American University Library - National Cinema of India

National Cinema of India Filmography
Updated March 2008

Filmographies are created by doing multiple keyword searches in the ALADIN catalog to capture as many titles on a topic as possible; for example, this filmography was created primarily by selecting from the results of the following keyword search:

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36 Chowringhee Lane. 1981. 1 videocassette (122 min.). "A repressed, elderly Anglo-Indian teacher suffers a life of disappointments and defeats." Summary taken from Halliwell's Film, DVD & Video Guide 2007. VHS 7727

Adversary = Pratidwandi. 1971. [2005]. 1 videodisc (110 min.). Siddartha, a medical student, feels he must discontinue his studies following the death of his father. He looks for a job and has to submit to a formal interviews requiring that the candidate be examined by a committee on questions of general culture. He realizes that he lacks the all important element of backing. Somewhat mentally disoriented, wandering in a Calcutta shocked by intense political upheaval and revolutionary violence, he ends by accepting a medical sales position, away from the city and the girl he loves. DVD 3497, VHS 7087

Amar, Akbar, Anthony. 1977. 1 videodisc (168 min.). Lavish action-filled account of the separation, separate lives, and eventual reunion of three brothers: one raised by a Hindu policeman, one raised by a Muslim tailor, and one raised by a Catholic priest. DVD 3696

Ankur. 1973. [2000]. 1 videodisc (125 min.). Values clash as loyalties are tried and tested in a rural Indian setting. Class conflict of the idle-rich landowning class against toiling peasants is dramatized in a brief extra-marital liaison between an attractive village laborer and her young employer. This film launched a new style of naturalist acting deploying regionalised Hindi accents and helped define a "middle-of-the-road" cinema which adapted psychological realism and regionalism to the conventions of the mainstream Hindi movie. DVD 223

Anubhav. 1971. [2000]. 1 videodisc (130 min.). A newspaper editor becomes estranged from his wife when his newly hired assistant turns out to be her ex-lover. DVD 239

Aparajito = The unvanquished. 1956. 1 videodisc (111 min.). Follows the life of the poor Bengali country boy, Apu and his encounter with the school system in Benares and later with the intellectual life at the university in Calcutta. DVD 3752

The Apu trilogy. 3 videocassettes (ca. 332 min.). Including: Pather panchali (1955 ; ca. 113 min.) = Song of the road = The lament of the path = The saga of the road; Aparajito (1956 ; ca. 113 min.) = The unvanquished; Apur sansar (1959 ; ca. 106 min.) = The world of Apu. Story of a rural family. Father Hari is a dreamer and poet, while his hard-working wife struggles to feed the family. The first film chronicles the life of their son Apu and the father's decision to move his family from their village to the holy city of Benares in the hope of a better future. The second film follows Apu's encounter with the school system in Benares and later with the intellectual life at the university in Calcutta. The third film tells of Apu, a struggling writer who, visiting the wedding of a friend's sister, finds himself the bridegroom when the husband-to-be is discovered to be insane. Apu's wife soon dies in childbirth and the shattered Apu, refusing to see his son, leaves to wander alone through the country. Several years later Apu's friend hunts him down and convinces him to return to his son. VHS 44, DVD 3751 - DVD 3753

Apur sansar = The world of Apu. 1959. 1 videodisc (107 min.). Landmark Indian drama about a hopeful student, who marries to save a bride from disgrace. The crowning finish to the Apu trilogy. DVD 3753

Aranyer din ratri = Days and nights in the forest. 1970. 1 videocassette (120 min.). Four friends from Calcutta drive out for a short holiday in the country. During the next few days, they meet up with local village girls plus two high-caste young ladies also on holiday. A series of drunken sprees, social embarrassments, adventures with servants, officials, prostitutes and even a brief romance ensues, before the four friends return to Calcutta, each with a fuller appreciation of life and love. VHS 5237

Awara. 1951. 1 videocassette (193 min.). Following the life of Raj and Judge Raghunath, his father. Judge Raghunath's beliefs that the sins of the father will be repeated in life of the son are put to the test when his own estranged son, Raj turns to a life of crime. When Raj turns up in court for attempting the murder of the Judge (his father) their whole history is unravelled. VHS 7458

Bandini. 1963. [2000]. 1 videodisc (ca. 145 min.). Kalyani, a model prisoner, must choose between a jail-doctor who offers fulfillment or her former lover who offers a past full of disillusionment and broken promises. DVD 233

Bandit Queen. 1994. [2004]. 1 videodisc (ca. 119 min.). Phoolan Devi was a murderer, kidnapper and living folk legend who had endured a life of rape and abuse after beng sold into marriage at the age of eleven. A spree of murders known as the Behmai Massacre to avenge the death of her lover made Devi the object of a police hunt. In prison from 1983 until 1994, she spent years being prosecuted by the Indian police, only to be turned into a legend by the Indian press. This true story shocked the world and brought the Indian government to its knees. DVD 1292

Barsaat. 1998. 1 videodisc (166 min.). Barsaat is the story of two men in a girl's (Twinkle Khanna) life. One loves her. The other wants to kill her. It is the story of a boy (Bobby Deol) from the jungle who falls in love with a girl from the city.The girl is an heiress and her stepfather(Raj Babbar) is waiting for her to turn 18, so he can inherit her wealth. He tries to coax, cajole and coerce the boy out of her life. But to no avail. Finally, he takes the help of a corrupt inspector (Danny Denzongpa) to eliminate the boy. DVD 240

Bharat Mata = Mother India. 1957. [2005]. 1 videodisc (163 min.). Depicts, through one woman's life from marriage to old age, the joys and tragedies of village life in rural India. DVD 3178

Bhuvan shome. 1979. 1 videocassette (95 min.). Study of a minor governmental official. VHS 7834

Bombay = Bumbai. Directed by Mani Ratnam. 1995. [1998]. 1 videodisc (130 min.). Based on true incidents. Personifies Hindu-Muslim racial tensions ... starts out a love story, a romance between a south Indian Hindu man and a Muslim woman ... taboo in the small village they hail from. They marry against family wishes and move to Bombay ... The rest of the film is set in the December 1992-January 1993 period when the "Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid" controversy had raised racial tensions in Bombay (and other parts of India) and sparked riots and violence. The family is separated from the children and fathers of both parents are killed ... An underlying moral of thinking of oneself as an Indian rather than a Hindu or a Muslim is prevalent throughout the latter part of the film. DVD 235

Bombay boys. 1998. [2000]. 1 videodisc (140 min.). A portrait of modern Bombay seen through the eyes of overseas Indians, and the insiders they come across during their journey. DVD 227

Bombay talkie. 1970. [2003]. 1 videodisc (111 min.). A troubled romance laced with barbed wit and pointed melodrama and an affectionate view of the Indian film industry (aka Bollywood). A visiting English author becomes involved with a married Indian movie star; when the romance fizzles she flees to an ashram. DVD 661

Bomgay: a collection of six short films. 1996. 1 videocassette (11 min.). First gay film from Indian where people can still be sentenced to life imprisonment for the homosexual act. VHS 6819

Boy in the branch. 1993. 1 videocassette (27 min.). Set at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur, India ... is a documentary film on the proselytization of young Hindu boys by the RSS. The RSS has a network of approximately 33,000 'shakhas' or branches for purposes of 'preparing' RSS volunteers and spreading the Hindu fundamentalist ideology ... Through RSS games, rituals, stories and instruction ... and interviews with RSS volunteers, the film highlights ... the process of indoctrination in the transition of innocent child to communal militant. VHS 6814

Buddha of suburbia. 1993. 2 videodiscs (ca. 215 min.). Karim is the son of an assimilated Indian businessman in London. When his Zen-obsessed father becomes the guru of the swinging suburban scene, Karim is swept up into the world of theater, art, drugs, rock and roll and sexual exploration. DVD 3689

Chak de! India. 2007. 2 videodiscs (152 min.). Kabir Khan knows what it’s like to come back from the dead. The ex-Indian captain has now come back in the avatar of the coach of the Indian Women’s National Hockey team. A team that exists more on paper and less in reality. The girls have never known the thrilling energy of being Team India. But Kabir, once a captain, now forgotten, does. Despite his past, he believes that if only the girls played as one, anything would be possible. DVD 3688

Charulata = The lonely wife. 1964. [1997]. 1 videocassette (ca. 117 min.). The wife of a publisher tries to find a way out of her confining domestic situation. VHS 7082

Chess Players = Shatranj Ke Khilari. 1977. [2006]. 1 videodisc (115 min.). This drama about colonialism and indigenous culture is set in 1856 at the court of Wajid Ali Shah in Lucknow, the capital of Oudh. Features two parallel narratives. The first shows rich landowners Meer and Mirza pour every ounce of passion into a never-ending game of chess. Without thinking of their responsibilities to their families and the political uprising in the kingdom, the two men just keep playing. The second narrative dramatises the conflict between Wajid Ali Shah and General James Outram who represents Lord Dalhousie’s treacherously implemented annexation policies. Wajid Ali is shown as a politically weak figure who surrenders to the British without a fight. DVD 3496

City of joy. 1992. [2004]. 1 videodisc (ca. 135 min.). An American doctor, a British nurse and an illiterate Indian farmer join together to transform a Calcutta ghetto when it is threatened by the brutal local "godfather". DVD 1425

Deceivers. 1988. [1997]. 1 videocassette (103 min.). William Savage, an official of the British East India Company, determines to expose the barbaric Thuggees by infiltrating them. He knows little about their depraved world of ritual and violence but soon he knows far too much. Now he must take part in the sect's unholy bloodletting to prove his loyalty. VHS 6553

Deewaar. Directed by Yash Chopra. 1975. [1998]. 1 videodisc (160 min.). This film is about two brothers, one a cop and the other a criminal. The brothers share a mutual adoration for their mother and though they care for each other, they end up at odds due to their respective choices in life. DVD 225

Devi. 1960. [1997]. 1 videocassette (ca. 93 min.). Set in India around the 1830s, the story involves the conflict between orthodox and progressive Hindu religions. A young wife in a wealthy Indian household is deified by her father-in-law who has seen her in a dream as the goddess Durga (Kali). The city soon learns of her imposed divinity and she is set up as an idol for worship. She then begins to believe in her immortality and the tension between her duty to the father-in-law's devotion and to her husband's pleas to leave the city soon drive her mad. VHS 7080

Dil se. 1998. [2000]. 1 videodisc (165 min.). Romantic drama set in an atmosphere of political turbulence; incorporates fantasy sequences of dance and song. DVD 1621

Dilwale dulhania le jayenge. 1995. 1 videodiscs (179 min.). Rahul and Simran fall in love while travelling in Europe on an inter-rail holiday. Simran’s father, settled in London for twenty-two years, is determined that his daughter should marry a family friend, back in their homeland of rural Punjab. All his plans undergo serious revision once the family travels to India and Rahul also shows up. DVD 3693

Disco Dancer. 1982. 1 videodisc (135 min). Jimmy is a singer and disco dancer who amasses wealth and fans enough to kindle hostile envy in his arch rival. His quick rise to fame and riches also makes him a highly sought after personality at social events, and he uses his clout to avenge an old insult to his mother. He now has a whole new set of enemies, and his singing and dancing career acquires a dangerous note. DVD 2715

Distant thunder = Ashani sanket. 1973. 1 videocassette (92 min.). Set in India in 1942 before the Bengal famine, a Brahmin (Soumitra Chatterjee) and his beautiful wife (Babita) find their village, despite a successful harvest, overrun by famine as all available grain is diverted to British troops for World War II. Village social order collapses as the situation grows increasingly desperate and the man is forced to abandon his priestly identity and his bourgeois aspirations. VHS 1085

Earth. 1999. [2000]. 1 videocassette (101 min.). A love story set within the upheaval and violence of 1947 India in which much of the action is seen through the eyes of a little eight-year-old girl named Lenny. VHS 6718

East is east. 1999. 1 videodisc (96 min.). Two free-wheeling bachelor brothers, the children of a strict Pakistani father and a mellow English mother, discover that their father is attempting to arrange marriages for them. DVD 3691

English, August. 1994. 1 videodisc (102 min.). Irreverent story of a watershed year in the life of a young and reluctant civil servant dispatched to Madna, the hottest small town in India. DVD 1471

Fire. 1996. [2000]. 1 videodisc (108 min.). Banned in India, this film was the first to confront lesbianism in that country. Radha Kapur (Azmi) is in a barren, arranged marriage to an amateur swami who seeks enlightenment through celibacy. Her life takes an irresistible turn when Mundu (Chowdhry), her beautiful young sister-in-law, seeks to free herself from the confines of her own loveless marriage and they find solace and love in each other's arms. DVD 184

Gaja Gamini. 2000. 1 videodisc (122 min.). The film, an operatic ballet, moves between illusion & reality. It depicts the journey of a woman called Gaja Gamini, suspended in time and space along with a variety of characters from art, history, music & poetry. These characters, voicing the aesthetics of feminine beauty, are points of reference and interact with each other on the essence & identity of woman. DVD 315

Gandhi. 1982. [2007]. 2 videodiscs (191 min.). Follows the life of Mahatma Gandhi from his days as a lawyer in South Africa to his role as India's spiritual leader by using his philosophy of non-violent but direct-action protest that helped end British rule. Centers on the extraordinary man who fought for a nonviolent, peaceful existence and set an entire nation free. DVD 325

Garam Hawa = Hot winds. 1973. 1 videocassette (132 min.). Dramatization of the plight of north India's Muslim minority during the Partition upheavals. A Muslim shoe factory owner must decide whether to emigrate to newly-formed Pakistan or remain in his ancestral home and business. VHS 6704

Goodness Gracious Me AKA The ultimate goodness gracious me. [2004]. 4 videodisc (555 min.). A British television comedy series presenting a satirical exploration of racial stereotypes in Britain, as seen from an Indian point-of-view. DVD 3760

Guide. 1965. 1 videodisc (167 min.). Raju falls in love with the dancer wife of an archaeologist. The dancer and her husband break up and Raju becomes the dancer's manager. He is charged with theft and goes to prison. When released he travels to a village where the people mistake him for a holy man. To bring rain to the village he fasts with the results inevitable. DVD 236

Haré Raama Haré Krishna. 1971. 1 videodisc (140 min.). Brother, separated from her in childhood, attempts to save sister from cult. Since his sister won’t recognize him, his fiancee doesn’t understand. DVD 3502

Hey! Ram. 1999. [2000]. 1 videodisc (199 min.). A glimpse of the tumultuous moments of Indian history. The story begins at the bedside of Saket Ram, 89 years old Saket Ram is trying to die as gracefully as possible. Astride waves of nostalgia and his memories, the story goes back to the 1940`s. Saket Ram (Kamal Haasan)and his close associate and friend Amjad Ali Khan (Shahrukh Khan) are archeologists working under Mortimer Wheeler at the excavation sites of Mohenjodardo. Saket Ram and Amjad do not see the need for such division of India, Gandhiji never did like this division to accommodate an Islamic state. He wanted to accommodate all within one country as brothers and equals. DVD 226

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! Directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya. 1994. 1 videodisc (195 min.). Two families are brought together by a marriage; when the wife dies, leaving a child, the wife's sister is pressured to marry the widower and become the mother of the child. However, the husband's brother has already fallen in love with the sister. DVD 241

Hum dil de chuke sanam = Straight from the Heart. 1999. 1 videodisc (188 min.). The daughter of a famous musician and one of her father's music students, who is Indo-Hungarian, fall in love. The father, learning of their love, sends his student away and marries his daughter to another man. When her devoted new husband realizes the degree to which his wife still loves another man, he helps her search for her lover. DVD 232

In custody AKA Hifazaat. 1993. [2005]. 1 videodisc (125 min.). Nur is considered the greatest living Urdu poet and Deven hopes to rekindle interest in the language by recording Nur reciting his magical verse. But multiple problems block Deven's path, the greatest being Nur’s two shrewish wives, his love of drink, and the vastly bloated poet himself. Deven's monstrous task quickly turns into a cultural odyssey that follows a humorous path to an unexpected conclusion. DVD 3649

India song. 1974. 1 videocassette (114 min.). A captivating, poetically crafted love story with an Indian setting. The wife of a French vice-consul in 1930s India begins having affairs in order to escape her boredom. Her husband pretends not to notice because he understands the cause of her behavior. VHS 3703

Jalsaghar = The music room. 1958. [1997]. 1 videocassette (ca. 100 min.). A declining nobleman sits in his once-great house, now decaying and reminisces on his past life and his great parties as well as the loss of his son and wife. His inability to adapt to and cope with changing times has made him into a recluse. He gives one last party, tosses away all his money and dies in a fall from a horse. VHS 7079

Jana araṇya = The middleman. 1975. [1997]. 1 videocassette (131 min.). A university student, after failing his examinations, drops out of school, looks for a job, and decides to embark on a career in business. He becomes an independent salesperson, paid on commission, much to the great despair of his father, a descendant of a noble caste who thinks engaging in commerce is the ultimate disgrace to the family reputation. As part of his business dealings, the now ex-student discovers the expedient value of corrupt practices. After lengthy hesitation, he agrees to provide a prostitute (none other than the sister of his best friend in school) in order to obtain a contract. He says nothing about all this to his father, who may to some extent only be pretending to be ignorant of what is being concealed from him. VHS 7083

Jo jeeta wohi sikandar. 1992. 1 videodisc (159 min.). Sanjal Lal and Ratan Lal are poor local kids in the beautiful scenic college town of Dehradun. Before a crucial cycle race between rival colleges, Shekhar and his friends almost kill Ratan who is now unable to compete in the race. Sanjay takes over and with the moral support of his father and his brother he tries to win the race. Shows the comedic conflict between the "rich kids" and the "poor kids" and is all about young minds and egos. DVD 3743

Journey = Sancharram. 2004. 1 videodisc (107 min.). Despite her love for her best friend, Kiran must marry the boy chosen by her family. When Delilah discovers the truth, the two women begin a secret romance. DVD 3694

Kabhi khushi kabhie gham = Happiness & tears. 2001. 1 videodisc (209 min.). A young man goes against the wishes of his beloved father to marry the girl he loves. When he leaves home, his younger brother vows to reunite the family and bring back the happiness they once shared. DVD 3690

Kal ho naa ho = Tomorrow May Not Be. 2003. 2 videodiscs (ca. 186 min.). When Aman Mathur moves into the neighborhood, he changes the life of Naina Catherine Kapur by pushing into things the quiet and serious girl would never have dreamed of doing. DVD 742

Khuda gawah = God is my witness. 1992. [1996]. 2 videocassettes (ca. 193 min.). Pathan leader Badshah Khan must leave his kingdom in Afghanistan and journey to India. His quest is to behead the man who killed the father of Benazir, the leader of the rival clan and the stealer of Badshah's heart. For 25 years and a generation of two families, Badshah Khan attempts to fulfill his destiny and bring an end to the war between his clan and Benazir's, while remaining an honorable Pathan. VHS 3825

Kuch kuch hota hai. 1998. 1 videodisc (177 min.). A story of 2 best friends at college, Rahul (Shahrukh Khan and tomboy Anjali (Kajol). Unknown to Rahul, Anjali has fallen in love with him. When Rahul confesses that he is in love with Tina (Rani Mukherji), Anjali is heartbroken and decides to leave the college ... Now, nine years have passed and Rahul is a single parent after Tina's demise. DVD 228

Lagaan: once upon a time in India. 2001. 1 videodisc (225 min.). Set in Queen Victoria's India, this is a story about a battle without bloodshed fought by a group of unlikely hereos. Will a game of cricket stop three years of lagaan (tax) for the Indian people? DVD 312

Maachis. 1996. [2000]. 1 videodisc (159 min.). Set against the backdrop of the 1984 riots following the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Maachis tells the story of a wronged Punjabi youth who joins a league of terrorists to avenge the injustices of a corrupt political set up. DVD 3136

Mahabharat volume 16 , episodes 91-94. 1990. [2000]. 1 videodisc. Mahabharat is an Indian television serial that tells the story of the descendants of King Bharata, two families who lived in northern India, perhaps about 1200 B.C. The Pandava brothers lose their kingdom to their Kaurava cousins and engage in a mighty struggle to win it back. Many lives are lost in the conflict. The story illustrates the futility of war. Some of the heroes are taken from history, and some represent human ideals and gods. DVD 636

Mahanagar = The big city. 1963. [1997]. 1 videocassette (131 min.). When financial liabilities force a traditionally-minded, homebound Indian matriarch to seek work downtown as a saleswoman, she comes to appreciate the opportunity to earn her own money and develop an identity of her own. VHS 7081

Masala. 1991. [2004]. 1 videodisc (105 min.). A black comedy about the god Krishna, summoned to earth by an old woman, a young ex-junkie named Krishna who is coping with the death of his family in a plane crash, and what happens when their paths cross. DVD 1495

Mission Kashmir. 2000. 1 videodisc (160 min.). In a strife torn valley of Kashmir, Altaff (Roshan), an orphan of war is adopted by a policeman (Dutt). One day Altaff discovers a shocking truth that converts him into a warrior and he becomes a famed guerilla fighter. The fate of Kashmir depends on a final, ferocious encounter. DVD 321

Monsoon wedding. (Directed by Mira Nair). 2002. 1 videodisc (115 min.). Love, lust and hope envelop an upper middle-class Indian family and their world-wide guests as they celebrate for four days the arranged marriage of their daughter to an East Indian man from Texas. DVD 1414

Mughal-E-Azam. 1960. 2 videodiscs (185 min.). A dramatic spectacular set in the time of the emperor Akbar, at the height of the Moghul power and splendor. The story revolves around a love attachment, doomed for disaster, between heir apparent Prince Salim and a palace slave. This renowned Indian epic, made over a span of 15 years utilized 14 cameras operating simultaneously, with a cast of thousands, horses, camels and elephants, with period costumes and settings. DVD 3756

Nayak AKA Nayak: The Hero. 1966. 1 videodisc (120 min.). A successful movie actor faces the hollowness of life underneath the veneer of glamor and success. DVD 3495

Pather Panchali = Song of the little road. 1955. 1 videodisc (126 min.). A poor Bengali family survives in a village but wider horizons tempt the father. The protection of family members’ reputations, the relationship of the family group to an elderly ’aunt’, and first confrontations with death contribute to the early development of the boy Apu. His father’s dreams prevail over the objections of his mother so that at the end of the film the family moves to the big city of Benares. Apu’s experiences are followed in the second film of the trilogy: Aparajito" and his growth to early manhood in the final film "Apur Sansar." DVD 3751

Pink mirror = Gulabi Aaina. 2003. 1 videodisc (40 min.). A colorful funny look into the Indian homosexual closet, this film pits two Indian drag queens against a westernized gay teenager in a battle to woo a handsome hunk. Underneath the humorous exterior, the film is an exploration of the Indian gay landscape and understanding of the deep, humanly tender bondings that exist between drag queens who form unique non-patriarchal families. DVD 3692

Pyaasa. 1957. [2000]. 1 videodisc (130 min.). A struggling young poet searches for fame and love. DVD 238

Rang de basanti = Paint It Yellow. 2006. 1 videodisc (171 min.). This is the story about the youth of India today. A young London based film-maker comes upon the diaries of her grandfather, who served in the British police force in India during the freedom struggle. She plans to shoot a film based on the diaries and casts a group of friends to play the roles of the revolutionaries described in the diaries. The friends cannot identify with the characters and would rather enjoy today's life than get involved in a project the seems like stuff of textbooks. DVD 3140

River. 1951. [2005]. 1 videodisc (99 min.). The film eloquently contrasts the growing pains of three young women with the immutability of the holy Bengal River in India, around which their daily lives unfold. DVD 1183

Role = Bhumika. 1976. [2000]. 1 videodisc (139 min.). Usha rises fast in the film world and eventually becomes a well known actress. She is influenced by four men she meets at various points in her life: her first husband, Keshav; the narcissistic male co-star, Rajan; the effete filmmaker, Sunil Verma; and the landowner, Kale, whose second wife she eventually becomes. DVD 3503

Saaheb. 1985. 1 videocassette (ca. 95 min.). Saaheb is more interested in football [soccer] than school. Consequently he has failed his exams for the last two years. His father (Utpal Dutt) is mad at him and his brothers taunt him for being unemployed. Saaheb's father, who needs money so his daughter can marry, asks his employed sons for help but they refuse. Saaheb sells his kidney (and thereby abandons his dream of a career as a soccer player) for the money. Includes musical numbers. VHS 4550

Sadak. 1991. 1 videocassette. Ravi, an insomniac taxidriver in Bombay is tormented by memories of his sister's death and the events that caused it. During his nocturnal driving he meets Pooja, a damsel in distress, and at great risk, attempts to rescue her from the tentacles of Maharani, an evil proprietress of a brothel. VHS 7835

Salaam Bombay! (Directed by Mira Nair). 1988. [1989]. 1 videocassette (114 min.). Film celebrates the spirit of survival, humor, dignity and courage of Bombay's street children, while at the same time it also tells the story of the world's poor children whose real homes are the streets of every great city. Krisha, a ten year old boy, has been abandoned in Bombay by his mother. He tries to earn money to go home while he lives in the streets. VHS 803

Satya. 1998. [2000]. 1 videodisc (171 min.). Satya is the story of truth as it is perceived by different eyes, where only shadow lines demarcate the good actions from the bad... and only the happiness and pain that follow are a reality. DVD 224

Shadow kill = Nizhalkkuthu. 2002. [2005]. 1 videodisc (91 min.). Kaliyappan struggles with the guilt and implications of the executions he obediently carries out. His son rejects his father's way of life. After Kaliyappan is told to prepare for another hanging, a traveler's story changes their destiny. DVD 1842

Shakespeare wallah. 1965. [1987]. 1 videocassette (120 min.). The story of two lovers, Lizzie and Sanju--one belongs to an obsolete English travelling theatre group, the other is a rich young Indian playboy. Their affair--sudden, electric, brief--provides the pivot for a story about the decline and fall of British power in modern India. VHS 6574

Shatranj ke khiladi = The chess players. 1977. 1 videocassette (ca. 124 min.). Colorful period drama about colonialism and indigenous culture set in 1856 at the court of Wajid Ali Shah in Lucknow, the capital of Oudh, one of the last independent kingdoms of India. It features two parallel narratives: the first shows the interminable games of chess played by two hookah-smoking zamindars (landlords required to pay a land tax to the British government); the other dramatizes the conflict between Wajid Ali Shah (Amjad Khan) and General Charles Outram (Richard Attenborough) who has been sent on a secret mission of annexation. Wajid Ali is shown as a politically weak figure who surrenders to the British without a fight. VHS 4562

Sholay. 1975. 1 videocassette (189 min.). India's best-known "curry" western. Two adventurous small time crooks are hired by ex-cop, Thakur, to hunt down the dread dacoit (bandit) Gabbar Singh who massacred Thakur's family and left him maimed. A technically accomplished film, it uses spectacular cinematography, popular music and dialogues that became famous throughout the country. VHS 4535

Spices = Mirch Masala. 1985. [1990]. 1 videocassette (98 min.). Set in 1940s while India was still a British colony, film explores a community's reaction to an oppressed woman's plight when she spurns a sudebar's (tax collector) sexual advances and takes refuge in the local pepper factory. VHS 4779

Split wide open. 1999. 1 videodisc (102 min.). Kut Price, aka KP, sells tank water to the poor and Evian to the rich. Didi, his ten year old adopted sister, sells flowers on the streets waiting for a miracle to save her. Leela, a student, discovers the unspeakable secrets of her wealthy father. And Nandita, an expatriate recently arrived from London, hosts a hugely popular reality-TV show on which people confess the secrets of their sex lives. DVD 1470

Stranger = Agantuk. 1991. 1 videocassette (120 min.). The story of Manmohan, a wise and witty world traveler who returns to Calcutta after 35 years to visit his niece, Anila. Although she has no memory of her uncle, Anila accepts the stranger's story. But her suspicious husband believes the man is an imposter who has come to claim an inheritance--Container. VHS 7099

Terrorist. 2000. 1 videodisc (95 min.). In a story inspired by the events surrounding the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi, a suicide bomber examines her emotions and finds herself in a psychological divide as she contemplates her future. DVD 261

Two Daughters = Teen Kanya. 1961. [1987]. 1 videocassette (115 min.). The postmaster: concerns a young student who comes as the postmaster to a small remote village. Upon arrival the young man finds he has inherited an orphaned ten-year-old girl as a housekeeper. She had been mistreated and his simple kindness opens her heart to him. He, however, is unable to endure village life and leaves. -- The conclusion: A young man defies his mother's wishes and marries a carefree local girl. On their wedding night she reveals that she was forced into the marriage and leaves him. On reflection, however, she comes to the awareness that she really loves her husband and returns to him. VHS 5738

Umrao Jaan = Umrao Jan Ada (Courtesan of Lucknow). 1981. 1 videodisc (121 min.). Life of a courtesan in 19th century Lucknow. DVD 322

Water. 2005. [2006]. 1 videodisc (117 min.). A Hindu widow in 1938 could throw herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, marry her husband’s younger brother or live in poverty and self-denial from then on. When eight-year-old Chuyia is widowed, she is sent to a home in the Holy City of Varanasi where Hindu widows live in penitence. Her feisty presence affects the other residents, forcing each to confront their faith and society’s prejudices, especially a young woman who has fallen in love with a follower of Gandhi. DVD 3498

Yaadon ki baaraat. 1973. 1 videodisc (154 min.). Three brothers are separated as children after their parents are murdered. The only way they can find each other is through a family song only the brothers know. DVD 3695

Zubeidaa. 2001. 1 videodisc (145 min.). The story of a young man’s quest to recover the memory of the mother he never knew and to piece together her life from the memories of those who knew her. DVD 3501

See also:
Directors of Indian ancestry / descent:
Gurinder Chadha:
What's cooking? (Directed by Gurinder Chadha). 2000. 1 videodisc (109 min.). What happens when families come together for Thanksgiving? Almost anything! Tale of four very different families, as they cook up some tasty holiday surprises: love, betrayal, and even a few outrageous secrets! And, ultimately, discover the astonishing power love has to reconnect us all. DVD 251

Bride & prejudice. (Directed by Gurinder Chadha). 2004. [2005]. 1 videodisc (111 min.). Based on Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, with a Bollywood twist. In Ammritsar, the determined Mrs. Bakshi sets out to find matches for her four daughters. Second sister, Lalita, meets American Will Darcy - is it love? DVD 1784

Bhaji on the beach. (Directed by Gurinder Chadha). 1993. [1995]. 1 videocassette (ca. 101 min.). Friendship, like "bhaji" (an Indian treat), can be spicy or sweet. Gurinda Chadha creates a comedy about a group of Indian women, living in Britain, who are brought together by a day at the beach in the resort town of Blackpool. VHS 4677

Bend it like Beckham. (Directed by Gurinder Chadha). 2002. [2003]. 1 videodisc (112 min.). Eighteen year-old Jesminder's parents want her to be a nice, conventional Indian girl. But she just wants to play soccer like her hero, David Beckham. For Jess, that means kicking a ball around the local park with the lads until she's spotted by Jules, who invites her to join the local women's team. DVD 672

I'm British But… (Directed by Gurinder Chadha). 1989. 1 videocassette (30 min.). Using Bhangra and Bangla music and interviews with British citizens of South Asian heritage who talk about their ethnic and national identities, video looks at examples of a fusion of British and ethnic culture in various entertainment media and fashion. VHS 4167

Mira Nair:
Vanity fair. (Directed by Mira Nair). 2004. [2005]. 1 videodisc (140 min.). Becky is determined to make something of herself. She accepts a job as a nanny for the children of Sir Pitt Crawley. Becky catches the eye of Crawley's son Rawdon. Becky is introduced to London's most exclusive social circle, where she becomes re-acquainted with Amelia. Becky weds Rawdon, but the social and economic stability she dreamed of begins to collapse when he begins drowning his troubles, and soon she turns to the powerful Marquess of Steyne for support. Meanwhile, Amelia's fortunes fall even harder following the death of her husband. DVD 1919

Mississippi masala. (Directed by Mira Nair). 1991. [2003]. 1 videodisc (ca. 118 min.). In this exotic and erotic interracial love story, an African American businessman falls for a beautiful Indian immigrant, only to encounter shock and outrage from both families. DVD 1413

The Namesake. 2006. [2007]. 1 videodisc (122 min.). The son of Indian immigrants born in America wants to fit in with fellow New Yorkers, but his family is unwilling to let go of their traditional ways. DVD 3499

So far from India. (Directed by Mira Nair). 1982. [1991]. 1 videocassette (49 min.). Looks at the rhythm of middle-class family life in a small town in India as it describes the experiences of Ashok Sheth, a recently arrived Indian immigrant in America, who postpones sending for his family who is still in India. Money is scarce and Sheth is growing away from the traditional life he left behind. Meanwhile his wife, dependent on her in-laws for sustenance, has lost face. Film seeks to explore the conflicts that arise when Indian culture meets American society. VHS 5884

Nisha Ganatra:
Chutney popcorn. 1999. [2000]. 1 videocassette (91 min.). When her older sister discovers that she can't have children, Reena can finally do something her perfect sister can't, so she seeks her mother's approval by getting pregnant and having a baby for her sister. VHS 7733

Nilita Vachani:
Eyes of stone. 1990. 1 videocassette (91 min.). A film about rural women in Bhilwara, Rajasthan and their rituals of possession and exorcism: expressions of faith, rebellion and healing that thrive within the confines of a stringent patriarchal order. VHS 7148

Related Documentaries:
There'll always be stars in the sky: the Indian film music phenomenon. 1983. [1992]. 1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.). Behind the scenes in India's Hollywood, with actors, singers, musical directors and others in recording sessions, on shooting sets, in posh residences, and on teeming streets. VHS 3269

Short cut to Nirvana. 2004. [2005]. 1 videodisc (1 hr., 25 min.). Documents the Kumbha Mela ̄ festival, attended by 70 million people, in Allahabad, India, during January, 2001. DVD 1679

Satyajit Ray: introspections. 1983. [1998]. 1 videocassette (55 min.). An interview with the renowned Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He discusses his childhood, the influence of Bengal renaissance, his interest in design and typography, his approach to political films and violence in cinema, his interest in period films and children's films, his response to Western films and critics and thoughts on life and death. VHS 5625

Phantom India. 1969. [2007]. Louis Malle called his gorgeous and ground breaking Phantom India the most personal film of his career. And this extraordinary journey to India, originally shown as a miniseries on European television, is infused with his sense of discovery, as well as occasional outrage, intrigue, and joy. DVD 2885

Kumbh Mela: songs of the river. 2004. 1 videodisc. Documents the Allahabad Kumbh Mela in India during January 2001. DVD 1916Calcutta. 1969. [2007]. 1 videodisc (99 min.). When he was cutting Phantom India, Louis Malle found that the footage shot in Calcutta was so diverse, intense, and unforgettable that it deserved its own film. The result, released theatrically, is at times shocking a chaotic portrait of a city racked with social and political turmoil. DVD 2886

Ayurveda: the art of being. 2004. 1 videodisc (102 min.). Ayurveda, the "science of life", one of the oldest holistic medical systems in the world. Originating in India more than 5000 years ago, and spreading to Tibet, China and Japan, this uncanny intersection of science, medicine and magic is only now receiving serious study in the West. DVD 872

Wheel of time. 2005. 1 videodisc (80 min.). Wheel of Time is acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog's gorgeously photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. It is said that Buddha found enlightenment under a tree in Bodh Gaya and today, Buddhist monks are ordained in this holy place. Herzog magically captures the lengthy pilgrimage (which for some, is over 3,000 miles), the monk's creation of the beautiful and intricate sand mandala (the wheel of time) along with many secret rituals that have never been seen before on film. He delivers a personal and introspective look at what Buddhism really means to the most ardent followers, as well as giving outsiders an intimate look into a fascinating way of life. DVD 1563

Documentaries of Anand Patwardhan:
Bombay, our city. 1985. 1 videocassette (57 min.). Four million people live in the slums of Bombay without water, sanitation or electricity and they face eviction as the city tries to "beautify" Bombay. VHS 2424

Father, son and holy war. 1994. 2 videocassettes (120 min.). A film examining the connection between religion, violence and male identity in India today and exploring the possibility that a key to the psychology of violence against "the enemy" is male insecurity, itself an inevitable product of the very construction of "manhood". VHS 6683

Fishing in the sea of greed. 1998. 1 videocassette (45 min.). Film looks at the problems faced by traditional Indian fishing communities as the result of the industrial fishing practices of gigantic factory ships and at the problems faced by rice growers due to aqua-culture prawn farming (promoted by such agencies as the World Bank) whose run-off waste causes salination of ground water. Documents efforts of the National Fish Workers Forum and the World Forum of Fishworkers and Fish Harvesters to get the Government of India to cancel fishing licenses to foreign vessels and to implement existing coastal protection laws against industrial pollution, tourism and aqua-culture. VHS 5610

In the name of God. 1991. 1 videocassette (90 min.). Though India is a secular state, religious fundamentalism grips much of its population. This film focuses on efforts by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to destroy a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya supposedly built by Babar, the first Mughal emperor of India. The VHP claim the mosque was built at the birthplace of the Hindu god Ram after Babar razed an existing temple; they are determined to build a new temple to Ram on the same site. This controversial issue, unresolved by successive governments, has led to religious riots costing thousands their lives and culminating in the mosque's destruction by the Hindus in 1992. Examines the motivations that led to the drastic actions of the Hindu militants, as well as the efforts of secular Indians to combat the religious intolerance. VHS 6682

Jang aur aman = War and peace. 2001. [2002]. 2 videocassettes (147 min.). Filmed over three tumultuous years in India, Pakistan, Japan and the United States, after the 1998 nuclear tests on the Indian subcontinent ... [it] documents the contemporary, epic journey of peace activism in the face of religious militarism and war .... [It] examines the militarization of India, it analyzes the human cost that is extracted from its citizens in the name of 'national security' .... [It] slips seamlessly from its analysis of homemade jingoism to focus on how an aggressive United States has become a foreign relations role model. The unofficial U.S. doctrine of 'might makes right' is only too well emulated by aspiring Third World elites. VHS 7158

Other Related Titles:
A passage to India. 1984. [1993]. 1 videocassette (ca. 163 min.). While on a trip in 1928 to visit her son, Mrs. Moore, accompanied by her son's fiancee, becomes appalled at the treatment of the Indians by the ruling British government. Later, they befriend a native Indian who, over-stepping the accepted norms of his culture, invites the two ladies on an excursion. In a strange turn of events, he is accused of attempting to rape the young girl. VHS 2570

The man who would be king. 1975. [1984]. 1 videocassette (129 min.). Danny Dravot and Peachy Carnehan leave 19th century India and set out for the isolated, primitive land of Kafiristan, whose people haven't seen an outsider in hundreds of years. Peachy becomes lord of the kingdom's treasury, a huge chamber spilling over with limitless gold and priceless rare jewels. Danny is first crowned king, then, declared a god. VHS 2692

Elephant boy. 1937. [2000]. 1 videocassette (82 min.). Based on the ... childhood tale of a boy who longs to become the greatest elephant tracker in India, 'Elephant boy' is filled with daring escapades, exotic animals, and ... shots of the jungle. VHS 7098

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