1.Shakti(1982)
A scrupulously honest cop refuses kidnappers' demands at grave risk to the life of his son. The son is rescued but lives forever scarred by his father's willingness to sacrifice his own son for the sake of his principles. This works out to devastating effect when the son grows up to be a Mafia don, and his father is assigned the job of bringing him in.

What people have to say:

Sonia says The film "Shakti" is one of my favorite movies. It's a deep psychological story, touching a problem of choice before a human: love to your child or duty before the society, which you chose to defend. I know that this story is close to many people's hearts, as such a choice in life often stands up before us. Wonderful, accurate play of the actors Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar. One sympathizes to their heroes and asks a question to himself: how would I act if I were in such situation? And one understands that he could act in both ways: like the hero of Amitabh Bachchan and like the hero of Dilip Kumar. Love, honor, pure conscience, these are important values without which you cannot feel yourself happy. And if any of these values is under a threat, then a question appears: what to sacrifice with? It's sad that such a choice stands up before people... Amazing music of gifted Rahul Dev Burman strengthens all the feelings which you experience during watching this drama. I love to watch this film again and again, and every time I do it, this movie touches my heart like at the first time when I saw it 20 years ago... To my opinion, "Shakti" is one of the best pictures of the world's cinematography

Shweta says Shakti is a wonder of a film. The highlight of the film is the powerhouse performances by both the legends-Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar. Amitabh able displays all emotions with such talents(His character is more or less similar to that of Deewaar) and he gives and equally stunning performance. Dilip Kumar too gives a superb performance that won him the Best Actor award. But well, Amitabh was the more deserving contender for the award because actually he is the one who ends up stealing the show. But, Shakti is somewhat similar to Deewaar. Deewaar is a brilliant classic. Shakti follows suit. See it for the stunning performances and powerful plot.

2.Pyaasa(1957)
Unemployed Vijay is the youngest in his family consisting of his widowed mom, and two brothers. His passion is poetry - frowned upon by his brothers - who want him to find gainful employment instead. Vijay's poems are quite radical in which he laments about the poor, the destitute, and the arrogance of the rich after the departure of the British from India. His efforts to get them published are in vain. He takes to drinking, gets in trouble with the law, is disowned by his brothers, ends up at a brothel and befriends a prostitute named Gulabo. Gulabo is sympathetic, listens to him as he pours his heart out, and decides to assist Vijay. Watch what happens when Gulabo approaches some of her affluent clientèle to assist Vijay and try and get his work published, without revealing that they are written by an alcoholic, disheveled, homeless man.

What people have to say:

Prachi says Pyaasa does show its age. There are a lot of things that would perplex or annoy the modern viewer such as jumps in continuity and a simplistic set of characters. However, if one looks past that, then the movie reveals a rich story and a deep message. This is even more astonishing considering that the movie was made in the 50s.

This film is a journey into the mind of Guru Dutt and shows the hurt that sensitive minds, such as those of poets', can feel in modern society. As such, its message transcends time and is still relevant today. Those with less sensitive dispositions, such as mine, will not feel left out and will surely appreciate the story too

Preeti saysHindi cinema cops a lot of flak for its escapist fluff, and rightly so, when it churns out drek like MPKK, HSSH and HTHS with depressing frequency. It was, however, not always so. Pyaasa reminds us that the Golden Age of Hindi cinema was just that, truly golden. There is almost nothing at all to fault with this gem. I'm listening to Sar Jo Tera Chakraye while I type this, but the whole soundtrack is outstanding, and the story, both in design and execution is a great demonstration of the fact that commercial cinema _can_ be fine art, too.

The evocation of atmosphere is well-done, and the main characters are well drawn. Johnny Walker is, as always, excellent in the comic relief. Some have said that they found him an intrusion, but for me, this very un-comic movie benefited from a little lightening touch from the inimitable Johhny. Subhaan Alaah that it wasn't Johnny Lever!

3.Do bigha zamin(1953)
After years of drought, the region finally gets rain, leading to the farmers to rejoice. The region's wealthy Zamindar, Thakur Harnam Singh, would like to build a mill, create employment, running water, and electricity for the townspeople, and all he has to do is sign a document signing away the farmers' lands. The only problem is that two acres of land belong to an independent farmer named Shambu Maheto. The Thakur summons Shambu and instructs him to sign a blank document, but Shambu refuses. Angered the Thakur asks him to repay his long overdue loan by 24 hours or lose his land and house. Shambu figures the loan amount together with interest to be about Rs.65/-, which he manages to put together and tenders it to the Thakur. The Thakur claims that he is owed Rs.235/- and takes Shambhu to Court. The Court's decision is in Thakur's favor, and Shambu is given 3 months to come up with money. Having no other alternative, Shambhu travels to Calcutta to find employment, put together the money and return home. He finds work as a rickshaw-puller, and starts to put the loan amount together. His son also assists him by polishing shoes. Watch the climax unfold as Shambu attempts to survive in Calcutta, and his attempts to put together the loan amount.

What people have to say:

Stuti says Bimalda's Do Bigha Zameen is considered a gem in Indian movies. The movie has a slight socialist theme as did most movies of that time. If the younger generation of Chinese, Eastern Europeans and Russians wonder why they saw so many Indian movies this socialist theme, probably is the answer. Do Bigha Zameen won the first ever Filmfare award. The movie got a special mention at the Cannes film festival. The movie is about a farmer Shambhu (Balraj Sahni), who has been hit badly by a famine in Bengal. The real reason of his sorrow is that the Zamindaar (land owner) wants to acquire his land on the pretext that Shambhu had taken some loan from him. Shambhu has to pay back and hence he moves to the city.

Divya says This movie is a an Indian classic.... I don't know why so many people here are going on about how unrealistic it is...... I would wonder how many who commented as such have actually been to that part of India and witnessed the poverty there....

The story may well have been copied but the film is no doubt still great. I cant think of many other copies which are actually good. This film does actually touch you with its sadness, and claims of melodramaticness will be gladly tossed aside because we are talking about Indian cinema here...

All in all i think this is definitely a gem in Indian cinema, and fit the bill of an all time classic.

4.Mahal(1949)
Shankar (Ashok Kumar), a handsome lawyer, moves into the Mahal-an old, dark and abandoned mansion with a tragic history. He notes his resemblance to a portrait of the former owner and soon afterwards is approached by the spirit of Kamini (Madhubala), the owner's mistress. She orders him to either die or marry her incarnation, a servant's daughter named Asha. Shankar soon becomes obsessed with the ghost-to the point where his worried friend Srinath (Kanu Roy) arranges for Shankar to marry the beautiful Ranjana (Vijayalakshmi). However, Shankar's obsession only intensifies after the wedding and he forces poor Ranjana to live in a vermin-infested shack. She soon commits suicide, accusing Shankar in her dying words, and soon he is arrested for her assumed murder. Later, Asha, now married to Srinath, reveals she had masqueraded as Kamini. However, a suicide note from Ranjana is found - and soon Shankar, still obsessed, is set free and on his way back to the Mahal

What people have to say:

Farah_naz says This is classic in real sense of the word. A tight suspense from beginning to end. Mahal is one of the greatest films ever made in Bombay filmdom. Adding to the suspense is all time great song 'Aayega aane wala...'. See it for a very young Madhubala and highly expressive Ashok Kumar. Kamal Amrohi has not made any better movie than this one. Though his 'Daira' is another great hidden classic. He is primarily remembered for 'Pakeeza'. Very few films gained the status this film achieved. This is certainly one of the ten best from Bombay. The story has twisting end which will certainly surprise you and you will never be the same again. Most of the movie was shot indoors, one can easily tell that comparing it to modern standards, yet the directorial perfection is amazing. A must see

Abhishek says This is one of the greatest suspense movies of all times in any language. Kamal Amrohi was a genius, who could never reproduce at the same level, as in Mahal, his debut venture. In this respect, he reminds me of Orsen Welles, whose debut venture Citizen Kane was his best, and one of the greatest movie of all times. What upsets me most is that Mahal is considered a ghost story by many commentators. Nothing could be further from truth. It's a great suspense story, told in a straight forward way, and yet exceptionally hard to guess the surprise ending on first viewing. Khemchand Prakash's music is among the finest in Hindi movies. But for his early demise, he would have been as much an icon as Naushad he introduced to Hindi films.

5.Pakeezah(1972)
This movie is about the pure of heart (Pakeezah) Nargis (Meena Kumari) who was brought up by brothel madame Nawabjaan (Veena). Unable to break away from the vicious circle, Nargis grows up and becomes a beautiful and popular dancer/singer Sahibjaan. Aristocratic Salim Ahmed Khan (Raaj Kumar) is enthralled by Sahibjaan's beauty and innocence, and eventually convinces her to elope with him, which she does. But trials and tribulations await Sahibjaan as she is recognized by men wherever she goes in the company of Salim. When Salim re-names her "Pakeezah" and takes her to a priest to be legally married, she refuses, and returns to the brothel. Salim eventually decides to marry someone else, and invites Sahibjaan to dance at his wedding, Sahibjaan agrees to this, not knowing that many secrets will be revealed at this wedding. This movie is also memorable for its songs: "Chalo dildar chalo chand ke par chalo, hum hai taiyar chalo...."; "Chalte chaltey yunhi koi mil gaya tha sar raha chalte chaltey..."; "Inhi logon ne le liya dupata mera...."; "Tharey rahiyo o banke yaar tharey rahiyo..."; "Aaj hum apni dhuaon ka asar dekhenge, teera nazar dekhenge, zakhmi jigar dekhenge.

What people have to say:

Rahul says At last - I've finally got round to it and managed to see a "clean" copy of Pakeezah! Up until now I've only had a mangled scratchy jerky version taped off Dubai TV sometime in the '90's, with quirky English subtitles, dizzying widescreen coverage and a fluid colour with a mind of its own. Having thought the world of such a poor (and short) copy I find the decent one was well worth the wait and the full 140 minutes even more of a pleasure than I thought possible.

This was the lovely Meena Kumari's film from start to finish, and I believe was planned by her from 1958 on, finally realising it in 1971. What a shame it was that chronic alcoholism finally killed her soon afterwards, and in fact that she was too ill to perform in some of the scenes in Pakeezah, necessitating a body double. In some scenes the strain definitely shows in her face.

Meher says Without question, this film has to be one of the greatest ........ in cinematic history. I have it watched too many times to remember, and each time it is like I am seeing the film for the first time.

Where does one begin?

Meena Kumari's central performance is undoubtedly one of the finest of her career, followed closely by Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam and Phool aur Pathar. Each movement and nuance of her performance, makes any other Bollywood heroine pale into significance. Her masterly interpretation of Kathak coupled with her grace, tragic vulnerability and poetic delivery of Urdhu, is like nothing ever seen on the bollywood screen.

Pakeezah is perhaps the most stylised interpretation of the human condition; the photography, sumptuous cinematography and mise en scene, are so charged with symbolism and meaning, that the viewer is left breathless.

Naushads music, is unsurpassed, his knowledge of the music of the courtesan gharanas is incredible, and the way in which he punctuates the narrative with dark atmospheric motifs and overwhelming romantic melodies is indeed remarkable.

My only advice to anyone who seriously enjoys the spectacle of total cinema, should watch this epic mediation on life and art.

6.Do aakhen barah hath(1957)
A story about a reformer who takes six murderers out of jail to try and prove that they could function working their own fields and taking care of their own farm despite their evil pasts. Filled with up-tempo musical numbers despite it is a very serious story make for a varied movie experience. The basic theme here is forgiveness over and over again and how the kindness displayed to them eventually changes them but not without many trials. These trials make up the rest of the movie and fill in where the musical numbers are not there. I would have liked to see the English subtitles in place during the music just so I could understand instead of guessing what they were singing about but this isn't the fault of the movie just those who distributed it to English speaking audiences. If there is a copy with this added I'll watch the movie again and enjoy it that much more. But even without this, this is a movie that should not be missed by those who wish to expand their movie-viewing horizons to other countries that are not seen often in the movie world.

What people have to say:

Chandini says I first saw this movie when I was just a little kid. I loved it then and I love it now. Do Aankhein Bara Haath is one the finest movies ever made. The plot is about an idealistic police officer who tries to rehabilitate 6 criminals and succeeds facing several problems during the course, The ending of the movie makes me cry each and every time. V Shantaram was a genius, and this movie is his masterpiece. A must watch for each and every human who needs to re-affirm his faith in the good of humanity. The song "Ae Malik tere bande hum", sung by Lata Mangeshwar(of course...who else?..there is no competition)is an evergreen track. The female lead in the movie, Sandhya has acted very well...and the lead Male, played b V. Shantaram himself is worth every penny of the money and time you spend on watching this movie.A definite must watch...no doubt about it!

Natasha says I was indeed lucky to have seen this movie on big screen,that too in Japan. Do Aankhen Barah Haath, should be viewed keeping in mind that the movie was made in 1957, when melodrama played a huge part in acting (as opposed to say, a "Dil Chahta Hai" made recently).

The initial credits of DABH shows that the movie has been based on a real story..The movie, apart from being an extremely pleasant one (its optimistic tone and the chosen subject of reforming 6 hardened murderers into honest,non-violent farmers), shows a picture of the social milieu that covered India during the times the movie was made.

Some particular scenes really touched me , most predominant of which was when one of the convicts' mother , a frail old lady brings her grandchildren to meet her son. It was one of the most natural,real and effusive show of affection shown on the big screen, that I had seen, and the scene immediately made me remember the people in my grandfather's village.

7.Matri bhumi(1959)
Not an easy movie, and certainly it is not going to get a "blue sticker" from the pundits of post-colonial thought... but "Born into Brothels"? Ple-ease! A washed-out late night Hollywood-esquire expose' good for Anderson Cooper, maybe. Rossellini spent a year in India shooting a ten-hour documentary, and this little fiction film "India Matri Bhumi". The need for restoration is obvious, but the process of de-spectacularization is in full effect: a full frontal attack on the society of the spectacle at its incepts, by making an imperfect film, where ends don't meet, and birds sing freely. I take Rossellini over any postcolonial melancholic

What people have to say:

Shreya says Perhaps it was the incredibly washed-out, virtually monochrome print. Perhaps it was the non-stop painful soundtrack of bird noises. Perhaps it was the overbearing, condescending ceaseless narration.

But mostly this supposed masterpiece reminded me of schoolroom educational films. The camera work is not particularly great; we learn little about actual (as opposed to staged) life in India; though closely immersed in local settings, there is virtually no geographic, historic or temporal overview to guide us; and the staged sequences come across as forced and distancing, most alarmingly with the monkey sequence at the end (it verges on flat out cruelty). Other sections have sudden and jarring outcomes that work entirely against the drawn-outness of the rest.

I can't think of a film that has aged less well than this basic documentary. Just because it's by a master doesn't make it a masterpiece. And yes, I watched it closely, understood its structure and themes and so forth. There are good sequences in the film (the elephant logging and dam building in particular evoke a clearly dichotomous relationship with nature) but it could have been well-trimmed, better contextualized, and shorn of its irritating narration.

What we have here is an outsider's, deastheticized, desaturated, scattershot, only slightly empathetic view of India. Let the images speak! And, most of all, let the Indians speak for themselves. It's taken 50 years to realize we should give them the cameras (Born into Brothels comes to mind.)

Mridul says I first read about "India, Matri Bhumi", an amazingly visionary though largely forgotten documentary from Roberto Rossellini, when one of my favorite critics Andrew Sarris mentioned it in his Film Culture essay on Rossellini back in the 60s. Sarris calls the documentary "one of the prodigious achievements of the century". So it piqued my interest since then. And then I read several critics' writings on the film, including film historian Tag Gallagher in his magnificent recent biography, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERTO ROSSELLINI. I wasn't able to watch it until recently when I viewed it along with several other Rossellini films. Though it is apparently not for every taste like most of Rossellini's work, "India" is undoubtedly on a short list of director's masterpieces. If you are a fan of the director, this is definitely worth catching. The documentary is basically an episodic portrait on India, circa 1957-1958; It captures life in flux at that moment in time. "India" is divided into four sections, each documenting the strange interaction between humans and animals, tradition and technology. The first section, after the opening shots of people walking in the streets, deals with some elephants taking bath; the second part concerns a labor worker in a dam; the third part is about an old man and a man-eating tiger; the fourth and most remarkable section involves the desperate attempts of a pet monkey whose master has died of heat wave. What surprised me the most about "India" is Rossellini's camera movements. Rossellini uses a combination of circular, swooping tracking shots, pans, and zoom to conjure up a strange yet personal vision of India, something that is almost very hard to describe in words. The color photography is also rich and fascinating.

8.Manthan(1976)
Manthan is an extraordinarily powerful and intense depiction of social change. As it has been 15 years since I've seen this film, my recollection of details may not be completely accurate; but the story tells the struggle of Indian dairy farmers to gain a fairer share of the proceeds of their labor from the larger milk-processing companies to whom they sell their raw milk. While my recollection of factual details about this movie is limited, I do recall vividly the strong emotional and artistic impact Manthan had on me. It should be noted that director Benegal also made Ankur (The Seedling) which, with a completely different story, also incarnates the painful social changes India is undergoing as it moves from a more to a less feudal social structure -- and in both movies dealing with these themes without preachiness or pronounced ideological heavyhandedness.

What people have to say:

Rajalaxman says I have seen this film about 15 years ago but still remember quite well, may be because I come from the region plotted in the film. The story of farmer's revolution is true and today in reality is the world's largest co-operative dairy AMUL. This film has actors, who at that time, were either newly graduated from Film Institute or had few films on their names but I think that is the charm, where the director could squeeze out the natural talent to show overwhelming expressions in the characters. In the later years most of these actors became kings of art cinema. The direction is superb; the songs and music are unique. I would recommend this film to everyone who wants "THE TASTE OF India".

Udit says How can anyone sit through this movie and not be moved by the plight of poor people the world over who have been controlled by tradition, superstition, power, and, greed. Every country in the world is reflected in this eloquently told story of poor Gujerati dairy farmers whose sole means of existence is based on their buffalo's milk and the control they are placed under by the higher castes of society. Shyam Benegal has told a very straightforward and real tale of the desire to reform the past and how difficult a task it is to bring change to a simple village under the spell of centuries of belief systems that rob the individual's chance of ever rising out of poverty and the control of a few. A gem and a very sobering film for all to consider.

9.Mother India (1957)
It is the tale that is constantly repeated in real life. When Radha was married, her mother-in-law borrowed five hundred rupees from the village money-lender, Sukhilala. The payment plan was simple: each year, Sukhilala would get one-fourth of the crop they grew. That was what Radha's mother-in-law thought was the deal. Sukhilala had actually taken advantage of her lack of education and written in the contract that he would receive three quarters of the crop. When his evil came to light, the village elders, not wanting the police to come to the village, ruled in Sukhilala's favor. Mother India is the evergreen story of a family's struggle to survive against the evil of Sukhilala.

What people have to say:

Sanjay says This film had me in tears at least three times; and not tears of sadness, but because it was just so beautiful. Don't expect anything near Hollywood slickness; if you want to find errors and things to laugh at, there are dozens. But the whole spirit of the piece is very poetic. In Hollywood movies, the musical numbers are when I take a break and go out. But in Indian movies, the musical numbers are spellbinding! And in this one, perhaps the best. The lyrics, the melodies, the staging (even with noticeable lip-sync) are just wonderful. Take the best songs from Broadway musicals and compare them to these, they've met their match. The passion in the lead female voice matches Callas. Superb!

Apurv says Nargis, the center piece of the movie has a role of a lifetime - not only for her, but even after 50 years, each year, at least one 'A' list actress has called this her dream role. A then stellar star cast pull off breathtaking performances. The screen play is sharp and the pace of the movie is just right. This movie was also path breaking for Nargis, as it was her first after her split with RK banners and Raj Kapoor - the first and best showman of Indian cinema. I don't know why this movie was not awarded an Oscar. After seeing this movie, I think the Oscar lost an opportunity to be associated with such a classic. Well worthy of a watch.

Share this article

---

---