The Indians Abroad

Overseas Living: NRIs & India abroad

Posts Tagged Movies

Top 20 Bollywood Movies of 80’s

Mar 4

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

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 great 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. Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981): This movie is among the most popular films of early 80s. The songs and the music support the romantic storyline. Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri lead the cast.

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. 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, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

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

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

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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Bollywood Need to Move Beyond Song and Dance: Amitabh Bachchan

Nov 21

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

Amitabh “Big B” Bachchan : Bollywood needs to adapt beyond song and dance.
Amitabh Bachchan in his prime

It is hard to imagine a Bollywood movie without songs and dance numbers. The songs and music has often played a key role in the success or failure of a movie. A Hindi flick without songs and dance is like an Indian curry without masala, the spices.

Many have been saying this for a while, more quietly than in a vocal way, that it is about time for Bollywood to evolve beyond the song and dance routines. The most criticism, so far, has come from outsiders -those outside the Bollywood film Industry of India. Now, a reality check comes from a Bollywood Mega star; a bombshell from Amitabh Bachchan.

Amitabh “Big B” Bachchan in an interview with CNN said that it is about time for Bollywood to adapt to the global film market. He pointed out that Indian cinema needs to move beyond traditional song-and-dance musicals amid increasing international competition in the Mumbai studios’ domestic market.

He said that Indian audiences exposed to Western television and cinema expected Indian movies to be “at least on a par with what is happening in other parts of the world.”

“Technology means the common man has access to the very best in entertainment from other parts of the world almost instantly,” said the mega star. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood Quiz IV : Which two stars…

Nov 7

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

Kurbaan-2009 250x250The 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 II – Bollywood News and hit movies :A quiz on hits from earlier part of 2009 or from 2008
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..

Which two stars are going to be seen together in an upcoming very pricey ad for a soap commercial?





These two stars ended their relationship recently (around October 2009):





The lead stars in upcoming movie 'My Name is Khan' are:





These two Bollywood stars are getting married, they plan to tie the knot on November 22.





These two are going to star together in the movie Kurbaan which is scheduled for release November 27, 2009.





Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt co-starred in this recent Bollywood flick.





Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif have this new release in the the theaters:







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Big screens welcome Bollywood abroad

Oct 27

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Growing overseas trend of Bollywood movies on big screens

A flock of girls, probably in their 20s, – giggling and talking – briskly walked into the theater complex. Quickly checking the movie times, followed by a quick look at their cell phones, they laughed and giggled some more.
“Thanks God, I thought we were late”, Kavita said. Jiggling the car keys in her hand, she went on, “Friday night is our Bollywood night; many of us drive for more than an hour to meet here for the movie date”
“The boyfriends or husbands are not allowed”, interrupted Rupa while her fingers still busy texting.

The ‘Golf Glen 5’ movie complex is conveniently located in the north-west suburbs of Chicago. For Indian movies, today’s choices include ‘Aadhavan’ Starring Nayana Tara and Surya; and ‘Blue’ starring Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar in the lead roles.

The Bollywood is becoming more and more popular in America. Instead of the limited option of renting a DVD from your local Indian store or burning an illegal copy, the ever increasingly popular option of big screen is now available in your nearest cities!
Yes, more and more theatres are showing Bollywood movies on regular basis. Though not many but the choices are there. In so many theaters nationwide, you can choose between a Hollywood movie or a Bollywood flick, depending on what the mood strikes.

Big Cinemas– a division of Reliance, India – is cashing in on Bollywood movie fans among Indian Americans in USA. Spanning across New York, Virginia, California, Georgia, New Jersey…..Big Cinemashas 18 theaters all over America, catering to the growing population of Desis. The posters, the advertisements and the leisurely strolling Indian Americans inside the theater resemble a scene of an upscale theater in India.

The USA has a fast-growing and affluent population of Indian Americans, an estimated 2.5 million strong. For the cities with high density of Indians, Bollywood movie theaters seem obvious and profitable business choice.

“Does it have English subtitles?” inquired a white woman with short blonde hair at the ticketing booth. 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

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:
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 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

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: Needs no explanation. The dialogue, the story, the cast, the acting…everything is so refreshing. The story moves at its own natural pace. It has everything you would expect in a drama movie or an action film or a romance flick.

Pakeezah: Beautifully directed, this movie is a combination of good artistic tastes, a great storyline, excellent settings and a brilliant music.

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 is lead by a brilliant acting and timeless direction all around.

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. It has something for audiences of all ages.

Mughal-e-Azam :This is one of the most expensive movies ever made of its times. It took more than 9 years to finish 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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‘Bollywood Heroes’ Vs ‘US Customs and Immigration’ : The duel goes on!

Sep 2

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India, india abroad

The US Customs and Immigration affects Bollywood travels to US

Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan

SRK stopped by US Immigration office for additional questioning; he blame US immigration for profiling based on Muslim name!….. – 8/11/09
Salman Khan is concerned about the US Immigration office; cancels his US trip!…- 8/28/09

Salman Khan has cancelled his upcoming trip to New York. The bollywood star was planning to visit USA to promote his upcoming movie ‘Wanted’. One of the main causes for this cancellation is quoted to be the recent incident where US immigration stopped Shahrukh Khan for additional questioning at Newark airport.

There has been much reported on this SRK immigration incident. The whole thing is blown way out of proportion by the media with so many twists and turns. Many are of the opinion that the agenda was to promote ‘My name is Khan’, his upcoming movie about experiences of a Muslim in USA in post-9/11 era.

The US Customs and Immigration denies any profiling and called it a routine stop, mainly because his baggage was delayed. You decide- who is right and who is wrong.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan

As a part of security measure of modern days, every country including USA is being extra careful as to who crosses their borders.We all know, the US Immigration and Customs check-point is last place to find friendly faces. The custom officers’ job is to probe everyone who enters the country and try to separate the good guys from bad ones. They frequently stop all kind of travelers –white, black or brown- for additional questioing and screening. The officers do tend to be a bit authoritative, and many may consider them ‘rude’; but that is the nature of their job.

So there you have it! Two Khan’s-the Bollywood mega stars vs. the US Customs and Immigration…. It is hard to fathom that Bollywood is so much worried about ‘not-so-friendly’ US Immigration officers. These Bollywood heroes, whose daily job description is to overcome the hurdles and fight big bad bullies in the movies, seem to shy away when it comes to passing through US Immigration and Customs. Is it that the real life drama is more intimidating than a Bollywood script with a pre-planned favorable outcome?

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Come on our Bollywood heroes, you can do better than that! We are so used to your bigger-than-life persona, your bare-hand fights against evils of all sizes! You can single-handedly kill an army of villains in those movies; demolish anything that crosses your path, or that of your love-interest! You can jump out of high rise buildings, dash out of flying planes and come out winners without a scratch on your body. And yet, you are scared of an immigration officer at a US check-point? Where is all that bravery that we are so accustomed to witness on the big screens? We all thought that you are tough enough to put up with some questions from a non-smiling customs officer in real life! Read the rest of this entry »

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The Bollywood Quiz: III

Aug 29

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian

love-aaj-kal-review
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 II – Bollywood News and hit movies :A quiz on hits from earlier part of 2009 or from 2008
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):

Please go to The Bollywood Quiz: III to view the quiz

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Hire a Bollywood star for your party: Aaja NachLe!

Aug 5

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Culture & Society, Entertainment, India, Marriages & weddings

Who would you hire from Bollywood for your wedding party?

Madhuri and Aishvarya in film Devdas

Madhuri and Aishvarya in film Devdas

Have money?… Looking for the knockout punch at your party?….
Well, look towards Bollywood.
Everything has a price, they say. For the right price, you can get almost anything.
So, what is the price for the Baadshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan to dance at your party? How about Rs 3 Crores to start with. Shahrukh Khan agreed to put up a show at the wedding of real estate giant Kanti Govani’s nephew for this large sum of money.

Who would you hire for your party?

From yesterday’s stars I personally like:

  • Amitabh Bachhan:- I won’t mind watching him perform to the tune of ‘Pag Ghungroo bandh Meera Naachi thi..’ from Namak Halaal.
  • Helen: The queen of dance numbers..’Mehbooba Mehbooba…’ from Sholay is my personal favorite since childhood :)
  • Hema Malini: The ‘dream girl’, a trained classical dancer….

    • Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood Quiz : Know your Bollywood? The Old Days!

Jun 27

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff

Do you know your Bollywood?
Test your Bollywood knowledge of old movies with this quiz!

The other quizes on this site can be found as linked below:
The Quiz IV is based on the recent movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009
Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009, (and originally published in August 2009)
Bollywood Quiz II – Bollywood News and hit movies :A quiz on hits from earlier part of 2009 or from 2008.
Bollywood Quiz 1 : The yesteryears!
Please go to Bollywood Quiz : Know your Bollywood? The Old Days! to view the quiz

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Bollywood + Hollywood = New fans abroad

May 12

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, india abroad

Bollywood gaining new fans overseas with Slumdog Millionaire like approach

Bollywood-the Bombay (Mumbai) movie industry- is one of the biggest film production location in the world. There is no shortage of all-time-classic stories, romance or melodrama in the long history of Indian movies. It is not new that many of the Bollywood movies are churned out with English themes in varying tones; some of the major trends over many decades have been:
1. Indian movies with Indian stars in western settings, with a clear cut bias against western society; as in ‘Purab Aur Paschim’.
2. Patriotic movies linked to Indian freedom movement against British rule; such as ‘Kranti’ and ‘Lagaan’.
3. Movies based in a western country or a western society with local social and cultural issues; like in ‘Bollywood Hollywood’ and ‘The Guru’. Read the rest of this entry »

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