I am trying to pick movies which I watched more than 5-6 times, without getting bored and it getting better each time I watch.
1)Dil Chahta Hai – I have to say first that though this is the best movie in my list, it is not flawless like some others in the list, the parts with Dimple Kapadia in it become boring as you watch this one again and again, you have to thank god that you have a ff button on your remote control. But the rest of the movie compensates for that and more than that. The movie is quite in tune with the times and doesn’t have to rely on contrived situations, mistaken identities etc to generate humor. The acting is simply superb with each doing justice to the character he/she is playing.
2)Chupke Chupke – Dharamendra’s best comic performance to date, I think he has carried the whole film on his shoulder, completely doing justice to the author-backed role. Om Prakash also delivers a very likable performance.
3)Sholay – You can say I grew up on Sholay!! By the time I could differentiate between good films and bad films, I had watched this one 9-10 times. I believe this movie is flawless. Be it Big B’s comic timing or Sanjeev Kumar’s controlled anger or Amjad Khan’s super debut.
4)Trishul – You have to forgive if my top movies contain a lot of Bhachan movies..since I was a die-hard fan of Amitabh during my early days and even had cried & prayed secretly when he was hurt during the coolie shooting. I liked his Angry young man’s image in this film better than in his other films. I will let this be a represntative of all good Angry young man movies of his.
5)Katha – Farookh Sheik for a change acting as a Knows-his-way-around rather than the bumbling-but-charming-idiot-next-door gives in a tremendous performance in this lovable pragmatic story.
6)Chandani Bar - This one in the list is the only outright arty film, it starts with a sad story and keeps becoming sadder. But I loved this one as much as others in this list, though one has to admit one cannot see a sad movie again and again. The role was a perfect fit for Tabu who I seem is at her best where there is a lot of suffering in the roleJ. Can she only suit such roles?I don’t care.
7)Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron – A satire at its best. Flawless acting, great dialogues and real-real funny last 15-20 mins!!
8)Chashme Baddoor – A typical comedy in many ways but yet different.
9)Rangeela – Ram Gopal Verma’s direction, Aamir Khan’s full tapoori acting. Do we need anything else? Add to that not a totally clichéd plot where the rich hero/heroine realizes the worth of his poor lover in the end only after he/she has chased the rich and famous!!. Here, at no point Urmila is shown to be in love with Jackie’s character.
10) Earth-1947 – A partition story which might be more realistic in the sense both sides are shown as having good and bad, not the usual the other side is the bad party kind of rhetoric. Plus, the climax is refreshingly bold.
I would like to add a couple of films by my current fav. actor(other than Aamir), Rahul Bose(English August && Mr & Mrs Iyer)...but I have not seen them so many times as the others so wouldnt know how I would feel if I watch them repeatedly, so for now they are out.