You are here
Home > Bollywood Retro Gems

Category: Bollywood Retro Gems

Retro Bollywood movies – Critically acclaimed, commercial super hits and memorable movies that have shaped Bollywood’s history.

Don (1978) movie review
At the cost of being labelled a die hard Big-B fan, this eponymous film has to be added to the list to our Retro Gems section sheerly on the strength of its popularity due to its story, screenplay and of course Amitabh Bachchan in antipodal double role of a sauve but hardened gangster and a Kohl-eyed bumpkin. There was novelty in the story but it was such that it could have even back-fired. It were Amar Akbar Anthony, Trishul before this and Kasme Vaade after this that propelled the already popular star Amitabh Bachchan to new heights of megastardom. It was his decade and the 'Chora Ganga Kinarewala' had made it big in this cut throat world of Hindi film industry. Whatever he did or touched turned to gold; take for example the song 'khaike paan banaraswala' which was introduced right at the height of tension when the hero and the heroine are trying to escape from the goons, the scene ....
Read More
 
Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai 2000
The year was 2000 the beginning of a new millennium, this after the world had overcome the threat to its computers due to the Y2K bug. This was the year of the newcomers and rightly so as Hrithik Roshan burst on the scene like a breath of fresh air along with the very beautiful and elegant Amisha Patel in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Produced and Directed by Rakesh Roshan, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was a launch vehicle for his son after Shah Rukh had refused the role due to dates issue, what a debut it was and rest is history. Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was a lethal combo of a grand entry of Hrithik that too in a double role, alongwith a fantastic story and a seasoned supporting cast thus breaking all records in its stride. It was the second biggest grosser of the year behind the eponymous Mohabbatein, Yash Chopra's re-launch vehicle of none other than the Big B. Such was the adulation for KNPH that it e ....
Read More
 
Ram Gopal Verma's RAAT (1992)
A good horror movie is a rarity in our country that churns out the largest number of films every year (you will see very few in our list too). Almost none of them measure upto the quality which come out of Hollywood, barring a few, specially those made before the turn of the century. Raat - revisited... In the previous century horror movies were a forte of the Ramsay brothers, but none of their movies except for maybe a Darwaza or a Hotel were somewhat out there but most of the films only evoked laughter rather than any sense of terror, specially in current times with an improvement in filmmaking, because of the superficial makeup and the movement of the so-called ghost or the beast or whatever you my call them. Better horror movies have been made by other directors right from the 1949 movie Mahal with Ashok Kumar and Madhubala to Raaz 3, Ragini MMS and Bhool Bhuliya as they differ ....
Read More
 
Upkar - 1967
It is said that Upkar. the movie was inspired by no less than the Prime Minister of India at that time Shri Laal Bahadur Shastri, in a meeting with the film fraternity being impressed by film Shahid's special screening, a story of Bhagat Singh's exploits in the Indian freedom struggle. He had given the slogan of Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan due to the prevailing circumstances in India which had just come out of the 1965 war with Pakistan on one side and dearth of food grains on the other. This underlying motto within the slogan was picked up by Manoj Kumar and he wrote the storyline on the train while returning from Delhi to Bombay. This was the advent of Manoj Kumar as Bharat on the silver screen. Upkar was his first film as director and also this led the way for him to go on to direct and act in many movies with patriotism as it's central theme. Manoj Kumar was the person ....
Read More
 
Dosti 1964 Rajshri Productions
Dosti the film was a surprise packet of the year 1964. It was a small budget movie without any great star cast, just two total new comers, yet it was the theme that drew the crowds. The movie describes the bond of deep friendship between two destitute physically challenged souls who turn out to be each others' brothers in arms. The 2nd movie produced by Tarachand Barjatya under his banner Rajshri productions - Dosti, while the first being Aarti. Rajshri productions has been known for socially relevant themes in their movies. They are the same people who have provided us with neat and clean entertainment, social dramas and box-office blockbusters like - Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and also introduced us to the elaborate festivities of a North Indian wedding. This movie was directed by Satyen Bose and also had Sanjay Khan (one of his early movies) in a supporting role which was appreciated f ....
Read More
 
Yehi Hai Zindagi 1977
There is something unique about this movie - Yehi Hai Zindagi, as it was the first time that an interaction between an ordinary common man, that too an atheist and Lord Krishna himself was shown on the silver screen. A low budget film, it is an unsung movie of 1977, though may not have been a high grosser like the other Bachchan movies of the era and might have even been overshadowed by other big budget movies. Every human being who is living in this world has some desire or the other and when their desires don't get fulfilled they look up to the Lord and complaint to him that he has been unfair, but the Lord never appears and one just quarrels with Him in his own mind. This story is on the similar premise but there is a twist and what follows is very beautifully told and summarised on the screen. We endeavour to take this movie in our list of top hundred retro gems because of its ....
Read More
 
CID 1956
The biggest grosser of 1956 - Dev Anand's CID had many a firsts to its credit. It was the first movie directed by Raj Khosla under Guru Dutt banner and was also his debut direction. Khosla always acknowledged Dutt as his true Guru. It was the first time that Dev Anand acted in a movie produced by Guru Dutt. As legend has it both Guru Dutt and Dev Anand were friends from their struggling days and had a pact that Dev will give a chance to Dutt to direct his home production and Guru will give a chance to Dev to act under him, though Dutt did not exactly direct the movie but the quid pro quo was carried out as Dutt had directed Dev in his home production Baazi. This was also Waheeda Rehman's debut Bollywood movie, prior to being spotted by Dutt in a Telugu movie she had done a few movies down south. Though he gave a supporting actress role to her in the movie, it was for honing her skills ....
Read More
 
Jewel Thief 1967
Intrigue is the first word that comes to mind after watching the movie. This was the sixth straight hit of the Vijay Anand (Goldie)-Dev Anand duo under their home production Navketan and it came two years after the magnificent 'Guide'. The movie making techniques of the time had limitations unlike today. Still Jewel thief was picturised in a way that was ahead of its time. The screenplay was great, with the music fantastic, the dances super and Goldie wielding the baton it was a recipe for the sureshot success of the movie. Jewel Thief is a perfect crime thriller. There are many stories attached to this movie like Saira Banu was approached for the role of Shalu Dev's love interest in the movie but it did not work out and the role went to Vyjaytimala. That there were cold vibes between Goldie and Vyjaytimala professionally and it was not lost on anyone, later he himself acknowledged t ....
Read More
 
Sadhna - 1958
Though Madhumati was a bigger hit of the year 1958 than this movie, we preferred to review this movie - Sadhna which had a controversial topic at the time. It also had a social message and was very well received by the audience and was also declared a hit as it made twice the money. Though there were no takers for the story because of its content, B.R. Chopra took it upon himself to make it as like most of his movies this also had a message and posed a question for the society to answer . Sadhna took up the cause of rehabilitation of prostitutes and though Vyjanthimala was nominated for the Filmfare best actress award for both Madhumati and Sadhna she ultimately received the award for this movie and not Madhumita thus confirming critical acclaim of the movie and the depth of the social message which reached the masses. Vyjantimala was a comparative new comer to Bollywood and only 2 ....
Read More
 
Woh Kaun Thi 1964
Continuing the tradition for mystery thrillers and whodunit genre after ‘Bees Saal Baad’ there were a spate of such films; all quite well made and having some story and substance too like, ‘Gumnaam’, ‘Teesri Manzil’ etc. with a notable film Woh Kaun Thi? Woh Kaun Thi was one of them shot in black and white which added to the mystery, macabre and eerie settings specially the scenes shot in the rain. It turned out to be a timeless classic flaunting the haunting beauty of its leading lady Sadhana and suaveness of Manoj Kumar. It was part of the mystery trilogy directed by Raj Khosla namely, Who Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya and Anita all within a span of three years and starring Sadhana in the main lead. At the same time Bollywood was also having an affair with double role movies. Woh Kaun Thi was loosely adapted from the English novel by Wilkie Collins ‘The Woman in White’ on ....
Read More
 
1 2 3 … 6