Introduction to Bollywood

As someone who's not Indian but is very interested in Indian history and culture (and also never watched a Bollywood movie), where would you suggest I start? I'm fine with any decade and/or genre. If you could make a top 10 Bollywood movies, what would you include? Thanks in advance!

I had a friend who once recommended Om Shanti Om as a good gateway movie into Bollywood. I both agree and disagree with that choice. It's a movie that pays tribute to Bollywood's heritage, particularly from the 70s but is also set in the modern day era. It's sort of a cinematic throwback and features all the major Bollywood genres packed in one film (musical, romance, drama, comedy, action, revenge thriller, etc.)

The only minus for a newbie is that the movie is filled with easter eggs, references, and cameos to the Bollywood film industry so all of that would be lost on you. But I don't think that would detract from your viewing experience. When the movie came out, I didn't understand the references to all the older movies (I did understand the contemporary references though) but still enjoyed it.

Om Shanti Om also has the advantage of featuring the biggest Bollywood star, Shah Rukh Khan, as the male lead. While the female lead, in her debut film, is Deepika Padukone, currently the #1 leading lady of Bollywood and a superstar herself. He's probably the best known Indian public figure in the west and she's one of the better known Indian actresses globally.

If not Om Shanti Om, I would recommend any film with Shah Rukh Khan because he epitomizes Bollywood (and India by extension) in the west. His movies in particular are beloved overseas, more than his contemporaries' movies, so SRK is usually the entry point for new fans of Bollywood.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is the most popular Bollywood movie overseas (also the most watched Bollywood movie on Netflix) starring an A-List cast including SRK as lead. It's a family drama entertainer which was a really popular genre in the 90s/early 2000s. It's a tearjerker though and 3.5 hours long, which is long even by Bollywood standards. Tbh, I never noticed it was that long a film but for someone new to Bollywood, you may feel it.

If not Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, I would recommend Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. All three of these films star SRK with Kajol, his most beloved heroine and a name synonymous with him. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of the most enduring film classics and still plays in theaters to this day despite coming out in 1995, making it the longest running movie to play in theaters. It reinvented the romance genre and pretty much every film that came afterwards owes its legacy to DDLJ. It's also a good entry point for westerners because it's the movie that launched SRK as a superstar and features the clash between eastern vs western values. I think it was the first prominent Bollywood movie to be set outside of India and portray the lives of NRIs (non-resident Indians who live overseas).

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is sort of a spiritual successor to DDLJ (just as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is a spiritual successor to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai). This is also one of the most popular movies overseas (#3 most watched Bollywood movie on Netflix) because the first half of the film features the characters as college students and is heavily inspired by the Archie/Betty/Veronica comics. Another tearjerker melodrama.

And if you want a movie that isn't set in India at all but set in America, then I would recommend Kal Ho Naa Ho. Another one of the most beloved Bollywood movies overseas (the #4 most watched Bollywood movie on Netflix) and this one might be easier to start off with because of it's NYC setting and featuring NRIs.

If you prefer action over romance, then I would recommend Main Hoon Na, which is the 2nd most watched Bollywood movie on Netflix. SRK plays an Indian army major who goes undercover into a college. So it features the college shenanigans that are also in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai along with family dynamics, plus a pro-peace message between India vs Pakistan. There is still romance but it's not the central premise of this movie unlike the others I mentioned.

Finally, if you're really daring, you could start off with Devdas. This is a Bengali period novel that's considered part of India's classic literature. All the films I suggested before have heavy western influences since they're all set in contemporary times (90s/2000s) with heavy globalization, but that's not the case here as this is set in the early 1900s.

But if you want a pure, unadulterated Bollywood experience, this is the one that probably is the most authentic depiction of India. This was also the west's first exposure to Bollywood because Devdas was heavily promoted overseas, particularly in Cannes and all the film festivals. You might recognize Aishwarya Rai, the lead actress, who also came to Hollywood after the success of this film and was called the most beautiful woman in the world.

So Devdas might actually be the best choice as a gateway film into Bollywood since it's probably one of the most iconic films that was released in the last 25 years. It's music, dances, and performances are a part of pop culture and I've even seen Devdas referenced a lot in the west (Big Bang Theory features a reference to it for example). You mentioned being really interested in Indian culture and history so that would probably make this the best starting point.

Ummm I suggest you watch Dil wale Dhulaniya ly jaye gy & Kuch kuch hota hai first. It will develop your interest further in BW movies

Out of the 7 films I listed for you in my first post, most of those are available for streaming. Listed below in chronological order with where they're available to stream for free. Devdas is the only one currently not available to stream for free. You would need to have an Eros Now account (which I think allows for a 7-day free trial) to see it. It might come on Netflix later on though.

1) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (Amazon Prime)

2) Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Amazon Prime/Netflix)

3) Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Amazon Prime/Netflix)

4) Devdas

5) Kal Ho Naa Ho (Amazon Prime/Netflix)

6) Main Hoon Na (Netflix)

7) Om Shanti Om (Netflix)

And since you asked for 10 films, I'll continue my list.

If you want an epic romance, I'd go with Veer-Zaara. Directed by Yash Chopra, who was one of the most beloved filmmakers of the country in his penultimate film, it's a romance between an Indian air officer and a Pakistani woman that transcends nationality and religion. This film is considered one of the most beloved love stories of all time and was in fact re-released to theaters twice in India this year alone due to its sheer popularity. The two leads (SRK and Preity Zinta) are the same from Kal Ho Naa Ho.

It's technically a contemporary film but this one does a good job at showing the diverse cultures and locations in India and Pakistan so this may appeal to you. Has a period-era flavor.

Veer-Zaara is streaming on Amazon Prime.

Diving into a historical epic, we have Mughal-E-Azam. This film is from 1960 but it's considered India's greatest film (alongside Mother India) and magnum opus. Highlighting the Mughal era, it's also a star-crossed romance between legends Dilip Kumar (India's first legendary actor) and Madhubhala, who is basically synonymous with this movie playing a courtesan who falls in love with a prince. They were also romantically involved in real life.

This is only available to stream on ZEE5. I don't remember if they have a free trial or not. The original film is black and white but it was remastered in color. In most cases, colorized films are b@stardizations of the original classic, but this is a rare exception. Mughal-E-Azam was intended to be shot in color but it was too expensive so I would actually recommend the colorized version here which is what streams on ZEE5.

And if you want a quasi-prequel to Mughal-E-Azam, there's Jodhaa Akbar. Released in 2008, it was a blockbuster overseas and stars Aishwarya Rai (same actress from Devdas) with Hrithik Roshan, a major Bollywood star who is dubbed the "Greek god." You might not find a more beautiful lead actor and actress than these two. This is also set in the Mughal era and features the love story between the parents of the prince played by Dilip Kumar in Mughal-E-Azam (which is why you can sorta consider this a Mughal-E-Azam prequel). Like Veer-Zaara, this romance transcends religion and culture.

Jodhaa Akbar is currently streaming on Netflix. Because it's a historical epic, it's also on the longer side at around 3.5 hours.

Maybe Shah Rukh Khan epitomizes Bollywood for some (others might disagree) but India too? Seriously?

But nice writeup @RaniPreityAish

I wouldn't wish DDLJ, KKHH and even Devdas on my worst enemy

But if you want to understand BW and taste of Indian viewing public then you have to suffer thru DDLJ

Originally posted by: TotalBetty

Maybe Shah Rukh Khan epitomizes Bollywood for some (others might disagree) but India too? Seriously?

But nice writeup @RaniPreityAish

Thank you.

According to SRK, it's Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan who epitomize India overseas. I think these three are definitely the most well known Indian stars on a global level.

Shah Rukh Khan – "It's sad that things didn't work out with Ash in Chalte Chalte. But believe me, I bear no ill will towards her. I feel very proud of the fact that when you go to London, France, Germany, the only two Indian names people recognise are Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan has been there for so many years and he's wonderful. But Aishwarya Rai is our contemporary, younger than many of us. She's perhaps done less work than me and to still be the international face of Indian cinema is great."

Growing up in the west, in my experience the two most recognized Indians tend to be Gandhi and SRK. Gandhi as a historical figure and SRK as a contemporary figure. Disney Channel used to make references to SRK in the TV show Jessie. I was reading an article from a blog by a Bollywood fan. This fan is a westerner who became a superfan of BW and she mentioned that she thinks SRK's appeal overseas is partly because he's become the embodiment of India overseas, especially for NRIs.

A bit like how there aren't a lot of Chinese people in the west who are household names but everyone knows Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee, who are icons that represent Hong Kong and China. SRK is sort of the Indian equivalent of that. The average American won't know who the president of China is but they'll know Jackie Chan...then again, we have actresses in India who don't know the PM of their own country.

Originally posted by: TotalBetty

I wouldn't wish DDLJ, KKHH and even Devdas on my worst enemy

But if you want to understand BW and taste of Indian viewing public then you have to suffer thru DDLJ

I could have recommended Mohabbatein lol.

Originally posted by: DystopicSpark

As someone who's not Indian but is very interested in Indian history and culture (and also never watched a Bollywood movie), where would you suggest I start? I'm fine with any decade and/or genre. If you could make a top 10 Bollywood movies, what would you include? Thanks in advance!

There is a reason you entered this forum...maybe you start with that and tell it (what is y o u r cultural background?

Indian movies can touch a viewer on many levels... if you're interested in Indian culture and history then there are ample movies Google will recommend you or Wikipedia or IMDb.

RaniPreityAish's focus are on ShahRukh Khan movies with a great display of emotions (especially the aspect of unconditional love), but is it also yours?

You gave 'male' as gender...do you have a preference in genres? If yes, which one?

Originally posted by: RaniPreityAish

Out of the 7 films I listed for you in my first post, most of those are available for streaming. Listed below in chronological order with where they're available to stream for free. Devdas is the only one currently not available to stream for free. You would need to have an Eros Now account (which I think allows for a 7-day free trial) to see it. It might come on Netflix later on though.

1) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (Amazon Prime)

2) Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Amazon Prime/Netflix)

3) Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Amazon Prime/Netflix)

4) Devdas

5) Kal Ho Naa Ho (Amazon Prime/Netflix)

6) Main Hoon Na (Netflix)

7) Om Shanti Om (Netflix)

And since you asked for 10 films, I'll continue my list.

If you want an epic romance, I'd go with Veer-Zaara. Directed by Yash Chopra, who was one of the most beloved filmmakers of the country in his penultimate film, it's a romance between an Indian air officer and a Pakistani woman that transcends nationality and religion. This film is considered one of the most beloved love stories of all time and was in fact re-released to theaters twice in India this year alone due to its sheer popularity. The two leads (SRK and Preity Zinta) are the same from Kal Ho Naa Ho.

It's technically a contemporary film but this one does a good job at showing the diverse cultures and locations in India and Pakistan so this may appeal to you. Has a period-era flavor.

Veer-Zaara is streaming on Amazon Prime.

Diving into a historical epic, we have Mughal-E-Azam. This film is from 1960 but it's considered India's greatest film (alongside Mother India) and magnum opus. Highlighting the Mughal era, it's also a star-crossed romance between legends Dilip Kumar (India's first legendary actor) and Madhubhala, who is basically synonymous with this movie playing a courtesan who falls in love with a prince. They were also romantically involved in real life.

This is only available to stream on ZEE5. I don't remember if they have a free trial or not. The original film is black and white but it was remastered in color. In most cases, colorized films are b@stardizations of the original classic, but this is a rare exception. Mughal-E-Azam was intended to be shot in color but it was too expensive so I would actually recommend the colorized version here which is what streams on ZEE5.

And if you want a quasi-prequel to Mughal-E-Azam, there's Jodhaa Akbar. Released in 2008, it was a blockbuster overseas and stars Aishwarya Rai (same actress from Devdas) with Hrithik Roshan, a major Bollywood star who is dubbed the "Greek god." You might not find a more beautiful lead actor and actress than these two. This is also set in the Mughal era and features the love story between the parents of the prince played by Dilip Kumar in Mughal-E-Azam (which is why you can sorta consider this a Mughal-E-Azam prequel). Like Veer-Zaara, this romance transcends religion and culture.

Jodhaa Akbar is currently streaming on Netflix. Because it's a historical epic, it's also on the longer side at around 3.5 hours.

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!

Watch deshdrohi. By super duper star KRK.