# Introduce me to the best of Indian film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357 "2003-06-30T15:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/1 "2003-06-30T15:05:29Z")
I did search before posting, and was rather surprised not to find an old thread - if that means I missed one, my most heartfelt apologies. My friends and I had been long aware of the massive Bollywood film output, but we just realized we had _never_ seen an Indian film. Which is kind of surprising, for us. We were strolling the aisles in Blockbuster and picked up **Asoka** , which struck our eyes, and said “Man, I could really go for a historical epic in a language I’m entirely ignorant of all about people I’m supposed to have heard of but haven’t! Do you imagine they still do crazy musical interludes and all in their serious historical dramas?” Answer: yes. And yes, we were so ignorant we sat through the whole movie thinking this was, like, the 14th century or so. Well, we were only off by about a millenium and a half or so, not so bad, right? :smack: Anyway, we really enjoyed it. Crazy dance scenes and all. So I was hoping somebody here could give a few reccomendations for the _best_ of Indian film? Particularly that which I can find here in South Carolina (which does not have a huge Indian population) subtitled (DVD would also be nice). I enjoy the historical drama setting, but was given to understand in the “making of” extras that they don’t do a whole lot of those. So what would I probably really enjoy that’s more or less accessible to me? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/2 "2003-06-30T15:20:16Z")
The gold standard of Indian cinema are films directed by Satyajit Ray. No dance scenes here–just a handful of the best movies ever made. A few off the top of my head: Charulata Pather Panchali Aparajito The World of Apu The Music Room The Big City ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/3 "2003-06-30T19:35:22Z")
Those sound good, but any reccomendations for the “best of the typical” - films that exemplify the genre? ---
**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/4 "2003-06-30T19:43:28Z")
Zsofia… I had replied to a post on similar lines… here is a link… [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=2849736#post2849736](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=2849736#post2849736) ---
**Author:** ![noddygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/47e85d/32.png) [@noddygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noddygrrl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/5 "2003-06-30T20:38:45Z")
I highly recommend _The Terrorist_ , although I doubt it would be considered “typical” of Indian film–far more arthouse than Bollywood. The cinematography is gorgeous and there’s very little dialogue, but quite an intense story nevertheless Another great drama without crazy musical interludes is _Salaam, Bombay_ about the street children of that city. These are both fairly depressing films, but I would consider them essential viewing if you are really interested in getting a decent crash course in Indian cinema. ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/6 "2003-07-08T21:45:47Z")
hi Sofia,as an indian i guess i should be putting in my two cents of recommendations.im just going by the genre here. Comedy: 1.Padosan starring Sunil Dutt, Kishor Kumar and Mehmood 2.Golmaal starring Amol Palekar. 3.Pushpak starring Kamal Hassan (this is a fantastic movie in which not even a single word is spoken) Action: 1. Sholay which is a mega mega blockbuster, a 70`s movie, pretty much like a western flick. 2.Satya- a relatively new movie exploring the underworld and its effect on normal people Art: i would pretty much go with what Sattua has recommended. also try to get Lagaan,Mother India,Pyaasa ( a great black and white 50`s flick),Deewar,Andaaz Apna Apna. hope you like the reccomendations. Do let us know how u liked them. Happy viewing!! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/7 "2003-07-09T00:23:41Z")
I don’t know if they really count because I don’t believe they’re Bollywood, but the same Indian director made the movies **Kama Sutra: A Love Story, Fire,** and **Monsoon Wedding** , and all of them are absolutely beautiful films about Indian life and culture. I would highly recommend any of them. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/8 "2003-07-09T00:50:12Z")
**maleinblack** has sort of touched on this, but if I may, I’d like to ask somewhat of a hijack: A lot of people speak of Indian film as if it is a monolithic genre. I’m wondering if that is truly the case. It seems more likely that Indian moviemaking covers as much of the gamut as do Hollywood films. For instance: - are there Indian equivalents to movies like _Diehard, Scarface,_ or _The Terminator_? - is there much Indian big-budget sci-fi/fantasy available? - are there Indian equivalents to Kevin Smith’s or Adam Sandler’s movies? I can imagine a _Waterboy_ about a trod-upon loser joining the university cricket team, or a _Clerks_ about young, jaded Indian kids pontificating about life while working some kind of menial labor. - is there an Indian Jon Waters? I can imagine movies in which flamboyant _hijras_ (sp?) play central roles. - how about sports movies? Any important cricket or field hockey movies? The Himalayas are right there … perhaps there is an Indian equivalent to _Cliffhanger_ or _Vertical Limit_? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/9 "2003-07-09T01:45:40Z")
1. Andaz (1949) …aka Beau monde (1949) …aka Matter of Style, A (1949) 2. Aparajito (1957) …aka Unvanquished, The (1957) 3. Apur Sansar (1959) …aka World of Apu, The (1959) 4. Ashani Sanket (1973) …aka Distant Thunder (1975) (USA) - 1. Awaara (1951) …aka Tramp, The (1951) …aka Vagabond, The (1951) 2. Baiju Bawra (1952) …aka Baiju the Poet (1952) 3. Charulata (1964) …aka Lonely Wife, The (1964) 4. Jalsaghar (1958) …aka Music Room, The (1958) 5. Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) …aka Paper Flowers (1959) 6. Khalnayak (1993) …aka Khal Nayak (1993) 7. Komal Gandhar (1961) …aka E-Flat (1961) 8. Kummatty (1979) …aka Bogeyman, The (1979) \*13. Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960) …aka Cloud-capped Star, The (1960) …aka Hidden Star (1960) \*14. Monsoon Wedding (2001) 9. Mother India (1957) 10. Mughal-E-Azam (1960) …aka Emperor of the Mughals, The (1960) …aka Great Mughal, The (1960) \*17. Pakeezah (1971) …aka Pure Heart (1971) …aka Pure, The (1971) 11. Pather Panchali (1955) 12. Pratidwandi (1970) …aka Adversary, The (1970/II) …aka Siddharta and the City (1970) 13. Purab Aur Paschim (1970) 14. Pyaasa (1957) …aka Eternal Thirst (1957) …aka Thirst (1957) (USA) …aka Thirsty One, The (1957) (UK) \*22. Salaam Bombay! (1988) 15. Sant Tukaram (1936) …aka Saint Tukaram (1936) 16. Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977) …aka Chess Players, The (1977) \*25. Sholay (1975) …aka Embers (1975) …aka Flames (1975) …aka Flames of the Sun (1975) - Available on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/10 "2003-07-09T08:10:00Z")
Sheesh. I come in all ready to post about Satyajit Ray, and the _very first response_ beats me to it. Guess I’m not as iconoclastically original as I’d thought. I’ll second it anyway: The “Apu Trilogy” is fabulous, especially _Pather Panchali_. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/11 "2003-07-09T10:12:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > **are there Indian equivalents to movies like Diehard, Scarface, or The Terminator?** I’m sure there are, but you’ll have to look hard. And even then you’ll find that they’ve been turned into semi-musicals 😉 > [@](#): > > **is there much Indian big-budget sci-fi/fantasy available?** Not at the moment, I don’t think. At the moment the majority is of the Love/Romance/Crime/Comedy genres. The Indian public will probably be a bit skeptical when the first big budget sci-fi movie comes out as they’re not used to seeing ‘out of the ordinary’ movies. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\* how about sports movies? Any important cricket or field hockey movies? The Himalayas are right there … perhaps there is an Indian equivalent to _Cliffhanger_ or _Vertical Limit_? \*\* One of my favourites is **Lagaan** [(Link)](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0282674). Language: Hindi/English… Synopsis: > [@](#): > > The rains have failed, and the people of a small Indian village in Victorian India hope that they will be excused from paying the crippling land tax that their British rulers have imposed. Instead, the capricious British officer in charge challenges them to a game of cricket, a game totally alien and unknown to them. If they win, they get their wish; if they lose, however, the increased tax burden will destroy their lives… I found it in my local Blockbuster, so I don’t think you’ll have to look too hard to find it. ---
**Author:** ![blanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@blanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blanx)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/12 "2003-07-09T14:04:58Z")
I always liked the original Mera Naam Joker, from 1970- directed by Raj Kapoor… ---
**Author:** ![kiwiboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/35a633/32.png) [@kiwiboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiwiboy)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/13 "2003-07-11T08:01:06Z")
Hmm… Indian film? Check Historical drama? Check Great movie? Check Probably available - should be [Earth](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0150433) Its directed by Deepa Mehta (the director \*\*El Elvis Rojo \*\* mentioned) who’s apparently Canadian but the film is pretty much as Indian as you can get. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/14 "2003-07-11T08:14:54Z")
Any Best Film Winner from the [Filmfare Awards](http://us.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Filmfare_Awards/) will do you quite nicely. Things like _Hum Aapke Hain Kaun_ from 1994 are real Bollywood action, drama, tragedy, comedy and all with songs. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/15 "2003-07-11T08:14:58Z")
I’ll second Lagaan as an amazing film, Asoka is very good also. Monsoon Wedding, Earth, Fire, are very good, although Monsoon Wedding and Fire are seen as a tad controversial. As is Chandani Bar, which is very very good, if controversial. Lajja is another fantastic film, and tells of the way, even in this day and age, how women are treated in this culture. A lot of Indian films, especially the mainstream ones are formulaic, however there are some real gems. For funnies, the oldies are best, but Jodi No. 1 (starring Govindha and Sanjay Dutt) is quite good, just don’t wonder too much about hte purpose of an egg 🙂 Khal Nayaka is another good film, based on Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and conveys the darkness of the original. Right, enough from me, I’m going to work now. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/16 "2003-07-11T09:29:58Z")
\*\* Monsoon Wedding Monsoon Wedding Monsoon Wedding \*\* 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nisosbar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@nisosbar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nisosbar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/17 "2003-07-11T11:47:02Z")
Yes, Monsoon Wedding is EXCELLENT. Mother India is the Gone with the Wind of India and the sub-continent, very famous, about tenant farmers before WWII. Satyajit Ray’s The Chess Players is another fave. Bollywood films with high production values, lots of color and good-looking stars: Devdas (which really is one of my favorite films, Bollywood or not) Dil Se Bombay (as distinct from Salaam, Bombay, which is also very good) Vanaprastham (“The Last Dance”) (a film set in South India, giving it a distinctly different character than films set in the north) Western films concerning Indian ex-patriates: Bend it Like Beckham The Guru (HILARIOUS!) Finally, I really, really enjoy Indian films, and wish I could speak Urdu or Hindi. ---
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/18 "2003-07-11T12:08:56Z")
I studied a subject called India in Literature and Film at uni several years ago. In addition to the films listed we also watched: [Bhaji on the Beach](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0106408), which I really enjoyed, it is directed by Gurinder Chadha who also directed Bend It Like Beckham. [Bandit Queen](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0109206), bloody, gory, sexually violent. As I saw it a couple of weeks after being sexually assaulted I found it to be a particuarly horrific movie and have repressed most of it. We have it on DVD but I can’t bring myself to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/19 "2003-08-02T16:28:41Z")
So, India has a clearly well-developed movie industry. My question concerns to how big a chunk of this market has Hollywood managed to corner. Are Hollywood films actually shown in India on a mass scale, or are they an odd curiosity? Do Indians preffer their own cinema over Hollywood’s FX-laden extravaganzas? Has an Indian film ever won an Oscar for best foreign film? Any recommendation on a nice website presenting the history and evolution of Indian cinema? Do other Asian countries have such a prolific film industry, or is India an isolated phenomenon in this regard? (Sorry for the overabundance of questions; I’ve never imagined India as a “cinema powerhouse,” and this thread has certainly peaked my interest). Cheers, quasar ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357/20 "2003-08-02T16:40:46Z")
**quasar** let me assure you that nearly all of Hollywood blockbusters are shown in India.More so in the metros and larger cities than small towns. The situation with the screening of Hollywood movies has improved a great deal over the last 3-4 years due to the abolishment of an archaic Indian law which asked for a certain time delay for a foriegn film release in India after it was released abroad. There is no doubt that the most popular movies in India are Hindi movies but Hollywood movies are getting very popular due to the reason that these movies are being dubbed in various regional languages, thus widening the audience base. Alas till now no Indian film had won an oscar, although **Lagaan** did very come close to winning one in 2002 in the foriegn film category.Although Satyajit Ray had won a lifetime achievement award (i`m not sure about this) in the 90`s. AFAIK India is the only country to have such a prolific film industry(It holds the record for most number of movies made in a year).Neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh have a fledgling industry at best.I am not sure what is the scene in China but once upon a time there were a lot of movies being made in Hongkong. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-the-best-of-indian-film/185357.md?page=2)