500 in Indian Cinema.. ..Best Of
hindi films & other south asian films... about the land , people & their aspirations, happiness or fears.....just putting the names as they come to my mind bringing back great memories... have included masterpieces as well B Grade stuff too...but tried to keep it original and tried to include as less remakes from hollywood ;))...this appx 500 films compilation is painstakingly done both genre wise as well as actor wise.... but first 100 are definitely my first favorites...
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- DirectorKundan ShahStarsNaseeruddin ShahRavi BaswaniBhakti BarveTwo photographers, who are employed by a magazine editor to expose the scandalous activities of the rich, come across corruption by a builder and accidentally photograph a murder.they call it black comedy...slapstick or chaplin style...but it has the best of humour + it has belief....& it is sad but true...even today the dialogue like....(yahan aam logon ke paas chalne ko zameen nahi aur aap aasman choote ja rahe hai mr.tarneja)...is more relevant as blatant corruption around & unreal estate bussiness is making indian cities like mumbai crumble
- DirectorM.S. SathyuStarsBalraj SahniA.K. HangalGeeta KakIn post-partition India, a Muslim businessman and his family struggle for their rights in a country which was once their own.this one film which M.s Sathyu made depicts the pain of partition on a intellectual level...viewing it might seem comfortable as compared to other films based on partition but can be more touching finally...it stresses again on a point that some human beings cannot decide for millions...& land with cultural unity cannot be divided ever.
- DirectorSabiha SumarStarsKirron KherAamir Ali MalikNavtej Singh Johar1979. A village in Pakistan. A widow sees her 17 years old son being attracted to Islamist militants. It brings her past back.even after the partition, cultural ties remained strong in our subcontinent...but general zia ul huk tried his best to alienate pakistan from india...& how it was done ..a glimpse from a promising pakistani (female) director...full marks to her for keeping the soul alive
- 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.hrishi da made simple but profound films....& more refined & focused then gulzar....this bimal da's assistant had made many based on fragile but intense human life & this is easily his best.
- 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".well munna series main ek break lete hue mr. hirani ne 3 idiots ko padharne ka mauka diya..aur hamare education/corporate system ki kamiyo ko woh ujagar kar hi gaye...god send phunsuk bangdoo...but it is too good to be true.
- DirectorGuru DuttStarsGuru DuttWaheeda RehmanMala SinhaVijay, a talented but indigent poet, struggles for love and recognition in this selfish world.the theme for downtrodden & the ultimate loser...there is no glory or glamour in being one but surely lot of romanticism does exist here.....love this one also for nazms by sahir ludhianvi....jinhe naaz hai hind par ..ab kahan hain?
- 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.inspired from sergio leone's classic western masterpiece - once upon a time in west...it went on further plagarizing action scenes from - how west was won /butch cassidy & sundance kid..and these scenes were recreated decade later in desi style at a location near banglore......but then it shocked the indian audience like no other hindi film had done before.....technical excellence, unforgettable dialogues, characters , sub plots, action,violence,tragedy,loads of humour & amazing performances from a multi multi star cast made this the most watched & talked about hindi film ever.
- DirectorK. AsifStarsPrithviraj KapoorMadhubalaDilip KumarA 16th century prince falls in love with a court dancer and battles with his emperor father.masterpiece...thnx to shapur ji rustom ji...for bearing it for 10 good years...also the unforgettable performances by prithviraj kapoor & fabled beauty of madhubala make it legendary.
- 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.if someone wants to know why did beatles came to india...watch this one....talks of indian spirituality co existing along with crass materialism..is not mere a discussion here..its an experience.
- DirectorDev AnandStarsZeenat AmanDev AnandMumtaz AskariIn the background of the rise of the International Hare Krishna movement in the 1970s, is a Montreal-based family of the Jaiswals, consisting of mom, dad, son, Prashant, and daughter, Jasbir. Due to irreconciable differences between Mr and Mrs Jaiswal, they separate, leaving Jasbir with dad, and Prashant with his mom. Eventually Prashant and his mom travel to India, leaving father and daughter behind in Montreal. Mr. Jaiswal re-marries, and brings his new wife to live in his home. Years later, Prashant has grown up to be a pilot. He has received a letter from his dad that Jasbir, who had rebelled and left home, is now located in Kathmandu, Nepal, with a group of hippies. Prashant undertakes to find his sister and hopefully get her back to the family. When Prashant lands in Kathmandu he does not find Jasbir, but instead finds Janice, who is indeed his sister with a new name. Janice has no recollection of her childhood, and is always in the company of fellow-hippies. Prashant now needs to bring Jasbir back, but for that he will have to travel deep into the drug induced dark world of Janice.entertainer & a tearjerker.....reflecting on universal life of hippies during late 60's & early 70's...& a social commentary on what broken families might lead to......hardly any other bollywood film ever dealt with the universal subject of drug abuse...this film also showcases nepal beautifully
- DirectorShekhar KapurStarsNaseeruddin ShahShabana AzmiJugal HansrajA happy family goes through turbulent times because of a big mistake by one of the family members.is it original like bandit queen ?.....but definitely most emotionally appealing of all shekhar kapoors creation...can still make your eyes wet...immortal music by pancham da
- DirectorAamir KhanAmole GupteStarsDarsheel SafaryAamir KhanTisca ChopraAn eight-year-old boy is thought to be a lazy trouble-maker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.i became a fan of aamir khan only after watching this one...one needs to be sensitive enough & this film actually makes you more sensitive to the beautiful world around....the way children see it.
- DirectorMira NairStarsShafiq SyedAnjaanAmrit PatelYoung Krishna struggles to survive among the drug dealers, pimps, and prostitutes in the back alleys and gutters of India.this simple film gave mira nair world wide fame...much before slumdog it was chai pau and adorned with L subramanium music this film grounds its viewer into stark reality of life ..just the way satyajit ray creations do...this film also made me dream that i cud work with mira nair some day ..dream that came true
- DirectorMira NairStarsNaseeruddin ShahLillete DubeyShefali ShahA stressed father, a bride-to-be with a secret, a smitten event planner, and relatives from around the world create much ado about the preparations for an arranged marriage in India.mira nair did make another film about her country after a pretentious film like kamasutra...& this one couldn,t go wrong....for she was very much there..here...thnk u & naseer saab for this.
- DirectorSagar SarhadiStarsFarooq ShaikhSmita PatilNaseeruddin ShahA young man challenges traditional customs by standing up to the father of the woman he loves, who has promised her to a wealthy expatriate.not well executed like umrao jaan...but has its heart in right place...helped by a great cast...this little gem by sagar sarhadi touched a serious issue which nobody dare to do before.
- DirectorKamal AmrohiStarsAshok KumarMeena KumariRaaj KumarIn Lucknow at the turn of the century, a dancer and courtesan believes that her pure soul and body will enable her to find true love and honor.style and more style....which everyone copied from mira nair kamsutra to sanjay bhansali devdas....but original this is ...meena kumari at her best
- DirectorGulzarStarsHema MaliniVinod KhannaShammi KapoorCirca Mughal rule in India, the Rajputs get together to discuss the ouster of Badshah Akbar, who is now the Emperor of Hindustan (India). Prominent amongst the Rajputs are Virendev Rathod, and Rana Vikramjit Singh Sesodia. In order to cement their relationship, Vikramjit would like his brother Rana Bhojraj to get married to Krishna Rathod, to which Virendev agrees. But unknown to Virendev, his son, Jaimal, has already arranged Krishna's wedding with another Rajput family from Ajmer. Faced with two grooms for his daughter, Virendev asks Krishna to commit the ultimate sacrifice for the well-being of the Rajputs, and asks her to consume poison and kill herself, which she does. Shocked and grief-stricken, the Sesodias propose to marry Bhojraj with Meera Rathod, to which all agree, and the wedding takes place with great pomp and ceremony on one hand, while uniting the Rajputs against Akbar. After Meera re-locates to her new home, it is then Bhojraj finds out that she is in love with somebody else, and has devoted her life and soul to him. Further inquiries lead him to discover that his wife's true love is none other than Lord Krishna. Meanwhile the news of Meera's infidelity shocks the region, and the Head Priest must now decide her fate - and the only options he has in front of him - either Meera accept Bhojraj as her husband and forget about Lord Krishna - failing which she will be asked to drink a potently lethal poison which will kill her instantly.think of rajasthan & another thing comes to our mind is the saintly meera...gulzar saab did cinematic justice to this great sufi figure via hema...accompanied with great music..(vani jairam & ravi shankar)
- DirectorGulzarStarsSanjeev KumarSharmila TagoreShabana AzmiNamkeen revolves around Jugni, a folk theatre dancer who lives with her three daughters in a remote village, and how their lives change when a truck driver, begins living with them as a tenant.raah main rehte hain.....aur gulzar saab ke fans be hain....ek simple si luv story jo zameen se judi hui hai....reflects the social structure of a small indian town/village
- 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.art & culture, history,decadance & pain....based on a novel....this adaption seems immortal....performance of rekha the diva, music by khaiyyam & asha ..all enhanced by a top notch direction,,hats off muzaffar ali.
- DirectorShyam BenegalStarsShashi KapoorNafisa AliShabana AzmiSet during the 1857 War of Independence, an obsessed Indian Nawab desires to wed a young Anglo-Indian woman, but the girl's obstinate mother stands between them.based on ruskin bond's flight of piegon's...shyam babu made a intense film.....which is also famous for showcasing the beauty of then young nafisa ali.
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsSanjeev KumarSaeed JaffreyShabana AzmiIn 1856, two obsessed noblemen ignore everything while playing chess and fail to notice British rule extending into their Indian province.more dramatic & much simpler film on 1857 by iconic mr. ray
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsKanu BannerjeeKaruna BannerjeeSubir BanerjeeImpoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work.dnt have enough words to describe this...
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsPinaki SenguptaSmaran GhosalKamala AdhikariFollowing his father's death, a boy leaves home to study in Calcutta, while his mother must face a life alone.ray's master strokes....
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsSoumitra ChatterjeeSharmila TagoreAlok ChakravartyThis final installment in Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy follows Apu's life as an orphaned adult aspiring to be a writer.last in apu triology
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsChhabi BiswasGangapada BasuPadmadeviDepicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.my fav rays creation..... just cant get enough of it