What’s great about Bollywood is the variety of movies. Depending on your taste you can find movies ranging from Horror to Romantic comedies.
There have been some movies that have won hearts of the audience. The kind of movies that force you to think “What would I do if I was the hero?”
The kind of movies that alter your experience, make you feel something and you learn something in the process.
Here are the 10 Bollywood movies that I think are more than just movies:
- Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015)
Director: Ketan Mehta
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
This is a great real-life story of a persistent man who single handedly cut down a mountain.
Dashrath Manjhi is a poor man living in a remote village Gehlaur near Gaya, Bihar. He is struggling to survive in the village.
One day his beloved wife, Phaguniya, falls from a mountain and dies. He is shocked at the incident.
He decides to let it never happen with anyone else. He will cut down the mountain.
He with his hammer & chisel cut away the mountain after long 22 years. The movie depicts his struggle, corrupt politicians and his low caste not favoring him.
- Queen (2013)
Director: Vikas Bahl
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
It is a great story of a conservative girl who comes out of her comfort zones and discovers herself.
Rani (English: Queen) is an under-confident girl from Delhi. One day before her marriage, her prince Vijay rejects her, claiming her conservative.
It breaks her heart, so she decides to go to her planned honeymoon alone. In the honeymoon she meets new people and finds her confidence back.
She does all the things that she once hesitated. This makes her discover herself. Along the way Vijay changes his mind. Will they get married?
- Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, Sports
It is the true story of “The Flying Sikh” Milkha Singh. When India and Pakistan parted, Milkha Singh came to India.
Here he meets his sister, makes some friends and steals food with them. He loves Biro, she asks him to live honest life, so he joins Army.
He wins many races in Army breaking national record. He is taken to Melbourne, but due to a One-Night-Stand he loses the final race.
For a friendly race between India & Pakistan, he goes to Pakistan. He visits his village and finds an old friend. Finally, he takes the race and wins the title of “The Flying Sikh”.
Farhan Akhtar’s acting is solid in the movie. He is effortless in his character. He almost looks and runs like Milkha Singh.
- Swades (2004)
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Genre: Drama, Comedy
This is a story of a man whose love of his country re-ignites and he overcomes the difficulties to live his life.
Mohan is a NASA scientist. He misses Kaveri Amma, his childhood servant, as his parents are dead.
He goes back to India and finally finds her. But, now she is living with his childhood friend Gita. Gita is not happy to see Mohan.
In the village, he finds struggles of villagers. He creates a small hydroelectric power generation facility from a nearby river.
It brings electricity to the village. He also falls in love with Gita. Now the problems begin.
NASA wants him back. Amma is happy here and so is Gita. They don’t want to settle in USA. What does Mohan do now?
- Airlift (2016)
Director: Raja Menon
Genre: Action, Drama, History
This movie is based on a true struggle of Kuwaiti Indians during Kuwait war. It is based on how 170,000 Indians were rescued to India.
Ranjit is a successful billionaire in Kuwait. He is an Indian but claims to be Kuwaiti. When Saddam Husain attacks Kuwait, the government disappears.
This leaves Kuwaiti money worthless. All Ranjit has is his connections and some assets. He also finds that there are 170,000 Indians in Kuwait waiting to be rescued by Indian government.
He takes the lead role in leveraging his connections to save all of them. Finally Air India also helps him due to persuasion of Kohli.
Joint Secretary Kohli is a common man in Indian ministry. His father had seen India-Pakistan patrician, so he knew how Ranjit & others felt.
- Company (2002)
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
It is a great crime movie in which one new gangster Chandu becomes enemy with the leader. This starts a great war in Mumbai mafia.
Chandu is a newcomer in Mafia. He learns tricks of the business and increases earnings of the gang.
The gang leader Malik is impressed by him. But, due to his emotional nature & some misunderstandings Chandu becomes enemy of Malik.
The gang is now divided. Mumbai police takes advantage of the situation to bring crime under control.
Malik has bigger gang but Chandu’s drive is hard. Who will win?
- Singham (2011)
Director: Rohit Shetty
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Singham is a story of a policeman who fights the corruption spread in the government system alone (initially).
Singham is police officer in village Shivgarh. In an incident he humiliates a Goa gangster Jaykant Sikre in his village.
He takes it personally and gets Singham transferred to Goa. In Goa, everyone is corrupt. It makes Singham depressed.
Jaykant constantly tortures Singham and senior police officers also takes Jaykant’s side. Finally, Singham decides to give up.
But, after an incident he stands up again…hard. This time he fights everyone who used to favor Jaykant and finally brings him to justice.
Will his police peers support him?
- PK (2014)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
It is a satire comedy movie on religions. An alien unknown to the religions finds his way to survival and finally get home learning so much from the earth.
A humanoid alien lands on Rajasthan for his research. A man steals his remote control and this traps him on the earth.
In the way of searching his remote control he learns about dress, money, symbols, religion and religious superstitions.
He does not even know the language. How does he find his way home? Who will help him?
- 3 Idiots (2009)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Genre: Comedy, Drama
This is a great movie on Indian Education system. The movie has changed the life of millions of people, especially students.
Rancho is a student, who approaches problems in a simple way. While teachers like those students who learns everything word by word.
The director “Virus” is one of those strict teachers. Rancho eventually falls in love with his younger daughter.
He goes to her house to confess his love with his friends. But Virus finds it out. He forces his friends to blame him.
One on them tries to commit suicide, but is rescued. To the director’s and student’s surprise Rancho tops all the exams.
After 10 years of not hearing from him, the friends reunite to find him.
In the way, they finds out that he was not who they thought he was. Will they ever find him?
- Oh My God (2012)
Director: Umesh Shukla
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
This is a great satire movie about god. A man files a case against God and goes through the struggle.
Kanji Lalji Mehta is a middle class Gujrati businessman in Mumbai. He runs his shop of Hindu Idols happily.
An earthquake hits the city and only his shop is destroyed. He claims insurance, but the company does not cover claims under “Act of God”.
Frustrated he files case against God. People from all over the India criticize him. Then, a mysterious thing happened.
His in-debt home is bought by Krishna Vasudev Yadav, who let Kanji live with him. He advises Kanji to speak his mind in front of media.
His point of view is welcomed by all the people. Many other people ask for his help. The court bring all religious leaders in for the case.
Due to his strong points, when Kanji is about to win he gets paralyzed. Finally, when he wakes up after one month, he finds Krishna with him.
Krishna reveals himself as Lord Krishna and takes away his paralysis. Kanji finds that priests have made Kanji god and are preparing for his funeral.
With Krishna he goes out to fight with priests. People are shocked to see him. Will he able to convince people to not think of him as God? What about Krishna?
About Pankaj: Pankaj Solanki is a movie lover.
Blog : Click Here To Visit Pankaj Blog
