Here then is my second installment of entertainers, and even some gems, from Bollywood in the categories that I had created.

(As expected, I’ve merged my previous #2 and #3 into the second category below).

Unadulterated Bollywood: 

• Jab We Met (2007) –  See it for Geet played by Kareena Kapoor.  Romantic drama with comedic moments in a pucca Punjabi family.  One of those entertainers that can be seen and enjoyed more than just once.  As a bonus, there’s great music, dancing and a cute hero too.

• Ghajini (2008) – an Aamir Khan spectacle that just works; remade from a South Indian hit film.  Has a little bit of everything – romance, action, drama….and of course, Aamir.

• Veer Zara (2004) – a glorious romance between a Hindu and Muslim crossing the Indo-Pakistan border with relish.  Told with all the colorful, extravagant and musical trappings of a Yash Chopra movie.

• 3 Idiots (2010) – I thought it was overrated and over-hyped but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth a watch. It does have a unique story, good dialog, 45 year old Aamir actually looking like a college kid (collagen fillers work wonders!), good music, comedy and drama (a bit much).

• Dil Chahta Hai (2001) – The tale of three young men, their friendship, their relationships and their life. One of these really well-thought through scripts acted and directed brilliantly.  Another gem with Aamir. I could watch it again today and be entertained.

Innovative (maybe even Groundbreaking) or Art House: 

• Stanley Ka Dabba (2011) – breaking new ground for sure, this wonderful gem made by Amol Gupte is a charming and heart-wrenching story of Stanley and his missing lunch box.  New this year and not to be missed.  All the little actors – Stanley and his buddies – are naturals. Kudos to Mr. Gupte who is also one of the main characters as the baddie in the film.

• Shor in the City (2011) – a look at the small time criminals in Mumbai with parallel stories made even more interesting because of the direction, actors and tight plot. Watch it for Sendhil (wow!), the supporting cast and great music. One of the few good movies this year, and a surprise to boot.

• A Wednesday (2008) –  Rage against terrorism!  And about what we do to bring justice to terrorists.  Naseeruddin Shah is simply awesome (is he ever anything else?) in this awesome movie.  Did you say you have not watched it?  Shame!

• Rang De Basanti (2006) – what a unique movie that juxtaposes the modern (corrupt) India with scenes from fight for Independence from the British Raj.  Very innovatively shot.  Great screenplay, acting, music and direction!

• Aamir (2008) – Scenes of the Mumbai underworld in terrifying realism, this fast-paced movie takes a newly arrived UK doc from Mumbai airport through the most terrible back alleys of Mumbai, all the way to a surprising finish.

• Omkara (2006) – Shakespear’s Othello re-done but set in, of all places, Uttar Pradesh.  Fantastic film and performances, created by India’s most prolific director and all-rounder – also a writer, producer, musician and singer, Vishal Bhardwaj.  It seems there’s nothing he can’t do!

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Aamir Khan at Berlin Film Festival 2011 (Why not, with so many of his films listed here?)

Do you think Bollywood only produces junk?   Not true.  It produces mostly junk.  Forgive me for being so blunt, Bollywood, but it’s the truth, isn’t it?

When it comes to Bollywood, sadly, quantity rules over quality. Therefore, for a movie buff, it’s like a game – fun to discover and then enjoy (sometimes get pleasantly surprised or amazed) the few, good movies that hit the screen. Gems are very rare but they do exist, if you look hard enough. Because they are so rare, I find myself going to the movies (the Bollywood movies, that is) infrequently and still being disappointed when even my fairly modest expectations are not met.

This series of random posts then, will be my attempt to showcase a few gems that I have found over the years – until I run out of them. Some of them are precious and others “semi-precious”.

They will be listed in no particular order, just whatever occurs to me when I write that post. The only common, underlying theme will be that I have seen and appreciated all of the movies I will list.  I will categorize below into three different areas for now, although it’s possible that #2 and #3 may get consolidated into one lot fairly soon-

1. Unadulterated Bollywood Entertainment –  typifies this genre with music, song, dance, romance, emotion, action, color…and is pure entertainment (park your brain to the side and simply enjoy) that is very well done.

2. Groundbreaking and/or Innovative – a first or near-first for Bollywood

3. Art Film -which is typically a serious, independently made movie for a niche rather than mass audience (thank you, wikipedia).

How about I start my post on this topic with two movies in each of these categories.  Although they are randomly picked, for the sake of this first post, I’ll will start with some of the more recent movies:

Unadulterated Bollywood: 

• Once Upon A Time in Mumbai (2010) – Allegedly the story about the Mumbai gangsters Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibraham – beautifully and realistically set in the 1970-80s.
• Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) – a rom-com, Yash Chopra style, showcasing Indian weddings and wedding planners with all the trappings of Bollywood.

Groundbreaking and/or Innovative: 

• Udaan (2010) – a must-see movie about the growing pains of a young man and the paternal issues that he has to deal with.  Truly a gem of a movie and comparable to any well-made Hollywood drama.
• Peepli Live (2010) – a satire on media and politicians in India today, but based on the serious theme and reality of farmer suicides.  Groundbreaking, for sure.

Art House: 

• Ishqiya (2010) – Unique characters and script – two goons falling for the same (married) woman; a woman with many secrets and and even more schemes.  Great plot, great acting, great/crazy dialogs, great music, great direction.
• Dhobi Ghat/Mumbai Diaries (2010) – The heroine of this movie is the well-loved and well-photographed city of Mumbai, which brings together a few intriguing characters in parallel stories.  The wonderful music score also works to make it all come alive. Well-told with a few glitches; a solid effort by a first-time director.