Do you like Hindi films? You can probably guess that I like them, and I do. Aren’t they fantastic? Hindi films are widely loved far beyond India. I have personally met people from many countries (Everywhere! Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Egypt, Oman, and the UAE) who can communicate in very basic Hindi from years of watching Hindi films. I don’t think that one can learn Hindi simply by watching Hindi films, but if you are learning Hindi (or Urdu), it is great to use them as a learning tool to get greater exposure to the language. As a matter of fact, this site has learning tools such as transliterated lyrics, film guides, and filmi vocabulary lists, which are very useful. It also has a page dedicated to explaining cultural information that might come up for people who are less familiar with desi culture, which answers questions like: “What does it mean when someone tugs their ears?” and “What does it mean when someone wags their thumb?”
In the UAE as a teacher, I once had a student tell me that her hobby was singing. I jokingly asked her to sing something for the class, and she burst into song. In a sweet, clear voice, she serenaded us, and it was a filmi song. She sang “Bole chooriyan, bole kangana, hay main ho gayiiiii, teri saajna. Tere bin jiyo nayo lagda, main te mar gayiaaaaa…,” then suddenly the entire class of Emirati girls joined her and they sung the rest of the song together. It was a surreal experience.
We have our own iconic films in my native culture-The Wizard of Oz, Grease, Forrest Gump, Titanic, and many more. My culture is punctuated with references to these types of films. Similarly, in a very general way, one could learn a little bit about Indian culture from Hindi films, especially the classics.
One often hears the expression “Old is Gold,” about classic Hindi films and film songs. What films are evergreen, iconic classics that you would recommend to someone who wanted to experience the best of the Hindi film industry?
Here is a list that I have created. Which of these films have you seen? Which ones did you love? Are there any favorites that you just ‘don’t get’? Any that you’d add to the list? I will put a (*) by my personal favorites:
Sri Chaar Sau Bees/ Sri 420
Mother India
Guide *
Mirch Masala*
Arth*
Masoom*
Mughal e Azam
Pakeeza
Silsila
Kabhi Kabhi
Amar, Akbar, Anthony
Sholay
Ham Aapke Hain Kaun?*
Maine Pyaar Kiya*
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge
Umrao Jaan (original)**** (I love this film. It is sooo tryst and beautiful!)
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai*
Ham Dil De Chuke Sanam
Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
Devdas
Parineeta
Bandit Queen
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer*
Munna Bhai MBBS
Dil To Paagal Hai
Lamhe
Chandni
Edit: My husband would like it if I add his faves (not an exhaustive list): Namak Halaal, Mausam, Amar Prem, Aapki Qasam, Basera, Karishma, Jo Jeeta Voh Sikandar, Faraar, Yaaraana, Qurbaani, Lagaan, and Kaala Pathar. He also loves most Amir Khan films. He loved 3 Idiots.
I haven’t seen any of these except for Namak Halaal, Jo Jeeta Voh Sikandar, Lagaan, and 3 Idiots. More for me to explore!
March 16, 2011 at 11:15 am
I loved some of the classics. Today many try to copy Hollywood (and fail, in both copying the good stuff and in a bad way making movies no more family-friendly).
And there seems to be a real shortage of good script writers in Bollywood. All movies are cringe worthy and have no basis in reality.
March 16, 2011 at 11:25 am
There is definitely a lot of crap out there. I usually only watch a new film if it has been highly recommended by friends.
I was off of Bollywood films for a long while at some point precisely for some of the reasons you mentioned, and also because some of the stereotypes promoted in them (gender roles, racial/ethnic/religious stereotypes) just got too irritating to overlook. I still get annoyed by those things and am very critical, but I view them as a revelation on some Indian cultural issues, just as I view stereotyped portrayals in Hollywood films as representative of problems with US racial dynamics.
I do find quite enough films enjoyable to be able to say that I love Hindi films.
You didn’t reveal your favorite—do you have one?
March 16, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Oh, no movie can beat Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge in my eyes …
Everything about that movie was perfect – from story to cinematography to music to the cast to the script !
March 17, 2011 at 10:18 am
I remember I loved that one when I saw it years ago. I will have to revisit it!
March 16, 2011 at 11:56 am
Was jumping in for Lagaan, but your husband beat me to it. LOVED Lagaan – there was one cheesy scene where the white girl does a Bollywood number, but otherwise, quite enjoyable.
Sholay. Sigh. And Coolie. Another sigh.
March 16, 2011 at 12:05 pm
You know, Lagaan is not a fave of mine, despite its being so well-received at home and abroad. (I should edit above, because I have seen it.)
Sholay is another widely loved film (and a very manly man film) that is on my ‘don’t get’ list.
March 16, 2011 at 1:22 pm
I went through a phase when I watched tons of hindi films, I was getting them in Indian shops in PAris – they were all bootleg, obviously and dirt-cheap – 3 euros for a dvd whoch sometimes had 2-3 films on them. I’m partial to Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, can’t stand the younger Kapoor female and my all-time favourite will be Hum Saath Saath Hain. Not very original, not much acting but the perfect feel good movie with great songs, costumes and pretty actresses. Who needs more? LOL. From more artistic movies I love Chokher Bali. I’ve seen good number of the movies you mentioned and I’m the only person I know who not only didn’t enjoy Lagaan but couldn’t even finish watching it.
March 16, 2011 at 1:49 pm
I have always meant to watch Ham Saath Saath Hain, I remember when it first came out I had heard it was very enjoyable. I will have to check Netflix.
I liked Chokher Bali, too. I usually like all films based on Bengali stories, novels, etc. cuz they tend to be more social commentary than fluff, and even though they are still commercial, they have more of that art film touch to them-like Parineeta, Devdas, The Raincoat, and so on.
March 16, 2011 at 8:21 pm
And what about Tabu movies? I haven’t seen most of them but I did like the little I saw.
March 16, 2011 at 9:04 pm
She’s done some good films. She has natural deep, doleful eyes like Rekha and Shabana Azmi. I have to say, though, I don’t go for films because of the actors. It’s not a guarantee that the film will be good.
March 16, 2011 at 9:14 pm
SALAM- are you reading my class notes lol? I was actually writing about the American Classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” How funny? I love Bollywood films, since four years ago I haven’t watched a single one- well we know why? No time and kids right? But I miss those days. I like “Mohabbatein,”"Kitne Dur Kitne Pas” and pretty much all the ones you mentioned. I love the music. Sometimes they are long and you know what is going to happen next probably 99% of the time, but the dance and music is what I remember the most. I miss those good ole’ days! KH
March 17, 2011 at 9:23 am
I often have to break up a Hindi movie, sometimes into three episodes, since I have kids. If you haven’t watched one in 4 years, I’d say it’s about time to see one again!
March 16, 2011 at 9:40 pm
I haven’t watched a lot of movies, but this is the impression I have about Hindi movies from what I have seen -
1)They are actually in Urdu- the songs at least.
2)A lot of them(perhaps the new ones) are rip-offs from Hollywood movies which is sickening. This only got reinforced this weekend when I saw “Patch Adams” from 1998 only to sadly realize that one of the good Hindi ones’ that I had appreciated – MunnaBhai MBBS was plagiarized.
3)More often than not, there are logical holes in the storyline in thriller Hindi movies which spoils my mood. Others ask me to enjoy the story instead but it’s hard to shut off the brain. Bollywood’s lovey-dovey types are the only ones’ worth watching, I guess.
And Aamir Khan’s movies tend to be more useful to society I guess- 3 idiots, tare zameen par.
March 17, 2011 at 1:20 am
Actually, most “Bollywood” movies are in Hindustani. Colloquial Hindi and Urdu are all but indistinguishable, and even the official standards are nearly identical in grammar, though they differ in literary conventions and in academic and technical vocabulary, with Urdu retaining stronger Persian, Central Asian and Arabic influences, and Hindi relying more heavily on Sanskrit. Before the Partition of British India, the terms Hindustani, Urdu and Hindi were synonymous; all covered what would be called Urdu and Hindi today.
Also, MunnaBhai MBBS is not a direct copy of Patch Adams, and the two movies have little in common other than a doctor who uses laughter as medicine. If this were a enought to constitute plagerism, then Steven Speilberg should be accused of plagerizing Satyajit Ray’s original script in his movie E.T.
March 17, 2011 at 9:46 am
Yes, I very much agree about the films being in Hindustani.
Because of political issues and language identity politics, filmi dialogue has become a lot less Urdu-philic (I am not sure exactly since when, maybe the late 80s?) And good Urdu diction (clear kh, q, z/j f/p etc) is no longer needed to become and actor or play back singer like it was before. Seems that song lyrics are not filled with high register poetic Urdu words, but at least the common vocabulary of love in songs is still based on Persio-Arabic vocab, since Urdu is perceived as romantic.
Do you think young Hindi speaking Indian people can completely understand all of the somewhat higher register Persio-Arabic dialogue and song lyrics of some of the much older Hindi films?
March 17, 2011 at 2:38 am
The movies that stood out for me are the the ones that I don’t consider mainstream bollywood Mirch Masala and Umraojaan
. I loved both of them for their strong scripts and female roles. I think Umraojaan is considered to be a very authentic depiction of the Lucknow of the era. Apparently Muzzafar Ali researched it a lot, and it has a lot of unexpected detail, such as real cobblestones in the streets. Some of the jewelery seen in the movie had been in his family too. There were a lot of interesting Indian movies in the 70s with the so called parallel cinema wave, you might enjoy them.
March 17, 2011 at 9:53 am
I think the most striking thing for me about the Umrao Jaan story is that it was written by a man. I read the novel in English once, although I would love to try to read it in Urdu. To me, the ethos of the story seems so feminine and sympathetic to the woman’s ‘side’ of things. Plus, I love the songs, costumes, historical references, and of course, Rekha’s sad faces.
I’d love to hear your suggestions on some of these 70s art films, if you don’t mind sharing.
March 18, 2011 at 1:30 am
Yes, agree that for Umrao Jaan, the fact that both the book and the movie were created by men makes it more interesting.
Comedies like Angoor, Chasme Badoor were funny too. A movie that came a little later but one I also liked mainly because of Farida Jalal’s strong character was “Mammo”. Some of these I haven’t seen in a while so my memories might be tinged with nostalgia. For example I had fond memories of “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron” but on watching it again recently was disappointed to realize it wasn’t the masterpiece I thought it was earlier so please forgive me if these turn out to be a disappointment 
Off the top of my head some of the 70s movies I liked were Arth, Masoom, Saaraansh, Trikaal (for it’s unconventional subject matter), Junoon(the Shashi Kapoor one) and Rudaali. I just realized most of these star Naseeruddin Shah and/or Shabana Azmi
Among more recent movies I really liked Dil Chahta Hai for it’s depiction of modern Indian youth, though most of us were not as wealthy as the characters in it.
March 18, 2011 at 10:22 am
Notes taken. I have seen a couple of those and I loved them. Yep, Shabana Azmi is just an amazing actress.
March 17, 2011 at 4:16 am
Qurbaani! My dad took me to see it in the theater when I was what, 5 or 6? What a soundtrack! Aap Jesa Koi, Baby.
March 17, 2011 at 9:57 am
I love Aap Jaisa Koi, too. What a beautiful song, and I love Nazia Hassan’s voice!
March 17, 2011 at 6:13 am
Some of my favourites:
Sahib bibi aur Ghulam (old)
Namkeen
Aamir
Bheja Fry
Chak dey
March 17, 2011 at 10:03 am
Chak De India I also really enjoyed. It was really a ‘different’ film, and I love it when films have a Muslim main character and his being Muslim is just a background note, normalizing him, instead of his being made into some fanatic or romantic poet or something. And I loved how the film was about girl-power. Just a very cute and uplifting film! I know the girls played some regionally and religiously stereotyped characters, but it was still done a lot more progressively than some other films.
I will have to check out the other films on your list. I just love the title Bheja Fry, how funny. I am into Old is Gold old films so I have always meant to check out Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, as well—thanks for the recs!
March 17, 2011 at 12:24 pm
I like a wide variety of Bollywood movies, depending on what mood I’m in and what kind of outlet I’m seeking.
For a harsh dose of reality, I LOVE Page 3 with Kokona Sen Sharma. All of the actors are well suited to their roles.
For absolute fluff with peppy songs and comic relief I have a few: Aisha, Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal.
Oh and can I have a shout out to a movie I HATE. HATE WITH A PASSION (and subject my friends to occasionally just so I can sit and mock it) Vivah. OMG the feminist in me cringes every time I even think about it.
March 17, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Konkona Sen Sharma is great. She can really nail very diverse roles. She is very beautiful, but not in a commercial way. I’m definitely a fan of her, too.
March 17, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Chupke Chupke is an old classic. I can watch it again and again. From the list above I like most of them, but Dilwale Dulhaniya le jaayenge & Kuch Kuch hota hai will be among my top favorites.
March 17, 2011 at 4:40 pm
I looked up Chupke Chupke on youtube, what sweet songs!
March 17, 2011 at 2:25 pm
I’d probably like Hindi movies if I could see the action. I certainly like books about India&Pakistan. They are considerably longer, though. But, movies might be different, in their themes, i don’t know.
I think that Bapsi Sidwa’s “Water,”
kushwand Tsing’s “Train to Pakistan,”
and
Vikram Seth’s “Suitable boy,” were made to be TV dramas. But, the dramas were made by the BBC and put into English.
If you are looking for a good hindi film, though, there are no shortages of them.
I remember going to
Apniisp.com
epakimusic.net
and
songs.pk
and finding soundtracks to many many movies.
sometimes if you find an artist like Sonu Nigam or Atif Aslam
or maybe a composer like A.R. Rehman, they will lead you to good movies.
And, don’t forget to go to
http://www.jazbah.org
there are some women film makers like Mehreen Jabbar and I’d love to experience some of their work, as well.
March 17, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Oh, and i have “Kal naa ho naa ho,” as my cell phone for DH.
I have never seen the movie, but like the main motif of the song. (smile)
March 17, 2011 at 4:43 pm
I’d like to use a filmi song as a ring tone, but I feel I would want one that really represents me. I feel silly putting a song with overly lovey dovey lyrics. Some of the melodies I like best belong to songs that have kind of racy or cheesy lyrics. So I just keep my ring tone as one of the factory setting ring tones. I know! I am wayyy too self conscious.
March 17, 2011 at 2:44 pm
somehow, my last message did not get posted:
I don’t watch hindi movies because I’d be totally lost because I don’t get the visuals, either.
but, if you like movies, here are some suggestions:
1. i have visited
http://www.epakimusic.net
http://www.songs.pk
http://www.apniisp.com
and have found some interesting songs that could very well be songs on soundtracks. i think that one site even has a ‘soundtracks’ category where you can check out many different films.
*2. There are some socially conscious women with a biography on http://www.jazbah.org who have made some wonderful films. If you can get ahold of them, they might be worth watching.
*3. i have seen “A suitable boy,” by Vikram Seth (Described and produced by the BBC), and i think that there are other books that are made for TV drama and/or film. i know that “Brick Lane,” by Monica Ali,(my least favorite); “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseni; “Water” by Bapsi Sidwa; “Q&A ,” by Vikas Swarap and “Train to Pakistan,” by Kushwand Tsing are all onn either film or TV drama. There might be less striking glitter and tragedy in a book, but I enjoyed the books.
Maybe even more are made into movies.
of course, you have to be careful because the movies seem to stray from the book a bit.
Still, they are worth evaluating.
March 17, 2011 at 2:45 pm
Hmmm, tugs their ears and wags their thumb:
i have no idea, but you know me, I am not a good one for body language!
(smile)
March 18, 2011 at 8:07 am
I don’t know what happened, unless my posts are getting deleted, I write this long comment and somehow, only parts of it get posted.
Let’s try again:
I don’t know about Hindi films, but i do know that even though there is a division between pakistan and india, Hindi films (as long as they are not too racey and thus get banned in Pakistan) seem to temporarily heal the rift between the two countries.
If the film “Umrao Jaan ” is good, can you tell me if the book has the same Title and who wrote it? We will try to find it in e:text format.
I like to read the books and then see the films because 1. if I remember what is happening in the book, then, I can remember a bit so i am not lost in the movie (Especially if no one has gotten around to audio describing the movies) and 2. i like to compare the two.
There have been many Indopak novels that have made it into film or TV drama.
“A suitable Boy,” (which was actually produced and described by the BBC)
“Water,”
“the kite Runner,”
“Q&A,” — (Slum Dog Millionaire,” [Book was much better]
I think that “Cracking India,” or the earlier release of the same book but different title, “Ice Candy Man,” was also made into a movie, but I am not sure.
i don’t know why Bapsi Sidwa changes her novel Titles and releases the same book twice; but, Hey, I guess it works for her!
sometimes what you can do is to find songs you like, then see if they are parts of movie sountracks.
i know that sonu nigam records lots of songs for soundtracks and A.R. Rehman writes lots of lyrics.
http://www.epakimusic.net
http://www.songs.pk
http://www.apniisp.com
Have you heard of
http://www.jazbah.org
This is a women’s magazine. i can’t read the mag, but there is a biography section on the site and there are some women film makers who produce some socially conscious films that i would love to get ahold of and watch with a good describer!
March 18, 2011 at 8:25 am
I didn’t know that “kal ho naa ho” was a movie song when i selected it for my phone. I just liked the tune.
Before I had my job, i would peruse the music sites and listen to hundreds of Desi selections to see if i had found a new favorite. I must admit that the tonality, harmony, and motifs are not understandable by the Western ear. I am not a technotronic person and enjoy the simplicity of a vibrant tabla, acoustic guitar/or sitar and clear wind or brass instruments. , yet, i want to be able to reproduce the selection: (if not with my voice, then, at least in my memory) That is, i want to be able to understand the melody enough to sing it. I’m getting better:
“Tayri Yaad,” by Adnan Sami;
“Man Hota hai,” by Atif Aslam,
“Mausim,” “Mayri nasar,” “Tayray ahnkain,” by Josh
A few by Sonu Nigam
That song “Dostanay,” by Nazia and her brother,
A couple written by A. R. Rehman
and Saathiya,” by Abbas Ali Khan
Oh, we can’t forget the “Yay hum naheeN,” by a variety of artists.
But, sometimes, i like a song for its tune and music
(Punjabi selections such as “Dil lagee,” and “hee mohja hee,” come to mind ) [thanks to pandora]; and then, it is translated and loses its flair. Such is the case with “jiya jaiay,” by Haroon lagan.
Sorry so long!
So, returning to the topic: which films have been made from books ?
March 18, 2011 at 9:00 am
OK, so which books have been turned into movies or TV dramas?
And, can you give me more information about the “Umrao Jaan,” movie?
I know that “suitable Boy,” by Vikram Seth was turned into a BBC TV drama (complete with audio description) [Got to love BBC},
“Water” by Bapsi Sidwa was turned into a movie, but I have not seen it.
I think that “ice Candyman,” or “Cracking India,” ( same book – different Title – strange author) also by Bapsi Sidwa, was also a movie,
“Q&A,” or “SlumDog Millionaire,” by Vikas Swarap (also audio described) But the book was much better,
“the Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseni
I think that “Train to Pakistan,,” by Kushwand Tsing was also turned into a movie, but i am not sure.
Any others?
Were there any where the movie was actually “better” than the book?
March 18, 2011 at 10:40 am
I think for sure Slumdog Millionaire was 1,000 times better as the original book.
Umrao Jaan is a 1981 movie. I wonder if you could find it with SAP? Or maybe there is a book on tape of the original novel translated into English?
You can check out the film songs on youtube as well.
March 18, 2011 at 11:02 am
So the book title is the same as the movie title?
So many movies don’t have SAP,
But, i find that British companies seem to do a better job at making their films accessible.
i think that partly it is due to the fact that “WE” (in America) have so many companies. WGBH and NPR do a good job at accessibility, but then, there are so many stations/companies that don’t.
The BBC radio is kind of under one umbrella and radio and TV are closely linked. Besides, we are dealing with a much smaller size. To offset things: the BBC still has “book at Bedtime,” and “play in the Afternoon,” on the radio which is great for us blind people.
Hmmm, if anyone has theatrical suggestions, I’ll look them up on the BBC website: (also accessible) and see if the play has been done on the radio and/or if the book has been read as an “afternoon ,” or a “bedtime,” read.
March 18, 2011 at 2:41 pm
I remember these Hindi movies from the 70s/80s
Khoobsurat (Rekha)
Ardh Staya (Om Puri)
Woh 7 Din (Anil Kapoor)
Tezaab (Madhuri Dixit)
Aashiqui (?)
March 18, 2011 at 10:06 pm
More for my must see list!
March 18, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Oh Fatima jaan; this is one of the best posts ever!! I could talk for light years about Hindi films and how much I love them, but I’ll try to keep it short! Any way, I don’t know if its good or bad or sad or whatever, but I’ve seen every thing on your list!
Some of my favourites from old films would be: Umrao jaan for sure! Masoom, Pakeeza, Silsila, Kabhi Kabhi, Jurram, jab jab phool kilay, Guide, Aaj ki orat, Mere Mehboob, insaniet, Mehboob ki Mehendi, the great gambler, Haathay mere saathi, kalian, kathay patang and Prem Geet.
From newer films (eighties and beyond), Kiamat say Kiamat tak, Ashiqi, Any thing from Pooja Bhat direction (especially firr tere kahani yaad iay), DDLJ of course, K3g, mere yaar ki shaadi hi, kal ho na ho, Parineeta and Dil chahta hai are my 2 joint favourites of all time I think! I didn’t really get lagan, or sholay (though husband and in-laws love it!), apparently, prior to the Revelution, Hindi films were a regular feature in iran, so there are plenty of fans in our house!
New films are for the most part trash; and I think the most recent film I saw was rab nay banadi jori (which I did like; and the songs were lovely!).
Before I go; a couple of favourites I missed; dil he dil mein (not just because I met my husband on the net!), Sathiya, Kabhi Alvida na kehna, Pardais, and of course Shabana Azmi’s series: (earth, wind, fire etc), any thing with an A.R Rehman soundtrack usually has some saving qualities even if the film in general is terrible!
One final side note; the company I write for (Trigun pictures), are doing some work with the Royal National Institute for the Blind on creating audio description for Hindi films. We did our first one earlier on this year (veer), so if any one gets hold of the copy with audio; let me know what you think!
March 18, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I will have to let Jamily5 know this, too. We discussed inaccessibility of Hindi films before. This is excellent news. Please make a rec to your company to do some classics and well, like Umrao Jaan
March 18, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Never saw DDLJ. Did you watch Jane Bhi Do Yaaro it is the only political staire.
Check out my list.
http://girlsguidetosurvival.wordpress.com/about/movies-desi-girl-likes/
Kya bolti tu…
Peace,
Desi Girl
March 18, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Thanks for the recs!
March 19, 2011 at 2:25 am
I am back, please delete my comment if you think I’m being too verbose
The earlier discussion started off a train of thought in my head and thought I might as well share. Some more movies that left a strong impression on me.
In more recent movies:
- Gulzaar’s “Maachis”: The only movie I know of that deals wih the Punjab insurgency in the eighties.
- Astitva, you mentioned Tabu above and I think this is my favourite movie of hers.
- Omkara: Bharadwaj’s adaptation of Othello. I thought it was very well done and even Kareena Kapoor was tolerable in this one. Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan and Konkona Sen were really good.
Movies I have on my list to watch:
Maqbool: It’s another Shakespeare adaptation by Bharadwaj, of Macbeth this time. I’ve been trying to locate a dvd but have been unsuccessful so far.
Garam Hawa: I saw this one as a child when it was on the only channel India had in the 80s and it left a very strong impression on me. I’d like to watch it again as an adult and am trying to track it down. Mammo which I mentioned earlier is the only other Hindi movie I know of that tackes post-partition life for Muslims in India.
March 19, 2011 at 11:51 am
No, you are absolutely most welcome to comment as many times as you feel inclined to! Thanks for the expansion on your recs. I am actually creating a must-see list for myself, too, so this is very helpful!
March 19, 2011 at 11:00 am
Salaams, I love Bollywood!
I would like to add
Amar, Akbar Anthony (old but great)
Bootnath (a great children’s film)
Mohabbatein
Maan (and I a gree with your husband on the Ameer Khan point… I don’t think he’s been in a film that I did not enjoy).
Banty aur Babli
Dhardkan
ok… I have to stop…
March 19, 2011 at 11:53 am
I remember seeing ads/commercials for Bhootnaath when it came out. I wonder if it would be too scary for my small kids? They have been showing more interest in movies these days (before they were too young to sit through one.)
March 22, 2011 at 5:42 am
hmmm.
I think Bootnath might actually be ok, he’s more like a nice ghost that tries to to scare people but it doesn’t work out so well for him… the film is more about the ghost’s friend ship with the little boy… but then again it depends on the child.
There is also Dronaa ( with Abishek Bachan I believe) a super hero film, I fell asleep watching it, (actually my whole family did) but my little sister was about 10 at the the time and she loved it… watched it till the very end.
and of course, since this is about classics, there is always Koi Mil gaya… (although my cousin was freaked out by the earliest scences with the aliens, the Bollywood version of E.T. has got to be for kids, right?
March 22, 2011 at 9:47 am
Great to know. I think generally, Hindi movies have gotten much less family friendly in the past few years, so it is good to have some kid friendly titles to show my girls.
March 19, 2011 at 11:28 am
Ok; so this post made me get all my Hindi DVDs out and indulge a bit this weekend! I also agree on Dhardkan and on Aumkara; and wanted to add; Rehna hi tere dil mein, and taal (which I missed yesterday), Devdas, thum binn, honeymoon Travels, coslay ca gonsla (I actually watched that this morning!), and pahaili (which I’m planning to watch again later!).
March 19, 2011 at 11:54 am
I loved Taal, too. I can’t believe I left that one off of my list.
March 20, 2011 at 9:46 am
Thanks for that Roshni, we are on the hunt.
DH says that “black,” is on Descriptive video and it is kind of like a Helen Keller story.
But, I want him to find it for me and we can listen (and he can translate) — (and I can pick up a few words here and there).
He has a pretty good network, so I will try to find the “VEER” film
And, I am asking him to ask his friends if they know of other descriptive movies.
THX.
March 20, 2011 at 9:50 am
Black is a really horrible film!! Sorry!! But as is usually the case with Hindi films, (and other forms of mass media for that matter), the disabled character of Michelle is sensationalised to the point of appearing like a crazy freak!! It was quite distressing for me watching it; made me sick! Only saying to save you the bother! There are no other described films as far as I know! Veer was very much a pilot and is not on mass release yet. Even that was not great and we learned allot from doing it; fingers crossed and funds permitting; we’ll be able to do more!
March 20, 2011 at 10:23 am
So disappointing!
DH doesn’t remember much about the film.
But, if it is a horrible film, then, we will have a horrible time watching it because:
I stop the film every five/ten minutes to advise the characters and get more info and he likes to watch uninterrupted.
Very well written and performed films as well as very poorly done films seem to get the most comments from me which elicits frustration from DH.(smile)
I think what I will do is to have him watch these films, first, (if we ever do find any in descriptive form) and then, we can watch them together.
He never spoils the plot for me, but even if he did, I would still want to watch the entire movie.
Hey, if you do find any with description, let me know.
It seems like it would be easy to do because you could read the () parts.
Thanks.
March 20, 2011 at 10:15 pm
I absolutely love Chashme Badoor and Chupke Chupke (old). Also, Mr. India. Do watch, I think you will love them!
March 21, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Sister, I’m making a Muslimah blog directory. And I was wondering if you wanted to submit your blog. If you do please email me at : rabiaaisrabiaa@gmail.com
Here is the directory http://muslimahbloggers.blogspot.com/
Anyone who else who is a Muslimah wants to submit their blog is welcome as well. I wanted to create a directory where all Muslimahs could come together and share ideas.
Thank you.
September 11, 2011 at 10:01 am
You must add Devdas to the classic list, if nothing but for the traditional dance and music. I also loved Lagaan (who doesn’t?) and Taal (for creativity and artistry). And for a modern must-see, Ghajini. Anytime Shadrukh Khan and Kajol are together, it’s beautiful–did you see “My name is Khan”? That was a departure from the ordinary…
October 1, 2011 at 7:23 am
you should add film PAHELI of Namita Chandra too, it is really beautiful and clean picture that everybody can see all times. I appreciate of this movie more specifically Namita Chandra’s performance. she is so pretty, she really played well , even I like her face expression, cuteness in this movie.
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