Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanaa, Madhubala, Sri Devi…. all these well-carved actors and actresses were not born with these popular and stellar on-screen names. Nargis’s real name was Fatima Rashid.
Wanna test your knowledge of their given names? Try this quiz:
Related Posts:
Top Bollywood films of 2012
As every year, Bollywood industry churned out hundred of feature films in 2012 – some very good, some very bad and a lot of mediocre ones. Here are some of the stand-outs of the year:
Barfi!: This is a romantic comedy written and directed by Anurag Basu. The movie narrates the story of “Barfi” – a mute and deaf boy in Darjeeling, West Bengal. The plot beautifully outlines his relation with two girls, one of whom is autistic. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz in lead roles.
Gattu: A low-budget flick for all ages, Gattu appeals to kids and adults alike. Directed by Rajan Khosa, the story revolves around a kid living in a small town where everyone is obsessed with kite-flying. No glitter or high-budget stunts here; just pure human drama at its best.
Vicky Donor: This romantic comedy is directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by John Abraham.The movie explore the subject of sperm donation and infertility, something new for Indian cinema. It stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam and Annu Kapoor in the lead role.
Ek Tha Tiger: This is an action film, directed by Kabir Khan and produced by Aditya Chopra of Yash Raj Films. The movie stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles supported by Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad, Roshan Seth and Gavie Chahal. A combination of love story and spy drama, the movie is full of dazzling action, beautifully filmed international scenery and pleasant music. Continue reading
I recently subscribed to Netflix Service. Not sure if it is offered outside USA and how widely, but I was looking for an on-demand network for English movies and TV shows. For $7/month and with first month free, it was rather a safe trial.
It took me about 5 minutes to sign up for Netflix using my laptop and I was all set to watch a wide variety of TV shows and Hollywood movies on the laptop/computer and TVs. As you can imagine, the TV has to be able to access the internet for Netflix programs to play on it.
I was able to set-up Netflix on our TVs in 3 different way (on 3 different TVs):
- My main floor HD TV has internet access, so no problem there.
- Second plasma TV (no direct internet access) in the basement is connected to XBox360 (and Xbox comes with wireless access); so we can watch internet on that TV as well. However, we have to use Xbox remote-controller to scroll around the Netflix menu.
- Upstairs TV (in the bedroom) has no direct internet access but the blu-ray player is internet-ready and hence Netflix ready.
So in no time, I was able to watch a variety of English shows and movies on my TVs. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a wide variety of Hindi movies under ‘Foreign’ category. I even found a few Punjabi movies, along with quite a few documentaries about India.
Currently on Netflix, there are about 200 Hindi movies (a rough estimate) to select from and watch at your own convenience. I am sure Netflix periodically adds new titles (just like English movies and shows), and perhaps removes less popular ones. When I sorted the Hindi movies by release date, I found many recent Bollywood movies, some of them released this year (2012) like Ishaqzaade, Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya, Joker, Rowdy Rathore… Continue reading
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. Continue reading
A well rounded quiz about Bollywood – the Indian Hindi Cinema. Enjoy:
Other Similar Quizzes:
Bollywood Quiz 7: Evergreen playback singers of Bollywood! The quiz is on the all-time popular playback singers of Bollywood!
Bollywood Quiz I:Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!
Bollywood Quiz – Kishore Kumar, the legend : A fan of Kishore Kumar? – Test your knowledge about this great singer!
Continue reading
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. Continue reading
You think you know your Bollywood? 
This is a summary of all the Bollywood Quizzes published on this site – The Indians Abroad. Click on the link to any of the quiz below to try your Bollywood knowledge!
Bollywood Quiz 7: Evergreen playback singers of Bollywood! The quiz is on the all-time popular playback singers of Bollywood!
Bollywood Quiz 5: The Idiots and a Dog is a recent quiz from January 2010.
Bollywood Quiz IV: Which Two Stars is based on movies or related Bollywood stories as of late 2009.
Bollywood Quiz III: Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from mid 2009.
Bollywood Quiz I:Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears! Continue reading
Samita Patil was still alive, Dilip Kumar still in action, the Big B showed no signs of grey hair, Naseeruddin Shah was in his prime, Pran was still the bad guy to beat…..you got the idea…
Choosing top 20 movies from 80s is almost an impossible task. Should you go with the mega hits from mega stars like Big B and Dilip Kumar, or should you go with the artistic movies supported by Naseeruddin Shah, Samita Patil, Shabana Azmi…? The list below is not perfect by any means, but a good mix of the both styles. Depending on your tastes, likes and dislikes, the choice may vary, but here are my top 20 movies from 80s, arranged in a chronological order, by the year of movie-release date:
1. Aakrosh (1980): This is an acclaimed art film. The star power comes from all around brilliant acting of Naseeruddin Shah, Samita Patil, Om Puri and Amrish Puri. The movie is a satire on the corruption in the Indian judicial system, and power abuse of the rich against the poor.
2. Qurbani (1980): A very entertaining family movie, also known for an ensemble of super-stars, excellent music and many ever-green songs. The film stars Feroz Khan, Vinod Khanna, Zeenat Aman, Amjad Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Aruna Irani, Amrish Puri and Kader Khan.
3. Sparsh (1980): Not a movie for uplifting atmosphere, but if you are looking for a movie with realistic acting, this is the one for you. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a blind principal and a teacher in a School of the Blind.
4. Kranti (1981): “Bolo Kranti, Kab Aayegi Krant?” This movie about India’s freedom fight is among the most popular films of the 80s. Produced and directed by Manoj Kumar, it stars Manoj Kumar along with a mega cast of Dilip Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha, Parveen Babi, Sarika, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri and Paintlal.
5. Lawaaris (1981): This is a super-hit movie of the 80s – a story of an orphan in search for his parents – with twists and turns. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Zeenat Aman and Raakhee Gulzar. Continue reading
The Bollywood Quiz 5 is based on the recent Bollywood news and movies, as of January 10, 2010.
The previous 4 Bollywood quizzes, if you want to try, can be found as linked below:
Bollywood Quiz I: Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!
Bollywood Quiz 7 – Evergreen Playback singers of Bollywood movies :A quiz on popular playback singers.
Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009
The Bollywood Quiz IVis based on the movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009.
Here is the latest – Bollywood Quiz 5; Good luck:
Please go to Bollywood Quiz 5 – The Idiots and a Dog to view the quiz
Related Posts:
20 Best Bollywood movies from 1990 to 1999
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. Continue reading
The top 20 Bollywood movies from 2000 to 2009
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. Continue reading
The quiz is based on the recent movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009.
The previuos quizes can be found as linked below:
Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009, (and originally published in August 2009)
Bollywood Quiz 7 – Evergreen playback singers of Bollywood :A quiz on popular playback singers.
Bollywood Quiz I: Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!
And, here is the latest quiz: Quiz IV: Which two stars..
Please go to Bollywood Quiz IV : Which two stars… to view the quiz
Related Posts:
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:
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. Continue reading
Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan to appear on Oprah Show!
Aishwairya Rai in 'Devdas'
The most influential woman in the world, Oprah Winfrey, is back with 2009 season of her world famous and the highest rated talk show. The downtown Chicago area – the Magnificent Mile- was closed to traffic last week as she kicked off the 24th season of Oprah Winfrey Show.
When it comes to the influence of this billionaire, Oprah is a force beyond comprehension. She has single-handedly popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre. Oprah has a very loyal world wide fan base, especially among women. A book lands on the ‘best seller list’ just by her mentioning of it on the show; the cattle ranchers in Texas get nervous if she promotes vegetarian food or says something against beef…..When Oprah talks, people listen!
And look, who is coming back to the Oprah show again- Aishwarya Rai! The popular Indian actress and former Miss World is no stranger to the show; and this time she brings her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, with her.
Aishwarya Rai is supposedly in Chicago with her beau preparing and shooting for the show. It is ‘rumored’ that the couple has been in USA for more than a week. Obviously, they did not get stopped by the immigration, otherwise we would have heard of it. Continue reading
The other quizes on this site can be found as linked below:
The Bollywood Quiz IV is based on the recent movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009
Bollywood Quiz 7 – Bollywood Playback Singers :A quiz on popular Bollywood playback singers.
Bollywood Quiz I: Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!
The Quiz III below relates to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009, (and originally published in August 2009):
Related Posts: