What is your favorite Indian movie?

ColinT

Yes Scando, I've heard about the trilogy of films but unfortunately have only seen fire. I kind of agree with your evaluation of Bollywood films.

NeeliAankhen

Chupke Chupke is a real charmer. I love the business about the driver (Dharmendra pretending to be a driver, as I recall) having to speak only Hindi-based Hindi (I.e. no Urdu-originating words).

NeeliAankhen

Myself I don't find singing and dancing absurd, I find it entertaining when it's good enough. To me this is another form of film-story-telling, which I have turned out to like a lot.

And then when it's very good in a more artistically directed movie (including both more and less popular types/styles of productions), I experience the musical aspects of the story to add another dimension to how it's told and what's conveyed.
Good enough for SHakespeare, good enough for me!!

Off top of head, a good example would be Dil Se - now available in a dvd with subtitles, by the way. An older one is Kaagaz Ke Phool. Another would be Mausam - just re-check out Dil Dhoondtha Hai. Oh and more recently, Omkara. There are no lyrics there that don't add to the story expressively, as I recall.

Scandojazzbuff

I have grown to accept the concept of Bollywood and quite agree about the entertainment value of singing and dancing especially in a movie like Monsoon Wedding where there are moments of celebratory joy and lightness within the whole context of the story. But, in the vast majority of 'serious' films, I prefer to have my coffee black, undiluted, with no sugar.

burbujasdeamor

I agree with your statement of Bollywood films limiting the talents of actors. The first time I saw John Abraham was in Water - no singing, no dancing, no "big" musical score highlighting those important moments, etc. And John did such a great job that one could ALMOST forget his good looks (IF that's at all possible). I've seen his subsequent Bollywood films and what a difference! I saw GOAL, and couldn't help but compare the two "John's". Don't get me wrong, he's still an eye candy! Same goes for Saif Ali Khan in Parineeta.

Ignite

For me, Sholay is the best hindi movie ever made. I also like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Lagaan. Kshana Kshanam in telugu is an awesome movie!! i've seen it hundreds of times, and still don't get sick of it.

__________________
"The anti-thesis of love isn't hate. It is fear." Unknown

Hyderabadi

True. I have the DVD and we keep watching favorite scenes every now and then.

How about Shiva, that I must say was a turning point for Telugu cinema.

Ignite

O Yeah, absolutely, Shiva is a classic, it's really good too, but you can't really watch it as often as you can watch Kshana Kshanam, because its a serious movie, while Kshana Kshanam is a thriller/adventure/comedy. I think Ninne Pelladatha is a really great one too!

Hyderabadi

Aha Naa Pellanta (Jandhyala - Rajendra Prasad)
Money
Money Money

to add to the Telugu comedy movie list.

Ignite

aha naa pellantaa is rajendra prasad & kota at their finest. I really like money, i even went to some of their film shootings, because they filmed the office scenes at my dad's old office (topaz building).

How about;
allari alludu
premante idera
chantabbai

Scandojazzbuff

IMO, all of the Bollywood actors are highly talented but the predominant interest is in making money and churning out movies with a winning formula. The best Indian movies are not box office hits. Do they even show 'The Namesake' in Indian theatres, uncensored? My god, there is kissing in it, and, a lot more. I don't think I could stand seeing another Shah Rukh Khan movie with him playing the same character over and over.

NeeliAankhen

I don't know about whether The Namesake was censored when it was shown in India, I don't know if foreign movies get censored. I think something like that, an American dramatic movie, shows in a theatre where tickets are expensive and the audience is sophisticated. Though I know that the (thrilling to some!!) towel-drop of Saawaariya was taken out in some Indian theatres!!

For the record, it isn't illegal to show kissing in Indian movies, and in recent years there have been several movies with romantic kissing on the mouth in them. One was either Dhoom or Dhoom II. Though - I myself don't much care if they show it or not, I've gotten used to it not being shown, and I can relate to the cultural thing whereby it's perceived as too intimate to show. And -- I can usually understand a story emotionally even if there is not lip-kissing in the story!!!

Scandojazzbuff

Kissing is not my point and has nothing to do with whether a film is good or not. Bollywood is formulaic and morality based, yet it's suggestive interplay between men and women is overt and pretty childish. For the amount of movies being made, there are but a few that are really outstanding. I realize that this is my opinion but it is reflected in the amount of Indian films that make it out of India. Serious Indian movies are few and far between yet India is well stocked with capable actors, directors, and, cinematographers.

the opoponax

You've never seen any American film outside of your film school syllabi, have you?

rafaelguitarist_Azer

When I was child- I mean when I studied at school - Indian films were very popular in Azerbaijan I still remember: on Mondays the State Television of Azerbaijan (called the First Channel) showed Indian films.
Also Indian films gained popularity in cinemas too. Older generation in Azerbaijan still loves 2 watch "Zita & Gita", "Bobbi", "Dance dance", "Flower among the dust"- I don't know whether it is right translation for the film- but from Azerbaijani to English meaning is like this. Shahrukh Khan is among the favourite actors in Azerbaijan. Then I can say the name of Mithoun Chakraborti. I watched these films when I was at school.
From modern Indian films- I won't lie- I haven't seen much of them- but recently, that is a year ago I watched 2 films - I really liked them very much.
I don't remember the name of first film, maybe you can help me: the theme was like following: a young rich girl who has a beautiful house and lives on her own meets a boy named Karan and falls in love with him. They live together. Later one day Karan leaves for some place for a short time and asks the girl to let in his friend who must come very soon. The girl does so. Karan's friend comes to the girl's house and as agreed, the girl lets him in. His friend has a big suitcase in his hand. After waiting for Karan for half an hour, he leaves, but forgets his suitcase. In the evening on TV news girl sees Karan's friend was killed and learns that Karan's friend was a member of narcotic selling criminal group (or sth like that), one of the most wanted criminals by State. She cannot believe it. Police begins search everywhere in the town - where the killed man was last, whom he met. Police arrests the girl, who swears he has no connection with this murder at all, but the killed man's suitcase shows the opposite. So the girl is put into prison, who sees and experiences another side of life: bitter and cruel. One of the older ugly woman prisoners wants to make use of the girl. She attempts several times to break the pride of the girl, finally girl cannot bear anymore and fights: she beats the ugly woman and gains respect among other prisoners. Meanwhile, Karan comes and visits the girls, persuading her to tell that she knew the murdered boy and hires a lawyer for her, but strongly recommends not to mention his name. The girl, who first denied everything, tells lie becuause she loved Karan and believed he would save him. The girl's father or uncle dies from heart disease. Finally, the girl understands she was deceived and Karan will never come back. He just used her for his pleasure. One of the woman prisoners helps the girl to escape from prison with the help of her contacts outside. So the girl escapes and begins to search Karan. She finds her in another town with another girl, but does not show up. Karan is searched by another person- whom he deceived also- but this man is the head another group. He wants Karan to be brought alive. I'll cut short: Girl meets Karan, acts like she still believes in him, still loves him. Towards the end Karan knows it was all lie: the girl came back just to take revenge of him for bygones. The girl leaves Karan chained in the mountains all alone together with rats/mice. (She remembers when they lived together Karan laughed at her on hearing the girl was so afraid of rats.) By this time the girl is exonerated by police.
Another favourite film of mine is "Hum Tum" or "Me and You" - very beautiful film. In this film Karan plays the main role. (I don’t know the name of this actor). A boy whose profession is director of photography makes comics. I’m sure many of you already know which movie I’m talkin’ ‘bout.