Greetings from India. I’m Dev, and this is my first post in Movieforums. Here’s a short list of some of my favourite Indian movies. Anyone who's interested in Indian films but hasn’t watched any can start with the following films:
NAYAK (1966)
A black-and-white classic, it's about a movie star who's traveling on train in a first class compartment. He's interviewed during the trip by a female reporter. In course of the interview, the actor's past life comes to him (and to viewers) through flashback. His past life has been one of struggles and financial troubles. He rose to stardom from scratch, sacrificed theatre for the glamour of cinema, argued with veteran stars over theatrical acting vs. method acting etc. There's a dream sequence in the movie that's very surreal in style and treatment.
YAADEIN (1964)
World’s first one-actor movie. A man returns from office to discover that his wife and daughter have left him. He’s gripped by remorse, as he feels he has wronged them. The movie depicts his feelings of remorse. The entire movie is in the form of a soliloquy.
ANDAZ (1949)
It's a movie about two guys falling for the same girl. The movie is very modern in style and treatment. However, the ending is a bit disappointing. But still it’s worth a watch. Filmed on an expensive movie print, the film dazzles and glows even after all these years. It gives a glimpse of how the Indian urban lifestyle was in the late forties.
KAGAZ KE PHOOL (Paper Flowers -1959)
In this film, a successful movie producer/director loses everything after family problems start affecting his professional life and career. He goes missing for many years until he returns to his own studio as an old man, only to discover that people have forgotten him. He also finds that movie making itself has undergone a drastic change, with producers and directors compromising on artistic merit during film-making.
A WEDNESDAY (2009)
It shows a man going to the rooftop of a high-rise in Mumbai with laptop, phones, wireless comm., portable TV and all. From there, he calls up the police chief of Mumbai (Bombay) and demands the release of three dreaded terrorists. But why he demands their release is a different story altogether.
JODHA AKBAR (2008)
This movie is about the Mughal dynasty, about Emperor Akbar and his wife Jodha Bai. The Mughals who ruled India for about 300 years (before they were overtaken by the British) were descendants of the Mongols. The movie recreates the grandeur of the Mughal era - the lavish costumes, grand palaces, courtyards etc. But the movie is not just a period epic. It's a tale of assimilation between two cultures - authentic Indian culture and rich culture of the Mongol invaders.
MUGHAL-E-AZAM (The Greatest of the Mughals – 1960)
This movie is about the love of Mughal prince Jahangir for a court dancer named Anarkali. Jahangir was the father of emperor Shah Jahan who built the famous Taj Mahal. Jahangir’s father (Emperor Akbar) disapproved of this relationship, and the movie depicts the clash between father and son set against a historic backdrop of war and political intrigue.
PAANCH (Five)
This movie is about five decadent youths in the city of Mumbai who’re into drugs, violence and sex. These youths go on committing random acts of crime without any moral scruples. It's a great movie with an existential theme.
ARVIND DESAI KI AJEEB DASTAAN (The Strange Case of Arvind Desai- 1978)
In this movie, a rich businessman’s son (Arvind Desai) starts questioning about issues such as capitalist greed vs communist ideologies. Arvind has long discussions on politics and art with one of his Marxist friends, has an affair with his dad’s secretary and sometimes visits a prostitute.
TRIKAAL (1985)
A generational saga, this movie is about a Christian family of Portuguese descent living in Goa (Goa is an Indian state that was ruled by the Portuguese for many years). It shows how a Portuguese family holds on to traditional values while assimilating Indian cultural norms during a period of transition.
NAYAK (1966)
A black-and-white classic, it's about a movie star who's traveling on train in a first class compartment. He's interviewed during the trip by a female reporter. In course of the interview, the actor's past life comes to him (and to viewers) through flashback. His past life has been one of struggles and financial troubles. He rose to stardom from scratch, sacrificed theatre for the glamour of cinema, argued with veteran stars over theatrical acting vs. method acting etc. There's a dream sequence in the movie that's very surreal in style and treatment.
YAADEIN (1964)
World’s first one-actor movie. A man returns from office to discover that his wife and daughter have left him. He’s gripped by remorse, as he feels he has wronged them. The movie depicts his feelings of remorse. The entire movie is in the form of a soliloquy.
ANDAZ (1949)
It's a movie about two guys falling for the same girl. The movie is very modern in style and treatment. However, the ending is a bit disappointing. But still it’s worth a watch. Filmed on an expensive movie print, the film dazzles and glows even after all these years. It gives a glimpse of how the Indian urban lifestyle was in the late forties.
KAGAZ KE PHOOL (Paper Flowers -1959)
In this film, a successful movie producer/director loses everything after family problems start affecting his professional life and career. He goes missing for many years until he returns to his own studio as an old man, only to discover that people have forgotten him. He also finds that movie making itself has undergone a drastic change, with producers and directors compromising on artistic merit during film-making.
A WEDNESDAY (2009)
It shows a man going to the rooftop of a high-rise in Mumbai with laptop, phones, wireless comm., portable TV and all. From there, he calls up the police chief of Mumbai (Bombay) and demands the release of three dreaded terrorists. But why he demands their release is a different story altogether.
JODHA AKBAR (2008)
This movie is about the Mughal dynasty, about Emperor Akbar and his wife Jodha Bai. The Mughals who ruled India for about 300 years (before they were overtaken by the British) were descendants of the Mongols. The movie recreates the grandeur of the Mughal era - the lavish costumes, grand palaces, courtyards etc. But the movie is not just a period epic. It's a tale of assimilation between two cultures - authentic Indian culture and rich culture of the Mongol invaders.
MUGHAL-E-AZAM (The Greatest of the Mughals – 1960)
This movie is about the love of Mughal prince Jahangir for a court dancer named Anarkali. Jahangir was the father of emperor Shah Jahan who built the famous Taj Mahal. Jahangir’s father (Emperor Akbar) disapproved of this relationship, and the movie depicts the clash between father and son set against a historic backdrop of war and political intrigue.
PAANCH (Five)
This movie is about five decadent youths in the city of Mumbai who’re into drugs, violence and sex. These youths go on committing random acts of crime without any moral scruples. It's a great movie with an existential theme.
ARVIND DESAI KI AJEEB DASTAAN (The Strange Case of Arvind Desai- 1978)
In this movie, a rich businessman’s son (Arvind Desai) starts questioning about issues such as capitalist greed vs communist ideologies. Arvind has long discussions on politics and art with one of his Marxist friends, has an affair with his dad’s secretary and sometimes visits a prostitute.
TRIKAAL (1985)
A generational saga, this movie is about a Christian family of Portuguese descent living in Goa (Goa is an Indian state that was ruled by the Portuguese for many years). It shows how a Portuguese family holds on to traditional values while assimilating Indian cultural norms during a period of transition.
Last edited by GLOBALCOOL; 08-24-12 at 10:45 AM.