Originally posted by: DystopicSpark
Wow! Thank you so much for such a complete list! Honestly I have no heard of any of these, but I'm willing to give them all a try if possible. I think the closest to an Indian movie I've watched was actually a 4 episodes series called The Indian Detective, which I believe it's mostly a Canadian production set in Indian (most scenes at least), but I wouldn't be surprised if the cast are Western actors of Indian roots. Yet, that's not what drove me to have an interest in Bollywood. In fact every time I hear of it, I hear of how unique it is and even Hollywood movies like Moulin Rouge were influenced by it. Not to mention the huge cultural influence it has on India itself (please, correct me if I'm wrong).
So I really appreciate the time you had typing all this. Your input is also invaluable. I'll do my best to find those movies (currently I have only Netflix). So, again, thank you!
You're welcome! Yes, Moulin Rouge (a favorite film of mine) was heavily influenced by Bollywood spectacle. In fact, the song Chamma Chamma is frequently used in Moulin Rouge if you remember the finale performance. This below is the original song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMcBxxAARBM
If you only have Netflix, that makes it easier to give you suggestions. From the list I mentioned before, you could watch these. Also since I realized you probably have no idea what these titles mean, I've included English translations as well to give you a better understand of what these movies are about.
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Sometimes Things Happen)
- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness)
- Kal Ho Naa Ho (Tomorrow May Never Come)
- Main Hoon Na (I'm Here For You)
- Om Shanti Om (a peace mantra that is a common Hindu phrase)
- Jodhaa Akbar (names of the Mughal emperor and his empress)
A few more I would add to that list to make it a top ten Netflix list.
Dil Se (meaning From the Heart) is very different from a typical Bollywood movie. It has all the usual Bollywood elements (music, romance, action) but it's not a mainstream film at all. More like an art/indie film but with the production values of a commercial blockbuster. If you're interested in learning about Indian history and culture, this one would be very fulfilling because it's set during the 50th anniversary of Indian independence. Shah Rukh Khan plays a reporter who falls in love with a girl who is actually a terrorist. It explains a lot about lingering tensions that exist in India between different regional groups and the cinematography is absolutely lovely to look at. The director is Mani Ratnam, who is considered one of India's greatest directors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KebHRTGL-X4
Another important point about Dil Se is the song Chaiyya Chaiyya. I'm not sure if you've ever heard it or not but it's one of those Bollywood songs that became mainstream in the west as well. I think when Shah Rukh Khan met Obama, this song was referenced to give you an idea about how well known it is.
Bollywood is ruled by the three Khans. I've frequently mentioned Shah Rukh Khan who's in most of the films I recommended so far. The second of the three Khans is Aamir Khan (he's especially popular in China). Dil Chahta Hai (meaning The Heart Wants) is a movie starring him and two other male actors about three buddies of college age and what life deals them. It was considered groundbreaking because of its frank portrayal of youthful adolescents, basically yuppies. And it's a favorite with millennials to this day. Preity Zinta (the lead heroine) and Saif Ali Khan (one of Aamir Khan's buddies in this movie) are also in Kal Ho Naa Ho with Shah Rukh Khan.
The third of the three Khans is Salman Khan. He's the second most famous Khan after Shah Rukh, and maybe the most popular in India where everyone knows him as their brother and he commands a legion of fans who go crazy over his every dance movies, movie lines, and hairstyles. He starred in Hum Aapke Hain Koun (meaning Who Am I to You) with Madhuri Dixit, who was the biggest female star of the 90s (basically India's Julia Roberts).
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of those movies I listed before as definitive to Indian cinema and making the romance genre central to the film industry. That's an Amazon Prime movie so you won't be able to watch it, but one year before DDLJ came out, there was Hum Aapke Hain Koun (HAHK). This film was an absolute blockbuster of its time and the highest grossing Indian movie when it came out. This is really the film that made cinema into a family affair because movies from the 80s had been fraught with violence and rape. Films weren't clean for small children to watch but this movie changed all that as it's one 3.5 hour family entertainer.
I have to be honest that it's really not a favorite of mine. It's one of those movies where nothing really happens until the very end. In my experience, people who love it are ones who grew up with it so it's very nostalgic, but I think for someone who hasn't seen it before, they might find it aimless and unendurable. But it should be worth a watch since it'll give you an idea on Indian culture and particularly traditions and customs during weddings. Most Indian wedding celebrations are pretty identical to what's in this movie. If you like dogs, the dog in this movie, Tuffy, is rather iconic and pretty much responsible for keeping the plot in motion.
Last film to recommend is Hum Saath-Saath Hain (meaning We Are All Together). If it looks similar or sounds similar to the previous movie, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, that's because it's from the same director and also stars Salman Khan (as well as Saif Ali Khan who I said earlier is in Kal Ho Naa Ho and Dil Chatha Hai as well). This is another family drama featuring three brothers and their marriages. Most of the extended family cast comes straight from Hum Aapke Hain Koun.
Like that movie, this one doesn't have much of a plot. It's 3 hours of songs and wedding functions. The opening scene introduces about 30 different characters and the first time I saw this, I was so perplexed because new characters kept appearing on the scene before I even understood who the old ones were. This is the 5th most watched Bollywood movie on Netflix and also the most watched Bollywood movie not starring Shah Rukh Khan. It's mega increase in popularity is probably because like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (which I mentioned in my first post is the most watched Bollywood movie on Netflix), it's a family drama and those seem very popular with Indians who live overseas and miss their roots.
I have a better impression of this movie than Hum Aapke Hain Koun. When I first watched it, I hated this movie because it was so sugary and unrealistic in terms of the family dynamic of this perfect happy family who always get along. But now I enjoy it for the same reasons because it can be a laugh riot if you treat it like a comedy. And this is also a film where there isn't really a plot until the last hour when the perfect family suddenly might break apart.
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