Resurgence to target L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels has been applied by the synthesis of two series of nifedipine analogues where the ortho - or a meta -nitrophenyl ring is retained. A pre-synthetic molecular docking study with a receptor model followed by molecular alignment has been performed on 47 compounds to predict the most active member. The IC₅₀ values revealed that some of the compounds are similar to or more active than nifedipine. Substitution of groups at the 3- and 5-positions of the dihydropyridine (DHP) ring gave 3k , which is more active than nifedipine. Our valid three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model prefigures the influence of lipophilicity, bulkiness and chelating effects of the C3 and C5 substituents. Bulky groups interfere with ring-to-ring hydrophobic interaction with tyrosine (Tyr)⁴³¹¹ and limit the efficiency of increasing the length of the hydrocarbon chain of esters at the 3- and 5-positions of the DHP ring as an approach to increasing the activity. The presence of a chelating substituent on the phenyl ring at the 4-position of the DHP ring ensures strong binding to the receptor and hence stabilization of the closed-channel conformation. The validation of 3D-QSAR model indicated its proficiency in predicting activity of newly compounds belonging to the same chemical class.