My Movie Recommendations

Season 3; Episode 4

This week, I decided to host a show about my movie recommendations: movies I’ve grown up watching, those I’ve admired and those films that have inspired me. Below is the complete list followed by a link to the podcast of the show with all the songs:

Guide (1965)
Available on: Not online
Watch it for: The music, beautiful locations in Rajasthan and dancing (by trained dancer, actor Waheeda Rahman who plays the character of professional dancer Rosy).
Interesting trivia: The movie is based on a book of the same name written in 1958 by Indian author, RK Narayan. American author Pearl S Buck was interested in making this movie and collaborated with actor Dev Anand to make an English version with the same actors mouthing English dialogues.

Pyaasa (1957)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The writing, music and cinematography
Interesting trivia: Rated as one of the best 100 films of all time by the Time Magazine in 2005.

Golmaal (1979)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The situational, innocent comedy of everyday life and the direction of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, a favourite of Bollywood fans.
Interesting trivia: The Director, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, filmed almost the entire movie around his own bungalow at Bandra, in Mumbai in 40 days.

Chupke Chupke (1975)
Available on: Not online
Watch it for: One practical joke that snowballs into a series of hilarious incidents: a typical narrative of director Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s comedies.
Interesting trivia: Viewing a solar eclipse with naked a eye causes damage to the eyes. During the February solar eclipse of 1980 the Indian government broadcast Chupke Chupke during the eclipse on India’s state broadcaster Doordarshan to encourage people to stay inside and not venture out and look at the eclipse with the naked eye.

Anand (1971)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The friendship between lead actors Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan and the freewheeling, but melodramatic lessons on ‘living life’ that the terminally ill lead character, Anand expounds throughout the film. Also, iconic dialogues written by Gulzar such as “Zindagi bad honi chahiye, lambi nahi” (life should be large, not long)
Interesting trivia: It’s the highest rated Indian film on IMDB

Mughal-E-Azam (1960)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: Set in the 16th Century, it’s the historic epic of Indian cinema. The music, dances and costumes have been researched on and used effectively to recreate that era.
Interesting trivia: Director K Asif wanted legendary Indian classical vocalist, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to sing a thumri (type of classical song) in one of the romantic sequences of his film. The latter was strictly opposed to singing for a frivolous medium like Bollywood and immediately declined. K Asif requested him to quote his price. Ustaadji quoted a sum of Rupees 20,000 to dissuade him (at a time when singers charges Rs 500 per song). K Asif not only accepted the price but also gave him an advance.

Bajirao Mastani (2015)
Available on: Eros Now
Watch it for: The lead actors and their chemistry, lavish set design and beautiful costumes from the 18th Century Maratha period. Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been hugely inspired by Mughal-E-Azam and is known for making epic period movies.
Interesting trivia: All the lavish sets seen in the film were constructed in the studios of Film City in Mumbai. Production designers worked on a total of 21 sets creating them from scratch after extensive historical research

Devdas (2002)
Availabe on: Eros Now
Watch it for: Another Sanjay Leela Bhansali masterpiece with the same attention to detail in the set design, music and costumes
Interesting trivia: Actress Madhuri Dixit, an excellent dancer, performed the Kathak-based song Kahe Chhed Mohe wearing an outfit made with real gold that weighed 30 kilograms (66 pounds).

Andhadhun (2018)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: Thrilling well-written scenes and performances by actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu
Interesting trivia: Andhadhun is inspired by a French short film L’accordeur. The actor, Ayushmann Khurrana prepared for the role by meeting an observing students at a school for the blind and later making omelettes and walking the streets blindfolded.

Om Shanti Om (2007)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: Its ode to Bollywood and recreation of Indian cinema of the 60s while juxtaposing it with current times. It’s a complete masala flick with action, romance, comedy and drama
Interesting trivia: The closing song of the film, ‘Deewangi Deewangi’ features as many as 30 Bollywood celebrities giving cameos
Om Shanti Om was remade in Japanese with the title Oomu Shanti Oomu

Queen (2012)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The performance of actor Kangana Ranaut who plays the simple girl Rani. One of the more recent ‘feminist’ movies in Bollywood that triggered a series of movies on women
Interesting trivia: The film was partly shot in Europe but the crew had budget constraints. So they booked a location for a few hours and immediately moved to the next one, grabbing a quick meal in between. The actor Kangana Ranaut, sometimes even changed outfits in public restrooms.

Lagaan: Once upon a time in India (2001)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The real locations that help recreate the culture and essence of India during the Victorian era. Will also stoke interest in cricket among fans and non-fans alike
Interesting trivia: The film was shot in villages of western Gujarat near Bhuj. Six months after the movie was shot, the place suffered a massive earthquake in which several homes and lives were lost. Lead actor Aamir Khan adopted the village where Lagaan was shot and helped rebuild it from the rubble
A documentary on the making of Lagaan is also available on Netflix titled Madness in the Desert

Swades (2004)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The beauty of rural India as shown in the film as juxtaposed with modern America.
Interesting trivia: The lead character of the film, Mohan Bhargav is a NASA scientist who returns to India for a brief vacation. For authenticity, Ashutosh Gowariker shot a scene at Launch Pad 39A, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. This is the first Indian film to actually be shot inside the NASA research center.

Dangal (2016)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The real story of two sisters living in a remote village of India who were trained by their father to become Olympic wrestling champions. Geeta and Babita Phogat continue to represent India in international wrestling championships.
Interesting trivia: Lead actor Aamir Khan who played the role of the father Mahavir Singh Phogat, went through a drastic bodily transformation from athletic fit to being extremely heavy with a large hanging belly.
The young girls and actors who played the parts of the wrestling champions went through rigorous wrestling training for several months before the film shoot began

Mary Kom (2014)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The official biopic of Mary Kom, India’s Olympic boxing champion who has won the gold in several international boxing tournaments
Interesting trivia: Mary Kom is the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.
Mary Kom wrote an autobiography called Unbreakable on which movie is based.

A Wednesday (2008)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The thrill quotient of the film. Also, the performances of veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher who play the lead roles in a film devoid of any songs or romantic sequences between a guy and a girl
Interesting trivia: The Hollywood film titled ‘A Common Man’ starring Ben Kingsley and Ben Cross is the official remake of this film.

Rang De Basanti (2006)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The ‘patriotism in the modern context’ angle. Performances of the ensemble cast, story and songs
Interesting trivia: Nelly Furtado was to act and sing in the movie. Once the producers changed, the idea of signing Nelly Furtado was dropped.

Kahaani (2012)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: Lead actor Vidya Balan’s acting performance and the gripping story. Scenes from contemporary Kolkata (a metropolis in East India) are real and intriguing to match the mystery theme of the movie.
Interesting trivia: Actor Vidya Balan consulted gynaecologists and observed pregnant ladies to perfect the posture and walking style for playing a heavily pregnant lady on screen.

Filmistaan (2012)
Available on: Netflix
Watch it for: The heartening story of two men from India and Pakistan respectively, bond over Bollywood and resolve their differences as well as those of the others.
Interesting trivia: The film won the National Award (highest award in India for movies) for the best feature film in Hindi. It was also declared tax-free in Maharashtra

Newton (2017)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: Great acting and the raw setting in rural India.
Interesting trivia: The film is about polling conducted in a Naxalite area of India. The 37-day film shoot was conducted in the Dalli-Rajhara village of Chhattisgarh in India (a state known for Naxalite terror)

Gully Boy (2019)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The first ever movie made on street rappers in Mumbai, some of whom live in the slums of Dharavi.
Interesting trivia: The soundtrack of the film features a host of independent artists from India. The rap battle scenes in the film feature real Indian rappers.

Raazi (2018)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The real story of Kashmiri Indian Sehmat Khan who trained to become a spy for India and was married off to a Pakistani army officer to gather crucial information
Interesting trivia: The film is based on a book ‘Calling Sehmat’ written by Harinder Sikka who came across the story during the Kargil war from an army officer whose mother was the spy. Sikka met and interviewed the woman in Punjab where she unfolded more details of her role as a spy.

Tumbbad (2018)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The brilliant cinematography by Pankaj Kumar and the new genre of mythological horror that has not been dealt upon in Hindi cinema. Some scenes shot using natural lighting are brilliant.
Interesting trivia: The movie was shot over 6 years. The village of Tumbbad in Maharashtra where this story is set was shown as getting rain throughout the year. For natural effect, the movie was shot over 4 monsoons.

Fanaa (2006)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The suspense revealed in the second half of the film
Interesting trivia: While promoting the film in Gujarat, lead actor Aamir Khan made some comments regarding then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the Narmada Dam and the necessity to rehabilitate the displaced villagers. These comments were met with outrage from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the film was banned from release in the state of Gujarat as a form of protest.  

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)
Available on: Amazon Prime
Watch it for: The satisfying story of an intern salesman who challenges the workings of the corporation that he joins right after graduation
Interesting trivia: This is the debut movie of Naveen Kaushik who plays the menacing office manager

Supermen of Malegaon (2008)
Available on: Youtube
Watch it for: The documentary of men in Malegaon village of Maharashtra that make homegrown versions of popular movies with dialogues in the local dialect.
Interesting trivia: Shafique Shaikh, the lead actor who played Superman in the film, died of a chronic illness soon after attending the film’s premiere. The film is dedicated to him.