Since AM is away, I spent my Friday night and all of Saturday watching movies, given how much it snowed today and I could not step outside. I am always looking for lists of Bollywood comedies, off-beat movies, and classics to fill my time, so I decided to do one myself. Here goes…
Bollywood comedies – some of them are completely mindless and slapstick. A lot of them are with Akshay Kumar, he is my favorite comedy actor. Years back when I went to get my US visa in India, I had to take an entire wedding album of photos to prove that I am married since I wanted a dependent visa, the guy at the counter asked if my the guy in the photos was Akshay Kumar instead of AM, haha, I was quite flattered, so silly. Not that Akshay is the best looking guy, but he plays comedy so effortlessly, and his performances during award shows are so energetic.
- Delhi Belly – I can watch this movie again and again, it has toilet humor but is so so hilarious, the dialogues are so funny. Amir Khan never disappoints. And it doesn’t have people breaking out into a song out of nowhere, there is a 30 seconds song in the middle and one at the end. The film falls in the category of Hangover.
- Chalo Dilli – Offbeat and satirical, it stars my favorite actor, Vinay Pathak, and Lara Dutta has changed for the better these last few years.
- Andaz Apna Apna – The funniest movie ever and a classic, totally mindless though. Wish Amir and Salman would get over their egos and do a sequel.
- Hera Pheri – Another classic comedy (slapstick) that brought Paresh Rawal, Sunil Shetty, and Akshay Kumar together, the rest is history. The sequel Phir Hera Pheri is not as good but has its funny moments.
- De Dana Dan – A laugh-out loud riot with Akshay, Sunil, and Paresh back together. Akshay is a housekeeper for Archana Puran Singh, a cruel employer, and he pays her back at the end. A comedy of errors.
- Houseful – Akshay never disappoints, another comedy. Akshay is unlucky for everyone around him and has a hard time keeping relationships till he finds the one. It is completely slapstick, but I enjoyed it.
- Malamaal Weekly – This movie has classic old actors such as Om Puri and Paresh Rawal, both can carry off a movie even today. The movie revolves around a dead man winning lottery and the rest of the village wanting a piece of it. I lost count of how the amount would be distributed…
- Awara Paagal Deewana – This is a copy of The Whole Nine Yards. It is very slapstick, so watch this only if you don’t mind a mindless film.
- Chup Chup Ke – This is an under-rated film and came right after Jab We Met starring Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. A very nice movie, but like usual Bollywood films the end became mushy and unrealistic.
- Hungama – Another mindless comedy flick from Priyadarshan. His movies promise a laugh-out loud hilarious ending, no matter the rest of the film.
- Bhagam Bhag – Slapstick, debut of a new slimmer and more stylish Lara Dutta.
- Hulchul – Very loud but has some funny moments.
- Dhamaal – Another slapstick movie but if you like Arshad Warsi it is funny. I would skip the sequel Double Dhamaal.
- Welcome to Sajjanpur – A highly entertaining and simple film about a village letter-writer and his love trysts.
- Bend it like Beckham – A sweet look into an Indian family that moved to the UK. The only Keira Knightly move without her smug-face.
- Monsoon Wedding – A sweet movie about family, love, and a feel-good ending.
- Chameli Ki Shaadi – A very funny old movie, Amrita Singh is hilarious.
- Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron – Another classic, black comedy.
- Gol Mal – The old one released in 1979, one of the funniest old movies starring Amol Palekar directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
- Padosan – I like Sunil Dutt and he was amazing in this movie, really funny.
- Chupke Chupke – Another funny oldie directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
I will keep adding if I think of more.
Good, some offbeat (new-age) films
- Black – Serious and slightly depressing, about a woman who is deaf, mute, and blind.
- Khamoshi – Excellent actors, but serious. Nana Patekar is a brilliant actor as is Manisha Koirala. Manisha is a beautiful singer but both her parents are deaf and mute.
- Tanu Weds Manu – A charming movie, Kangana looks gorgeous.
- Udaan – One of my favorite movies, bitter-sweet, depressing moments with a very positive end. This is one of the most heartfelt movies I have ever seen emerge from Bollywood. I wrote a review about it.
- No One Killed Jessica – A good comeback for Rani based on a true story about Jessica Lall.
- Tahaan – A very charming film, the little boy steals the show. My review is here.
- The Blue Umbrella – A very sweet film, Pankaj Kapoor as usual delivers his best.
- Jab We Met – The charming duo Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor come together for this one. Rumor has it they broke up while shooting, but they continue to ooze chemistry on-screen. An American friend’s favorite song is “Nagada Nagada”.
- Swades – Slightly serious, but a very charming and patriotic movie, takes me back home. It performed better overseas than in India due to its nostalgic tone.
- Chak De India! – A must-watch about a hockey coach’s comeback.
- Bheja Fry – A copy of the French movie Dinner Game.
- Dasvidaniya – A poignant and sweet movie starring Vinay Pathak.
- Khosla Ka Ghosla – A trying time for a family.
- Mithya – A comedy version of Don.
- Johnny Gaddaar – Talk about irony.
- Being Cyrus – I loved Saif, Shabana, and Naseeruddin in this.
- Corporate – The first time I took note of Kay Kay Menon.
- Mixed Doubles – This is a bit serious but tackles a serious subject of couple swapping. It keeps the viewers wondering, did she or didn’t she.
- Kaun? – A thriller from Ram Gopal Varma, Urmila overacts a bit.
- Rangeela – This is one of my favorite movies, and it put Urmila on the map. The songs are amazing, AR Rahman at his prime.
- Omkara – A story about Othello.
- Maqbool – A different take on Macbeth.
- Company – Mumbai underworld by Ram Gopal Varma.
- Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa – A cute take on friendship turning to love.
- Band Baaja Baaraat – Two partners turn from lovers into rivals.
- Tere Bin Laden – A hilarious underrated movie based on a Bin Laden look-alike.
- Dil Chahta Hai – Amir’s movies are always classics and so much fun to watch even after all these years, and the songs are amazing. He is like Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, he always makes movies for the youth.
- Ghajini – Wonderfully acted, another one from Amir. Serious but very interesting.
- Hum Tum – Not one of the best films, but good time pass about men vs. women.
- Taare Zameen Par – A serious story about dyslexia.
- Earth – A story during riots when a jealous boyfriend acts out.
- Rockford – If you grew up in a boarding school, you will relate to this one – a very good movie.
- 3 Deewarein – A good suspense movie from Nagesh Kukunoor.
- Karthik Calling Karthik – The final wedding song used in the TV show Outsourced was from this movie (uff teri ada). An okay movie to watch when you have nothing else, it has some suspense.
- Lagaan – Another classic by Amir Khan, a truly inspiring movie about cricket and an attempt at sending the British back with their tail between their legs.
- Prahaar – Madhuri looks so natural in this movie. Nana Patekar is at his best. A slightly serious film.
- Bluffmaster – A light movie.
- Dostana – I really liked this film, its funny and has good songs. Abhishek and John have amazing chemistry, and their Koffee with Karan together is a must-watch. I hear there is a sequel in the works.
- Lage Raho Munnabhai – While I was not too crazy about the prequel Munnabhai MBBS, this sequel is very entertaining. Arshad Warsi steals the show.
- Life in a Metro – Another offbeat decent movie.
- Rajneeti – A brilliant cast, Ranbir brought his acting chops to this one. A good political movie. Katrina looks too old for Ranbir though, he needs to work with younger actresses.
- Rocket Singh – Another Ranbir movie. I liked 3/4th of the film, the ending was poorly done, but worth watching once.
- Outsourced – I chanced upon this movie after watching the TV show Outsourced, its such an under-rated film, and quite charming.
- Sarfarosh – Another charmer from Amir Khan.
- Wake up Sid – This is a very light film, a love story about an older woman falling in love with a younger man. Very light and average.
- Jhankar Beats – Another charming under-rated film.
- Pyaar Ke Side Effects – I don’t like Mallika Sherawat and she cannot act to save her life – she should stick to item songs. But Rahul Bose steals the show in this decent movie.
- Kaminey – I like this one only because of Shahid Kapoor, he does a very good job in a double role.
- Sardar – I am including this one because AM likes it – I haven’t seen it yet. According to him, Sardar was very practical during the partition of India and Pakistan; Nehru, on the other hand, wanted partition to fulfill his own desire to become Prime Minister, while Gandhiji was always against partition of any sort. In the fight for power, Sardar stood, an unsung hero, the most practical of the lot. Had he prevailed it would have caused India much less grief from the spurts of riots that continue between Hindus and Muslims. Totally AM’s opinion, not mine. Its on my list to watch.
- Border – No list can be complete without Border. Its a very heartfelt movie based on a true story where the bravery of Indian soldiers protect an area of Punjab from Pakistani attackers. Akshaye Khanna made his impressive debut.
- The Japanese Wife – A very charming Rahul Bose movie where he tries his stint in long-distance relationship with a Japanese. The visuals are very calming and pretty.
- Zubeidaa – An art film with a great cast in Rekha, Manoj Bajpai, and Karisma Kapoor depicting the tug of war between a wife and a mistress.
- Water – A Deepa Mehta movie, it shows the plight of widows. I had to watch it for John Abraham.
- Jodha Akbar – A stunning portrayal of the relationship between Akbar and his wife. Hrithik and Aish ooze chemistry, and the visuals and fashion are all very stunning. Breathtaking!
- Choker Bali – An art film starring Aishwarya Rai. She looks beautiful.
- Mujhse Shaadi Karogi – Another slapstick movie starring Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan.
- Fashion – Starring Priyanka Chopra, the film is about the rise and fall of fashion models. It is a serious film and gets unrealistically emotional at the end. Of course Priyanka could never walk in Paris, their models are stick-think, “almost” anorexic, while Priyanka has a healthy figure.
- Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – The movie is a decent watch for an afternoon at home, kind of like Dil Chahta Hai but less funny, like Hangover but less slapstick, it is loosely based on The Hangover. Farhan Akhtar is fantastic, he plays comedy and serious roles perfectly, Abhay Deol was quite good too as always.
- Taxi No. 9 2 11 – Good entertaining movie starring Nana Patekar and John Abraham. A remake of Changing Lanes.
- The Namesake – A serious and heartfelt film, I love Irfan Khan in general and he plays the role of a patient father and husband quite well. Based on a book by the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri.
3 Idiots does not make my list because even though it was a top grosser, the pregnancy scenes were over the top and unrealistic, I would not watch it again. Rang De Basanti also started off well and then went into an unrealistic mode.
Roja and Bombay are good movies as well, just not at the top of my list.