Movie time!!!

I have got a few mails over the past one year asking me for pointers on Indian movies. I thought why not do a post? When I think of Indian movies the first thing that comes to my mind is songs and dances. The second thing is melodrama.

But the recent trend is mostly making the movies more Hollywood style to appeal to the younger generation who watch a lot of American and British movies and think all this dancing and singing is plain stupid.

I read a comment once from a British guy who said Indian movies are for the illiterate and semi illiterate. I got so angry at that comment that I wanted to tell him what an ignorant fool he was. The main purpose of Indian movies is to entertain and make you forget all your worries. It works for some and doesn’t for others.

So before I digress any further let me give you a list of movies which I feel you could watch as an introduction to Bollywood.

All the movies below are cross over movie, made mainly keeping in mind the huge NRI (non-resident Indians) audience, but they are also a great introduction to Indian movies because they are in English and you don’t have to take help from the subtitles to understand them.

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First up is my all time favorite Monsoon Wedding directed by Mira Nair. I love this movie and I’ve watched it countless number of times.

It’s a family saga that enfolds during a wedding, where past secrets tumble out of the closet. A few songs, dances and a typical North Indian wedding is what you get here.

Monsoon wedding is strong on plot as well as entertainment. Watch the trailer here.
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Next up is Bend it like Beckham directed by Gurinder Chadha. I wouldn’t call this a typical Indian movie, but it’s a great cross over film.

It stars Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the supporting cast and it revolves around an Indian girl Jess (Parmider Nagra) who wants to break the mold of a traditional and conservative family and play football instead of getting married. It’s a fun movie and probably a little less bollywood types. Watch the trailer here.

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The last movie I want to highlight is Bride and Prejudice also by Gurinder Chadha. I recently saw this movie again on the Telly and I was reminded of it again when I read Beth’s post on Pride and Prejudice adaptations.

This movie is not an adaptation but is an Indianized version of P&P. With lots of songs and dances, this movie is thoroughly entertaining.

One thing to note while watching an Indian movie is not to think too much and simply enjoy the vibrant colors and dances. Also, they do get cheesy at times; just remember to take it with a pinch of salt. If you don’t like musicals, you would most probably not like Indian movies. Bend it like Beckham is likable though because it does not have any songs as such. Watch the trailer here.

That’s it for now I guess. For non-Indian folks, have you watched any of these movies? Or have you ever watched an Indian movie before?
For Indian folks, which one is your favorite? Can you list any other cross-over movies?