Did you’ll know there is an article out there which lists at least 100 best movies to watch? Wow I need to watch them before jail time (ummm pandemic) gets over. There are also a lot of similar articles out there which list out a number of feel good movies yet I am writing this one. Why? Perspective. Everyone has a different perspective and this is my take based solely on my experience. These are not the “best” films but just movies which make you feel good, are relatable and doesn’t blow your mind but maybe will explode your heart with emotions. So here are my top 10 Bollywood flicks that I watch on days I don’t want to move or talk or sleep or do anything that requires a brain or human interaction, in random order.
QUEEN (2013)
I have lost count of the number of times I have watched this film and it is one of the reasons I decided to travel solo. I usually never watch any movie more than twice but Queen I can watch everyday. The entire journey of Rani from being a timid girl from Rajouri, India to this girl full of confidence and self-love by the end of her Europe trip is the character transformation which happens eventually in front of our eyes throughout her entire trip and emotional journey. It is not one incident, one day, one person who brought about this change in her but herself through her many experiences which she was devoid of back home. The storyline, music, acting, everything about this film feels perfect and makes you smile. It feels so relatable and that’s why I keep going back for it.
YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI (2013)
There is something about coming-of-age Bollywood movies because they feel like this warm hug from an old friend. Exactly the kind of thing we all need when we are low, a big hug but most days it comes in the form of your phone with the name of your go-to film flashing on the screen. YJHD is your typical Bollywood movie where you watch the trail and know exactly what’s going to happen in the next two hours. It’s predictable and yet it is one of the most loved films of Bollywood, because it is relatable. Bunny, Naina, Aditi and Avi are four friends who go on a trip to Manali where it looks like the beginning of fun but is actually the beginning of real life for all of them. It’s a story of friendship, relationship and more than anything it’s a story of finding yourself while you fall in love.
BARFI! (2012)
This movie is a box full of assorted chocolates on gloomy days when you only feel like moving to get your pizza. The emotions, the story, the acting and the music, just needs you to relax and allow yourself to lose in this beautiful movie about a deaf and mute guy named Murphy but is well known as “Barfi”, his love Shruti and his childhood friend Jhilmil who is mentally challenged. An unusual story of love which is entertaining and full of raw emotions. It’s not perfect and you will find a few scenes which are stolen blatantly from the famous Hollywood movie “The Notebook” but the soul of the movie is undeniable.
THE LUNCHBOX (2013)
Do you ever feel that everything old school has a strong element of genuineness? I always feel that way, I actually pine for that time when life was simple and love was easy. Ila and Saajan brought together by destiny-, actually brought together by the famous Bombay “dabbawalas” by simply delivering the tiffin of Ila’s husband to Saajan, who is soon going to retire from his job. This movie is an exchange of letters between the main characters throughout the film and somewhere in between two strangers who have never even seen or spoken to each other, fall madly in love. This movie is hope, believe and an old school romance in a world full of lost souls.
TAARE ZAMEEN PAR (2007)
This movie amplified the word “dyslexia” in India as per my view. Ishaan Awasthi is a dyslexic 8-year-old boy who is believed to be mischievous by his parents and teachers which results in this poor helpless kid being transferred to a boarding school. The boarding school is where he meets his art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh who don’t just recognize his talent as an artist but also brings to everyone’s notice that he is not a bad kid but just misunderstood because of his undiagnosed condition. This movie is going to leaving sobbing by the end of it, I assure you. When I am sad and I watch this film, I feel exactly how Ishaan must have felt.
HINDI MEDIUM (2017)
I will watch any movie of Irfan Khan, no matter what kind of mood I am in because I never feel like he is acting, I feel like he is talking to me through the screen. A great actor can make or break a film but this movie is great in itself and just like Irfan Khan. This movie is the mirror of society and highlights a very important and often neglected fact about Indian education system in which parents believe strongly after God. Your fluency in English, one of the largely spoken official language in India. Personally, the feel-good factor for me in this film is Irfan Khan and how strongly his speech in the end resonated with me.
CHHICHHORE (2019)
I went for this movie alone and later convinced, two more of my friends to watch it with me. I watched it thrice in theatre and this was the first time in my life that I was so crazy about a film to not just watch it again but actually go back to the theatre to watch it without waiting for it to release on streaming apps. A college drama about a bunch of friends and a tale of victory…in life. The film recalls Anni’s college life events which he shares with his son who is fighting for his life after trying to commit suicide for not getting selected in the prestigious institute. I have never laughed as hard as I have laughed during this film. It is the funniest and the most relatable film that I have seen so far. The jokes just don’t get old and the emotions never cease to fail, no matter how many times I watch it.
WAKE UP SID (2009)
Another coming-of-age film from the maker of YHJD with yet another free flowing storyline. Sid fails his finals and leaves his house to move in with Ayesha whom he met just a few days ago. The story is about a lazy rich brat who is a talented photographer who discovers himself on this journey of life away from home and finding happiness and love along the way. The film is again very predictable but what makes it unique is how well made it is. A uncomplicated storyline enacted by the right actors with good direction makes this a gem.
DEAR ZINDAGI (2016)
Kaira is a super talented cinematographer who is struggling with her emotions and amidst all this, she has to go back to her hometown in Goa and live with her parents whom she cannot stand. A relatable character with the story of every young adult but a movie that normalizes seeking mental health counselling instead of a glorious ending where everything falls into place automatically. No that’s not how life works and that’s why films like Dear Zindagi are here to stay. I watch this when I am asking myself, “What’s wrong with me?”
STANLEY KA DABBA (2011)
Saved the best for last. Stanley Ka Dabba is about Stanley who is a fourth grader who is famous amongst his classmates and a teachers favourite. He doesn’t get tiffin to school and hence most of his friends share their food with him until his hindi teacher Verma tells him not to come to school if he doesn’t get his own tiffin. I really don’t want to give away this beautiful story away because you have to watch it to understand why it is my feel-good film. I don’t have the right words to express how this movie makes me feel but it always makes me feel grateful for everything that I have in life.
I have a feeling majority of you have already watched all these films but do check out if you have missed any one of them and let me know what you think in the comments below. See you next Wednesday!
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