Three Bollywood Films You Should Check Out
Bunny and Naina have to choose between love and their careers in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
By ABDUAL ASHRAF
Growing up in a desi household, aside from all the delicious, spice filled dishes we eat, one thing that many of us South Asians in Midwood share in common is our love for the Bollywood movies we’ve been watching since we were little kids.
Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan are household names to us. But if you aren’t too keen yet on Bollywood, or are looking for something new to check out, give the following films a whirl.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) is a personal favorite of mine. This movie stars Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. It is a perfect blend of emotion and humor, and has tunes that are sure to get stuck in your head for a while. The movie is nearly three hours long and may be too much for some, but those willing to commit will find it to be worth every minute. The dance scene featuring the song “Balam Pichkari” is pure entertainment. The song itself is so catchy that I found myself nearly out of my seat dancing along.
The story follows a group of college students who go out seeking adventure away from their boring school lives and set out hiking in the Himalayas. Along the way, the outgoing and adventurous Bunny (Kapoor) falls in love with the shy student, Naina (Padukone).
Bunny has big dreams of traveling the world to pursue photography, and when a sudden job offer comes to him, he packs up and leaves India. Naina is shattered as she never had a chance to tell Bunny how she truly felt, swiftly introducing us to the heartbreaking song “Kabira.”
Years later, a friend's wedding calls Bunny back to India to surprise his friends, but his best friend has turned against him, and Naina is afraid to fall in love with him again due to their past.
This movie was a rollercoaster of emotions because it deals with the struggle of choosing between your dream career and your love life. Perhaps its greatest strength is its ability to entrap the viewer. In fact, I didn’t even realize I was nearly two hours in because the plot was so interesting!
If you’re a fan of a more action-filled movie with lots of fighting scenes, then I definitely recommend Heropanti (2014). Actor Tiger Shroff's elite athletic ability, stunts, and flair, paired with Kriti Sanon’s charismatic personality, add a captivating twist to the story.
When the sister of Dimpy (Sanon), Renu (Sandeepa Dhar), elopes with her true love, Rakesh (Dev Sharma), her powerful and violent father kidnaps Rakesh’s friends and keeps them in a warehouse in an attempt to get them to disclose Rakesh’s whereabouts. However, the stubborn Bablu (Shroff), fights back against the goons and his captor, encouraging his friends to do the same.
The search for Renu and Rakesh continues all throughout India and features plenty of exciting scenes. Meanwhile, Bablu finds himself falling deeper and deeper in love with Dimpy. However, with the circumstances surrounding Renu, marrying Dimpy is a bit of a challenge.
Though this tantalizing movie is engaging and has tons of action-packed moments, it may be somewhat predictable to people familiar with the genre. Nonetheless, Heropanti is still a stupendous choice as an introduction to Bollywood.
A film with a very different tone, Half Girlfriend (2017) was the first ever movie to have me crying puddles of tears. Madhav (Arjun Kapoor) and Riya (Shraddha Kapoor) were a dynamic duo in this film, both contrasting each other's characters perfectly.
Madhav is a never-give-up kind of guy who becomes obsessed with Riya. His dreams consist of bringing about change in his struggling community in Simrao, Bihar. Riya is a singer and has dreams of moving to New York and performing under the bright lights. Madhav confesses his love to Riya but she doesn’t want to be in a relationship, so she instead agrees to be his “half girlfriend.”
Later on in the movie, Madhav’s organization gets funded by Bill Gates after Madhav raises awareness about his village struggles, and he must give a speech at a school run by his mother. However, at this speech, a student hands Madhav a note from Riya telling him that she has blood cancer and just a few months to live.
Riya disappears, wanting to enjoy the world one last time, and pleads for Madhav not to go look for her. But Madhav refuses to give up and looks all over New York, checking bars, hoping to find her performing there.
Admittedly, this movie is no Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, but it is still a great choice if you ever find yourself wanting to explore the Bollywood genre a little more.
So there you have it: three impeccable installments in the world of Bollywood film. Each one will leave you craving more from this explosive, humorous, heartbreaking genre.