When I was very young, I remember leaving my house unguarded to see a movie that played in a club across the playground in front of my house(and being thoroughly chastised for my troubles). I remember barging into other people’s houses, a very unwelcome guest, when there we had no TV, or later, no VCR! When I was old enough, I remember running away from school, then college to get to a theatre in time. I am no fan of individuals. I am not crazy enough to want to see the movie on the first day show. I am not the kind who would watch a movie twenty times. I just watch. And like!
So it is only befitting that I should list out my all time favorites. I am not ranking them, that would be presumptuous - I just I love these the most.
Sholay was lovely because it is the thorough entertainer. The story line is of a typical – it is no way original, mebbe even picked up from many westerns. What enticed was the cast – Amitabh was amazingly quiet, Amjad disquietingly vocal. Dharmendra as the part time buffoon and Hema Malini(it was in this movies that I decided she had some acting talent in her, and forgive me all ye Ms. Malini fans!) as Dhanno were perfect. So was Sanjiv Kumar. What also enticed were the amazing details paid to innocuous individuals in the movie. You cannot forget Asrani, Jagdeep, Sachin and so many – all of whom played bit roles. Even “itna sannata kyun hai bhai”!
Masoom
This was the one movie I have seen, I am very fond of saying, which is every bit as good, if not better than the book(Man, Woman and Child by Erich Segal). Naseer as the tortured father and husband is incomparable, even when he and Jafree turn very naughty to sing “Huzoor is kadar bhi”. Shabana Azmi as the wronged woman who goes through the entire gamut of emotions of betrayal, uncertainty and forgiveness is perfect for the part. The songs are all very good, the best being the soulful “Tujhse naraaz nahin…”
Jaane bhi do yaaro
Probably the best Hindi comedy film ever made. The scene where the dead body of Satish Shah is draped in a saree and made to play the part of Draupadi is hilarious. Ravi Vaswani(a talent wasted!) and Naseer partner to create a movie that forces you to laugh and cry at the same time. Remember them eating the villains’ cake and sharing it with “thoda khao, thoda fenko!”? Situational comedy at its very best!
Mili
One of the movies I can watch again and again – with Jaya Bhaduri at her carefree best. And u cannot but help sympathize with Amitabh Bachhan as the lonely neighbor who falls in love with the dying Bhaduri. Despite the sadness, this is a refreshingly upbeat movie - no one cries buckets of tears over the misfortunes befalling the protagonists. Kishore Kumar sang his heart out in “Badi sooni sooni hai…” and “Aaye tum yaad mujhe…”
Abhimaan
This movie took up a very uncommon topic – uncommon for both Hindi and English movies – the professional rivalry between a husband and wife and the torture faced by the male ego. Amitabh Bachhan again excels – his facial expressions showing his inner turmoil come out very well. Jaya Bhaduri does not play her normal ebullient self but manage to turn out a superb performance nonetheless. Asrani was the find of this movie, I recently learnt from an interview of his. He plays Amitabh’s(and later Jaya and Amitabh’s joint assistant) to perfection. The songs too are very good, and fit the situations to a “T”.
Mausam
I remember this movie because of the ease with which it tackled the emotions – very understated and very maturely. For those who came in late, it stars Sanjiv Kumar as a wannabe doctor who falls in love with a villager Sharmila Tagore. He then disappears from the scene, leaving a devasted and pregnant Tagore. He returns years later to the scene of the crime to redeem himself, only to find that his love was dead(after going mad) to be survived by a daughter(Sharmila Tagore in a double role) who was forced into prostitution. Kumar brings her home, not telling her why. So for a long time she believes she is with Kumar for sex, while he is trying to with her over until he can tell her that she is his daughter. Sharmila Tagore really proved herself as an actor here, her irritating mannerisms were brought down to the minimum, and she managed to look coarse and slovenly with élan – even smoking a beedi in style.
Arth
Shabana Azmi as the betrayed wife again – only this time she does not forgive. Smita Patil as the tortured “other” woman is outstanding too. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is the man they fight over, and he plays his part very maturely. But it is Azmi who shines, even in the showdown with Patil, a phone-call scene where she begs Smita to return her husband. Mahesh Bhatt says this is partly autobiographical, from his life with Parveen Babi. The songs are worth dying for – with the brilliant Jagjit Singh singing “Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe ho”. Notably, Azmi does not opt for the easier option when, after her divorce, she is wooed and proposed to – she prefers to remain single and independent.
Anand
Amitabh Bachhan seems to be coming up like a jack-in-the-box in all these favorite movies, but that is no surprise. What is surprising here is Rajesh Khanna manages to steal the show with a wonderful performance as a cancer patient who refuses to lie down and die. His joie de vivre engulfs us all and leaves us feeling elated, even though he does not survive in the end. Bachhan as the angry doctor who is impotent at the hands of fate is very good too. Khanna singing “Zindagi, kaisi hai paheli hai, kahbi to hansaye, kabhi yeh rulaye” is unforgettable.
Dil Chahta Hai
Coming of age of the modern Hindi cinema. This was probably the first movie which made it cool for the younger generation to be associated with Hindi cinema. There were no exaggerated mannerisms, no Kadar Khan like dialogues(who seemed appropriate for no one except Amitabh Bachhan as the “Shahenshah” of Indian Cinema). Instead, the protagonists talked every bit like today’s generation, pulled each other’s legs as if their lives depended on it, and cracked jokes that were genuinely hilarious. Saif Ali Khan without his embarrassing mane became a real dude after this movie, his success here rubbing off on Hum Tum. Akshaye Khanna looked his vulnerable best, and Dimple Kapadia was a great casting. Aamir Khan was a real delight in this movies, coming off as extremely naughty and spoilt, and managing not to look his age at all.
Zakhm
Another autobiographical movie from the Mahesh Bhatt stable. This time about illegitimacy and Hindu-Muslim relationships. Ajay Devgan plays the son of Pooja Bhatt, secretly a Muslim, who has two sons from an illicit relationship with Nagarjuna, a devout Hindu. He could not divorce his wife because of his over-powering mother- the main reason for the opposition being her religion – she is a Hindu. Devgan knows about the religion, but not his younger brother, played by Akshay Anand. This secret comes into the open when Pooja Bhatt dies in a Hindu-Muslim riot. By then, Anand has turned in a rabid Hindu fundamentalist, a follower of Ashutosh Rana. There is a stand-off between the brothers when Devgan wishes to fulfill his mother’s last wishes of being buried. This film does not preach – it forces the viewers to think. The music is also very good.