#1 Raja Harishchandra
(1913)
This is where it all
started for Indian cinema. After the Lumiere brothers made the first
film ever in 1895, it was only a matter of time before the miracle of
the moving image made its way to India. Dadasahev Phalke, the father
of Indian Cinema as he is most rightly known, made this film after
being inspired by a film strip on Christ which he saw at a theatre in
Mumbai. Based on the legend of the righteous King Harishchandra, the
40-minute silent film marked the birth of cinema in India. The film
was first screened for the public at Mumbai's Coronation Cinema in
Girgaon. Initially frowned upon as ungodly and black magic, this film
began a process that has led our country to become one of the largest
producers of films in the world today.
Director: Dadasaheb
Phalke
Cinematographer: Trymbak
B. Telang
Cast: Dattatraya Damodar
Dabke, Salunke Bhalachandra D. Phalke, G.V. Sane
#2 Keechaka Vadham (1918)
Continuing the trend of
re-telling mythological tales in celluloid form, R Nataraja Mudaliar
made Keechaka Vadham, based on a short story from the Mahabharata.
The story set during the Pandavas' exile, depicts the killing of
Keechaka at the hands of Bheem. Shot in less than five weeks, the
film was released the following year and was well appreciated. What
makes this now non-existent film special is that it was the first
film made in southern India. Because Mudaliar was not himself a
writer, he delegated the responsibility to close friend C
Rangavadivelu. Although a silent film, the cast included all the
local Tamilians, which is why the film is also considered one of the
first Tamil films. The success it received upon release was
tremendous, and it made way for what is now one of the largest
regional film industry.
Director: R Nataraja
Mudaliar
Writer: C Rangavadivelu
Cast: Jeevarathnam, R
Nataraja Mudaliar, Raja Mudaliar
#3 Bilat Ferat (1921)
Our film industry is
known to churn out romantic films by the dozen. And this 1921 NC
Lahiri film is where it all began. The silent film produced by
Dhirendranath Ganguly, who also starred in it, was the first known
romantic film made in India. With kissing and other intimate scenes,
the film was a sensation during its time. And while the audience
enjoyed such scenes in foreign films, the fact that a local film had
such "objectionable content" created a rave. Bilat Ferat,
which stands for foreign returned in Bengali, was the story of a
young man who returns from England and startles his family with his
newly acquired notions on marriage and love.
Director: NC Lahiri
Producer: Dhirendranath
Ganguly
Cast: Dhirendranath
Ganguly, Manmatha Pal, Kunjalal Chakraborty, Sushilabala, Nripen
Bose, Nitish Lahiri, Shishubala
#4 Prem Sanyas (1925)
Alternatively known as
Light of Asia, this film based on Edwin Arnold's namesake book, was
the first Indo-European co-production (India-Weimar Republic).
Co-directed by Himanshu Rai, one of the bigger names in filmmaking of
the era, along with German director Franz Austen, the film was a
genuine co-production which saw a confluence of German technique and
Indian artistes. The film, which stars Seeta Devi as Gopa and
Himanshu himself as Gautama, tells the story of Prince Siddhartha,
who sets out on a journey and gets enlightened to become Gautam
Buddha. Dismantling the stereotypical portrayal of mythical India,
which was a common custom in European films, Prem Sanyas tried to
show the true India. With set designs being handled by Himanshu's
wife and Indian cinema's first big heroine, Devika Rani, the film was
well-received across the world. A restored print of the film was
re-released in 2001.
Director: Himanshu Rai
and Franz Austen
Producer: Great Eastern
Film Corporation and Mchner Lichtspielkunst AG
Cast: Seeta Devi, Himansu
Rai, Sarada Ukil
#5 Alam Ara (1931)
The enigma of cinema had
grown old. From visual awe of a train running right at you and
trickery of magician-filmmaker Georges Melies, cinema had moved on to
telling stories through moving images. But, in 1929, when film Jazz
Singer brought sound into films, it changed the industry forever.
Within two years, the technology was in India as Ardeshir Irani
released his film, which was India's first talkie. One of the biggest
landmarks in Indian cinema, this was the first film that had songs.
When the film opened at Majestic Cinema in Mumbai on March 14, 1931,
the turnout was overwhelming. With a cast that included the great
Prithviraj Kapoor and with music which became household tunes, Alam
Ara was a milestone after which Indian cinema never looked back. A
fire destroyed the last prints of this film.
Directors: Ardeshir Irani
Producers: Imperial
Movietone
Music: Ferozshah M.
Mistri
Cast: Master Vithal,
Zubeida, Jilloo, Sushila, Prithviraj Kapoor
#6 Sairandhri (1933)
In the 1930s, the film
industry became an industry in its truest sense. With big studios
emerging in major cities, the process of making a film became more
and more streamlined. At the same time, technical innovations brought
something new to this nascent medium and filmmakers strove to
incorporate the new techniques into their films. The Prabhat Film
Company, led by Vishnupant Damle and V Shantaram, had something
similar in mind when they made Sairandhri. The film, yet again with
roots in Indian mythology, was India's first colour film. The film
was processed and mixed in a lab Germany, however, due to some error
in processing the negatives, the colours appeared too gaudy. The film
did miserably at the box office for the same reason, but like all
failures, it was a stepping stone to future achievements.
Director: V. Shantaram
Producer: Prabhat Film
Company
Cast: Leela, Shakuntala
Paranjpye and Master Vinayak
#7 Acchut Kanya (1936)
A wave of social
consciousness hit the Indian film industry in the thirties with all
big studios delving into topics of social relevance. From marriage
reforms to social inequality, films became a metaphorical mirror of
the society. Add to that some entertainment value and great music,
and the audience accepted the lessons doled out to them in attractive
packages. Franz Osten's Acchut Kanya was one such Hindi film which
dealt with the sensitive issue of inter-caste marriages, which was
then considered a taboo. Starring Devika Rani as an untouchable girl
and Ashok Kumar as a Brahmin boy, the film, through its circular
narrative, told a tragic story of two individuals whose love faces
opposition from social norms.
Director: Franz Osten
Producer: Himanshu Rai
Writer: Niranjan Pal
Cast: Ashok Kumar, Devika
Rani and others
#8 Sant Tukaram (1936)
Celebrating the legend of
the great poet-saint from Maharashtra, the Prabhat Film Company made
Sant Tukaram. Vishnupant Pagnis portrayed the role of Tukaram
convincingly in the film, which was a big success. It chronicled the
life of this sant set in the 15th century Bhakti movement wave in
India. Tukaram's devotion is prominently visible in every frame of
this landmark film. The scene where the saint takes off in a pushpak
vimana was a production challenge and was executed with such
perfection that overwhelmed everybody. Apart from the tremendous
response it received in India, the film also holds the distinction of
being the first Indian film to be screened internationally at the
Venice International Film Festival in 1937. It was declared to be one
of the three best films of that year.
Director: Vishnupant
Govind Damle
Producer: Prabhat Film
Company
Writer: Shivram Vashikar
Cast: Vishnupant Pagnis,
Gauri, B. Nandrekar, Shankar Kulkarni, Shanta Majumdar
#9 Devdas (1936)
The story of India's most
celebrated tragedy and, by extension, most celebrated tragic hero,
Devdas, based on Saratchandra Chattopadhyay's novel has been the muse
of filmmakers for nearly a century now. It all started with a silent
film in 1928, and went on to become a giant tidal wave with at least
one film made in every language. Among Hindi films, the trend
continued until Anurag Kashyap's modern day re-telling of the same in
Dev D. That apart, the more talked about interpretations include the
ones starring Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan. However, KL Saigal's
version will always be remembered as the first and original Devdas.
The singer-actor, with his peculiar nasal tone became an archetype
based on which the entire period is measured.
Director: Prathamesh
Chandra Barua
Writer: Sharat Chandra
Chattopadhyay
Cast: Kundan Lal Saigal,
Jamuna Barua, TR Rajkumari
#10 Duniya Na Mane (1937)
Adhering to its formula
of success, the Prabhat Film Company made yet another film that made
a comment on a critical social issue. The film, which had a Marathi
double called Kunku, quite melodramatically explores the concepts of
patriarchy, marriage and women's position. It is also one of the
earliest attempts that covered the sensitive issue of widow
remarriage. Criticised for its skewed vantage point where the woman
is shown to possess all the good qualities while the man being
unwaveringly rigid. For its time, the film was laced with some
brilliant cinematic moments, visual as well as audio, such as the
scene where a disgruntled Kakasaheb finds his reflection laughing at
him through a broken mirror and the sequence where Shanta Apte breaks
into song to tend her anguish and sings and English song A Psalm of
Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Director: V Shantaram
Producer: Prabhat Film
Company
Cinematographer: V
Avadhoot
Writer: Narayan Hari Apte
(novel and screenplay), Munshi Aziz (dialogue)
Cast: Shanta Apte,
Keshavrao Date, Raja Nene, Vimala Vasistha, Shakuntala Paranjpye
#11 Mahal (1949)
One of the first and
biggest blockbusters post-independence, Mahal, was Kamal Amrohi's
debut film. The film provided Indian cinema with three important
entities -- it was one of the earliest films to incorporate the
concept of reincarnation, it had a great role in bringing Lata
Mangeshkar to the centre stage and it brought on to the silverscreen
a 16-year-old girl who, even today, is arguably the prettiest face we
have seen on screen - Madhubala. A fresh supernatural suspense drama,
the film became popular for its intriguing story and hauntingly
beautiful songs, a few of which are evergreen classics.
Director and writer:
Kamal Amrohi
Producer: Bombay Talkies,
Ashok Kumar
Music: Khemchand Prakash
Cast: Ashok Kumar,
Madhubala
#12 Shree 420 (1955)
A new force emerged from
within the industry as news across the world stated that Charlie
Chaplin had an Indian twin. After his success through Awaara, Raj
Kapoor hit the screens yet again with his Chaplinesque innocence in
Shree 420, where he plays an educated orphan who is poor and comes to
Mumbai to chase his dreams. A plotline that was relevant to an
aspiring India, Shree 420 is a tale of how an honest man freefalls
into becoming a trickster when subjected to a dishonest environment.
Shankar-Jaikishen's music was a big hit with several timeless
classics in its soundtrack. Mera Joota Hai Japani, written by
Shailendra, even today, is one of the best cultural criticisms of the
period. The song Pyar Hua Ikraar Hua, which still features on the
playlists of hopeless romantics, is also from this film, which had
the celebrated star couple of Raj Kapoor and Nargis.
Director: Raj
Kapoor
Producer: RK studios
Music: Shankar-Jaikishan
Cast: Raj Kapoor, Nargis,
Nadira
#13 Do Bigha Zamin (1953)
With a great influence of
Italian Neo-realism from films like Di Sica's Bicycle Thieves and
Shoe Shine, and building on the socialist wave in the country at that
time, Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin took Indian cinema onto a
never-before-travelled path. Starring the great Balraj Sahni and the
official face of Hindi cinema's mother, Nirupa Roy; the film narrated
the anguish of a farmer who loses his land and migrates to the city,
only to face more hardships to make ends meet. Salil Choudhury's
soulful compositions voiced by Manna De, Mohammed Rafi and Lata
Mangeshkar; the film paints a harsh picture of the reality. Winner of
the first-ever Filmfare award, Do Bigha Zamin is a landmark film
which can be argued to be the spark that created the fire of Indian
Parallel Cinema. A rarity in its decade, this piece of work inspired
the filmmakers of the next generation when the New-wave in Indian
cinema really took off.
Director: Bimal Roy
Writers: Salil Choudhury
(Story), Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Screenplay)
Music: Salil Choudhury
Cast: Balraj Sahni,
Nirupa Roy, Ratan Kumar, Jagdeep, Murad, Nana Palsikar and Meena
Kumari
#14 CID (1956)
A film made to keep one
half of a promise between friends trying to break into the industry,
Raj Khosla's CID will always be known as a bookmark of the
illustrious friendship between Dev Anand and Guru Dutt. Having
fulfilled his promise by letting Guru Dutt direct Baazi, CID was
Dutt's payback to Dev Anand. However, Dutt only produced this
suspense thriller. Some of the major highlights were Mumbai's anthem
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan from the melodious composer OP Nayyar
and one of Guru Dutt's finest finds, Waheeda Rehman, who played a
crucial supporting role as a preparation for her big role in Pyaasa.
The film was also the debut of Bhanu Athaiya, the costume designer,
who went on to become the first Indian to win an Academy Award for
Gandhi.
Director: Raj Khosla
Producer: Guru Dutt
Music: OP Nayyar
Cast: Dev Anand, Shakila,
Waheeda Rehman, Johnny Walker
#15 Meghe Dhaka Tara
(1960)
One of India's most
critically acclaimed directors, Ritwik Ghatak is seen as one of the
strong pillars of alternative Indian cinema, as his films stood a
clear shade apart from the mainstream films that were being produced
in Mumbai then. A part of the trilogy, Meghe Dhaka Tara was the first
of the three films (followed by Komal Gandhar and Subarnarekha); all
of which dealt with life after India's partition. The down right
realism with which the script was written and performed by the likes
of Supriya Choudhury, overwhelmed the audience that had never seen
this side of cinema. In the 60s, the film was seen as a pessimistic
view of the country, harping on poverty and the plight of the
downtrodden. However, one of Ghatak's most viewed film Meghe Dhaka
Tara was released theatrically in France (as Cloud Capped Star) in
1990 and his craftsmanship and timeless storytelling was appreciated
all across the world.
Director: Ritwik Ghatak
Producer: Chitrakalpa
Cinematographer:?Dinen
Gupta
Cast: Supriya Choudhury,
Anil Chatterjee, Niranjan Ray, Gita Ghatak, Bijon Bhattacharya, Gita
Dey, Dwiju Bhawal, Gyanesh Mukherjee and Ranen Ray Choudhury
#16 Pather Panchali
(1955)
With a great influence of
Rabindranath Tagore on his work, Satyajit Ray was, and still remains
one of the few masters in film making. His debut film, Pather
Panchali, was based on the book by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay and
was the first among the Apu trilogy. The poetic film, laced with
impeccable visuals, told the story of a little boy coming of age and
conveyed all its dark emotions in an audio-visual language that the
entire world could understand. Inspiring the generations to follow,
Pather Panchali is one of the finest films in the world today and is
not only appreciated by critics and film enthusiasts, but makes an
integral study material for all students of the visual media. Due to
its legendary success, Subir Banerjee, who played Apu, became one of
world cinema's most loved children. Celebrating the art of visual
storytelling, the film combines the crisp visuals with the
inseparable music, composed by Sitar legend Pt Ravi Shankar. With
reams and reams written about every single frame in the film, it
remains the most celebrated Indian film in the world.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Producer: Satyajit Ray
Cinematographer: Subrata
Mitra
Music: Pt Ravi Shankar
Cast: Subir Banerjee,
Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Uma Dasgupta, Chunibala Devi and
Tulsi Chakrabarti
#17 Mr & Mrs 55
(1955)
One of the earliest
occurrences of two lovers confessing their feelings for one another
at the airport, this was one of the rare romantic comedies from the
man known for his tragedies like Kaagaz Ke Phool and Pyaasa. The film
stars Guru Dutt himself, as a cartoon artist, and Madhubala, as a
haughty rich girl. OP Nayyar's compositions for this film, bound by
the carefree lyrics of Majruh Sultanpuri, sets a great mood for the
romance. The cartoons used in the film by Dutt's character, which
were drawn by the legendary artist RK Laxman, helped Dutt to express
some social criticism in an unassuming manner. Madhubala and Dutt,
both died early deaths and hence Mr & Mrs 55 remains with us like
a thin strand of legacy that is worth holding onto. A man for whom
his art was a part of living and not merely an interest, it is
satisfying to see that some of his films have a happy ending.
Director: Guru Dutt
Producer: Guru Dutt
Cinematographer: VK
Murthy
Music: OP Nayyar
Lyrics: Majruh Sultanpuri
Cast: Guru Dutt,
Madhubala, Lalita Pawar, Johnny Walker
#18 Mother India (1957)
A remake of Mehboob
Khan's pre-independence film Aurat, Mother India was an improvement
both in terms of technique and metaphor. Nargis, playing the lead
role of Radha, was a direct metaphor for the country after
independence. A tragic tale of a mother who pulls through the
toughest of times, Mother India is a film of epic proportions.
Naushad's compositions of songs like 'Duniya Me Hum Aye Hain Toh'
left millions weeping inside the cinema halls and the depth of the
tragedy can raise goosebumps even today. One of the greatest films of
its times and ours, Mother India took Hindi cinema to the world
becoming India's first entry into the foreign films category at the
Academy Awards. Not only did it set the trend for Hindi cinema to
follow in the decades to come, the film also earned itself a place in
an Indian viewer's hall of fame of the few films (you know the
names), which we can watch innumerable times.
Director: Mehboob Khan
Producer: Mehboob
Productions
Music: Naushad
Cast: Nargis, Sunil Dutt,
Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar
#19 Kismet (1943)
Perhaps the greatest
pre-independence hit, Gyan Mukherjee's Kismet is just another feather
in the caps of the big players of the Indian film industry, the
Bombay Talkies. One of the first major studios of India, Bombay
Talkies had produced several remarkable films in the 1930s. However,
this film was made after the death of Himanshu Rai, who was the man
behind Bombay Talkies. Made in the 40s, the film is attributed to be
India's first double-role character movie and had a couple of themes
that raised a few eyebrows during the time. The fact that the
protagonist was an anti-hero was an industry first, and with themes
like pre-marital pregnancy, the film is a roller-coaster ride about
fate and love. Another memorable product of this film was the
patriotic song, 'Duur hato o duniyawaalo, Hindustan hamara hai',
which was quite a statement in the colonial era.
Director: Gyan Mukherjee
Producer: Bombay Talkies
Writer: Gyan Mukherjee
Music: Anil Biswas
Lyrics: Kavi Pradeep
Cast: Ashok Kumar, Mumtaz
Shanti, Shah Nawaz
#20 Nagrik (1952)
Marking his arrival into
cinema, Nagrik was the first of many legendary films written and
directed by Ritwik Ghatak. Applauded for his command over the medium,
the visual story-teller began his journey with Nagrik, a melodramatic
tale of an identity crisis faced by the refugees from East Bengal.
However, as Ghatak never really believed melodrama to be mutually
exclusive from realism, most of his works do show a certain adherence
to it as a treatment. Cinematographically noir, the theme of the film
has no noirism and has stylistic portrayals of hopelessness, defeat,
humiliations, endurance among others. Preceding Pather Panchali, it
is perhaps India's advent into looking at cinema as an art. The film
also predates many path-breaking European films like L'Etranger, Look
Back in Anger; but because it was not widely watched, these films
have been credited with many innovations that Nagrik brought to
films.
Director: Ritwik Ghatak
Producer: Film Guild
Cinematographer:
Ramananda Sengupta
Cast: Satindra
Bhattacharya, Prova Debi, Kali Banerjee, Sova Sen, Ketaki Dutta,
Geeta Shome, Ajit Banerjee, Keshto Mukherjee
#21 The Postmaster (1961)
The Postmaster is one of
Satyajit Ray's most influential works. Based on Rabindranath Tagore's
short story, the film tells the story of a postmaster Nandalal, who
has been placed in the village for a brief time dreams of returning
to Calcutta, but while he is here, he decides to teach his caretaker,
Ratan, how to read and write. Ratan, on the other hand, tends to him
when he falls sick and serves him well. However, when Nandalal
leaves, he leaves Ratan heartbroken and doesn't realise how attached
she had gotten to him. He offers her money for her service but she
feels offended. The Postmaster, is a simple story of a complex
relation between Nandalal (Anil Chatterjee) and Ratan (Chandana
Banerjee), who is his mother, sister, friend and sole companion. A
part of the Teen Kanya trilogy; along with Monihara, a haunting tale
about a lost jewelry box; and Samapti, a beautiful coming-of-age
story; this 60 minute film is an iconic piece of art. The Postmaster
is a film that best represents the trilogy, as well as Ray's ability
to take local and make it palatable globally.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Writer: Rabindranath
Tagore (original story)
Cast:Chandana Banerjee,
Anil Chatterjee
#22 Pyaasa (1957)
Originally titled
Kashmakash, Pyaasa is the story of a cynical poet and his existential
struggles with the society which he is a part of. Sahir Ludhianvi's
moving lyrics about the despair, anguish and plight of a social
pariah; from the nationalist, socialist Jinhe Naaz Hai HindPar Woh
Kahaan Hain to the downright cynical Jalaa Do Yeh Duniya and Jaane
Woh Kaise Log The; coupled with SD Burman's soulful compositions in
Mohammed Rafi's voice; make this Guru Dutt film look like poetry on
screen. The film was Waheeda Rehman's big break in the film industry
and her fascinating character of Gulabo, who "shauk ke liye
pyaar karti hai aur aaram ke liye pyar bechti hai" was
beautifully portrayed. Perhaps his best film, Guru Dutt's imagery of
portraying himself as Christ and the deep metaphors for crucifixion
take the film to a different level altogether. In more ways than
one,Guru Dutt, with all his unresolved anger in Pyaasa, is the real
Angry Young Man of Hindi cinema ?a concept that would be born more
than a decade later.
Director: Guru Dutt
Producer: Guru Dutt Films
Writer: Abrar Alvi
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Cast: Guru Dutt, Waheeda
Rehman, Mala Sinha, Johnny Walker
#23 Madhumati (1958)
With a soundtrack that
could independently be an evergreen playlist on its own; and the
likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Manna De and Mukesh lending
their voice to classics such as Aaja Re Pardesi, Dil Tadap Tadap Ke,
Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam Haseen and Tute Huye Khwaabon Ne; Bimal
Roy's Madhumati is a landmark in Indian cinema. Known for its
peculiar plot about reincarnation, this venture, which was the sole
collaboration between Roy and RitwikGhatak, starred superstar of the
50s, Dilip Kumar oppositeVaijayanthimala and Pran played the iconic
role of Ugranarayan, thebad guy. A plot so fascinating that it was
revised and reused manytimes in the future, in films like Om Shanti
Om and Rishi Kapoorstarrer Janam Janam. Ghatak's story with dark
overtones, handledvery responsibly by Bimal Roy, renders it a
gothic-noir touch whichleaves the audience with goosebumps at crucial
points in thenarrative. A huge success at the box office, Madhumati
was, is andalways will be a film which you watch once and remember
even in yournext life.
Director: Bimal Roy
Writer: Abrar Alvi
Music: SalilChoudhury
Lyrics: Shailendra
Cast: DilipKumar,
Vaijayanthimala, Johnny Walker, Pran
#24 Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
(1958)
Kishore Kumar is perhaps
one of the greatest figures in Indian cinema in terms of versatility
and Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi is the best representative of all that he
could do on screen and off it. The film sees Kishore Kumar alongside
his brothers Anoop and Ashok Kumar and opposite Madhubala. The film
is loved for its simplistic comedy and the incredible songs, most of
which were sung by the duo of Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosale. Ek
Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si, Paanch Rupaiyya Barah Aana, Babu Samjho
Ishaare, Hum The Woh Thi, Main Sitaron Ka Tarana and some other songs
which were composed by SD Burman at his peak and written by Majrooh
Sultanpuri. Kishore Kumar's on screen chemistry with future wife
Madhubala was absolutely charming and his ability to entertain, one
way or another, made him extremely popular and delightful. The
success of this film germinated an idea for yet another film for the
three brothers, with a title that rhymed ?Badhti Ka Naam Daadhi.
Director: Satyen Bose
Producer: Anoop Sharma
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh
Sultanpuri
Cast: Kishore Kumar,
Madhubala, Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar
#25 Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
Starring Dilip Kumar,
Madhubala and Prithviraj Kapoor; requiring over a decade to complete
itself; laden with war sequences that have elephants andhorses, dance
numbers, memorable dialogues and fancy costumes; K Asif's
Mughal-e-Azam was well and truly the epitome of the lavishness of an
Indian epic. At one point, this film looked like it would never be
made due to the socio-political situation in the country. Even after
the production began, there were several hurdles that the film
overcame to finally become the outstanding legend that it is. With
one of the best and evergreen soundtracks in the Hindi film industry,
the music and lyrics of songs like Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and
others have inspired and influenced a lot of works in the future.
Based on fictional history, the film is an account of a father-son
conflict over love. A great success at the box office, Mughal-e-Azam
is considered one of the classic Hindi films to be ever made and is
one of the front running representatives of Indian cinema in the
West.
Director: K Asif
Producer: Shapoorji
Pallonji
Music: Naushad
Cast: Prithviraj Kapoor,
Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Durga Khote
#26 Charulata (1964)
Yet another masterstroke
from Satyajit Ray, Charulata is a re-telling of a novella titled
Nastanirh (The Broken Nest) by Rabindranath Tagore, whose stories
were Ray's biggest muse. The film, set in 1870s Calcutta, tells the
story of a lonely housewife, Charu, played by Madhabi Mukherjee;
whose husband runs a newspaper and is always engulfed in his work.
The redundant, sheltered and wealthy life, gets too boring for Charu
and requests her husband's cousin, Amal to keep her company. She soon
develops sexual feelings for him, which results in a lot of
complications and eventual humiliation. The story is said to be
loosely based on Tagore's life. Ray's command over the audio-visual
medium gives the film a global quality. Expressing a lot through
camera movements, motifs and symbols, Ray designs the story as a
whole, rather than the characters merely acting out the plot.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Producer: RDB Productions
Writer: Rabindranath
Tagore (original novella)
Cast: Soumitra
Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee, Sailen Mukherjee, Syamal Goshal
#27 Hum Dono (1961)
Dev Anand, with a
cigarette in his hand sang in the voice of Mohammed Rafi, "Main
Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya" and propagated the
philosophy of a carefree lifestyle that every Indian longed for. This
Amarjeet film was about a case of mistaken identity. Dev Anand plays
the double role as Mahesh Anand and Major Varma, both of whom are in
the Indian Army. During a mission in the World War II, Major Varma
goes missing, and coincidentally, the responsibility to break the
news to Varma's family falls upon Mahesh, leading to unavoidable
complications in his life. The film, which was a big hit, was
primarily known for its soundtrack, composed by Jaidev. It consisted
of songs like Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar and Kabhi Khud Par Kabhi Haalat
Par, all of which had a signature tune that was blended into every
song in the film. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the film
was colorized and re-released in 2011 and received an equally
overwhelming response.
Director: Amarjeet
Producer: Navketan Films
Music: Jaidev
Cast: Dev Anand, Nanda,
Sadhana, Leela Chitnis
#28 Mujhe Jeene Do (1963)
After Indian filmmakers
had found a link between the superhit Hollywood westerns, like Good
Bad Ugly and Once Upon a Time In The West, and the ongoing dacoity
menace in India; a new genre was born. After the success of Ganga
Jamuna and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Moni Bhattacharjee's Mujhe
Jeene Do brought a fresh humanist perspective to the genre that
portrayed dacoits as a menace. Sunil Dutt and Waheeda Rehman
showcasing their acting prowess, make this film memorable. Shot on
location in Chamba under police protection, Mujhe Jeene Do is a
classic narrative about how love can bring positive change in the
hardest of men.
Director: Moni
Bhattacharjee
Producer: Ajanta Arts
Writer: Aghajani Kashmiri
Music: Jaidev
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Cast: Sunil Dutt, Waheeda
Rehman, Nirupa Roy, Mumtaz, Rajendranath
#29 Waqt (1965)
This trendsetter of a
film gave Indian cinema a lot of firsts. However, its most important
contribution to the fraternity was that it announced the arrival of
one of India's biggest filmmakers, Yash Chopra. He had made his debut
with Dhool Ka Phool; but with Waqt he got a boost and never looked
back. Setting a benchmark with all his films, Chopra brought the
concept of multi-starrers and the khoya-paaya formula in Waqt, both
of which became a secret to box office success. Besides that, the
music by Ravi, gave some memorable hits in the voice of Manna Dey (Ae
Meri Zohra Jabeen), Asha Bhosale (Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu) and a few
duets featuring Asha and Mahendra Kapoor (Hum Jab Simat Ke Aapki). Sahir Ludhianvi's prowess over Urdu on exhibition yet again.
Director: Yash Chopra
Producer: BR Chopra
Music: Ravi
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Cast: Balraj Sahni,
Achala Sachdev, Sunil Dutt, Sadhana, Raj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor,
Sharmila Tagore
#30 Teesri Manzil (1966)
After delivering his
peculiar performances in previous Nasir Hussain films like Tumsa Nahi
Dekha and Dil Deke Dekho; the fact that Shammi Kapoor starred once
again in Hussain's Teesri Manzil was happy accident. Nasir had
approached the Anand duo (Vijay and Dev Anand) to direct and act
respectively. However, Dev Anand was not available at the time which
meant superstar Shammi Kapoor paired once again with Asha Parekh in
one of Hindi cinema's biggest thrillers. The film perhaps had the
best soundtrack of the decade, with Mohd Rafi pairing up with Asha
Bhosle to sing the songs written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed
by, what came to be a revolution in Hindi film music, RD Burman. All
the six songs in the soundtrack, which included O Haseena Zulfon
Wali, Aaja Aaja Mai Hoon Pyar Tera, O Mere Sona Re and Deewana Mujhsa
Nahi are superhits and are a part of many an antakshari games played
in every home in the country, even today. The film also brought Helen
in the limelight as the perpetual cabaret dancer, a plot element that
has never left Hindi films since.
Director: Vijay Anand
Producer: Nasir Hussain
Music: RD Burman Lyrics:
Majrooh Sultanpuri
Cast: Shammi Kapoor, Asha
Parekh, Premnath, Prem Chopra, Iftekaar, Helen
#31 Bandini (1963)
After Devdas and Do Bigha
Zamin, Bimal Roy gave yet another film for all cinema lovers to
cherish with Bandini. Starring Nutan in the role of an archetypal
Indian woman who is both strong and weak at the same time, the film
saw her deliver one of her finest performances. Opposite her, were
Ashok Kumar and a very promising Dharmendra (before he became the
proverbial 'He Man'). The film narrated the story of a woman's
predicament and dealt with the issues related to the interpersonal
conflicts of love and hate. SD Burman's music brings alive the
characters as well as the narrative, and although most of the film's
songs were written by Shailendra, Bandini will always be remembered
for giving us the magical poet, Gulzar. However reluctant he may have
been in turning to writing lyrics for films, Sachin Da convinced him
to write Mora Gora Ang Lai Le, which he did in less than five days
and the rest, as they say, is history.
Director: Bimal Roy
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Shailendra,
Gulzar
Cast: Nutan, Dharmendra,
Ashok Kumar
#32 Guide (1965)
Based on a book by RK
Narayan, this is one of Indian cinema's most celebrated masterpieces.
Directed by Vijay Anand, the film stars his brother Dev Anand in the
lead yet again opposite Waheeda Rehman. A complex journey of a
character, from being a petty thief, to a guide, to a gambler, and
finally a sage, Guide is a film of epic proportions. Fairly
inconsistent in terms of production, the film is magnificent in
certain parts. The highlight of the film was yet another chartbuster
soundtrack composed by SD Burman, who arguably is one of the finest
composer in Indian film history. The 10 song collective was made up
of evergreen hits like Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna, Tere Mere Sapne,
Gaata Rahe Mera Dil and more, in the voices of Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar,
Kishore Da and Manna De; and the film also featured Wahan Kaun Hai
Tera a rare song sung by Sachin Da himself. Guide was also India's
official entry to the 38th Academy Awards, and since it provided an
ending that is different than the one in the original story, the film
received a mixed response to some extent.
Director: Vijay Anand
Producer: Dev Anand
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Shailendra
Cast: Dev Anand, Waheeda
Rehman, Leela Chitnis
#33 Mahanagar (1964)
Set in 1950s Calcutta,
Mahanagar showed India in a rather urban setting (vis-a-vis other
Satyajit Ray films). It also addressed a new set of issues that the
conservative Indian family faced with post- independence
urbanisation. Madhabi Mukherjee plays the lead as a housewife who
defies tradition and gets a job as a salesperson. The film, in Ray's
trademark realist style, explores the difficulty she faces from her
family; how she has an uphill task against the society and succeeds
with a little support from her husband who later grows insecure. The
film was made in the initial days of a growing debate when India had
no clue of what lay ahead in terms of the societal structure and the
necessary adaptations that the shift would bring. Highlighted by a
strong performance by Madhabi, the film also saw the first screen
appearance of Jaya Bhaduri as Bani, who would later become a big name
in Hindi cinema.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Writer: (Original Short
Story) Narendranath Mitra
Cast:Anil Chatterjee,
Madhabi Mukherjee, Jaya Bhaduri, Vicky Redwood, Sefalika Devi, Haren
Chatterjee
#34 Padosan (1968)
Probably the most
hilarious comedy film in the history of Hindi films, this Jyoti
Swaroop film based on a Bengali story, went all out in trying
totickle the audience's funny bone. Starring Sunil Dutt as Bhola and
Saira Banu as Bindu, the film had a cast ensemble that was made up of
every known comedian in the industry at that time. Mehmood and
Kishore Kumar leading the charge, the film also had Mukri, Raj
Kishore and Keshto Mukherjee in supporting roles. During its making,
the word around was that NC Sippy and Mehmood were playing a
hugegamble by investing in this venture. But the gamble paid off and
how. The film is a series of hilarious sequences one after the other
which never really grow old. These sequences were made further
amusing by RD Burman's memorable compositions ranging from the
romantic Kehna Hai to the epic vocal duel between Manna Dey and
Kishore Da in Ek Chatur Naar.
Director: Jyoti Swaroop
Producer: Mehmood, NC
Sippy
Writer: Rajendra Krishan
(screenplay, dialogues, lyrics)
Music: RD Burman
Cast: Sunil Dutt, Saira
Banu, Mehmood, Kishore Kumar
#35 Bhuvan Shome (1969)
Before Indian cinema
divided itself into two water-tight compartments in the 70s, Mrinal
Sen produced a film that was experimental in terms of its content and
artistic in terms of its presentation; but nonetheless, it was
entertaining like any other mainstream film of that time. The film is
about a lonely widower Bhuvan Shome, a shrewd bureaucrat who lives
for his work in an attempt to shun all human contact. While on a duck
hunt, he comes across a peasant woman (played by Suhasini Mulay) who
helps him when he is treed by a buffalo, in one of the most memorable
scenes from the film. Shome, played marvelously by Utpal Dutt, then
learns that people are more than just numbers and have feelings.
Mrinal Sen, through this simple film has managed not only to
entertain us, but also give a handy lesson in the importanceof
extending empathy towards others. The film also has Amitabh Bachchan
in one of his earliest roles as the narrator, a role which many might
agree, is tailor made for him.
Director: Mrinal Sen
Producer: Mrinal Sen
Writer: Balai Chand
Mukhopadhyay
Music: Vijay Raghav Rao
Cast: Utpal Dutt,
Suhasini Mulay
#36 Bobby (1973)
This Raj Kapoor film was
a trendsetter in more ways than one. Before this, Indian film heroes
were always played by actors in their 30s or late 20s. But Bobby
changed the notion about the romantic genre by bringing to the
audience a never-before-seen teenage romance. The film starred a
young pair of Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, both making their
debuts; however, Rishi Kapoor had played a cameo in Mera Naam Joker
before this film. Battling a class divide, it captured the naivete of
an innocent love affair with tremendous grace. The chocolate boy and
the bold girl, flirting to Laxmikant Pyarelal's youthful melodies
worded by Anand Bakshi, highlighted the freshness of the story. Songs
like Hum Tum Ek Kamre Me Band Ho and Main Shayar Toh Nahin have not
only survived the test of time, but have also managed to remain young
through the decades. The film was a huge hit and was one of the
highest grossing films in Hindi cinema's most happening decade ?the
1970s.
Director: Raj Kapoor
Producer: RK Films
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Cast: Rishi Kapoor,
Dimple Kapadia, Prem Nath, Durga Khote, Pran
#37 Pinjra (1972)
In a career that spanned
over six decades, V Shantaram, who began as an actor in 1923, went
onto become one of the most pioneering filmmakers in Indian cinema.
He made his directorial debut in 1927 with Netaji Palekar and the
last film he made was Jhanjhar, in 1987. However, considering the
graph of his illustrious?career, it is fair to categorise Pinjra as
his swansong. The film, which stars Dr Shreeram Lagoo as the Master,
Sandhya as a tamasha dancer in a troupe governed by a leader (Nilu
Phule), explores the themes of love, relationships and morality.
Through its setting, the film paints a great picture of a tamasha;
with the help of a well-orchestrated soundtrack by Ram Kadam, and
uses the folk form as a deep metaphor for the lives of these
characters. The film focuses on Lagoo's characters' predicament of
being torn between his innate urges and his public image; and shows
how he has to make the difficult decision of either dying an ideal
man or continuing to live, by becoming a slave to his desires.
Director: V Shantaram
Writer: Shankar Babaji
Patil
Music: Ram Kadam
Cast: Shreeram Lagoo,
Sandhya, Nilu Phule
#38 Swayamvaram (1972)
A new wave emerged in the
film industry after the establishment of film schools; and one of the
products of this new culture, was a writer-director from Kerala,
Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Swayamvaram, his debut feature film is labelled
by many as the Pather Panchali of its time. And they are not
completely out of line in saying so, as the writer places his
interests in clear view and at the same time, narrates that story in
a peculiar manner, which was neglected by the predominant mainstream.
Surpassing the trending melodrama, the film explores the themes of
choice and narrates a tale of a couple married against their parents'
will. Said to have pioneered the New Wave movement in Malayalam
cinema, Swayamvaram, which won four National Awards, and received a
mixed response from the audience, which, even today, likes a certain
kind of cinema more than the other.
Director: Adoor
Gopalakrishnan
Producer: Chitralekha
Film Co-operative
Music: MB Sreenivasan
Cinematographer: Mankada
Ravi Varma
Cast: Madhu, Sharada,
Adoor Bhavani, KPAC Lalitha, Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair, Bharath Gopi
#39 Garm Hawa (1973)
The film ends with a
Kaifi Azmi shayari, that reads, “Jo duur se toofan ka karte hai
nazara, unke liye toofan vahan bhi hai yahan bhi...Daare me jo mil
jaoge ban jaoge daara, yeh waqt ka ailaan vahan bhi hai yahan bhi.”
Co-written by Azmi and Shama Zaidi, Garm Hawa was an intense story of
a Muslim family in post-partition India, fighting to earn their
rights in a country which was once their own. Showcasing moving
performances by Balraj Sahni, Shaukat Azmi, Geeta Siddharth and the
rest; the film was a poetic comment on the tough socio-political
changes of the time. The film not only re-creates the era, but
transports you to it and you get acquainted to the characters, and as
you grow fond of them, you are given a strong insight into their
lives.
Director: MS Sathyu
Producer: Indikino
Writer: Kaifi Azmi, Shama
Zaidi
Music: Aziz Ahmed,
Bahadur Khan, Khan Warsi
Cinematographer: Ishan
Arya
Cast: Balraj Sahni,
Farooq Shaikh, Dinanath Zutshi, Badar Begum, Geeta Siddharth, Shaukat
Azmi, A. K. Hangal
#40 Saamna (1974)
Following the trend that
let new-age filmmakers to detach themselves from the rut of
mainstream cinema; a new group of makers had emerged in almost all
regions of India. Jabbar Patel's Saamna is one of the films that broke
the monotony that had the industry had gotten used to. Saamna is a story of
facing demons; not only the ones in society but those within. With
powerful performances by Shriram Lagoo and Nilu Phule as Master and
Hindurao Dhonde Patil respectively, along with great supporting roles
by Mohan Agashe and Smita Patil; the film is a dark comment on the
dilemmas faced by every individual, and questions the standards on
which our morality is based. One of the most important films in
Marathi cinema, it was one of the initial experiments which later became a part of the larger, nationwide parallel cinema movement.
Director: Jabbar Patel
Producer: Ramdas Phutane,
Madhav Shinde
Writers: Jabbar Patel,
Vijay Tendulkar
Music: Bhaskar
Chandavarkar
Cast: Mohan Agashe, Nilu
Phule, Shriram Lagoo, Smita Patil
#41 Sholay (1975)
Made in Indian cinema's
blockbuster year, Sholay has now transcended the limits of being a
film. It has become an element that flows in the blood of every
Indian. Written by the hit duo of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, this
Ramesh Sippy film was the beginning of the Western genre in India.
The landmark film was also the first instance of an Indian movie
adapting Kurosawa's plot structure of hiring men for a task. Sholay
gave India its first supervillain in Gabbar Singh, played by
debutante Amjad Khan; and Jai and Viru, played by Amitabh and
Dharmendra, are the 'go to' example of a strong friendship. Also,
after Al Pacino in The Godfather, it is only Thakur's revenge that
anybody in India took seriously. This record-breaking film, in all
its glory, is the simplest way to show the world how seriously we
take our cinema. So much so, that even today, a ten-year-old will be
able to cite examples, and quote dialogues from this film; which was
made when his father was 10 years old.
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Producer: GP Sippy
Writers: Salim-Javed
Music: RD Burman
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan,
Dharmendra, Amjad Khan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Mac
Mohan, Viju Khote, AK Hangal, Helen, Sachin Pilgaokar, Jagdeep,
Asrani
#42 Deewaar (1975)
Made in the same year as
Sholay, this film, which won 7 Filmfare awards, is testimony to Yash
Chopra's showmanship. Written by the incredible duo of Salim-Javed,
Deewaar was another proof that they had successfully figured out the
recipe for a blockbuster. An emotional action-drama with just the
right amount of romance; Deewaar has the perfect mix for being a
complete entertainer. A plot that focuses on the moral conflict
between two brothers also dwells on the characters' internal
conflicts and predicaments. The film crowned Amitabh as the
angry-young-man who not only waited for a bunch of goons in their own
lair, but doesn't even think twice before confronting god. With
dialogues and scenes that have stood the test of time; Deewaar is an
apple of the Indian cinephiles' eye ?from the 'billa no. 786' to the
'mere paas maa hai' scene; and from Vijay's 'mera baap chor hai'
tattoo to his anguish in 'jao pehle uss aadmi ka sign le ke aao',
Deewaar is an immortal part of Indian cinema.
Director: Yash Chopra
Producer: Gulshan Rai
Writers: Salim Javed
Music: RD Burman
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan,
Shashi Kapoor, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh, Nirupa Roy and others
#43 Amar Akbar Anthony
(1977)
Based on Hindi cinema's
pet formula of lost-and-found, this Manmohan Desai film is a bookmark
in the chapter of Indian cinema that proves how the melodrama,
emotions and magic in the narrative causes a willing suspension of
disbelief in the minds of the audience. In a period where movie-going
was not a regular passtime but an event in itself, it was expected
that films provide a larger-than-life experience that would overwhelm
the audience; and Amar Akbar Anthony is perhaps one of the most
successful films on that count. The story of three separated blood
brothers (played by Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna),
who are raised in different faiths, grow up as three completely
different people, but are bound by fate to cross each others' paths
and later reunite with their long-lost mother (played by the
perennial maternal figure of Nirupa Roy). From the lively Kishore
Kumar number My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves to Rafi's qawwali Parda Hai
Parda and a Sai Baba bhajan; Laxmikant-Pyarelal composed a soundtrack
that perfectly represented the vastness of the film.
Director: Manmohan Desai
Writer: Prayag Raj, Kader
Khan
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan,
Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh, Shabana Azmi,
Nirupa Roy, Pran, Jeevan, Ranjeet
#44 Bhumika (1977)
One of the major
flag-bearers of the alternative cinema movement in the 70s,Shyam
Benegal made films that he believed in and told his stories without
adhering to the standards that were prevalent in the industry at the
time. Starting off with Ankur in 1973, he carved a niche for himself
with his own brand of realism and a peculiar manner of underlining
emotions. Working with a set of actors that have now become the faces
of Indian parallel cinema, Benegal's cinema can be considered a genre
on its own. Bhumika, which was loosely based onthe life of Hansa
Wadkar, a flambuoyant actress from the 40s, was written by Benegal
along with playwright Satyadev Dubey. The journey of a woman from
being a vivacious teenager to being a wise yet scarred middle-aged
woman portrayed with immense integrity by Smita Patil is the
highlight of this film.
Director: Shyam Benegal
Writer: Satyadev Dubey,
Shyam Benegal
Cinematographer: Govind
Nihalani
Cast: Smita Patil, Anant
Nag, Amol Palekar
#45 Shatranj Ke Khiladi
(1977)
By the time Ray made
Shatranj Ke Khiladi, it was evident that his films were an acquired
taste and only a few faithful audiences really went ahead to acquire
that taste. One of the rare films by the master, that has its
dialogues in Hindi and Urdu instead of his native language; Shatranj
Ke Khiladi was just another example of how he skillfully dissects
culture and human behaviour to paint a stylistic montage which makes
distinct philosophical comments. Inspired from a 1925 satirical film
titled Chess Fever by Vsevolod Pudovkin, Shatranj Ke Khiladi is based
on a story by Premchand and is set in the early days of British
colonialism in India. This is the story of two noblemen (Saeed
Jaffery and Sanjeev Kumar) embroiled in a long-running chess duel,
who are untethered by social, political or familial changes that are
taking place around them. Lined with excellent performances from the
ensemble cast, this film has the narrative fluidity that regulates
its slow pace, is a dark comedy and makes a deep comment on a chapter
in history.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Writer: Munshi Premchand
(story)
Cinematographer: Soumendu
Roy
Cast: Saeed Jaffrey,
Sanjeev Kapoor, Farida Jalal, Shabana Azmi, Amjad Khan, Richard
Attenborough and others
#46 Chupke Chupke (1975)
An institution in
himself, Hrishikesh Mukherjee stands for a brand of cinema that is
unique, simple and inimitable. Chupke Chupke is just an example of
the simplicity with which he saw the humour in the daily life
scenarios that none of us are strangers to. This film is about a
newly-wed couple that tries to pull a practical joke on the bride's
shrewd brother-in-law. Over the years, the film has turned into a
classic like many other slice-of-life films by Hrishi da. Some of the
sequences in the film, like the one where Parimal posed as Pyare
Mohan is pulling Jijaji's leg over the complexity of English
language; or the hilarious song routine performed by Parimal and
close friend Sukumar have since gained a cult status. Hrishikesh
Mukherjee, who began as a lab assistant and then turned editor, made
films that had a clean soul and always brought a smile across your
face.
Director: Hrishikesh
Mukherjee
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Cast: Dharmendra,
Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Om Prakash, Asrani
#47 Golmaal (1979)
One of Indian cinema's
most loved comedies, Golmaal has Hrishi da's trademark all over it. A
simple comedy of errors, the film revolves around two principle
characters, Ramprasad (Amol Palekar) and his disciplinarian boss
Bhawani Shankar (Utpal Dutt). Ramprasad has to create an alter -ego
of a twin brother in order to keep his job while enjoying life his
way. And soon, a series of lies with the help of a fake mustache
leads to chaos that is utterly hilarious. With RD Burman's music
providing a mischievous character to the narrative, the film is yet
another marvel from Hrishikesh Mukherjee - Indian cinema's God of
simple things. Initially, Rekha was looked at to play Urmila's role
however, things didn't work out. Hrishi da made Khoobsurat the very
next year with Rekha, which is also a beautiful example of his
craftsmanship. Amol Palekar, on the other hand, worked once again
with Hrishi da in Chhoti Si Baat, yet another slice-of-life
romantic-comedy which is admired by the audience even today.
Director: Hrishikesh
Mukherjee
Producer: NC Sippy
Writer: Shailesh Dey,
Sachin Bhowmick (screenplay)
Music: RD Burman
Cast: Amol Palekar, Utpal
Dutt, Bindiya Goswami, Shobha Khote
#48 36 Chowringhee Lane
(1981)
Aparna Sen was a familiar
face, having acted in a few Bengali films before making her
directorial debut with this film in 1981. She achieved quite a feat
with her maiden venture, which was not only well-received critically,
but also won her a National Award for best direction. Through the
story of an old Anglo-Indian school teacher in post-independence
India, the film explores the universal theme of solitude and love.
Jennifer Kendal, who plays the role of Violet Stoneham, brings to
life a lonely, brittle and defeated person longing for some
companionship, which eludes her. Dubbed as one of Indian cinema's
most sensitive and touching films, Sen has brought a new perspective
to the making of films and being a woman. Her storytelling shows a
side of life that is seldom witnessed through this medium.
Director: Aparna Sen
Producer: Shashi Kapoor
Writer: Aparna Sen
Music: Vanraj Bhatia
Cast: Jennifer Kendal,
Debashree Roy, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Geoffrey Kendal
#49 Disco Dancer (1982)
The mental image of the
80s in the mind of every Indian sprouts from this film. Standing
above Boney M or The Buggles, the music of this film, composed by
Bappi Lahiri, defined the entire decade. The film was Mithun
Chakraborty's shot to fame and it made him a household name as Disco
Dancer. In a career that spans over 300 films, Mithun could never
shrug off the image that was built by this film. Amidst all its
narrative flaws and implausibilities, like the 'Guitar Phobia' that
Mithun gets because a guitar killed his mother, the film's music has
made it a cult among many viewers. It had a fanbase that reached the
South East Asian shores apart from Europe. In the wake of the recent
bring-back-the-80s syndrome, the film was revisited by many young
film buffs and gathered a new set of fan following. Years will pass,
many films will come and go; but Disco Dancer has become a legend
that will remain immortal with Bappi da's signature Yaad Aa Raha
Hai..Tera Pyar, and I Am A Disco Dancer echoing through time.
Director: B Subhash
Producer: Shashi Kapoor
Writer: Rahi Masoom Reza
Music: Bappi Lahiri
Cast: Mithun Chakraborty,
Rajesh Khanna, Kim Yashpal, Om Puri, Gita Siddharth, Om Shivpuri
#50 Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
(1983)
On its face, Jaane Bhi Do
Yaaro is a comedy. From beginning to end, the events and scenarios
showcase the journey of Sudhir and Vinod (Ravi Vaswani and
Naseeruddin Shah), who are trapped deeper and deeper into the abyss
of corruption, with an insane humour element. Certain scenes that
have become legendary over time are the finale on the stage where all
the characters act out a scene from the Mahabharat and also the
sequence where Commissioner D'Mello's dead body is set rolling on the
streets of the city in his coffin. What makes us see the film as
satire is the last scene. Where, failing to convince the police of
their findings, the protagonists are put behind bars with Hum Honge
Kamyaab playing in the background. It suddenly renders a perspective
through which one begins to look at the film differently in
retrospective. Another major element which makes the film different
is that it was funded by the National Film Development Corporation of
India. A government body funding a film on political satire is quite
noteworthy. Working with a talented cast ensemble, this was Kundan
Shah's maiden project and it remains as his best body of work.
Director: Kundan Shah
Producer: NFDC
Writer: Sudhir Mishra and
Kundan Shah
Music: Vanraj Bhatia
Cinematographer: Binod
Pradhan
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah,
Ravi Baswani, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Shah, Bhakti Barve,
Satish Kaushik, Ashok Banthia, Neena Gupta
#51 Mandi (1983)
One of Shyam Benegal's
finest works, Mandi deals with the story of a brothel situated in the
heart of a city, which has to be relocated due to political and
social pressures. The unevenly structured narrative, woven with
musical numbers that amplify the setting and power-packed
performances from the killer combo of Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil,
add up to an intense experience. Songs with original lyrics by Mir
Taqi Mir, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Insha, Makhdoom Mohiuddin and Sarwar
Danda; composed by Vanraj Bhatia in the voice of Asha Bhosale and
Preeti Sagar, lend the film an eerie character. Based on an Urdu
short story titled Aanandi, by Ghulam Abbas, Benegal translates the
written word onto screen with inimitable craftsmanship. The story
sees the brothel being shifted outside the city next to a shrine, and
Benegal expertly portrays the irony of how the patronage to the
brothel increases after the shift.
Director: Shyam Benegal
Writers: Ghulam Abbas
(short story) Shyam Benegal (screenplay)
Music: Vanraj Bhatia
Cinematographer: Ashok
Mehta
Cast: Shabana Azmi, Smita
Patil, Neena Gupta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Soni
Razdan, Om Puri, Saeed Jaffery, Anu Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Pankaj
Kapoor
#52 Chashme Buddoor
(1981)
Written by Sai Paranjpye,
Chashme Buddoor is a fine example of what is termed as 'middle
cinema'. It refers to the films that were not in-your-face like the
mainstream melodramas and neither were they intense and
incomprehensible like some of the parallel films. It is a story of
three friends Siddharth, Omi and Jai; played by Farooq Shaikh, Rakesh
Bedi and Ravi Vaswani, who are students at the Delhi University.
During their summer vacation, they meet Neha (Deepti Naval).
Siddharth falls in love with her but due to their failure to woo her,
Omi and Jai decide to jeopardise their relationship. A comedy of
errors, whose plot has inspired many comedies in the future, this is
an out-and-out laugh ride. A David Dhawan remake of this film,
starring Ali Zafar, Taapsee Pannu, Divyendu Sharma and Siddharth,
will release next month.
Director: Sai Paranjpye
Writer: Sai Paranjpye
Music: Raj Kamal
Cast: Farooq Shaikh,
Deepti Naval, Saeed Jaffrey, Rakesh Bedi, Ravi Vaswani
#53 Ardh satya (1983)
This Govind Nihalanifilm,
whose script is written by the immortal Vijay Tendulkar,focused on a
universal existential issue of whether you continue with what you
have or take a risk to change things for the better. The stunning
performance by Om Puri, wherein he portrays a character whose
predicament can be resolved only from within, is captured with two
endings, one written in the script by Tendulkar and one
which Nihalani deemed fit. However, the widely known ending to the
film sees Anant continue to face nothingness, failing to break out of
his situation, rather than simply give up his uniform and regain some
self respect. The film ends with a theme poem from Dilip Chitre which
amplifies the meaning of this film. The poem ends with a couplet that
reads "Ek palde mein napunsakta, ek palde mein paurush; aur
theektaraazu ke kaante par, ardh satya"
Director: Govind Nihalani
Producer: Manmohan Shetty
Writer: Vijay Tendulkar
Cinematographer: Govind
Nihalani
Cast: Om Puri, Smita
Patil, Amrish Puri, Shafi Inamdar, Naseeruddin Shah, Sadashiv
Amrapurkar
#54 Katha (1983)
Continuing her brand of
middle cinema, Sai Paranjpye made Katha, which was a modern
interpretation?and re-telling of the hare and the tortoise story.
Naseeruddin Shah played Rajaram Joshi, an honest clerk whose only
weakness is timidity. He is in love with Sandhya Sabnis
(DeeptiNaval), a girl from his chawl. Then comes the hare, Basudev
Bhat (Farooq Shaikh) who charms everybody in the neighborhood with
false success stories. He woos Sandhya and promises to marry her, but
the engagement is called off after his true colours are revealed. The
film asks a very important question about the tortoise's slow
victory, as to whether it is truly worth the wait. It is said that
Sai named Farooq's negative character Basu Bhatt after the producer
Basu Bhattacharya, who had delayed the release of her film Sparsh.
Director: Sai Paranjpye
Producer: Suresh Jindal
Music: Raj Kamal
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah,
Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval
#55 Aradhana (1969)
This Shakti Samanta film
was Rajesh Khanna's overnight claim to fame. After Aradhana, he went
from being a struggling actor to a superstar in a matter of weeks.
The film tells a melodramatic and implausible tale of love,
separation and reunion. Rajesh Khanna played the role of Arun as well
as his son Suraj, in a mind-boggling double role that the audience
loved. Sharmila Tagore, for her graceful portrayal of the journey of
a woman, won herself the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Kishore
Kumar's classics Roop Tera Mastana and Mere Sapno Ki Rani remain
immortal. Anand Bakshi's lyrics to one of Hindi cinema's finest
lullabies -- Chanda Hai Tu Mera Suraj Hai Tu, sung by Lata
Mangeshkar, continue to be at the top of any Indian mother's playlist
while lulling her child to sleep. With a couple more songs by
Mohammed Rafi opposite Asha-Lata, and a thematic song Saphal Hogi
Teri Aradhana, sung by SD Burman himself, make for yet another gem of
a soundtrack to have in your collection.
Director: Shakti Samanta
Writer: Sachin Bhowmick
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Cast: Sharmila Tagore,
Rajesh Khanna, Sujit Kumar, Farida Jalal
#56 Albert Pinto Ko Gussa
Kyon Ata Hai? (1980)
Based on a story by Saeed
Akhtar Mirza himself, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai? was a
social commentary which he translated to screen quite effortlessly.
With a cast ensemble consisting of the most talented crop of the
generation; the film chronicled the life of an underpaid, overworked
middle-class family in '70s Mumbai. Naseeruddin Shah plays the title
character of Albert Pinto, who is perpetually angry at everyone and
everything around him. The film, without taking a stand or providing
a definite resolution, showcases the life of the working class.
Akhtar Mirza, with co-writer Kundan Shah, treated this serious
subject with a hint of dark comedy and pointed satire. Towards the
end, Albert Pinto doesn't really calm down, but he is shown to
channelise his anger towards those who are responsible for the plight
of his people and him.
Director: Saeed Akhtar
Mirza
Music: Bhaskar
Chandavarkar, Manas Mukherjee
Writer: Saeed Akhtar
Mirza
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah,
Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Dilip Dhawan, Om Puri
#57 Sparsh (1980)
On a story level, this
Sai Paranjpye film was a simple tale of a relationship between a
blind man and a woman; but on a symbolic level, it explored the
feeling of touch, not just as a sense but as a feeling. An apex
example of subtle acting, the film handles complex issues pertaining
to interpersonal relationships, beliefs and above all, love.
Naseeruddin Shah, in his National Award winning role as Anirudh
Parmar, portrayed the blind teacher with amazing poise. Shabana Azmi
is stunning in her portrayal of the widowed Kavita Prasad. Sai
Paranjpye won the National Award for best screenplay, whose visuals
captured the simplicity of the narrative with utmost grace.
Highlighting the divide between the seeing world and the blind, the
film underlined the importance of sensitivity. The music by Kanu Roy,
performed by Sulkshana Pandit blends very well with the story and a
special piece by Sarod legend Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is a treat for the
music lovers too.
Director: Sai Paranjpye
Producer: Basu
Bhattacharya
Writer: Sai Paranjpye
Music: Kanu Roy
Cinematographer: Virendra
Saini
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah,
Shabana Azmi, Sudha Chopra, Om Puri, Mohan Gokhale
#58 Angoor (1982)
Apart from being a
renowned poet-lyricist, Gulzar's contribution to cinema is not
limited to the written word. He has directed over 20 films like
Aandhi, Koshish, Parichay and many more. Angoor, which was based on
Shakespeare's A Comedy Of Errors, remains one of Indian cinema's
finest comedies. Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma, both in double roles
as Ashok and Bahadur, provide for a humorous plot that never gets
old. The film is neither technically well-crafted, nor are the
dialogues responsible for the humour. But Gulzar's ability of
adapting the universal plot to particular situations, and then
generating laughter with only those situations, is admirable. A clean
comedy, which may be a lost form today, Angoor is one of those rare
films that is liked by audience of all sections.
Director: Gulzar
Producer: Jai Singh
Writer: Gulzar
Music: RD Burman
Cast: Sanjeev Kumar,
Deven Verma, Aruna Irani, Deepti Naval, Moushumi Chatterjee, Padma
Chauhan, Utpal Dutt, Shammi
#59 Sadma (1983)
As an autistic
child-woman, Sridevi played her career defining role as Reshmi,
opposite her caretaker Somu played by Kamal Hassan. The film was a
tragic tale of two traumas, one which pushes the characters into the
situation and one which pulls them out of it. Somu, rescues a
mentally-challenged Nehalata from a life of prostitution and looks
after her. Through various melodic montages, which include Gulzar
lyrics bound by classic Ilayaraaja compositions in songs like Aye
Zindagi Gale Lagaa Le (Suresh Wadkar) and Surmayee Ankhiyon Mein
(Yesudas), director Balu Mahendra showcases how a pure bond of love
is formed between the two. Reshmi falls in love with Somu, however,
he doesn't feel that way and is interested in getting her cured. Just
as he gets used to life as it is, Somu's attempt to cure Reshmi
finally pays off. And when he visits her, she refuses to recognise
him. It comes as a devastating shock not only to Somu, but the
audience too. Balu's storytelling makes you feel involved in the plot
and makes you develop empathy for the principle characters.
Director: Balu Mahendra
Producer: Raj N. Sippy
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Ilayaraaja
Cinematographer: Balu
Mahendra
Cast: Kamal Hassan,
Sridevi, Gulshan Grover, Silk Smitha
#60 Saaransh (1984)
A 29-year-old Anupam Kher
plays the role of an aged man in Mahesh Bhatt's memorable film
Saaransh. For its moving and emotionally charged content, handled
with maturity, the film was critically well-received. The film won
many awards at the Filmfare and was India's official entry to the
Oscars that year. The film was about an old couple who have lost
their son, an event which makes their lives take a turn for the
worse. Rohini Hattangadi, who played Anupam Kher's wife in the film
delivered a breath-taking performance, however, with his portrayal of
a man almost twice his real age, Anupam Kher stole the show. In a
pivotal scene where the stubborn old man has to hustle with Customs
officers for the custody of his son's ashes, Kher demonstrates the
power of acting and how the artist can make you believe in the
constructed reality of a film.
Director: Mahesh Bhatt
Producer: Tarachand
Barjatya
Music: Ajit Verman
Cinematographer: Adeep
Tandon
Cast: Anupam Kher, Rohini
Hattangadi, Soni Razdan, Madan Jain
#61 Ek Ruka Hua Faisla
(1986)
Remake of Sidney Lumet's
Hollywood film 12 Angry Men, Ek Ruka Hua Faisla is an intense
courtroom drama. The film takes place in one enclosed room, where 12
male members of the jury have assembled to deliberate their decision
over a young man who is accused of having murdered his father. When
the film opens, all except one (KK Raina) of the jury members is
convinced that the accused is guilty. The entire film then, is a
series of arguments where the 11 members try to turn the 12th member
to achieve a unanimous decision. Although a re-creation of a very
successful film, Ek Ruka Hua Faisla is more than just a copy. The
ensemble cast provides powerful performances and strong emphasis on
dialogue which puts you in a situation where you too have to make a
choice as to whether or not the man is guilty.
Director: Basu Chatterjee
Writer: Ranjit Kapoor
Cinematographer: Ajay
Prabhakar
Cast: Deepak Kejriwal,
Amitabh Srivastav, Pankaj Kapur, SM Zaheer, Subhash Udghate, Hemant
Mishra, MK Raina, KK Raina, Annu Kapoor, Subbiraj, Shailendra Goel,
Aziz Qureshi, CD Sindhu
#62 Ijaazat (1987)
This Gulzar film, about
the complexities of modern relationships, is poetry on screen, to say
the least. The film is the story of two lovers, Mahendra and Sudha,
played by Naseeruddin Shah and Rekha. The film follows the story of
couple who are separated and later meet in a railway station waiting
room accidentally and discover some truths about their lives without
each other. With Gulzar's poetry not limited to the songs, the film's
dialogues have a poetic edge that strengthens the understanding of
the deep set relationship dynamics between the characters. RD
Burman's music aids the poetic narrative with two ghazals and two
other songs, all sung by Asha Bhosale. The song Mera Kuch Saaman also
fetched Asha Bhosale a National Award. The film is perhaps Gulzar's
most sensitive one, and Rekha's poignant performance is by far her
most acclaimed and memorable role.
Director: Gulzar
Producer: RK Gupta
Writer: Subodh Ghosh
(story) Gulzar (Screenplay)
Music: RD Burman
Cast: Rekha, Naseeruddin
Shah, Anuradha Patel, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor
#63 Mirch Masala (1987)
Set in colonial India,
this Ketan Mehta film tells a brave tale of retaliation against
oppression. Starring Naseeruddin Shah in one of his most important
negative roles as the Subedaar, the film narrates the story of a
village in central India which lives in terror of the tax collectors.
However, Subedaar doesn't simply collect tax, he also forces the
village women to sleep with him. But things change as he commands a
strong woman, Sonbai (Smita Patil), whose husband is away, to sleep
with him. And when the cowardly men of the village fail to save the
honour, the women themselves make arrangements for a final
confrontation that will put them out of a life of constant
submission. A deep comment on the issue of women's empowerment, Ketan
Mehta's Mirch Masala is one of few Indian feminist films and
therefore, one of the most important films too.
Director: Ketan Mehta
Producer: Chunilal Madia
Music: Rajat Dholakia
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah,
Smita Patil, Om Puri, Suresh Oberoi, Deepti Naval, Dina Pathak, Mohan
Gokhale, Paresh Rawal
#64 Mr India (1987)
After Masoom, his maiden
film, Shekhar Kapur returned with Mr India and dispelled all the
notions about his style of filmmaking. Mr India was a film for
everyone; it had fantasy, romance, drama, comedy and all that you
want from a film. The story is that of an underdog, Arun Verma (Anil
Kapoor), who finds power in the form of a band of invisibility and
uses it to fight evil. The film is known for its comical megalomaniac
villain Mogambo, and his catchphrase 'Mogambo Khush Hua', which has
since become iconic. Mr India was the last film that the hit duo of
Salim-Javed wrote together. The music for this film was composed by
Laxmikant-Pyarelal who are responsible for the classics like Kaate
Nahi Kat Te and Hawa Hawaai. Mr India, in more ways than one, was
modern India's first local superhero.
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Producer: Boney Kapoor
Writers: Salim-Javed
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Cast: Anil Kapoor,
Sridevi, Amrish Puri, Satish Kaushik, Annu Kapoor
#65 Qayamat Se Qayamat
Tak (1988)
Aamir Khan, the
guitar-strumming college-boy singing Papa Kehte Hain, announced the
arrival of a new generation in Indian cinema, with his first
commercial success --- Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Juhi Chawla, who also
played her first major role in this film opposite Aamir, was
projected as the next big thing. This film, about a young boy and a
girl who fall in love against the wishes of their feuding families,
is a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The
young and romantic mood of this film shifted the paradigm from the
existing violent and dark attributes associated with the films of
that era. The music was one of the major contributing factors with
most of the songs going on to become hit singles. Sung entirely by
the duo of Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan, the songs like Akele Hain
Toh Kya Gum Hai and Ae Mere Humsafar were some of the most popular
songs of the period. Quite deservingly winning the National Award for
the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, QSQT also
dominated the laurels at the Filmfare.
Director: Mansoor Khan
Producer: Nasir Hussain
Music: Anand-Milind
Lyrics: Majrooh
Sultanpuri
Cast: Aamir Khan, Juhi
Chawla
#66 Salaam Bombay (1988)
This Mira Nair work is
one of those films that can be made only once. The neo-realist
treatment showed the city of Mumbai from a completely fresh vantage
point and the ease with which it was done is commendable. Shot on
real locations, this film shows the dark side of the city of dreams
?right from the cluttered, notorious red-light area of Falkland Road
to the dark and eerie juvenile home. With character actors like
Raghuvir Yadav, Nana Patekar and Irrfan Khan in the midst and most
lead roles played by real slum kids, Salaam Bombay tears the mask off
a lucrative city. In terms of the time at which it was made, the
content was too real and too shocking for the everyday viewer. The
film was re-released in select cities very recently on completion of
its 25 glorious years.
Director: Mira Nair
Music: L Subramaniam
Cinematographer: Sandi
Sissel
Cast: Shafiq Syed, Tara
lasrado, Hansa Vithal, Chanda Sharma, Anita Kanwar, Nana Patekar,
Raghuvir Yadav
#67 Pushpak (1988)
Nearly six decades after
sound made its entry into cinema, Pushpak was made. The film's
tagline says a lot about what it actually did ?A silent film that
speaks. It tells the story of an unemployed man, who happens to have
a moment of fortune as he takes up the identity of a rich man. As
part of his new life, he gets to stay at Hotel Pushpak, a 5-star
hotel in the city. There, he meets Amala and falls in love with her.
But riches don't come easy. A hired assassin plans to kill Kamal
Hassan because he mistakes him to be the real rich guy. The film has
some memorable scenes, like the scene at the bus stop with a fancy
wrapped gift with human faeces and the one where Kamal, inspired by
the proverbial crow, fills his cup of tea with nuts and bolts to make
it look full. A landmark film in the history of Indian cinema,
Pushpak is a great example of chronicling humour of everyday
situations without binding them in words.
Director: Sangeetam
Srinivasrao
Writer: Sangeetam
Srinivasrao
Music: Vaidyanathan
Cast: Kamal Haasan,
Amala, Tinu Anand, Farida Jalal, PL Narayana, KS Ramesh, Prathap
Pothan, Loknath
#68 Parinda (1989)
One of Vidhu Vinod
Chopra's most important films, Parinda marks a critical point in
Indian cinema as it initiated a whole new genre of realist gangster
films which later snowballed into films like Satya, Sarkar and more
recently, Gangs of Wasseypur. India's entry at the Oscars in the
foreign language category, the film explores a conflict between two
brothers who are caught on opposite sides of a gang war. The
memorable negative character of Anna played by National Award winning
Nana Patekar, was initially offered to Naseeruddin Shah; and in a
parallel universe where he did take that role, an equally awesome
version of Parinda must exist. The film can also be considered a
segue between the mindless 80s and the reformatory 90s when the mass
audience's acceptance to realism in films increased exponentially.
Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor, who played Kishan and Karan, have
collaborated on several occasions like Ram Lakhan, Karma and 1942 A
Love Story, and are still considered a great on-screen duo.
Director: Vidhu Vinod
Chopra
Writer: Ishraq Suja
Cinematographer: Binod
Pradhan
Music: RD Burman
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Anil
Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Nana Patekar, Anupam Kher and others
#69 Roja (1992)
Released on Independence
Day in 1992, this Mani Ratnam film was the first of his trilogy (the
others being Bombay and Dil Se) that showcases human relationships
against the backdrop of India's socio-political scenarios. Originally
made in Tamil, the film won the National Award for best film on
national integration; and was later dubbed in Hindi, Telugu,
Malayalam and Marathi. The integration spirit remained attached to
Roja for a long time as Doordarshan broadcast this film on almost
every Independence Day in the years that followed. The theme of
patriotism and the embedded love story aside, Roja will always be
remembered for one very significant contribution. The movie was AR
Rahman's debut as a music director and with a soundtrack that was
made up of Roja Janeman, Yeh Haseen Wadiya and the patriotic Bharat
Hum Ko Jaan Se Pyara Hai, he became an instant phenomenon. And the
rest, as they say, is history.
Director: Mani Ratnam
Producer: K Balachander
Cinematographer: Santosh
Sivan
Music: AR Rahman
Cast: Arvind Swamy,
Madhoo, Pankaj Kapur, Nassar, Janagaraj
#70 Jo Jeeta Wohi
Sikander (1992)
This sports drama, based
on a college-level cycling competition in a small town on a hill
station, is one of the freshest films made in the early '90s.
Starring Aamir Khan, the film focused on an underdog, who rises to
the occasion against all odds to win the race. The young faces and
fresh content made this film appealing to the younger audience and is
one of the finest motivational films of recent years. With Jo Jeeta
Wohi Sikander, the music composer duo of Jatin-Lalit made themselves
visible in the industry with songs like Yahaan Ke Hum Sikander, Arre
Yaaro Mere Pyaro and Rooth Ke Humse (sung by Jatin Pandit himself).
Pehla Nasha, which was the pick of the lot, also has the distinction
of becoming the first Hindi film song to be picturised in
slow-motion; however, the eminence of being the first song in Indian
cinema that was shot in slo-mo goes to Sundari Neeyum from Michael
Madana Kama Rajan, starring Kamal Haasan.
Director: Mansoor Khan
Producer: Nasir Hussain
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Lyrics: Majrooh
Sultanpuri
Cast: Aamir Khan, Ayesha
Jhulka, Mamik Singh, Deepak Tijori, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Pooja Bedi
#71 Damini (1993)
In this 'man versus
world' conflict, which is more intriguing, given that the 'man' is
actually a woman, Meenakshi Sheshadri plays Damini, a woman who
stands for truth and innocence. Married into a wealthy family, she is
faced with a dilemma when she witnesses her brother-in-law commit a
rape. Completely discredited by her family and put into a mental
institution, Damini is alone in her struggle for justice. She escapes
the institution and receives help from an alcoholic lawyer Govind
(Sunny Deol), a role which fetched him a National Award as a
supporting actor and established him as the rough, angry man that he
played in most of his latter films. This Rajkumar Santoshi film has
been of symbolic importance ever since. The victim of the infamous
Delhi rape case last year, was nicknamed Damini by the media, with
the film in context.
Director: Rajkumar
Santoshi
Writer: Dilip Shukla
Music: Nadeem-Shravan
Lyrics: Sameer
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Sunny
Deol, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Vijayendra Ghatge, Rohini Hattangadi,
Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal, Tinu Anand
#72 Hum Aapke Hain
Koun...! (1994)
Known for his own brand
of cinema, Hum Aapke hain Koun...! is Sooraj Barjatya's
interpretation of a dramatic wedding video. However, calling it that
would be undermining this 206 minute saga where the only bad guy, are
the circumstances. With a soundtrack that consisted of 14 songs, the
first half has scenes that simply play the role of a segue between
two songs. The film makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you believe
in love and makes you believe that dogs are ways smarter than some of
the people. The stunning Madhuri Dixit opposite the chocolate
romantic Salman Khan make for a great on-screen couple, with some
grotesquely romantic moments like the fake coughing and the
sling-shot. The film has a massive following even today and in its
year, won the National Award for the film providing wholesome
entertainment.
Director: Sooraj Barjatya
Producer: Rajshri
Productions
Writer: Sooraj Barjatya
Music: Raamlaxman
Cast: Madhuri Dixit,
Salman Khan, Mohnish Bahl, Renuka Shahane, Laxmikant Berde, Anupam
Kher
#73 Bandit Queen (1994)
This internationally
acclaimed film by Shekhar Kapur can be described as an intriguing and
honest docu-drama based on the life of Phoolan Devi, a bandit queen
who was sent to prison in 1983 and released in 1994. The several
impenitently filmed scenes make the film a gruelling, unbearable and
overwhelming experience against the magnificent setting of the
beautifully photographed desert in Northern India. Seema Biswas, with
her small, fierce personality and deep eyes, paints a brutally true
picture of the character in her national award winning performance.
The music for this film was composed by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
and the song Saaware, is an ethereal number that stays with you for a
long time. In comparison to most Indian films, Bandit Queen could
easily be classified among other mainstream Hollywood films; and
director Shekhar Kapur’s western influences are clearly visible in
the film. The film overpowers the viewer and compels him to look into
the eyes of life after its mask has been taken off.
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Producer: Bobby Bedi
Music: Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, Roger White
Cinematographer: Ashok
Mehta
Cast: Seema Biswas,
Nirmal Pandey, Aditya Srivastava, Manoj Bajpai, Saurabh Shukla,
Raghuvir Yadav
#74 Andaz Apna Apna
(1994)
Amidst all the ego
clashes, lack of dates, pre-production setbacks and a box office
failure; it is a miracle that Rajkumar Santoshi's Andaz Apna Apna saw
the light of day. Over time, it has grown into one of the most
celebrated comedies in Indian cinema and has a cult following which
has developed fairly recently. The comedy of errors with two central
characters Amar and Prem, played by Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, is
the only time the duo worked together. The dialogues, written by
Santoshi and Dilip Shukla, are the backbone of the humour and are
played out well by the caricature characters like that of Robert and
Bhalla (Viju Khote and Shehzad Khan), Teja (Paresh Rawal) and Mogambo
Ka Bhatija Crime Master Gogo (Shakti Kapoor). Over the years, the
film has aged like good wine; and given that this trend continues,
the scenes and dialogues from this film will be seen in scriptures
and murals.
Director: Rajkumar
Santoshi
Producer: Vinay Kumar
Sinha
Music: Tushar Bhatiah
Cast: Aamir Khan, Salman
Khan, Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Shakti Kapoor
#75 Dilwale Dulhaniya Le
Jayenge (1995)
Released on October 20,
1995, this maiden Aditya Chopra film has a lot of historic
significance. Still running successfully at Maratha Mandir in Mumbai,
DDLJ has completed over 800 weeks at the theatres. Highlighting the
paradigm shift in Hindi cinema with its focus on the Indian diaspora
in the West, a third of the film is set in Europe. With Shahrukh Khan
as Raj, an NRI who is shown as the good guy with a higher moral
ground as compared to his Indian counterpart Kuljeet (Parmeet Sethi),
the film marked a change of approach in the mainstream. Jatin-Lalit's
soundtrack produced several hit songs, some of which were picturised
in Central Europe. SRK and Kajol, perhaps the most looked-forward-to
pair in the '90s, have immortalised this innocent love story of Raj
and Simran.
Director: Aditya Chopra
Producer: Yash Raj Films
Writer: Aditya Chopra
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Cast: Shahrukh Khan,
Kajol, Anupam Kher, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Parmeet Sethi, Mandira
Bedi
#76 Rangeela (1995)
This RGV film,
appreciated for its noble theme that portrayed the film industry
itself, from a very internal vantage point, is perhaps the greatest
work from the maker till date. Having written and directed this film,
Rangeela is, from beginning to end, an RGV film. Starring the
perfectionist Aamir Khan as a typical Mumbaiyya tapori Munna, who
sells tickets in black outside cinema halls, and Urmila Matondkar as
Mili, who works as an extra on films. Mili, with her ambitions to
become a star finds herself fancying superstar Raj Kamal (Jackie
Shroff), who gets her an audition which changes her life. The film
elegantly narrates the story of this poor young woman, who makes it
big in the industry only to find herself caught in the dilemma of a
love triangle that includes her best friend and her co-star. The
film's music, composed by AR Rahman, marks the musical giant's first
original soundtrack for a Hindi film. With songs like Tanha Tanha,
Kya Kare Kya Na Kare, Hai Rama, and Pyar Ye Jaane Kaisa; recorded in
the voices of renowned artists like?Asha Bhosle, Hariharan, Kavita
Krishnamurthy, Suresh Wadkar, Udit Narayan and others, Rahman showed
the world his repertoire and increased the expectations from his
growing fan base. As time has now revealed, he has lived up to those
expectations. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Ram Gopal
Varma who, today, is a vague reminder of the man who made Rangeela
and Satya.
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Producer: Ram Gopal Varma
Music: AR Rahman
Lyrics: Mehboob
Cast: Aamir Khan, Urmila
Matondkar, Jackie Shroff
#77 Sarfarosh (1999)
Mai apne mulq ko apna
ghar samajhta hoon, says ACP Rathod, played by Aamir Khan in John
Mathew Matthan's patriotic thriller, Sarfarosh. Although this
underlines the film's theme, there is more to ACP Rathod than meets
the eye. Sarfarosh shows Aamir Khan as a multi-dimensional hero. His
powerful performance and dialogue delivery, which later became
effortless traits in his acting, are loved by his fans even today. A
hardcore, mainstream hindi film with songs for every mood, it
portrays ACP Rathod as the all-rounder who romances with his college
crush, worships Ghazals and when the time comes, doesn't flinch in
straightening the bad guys. Naseeruddin Shah, who plays the
antagonist, a famed Ghazal singer Gulfaam Hassan, delivers yet
another memorable performance. Also, in retrospective, a scene where
Rathod is interrogating suspects played by a couple of junior
artists, has become important over time. A decade later, the scene
represents the starting point of the journey of acclaimed actor
Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Director: John Mathew
Matthan
Writer: John Mathew
Matthan
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Cast: Aamir Khan, Sonali
Bendre, Mukesh Rishi, Naseeruddin Shah, Shri Vallabh Vyas, Makarand
Deshpande
#78 Monsoon Wedding
(2001)
During the turn of the
century, more and more importance given to the Indian audience abroad
saw a new trend emerge in the Indian film industry. Monsoon Wedding,
a film which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, is a
screaming example of the same trend. This Mira Nair film, is set on a
backdrop of a lavish Punjabi wedding – an occasion for the entire
extended family to come together. But, aside from the mania of a
lavish Indian wedding, the film explored the theme of a transition
period where the old tradition began to mingle with the technology
driven western thought. The film is truly international in its
production but has an Indian heart. Mychael Danna, who we now know
for the music of Life Of Pi, composed the soundtrack for this film
without losing sight of its theme and assembled a track which
consists of a qawwali by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a ghazal by Farida
Khanum, a Punjabi song by Sukhwinder Singh, an old Indian song by
Rafi, a folk dance song and a few pop numbers by the likes of Midival
Punditz and Alex Kid.
Director: Mira Nair
Writer: Sabrina Dhawan
Music: Mychael Danna
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah,
Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah, Vasundhara Das, Vijay Raaz, Tillotama
Shome
#79 Mr and Mrs Iyer
(2002)
With this intricately
woven story of a simple yet complex relationship between two
strangers, Aparna Sen proved yet again the dramatic power of realism.
On a bus journey, photographer Raja Chowdhury and Meenakshi, a
married woman, find themselves trapped in a riot. Posing as a couple,
they find a safe house to rest before the curfew is lifted. A well
acted romance, the film captures the essence of a dilemma faced by
the characters who are brought together by circumstance, but when the
time comes, their feelings have to be deferred. Konkona Sen Sharma,
then a youngster, portrayed a Tamil-brahmin housewife with such ease
that made you forget her Bengali origin while watching the film.
Goutam Ghose's soothing imagery cradled the hesitant romance between
the two and Zakir Hussain's music gave a sense of balance by creating
a contrast between the chaos and peace, which are both a part of this
simple epic.
Director: Aparna Sen
Producer: N. Venkatesan,
Rupali Mehta
Writer: Aparna Sen
Music: Zakir Hussain
Cinematographer: Goutam
Ghose
Cast: Rahul Bose, Konkona
Sen Sharma
#80 Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Farhan Akhtar's first
film as a director, Dil Chahta Hai set a lot of trends in the in the
industry. Set in modern upper-class Mumbai, the narrated a youthful
tale of three friends in a transition period in their lives. The
friends Akaash, Sameer and Siddharth, played by Aamir Khan, Saif Ali
Khan and Akshaye Khanna, effortlessly portrayed the essence of
friendship which justifies a dialogue from the film - "Ya toh
dosti gehri hai; ya phir yeh photo 3D hai". A huge chunk of the
first half is shot in Goa, and it deserves a little credit for Goa
becoming a bachelors' hot-spot in the recent years. The film was also
a turning point in the career of the music composing trio of
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The soundtrack was well-received by the audience
and the song Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe became a contemporary youth anthem, much like Awara Hoon from the 50s.
Farhan Akhtar, who brought a fresh perspective into Hindi cinema with
this film, signified yet another brick in the foundation of a new
wave in the mainstream that was in contrast to the earlier decades.
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Producer: Ritesh Sidhwani
Writers: Farhan Akhtar,
Kassim Jagmagia
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Cast: Aamir Khan, Saif
Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Dimple
Kapadia
#81 Hazaaron Khwaishein
Aisi (2003)
Set in the time of
emergency, a part of Indian history that is seldom talked about, this
love triangle transcends the expectations and the complications of
interpersonal relationships and makes a deep comment on the
intricacies of our system. Written and directed by Sudhir Mishra,
this realist film did not really work at the box office but is one of
the most important films of the 21st century. With a powerful
performance by Kay Kay as Siddharth, a leftist rebel who has
renounced his inherited riches to take up arms against the
established order; along with debutants Chitrangda Singh and Shiney
Ahuja, the film makes a deep impact. Its lyrical commentary which
carries the narrative, is composed brilliantly by Shantanu Moitra.
Swanand Kirkire, the film's chief lyricist, made an instant
everlasting impression with songs like Baanwara Mann, Mann Yeh
Baanwara and?Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. The film tells a tale of
expectations, dreams, love and above all, destiny.
Director: Sudhir Mishra
Producer: Rangita Pritish
Nandy
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Cast: Kay Kay Menon,
Chitrangada Singh, Shiney Ahuja, Saurabh Shukla, Ram Kapoor
#82 Black Friday (2004)
After his first film,
Paanch, was shelved by the censor board for being neither
entertaining nor educating, Anurag Kashyap made Black Friday, a film
that also ran into trouble. Made in 2004, the film that told The True
Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, managed to release in India only in
2007. Its analytical details in place, Black Friday was taken to a
higher level by the neo-realist dramatization of the events and the
stunning performances by Kay Kay Menon (Rakesh Maria), Pavan Malhotra
(Tiger Memon) and Aditya Srivastava (Baadshah Khan). Indian Ocean,
one of India's first folk-rock band, composed the soundtrack and the
background score for the film. The song Bandeh, written by Piyush
Mishra, is the band's most popular song even today. For Anurag
Kashyap, Black Friday was the first step in showing the world that
Hindi cinema is not limited to the lavish super-productions that
dominated the box office.
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Producer: Arindam Mitra
Writer: Anurag Kashyap
(screenplay), Hussain S. Zaidi (novel)
Cinematographer:
Natarajan Subramaniam
Music: Indian Ocean
Cast: Kay Kay Menon,
Pavan Malhotra, Aditya Srivastava, Imtiaz Ali, Pratima Kazmi, Zakir
Hussain
#83 Swades (2004)
Made at a time when the
'American Dream' was at peak in urban India, Swades proved to be an
unofficial appeal to the youth to stay and help improve their own
nation. Causing a wholesale change of heart among Indians abroad, the
film carried an emotion that you couldn't surpass. The story of Mohan
Bhargav, a scientist at NASA, who revisits his roots and is compelled
to stay and empower his people, the film connected with the audience
through its grounded setting and honest content. AR Rahman's
soundtrack was yet another album which became a collector's muse. And
the visuals, which showed India from inside, was a great painting of
the contrast and paradox that exists in this great country. Ashutosh
Gowariker's signature, a lengthy film, Swades is worth its duration
and is a great reminder for everyone who is longing to go home.
Director: Ashutosh
Gowariker
Cinematographer: Mahesh
Aney
Music: AR Rahman
Cast: Shahrukh Khan,
Gayatri Joshi
#84 Lage Raho Munna Bhai
(2006)
After the success of
Munna Bhai MBBS, Lage Raho was the sequel to Rajkumar Hirani's Munna
Bhai franchise. This film sees the good-hearted goon, Munna (Sanjay
Dutt), hallucinating about Gandhi. He has long conversations with the
Mahatma, who lends an ear and also suggests a solution to his
problems. Munna implements these principles and teachings to overcome
his predicaments - by apologising to the girl he loves about lying to
her and also by using Satyagraha as a means to save her house from
being snapped by Lucky Singh (Boman Irani). The neo-satyagraha,
termed as Gandhigiri in the film, spread across cities like wild
fire. Rajkumar Hirani's style of preaching and handing out morals in
a jovial manner has always proved effective. His 'aal izz well' and
'excellence ke peeche bhaago, success jhak maar ke ayegi' from 3
Idiots is yet another example of the same. The third film in the
series, Munna Bhai Chale America ran into some rough seas and hasn't
seen the light of the day yet; but Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi's?duo
of Munna and Circuit will be remembered by film buffs for a long
time.
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Producer: Vidhu Vinod
Chopra
Writers: Vidhu Vinod
Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Arshad
Warsi, Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Dia Mirza, Jimmy
Shergill, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Saurabh Shukla
#85 Omkara (2006)
The great Shakespearen
tragedy, Othello has been adequately Indianised and reconstructed to
fit the setting by director Vishal Bhardwaj who had already
successfully adapted Macbeth a couple of years ago with Maqbool. With
Ajay Devgn playing the title role, and Kareena Kapoor as Dolly
(Desdemona), the most remarkable character in the film was Langda
Tyagi (Iago). A role of a lifetime for Saif Ali Khan, Langda Tyagi
became one of the most outstanding villains of the 21st century.
Vishal Bhardwaj, the multifaceted filmmaker, also composed the music
for his film and the album was a hit. Gulzar's lyrics ranging from
the party number Beedi to the hauntingly elegant Jag Ja, sung by
Suresh Wadkar and O Saathi Re, have given the music its soul.
Capturing the essence of the tragedy, Bhardwaj took the best from
Shakespeare and transformed it into an audio-visual treat.
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Producer: Kumar Mangat
Pathak
Writers: Vishal Bhardwaj,
Robin Bhatt, Abhishek Chaubey, William Shakespeare (original story)
Music: Vishal Bhardwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Saif
Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Bipasha
Basu, Naseeruddin Shah
#86 Rang De Basanti
(2006)
Opening with a quote by
Bismil, "Ab bhi jiska khoon na khaula, khoon nahi who paani hai;
jo desh ke kaam na aye, woh bekaar jawaani hai", Rang De
Basanti, fulfils its purpose and lights a flame of activism among the
young blood. Made at a time when India was just about getting
accustomed to it being a young nation, the film did to India's youth
what a flamboyant, charismatic leader does to them with his speeches.
Combining two narratives, one set in contemporary India and the other
from the glorious history books, the film initially shows a paradox
in the mindset of the?youth and later portrays how all you need for a
revolution, is a spark. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's stylistic visuals
and rapid cutting between scenes made the film very appealing to the
youth. AR Rahman's music, coupled with Prasoon Joshi's lyrics,
produced unforgettable songs like Rang De Basanti, Khalbali, Khoon
Chala, Roobaroo and Paathshala that have become immortal youth
anthems. Made in the same year as Lage Raho Munna Bhai, RDB received
a similar mass-reaction and proved yet again that the philosophy of
Bhagat Singh and Gandhi can still cause ripples in our society.
Director: Rakeysh
Omprakash Mehra
Producer: UTV, Aamir
Khan, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Writer: Rensil D'Silva
(screenplay), Kamlesh Pandey (story)
Cinematographer: Binod
Pradhan
Music: AR Rahman
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Cast: Aamir Khan,
Siddharth Narayan, Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan, Waheeda Rehman, R
Madhavan, Kunal Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Alice Patten
#87 Chak De! India (2007)
The genre of sports films
is largely neglected in Indian cinema. Save for Lagaan, which was the
meeting point of two of India's biggest passions, hindi films and
cricket, there haven't been many success stories to tell. But when
Chak De! hit the theatres, it compelled a positive reaction from the
audience. A triumphant tale of an underdog team, led by a coach who
has his pride at stake, the film combined the unpredictability of
sports very smoothly with scripted drama. SRK gave perhaps his most
critically acclaimed performance as Kabir Khan. His character's
resemblance to the life of former hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi was
coincidental, but Negi was later incorporated in the film and also
played a cameo. Salim-Sulaiman's inspirational soundtrack and some
pivotal dialogue sequences like the '70 minutes' speech and the half
time pep-talk in the match against Argentina, couldn't have come at a
better time. Parallels were drawn between instances from the film and
India's T20 World Cup triumph and the successful, controversial tour
of Australia.
Director: Shimit Amin
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Writer: Jaideep Sahni
Music: Salim-Sulaiman
Cast: Shahrukh Khan,
Anjan Srivastav, Shilpa Shukla, Vidya Malvade, Sagarika Ghatge
#88 Gulabi Talkies (2008)
One of the pioneering
figures in the parallel cinema movement, Girish Kasaravalli is the
flag-bearer of alternate cinema in Karnataka. Having won the National
Award four times for his films, Kasaravalli has carved a niche for
himself and has created an audience that eagerly wait for his next
film. What makes Gulabi Talkies so special, is its premise. Gulabi, a
neglected midwife, is an outcast living on an island with the fisher
folk. The only upbeat aspect of her life is her undeterred obsession
for films, and that obsession is only strengthened with the
introduction of a television set in her life. Her modest hut suddenly
turns into a hub for all the villagers. The film later grows into a
sad commentary of the communal disharmony experienced by the village.
However, its spirit is Gulabi's passion which rubs off on the village
even in the times of distress. Umashree, who plays Gulabi, received a
National Award for best actress, for her honest portrayal of a poor,
unwanted woman with a simple purpose.
Director: Girish
Kasaravalli
Producer: Basantkumar
Patil
Writer: Girish
Kasaravalli, Vaidehi (Story)
Cinematographer: S
Ramachandra Aithal
Music: Isaac Thomas
Kottukapally
Cast: Umashree, KG
Krishna Murthy, MD Pallavi
#89 A Wednesday (2008)
Part of an unofficial
trilogy of films set in Mumbai along with Aamir and Mumbai Meri Jaan,
Neeraj Pandey's directorial debut , A Wednesday ,came as a pleasant
surprise to audiences, who went into the film not expecting much. It
addresses a very pivotal existential crisis of insecurity that
lingered in Mumbai after a set of terrorist activities. It unravels
like a well-kept secret and astonishes you with every single turn of
events in the narrative. With exceptional performances by Anupam Kher
and Naseeruddin Shah, the film is a minimalist thriller that takes
place almost entirely on the battlefield of the mind. The conflict
between an unassuming common man with a vicious plan and a protector
of law and order, A Wednesday is a cleverly written film with
intelligent dialogues, which showcase the contrast between two
philosophies whose objectives are the same.
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Producer: Ronnie
Screwvala
Writer: Neeraj Pandey
Music: Sanjay Chowdhury
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah,
Anupam Kher, Jimmy Sheirgill, Aamir Bashir, Deepal Shaw
#90 Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
(2008)
Based on the chronicles
of real-life super chor Devinder Singh (Bunty), this Dibaker Banerjee
film is a great follow-up to his previous venture Khosla Ka Ghosla,
which surprised audience and critics alike. Known for his unique
style and brand of cinema, Dibaker brought something new to the table
with Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. The film, which won the National Award
for Best Popular Film, is truly special for its fresh screenplay and
its conscious non-adherence to the story-telling norms of Bollywood.
Another element that makes the film so remarkable is its
characterization. Abhay Deol, who plays the lead role, portrays Lucky
as a man who has chosen the path of crime not due to circumstances,
but as a way of life. Paresh Rawal, who plays three separate roles in
the film, that of Lucky's father, Gogi Arora and Dr Handa; is an
example of using an actor as a metaphor in the narrative. Manjot
Singh (young Lucky) and Richa Chadda(Dolly) leave an everlasting
impression with their small but significant parts. Sneha Khanwalkar's
contemporary interpretation of folk music makes the soundtrack
extremely remarkable with its groovy overtones.
Director: Dibaker
Banerjee
Producer: Ronnie
Screwvala
Writers: Urmi Juvekar,
Dibaker Banerjee
Music: Sneha Khanwalkar
Cast: Abhay Deol, Paresh
Rawal, Richa Chadda, Neetu Chandra
#91 Luck By Chance (2009)
A tale of destiny, fate,
luck, ambition, love and deception, Zoya Akhtar's maiden film Luck By
Chance is about the predicaments of human relationships and the
constant conflict between what we love and what we want. What sets it
apart from other epics that talk of destiny, is the fact that the
whole film takes place against the backdrop of the film industry
itself. An industry daughter, Zoya's keen observations on the quirks
of every single character gives an insider's insight on how stuff
works in the film business. The subtle exchanges between a producer
and a superstar, between two struggling actors, between a starlet and
an upcoming actor ?all add up to a great introduction to the strings
attached to the magic of Bollywood. The songs, written by Javed
Akhtar and composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy capture the various moods
of the film. Sapno Se Bhare Naina and O Rahi Re underline the spirit
of struggle, Baawre explores the circus as a metaphor for the film
industry and the title song, Yeh Zindagi Bhi, tells you about all the
ironies and paradoxes that exist within the enigma of films.
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Farhan Akhtar,
Ritesh Sidhwani
Writer: Zoya Akhtar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Cast: Farhan Akhtar,
Konkona Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Isha
Sharvani, Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Kapoor
#92 Kanjivaram (2009)
A versatile filmmaker,
Priyadarshan is known for making a serious drama like Virasat as well
as comedies like Hera Pheri and Hungama, but this National Award
winning?Tamil film is the true measure of his craftsmanship. Set in
the silk weavers' town of Kanchipuram, in post-independence India,
the film was largely shot in Mysore. Its non-linear narrative, which
unfolds the events from the point-of-view of a modest silk weaver,
Vengadam (Prakash Raj), is perfectly constructed and lets you live
his life in 2 hours. Prakash Raj, who is normally associated with
villainous roles in mainstream, is seen in a new light as a poor
craftsman, whose life is infested with tragedy. It blends tradition,
emotion and time period into one complete work of cinematic art,
which is captured beautifully by lensman Thiru.
Director: Priyadarshan
Producer: Shailendra
Singh, Bhushan Kumar
Writer: Priyadarshan
Music: MG Sreekumar
Cast: Prakash Raj, Shriya
Reddy, Shammu
#93 Dev D (2009)
Devdas, the hypocritical
self-destructive protagonist from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's
novel, is perhaps India's favourite tragic hero. The novel has been
adapted in almost all regional languages at least once, and has three
major Hindi adaptations, starring KL Saigal, Dilip Kumar and Shahrukh
Khan. However, with Dev D, Anurag Kashyap did not want to remake any
of the previous films and the film is an attempt to adapt the novel
in the contemporary setting. Starring Abhay Deol, who conceptualised
the film, Dev D became a revolution among the young audience for its
unconventional visuals, unabashed realism and appealing dialogues and
songs. Rajeev Ravi's cinematography captured the intoxicated vantage
point of the protagonist to the fullest. Amit Trivedi, who had
earlier impressed with his compositions in Aamir, created this
18-song soundtrack which was a game changer. The brass band song
Emosanal Attyachar, performed by Rangeela and Rasila, is the new-age
anthem of the broken heart. Dev D, is the face of how our idea of
tragedy has changed, how our moral viewpoints have changed and from
1917 to 2008, how our cinema has changed.
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Producer: Ronnie
Screwvala
Writer: Anurag Kashyap,
Vikramaditya Motwane
Cinematographer: Rajeev
Ravi
Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh
Bhattacharya
Cast: Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Mahie Gill
#94 Dabangg (2010)
Contrary to his brother's
ideology, Abhinav Kashyap's debut film Dabangg saw him play to the
gallery unapologetically. Brazen and elementary, this Salman Khan
starrer is a great example of how a film can be entertaining without
being crass. It builds a reality of its own and reels you into its
absurdity. Apart from catapulting Salman to dizzying success heights,
Dabangg also introduced us to Sonakshi Sinha, (who before the film
was known only as Shatrughan Sinha's plump daughter). Rumour has it
that Salman promised Sonakshi that he would cast her opposite him if
she lost the extra kilos, which she did and how. Apart from Ms Sinha,
Dabangg gave us Munni who turned badnaam for Chulbul darling.
Featuring Malaika Arora Khan, Munni Badnaam Hui declared the
resurrection of item songs. A strong premise revolving around the
solidarity among family members, what mainly works for the audience
are the glorious set pieces involving Salman Khan. Join the pieces,
and the film is a great experience. The film can also be seen as a
pioneer of a genre that forms on section of Hindi cinema today.
Director: Abhinav Kashyap
Producer: Arbaaz Khan
Writer: Dileep Shukla
Music: Sajid Wajid
Cast: Salman Khan,
Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Arbaaz Khan,
Mahie Gill, Anupam Kher
#95 Anhey Ghorey Da Daan
(2010)
While mainstream Hindi
cinema continues its assembly line style production with nearly 200
films every year, independent cinema has found its own place with
regional language, English as well as Hindi films. Gurvinder Singh's
Anhey Ghorey Da Daan (Alms For A Blind Horse) is a Punjabi film set
in a village on the outskirts of Bathinda, where villagers work in
the fields of the local landlord. It tells the story of a father and
son, who are uncertain of what lies ahead. Portraying the plight of
the working class and the farmers in Punjab. The film travelled
around the world in festivals and was appreciated all over, apart
from winning the National Award. A great example of regional cinema
going global on its reach, the film proved that if you have a great
story to tell, the world is willing to listen.
Director: Gurvinder Singh
Producer: National Film
Development Corporation of India
Writer: Gurdial Singh
Music: Catherine Lamb
Cast: Samuel John, Mal
Singh, Sarabjeet Kaur, Emmanuel Singh, Kulvinder Kaur, Lakha Singh
#96 Udaan (2010)
After being expelled from
school, a teenager comes home to an abusive father.Udaan is a story
of hope, that light always breaks through the darkest moment.
Poetically crafted and heart touching, Vikramaditya Motwane's debut
film angers you, upsets you but shows you a struggle that ultimately
leads to freedom. What enhances the poetic presentation is the film's
music by Amit Trivedi. Binding the lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya,
which capture the enthusiasm of young age with the wishful thinking
and hope, the songs account for a brilliant album. Ronit Roy and Ram
Kapoor, who have both spent a lot of time acting on television, have
taken the film as an opportunity to showcase what they are capable
of. Rajat Barmecha, who plays the lead, does a brilliant job in
portraying the angst-ridden teenager who has a poet's heart. But
above all, what makes Udaan so special is its unpretentious, honest
storytelling which is unaltered by any governing norms of the
industry. Essentially, films like Udaan are the way ahead for Indian
cinema.
Director: Vikramaditya
Motwane
Producer: Anurag Kashyap
Writers: Vikramaditya
Motwane, Anurag Kashyap
Cinematographer: Mahendra
Shetty
Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh
Bhattacharya
Cast: Rajat Barmecha,
Ronit Roy, Aayan Boradia, Ram Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Anand Tiwari,
Sumant Mastkar, Raja Hudda, Varun Khettry, Akshay Sachdev
#97 Band Baaja Baaraat
(2010)
Indian cinema has an
identity in the world for producing lavish romantic comedies with
outrageous song and dance sequences. And for years together, romantic
comedies that have been made have corroded the genre which everyone
loves to see. Maneesh Sharma's Band Bajaa Baaraat, although a
romantic comedy, brought a lot of novelty to this genre and at a time
when the urban youth has begun a shift towards alternate cinema,
showed that the mainstream too has some innovative stories to tell.
With newcomer Ranveer Singh in the lead along with Anushka Sharma,
who had already established herself as a bubbly Punjabi girl, the
film captured the ups and downs of their complex relationship with
honesty. Its contemporary treatment and fresh screenplay were well
received by the critics and accepted by the audience as a welcome
change from the same-old superstar centric films.
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Writer: Habib
Faisal(screenplay)
Music: Salim-Sulaiman
Cast: Anushka
Sharma,Ranveer Singh
#98 Shanghai (2012)
Based on the French film
Z and a novel by the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos, Dibakar
Banerjee's Shanghai stood out like a thumb among the films that were
made in 2012. A dark work of satire, the film provided a sad
commentary on the times we live in. Laden with strong political and
social references, the story revolved around a leader of a campaign
against a big government project. When he is killed in a questionable
road accident an IAS officer is ordered to probe the incident and the
veils of falsehood begin to drop. The minute details and
peculiarities of every single character help in creating a deeper
meaning. Songs like Bharat Maata Ki Jai and Imported Kamariya are
great examples of satirical poetry in cinema. A rarely touched upon
genre in Indian cinema, Shanghai released at a crucial time, when
social media was up in arms against the Government. Emraan Hashmi and
Abhay Deol, both cast in roles unlike their existing reputation,
delivered excellent performances and Dibakar Banerjee added another
feather to his illustrious cap that includes path breaking films like
Khosla Ka Ghosla, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! and Love Sex Aur Dhoka.
Director: Dibakar
Banerjee
Producer: National Film
Development Corporation
Writer: Urmi Juvekar,
Dibakar Banerjee, Rutvik Oza
Cinematographer: Nikos
Andritsakis
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Cast: Abhay Deol, Emraan
Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Farooq Sheikh, Supriya
Pathak, Tillotama Shome, Pitobash Tripathy, Anant Jog
#99 Harishchandrachi
Factory(2009)
A journey which began
with a single man buying a camera to fulfill his passion for a novel
medium, has turned into an industry that produces over 600 movies
every year and a nation that is more than willing to consume it.
However, this journey is not a linear one. Paresh Mokashi's
Harishchandrachi Factory, is a film that pays tribute to Dadasaheb
Phalke's quest for making a film and chronicles the story behind Raja
Harishchandra, which released on May 3, 100 years ago. The film shows
us how we have gone from being fascinated by the moving images to
becoming capable of chronicling the process of the same. Nandu
Madhav's portrayal of Phalke, based on the few film strips of Phalke
in action, is terrific and Nitin Desai's sets well and truly
transport you into the early 1900s where Amalendu Chaudhari's visuals
make you feel involved in the making of India's first film.
Director: Paresh Mokashi
Producer: Ronnie
Screwvala, Paresh Mokashi
Writer: Paresh Mokashi
Cinematographer: Amalendu
Chaudhari
Music: Narendra Bhide
Cast: Nandu Madhav,
Vibhavari Deshpande
#100 Bombay Talkies
(2013)
Celebrating the
completion of 100 years of Indian cinema, four filmmakers that
arguably represent the creme de la creme of Hindi cinema today,
collaborate and bring four short films that celebrate the emotion of
cinema. Apart from the fact that the film that celebrates cinema
releases on its centenary day, the film is a celebration of the
spirit of cinema and narrates the stories of four common people whose
life is influenced, in one way or another, by cinema. Be it the man
who waits days outside Amitabh Bachchan's house in Juhu to fulfill
his father's final wish, or the little boy who is inspired by Katrina
Kaif's Shiela Ki Jawani or a failed actor struggling to prove himself
to his daughter; every story connects personally. The film's music,
by Amit Trivedi, includes two songs that simply speak about the
100-year legacy of cinema and what it means to us. Another song,
Bachchan, is an ode to the superstar of the millennium. A film that
will guide you into stepping into the second century of Indian
cinema, Bombay Talkies brings together several worlds that exist
within Indian cinema.
Directors: Anurag
Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar
Producer: Viacom 18
Motion Pictures
Cinematographer: Rajeev
Ravi
Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh
Bhattacharya, Swanand Kirkire
Cast: Nawazuddin
Siddiqui, Rani Mukerji, Randeep Hooda, Saqib Saleem, Ranvir Shorey,
Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Naman Jain, Vineet Singh
Published in DNA (Pune) from January 19 to May 3, 2013
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