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:
At 8:58 AM,
bigknowshamus said…
I have work until Friday. When does your semester end? After that, let's go catch some Hindi movies!
At 9:57 PM,
Venusallure said…
Ummm you like pathar panchali (read in your about me section) was enough for me to leave a comment... I love that entire series Pathar panchali, aprajito and apur sansar
...and as far as all indian movies are concerned nahhhh.... i love jo jeeta wohi sikander, dor, jane bhi do yaaron, golmaal, chupke chupke....just classics...can't stand the rest erotica-with-better-lighting and every-moral-down-the-throat and conundrums-at-best parade of 90% of movies (which could be true for actually both english and hindi movies...in foreign genra only see a select so wouldn't be able to pass an opinion)
Ok enough rant...i was just excited to see someone knows pathar panchali :)
At 3:32 AM,
Unknown said…
the problem with indian movies and many things indian is the sheer lack of consistency. so much so that flash in the pan seems an understatement. what has kundan shah done after Jaane bhi do Yaaron ? How can Rakesh Mehra make Aks and Rang De Basanti ? How can Aditya Chopra make DDLJ as well as greenlight projects like Tashan ? Guys like Dharmesh Darshan and Apoorva Lakhia are exceptions and maintain their pathetic track records all through !!! But when you compare the big directors where are the Spielbergs , Ridley Scotts , Nolans ??? Thats something Indian movies still lack !!!
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