Hello! It might be the first time I shared the Bollywood/Indian movies I’ve watched here, or have I already? I remember watching a lot of Bollywood movies as I grew up. I still even remember what Bollywood movie I watched before some robbers broke into my house. I remember my uncle and my cousins loved to play the Bollywood songs. I remember renting some DVDs and crying while watching them. I guess Bollywood movies have left me with some memories. There was even this Bollywood movie I watched on TV when I was still a kid. I didn’t even remember the actors or the titles, not sure if it’s a horror one but I remember someone died and there was an Annabelle-like doll and the main character kept trying to hit a can as he wanted to be able to touch objects. I guess that scene was so touching for the little me I simply couldn’t forget it. If you might know what movie it was, please do tell me.
Anyway, now I’d like to share some of the movies I watched. Perhaps, I am sharing these because in a way I find them quite empowering. They can challenge your views, give you a new perspective, help you introspect, and definitely give you a lot of lessons. Some were even based on true stories, making them much more meaningful. I don’t really watch Indonesian movies anymore nowadays, but I always hope that we can have such wonderful movies as well, about professions, politics, corruption, education, etc.
But, well, let me just tell you what movies they are 😉
1. Srikanth
Srikanth is based on a true story, and I strongly believe we need more movies like this. It tells a story about the struggle of a visually impaired man in pursuing education and realizing his dream. He was faced with challenges but with persistence – and support from those around him- he managed to succeed.
What I like about this movie is the depiction of the change in characteristics of the main character. There was a moment when, after his success, he became arrogant and corrupted, blinded by greed and sense of superiority. Fortunately, he later realized and humbly acknowledged his mistakes. I think this is better than portraying someone to be an “angel” throughout their life as this can be a good reminder that no matter how successful we become after all struggles, we need to remember our original good intentions, virtues, and values that have kept us moving forward to be where we are.
This movie also shows that sometimes we lose talented and brilliant individuals because of the bad system and discriminatory regulations that prevent them from growing and developing their potential. And we need someone or a start to break off this rigid bad system. Well, I know I’m not one to talk as I’m a coward and can only sprout these things in my writing on my blog or social media, but I hope more people – those with privileges – can challenge and change the system for the better.
There is more to this movie, but there are still many movies I should write about, so I hope you can get a chance to watch it and “think” yourself. This is a must-watch.
2. Dunki
As you can see from the pic I shared on my Instagram story here, this movie depicts the struggle to enter UK as an illegal immigrant. The struggles were told as a flashback story as they were now trying to return to India after renouncing their Indian citizenship upon being caught entering UK illegally.
This movie is great. Some parts make you laugh, some parts make you think. The most hilarious part might be the scenes about them taking the IELTS test as one of the requirements to get the UK visa 🤣😂🙈😅
I love this movie not just for its comedy, but also for the truth in it. As someone who loves traveling and most of the times needs a visa to enter a country, I can really relate to the story. For example, why do we have to demonstrate that we are proficient at English when they aren’t required to be able to speak our language when entering our country? Why are we the only ones having to prove that we’re financially capable to go and stay at their country when they can go and stay at our country anytime without having to prove anything? It’s just not fair. And perhaps, even though I’m not an Indian myself, I feel it so unfair given that UK once colonized them and I know some of their former colonized countries such as Malaysia can go there visa-free. In short, though I initially watched this movie for Shah Rukh Khan, I fell in love with it. Strongly recommend you to watch 😉
3. 12th Fail
This one is also based on a true story. The story portrays how an upright underprivileged man grappled in paving his way to pass the exam to be a police/IPS officer. Having to juggle between work and studies, with a good support system, perseverance, and determination, he managed to make the grade after some repeated failures.
This movie emphasizes the importance of having a good support system. In this movie, the main character had a family that believed in him, friends that were there for him, always encouraging him and cheering him up, lending a hand, picking him up when he fell, etc. even when he himself was about to give up. Having no financial privilege itself is already hard so having people believing in us and supporting us in any way they can is really a blessing.
I really love this movie. There are some quotes that really hit hard. I wish my country could have such a movie, about how to be a police, or perhaps how corrupt it might be. (Putting “might” here to be safe and also ’cause my friend said my Google Adsense application was rejected probably because I criticized the govt in my blog posts. Dang, I can’t freely express my disappointment in real life, so at least let me speak up here, Google! Please don’t silence me here!!!).
4. Laapataa Ladies
This one is also a comedy, but like the previous movies, it’s a comedy with lessons to ponder and learn. It can make you laugh but it can also make you cry. The story itself is quite “simple”, i.e. two newly-married brides accidentally got “switched” on their train ride to their husband’s family. The movie pictures their daring encounters while exposing the issues in society such as misogyny, patriarchy, even the corrupt police.
It shows how women tend to be underestimated and considered in a lower position than men despite their talent and contribution to the family. It shows how women often have to lose their opportunity for education due to marriage enforced by their family. But thankfully, this also shows that when you’re married to the right guy with the right family, you can feel safe and loved. And when you’re married to the wrong one, then you’re doomed as it can be your hell.
Aside from that, ironically, it’s also similar to my country, where when you have a problem, it’s best to avoid the police so that your problem doesn’t get bigger and you don’t lose more money. However, it also shows that even a bad and corrupt police can still have empathy when confronted. Well, I guess we do ask too much from a good guy and demand too little from the bad one, don’t we? Anyway, I really recommend this one. While I myself support women to pursue higher education, I’m happy that one of the married couples here actually love and care for each other. They’re pretty cute couple actually^^
5. Gangubai Kathiawadi
This one is really really really, gosh I don’t know what word to use, but it’s so amazing so awesome, definitely a must-watch! Based on a real-life figure, this movie depicts a story about a woman who was sold into a brothel, paved her way to the top, and fought for the betterment of the sex-worker women and their children. This is truly a slap to our faces who often think we’re superior and better than sex workers or others we consider sinful or of low professions!
I don’t have a screenshot of this movie or the rest in this post, but I still remember how much I loved watching this one. It’s excruciating to see how cruel the world can be, how we as society oftentimes are blinded by false morality and righteousness, causing us to fail those who need our help and support. In this movie, Gangubai, the main character, shows how she’s actually better than the corrupt government and the so-called virtuous society. While society deemed these women a stain when they’re actually victims, Gangubai actually fought to make sure that the women who ended up becoming sex-workers, mainly because they were duped/sold or were born in that region, got better treatment and lived a better life. She also fought so that their children could get educated so that they could have other options for their future other than being a sex worker like their mothers. It’s so touching and “teaching.” I really hope more people can watch this one.
6. Gabbar is Back
I don’t vividly remember how the story unfolded in this one, but I remember that this movie was about revealing the corruption in the hospital, i.e. how the corrupt doctors referred their patients to expensive treatment when they didn’t need it, how when you were poor you tended to be ignored and mistreated, how all they cared was money and not the patients’ health and life per se.
The portrayal is quite fascinating ’cause they made this into action. There was kidnapping and shooting. It’s thrilling. If you love action movies, I suggest you watch this one.
7. English Vinglish
It’s been a long while since I watched this movie, so I’ll keep it short. LoL
The story revolved around a housewives who struggled with English and decided to take an English class while going to the US. Various encounters helped her to value herself more.
I don’t remember much from this movie, but there’s one quote that I always remember: When a man cooks, it’s an art; but when a woman cooks, it’s her responsibility. I guess it shows how much women’s work goes underappreciated. People often take women’s work for granted believing it’s only natural for them to do it. People often fail to notice the efforts women make. It’s a refreshing watch.
8. PK
I also watched this a long time ago. The movie challenges our views or concepts of God and religions. It’s such a reminder to be kind and respectful to those of different faiths.
The portrayal itself is actually quite “funny,” i.e. an alien got lost on earth and ran into people of different religions. His inquisitive nature made him question things as he found what the religion taught and the way people practiced it was quite different if not contradictory. For example, they often claim how their religion is right and how their God is so loving and ask them to treat others kindly, but then they themselves are hostile to those embracing different faiths. I think it reveals our hypocrisy as religious people.
Well, as a Muslim, naturally I believe that Islam is the right one for me; that’s why I embrace it, right? But with the same logic, people of other religions must also think that their religions are the right ones for them. So no need to be so hostile towards each other. We just need to be kind and respectful towards each other because: if we’re not brothers or sisters in faith, we’re brothers or sisters in humanity. So yes, this movie is worth watching.
9. 3 Idiots
I watched this a long time ago, but I remember it might have been one of the best Bollywood movies I’ve first watched, one that ventured beyond romance. It’s comedic but also pictures ironies in life. It could make you question what it means to be smart and successful.
I don’t remember exactly how the story went, but you can search for the summary elsewhere anyway. What I remember was that this movie challenged the ideas of intelligence and success – and of course virtues. This story revolved around 3 friends who were often labeled “idiots” (cmiiw) because they didn’t conform to the ideal or intelligence standard most people have. They were deemed to fail and constantly mocked. But this movie showed that we all have our own intelligence. Everyone has something they’re good at, and if that thing is different from yours, it doesn’t mean they’re bad or stupid.
I guess my description of this movie sucks ’cause it’s been such a long time since I watched it. But I know for sure that this movie is worth watching. I totally recommend this one to watch, especially if you’d like to educate yourself while getting some entertainment.
10. Taare Zameen Par
I remember watching this because I was in love with 3 idiots (yes, I knew this one was released first, but I knew 3 idiots first, okay?). And sure enough, I fell in love with this one too. I guess I really have a thing for such emotional and educational movies.
I remember this movie told a story about a dyslexic boy, who was considered dumb, lazy, trouble-maker, i.e. hard to teach and discipline. Fortunately, a new teacher could see that he was such a smart boy; it was just that he had a condition: dyslexia, and with the right teaching methods – and abundant patience, the boy shined as he learned.
I think this movie is like a slap to us, teachers, parents, and society. We’re so quick to label kids when they do not meet our expectations, not trying to understand what the real problem is. Sometimes, it’s not that the kid is dumb or fails, sometimes it’s us who fail to find the right way to teach and make them learn. But I understand that it’s not easy to deal with such problems. I myself don’t think I have enough patience to deal with one, but again, it’s always back to the basics: if you can’t help or make it easier for them, don’t make things harder for them. In short, please do watch this movie; it really does teach us that every child is special.
11. Friday Night Plan
This was actually pretty recent, and might be different from the previous movies I shared in this post. I “accidentally” stumbled on this one when searching for a comedy. I decided to give it a watch because I found the summary quite “intriguing” and as I watched, I felt like I could relate to it; it made me somewhat emotional.
The story itself was “simple.” It was about two brothers going to a Friday Night party when their Mom was away. The Mom told them to stay at home and be good, but the lil brother managed to convince the brother to go to the Friday Night party, and the havoc started from there; problems happened one after another. Spoilers: No worries, it’s a happy ending one. The brothers deepened their bond and the lil brother came to his senses.
I might be heavily biased in reviewing this one ’cause I’m a firstborn myself so at some points I found the little brother’s actions really aggravating. Why is it that the firstborn is always the one trying to understand the parents, trying their best to not add to their burden, always making them proud, and restraining from their own fun? Why is it always the little sibling that gets to live a life worry-free and nonchalantly, not caring about others and just prioritizing their own fun? And when the little sibling makes a mess, it’s always the older sibling having to help clean up. It’s just not fair.
Maybe I was exasperated because I put myself in the big brother’s shoes. I wanted to blame the little brother for causing the mess. But at the same time, I knew very well that this was also partly because the big brother succumbed to his persuasion. In the end, older siblings can’t help blaming themselves… We can’t really have fun not because we don’t want to; we’ve just been wired and shaped to think that way: we should be responsible, we should set good examples, etc. It’s excruciating. As a firstborn myself, I often have to bridge my parents and younger siblings’ relationship. I always have to try to make my parents understand my younger brother and sister better, and at the same time, I have to try to make my brother and sister understand my parents better. It’s not easy, sometimes I have to cover up their actions, and often times it’s at the cost of my own fun – and happiness. I’m not blaming my siblings here as I’m sure they had their own struggles and they’re wonderful in their own way, and I did have the option to not care and just be selfish but as the firstborn, it’s such a luxury; I can’t help feeling bad for thinking only about myself, so really, like I’ve always said, even though I’m lucky to have such loving parents and family, if I were to be reborn, I really don’t want to be a firstborn again. (Dang, this one is such a long-winded sentence, pretty sure my Writing teachers will scold me for this).
But anyway, if you’re a firstborn and would love to re-live such a torturing story, then this one is a must-watch.
Alright, I guess that’s it for now. Hope you find a movie that you can like. See you in the next post!
