो गए थे, चार सौ रुपये की लड़ाई शुरू हुए।

It had been four years since the fight over four hundred rupees began.

— Haq (2025)

अख्तर, कहाँ गायब हो गए थे?

Akhtar, where had you disappeared to?

— రౌద్రం రణం రుధిరం (2022)