Some call it art movies, some ‘film festival wali movies’, while some call it ‘Anurag Kashyap ne banayi hogi movie’. I call it good cinema. Everybody loves a good masala movie with quirky dialogues and sing along music, an actor with a Khan/Kapoor surname and an actress from the same family. But, once in a while, Indian cinema makes us proud. Movies get made on sensitive topics, we get appreciation in France and a chance to win an Oscar or two. These movies, however, remain in oblivion due to low budget and marketing problems.
News Aur Chai brings you a list of movies that will make your cry like a baby, laugh like an idiot and in the end make you feel proud of your cinema. It’s not just Hollywood that can make good movies, we can do it too.
1. Masaan (2015)
From the first scene to the very last one, this movie keeps you on the edge of your seat. Twists, turns heartbreak, regret, it’s one big bundle of wonder wrapped in the torn paper of the Indian cast system. The movies succeed in touching major taboos. If you are looking for a full blown experience this movie is it.
2. Gour Hari Dastaan (2015)
We have all been a victim of corruption once in our life, but, Gour Hari Dastaan has been a victim of corruption all his life. The movie centers on one man’s lifelong struggle to find recognition as a freedom fighter as he fights with the Indian administration system. It’s a satire of the highest quality.
3. The Lunchbox (2013)
With a trio of Nawaz, Irrfan, and Nimrat, this movie is a recipe for success. But it isn’t the actors who steal the show, it’s the story. Quirky, out of place and exciting, a love story between a widower and a married woman becomes so engrossing that for a minute we forget about‘log kya khaengey’.
4. Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006)
This movie isn’t just a comic treat it’s also a satire on the law of land in India and how easy it is for people with power and influence to disturb the lives of other. A middle-class man’s dilemma, a cinematic masterpiece.
5. Margarita, with a Straw (2015)
Kalki Koechlin in all her glory portrays a bi-sexual woman who has cerebral palsy (two words you will never hear in mainstream movies). Laila, played by Kalki, discovers her own self through the course of this film. This film is a must watch for those who are looking for good cinema and coming of age stories.
6. Hey, Ram (2000)
The film centers on India’s partition and the murder of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse. The film was written, directed and produced by Kamal Haasan and he also starred as the protagonist in the film. P.S. it has Shahrukh Khan in it.
7. Firaaq (2008)
Firaaq follows the lives of various individuals who were victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots. The film is the directorial debut of actress Nandita Das and won two National Film Awards. Gruesome and raw, Firaaq is an eye opener.
