Friday, February 9, 2024

My 10 Favorite Indian Films


The Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast was unexpectedly invigorated during our "Never Seen" series, where members of the group brought films to the table that they had never seen. Mother Podcaster Drew brought the Indian film RRR to the table and it blew us all away, and brought us a legion of Indian fans. We decided to take a deep dive into Indian cinema, guided by the suggestions of our YouTube audience. 

The viewers have shared a number of wonderful films with us, which have taught us a great deal about India and its diverse culture. We sometimes made culturally ignorant or insensitive remarks in our reviews, but fortunately most of our viewers have forgiven us. They know we're on a learning curve!

One thing we have learned is not to refer to all Indian films as Bollywood. The term Bollywood only accurately describes a portion of the Indian film business. India has many official languages and each major language group has its own cinema. In addition to the language differences, the cultural differences from various sections of the country also show up in the films. There is no one "Indian" film.

This list consists of my ten favorite films we have reviewed to date on the podcast. For the most part, it reflects my own personal taste. However, I do take into account the "accessibility" of the film for the American audience. There are certain films I believe are better entry points into Indian cinema than others. This list reflects that opinion.

Here they are:


10. OMKARA, 2006
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
155 minutes/Hindi language

Omkara is a gripping and faithful adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello set in modern day rural Uttar Pradesh, where a powerful political enforcer's loyalty is tested when he becomes entangled in a web of deceit, betrayal, and tragic misunderstandings.

In the podcast, we've watched a few Indian Shakespeare adaptations. This is my favorite because of the powerful performance by Ajay Devgn, who has become my favorite Indian actor. He has tremendous charisma.

Here's our podcast on the film:

 


9. SARDAR UDHAM, 2021
Directed by Shoojit Sircar
162 minutes/Hindi language

Udham Singh, a revolutionary freedom fighter, goes to England to avenge the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre through assassination.

The scope and seriousness of this historical drama will come as a surprise to people who dismiss Indian cinema as strictly musical, romantic comedies. This is a film that asks important questions like when does violence become justified in face of cruel oppression. 

Here's our podcast on the film:

 


8. THE LUNCHBOX, 2013
Directed by Ritesh Batra
105 minutes/Hindi language

Mumbai has a unique delivery system set up that allows wives to send hot lunches to their working husbands. An unexpected and heartwarming friendship through handwritten notes arises after an emotionally neglected housewife's lunches are delivered instead to a lonely office worker.

This soft-spoken romantic drama is anchored by great performances by the late, great Irrfan Kahn, who appeared in Hollywood's Jurassic Park and Spiderman franchises, and the lovely Nimrat Kaur. Very touching.

Here's our podcast on the film:

 


7. DANGAL, 2016
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari
161 minutes/Hindi language

Dangal tells the inspiring true story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler who defies societal norms to train his daughters Geeta and Babita in wrestling, challenging gender stereotypes and guiding them to become world-class athletes.

It seemed like every other Indian film we watched on the podcast features Indian superstar Aamir Kahn. He tends to play in lighter fare with music and humor, but he is very serious here, and the training techniques the character uses hover on the border of child abuse. Still, it is an inspiring film that deals with female empowerment in Indian culture.

Here's our podcast on the film:

 


6. EEGA, 2012
Directed by S.S. Rajamouli
134 minutes/Telugu language

When a young man is killed by a gangster who is interested in his girlfriend, he seeks revenge when he is reincarnated as a housefly.

Eega is a film you have to see to believe. You might think a gimmick like this wouldn't sustain a whole film, but it is one wild ride. S.S. Rajamouli is a instinctual filmmaker. He always seems to know where the place the camera for maximum effect. He can also direct the heck out of an action sequence. That's a skill he also displayed in his two Baahubali films -- and a film we will be discussing later. 

Here's our podcast on the film:

 


Directed by Madhu C. Narayanan
135 minutes/Malayalam Language

Kumbalangi Nights is a story of four feuding brothers who come together to help one of them win the girl of his dreams against the backdrop of a picturesque village in Kerala.

I believe this film was the first Malayalam language film we watched on the podcast. I don't want to over-generalize but the Malayalam films tend to be more realistic -- and very beautifully shot. I found this tale very compelling -- like an American indie movie.

Here's our podcast of the film:

 


4. PATHER PACHALI, 1955
Directed by Satyajit Ray
126 minutes/Bengali Language

Pather Pachali is a classic film that follows the struggles of a poor Bengali family as they navigate life's hardships and fleeting joys in rural West Bengal, capturing the essence of human resilience.

This is the film that put Indian cinema on the world map. Ray tells this tragic story of a poor family in the Italian neo-realist manner. The faces alone, in this beautifully shot black and white film, practically tell the whole story. This is the first film of the Apu trilogy, which follows the boy Apu from his childhood in this film through college and its aftermath. I saw this film, and its sequels, at my local art house during the 1980s. It set the bar pretty high for Indian films.

Here's our podcast about the film:

 

3. DRISHYAM, 2015
Directed by Nishikant Kamat
163 minutes/Hindi Language

Drishyam is a gripping thriller where a common man's quick thinking and resourcefulness are put to the test when his family becomes entangled in a crime, forcing him to use his wits to outsmart the police and protect his loved ones.

This is not the original version of the film. Because of the many languages in India, successful films are often remade with different casts in different languages. I saw the original film and I liked that version too. However, this version features Ajay Devgn, my favorite Indian actor, and Tabu, my favorite Indian actress, so I am including this one.

I am not surprised this film has been remade repeatedly in India. It has also been remade in China. What surprises me is that it hasn't been remade in America yet. This film would be a huge success in the United States as well.

Here's our podcast about the film:

       


2. ANDHADHUN, 2018
Directed by Sriram Raghavan
139 minutes/Hindi Language

Andhadhun is a darkly comedic thriller where a supposedly visually impaired pianist unwittingly becomes embroiled in a murder, blurring the lines between reality and deception in a twisted tale of crime and consequences.

I don't want to say too much about the plot, but this is a highly-entertaining film. It's both funny and suspenseful. I have discovered that Indian filmmakers aren't afraid to make huge tonal changes, but the plot of this film takes a few surprising left hand turns too. You will find yourself saying, "Whaaaaaat?" But it all pays off, even if the narrative viewpoint can't be entirely trusted. Great performance by femme fatale Tabu.

This is another film begging for an American remake. I'd be happy to write the script!

Here is our podcast about the film:

 


1. RRR, 2022
Directed by S.S. Rajamouli
187 minutes/Telugu language

In this historical fantasy, director S.S. Rajamouli wonders what might have happened if two Indian pre-independence freedom fighters, who never met in real life, teamed up to fight the British. Imagine George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both endowed with superhuman fighting skills, taking on the British army by themselves. That's what we have here.

Although this was the film that won me over to modern Indian cinema, I hesitated putting it at the top of the list because I am not sure it is as accessible as the previous two films. For example, early in the film the mother of a child being stolen by the British governor is brutally beaten. I think a lot of folks would stop watching the film right there. Like many Indian films, this one undergoes huge tonal shifts that might be off-putting to Western audiences. 

Primarily RRR is a serious film about colonialism and oppression, but it is also an action film, and the action sequences are amazing, but it is also a romance and, more importantly, a bromance laced with comedy and dance numbers.  In fact, one of the songs won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.  Check it out:

 

If that number doesn't make you want to see the film, I don't know what will.

I decided to place this film at the top of the list primarily because it exemplifies so many of the passionate strengths of Indian cinema. It is a must see.

Here's out podcast about the film:

 

Check out other episodes of the podcast here:

Here are my other lists:


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