Bollywood is a genre of the Indian film industry that focuses on Hindi-language productions, and it gets its name from Bombay (also known as Mumbai), the city it’s based in. What makes this genre so special though is its focus on the elaborate song and dance sequences, dramatic and extraordinary set design, and romance, while also conveying a greater and serious theme.
Of course, not every Bollywood movie fits these stereotypes, but it’s these striking features that have made the genre so well known today. So, if you’re ready to dive into the world of Bollywood, here are three movies that are great places to begin:
- Dilwale dulhania le jayenge
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Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (also called DDLJ) directly translates to “The Big-Hearted Will Take the Bride,” and it holds a record for being the longest-running film in Indian cinema history since its release in 1995, for good reason too. Starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan and sweetheart Kajol, this movie cemented their dynamic onscreen chemistry, setting them up as an onscreen pair for years to come. With scenes all over Europe, the catchy songs in this movie and the field of yellow flowers that the title song is filmed in, remain iconic to this day.
The plot follows Raj and Simran as they travel on a train through Europe, first not being able to stand each other but growing feelings for each other along the journey, a classic enemies to lover trope. The story takes a turn when Simran is arranged to be married back in India, and Raj decides to follow her and try to win her back. There’s love, comedy and action; everything you could want in a movie. Though the story seems simple, DDLJ set the bars for romance movies in Bollywood because you could feel the amount of unconditional love Raj and Simran had for each other.
Just like how people dream of finding the Romeo to their Juliet, thousands of Bollywood watchers look for the Raj to their Simran, reciting famous dialogues from the movie whenever they can.
- 3 idiots
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Though the title of the movie makes it sound like a complete joke, the beauty of 3 Idiots is the seriousness behind the comedy. It starts off as a light-hearted movie about college and engineering school but then goes on to portray the pressing issue of mental health struggles and the rat race college students find themselves in.
The film focuses on Farhan, Raju and Rancho as they navigate the typical college experience accompanied by a cutthroat principal, parental expectations, romance, careers and so much more. Rancho teaches his newfound roommates to live a little and enjoy the ride, while also learning merely for the sake of learning. The best part of this film is that it’s set in the present and past, as older Farhan and Raju reflect on their college days and try to find their long-lost friend, discovering they did not really know him as well as they thought they did.
3 Idiots is one of the best movies about friendship that I’ve watched because it feels so real. The acting and characters are so well-written, and you get so attached that you feel any hardship they face. The laughter, smiles, tears and anger all culminate in the movie’s signature message: when life becomes a little too much, your heart gets a little scared, so you have to make sure to tell it “All is well.”
- zindagi na milegi dobara
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Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara directly translates to “Life Doesn’t Come Again,” or in today’s terms, “YOLO!” It’s another movie that highlights friendship but also living freely and to the fullest.
Kabir, Imran and Arjun are all on Kabir’s road trip bachelor party, but there’s a twist: each of them gets to pick one activity for all three of them to do, and the other two don’t know what it is. This game leads them through the deepest parts of the ocean, the Tomatina festival, skydiving, and running with the bulls, inspiring so many Bollywood watchers to go on European road trips of their own.
More importantly, though, this scenic journey helps each of the main characters discover something about themselves, whether it be about love, their future, their family or even forgiveness. Each one of them is so different, but their characters are so compelling that even regular conversations are interesting because you want to see them interact. The selling point of this movie has to be its writing because each dialogue is so purposeful. The comedic ones are not just space-filler; they add character growth. And the meaningful, poetic ones are so beautiful that they make you have to pause and take them in.
Who knows, maybe you’ll also be inspired to just live a little.
Bollywood is known to bring the entertainment factor, with all the drama and all the theatrical production, but at the end of the day, these amazing storylines are what carry the films. You can’t go wrong with any of these as your first watch, and I hope you enjoy the ride they take you on.