30 Bollywood films to watch
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- DirectorRaj KapoorStarsNargisRaj KapoorPremnath MalhotraPran and Gopal fall in love with village girls while on a holiday. After returning home, Gopal continues to flirt with other girls. But Pran realizes that he has truly fallen in love.The financial success of the movies allowed the Kapoor family to create RK Studios. Movie was also a trailblazer for Indian film music.
- DirectorKamal AmrohiStarsAshok KumarMadhubalaM. KumarA young lawyer is involved with a ghostly woman in his new house, where the builder and his fiancée died shortly after it was built.India's first reincarnation thriller. Becomes a common theme later on. Also Kamal Amrohi's first film, he goes on to become a legend, renowned for his attention to detail. Film has beautiful visuals. This film also made Madhubala a star.
- DirectorMehboob KhanStarsNargisSunil DuttRajendra Kumar TuliIn this melodrama, a poverty-stricken woman raises her sons through many trials and tribulations. But no matter the struggles, she always sticks to her own moral code.Mother India is considered the most Indian movie ever with independence themes. This was released in a time where most of India's population lived in villages. Demonstrated the hard life of villagers in rural communities. Naushad also introduced Western classical music to Hindi Cinema. First Indian film to be nominated for the Oscars.
- DirectorBimal RoyStarsDilip KumarVyjayanthimalaJohnny WalkerA young man takes shelter in a mansion when a landslide blocks his route to the railway station. Then, he finds the mansion familiar and soon learns about the story of his previous birth.A reincarnation thriller. The audiences loved Bimal Roy because of the realism his movies created about social issues. Also the protagonists of the film were both very strong. Created multi-dimensional female characters in a time where it was uncommon. Considered India's first feminist filmmaker.
- DirectorK. AsifStarsPrithviraj KapoorMadhubalaDilip KumarA 16th century prince falls in love with a court dancer and battles with his emperor father.Everything about this movie was grand. Sets that took 2 years to build, scenes with 8000 extras... Asif stopped at nothing to make this masterpiece. Never before was such attention paid to period costumes. Took 500 days to shoot and most expensive film made for a long time. This film is so iconic for its performances, music, dialogue, visuals, efforts... a remake or adaptation with the same characters in history was never attempted after.
- DirectorVijay AnandStarsDev AnandWaheeda RehmanLeela ChitnisWhen mistaken to be a sage by some villagers, an ex-tour guide reflects on his past and lost love to search for spiritual wisdom to guide the villagers.Dev Anand became familiar with the novel and decided to adapt it into a movie. It was released in English and Hindi cinema. There were protests by the Indian audience who didn't want to see a woman unfaithful to her husband on screen. First film to sweep top 4 Filmfare awards.
- DirectorYash ChopraStarsSunil DuttSadhana ShivdasaniRaaj KumarMembers of a family are separated in a natural disaster. Several years down the line, they aren't united but their lives are strangely interconnected.First film to have a full star-studded cast since Mother India and re-popularized the 'lost and found' theme to Bollywood, over 10 years after partition. Also marked a turning point in Raj Kumaar's careeri into more mature roles.
- DirectorYash ChopraStarsRajesh KhannaNanda KarnatakiSujit KumarTaking place almost entirely over the course of one stormy night, a woman is terrified when an accused murderer escapes from a mental hospital and seeks refuge in her home.One of the only bollywood movies to feature no song and dance, a rarity for this age. Considered a unique experiment by Yash Chopra, this film broke the mould of other films. This film broke stereotypes and were able to cast famous actors as the leads. There is nothing romantic about this film.
- DirectorRaj KapoorStarsRaj KapoorManoj KumarSimi GarewalRaju is a joker, a clown. It is what he is and what he always shall be. As his life story unfolds in three chapters, from his school days to the circus to the streets, he must always make people laugh and be happy, no matter how unhappy he is within. Along the way, Raju loves and loses, but must always keep a smile on his face because, in the words of his circus manager, "The show must go on." Over six years in the making, "Mera Naam Joker" is Raj Kapoor's semi-autobiographical story of the life, love, and philosophy of an entertainer.The Kapoor family took a huge risk to make this film by mortgaging all their assets and it flopped in India. Partly because there was an India-Pakistan conflict at the time. First film to have 2 intervals, and is one of the longest Indian films at over 4 hours. The film is about a clown trying to make people life while experiencing his sorrows, eventually became a cult classic. Partly filmed in Russia, and was released there and did well at the Russian box office.
- DirectorHrishikesh MukherjeeStarsRajesh KhannaAmitabh BachchanSumita SanyalThe story of a terminally ill man who wishes to live life to the fullest before the inevitable occurs, as told by his best friend.Anand inspired audiences with its message of humanism. This film starred the 2 greatest actors of the decade: Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bacchan. It was considered the beginning of middle cinema: the compromise between mainstream cinema and parallel art cinema. They wanted to entertain people but also make them think.
- DirectorRamesh SippyStarsSanjeev KumarDharmendraAmitabh BachchanAfter his family is murdered by a notorious and ruthless bandit, a former police officer enlists the services of two outlaws to capture the bandit.
- DirectorHrishikesh MukherjeeStarsAmol PalekarUtpal DuttBindiya GoswamiA man's simple lie to secure his job escalates into more complex lies when his orthodox boss gets suspicious.
- DirectorSubhash GhaiStarsRishi KapoorTina AmbaniSimi GarewalRavi is killed by his wife after his marriage. He is reborn as Monty and is now a singer he goes to holiday in Ooty where he recollects his memories from previous life and inquires about his family from first life and his evil wife Kamini.
- DirectorMuzaffar AliStarsRekhaFarooq ShaikhNaseeruddin ShahIn Faizabad, British India, Dilawar is sentenced to several years in prison after Amiran's Daroga dad testifies against him. After his discharge around 1840, he extracts his vengeance by abducting Amiran and selling to a brothel madam. It is here Amiran will be re-named Umrao Jaan. Years later, Umrao has grown up and is an accomplished poetess as well as dancer extraordinary. She has many patrons, chief amongst them are Nawab Sultan and his father. The young Nawab is smitten by Umrao's beauty and her poems, but is finally forced to marry a girl of his mother's choice, leaving behind a heart-broken and devastated Umrao, who seeks solace in the arms of Faiz Ali and finally elopes with him, only to find out that he is a wanted bandit, and is shot down and killed by guards. Umrao re-locates to Kanpur where she establishes herself as a Poet and dancer, but is hunted down by brothel-keepers, Gohar Mirza and Husseini and brought back, where she is told that she must marry Gohar. Watch what Umrao does to escape from being married against her will, and her attempts to try and find her way back to her parents.
- DirectorMansoor KhanStarsAamir KhanJuhi ChawlaGoga KapoorDespite knowing that their respective families are bitter enemies, Raj and Rashmi fall in love with each other and decide to elope.
- DirectorYash ChopraStarsSunny DeolJuhi ChawlaShah Rukh KhanRahul is obsessed with Kiran and stalks her constantly. However, Rahul goes berserk when she gets engaged to Sunil, a navy officer, and he decides to forcefully claim Kiran for himself.
- DirectorSooraj R. BarjatyaStarsMadhuri DixitSalman KhanMohnish BehlPrem and Nisha meet and fall in love at the wedding of their elder siblings, but their plans to be together are put in jeopardy when Nisha's sister dies, leaving behind a baby.
- DirectorAditya ChopraStarsShah Rukh KhanKajolAmrish PuriWhen Raj meets Simran in Europe, it isn't love at first sight but when Simran moves to India for an arranged marriage, love makes its presence felt.
- DirectorMahesh BhattStarsAjay DevgnPooja BhattNagarjuna AkkineniAmidst religious riots, a son deals with his mother's life-threatening injuries, and her last request.
- DirectorMani RatnamStarsShah Rukh KhanManisha KoiralaPreity G ZintaA radio broadcaster's intense attraction to a mysterious woman opens the door to a tidal wave of powerful emotions and desires.
- DirectorAshutosh GowarikerStarsAamir KhanRaghubir YadavGracy SinghThe people of a small village in Victorian India stake their future on a game of cricket against their ruthless British rulers.
- DirectorFarhan AkhtarStarsAamir KhanSaif Ali KhanAkshaye KhannaThree inseparable childhood friends are just out of college. Nothing comes between them - until they each fall in love, and their wildly different approaches to relationships creates tension.
- DirectorSanjay Leela BhansaliStarsShah Rukh KhanAishwarya Rai BachchanMadhuri DixitAfter his wealthy family prohibits him from marrying the woman he is in love with, Devdas Mukherjee's life spirals further and further out of control as he takes up alcohol and a life of vice to numb the pain.
- DirectorImtiaz AliStarsShahid KapoorKareena KapoorTarun AroraA depressed wealthy businessman finds his life changing after he meets a spunky and care-free young woman.
- DirectorRajkumar HiraniStarsAamir KhanMadhavanMona SinghTwo friends are searching for their long lost companion. They revisit their college days and recall the memories of their friend who inspired them to think differently, even as the rest of the world called them "idiots".
