Hindi Movies

Someone asked me the other day if I missed watching Hindi movies in theatres.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

It’s been eons since I saw one at the theatre. There are only a handful of theatres here in our area that run Hindi movies and unfortunately none of them are close to where we live. This is definitely one of the things I miss about living in the US.

I LOVE watching Hindi movies- well, the good ones! I belong to a family of avid movie goers. I remember growing up, my parents took us to catch a new film almost every other week. It was a customary, much eagerly anticipated family outing – all of us piling into my father’s Fiat and then a few years later, his white Ambassador to Vandana Cinemas, one of the few decent theatres in the small town I grew up. Incidentally, the owner of the theatre - a sweet, generous, personable Sikh, was one of my father’s regular patients who looked upon him as if he was some God. And he expressed his boundless gratitude by offering us free box seats along with treats at special movie screenings and of course, a bottle of whiskey for his revered doctor every time he showed up at the theatre!

The antics of Big B and his brothers in 'Satte Pe Satta', the beautiful Poonam Dhillon and her fierce yet innocent love for Farookh Sheikh in 'Noori' and who can forget the ever charming , boyish Kumar Gaurav in his debut role in ‘Love Story’. Countless memories of cinematic experience….

During intermissions, my elder brothers, would get chips to munch (Yep, the greasy, salty, locally made variety, way before Lays and Pringles became common household brands ) and I would go for the popcorn-butter less yet flavorful and a Gold Spot- the saccharine drink that was my favorite back then!

Despite their poor quality (as compared to the superior quality movies made now), not so clean somewhat decrepit theatre, we drew immense pleasure in watching our favorite heroes fight the bad guys, dance around trees with the beautiful, wholesome heroines and sing some of the all time hits. And I distinctly remember our post-movie conversations. The long, late-into-the night discussions, when we all sat down to critique the movie, dissecting the various scenes and dialogues to attach more meaning, value thus turning them into even more enduring experiences.

There are so many Hindi movies I loved watching but here are some (both old and new) which are very close to my heart:

Sholay: gosh who isn’t a fan of Sholay, eh? I loved Big B and Jaya’s attraction and of course, the big bad Gabbar Singh
Anand: I bawled my eyes out watching this one
Mili: Another tear jerker!
Aradhana: Rajesh Khanna- he was just superbly handsome!
Deewar
Shakti- Dilip Kumar overshadowed Big B. And I loved Smita Patil!
Teesri Manzil: what a thriller!
Arth: Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil - what casting!
Ardh Satya: Om Puri’s acting was remarkable
Mirch Masala: Smita Patil rocks again
Holi: wow!
Masoom: What a movie!
Albert Pinto Ko Gussha Kyun Aata Hai: Naseeruddin Shah was superb and what a story!
Golmaal: hilarious!!!
Khubsoorat: Rekha did a great job.
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron: Funny , funny , funny!
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak: Aamir Khan, the charmer, drove us all nuts!
Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge: Shah Rukh sowed his seeds to stardom
Kabhie Haan Kabhie Naa: sweet movie,
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: I fell in love with Kajol in this one
Dil Chahta Hai: a beautifully made film- this is my ‘current’ favorite! I have already seen it a zillion times!
Sarkar: I didnt realize AB Jr could act until I saw this one!
Omkara: Gosh, Saif truly is a versatile actor.

I know there are many more that deserve a mention and needless to say, I am little behind in catching up with all the latest releases. The one that I find people raving about is Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par’. Almost everyone I know has recommended it to me. So, it's definitely on my 'to watch' list.