The Indians Abroad

Overseas Living: NRIs & India abroad

Posts Tagged best movies

Best Bollywood movies of 2011

Dec 24

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India | No Comments

The best Bollywood Hindi movies of 2011
The tastes vary, choices differ. When it comes to the Hindi films, some like spicy and action packed thrillers while others prefer sweet and romantic dramas. The films below may not be what you crave, it may not include your ‘all time favorite’, but here are the standout Bollywood features from 2011.

1. Ra.one: This is a very ambitious, very expensive and a very technically complex film from Bollywood. It pushes the envelope on the visual effects. This science-fiction/superhero film is well written and beautifully directed by Anubhav Sinha. The star-studded cast includes Shahrukh Khan in dual roles, Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma and Arjun Rampal in the lead. Amazing graphics, along with Shah Rukh Khan as the superhero make this sci-fi thriller a great success. Hollywood delivers so many sci-fi themed movies every; this is a good start for Bollywood.

2. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: This flick is a beautiful reminder that you only live once. The film features an ensemble cast of Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Ariadna Cabrol and Naseeruddin Shah. A story of three bachelors dealing with their friendship and romance, the well-scripted film has real-life acting all around. The scenic back-drops are very lively; the refreshing music is composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy with lyrics from Javed Akhtar.

3. Delhi Belly: In the words of ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, the movie is a “Sexy, filthy and thoroughly entertaining comedy”. The film is shot in English mostly, with very little Hindi dialogues. Directed by Abhinay Deo and produced by Aamir Khan, the movie stars Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Vir Das, Poorna Jagannathan and Shenaz Treasurywala. Rated ‘A’ for adult contents, the film highlights today’s street-smart youth in an evolving society influenced by the global culture.

4. Bodyguard: Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor clicked in this blockbuster, with record earnings of Rs.22 crore on the first day . The movie theme is typical romance long with intense action – a winning combination for many Bollywood fans. Directed by Siddique, this star-power film is filled with melodious music, romantic scenes and action-packed fight sequences. As pointed out by the Time of India: ‘Salman’s signature dialogue – “Mujh par ek ehsaan karna ki mujh par koi ehsaan na karna” – once again struck a chord with fans.’ Read the rest of this entry »

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20 Best English Movies from India – The Indian English films

Mar 23

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India, india abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI | 11 Comments

Best English Movies based on India or with Indian Themes

There are so many English movies that come out of India every year. Some equally beautiful movies based on Indian culture originate from other parts of the globe. Here are 20 best stand-outs:

1 Gandhi (1982): This Internationally acclaimed movie needs no introduction. The film stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, a brilliant actor by any measure. Amongst much recognition home and abroad, the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, winning eight Academy Awards in total.

2. City of Joy (1992): The social drama is based on the life of a farmer who moves to Kolkata with his family and finds out that life is nothing but simple in the city. Patrick Swayze, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Art Malik lead the brilliant cast. This is one of best movies that use talents from India and Hollywood.

3. Monsoon Wedding (2001): Directed by Mira Nair, this is romance, comedy and drama – all together – depicting the lives of NRIs and the NRI weddings. An extravagant Punjabi wedding and the family traditions are beautifully depicted throughout this movie. Naseeruddin Shah’s acting is solid once more, and plays a father who is organizing an enormous, chaotic, and very expensive wedding that involves NRI families and joint families coming together from different parts of the world.

4. A Passage to India (1984): This classic is one of the most memorable English film based on the Indo-British relationship and their impacts on the day-to-day life during English Rule in India. Written and directed by David Lean, the screenplay is based on the 1924 novel by E.M. Forster. The acting, the direction and the beautifully landscaped scenes equally contribute to this masterpiece. The film has won various awards included Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. The brilliant acting comes from Judy Davis, Victor Banerjee, Peggy Ashcroft and James Fox in the key roles.

5.Being Cyrus (2006): This is one of the best Indian films in English. It is a psychological drama revolving around a dysfunctional family. The brilliant acting is led by Naseeruddin Shah and Dimple Kapadia; the well told story is narrated by none other but Saif Ali Khan in the role of Cyrus Mistry.

6. Bride and Prejudice (2004): This is a Bollywood style adaptation of the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. It is filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue. The lead cast of Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher and Naveen Andrews plays well in the desi adaptation of an old classic story from west. The wedding and party scenes, the complicated feelings of love, the dance numbers and culture depiction….are all nicely integrated

7. East is East (1999): This is a very comic and funny movie with a dark side of an NRI story based out of England. Om Puri delivers one of the best acting of a conflicted father with double standards. Married to a white woman, the father forces his kids to live the traditional and strict desi lifestyle. The children, born and grown up in UK, see themselves as British and reject their father’s rules on dress, food, religion and arranged marriage.

8. Bend it like Beckham (2002): Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, the title comes from the soccer player David Beckham’s skill at scoring from free kicks by “bending” (curving) the ball past a wall of defenders. It is a beautiful depiction of a Punjabi family’s life in England. The film explores the lives of Indians abroad and how NRIs ‘bend’ the social and traditional rules to adapt to the local culture. It has a lively music, with a touch of folk genre.

9. Parzania (2007): Translated – Heaven and hell on earth, this is an Indian drama film catering to the extreme human emotions. It is a terrific story of the struggles of a family after they lose their 10 year old son during the racial riot. The film featured Naseeruddin Shah and Sarika in the lead roles. This low budget drama has lovely acting and beautiful direction. Read the rest of this entry »

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Top 20 Bollywood movies of 70s decade

Aug 22

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India, Most Popular Stories | 5 Comments

Top Bollywood movies of 70s decade

The Bollywood in 70s was at the peak of everything you can relate to in a Hindi movie – acting, directing, music and exploring new boundaries. As you can see below, some of the best Bollywood movies of all times were produced during this decade.
Choosing top 20 movies out of a span of 10 years, when every year was producing score of flicks, is almost impossible. The selection below tries to accommodate every genre – action, classic, artistic, popular….
So here we go:

1. Sholay (1975): This all-time-great movie needs no introduction; it is one of the biggest hit ever from Bollywood. It is a classic thriller of modern days, a must watch Bollywood gem. The mega cast includes Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan. Sholay is the highest grossing film of all time in Indian cinema. When first released, the movie did not win any major awards from the film critics, but it has a cult like following. At the 50th Filmfare, it received the award as the Best Film of 50 Years.

2. Bobby (1973): The movie is a brilliant combination of romance, music and social conflicts. This blockbuster is known to be a trend-setter in its own rights. Raj Kapoor introduced the genre of teenage romance with a rich-vs.-poor clash as a backdrop. Some of the romance sciences were simply too forward for its time. This popular flick was a debut film for Dimple Kapadia and the first leading role for Rishi Kapoor.

3. Pakeezah (1972): This is a legendary movie; with a larger than life appeal. Beautifully directed by Kamal Amrohi, this movie is a combination of good artistic tastes, lovely costumes, a fluid storyline, excellent settings and melodious music. The film is a story of a Lucknow tawaif (courtesan) played by actress Meena Kumari. Raaj Kumar and Ashok Kumar lead the cast. The evergreen and superb music is by Ghulam Mohammed and Naushad.

4. Mera Naam Joker (1970): Raj Kapoor spent every penny he had on this movie, and it flopped during the first release – it was just too long, with run time over 5 hours. The second release, the re-edited and compressed version, ended up as one of the most successful film of all times. Comedy, drama, tragedy, romance…. it has something for audiences of all ages, including a fine soundtrack. The mega cast includes Raj Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Manoj Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Dara Singh, Kseniya Ryabinkina, Padmini and Rajendra Kumar. Read the rest of this entry »

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10 Best Movies with NRIs and India Abroad Theme

Feb 7

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, india abroad, Most Popular Stories, Non-Resident Indian, NRI | 5 Comments

There are lots of movies – many made in Bollywood, some abroad – that explore the lives of NRIs and Indians living overseas. There are lots of films with ‘India Abroad and NRIs’ theme. However, not all the NRIs stories of overseas are well told, well played or worth the time. Some of the best movies that actually leave a lasting impression of the life abroad include:

1. Monsoon Wedding:Directed by Mira Nair, this is romance, comedy and drama – all together – depicting the lives of NRIs and the NRI weddings. An extravagant Punjabi wedding and the family traditions are beautifully directed throughout this movie. The touch of folk music is very refreshing. Naseeruddin Shah’s acting is solid once more, and plays a father who is organizing an enormous, chaotic, and very expensive wedding that involves NRI families coming together from different parts of the world.

2. East is East:This is a very comic and funny movie with a dark side of NRI story based out of England. Om Puri delivers one of the best acting of a conflicted father with double standards. Married to a white woman, the father forces his kids to live the traditional and strict desi lifestyle. The children, born and grown up in UK, see themselves as British and reject their father’s rules on dress, food, religion and arranged marriage.

3. Bend it like Beckham:Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, the title comes from the soccer player David Beckham’s skill at scoring from free kicks by “bending” (curving) the ball past a wall of defenders. It is a beautiful depiction of a Punjabi family’s life in England. The film explores the lives of Indians abroad and how NRIs ‘bend’ the social and traditional rules to adapt to the local culture. It has a lively music, with a touch of folk genre, including ‘Rabbaa Rabbaa Meeh Barsaa’.

4. Bride and Prejudice:This is a Bollywood style adaptation of the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. It is filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue. The lead cast of Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher and Naveen Andrews plays well in the desi adaptation of an old classic story of west. The wedding and party scenes, the complicated feelings of love, the dance numbers and culture depiction….are all nicely integrated. Read the rest of this entry »

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20 Best Bollywood movies of 90s decade

Dec 25

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Most Popular Stories | 12 Comments

20 Best Bollywood movies from 1990 to 1999
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Here we go again. Many may disagree, others may consider their own list much better – we all do. But, here is a list of movies that made a splash in the 90s. The brief description includes main/lead cast, year of release and general genre of each movie. The 90s decade brought us some of the very memorable flicks, here are 20 of them:

1. Ghayal (1990): Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, this popular thriller starts Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Seshadri in the lead role. It was one of the blockbuster of the year and also won the Filmfare ‘Best movie’ award.

2. Dil (1990): This is a lovable romantic comedy; it has some of the best music of its time. Aamir Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Anupam Kher and Saeed Jaffrey lead the cast and a very superior acting all around.

3. Diksha (1991) Meaning ‘initiation, the Hindi film is based on a novel by famous Kannada writer U. R. Ananthamurthy. The film depicts a complicated story of a Guru and his widowed daughter it is infused with Indian culture and local traditions. A well told story of human emotions and willpower.

4. Lamhe (1991): This is a classic Yash Chopra film. It stars Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Waheeda Rehman and Anupam Kher in the main cast. The film is critically acclaimed, and has exceptionally good music. This romantic drama received the well deserved ‘Best Movie’ Filmfare award.

5. Beta (1992): The film featured the popular pair of its time – Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor. This is a very entertaining movie with some very good music numbers, including popular song “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga”.

6. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992): This is Mansoor Khan directed movie; he is more famous for another hit ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’. Aamir Khan and Pooja Bedi star in this romantic drama. It was a blockbuster flick of its time and a winner of ‘Best movie’ Filmfare award..

7. Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke (1993) Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the movies has a wonderful musical score by Nadeem-Shravan. Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla pair well in the lead role. This romantic film has some of the best acting from Juhi Chawla and was very popular among critics and laymen alike. Read the rest of this entry »

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20 Best Bollywood movies of last 10 years

Dec 2

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Most Popular Stories | 14 Comments

The top 20 Bollywood movies from 2000 to 2009

Aishvarya and Madhuri in Devdas

Aishvarya and Madhuri in Devdas

Everybody has a different taste, a different like, and a different dislike. Based on overall success and general popularity, here are 20 best Bollywood movies from 2000 to 2009.

1. Lagaan (2001): A refreshing drama, it is a well told story of modern Bollywood days. Set in the Victorian period of the British Empire, the movie is cortically acclaimed all around the world. It became the selected few Hindi film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Produced by Aamir Khan, he also plays the lead role.

2. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham(2001): Very successful romantic and emotional drama. The cinematography, music and costumes are brilliant. A musical blockbuster, the movie is well received at home and abroad. The star-studded cast includes Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor.

3. Rang de Basanti(2006): A movie with great acting and direction. Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Madhavan, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth Narayan, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and British actress Alice Patten is the main cast. A.R. Rahman music adds to the appeal of this light-hearted flick.

4. Devdas (2002): A love story, it is a beautiful remake of old Devdas, based on a famous short novel by the same name. Acting, direction and music are equally admirable. Devdas is one of the most expensive Bollywood films ever produced, with a reported budget of Rs 50 crores. Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai star in the leading roles.

5. Veer Zaara (2004): Directed by Yash Chopra – a refreshing acting combines with good story telling and tasteful direction. It is set in the background of India and Pakistan conflict; the romantic film tells an unfortunate love story across the borders. . This popular movie stars Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji in the leading roles.

6. Singh is Kinng (2008): Another light hearted drama set in Australia for better part of the story. Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif star in the lead role. The movie has nice comic scenes and good dance numbers. It is a Punjabi style comedy, at the cost of a Singh. Read the rest of this entry »

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25 of the best Hollywood movies of all times!

Sep 26

Posted by admin in Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | 4 Comments

All time greats of Hollywood
When it comes to hollywood, there is no shortage of movies with great drama, action, romance or imagination. Many of you may disagree with the list of all time favorites, as everyone has different tastes and different likings. Picking just 25 out of thousands of good movies has its own flaws.
However, these movies, not in any particular order, are some of the best of the bests:
HollywoodSign300x225
 1. Godfather
 2. Godfather II
 3. Gandhi
 4. Goodfellas
 5. The Lord of the Rings series
 6. Harry Potter series
 7. Pup Fiction
 8. Schindler’s List
 9. Gone with the Wind
 10. E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial
 11. The Wizard of Oz Read the rest of this entry »

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The best Bollywood movies of all times!

Sep 18

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India | 7 Comments

Bollywood Movies- The best of best!

The opinions vary, the tastes differ. When it comes to the best of Bollywood movies, it depends; It depends on who you ask and in what mood they are in. There are way too many VERY good movies out there. Here are some of the best ones:
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Sholay: Sholay needs no introduction. The dialogues, the story, the cast, the acting…everything is so refreshing. The story moves at its own natural pace. Sholay is the highest grossing film of all time in Indian cinema. When first released, the movie did not win any major awards from the film critics, but it has a cult like following. At the 50th Filmfare, it received the award as the Best Film of 50 Years. The mega cast includes Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan.

Pakeezah: This is another legendary movie from the 70s; with a larger than life appeal. Beautifully directed by Kamal Amrohi, this movie is a combination of good artistic tastes, lovely costumes, a fluid storyline, excellent settings and melodious music. The film is a story of a Lucknow tawaif (courtesan) played by actress Meena Kumari. Raaj Kumar and Ashok Kumar lead the cast. The evergreen and superb music comes from Ghulam Mohammed and Naushad.

Mother India:The first Indian movie to be nominated for Oscar, this is one of the highest ranked movies in the international film festivals, and for a reason. The cast of Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raj Kumar delivers a brilliant acting. Superb music and a fluid storyline are the hallmarks of this classic gem.

Mera Naam Joker:Raj Kapoor spent every penny he had on this movie, and it flopped during the first release – it was just too long with run time over 5 hours. The second release, the re-edited and compressed version, ended up as one of the most successful film of all times. This comic but sad story has something for audiences of all ages. The mega cast includes Raj Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Manoj Kumar, Rishi Kapoor and Dharmendra.

Mughal-e-Azam :This is one of the most expensive movies ever made of its times. It took more than 9 years to complete this beautifully filmed feature. The star cast is ultimate; the dance sets are unparalleled for its time. Some of the famous dance sequences of Madhubala are filmed in the Shish Mahal -The Palace of Mirrors- in Lahore Shahi Qila. Read the rest of this entry »

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