At some point, we'll need an international board to cover general events and culture that aren't lolcow-related
I'm surprised that none of the pajeet farmers have thought about starting a thread on this topic earlier, considering the cartoonish levels of corruption and nepotism within Bollywood
iirc there's a few xxwoods of India not just Bolly, but yeah. I saw one about a slasher movie badguy type who gets revenge on corrupt and lazy people and a shamalanaian style psychological horror thing off the top of my head
>Necroes your thread mercilessly
Ok, I need some recommendations for bollywood movies to get someone into the genre, assuming such things exist. I did this shit years back with rap and hip-hop and ended up forming somewhat of an appreciation (mostly for the latter) for the genre despite it being an entirely nog-driven enterprise. Perhaps that will work for the needful redeeming of saar's movie industry for this bloody banchod white devil. Indians seem like an amusing alien species to me, but the sheer depth of their independently-developed culture is also fascinating to me so I'm willing to put in the hours and broaden my horizons.
>Necroes your thread mercilessly
Ok, I need some recommendations for bollywood movies to get someone into the genre, assuming such things exist. I did this shit years back with rap and hip-hop and ended up forming somewhat of an appreciation (mostly for the latter) for the genre despite it being an entirely nog-driven enterprise. Perhaps that will work for the needful redeeming of saar's movie industry for this bloody banchod white devil. Indians seem like an amusing alien species to me, but the sheer depth of their independently-developed culture is also fascinating to me so I'm willing to put in the hours and broaden my horizons.
I'll sincerely try my best to help you. However, due to not being able to tell what you specifically want (genre, era, etc.), I'll just give you the best I can think of in all genres. I have made a very autistic comment to help you the best I can.
As you said yourself, they have an independently developed culture, culture developed by people from multiple communities, set in multiple states. Which leads to multiple film industries apart from Bollywood (Hindi speaking North Indian side). It's kinda like if every American state had it's own little Hollywood.
I'll give you a recommendation per industry, at least the ones I have personally seen (not all of them, I've almost seen just 500+ Indian films alone (I also see films from other industries too, but some other film industries combined can't make up for the sheer amount of films made in India). These aren't all the films that I have either seen or recommend.
I'll try to recommend films that are the easiest for a newcomer to get into with (somewhat pretentious sounding) a non-spoiling description.
Bollywood is the North Indian, Hindi speaking side, it Most of your list is already Bollywood, in fact, they're heavily desi to the point of alienating, so I'd like for you to know what you might be watching before recommending more.
Rockstar - Basically someone making a movie inspired by Kurt Cobain. There's another music based movie like it called Rock On!! [2008], except it has a band & the sequel sucks.
Om Shanti Om - Legitimately a spoof film about Bollywood as a whole, one song literally has 90% of Bollywood (at the time) cameo'ing in it. Even the story is a stereotype of sorts of their old films, nonetheless a fun film.
1: Kill [2024] - It's basically an Indian attempt at Raid films, unlike their usual maximalist action, this is gritty & more brutal (than usual). I actually recommend watching this a bit later cause it might confuse you from the usual maximalist action of Indian films.
2: Animal [2023] - This isn't primarily an action film, but it's more of a Tarantino-esque, character drama, so the main great action scenes happen in the first half, after that there's barely any action until the near climax of the film. There's also post-credit scenes, after thr credits ITSELF being an announcement for next film. It's a bit meandering at times, but the protagonist is a surprisingly likeable cunt.
3: Jawan [2023] - Imagine JCVD's Double Impact, except with father & son. The story is a bit meh, but the action & OST is surprisingly nice.
4: Don Duology - Don 1 [2007] is a remake of a 1978 film , which I also kinda recommend, but I recommend the remake a bit more due to the re-written twist being better than the OG. The 2nd film [2011] is honestly better cause despite being a sequel just a bit after the first film, it's a whole new continuation, it's way more refined as a story & the cinematography is better too compared to a usual Bollywood film for it's time. It's almost as slick as a Hollywood production.
5: Dabangg Duology - There are actually 3 films, but the 3rd one is so bad & borderline unconnected to the first 2 that apparently the fans don't consider it's existence real. The first film [2010] is apparently the closest Indian film to a grindhouse flick, it was a fun experience. Meanwhile, the 2nd [2012] is more refined in terms of action & cinematography, but feels like it lost it's edge a bit, still a fun sequel nonetheless.
6: An Action Hero [2022] - A black action-comedy about an action star playing cat-&- mouse with a man with proud politician driven by vengeance.
7: Zanjeer [1974] - You don't seem to mind classic films, so I'll include this in. It's known as the film which started the "Angry Young Man" template of heroes in India. It's basically about above-the-law cop who is so tough, so righteous, & so cocky that he savagely beats one crime boss until they're homies, marries the girl of his dreams, & steals a bread stick from an even bigger crime boss. I over-simply here, but it's great.
There are a lot more, mainly the best by one director, but I'll just give you a few for now:
1: Ugly [2013] - A whodunnit about a kidnapping of a kid & a an exploration into the ugly moral psyche of humans. It's also a bit of a dark comedy.
2: Badlapur [2015] - A revenge drama about a a man going on warpath against his wife's killers.
3: Raman Raghav 2.0 [2016] - A neo noir psychological thriller about a corrupt cop and a serial killer obsessed with a psychopath from the ’60s getting caught up in a ruthless cat-and-mouse game.
4: Drishyam 1 & 2 [2015 & 2022] - Mainly a murder-mystery including a /tv/ user & his family (already unrealistic, I know), & mainly how they get away from it. Followed by a sequel of finally closing the case.
Honestly, this is a pretty famous film, it has multiple remakes, include a Chinese one. In fact, it's getting one in Korean, Spanish, & even one in Hollywood too. The originals are a Malayalam films of the same name, which is inspired from a Japanese novel . However, those look a bit amateurish, especially the 2nd one cause it was shot during the coof. The Hindi one has less world-building, but still more slick looking & abridged.
5: Ghajini [2005] - This is actually an official remake of a Tamil film Gajini, made by the same director, who ripped-off Memento. However, this is a way more refined version of it. It's a story of a man whose saccharine love story gets ruined by a local mafia, & how he basically lost his humanity as a whole (& his memory every 15 minutes), driven by nothing but vengeance.
I actually found out about this because of it's game, which is basically a kusoge version of Max Payne.
6: Yeh Saali Aashiqui [2019] - A revenge story about thot patrolling, that's all the context I'm giving you.
1: Taare Zameen Par (aka Like Stars on Earth) [2007] - A story about a dyslexic kid & he learns to get past his disability with love & help. It's mostly a social awareness film, but it's surprisingly emotional.
3 Idiots is similar, except it's purely about Indian education system & the debate of intelligence vs wisdom & what exactly can be called knowledge as a whole
2: Bajrangi Bhaijaan [2015] - Imagine The Last of Us, but remove the zombies & pretentiousness, & just make it about religion as a topic instead.
3: Kaminey [2009] - Hindi for "bastard", Kaminey is many things, a neo-noir crime drama, dark comedy, romance, etc. It follows a day in the lives of a pair of twins, both of whom have speech impediments: one stammers, & the other one lisps. They are both on the tail of a MacGuffin in the form of a guitar case packed with millions of dollars' worth of cocaine.
4: Haider [2014] - The director is known for adapting Shakespeare's works in Hindi. This one is Hamlet, it delivers an ambitious & powerful drama, that strongly explores the family dynamics set within the politically war torn Kashmir during the insurgency period. It captures the paranoia of the situation & its damaged souls in a haunting & disturbing manner. Also yes, there's an oedipal kiss in it too.
5: Talaash [2012] - I wanna put this in a different genre, but it might spoil the climax of the film. It starts as a murder mystery, but turns into something way bigger.
Instead of making 3-4 extra sections, I'll just make a specific category for this. Bollywood specifically makes a lot of biopics. You can honestly skip these, I'm just including some cause I liked them (not just story, but the technical details such as cinematography, sound design, OST/BGM (score), etc.)
1: The Legend of Bhagat Singh [2002] - Story of pretty much the most based freedom fighter in Indian history (no seriously, he's the only one who actually did the most physical labor, alongside his friends).
2: Sardar Udham [2021] - Based on the story of a survivor of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre & his vengeance.
3: Maidaan [2023] - Based on the story of Indian national Football team coach & manager Syed Abdul Rahim. And how Indian won it's first & last Football Olympic medal. I really liked the BGM a lot.
4: Swatantrya Veer Savarkar [2024] - Story of the guy who basically wanted the people of India to go full 2nd Amendment (this is an oversimplification) against the British. One more thing I learned about this film is that apparently pajeet liberals (normal pajeets have a term for them, "liberandu", which literally means "liberal (liber) faggot ("andu" from "gandu" (slang for "anal faggot" in Hindi)) hate this film. I mainly like it for the actor's (also the director, writer, & producer) dedication towards the role, especially physically going full Christian Bale.
It's very lengthy at times tho, mainly the middle part of the film, & the worst part is that it feels as such. I only recommend it out for sake of intrigue & having literally nothing to watch.
5: 12th Fail [2023] - Based on the true story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma & his urge & pain for honest education & success.
6: Scam 1994 - The Harshad Mehta Story & Scam 2004 - The Telgi Story - These aren't movies, but mini-series, but I actually really liked the first one & the 2nd one isn't that bad either. It's about the massive scammers of their country, their rise & their downfall.
Most of your lists already consists rom-coms:
Veer-Zaara (2004) - Lovers past borders finally reuniting. Slow, sweet burn.
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (200 - A loser trying his best to be the perfect man for his wife, to make her happy. Kinda boring at times, but not really bad.
Now for some more recommendations:
1: Jaane Tu, Ya Jaane Na - A quirky rom-com about a timid, caring guy & a manic pixie tomboy who are childhood homies about falling in love, & a slice of life about bettering themselves in the process.
2: Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya [2008] - Imagine A Life Less Ordinary, but without the supernatural shit & a tomboy instead.
3: Barfi! - Basically a fairy tale turned into a rom-com, apparently inspired from the Korean film Lover's Concerto.
1: Jagga Jasoos [2017] - A bordeline Disney film about a stuttering detective finding his father.
2: Queen [2011] - This is honestly a chick-flick about a timid conservative going to her honeymoon on her own after the fuckboy BF calls off the wedding last second. It's actually a pretty sweet film.
3: English Vinglish [2012] - A rural Indian housewife comes to America & learns English.
I honestly recommend none of these cause I know for a fact they'll go over most heads, I'm just posting it for the sake of it, & recommending the ones that may BARELY make you smile.
1: Welcome [2007] - Apparently a cult classic comedy film, possibly ripped-off from Mickey Blue Eyes, except I liked it a bit more due to how... Zany? it is.
2: Action Replayy [2010] - Back to the Future, with hippie aesthetic & no incest, & a hotter Diane.
3: Govinda Naam Mera [2022] - A dark-comedy about a murder-mystery & infidelity.
They mostly make Horror Comedies than legitimate Horrors.
1: Tumbbad [2018] - Set in 1918, a great story of human greed, gluttony, & how man won't even stop at anything. Layered with understandable reasoning behind it all.
2: Shaitaan [2024] - A man possessing a couple daughter to sacrifice & the couple saving their daughter. I'd honestly recommend the OG Gujrati version, but it's not online at all, so the Hindi version is actually good too.
Kollywood is the Tamil speaking side, If you're going into action, I'd recommend starting with LCU (Loki Cinematic Universe, Loki is the nickname of the director, Lokesh Kanagaraj).
Subramaniapuram [2008] - I haven't seen this, I'm only putting it here to tell you that Gangs of Wasseypur is inspired from it.
1: Kaithi [2019] - Imagine Assault on Precinct 13, combined with Mad Max. A fairly great film, it suddenly became a universe with the 2nd film.
2: Vikram Hitlist [2022] - A spiritual sequel to a late 80's film (which is unnecessary to watch for this). It's kinda The Expendables if you want badass old action heroes. The film is what really starts the LCU thing, it's actually set a few weeks after Kaithi. I actually recommend pirating the International cut, it's a bit blurry & has (censored) piss yellow subs, but the official OTT versions are censored of some abuses (like the word Fuck, amongst many others).
3: Leo [2013] - An official freemake of A History Of Violence (the original comic, not the film), which I honestly like more than the Hollywood version. It's great for just action alone. The first half mystery is great, but the 2nd half is more action driven.
1: Kurangu Bommai (aka Monkey Bag) [2017] - This is a debut directorial & the story as good as it is very non-linear to follow. It's kinda amateurly shot, & I mainly recommend this film cause his next film (unrelated to this) is absolutely great.
2: Maharaja [2024] - Same director as Monkey Bag, but you can really see his growth in this as both a writer & director after 7 years of his last film. It's kinda like Oldboy, but it's even more non-linear, & is HEAVILY dependant on symbology. The story is kinda simplistic, but the screenplay is what makes it great.
3: Por Thozhil [2023] - It's kinda overrated a bit as "The Tamilian True Detective/Se7eN" but it really is a bit of a slow-burn that's fairly worth it by the end.
4: Parking [2023] - This is mainly a story about ego. Basically, one house, 2 families on rent, one car park spot, egos get tickled, tension escalates & domino effect unfolds. The runtime is crisp and the screenplay is intensely tight, showcasing the unacceptable extreme ones ego can push one into.
6: Ratsasan - A psychological crime thriller about a serial killer is murdering school girls, & a newbie cop has to track him down before the victim count increases.
7: Jigarthanda Double X [2023] - An unrelated sequel to the debut film of the director. The basic gist is a filmmaker VS a local mafia. I actually wanna recommend a few more films of it too, but they might be a bit too alien to get into such as Petta [2019] (great film, godly cinematography, but it's more of a fanboyistic tribute to the actor than a film), & Mahaan [2020] (heard great things, but never seen it myself so I can't personally recommend).
8: Virumaandi [2004] - A murder-mystery with a non linear narrative, with its story told from different point of views; be it’s deep rooted rural drama, exposing the corrupt judicial system or strongly documenting the reasons for doing away the death penalty. It handles themes of pride, anger, love, trust, deceit, revenge, loss & redemption in a gripping & extremely violent way.
That said, it's very rural, so you may not get a lot of things.
1: Anbe Sivam [2004] - It's a cult classic (in Kollywood) comedy literally titled “Love is God” which revolves around the journey of two people with conflicting ideologies, while exploring themes of life, perception, love, relationships, religion & humanism.
2: Soodhu Kavvum [2013] - A crime-comedy about a kidnapping gone wrong.
3: Doctor [2021] - A dark comedy about a stone-faced military man, his shitty romance, & human-trafficking. The comedy part was honestly funny to me.
Yavarum Nalam (aka 13B: Fear Has a New Address) [2009] - A man & his family move into a new apartment on the 13th floor. However, their peace is disturbed by a spirit that uses the television set as a medium to communicate with them through a daily soap (Indian equivalent of a Telenovela).
Pizza [2012] - A pizza delivery boy, lives with & his GF, an aspiring horror fiction writer. One day, on a delivery run, he goes to a bungalow, where mysterious events begin to unfold.
Sports:
Sarpatta Parambarai [2021] - Just think of it as Rocky, except it combines some of the future sequels too in the same single film.
Sci-fi:
1: Maanaadu [2021] - A time-loop story about a man stopping an assassination & another making it happen.
Comfy (I made this solely for one film I saw a week ago):
Meiyazhagan [2024] - This is technically a mystery (not thriller) & it's so rural & desi that it might be confusing at times for someone uninitiated to India. But it's actually a sweet bromance story of sorts, combined with a message about importance of roots & relationships. The brokino part is the best part tho.
This is where the most maximalist action films comes from & some of my favorites are from too. I recommend it primarily for action.
1: Bahubali Duology [2015 & 2017] - (pronounced Baa-hoo-buhlly) These films are basically their Lord of the Rings (without any magic). Literally PEAK FICTION of their fantasy genre as a whole. I wholly recommend it if you want something akin to 300.
2: RRR - From the director of Bahubali. It actually has a thread here too. A what-if story that is semi-inspired by IRL freedom fighters one of which died before meeting him, the what-if part being What If they met each other? It also talks about many topics such as "how many acts of fuckery can one commit in the "moble cause & greater good" until they become what they're fighting against? Or "how hard can one test the bonds of loyalty & brotherhood until they break", etc.
The 3rd act is a bit rushed & there are some weirdness at places (English Empire) being one of them. But it's still a great experience nonetheless.
3: Salaar: Chapter 1 - Ceasefire [2023] - I'm gonna be honest, I'll be a bit biased & may hype it more than it should be. I'll be as objective as possible. I'm a big fan of director's works in general, but this is his best for now. In fact, this is basically the director's debut film, that he's remaking it in the way he wanted to, with way more resources.
It's a modern dark fantasy film about bandit village turned hermit warrior state that pretty much runs India & is funded by crime, which still runs on monarchial system, has 3 ancient tribes, a battle for throne, violence as a sub-concious action for it's people. However, at it's core, it's a story about 2 childhood homies, their friendship, brotherhood, & how far the hero will go for his friend. In fact, the MC is like a gritty, cutthroat version of Luffy from One Piece in some regards.
As per the creator, here is enough lore to apparently write 10 novels on the fictional place alone. Hell, there's so many characters that the production company had to put out a lore catch-up video on their YouTube channel.
Which is hard to find in the lack of new IPs nowadays.
As for cinematography, it objectively uses dark centric theme better than The Batman (I actually tested this with an old LED TV & someone else even did it with a CRT TV, I'm being unbiased here). The Action really stays in your head. The sound design & score (I legitimately use the BGM for exercise, I can confirm it works) is avant grade. The sets & production quality really speaks for itself.
There are a few issues, like how the entire film could be considered a trailer for the 2nd part. Or the how the first half of the film could actually feel a bit laggy cause it's mainly build-up until it's end. But the highs outweigh the lows.
I personally consider it the best film of 2023 for me just for the sheer fun I have alone.
4: Eega - It's kind of a meme film the director did as a challenge of not having a hero for a main lead, so he literally made a housefly the main hero. It's a fun watch.
5: Kalki 2898 AD - This is possibly India's biggest push for sci-fi as a whole, it even has an animated prequel series called B&B - Bujji & Bhairava (it's on Amazon Prime, or on many other places if you're smart enough) to basically introduce you to it's world. It's also gonna get multiple films & shows in the future going by look of things.
There's a big issue tho, it requires knowledge of Indian mythology to make sense of, which it extremely autistic to get into (trust me, I know, I did). The film is still enjoyable on it's own for many things, but makes less sense without it.
The Mythology Guy made a video on it.
That said, it's borderline kino compared & possibly a detox for the absolute goyslop Hollywood has given for sci-fi since Sequel Trilogy onwards, apart from Dune. I honestly recommend it just for sheer effort alone.
One thing I'd like to include here, the original is language is Telugu which released on Prime, however the Hindi release on Netflix is the only 4k release & has more accurate subs. So I recommend going for that version of you wanna.
6: Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (aka Surya's Saturday) - A story about a vigilante who can only act on a Saturday, saving people from a corrupt police officer & his wrath.
Anukokunda Oka Roju [2005] - A neo-noir mystery-thriller about how a girl suddenly lost an entire Sunday of her life.
Rangasthalam [2018] - A story about a deaf guy & his life in the village which starts as a pure charm offensive, that turns into a political empowerment film, then an 80s action revenge drama that gets set around themes of caste, patriarchy & honor killings that reveals itself in its final moments as a demonization of the Indian caste system altogether.
Mayabazar [1957] - It's a story from the mythology put on film, but the production quality became inspiration & quality standard for Indian films as a whole. This film is recommended more for aesthetics now, but it's still a fun film to watch.
Sita Ramam [2022] - Basically Veer Zaara, but way more bittersweet & nuanced.
Hi Nanna [2023] - This is way more of a father-daughter flick at first, but romance becomes a huge part of it later. The film is mainly a heartfelt-introspective-emotional journey of love, parenthood & destiny.
Mahanati [2018] - A biopic of Savitri, one of Telugu cinema’s greatest & most iconic starlets, also known as "the first Indian female super star".
This one is somewhat overrated as "the French cinema of India", but these are more content driven than action. Mainly because only a few there can do action films well.
1: Aavesham [2024] - A gangster dramedy about the friendship of 3 college bros & a eccentric gangster.
2: Thallumaala [2022] - A very funky action, rom-com, & bromance film. I recommend it for the editing & cinematography alone honestly.
3: Lucifer [2020] - This is technically more of a political thriller in the beginning, but it turned into an action film mid-way. The action isn't that good honestly.
1: Forensic [2020] - A murder-mystery about a kid serial killer.
2: Mukundan Unni Associates™ [2022] -
Imagine Better Call Saul with some quirky editing & a very based protagonist.
3: Rorschach [2023] - A schizophrenic revenge thriller. You legitimately can't tell if shit is real or not. Great score btw.
4: Monster [2022] - This isn't a really good film, it's a murder-mystery that unintentionally becomes a comedy film.
Bramayugam [2024] - This is a folklore horror film, but it is hard to recommend because how artsy & rooted in their culture it is, but it does feel unique.
Minnal Murali [2021] - A superhero film about 2 guys getting super powers & how both of them react to it.
Valatty [2019] - A dog flick, with way too many genres in it. There's a dog PoV shot in between where they tried to emulate Wong Kar Wai cinematography. There's a black dog that keeps getting called "Blackie" & makes it a colorism thing. It has a fucking love story, followed by a prediction of the Beagle labrat bullshit that actually happened later. This is what Strays should have been.
They're not that good of a film industry but have a few good ones I recommend.
1: KGF Duology [2018 & 2022] - Imagine Scarface, with minor amounts of Godfather & even a bit of Mad Max vibe to it. It's mainly an underdog crime story, followed by the rise of a man & his sheer supremacy, all because of a promise he made. All that, combined with some great world-building & maximalist action. IMO, this is the best film of it's industry, & it's made by a guy who isn't even from there.
The 2nd film has a lot of visual storytelling required for understanding, solely because it runs on the narrative dissonance thing. I can explain, but it'll spoil the film.
2: Avane Srimannarayana [2019] - Basically Indiana Jones, but a western flick.
3: 777 Charlie [2022] - An emotional dog flick. It's actually kinda sad.
I'll sincerely try my best to help you. However, due to not being able to tell what you specifically want (genre, era, etc.), I'll just give you the best I can think of in all genres. I have made a very autistic comment to help you the best I can.
Most, if not all of these have English subs due to them being on Indian OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video India, etc., which means they're on the internet, which means they're on the 7 seas.
I saw these on Stremio, you can probably find them there too.
Also, thankfully, they will never do that. See, any time they (mainly Bollywood (Hindi speaking, North Indian) side) tries to be more American & especially more liberal, they get mocked to hell, that's actually a problem in Bollywood nowadays too that their own people are saying films are not relatable & even woke (very minorly, & nowhere near the Western levels).
In fact, their best action directors there realise that maximalism is their strength, so they'll never give up on it, but instead try to keep refining it as much as possible.
- A loser trying his best to be the perfect man for his wife, to make her happy. Kinda boring at times, but not really bad.