Download Classic Bollywood Movies
Elcira Rohla
Either way, these must-watch movies are well worth the two-plus hours you'll probably have to block off in your day to watch them (Bollywood movies are famously long). Whether you're a fan of romance, tragedy, or comedy, there's definitely a film for you in this colorful world. Below, a list of Bollywood staples that you need to add to your watch list, from epic historical dramas to kickass action movies.
This epic drama focuses on an impoverished woman who is forced to care for her two sons alone while surviving threats from a nefarious money-lender when her husband leaves the family in disgrace. At the time it was made, Mother India was one of the most expensive Hindi movies ever made and is considered one of the most revered movies in Bollywood history.
You can't talk about Bollywood without mentioning Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The 1995 classic is widely considered the gold standard for Bollywood rom-coms, featuring a cheeky Shah Rukh Khan and starlet Kajol (and her signature unibrow) as two young people who fall in love on a backpacking trip across Europe.
The Lunchbox is one of those beautifully touching movies that tells a story you didn't know you desperately needed until you've seen it. In the movie, a woman named Ila tries to rekindle the spark in her marriage by preparing a special lunch for her (not-so-great) husband. The plan goes awry, however, and the lunch ends up in front of an antisocial widower instead. When her husband doesn't mention his special meal, Ila adds a note to the next lunch she prepares (which also goes to said widower) and an unlikely friendship is born.
In this list, we will be highlighting some of the definitive Bollywood movies that are worth your time. Covering classics from different eras and genres to give fans with varying interests a taste of the best that Indian storytelling has to offer. This is no laundry list of popular choices, but one that focuses on time-tested favorites whose impact still resonates with audiences. These films fit into the broader tents when it comes to storytelling, direction, music, and acting, which is how they have collectively made their mark on cinema.
Wondering what ties these classics together? The fact that these stories tap into timeless these we all recognize: the joy and heartbreak of love, the power of family and community, the struggle for freedom and agency, and social realism at a time defined by lack, the human search for meaning amid life's challenges. So whether you only ever enjoy one genre or are willing to sample them all, these definitive Bollywood movies remain well worth your time.
This definitive classic, directed by Prakash Arora, is a poignant and inspirational tale of love and hope. Boot Polish follows two orphan siblings who are forced to beg on the streets of Bombay for survival. They somehow manage to get around by shining shoes and to scramble for survival until one is separated from the other due to devastating reasons. In standard Raj Kapoor fashion, the movie is high on melodramatic pathos, and there are quite a few ballets portraying the same. Simple yet powerful, the movie brought social realism to Indian cinema through the depiction of urban poverty and the indomitable human spirit. The cold actors themselves shine in their roles, with one of them receiving a special mention at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
Whenever you think of the Bollywood film industry, you usually associate these extravagant movies with special effects, lots of music, and dancing (but a lot of music), and there's always that scene where through some magical fan appears that "breeze" that you know is the prelude to a romance.
However, 30 years later, life takes a turn and allows Om Kapoor (SRK), a Bollywood superstar, to take revenge on Shanti's killer with the help of Makhija's family and Sandy (Padukone), an innocent young girl who starts her journey in movies and who is Shanti's doppelgänger. Even if this movie has a predictable ending, the action and drama scenes interspersed with beautiful dancing are worth watching.
There are many movies about ghostly love, to the point that they should already have their film genre, such as Ghost, Just Like Heaven, Corpse Bride, or Casper, which had mild romance, albeit more childish. But Paheli is not a typical supernatural love movie.
Something wonderful about Bollywood is that there are movies for all tastes, and if you like action with some comedy, this is a good option. This film shows the classic dilemma of whether a bad person can be good and vice versa, introducing the audience to Bablu and Manu (both played by SRK).
Being Indian myself, I absolutely love Bollywood movies. There are so many amazing, catchy, and often meaningful songs that are played throughout the movie that make it so much fun to watch, whether with family or friends. There are some Bollywood movies (usually made in the late 1990s or early 2000s) that are so touching and absolutely heartwarming. I can't even begin to describe the amount of love I have for these movies just because they have such incredible stories yet are also entertaining to watch. Although understanding Hindi makes it easier to watch these movies, it is not necessarily required because you can turn on subtitles for most of these movies depending on the website you watch it on.
For any of you that have not watched these movies, I highly recommend you do at some point in your life because they are incredible. And for those of you that have watched them, I'm sure you loved them to the point where you have grown attached to these 8 classic Bollywood movies.
My absolute favorite of all time. This movie is so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It teaches about the importance of family and how love should not be discriminating. When watching this movie, make sure you have a box of tissues near you at all times. This movie is not only touching, but also very funny at the right times. Also, Rahul is played by Shah Rukh Khan and Anjali is played by Kajol, just as in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, bringing back the greatest on-screen couple of all time. Rahul's younger brother Rohit grows up and brings a family back together that should have stayed intact from the beginning. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (also known as K3G) is a classic: a must-watch.
I am sure that those of that haven't seen any of these movies, you will love them each individually for their amazing stories and bouts of comedy and romance. As for all of you that have seen these movies, I am sure you can agree when I say that they're absolutely incredible and ultimate Bollywood classics.
This Christmas classic instantly makes me feel cheery and bright. The lyrics remind me that everyone is together in celebrating the holiday and making sure it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
If you're in the mood for some good-old horror, comedy- Bhool Bhulaiyaa is definitely the way to go. Unlike typical comedy movies in Bollywood, this film has a strong and gripping storyline with humor scattered around it. The story revolves around Vidya Balan who returns to her ancestral home in her superstitious town with her husband. Eventually, things start to go wrong, and they call Akshay Kumar to take care of the problem, and of course, a series of comedic chaos ensues.
An out-and-out entertainer, this classic comedy follows the tried and tested formula of a family entertainer with slap-stick dialogues and good music and acting. The story follows the journey of twin brothers, and the comedic disarray caused by some miscommunication. Anil Kapoor has amazing comedic timing throughout and the rest of the ensemble cast also does a great job. Despite the slightly overdone melodrama, a staple in comedy movies in Bollywood, the film is a must-watch for the moments that will truly have you rolling on the floor in laughter!
We have all grown up watching #Doordarshan which on Sunday showed a classic Bollywood movie at 12 noon which we eagerly used to watch because we didn't have any other options. Surprisingly, we used to like them - the classics. The stories, the action, the dialogues, though not top-notch, were still enjoyable. We used to love watching them, and as evening approached and we stepped out of our homes to play on the street - we used to reprise the role of the protagonist and repeat the dialogues with as much vigor & pomp as we could muster for the imitation. We used to love these movies, they used to take us away from our daily routines to a world of great stories (some copied) and exciting possibilities. The attraction and hold of these movies were such on the public mind that people used to run away from homes to go to Mumbai either to become an actor or to meet their favorite 'hero'. We are all aware of these facts.
- We used to love #Bollywood movies when we had very limited viewing opportunities in the form of either Doordarshan or going to the local movie theatres.
- We used to enjoy the stories that they offered which used to fire our imagination and made us forget about our mundane lives for a little while.
As time progressed, people got many options available to them in the form of cable TV, VCD, DVDs, then DTH and now OTT platforms. With time, people got exposed to movies of different genres made in different parts of the world. (Seriously, can you compare Karan Johar's movies with that of Alfred Hitchcock? It's laughable!). This was a slow change attributing to gradual increase in the average income of an average Indian household. As spending power increased, people started providing the best things to the next generation, which included entertainment. From watching 'Kaante' which was a Hindi remake of the critically acclaimed 1992 Quentin Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs' to watching 'The Matrix' on the CD players, the next generation started getting exposed to the glorious stories the world had to offer.
At that crucial time, what Bollywood did can be called stupid for the lack of a better word. Instead of diving down to find the best stories from the plethora of great writers and novelists in our own country (like Munshi Premchand, Jayshankar Prasad, etc.), what Bollywood did was to copy the Hollywood movies, their stories and make an Indian version of that story even though it didn't fit or resonate with the cultural ethos of the societal structure. This was done in order to make quick profits and it worked for a while too.
31c5a71286