Bollywood Films

[daveparry]

OK! If i wanted to watch my first ever Bollywood film which one should it be? I know, there are millions of them but where do i start?

[jas xjr]

you have to be drunk to watch them in my experience. i am of indian origin and struggle to watch them with my mrs. lagaan is ok , not too much singing and dancing. mother india is an oldie , but oscar nominated i belive.
i am sure somebody who knows what they are talking about will be along shortly

[Superbad]

Lagaan would be an ideal first Bollywood movie.

3 idiots was released in 2009 and broke records in Bollywood, I think it has maybe 1 song in it. One of the best Bollywood films ever made.

The lead in both the above is Aamir Khan

[Shay HTFC]

One of the ones my mate always tried to get me to watch was called 'Dev das' (although it could be spelt completely different). An Indian girl I once had a few dates with also recommended it. Its one of the 'blockbusters' I think.

[maddog993]

I'd say 'Sholay' is a good place to start. It's the biggest grossing film in the history of Bollywood. It's got all the classic bollywood ingredients including the biggest Bollywood star (Amitabh Bachchan), lots of over-the-top action, lots of songs, lots of dancing and I thought it was good fun.
I was 'educated' in Bollywood by two of my Asian pals via Sholay and despite any initial reservations found I enjoyed it.

[daveparry]

Thanks everyone!

[freecar]

+1 for lagaan, it's a great film!

[DrYazz]

maddog993 said:

I'd say 'Sholay' is a good place to start. It's the biggest grossing film in the history of Bollywood. It's got all the classic bollywood ingredients including the biggest Bollywood star (Amitabh Bachchan), lots of over-the-top action, lots of songs, lots of dancing and I thought it was good fun.
I was 'educated' in Bollywood by two of my Asian pals via Sholay and despite any initial reservations found I enjoyed it.

It is 3 hours long though.

Which is a significant portion of one's space-time continuum.

[DrYazz]

I was recently given a DVD of a 2006 film called 'Don'.

Entertaining, if not particularly ground-breaking.

And it had more of a Hollywood feel to it, than Bollywood.

[Mojooo]

Most of the best Bollywod films are 3 hours or so, some even longer.

The essence of Bollywood has been lost I feel now as most of the more modern films are too much like a poor version of Hollywood.

The best tsuff from bollywood is late 70's to the end of the 90's.

Some of Amitabh Bachans big movies are deffo worht watching. DON 2006 is actually a remake of one of his films from about 30 years ago.

[dreamz]

the remake of don the 2006 version was rubbish - and i'm a shah rukh fan!!

3 idiots is good -

total over the top melodrama? kabhi kushi kabhie gham.

om shaanti om is pretty good too.

for a non music non typical indian film story - chak de india - about a hockey team

some of the retro 70's stuff is awesome - laawaris, don, sholay, dharam veer, naseeb - alot involved an orphan/lost child reunitin with his family by the end and turning out he was some heir to the family fortune kinda thing.

alot of amitabh's new stuff is just ste.

raajniti supposed to be pretty good