5 times Bollywood movies taught us something insightful

Cinema is the most creative form of media we find relatable, that can spread awareness, and change our perspective for life through characters or even superheroes. How does it do that? Well, by portraying humans as mere identities that can be the most powerful thing in the world just being themselves.

In India, we have the beloved Bollywood that represents the film industry. We grew up watching these glamourous stars, as we like to call them become real characters like us. However, sometimes cinema does feel different from the actuality of the workings of the world but with insightful movies, we have hope of change and a feeling of belongingness. Cinema that is progressive teach us something intuitive, insightful and with such actions, it changes our perception about certain things. So, besides the masala, action-packed or rom-coms, aren’t movies with reality informative for us? Well, here are some of those that we love.

Anand (1971)

Anand is one of the most quintessential, finest piece of work in our cinematic industry. It is still remembered for the portrayal of authentic characters with a genuine setting that talked about issues associated with our mental health and the beauty of the earth we are surrounded with. Hrishikesh Mukherjee did an excellent job reflecting on the complexity of life and optimism even in the worst situations. The film is so beautifully directed, with well-written songs and dialogues like “Babumoshai, Zindagi badi honi chahiye lambi nahi” still lives on and, obviously, so does our beloved Mr. Rajesh Khanna. He portrays the role of a man who only has 6 months to live and yet, the way he sees life is what connects us to him and changes our perspective, leaving us wondering.

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na (1994)

We know our King Khan, ShahRukh Khan as this romantic hero who made us fall in love with the idea of love by spreading his arms for his girl or playing the violin talking about romance but the idea of him in a movie where he portrays the hero who is just a flawed normal guy sounds a bit interesting doesn’t it? Well, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na is one of those hidden gems of the actor as it reflects on a boy who has nothing special. The protagonist is no hero, in fact he has actually never achieved anything to call him one but despite that, it is his story that we see and can relate to. The movie is unlike any other Bollywood rom-com but is based on reality. It leaves us thinking about the ‘flawed, failed but heart-felt hero’ trope because of the beautiful song “woh to hai albela, hazaron mein akela”, as well as the complexity of our society.

Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

“Dil chahta hai, hum na rahein kabhi yaaron ke bin”, didn’t we all sing this song and promised our friends to never part ways? Well, as much as we thought we could keep that promise, we all lost touch. But amidst the race of making a life for ourselves, we lose the connections with people and even, with life. Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut, Dil Chahta Hai talks about that feeling which we all know and have felt. The characters are genuine, complex and full of youth that portray the importance of friendships in life yet however, we lose touch but it’s never late to grab any opportunity to have that thing you love the most in your life again, it is always worth a try. This coming-of-age movie shows reality of friendships of fast-paced urban youth that celebrates life and will always be timeless.

Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara (2011)

This is one of those piece of cinema that will leave you thinking about the mortality of humans that makes life so beautiful and well, that thought of if only we had that much money. The movie is so beautiful with mesmerizing setting and real characters, reflecting on what actually makes life worth living. Another directorial masterpiece by Farhan Akhtar and the magnifying lines by his father, Javed Akhtar, the movie leaves you feeling warm, for the cinephile lovers, it is an amazing piece of work and for all of us, it sends the message that we shouldn’t get so caught up with making money that we forget to look around and live. The thought that we might never experience today again and, dialogues like, “seize the day my friend, pehle iss din ke otoh poori tarah jiyo phir 40 ke baare mein sochna” connects with us.

Dear Zindagi (2016)

Every time someone talks about therapy, the society immediately associates it with something negative. It is a taboo topic in our country to seek mental health help but movies like Dear Zindagi, have taken a step towards changing society’s perception about it. The movie talks about how our trauma, past can affect our present and future. In any household, childhood is very important as it shapes the child’s perception of relationships and life but when that is meddled with, it leaves a lasting impact on us. The protagonist reflects on that and seeks help in the form of therapy and begins to heal from her past. As mentioned above, cinemas can be helpful and with portrayal of such genuine characters and complex issues, it can manage to change perspectives because it should be emphasized more that “harr tooti cheez jud sakti hai”

What is your favourite life lesson from a movie you enjoyed?

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