This is my third monthly column on Indian cinema for Vermont’s local newspapers Brattleboro Reformer, Bennington Banner and Manchester Journal, and in this month’s column, I would like to share my personal recommendations of Bollywood films for first-time audiences. No matter how much you read about Indian cinema, it is truly worth experiencing an all-out Bollywood entertainer at least once. The list below is collated as an introduction to Bollywood and all the versions I have mentioned are available for streaming with English subtitles. Some of the films mentioned in this list are going to be screened at the Latchis Theatre, starting Oct. 15 as part of a month-long Bollywood spotlight series.
I will present four different films with two screenings per film every week. You can read the official announcement of the series with the full schedule in the coming weeks. I will also discuss, in detail, each of the films in the list below on my radio show to be aired today, Sept. 28, from 3 to 5 p.m. Tune in to frequency 107.7fm or stream via wvew.org from any location. Let’s dive into the list:
Pyaasa (1957)
Run time 2h 33min
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon
Directed by Guru Dutt
Synopsis: “Pyaasa,” translated as “the one who thirsts” is a paean to the life of a struggling artist. The film’s protagonist, Vijay, tries in vain to get his poems published. In a world full of materialism and shallow definitions of beauty, he does not find takers for his poetry on the marginalized sections of society until the occurrence of a life-changing event.
Watch it for: The writing, cinematography and auteur Guru Dutt’s direction as well as performance as the titular character.
Interesting trivia: Guru Dutt wrote the story of “Pyaasa” when he was out of work as a struggling artist himself (a piece I wrote about Guru Dutt can be found under “My articles on Bollywood”).
Shree 420 (1955)
Run time 2h 48min
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon
Directed by Raj Kapoor
Synopsis: “Shree 420,” translated as “Mr 420,” is a reference to Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, the punishment for fraud. The film is about a poor orphan named Raj who migrates to Mumbai from a small town in search of a job and is enamored by the freewheeling lifestyle of the uber rich.
Watch it for: Social commentary on the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, alongside a love story, flavored by plenty of catchy, memorable songs.
Interesting trivia: The film was extremely successful in the entire Indian sub-continent as well as internationally in Romania, Israel, Egypt, Iran and the Soviet Union. Producer, director and actor Raj Kapoor who played the titular character was hugely influenced by Charlie Chaplin and created a desi version of the famous tramp character.
Guide (1965)
Run time 2h
Where to watch: Free on YouTube
Directed by Vijay Anand, Tad Danielewski (English version)
Synopsis: Based on Indian author R.K. Narayan’s book of the same name, “Guide” is the story of Raju, a freelance tour guide and his affair with a dancer and wife of an archaeologist.
Watch it for: The music, beautiful locations in Rajasthan and the dancing by trained dancer and actor Waheeda Rahman, who plays the character of Rosie aka Miss Nalini
Interesting trivia: American author Pearl S. Buck was interested in making this movie and collaborated with actor Dev Anand and director Tad Danielewski to make an English version, which has a slightly different screenplay than the original Hindi version. Both are available to watch on YouTube.
Sholay (1975)
Run time 3h 8min
Where to watch: Coming soon at Latchis Theatre in October 2023
Directed by Ramesh Sippy
Synopsis: Former cop Thakur Baldev Singh hires two outlaws to capture the notorious bandit, Gabbar Singh who has been terrorizing people of Ramgarh village and has killed all the members of Thakur’s family.
Watch it for: The Indian-style western and revenge action thriller inspired by films such as “The Wild Bunch,” “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid” and “Seven Samurai.”
Interesting trivia: India’s quintessential blockbuster film, “Sholay,” was quoted by BBC as “The Star Wars of Bollywood” and is one of India’s most watched and most iconic films of all time. It ran for five years continually after its release.
Lagaan (2001)
Run time 3h 44min
Where to watch: Netflix
Directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar
Synopsis: “Lagaan,” meaning, tax, is set in pre-independence India in the year 1893. The film is about a group of villagers that take up the challenge to beat their British colonizers to a game of cricket that will waive off three years of land tax if they win.
Watch it for: The nail-biting cricket match set in an archetypal David vs. Goliath battle wherein the cricket match win also means winning over their oppressors for the Indian villagers.
Interesting trivia: A documentary on the making of “Lagaan” titled “Madness in the Desert” (2004) is also available for streaming on Netflix.
3 Idiots (2009)
Run time 2h 51min
Where to watch: Available to rent online
Directed by Rajkumar Hirani
Synopsis: “3 Idiots” is a comedy drama about three friends that navigate life in an engineering college and the pressure to perform academically and find job placements in the real world. The film is a commentary on the Indian education system and the highly competitive student life.
Watch it for: The emotional joyride and wholesome entertainment
Interesting trivia: The first half of the film is based on a novel by Indian author Chetan Bhagat called “Five Point Someone.” “3 Idiots” was one of the first Indian films to become successful in East Asian markets such as China and Japan.
English Vinglish (2012)
Run time 2h 14min
Where to watch: Prime video with subscription or rent on YouTube
Directed by Gauri Shinde
Synopsis: A homemaker and entrepreneur Shashi Godbole secretly enrolls for an English-speaking class on her maiden trip to New York City where she’s attending her niece’s wedding. The film is representative of countless Indians who feel lost in urban India due to their lack of proficiency in English.
Watch it for: Lead actor Sridevi’s performance and refreshing sights of Manhattan and NYC in a Bollywood film. A preview video about the background of English Vinglish is available on my YouTube channel, @vidhisjukebox.
Haider (2014)
Run time 2h 42min
Where to watch: Netflix
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Synopsis: Haider is a Hindi-language adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” set against the backdrop of insurgent Kashmir from the 2010s decade.
Watch it for: Pankaj Kumar’s brilliant cinematography, the beautiful landscape of Kashmir and the incredible dance number “Bismil” choreographed in the traditional Bhand Pather folk performance style of Kashmir. The song “Bismil” alludes to ‘The Mousetrap’ scene in Hamlet.
Queen (2014)
Run time 2h 26min
Where to watch: Netflix
Directed by Vikas Bahl
Synopsis: A homely 24-year-old girl, Rani sets off on her honeymoon to Europe by herself when her fiancé calls off the wedding a day before.
Watch it for: The performance of actor Kangana Ranaut in a heart-warming fish-out-of-water comedy
Bajirao Mastani (2015)
Run time 2h 38min
Where to watch: Prime with subscription
Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Synopsis: “Bajirao Mastani” is an epic historical fiction movie based on a novel called “Rau” by NS Inamdar. The story is about a Maratha general Bajirao and his second wife, Mastani, and the opposition they faced from Bajirao’s family as well as orthodox priests.
Watch it for: The grand production design, dazzling costumes, the two leading ladies’ dance performance and epic battle scenes.