As the centenary year celebrations of Indian Cinema draw to a close, we decided to take a look at our user data to discover the most liked hindi films. Here’s an attempt at telling the story of Indian Cinema in 100 films as picked by Rinema users.
"Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai"
The film tells the story of struggling poet and a prostitute with a heart of gold. This Guru Dutt classic is considered by many as one of the best films ever made.
"Aye Malik Tere Bande Hum ... "
The story of a jail warden who rehabilitates six deadly prisoners into hard-working, honest human beings is a classic tale of rehabilitation. The story of the film is said to have been inspired from an open prison experiment in the princely state of Aundh.
"Tu mujhe nahin maar sakti. Tu meri maa hai "
It is the Indian film that came closest to winning an Oscar. It is the film that led to an unusual love story on sets (between Nargis & Sunil Dutt). Interestingly, the title of the film was chosen to counter a book called Mother India (1927) by an American Author (named Katherine Mayo) which vilified Indian culture.
"Ek Ladki bhigi bhagi si, soyi ratoan mein jagi si ... "
The Kumar Brothers came together in a movie that for the first time had a role for the car. It is said that Kishore Kumar made this film cause he was sure it would flop and that way he could save some money on taxes. The film however was a super-hit! This sweet little film is sure to make you laugh out loud.
"Pyar hua ikraar hua hai, pyar se phir kyun darta hai dil …. "
The most romantic song of the decade, even today the image of a couple walking in rain under a shared umbrella is used by advertisers! This story of a village boy who comes to city to earn a living but, is tempted into becoming trickster was one of the most successful films of Raj Kapoor. Interestingly, 420 in the title refers to Indian Penal code 420 for cheating.
"Jaago Mohan Pyaare ... "
A villager comes to city looking for work, and is mistaken for a thief while searching for some water to quench his thirst. A critique of middle class greed & corruption, this film is considered a must watch classic by most.
"Awaara hoon…. ya gardish mein hoon, asmaan ka tara hoon … "
A story of a poor innocent little tramp directed by and starring Raj Kapoor. It made him a star in USSR and opened the market for Indian films there. The Character of the Tramp is said to have been inspired by Charlie Chaplin.
"Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam... "
One of the earliest films to deal with reincarnation, it inspired numerous other films. It is also the first and only collaboration between Bimal Roy and Ritwak Ghatak.
"Jaayen To Jaayen Kahan.. "
One of the early films of Dev Anand, its a sweet romance between a taxi driver and an aspiring singer.
"Ajab tori duniya ho mere raaja ... "
A telling tale of India’s Zamindari system (feudal system) and the oppression of poor, this Bimal Roy classic is rightly considered a trend setter. While the film was a moderate success commercially, it went on to win the International prize at Cannes. The film is said to have been inspired by Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves (1948).
"Mere saamnewali Khidki main ek chandka tukda rehta hai... "
Kishore Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu and Mehmood came together for this rib tickling guy next door comedy.
"Jab Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya ..."
The movie that even now symbolises love. Prthiviraj Chauhan, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala became immortals as Akbar, Salim and Anarkali in the psyche of Indian cine goers.
" Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna hai.."
Considered one of the best films of the Indian Cinema, Guide directed by Vijay Anand is based on the famous novel, “The Guide” by R K Narayan. A brilliant story, splendid performances and hummable melodies have made it a memorable film.
" Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechchara..."
This thriller by Vijay Anand, is a story of an ordinary young man name (played by Dev Anand) who is constantly mistaken for a look-alike Jewel Thief and how there identities get switched. The movie is remembered not only for its song but also for the script and Dev Anand’s performance. It was one of the few good thrillers of its time.
"Ae meri zohar zabi...Tujhe maloom nahi.. Tu abhi Tak hai haseen"
Waqt was a big movie not just interms of star cast but also scale and the impact that it had on Indian cinema. Yash Raj with this movie introduced the formula of brothers getting lost in childhood and getting back together in youth. The formula is still now replicated.
" Hum Kaale Hain To ..."
One of the most popular Indian suspense thrillers, the film is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “And then there were none” However, the film is most memorable for Mehmood’s brilliant comedy (Mehmood plays the butler) and some unusual song & dance numbers.
" O Haseena Zulfonwali Jaane Jahan"
A taut mystery thriller with great music and Shammi Kapoor as lead. Teesri Manzil is one of those movies that is remembered today for the great songs and Helen’s dance. However it must be noted that this was the first movie Shammi Kapoor acted in after his wife Geeta Bali’s premature death and he ended up giving one of his most memorable performance.
" Roop Tera Mastana, Pyar mera deewana .."
This film is a remake of an Hollywood film ‘To each his own’. It is however known most for its songs. “Mere Sapno ki Rani” and “Roop Tera” are two of the most famous songs of era.
" Ai Vatan Ai Vatan Hamko Teri Kasam..."
Over 4 well-known films have been made based on Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s story. This was the first & possibly the most successful of the lot. The film also established Manoj Kumar as the patriotic hero, he went on to do several such films and earned the nick-name Bharat.
" Chahoonga Main Tujhe Saanj Savere..."
This heartwarming story of the friendship between two boys, one blind and the other a cripple also marked Sanjay Khan’s debut in the industry.
" Dost Dost Naa Raha..Pyaar Pyaar Naa Raha"
Raj Kapoor’s first color film, it also started the Bollywood trend of shooting songs sequences abroad (primarily in Switzerland), against the background of "exotic" landscapes. The film is romantic drama about love triangle between three childhood friends.
India’s second songless talkie. The film is a courtroom drama of a murder case, where the lawyer comes across an eye-witness evidence which incriminates his own (prospective) father in law and the presiding judge in the case.
"Yaaaahhhhooooooooooo!!!!"
Ages before yahoo.com India had produced its own “Yahoo” - Shammi Kapoor. The movie marks the carefree acting skill and ability of Shammi Kapoor. After the movie Shammi Kapoor becmae the Yahoo Man.
" Woh Shaam Kuch ajeeb thi.. yeh shaam bhi ajeeb hai"
Based on Bengali short story titled, 'Nurse Mitra' by noted Bengali writer, Ashutosh Mukherjee, this film is a love story between a heart broken poet (Rajesh Khanna) who suffers from acute Mania and his nurse (Waheeda Rehman). The film is most known for its haunting music.
" Saanson Ke Taar Par, dhadkan ki taal par dil ki pukaar kaa..."
This film marked Jeetendra’s Debut film. Jeetendra plays poor sculpturer who falls in love with a beautiful lady and marries her against all odds only to eventually lose her again. The film is memorable for its songs and beautiful dances, especially the title song.
Methodology & Notes:
- Films are selected on the basis of “Rinema Rank” which is similar to IMDB’s weighted average calculation and takes into account both average rating and popularity.
- Most films prior to the 50s are either lost and/or there isn’t enough user data for same hence, those are honorary mentions and not a part of the official list.
- While the list says “Indian Cinema”, only Hindi Films that are Indian productions are being considered. So, for eg. Satyajit’s Ray’s Charulata (1964) & Apu Trilogy ( Pather Panchali (1955) , Aparajito (1956) , Apur Sansar (1959) ) are excluded because they are Bengali Films. Also, films like Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982) , Deepa Mehta’s Earth (1998) and Water (2005) are excluded by the virtue of being foreign productions.
- Picking top 100 for an industry that produces over a 1000 films per year, is bound to miss a lot of great films :-)
List from: www.rinema.com/100-years-of-indian-cinema
