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Category: Bollywood Retro Gems

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

Chupke Chupke 1975
Another movie from the buzzing year 1975 but this time a refreshing comedy in the category of an Indian classic. With all the main course servings of 1975 like Deewar, Sholay and all, Chupke Chupke was like the proverbial sweet dish, an icing on the cake for the year. Chupke Chupke is one more social comedy from the Hrishikesh Mukherjee stable with great direction, best actors of that era and melodious music. Based on Upendranath Ganguly’s Bengali tale ‘Chaddobeshi’, the dialogues were written wittingly by Gulzar. With a remarkable star cast of Dharmendra, Amitabh, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bhaduri, Asrani, David, Om Prakash and Keshto Mukherjee, the film's music is composed by Sachinda (Sachin Dev Burman). Dr. Parimal Tripathi (Dharmendra) is a Professor of Botany, due to circumstances he doubles as a watchman to a Girls' Botany camping group however his identity is exposed to S ....
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Hum Aapke Hain Koun 1994
Ahem.. Ahem… so the heroine coughed to draw attention in the movie and attention it did draw, that too in hordes. Hum Aapke Hai Koun was the biggest Bollywood blockbuster of all times till then, before DDLJ came along the next year. Released on 5th August 1994. Hum Aapke Hai Kaun - This was the movie responsible to get the audience get back to theatres, as till then the Bollywood Industry was reeling under the onslaught of cable TV and people had almost forgotten to visit the theatres. This hugely successful tale was itself a re-adapted version of Rajshri’s own ‘Nadiya ke Paar’ with Sachin and Sadhana Singh. Steeped in Indian cultural values, Hum Aapke Hai Koun had a good measure of songs and dance associated with a typical North Indian wedding. Some consider it to be a docu-drama on Indian weddings. It sealed the spot for Salman Khan as a superstar. The heroine Madhuri Dix ....
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Kuch Kuch Hota Hai 1998
After the huge success of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayege (DDLJ) and Dil Toh Pagal Hai (DTPH) this film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was the next big film for Shah Rukh. Written and directed by Karan Johar who was himself an assistant director and also played a bit part in ‘DDLJ’, he seems to have taken inspiration from there for this, his directorial debut after which he went on to make many a big budgeted multi-starred blockbusters. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was also a start of a special Actor- director relationship between Johar and Shah Rukh which has given us many a hits in the past. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was released on 16th October 1998. Apart from India, it was filmed in many foreign locations a trend in the Bollywood movies at that time. It was also the movie which gave impetus to Rani Mukherjee’s almost defunct career, projecting her as a neo modern foreign educated girl, firmly entrenched in ....
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Tezaab 1988
A poignant offering of sorts, Tezaab is a story of the youth of the time by N. Chandra who had earlier made hard hitting films like Pratighaat and Ankush, this was his Magnum Opus. Tezaab literally means acid, is about injustice in society which creates rebelliousness in the youth, taking them to the wrong side of the law. Thus the youth who would have been the nation builders, are only fuming acid due to the system. Released 11th November 1988, Tezaab was the relaunch vehicle for Madhuri Dixit who achieved superstardom shaking her hips to the tunes of ‘Ek, do, teen’, before this she was seen in the forgettable ‘Abodh’. This also cemented Anil Kapoor’s place in the industry, a coming of age movie for him, which sort of typecast him in, on the edge rough roles mouthing the Bombay slang lingo. The story is about Mahesh Deshmukh aka Munna (Anil Kapoor) and his failed love ....
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Mr India 1987
The first real big hit for Anil Kapoor, but more than his acting it was the element of sci-fi in the story which was the hero, as Anil himself was invisible in half the movie. The big hit that it was, Mr India was also one of the few directorial ventures of Shekhar Kapoor which he actually completed. A subsequent sequel for this movie was also planned with the same actors but was shelved after the death of Sridevi, its heroine. Recently again this movie was in the news as a trilogy was planned which Shekhar has opposed vehemently, even threatening to go to court against the makers. Sridevi an established heroine was paid the highest ever price for any heroine at the time. Actually Mr India could easily be called Miss India for the way Sridev played the character, with the hero being invisible in better part of the movie. Her ‘Hawa Hawaii’ song and the Charlie Chaplin act are a ....
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Kal Aaj Aur Kal - 1971
As the title suggests this story of Kal Aaj Aur Kal is about three generations which had its footings in the film fraternity itself - the Kapoor family. Prithviraj-Raj and Randhir Kapoors aptly captured on the canvas by Randhir himself. This one is a rare one. A delightfully light movie which had an uncanny parody by Mehmood of this very three generation of Kapoors in the 1970’s Humjoli. Kal Aaj Aur Kal is about the only movie which has all three generations of the same family in it at the same time and playing the same characters in reel life too and that too the premiere Kapoor family for that matter. Released on December 17, 1971, Kal Aaj Aur Kal tells of the rigors of the middle generation which is sandwiched between the traditions of the past generation and the liberties of the next generation and how it tries to balance both by taking the load on itself. Apart from the abov ....
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Karz 1980
This 1980 movie about reincarnation was one of the best reincarnation movies made in the Hindi film industry and Karz is also one of Subhash Ghai's better made films. Fantastic song picturisation like the 'Ek Hasina Thi' and the eponymous 'Om Shanti Om' which had Rishi Kapoor dancing on a revolving LP on stage. Karz was a trend-setter in film song picturisation in future Hindi films, it was in the category of musical thriller a genre specific only to our Bollywood industry. Though inspired by the 1975 Hollywood film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud but perfectly blended for Indian sensibilities. It spawned many other remakes in various Indian languages and also a latter-day adaptation in the 2008 movie Karzzz by Himesh Reshammiya proving it's popularity and subject durability. Karz was well received by the youngsters in India but not so with the older population. Though proclaimed a h ....
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Dharmatma 1975
Dharmatma was released on 25 July 1975 in the same year as Sholay and Deewar the two most successful movies of the year but this movie held its own against the two giants and was hugely successful. It was produced and directed by Feroz Khan. It was inspired by the Hollywood movie the Godfather and Premnath who plays Dharamdas in this movie his character was modelled on the real life character of the Matka King of India Ratan Khatri. Dharmatma was one of the first movies to be shot in Afghanistan and it also contains some scenes about Buzkashi which is a sport played in Afghanistan on horsebacks, apart from beautifully capturing scenic locales of Afghanistan for which the movie received the best cinematography award in that year's Filmfare. Dharmatma movie established Feroz Khan as a successful actor and a stylish director. Who subsequently gave many hits like Jaanbaaz and Dayavaan. ....
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Sangam 1964
The first thing that strikes you about the movie SANGAM is its run length. It is the fourth longest Hindi movie ever produced in India, just shy of 4 hours. Sangam was Raj Kapoor's labour of love and friendship adorned with excellent music. It ran to packed houses and won many awards including the best director award for Raj Kapoor and also the best actress award for Vyjayanthimala besides other technical awards for that year's Filmfare awards. Initially, Sangam the movie was planned much before it was actually made. It was planned in the 1940s and it was planned with Raj Kapoor, Nargis and Dilip Kumar triangle in mind but as the things did not work out Raj Kapoor approached Dev Anand there too it was a no go. Thus the film fell in the lap of Rajendra Kumar and was made much later and released on 18th June 1964. It was not just a story it was a saga of love and friendship thus the ....
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Padosan - 1968
Padosan literally takes cue from the commandment ‘Love thy neighbor’. One of the most hilarious movies of all times in Bollywood. Packed with the most sort after comedians, like Mehmood, Kishore Kumar, Keshto Mukerjee, Mukri, Agha etc., of the time who went beyond their craft to produce magic on the silver screen. Their comedy was a few notches higher than the usual slapstick comedy which the Indian audiences were so used to see, more of situational and oral comedy interspersed with high quality dramatics. Padosan is easily the cult comedy with no other probably even coming close to it. Though there were some racial stereotypes in the movie which by today’s standards would have caused a furor, but I am sure that when these saviors of humanity the racial crusaders see the movie in private they would also not be able to resist a laugh or two. It is to be taken in the spirit of com ....
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