What is your favorite Indian movie?

Aishah

Two very impressive movies I have watched recently are 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara' and 'Dor'. I would rate the former as the better of the two, but both well worth watching.
Also 'Baabul' not quite as good as 'Baghban' but still worth watching - all three movies are tear jerkers in places.

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"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

wichy

The best movie I've seen recently - "Aamir". It's not an entertainment movie, but it's really good at every aspect - directing, script, acting, cinematography... Can't stop watch the final sequence again and again...

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Past the point of no return...

Cardamom

Hi Aishah -

I agree with you on Baabul - I think I went through a whole box of tissues watching that one in the theatre!!! I liked Baghban too - I like the pairing of Amitabh and Hema Malini in movies. I wish she would do more films - seems like she does mostly "special appearances" or cameos lately. Very elegant woman, in my opinion.

-C

wichy

Oh... I've never seen such a great chemistry between this pair as in Baghban!!! So warm and delicate!!! Would love to see them together in a movie about love between a pair of their ages...

Nisha Jaan

__________________
"I noted that people are happy here in
India. When I went back home,
people had everything in the
materialistic sense and were
surrounded with abundance, but
they were not happy."

- Goldie Hawn

Scandojazzbuff

I watched this on DVD the other night and had mixed feelings about the film. I liked the premise of the story and the scenes in the Bombay slums, etc. But, at some point, the story begins to fall apart, especially the scene where he meets the prostitute while searching for the red box. It was no longer believable for me as it seemed the script writer and director had lost their way.

A very entertaining film is Khosla ka Ghosla. Well done from beginning to end with very good actors. 'Gangster' and 'Company', also good. 'Sarkar Raj' is a flop. 'Sarkar' is a much better film. 'Eklavya' is very good.

wichy

Could contain spoilers!!!

Really? I think it's a wise enough sequence - firstly he think it's his luck (as I know - in India in that type of areas they really know each other and the place inside out, so she can see someone with the case and deside to do the small business with Aamir, find him easily - ask some of local people, i'm sure they could be much more agreeable and helpful for their acquaintants - and show Aamir the place where the gang is), but after the call at the bus he understand that it's all has been planned - to change the suitcase, and the luck is again not his cup of tea - he have to "write his life by himself".

For me - the movie is not flowless, but anyway - it's thoughts-provoking, good editing and very well made by any department. This year is not very rich for good movies - and it's a nice relief.

Another great movie of the year - "Mithya" with Ranvir Shorey.

Aishah

Cardamon - I watched Baabul on DVD on my computer by myself up here in my little cottage in Landour and yes, I cried buckets as well! Also Dor and the Ghandi one had me in tears! Yes, I just love Amitabh and Hema Malini - they are so good together in a film.
Scando - can you give a very brief plot idea of Eklavya, and Sarkar, (don't tell the whole story!!) so I'll see if they appeal to me and I'll buy the DVD's. Also, Nisha - can you do this for 'Sholay' as well, please?

Scandojazzbuff

Aisha-where is Landour?

Eklavya-In present day Rajasthan, but, in a town still revolving around the local Raja's household, Amitabh Bachaan is the old Royal Guard (Eklavya) whose duty is to protect the Lord. What unfolds is a drama of Shakespearean proportion which I will not detail. It's very good.

Sarkar-Is the director's? homage to The Godfather but done in a typically Mumbai fashion. Amitabh and his son Mr. Rai are the leads with one of the best bad dudes as their enemy. Really good, but, the sequel falls short.

Try to get the old movie 36 Chowringhee Lane by Aparna Sen. Masterful.

Scandojazzbuff

Wichy, is your avatar a photo of you? Love it.

I liked the idea of Aamir and I was very much into it, but, something about that scene broke the spell it had over me and I remember saying to myself that most Indian movies can't sustain drama. Somewhere they usually screw it up either with song and dance or with overly dramatic dialog.

This story was supposed to bring some sympathy for poor Muslim slum dwellers and their plight but this was never the point of the movie. So, it became unbelievable to me. It could have been done much much better and I lost any sympathy I had for the main character.

wichy

Thanks

In my opinion, it was not about "poor Muslim slum dwellers", and the director/writer had no intention to bring some simpathy (the scene at the hotel's reception - it made without any simpathy to the lasy and insolent hotel's employees... and lots of other inhabitants of that area were shown without any simpathy)

For me it was about the man's will-power, the ability to take you destiny in your hands under any circumstances, about manipulative nature of contemporary nationalistic movements and any other "leaders", about "ordinary man fight"

I love the sequence at the beginning when Aamir started to break up the traffic jam... It shows his nature and let the viewers understand how oppressive it was for Aamir to follos the strange and stupid orders - and to understand at the end, that you've lost control of the whole your future life - and to make a strong decision - to take back the control, at least for 1 minute.

I've read it's inspired by movie "Cavite" - would like to see it to compare...

vireya

Actually it is a story from the Mahabharata, so somewhat pre-dates Shakespeare! I'm afraid I wasn't too impressed with the film, but if I had realised its basis when I saw it I might have appreciated it more. Such cultural references can be lost on a foreigner.

Khak

recently watched and liked movie - Life in a Metro........even songs a very good ..........with Sufi music influence

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~Khak~

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

wonderwomanusa

I saw that one a couple of months ago and agree that it was very well done.

This week, I saw Taxi Driver (1954) with Dev Anand. Great "noir" film, for those who like that genre! It reminded me of some that Kurosawa did around the same time. All those thugs and gangsters!

wichy

To be honest - I love Eklavia, except last 5 minutes Why or why every time they make something that destroy all the ambience of the story??? SPOILER!!!!!!! Why should Saif's character tell everyone that Eklavia's his father???? It was so... unnatural and silly...