Bollywood for newbies
May. 4th, 2005 11:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieThis was in my reply further down, but I thought it deserved its own post. I have also majorly expanded it.
Here are movies if you want to start:
Crime Drama (gritty and "realistic"): Company (gangster wars), Khakee (group of cops transport a terrorist). I do not really recommend that genre to start with because then you can just watch Hollywood.
Romantic Melodrama-comedy (with strong family overtones): Kal Ho Na Ho (set in New York. Really recommended as a first time); Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (set in Europe and India. The longest running Indian movie and my favorite, but the clothes might be a bit dated). Veer-Zaara (my current fave BW movie, about a star-crossed affair between an Indian pilot and Pakistani aristocrat); Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (cheesy and fun, also a huge hit). Hum Tum: a loose interpretation of "When Harry Met Sally" set in India, Netherlands and France. Kabhi Khushi Kabie Gham: really extravagant, kitchy and with a LOT of crying and pleather. Chalte Chalte (a marital comedy-drama with a lovely trip to Greece), Dil Chahta Hai (very modern look at 3 friends, and with a segment in Australia), Saathiya (about trials and tribulations of a young married couple). Kuch Na Kaho (a light-hearted movie about a single Mom finding love).
Comedy-spoof: Main Hoon Na (about a military man who must go undercover in college to protect a General's daughter). Munnabhai MBBS (gangster desides to become doctor. This one is going to be made into a Hollywood movie. Funniest BW movie I've ever seen.)
Breath-takingly beautiful: Devdas(2002) (eye popping and tragic) and Hum Dil De Chucke Sanam (forced humor and Hungary pretending to be Italy, but the visuals are stunning), Refugee (the end is rather jingoistic, but the first 2/3 are breathtaking and unsual).
Older couples: Baghban (about a couple married for 40 years whose children separate them).
Period movies: Lagaan (Oscar nominee about a 19th century village team playing cricket against the British), Asoka (about Indian emperor and his path to Buddhism and cavorting in waterfalls), Kisna (in 1947, a young man escorts a British girl to safety).
More "artsy" movies: Chameli (about a hooker and a businessman who spend a night together. Not that way.); Yuva (three intersecting lives of three young men of very different characters); Dil Se (obsession, terrorism, and some really bizarre musical numbers), Mr & Mrs Iyer (a Brahmin housewife protects a Muslim photographer during riots), Swades (about brain drain), Dev (about religious riots), Bombay (same), Black (starts off as a Helen-Keller-like story and becomes so much more. Acting and visuals are outstanding).
Gorgeous Music and Dance: Taal (about a dissapointed in love village belle who makes big), Dil Se, Kisna (watch those contortions!), Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Koi Mil Gaya (Bollywood's take on E.T.), Dil To Pagal Hai (a producer puts on a show).
Oldie but goodie: Pakeezah (about a prostitute saved by love), Pyassa (visually stunning), Awaara (Raj Kapoor's social classic), Sholay (the classic curry Western and super hit), Mughal-e-Azam (a classic epic about doomed star-crossed lovers in Mughal times).
Most likely to be found in your local Blockbuster: Asoka, Lagaan.
Cross-over movies coming your way later in the year: My Bollywood Bride (an American chases his Indian lover to India), Marigold (a third rate American actress stranded in India tries to earn some money by acting in Bollywood. Not knowing how to dance, she needs a choreographer. He is male of course, and you can work out the rest for yourself), The Rising (the story of a 1857 rebellion against the British, the international cast boasts Toby Stephens, one of my favorites).
That should be enough to start :)
Some are available for rent at Netflix. Reputable places to purchase DVDs are http://www.nehaflix.com and http://www.1800imall.com among others.
Here are movies if you want to start:
Crime Drama (gritty and "realistic"): Company (gangster wars), Khakee (group of cops transport a terrorist). I do not really recommend that genre to start with because then you can just watch Hollywood.
Romantic Melodrama-comedy (with strong family overtones): Kal Ho Na Ho (set in New York. Really recommended as a first time); Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (set in Europe and India. The longest running Indian movie and my favorite, but the clothes might be a bit dated). Veer-Zaara (my current fave BW movie, about a star-crossed affair between an Indian pilot and Pakistani aristocrat); Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (cheesy and fun, also a huge hit). Hum Tum: a loose interpretation of "When Harry Met Sally" set in India, Netherlands and France. Kabhi Khushi Kabie Gham: really extravagant, kitchy and with a LOT of crying and pleather. Chalte Chalte (a marital comedy-drama with a lovely trip to Greece), Dil Chahta Hai (very modern look at 3 friends, and with a segment in Australia), Saathiya (about trials and tribulations of a young married couple). Kuch Na Kaho (a light-hearted movie about a single Mom finding love).
Comedy-spoof: Main Hoon Na (about a military man who must go undercover in college to protect a General's daughter). Munnabhai MBBS (gangster desides to become doctor. This one is going to be made into a Hollywood movie. Funniest BW movie I've ever seen.)
Breath-takingly beautiful: Devdas(2002) (eye popping and tragic) and Hum Dil De Chucke Sanam (forced humor and Hungary pretending to be Italy, but the visuals are stunning), Refugee (the end is rather jingoistic, but the first 2/3 are breathtaking and unsual).
Older couples: Baghban (about a couple married for 40 years whose children separate them).
Period movies: Lagaan (Oscar nominee about a 19th century village team playing cricket against the British), Asoka (about Indian emperor and his path to Buddhism and cavorting in waterfalls), Kisna (in 1947, a young man escorts a British girl to safety).
More "artsy" movies: Chameli (about a hooker and a businessman who spend a night together. Not that way.); Yuva (three intersecting lives of three young men of very different characters); Dil Se (obsession, terrorism, and some really bizarre musical numbers), Mr & Mrs Iyer (a Brahmin housewife protects a Muslim photographer during riots), Swades (about brain drain), Dev (about religious riots), Bombay (same), Black (starts off as a Helen-Keller-like story and becomes so much more. Acting and visuals are outstanding).
Gorgeous Music and Dance: Taal (about a dissapointed in love village belle who makes big), Dil Se, Kisna (watch those contortions!), Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Koi Mil Gaya (Bollywood's take on E.T.), Dil To Pagal Hai (a producer puts on a show).
Oldie but goodie: Pakeezah (about a prostitute saved by love), Pyassa (visually stunning), Awaara (Raj Kapoor's social classic), Sholay (the classic curry Western and super hit), Mughal-e-Azam (a classic epic about doomed star-crossed lovers in Mughal times).
Most likely to be found in your local Blockbuster: Asoka, Lagaan.
Cross-over movies coming your way later in the year: My Bollywood Bride (an American chases his Indian lover to India), Marigold (a third rate American actress stranded in India tries to earn some money by acting in Bollywood. Not knowing how to dance, she needs a choreographer. He is male of course, and you can work out the rest for yourself), The Rising (the story of a 1857 rebellion against the British, the international cast boasts Toby Stephens, one of my favorites).
That should be enough to start :)
Some are available for rent at Netflix. Reputable places to purchase DVDs are http://www.nehaflix.com and http://www.1800imall.com among others.
