Indian Movies...
... are the best!
'nuff said.
But I am verbose and can't help myself!
During my six years in the US I have had the opportunity to watch a great many "international" movies - American, Spanish, German, Italian, French, British, Iranian etc. While many of these international movies are indeed amazing, Hindi movies belong to an entirely different genre and simply cannot be substituted.
The typical Hindi movie is simple - it has a straightforward theme (usually good overcoming evil or the triumph of love), characters one can easily identify with, a roller coaster of raw emotions free from the complexities of nuance, and plenty of song and dance.
They must seem like three hour long fairy stories to the unaccustomed viewer, but it is precisely the dream like quality that makes them so endearing to me. They are often overtly sentimental and I love that - I would like to think that I too, like my celluloid idols, wear my heart on my sleeve - it is so much more 'human'.
Indian movies are immensely popular the world over (something I fully realized while doing a paper for my World Music class as a senior at Trinity). Raj Kapoor was a big hero in Russia, Rajnikant is popular in Japan, Amitabh is a well known figure in Nigeria and Sholay was one of the longest running movies in Iran.
Some of my favorites: Awara, Pyasa, Anand, Sholay, Golmaal, Jaane bhee do yaaron, Sadma, Qayamat se Qayamat tak, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na and Dil Chahta Hai.
Oh, but there are so many more - Kitab, Hum, Zakhm, Ankush, Hero Hiralal, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Zanjeer, Chhoti si Baat, 1947 Earth, Thoda sa Rumani Ho Jaaye, Monsoon Wedding, Chameli ki Shaadi, Aankhein, Hera Pheri, Jewel Thief, Roja, Tezaab, Company, Maalamaal, Saaransh, Lagaan, Halo, Mr India, Chaalbaaz etc.
My guilty pleasures include - Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar, Raja Babu, Mast, Baadshah, Ginny aur Johnny etc.
Another aspect of Hindi movies that I love are the songs. With extraordinary singers like Rafi, Kishore, Lata, Asha, Hemant, Mukesh, Talat Mahmood, Sukhwinder, Chitra, Sonu Nigam etc.; amazing music directors like SD Burman, RD Burman, AR Rahman etc. and super talented lyricists like Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Shailendra etc. these songs are simply the best....
Most Hindi movies help me relax, cheer me up and rekindle my faith in humanity. I find these movies therapeutic - when I am depressed, I know that a Hindi movie can boost my spirits and give me hope.
I wanna watch a Hindi movie NNNNOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
'nuff said.
But I am verbose and can't help myself!
During my six years in the US I have had the opportunity to watch a great many "international" movies - American, Spanish, German, Italian, French, British, Iranian etc. While many of these international movies are indeed amazing, Hindi movies belong to an entirely different genre and simply cannot be substituted.
The typical Hindi movie is simple - it has a straightforward theme (usually good overcoming evil or the triumph of love), characters one can easily identify with, a roller coaster of raw emotions free from the complexities of nuance, and plenty of song and dance.
They must seem like three hour long fairy stories to the unaccustomed viewer, but it is precisely the dream like quality that makes them so endearing to me. They are often overtly sentimental and I love that - I would like to think that I too, like my celluloid idols, wear my heart on my sleeve - it is so much more 'human'.
Indian movies are immensely popular the world over (something I fully realized while doing a paper for my World Music class as a senior at Trinity). Raj Kapoor was a big hero in Russia, Rajnikant is popular in Japan, Amitabh is a well known figure in Nigeria and Sholay was one of the longest running movies in Iran.
Some of my favorites: Awara, Pyasa, Anand, Sholay, Golmaal, Jaane bhee do yaaron, Sadma, Qayamat se Qayamat tak, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na and Dil Chahta Hai.
Oh, but there are so many more - Kitab, Hum, Zakhm, Ankush, Hero Hiralal, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Zanjeer, Chhoti si Baat, 1947 Earth, Thoda sa Rumani Ho Jaaye, Monsoon Wedding, Chameli ki Shaadi, Aankhein, Hera Pheri, Jewel Thief, Roja, Tezaab, Company, Maalamaal, Saaransh, Lagaan, Halo, Mr India, Chaalbaaz etc.
My guilty pleasures include - Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar, Raja Babu, Mast, Baadshah, Ginny aur Johnny etc.
Another aspect of Hindi movies that I love are the songs. With extraordinary singers like Rafi, Kishore, Lata, Asha, Hemant, Mukesh, Talat Mahmood, Sukhwinder, Chitra, Sonu Nigam etc.; amazing music directors like SD Burman, RD Burman, AR Rahman etc. and super talented lyricists like Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Shailendra etc. these songs are simply the best....
Most Hindi movies help me relax, cheer me up and rekindle my faith in humanity. I find these movies therapeutic - when I am depressed, I know that a Hindi movie can boost my spirits and give me hope.
I wanna watch a Hindi movie NNNNOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
posted by bigknowshamus @ 7:43 PM
3 comments
