There is no doubt that all the streaming services have been looking increasingly outside of Hollywood recently in an attempt to grow their customer base. With so many excellent movies produced all around the world, we welcome this move – and are very happy that there are some great Bollywood films getting wider exposure.
We expect that you already have a good grounding in Indian movies, but it is sometimes difficult to keep up with the latest news. With the Mumbai Indians documentary proving so popular – even with viewers usually more interested in sports betting in Georgia – we think there is definitely a market for Bollywood. So, here are five films that we think everyone should get to watch.
Om Shanti Om (2007)
A supernatural, reincarnation romantic thriller, this was the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time when it was released and uses common dramatic themes to tell its story, while taking a sly swipe at the film industry at the same time. This love story spans three decades and is a delight from start to finish.
The story begins with Sharukh Khan (SRK) as a novice artist who secretly falls in love with married superstar, Deepika Radukone, who is killed by her husband. Our hero dies as well but then is reincarnated 30 years later as a rich superstar. He then vows to avenge his lover’s death in this riotous song-filled drama.
Paheli (205)
This is a less well known SRK movie, which visits the subject of ghostly love and is a remake of the classic Duvidha. This supernatural romance follows a young Rajasthani villager who has to decide whether she can fall in love with the ghost of the husband who abandoned her a day after their marriage.
SRK plays the ghost who professes his love for his wife and attempts to prove that he is worthy – and who he says he is. Western audiences who have seen the Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore classic Ghost will have an idea of how the story goes. But will love prove to be eternal?
Sir (2021)
This actually came out in 2018 but only made it to Netflix in 2021. But anyone who hasn’t seen this classic Indian movie tale is in for a treat. Tillotama Shome plays a maid who lives in the house of her boss (Vivek Gomber) who has returned from New York to look after his extended family, leaving his cheating wife.
Although the class difference makes romance socially unthinkable, the two leads develop a strong and loving bond. With little time for how his peers will react, Gomber professes his love but he is rebuffed as Shome knows it will never be accepted. Will true love out in the end
Figure 2 Some of the classics are now available on streaming services
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
Yet another SRK movie (we promise there are other Bollywood stars out there!), this became an instant classic when it was released in the late 1990s and is well deserving of its new potential audience. Although it is a film about true love, it also perfectly encapsulates the bonds of friendship too.
SRK is a college student whose best friend only realises she actually loves him when he gets together with her friend. The couple go on to have a child who discovers her father’s letters to his first love after her mother dies. The daughter then goes on a quest to reunite the two lovers who missed out on a chance of romance.
Kapoor and Sons (2016)
Our final Bollywood movie to catch on your favourite streaming service is an interesting tale with something of a modern twist. Two brothers return to India from their lives abroad due to their grandmother’s health issues and deal with familiar issues and parents whose marriage is failing.
There is sibling rivalry aplenty as the two brothers vie for the affections of the family they had left behind. There is a love interest (of course) but one of the brothers has a boyfriend in New York, so this movie is definitely going against traditional plot lines. It is good to see a drama like this showing the modern India and it is definitely worth catching, like all the rest here.
