India isn't all about pretty colorful scarves, dancing, Indian jewelry and weddings. It is also about amazing movies! 😅

I'm sure you love Bollywood movies: the songs, the vibrancy, the colors and the glitter, the romance, the hype, the stunts and the special effects ... These movies are often funny and exaggerated, but sometime they share real questions such as the importance of arranged marriages in Indian culture or the place of religion in society.

If you have a few hours ahead of you (yes Indian movies are often very long), then choose a movie from my list. This list is not exhaustive, there are so many films that deserve to be mentioned. But here's a little preview of my favorite movies, and if you liked it, maybe I'll make a second selection 😃

No need to look for an idea for a movie: here is a selection of Bollywood movies

Queen

A few days before their wedding, Rani's fiancé cancels everything. After having cried a lot, she still decides to go on her honeymoon alone, to Paris and then to Amsterdam.
It's funny to watch this film while being French because there are a lot of clichés about France and especially Paris (sometimes a bit like in the serie Emily in Paris) 🥐🍷

3 Idiots

Here we follow 3 school friends, their successes, their struggles, their moments of sharing. It's a beautiful story, full of morale, motivation, even with some suspenses and surprises. 🎓

Kal Ho Naa No

Naina lives in New York with her Indian family, and thinks only about her studies and her professional future. Love is not on the program, and above all it does not interest her. But the new neighbor will surely change her plans ... (while writing this summary I realize that it looks like a really cheesy Christmas movie that we watch on Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea. 😅)

Mary kom

Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays Mary Kom, international boxing champion. The injustices and the harshness of life give her the strength to win.
This film is a good kick in the butt  🥊

Chennai Express

Rahul and Meena meet on a train trip and go together to challenge the girl's family. A colorful film, and above all with too much animation and sound effects. A real Bollywood movie with the famous Shah Rukh Khan.

Vicky Donor

To make money, Vicky decides to become a sperm donor. It gets complicated when he falls in love and decides to get married. When his wife get to know the reality, well... she's a bit surprised. 🤰
There are apparently several remakes such as Starbuck, Fonzy or Delivery Man.

The sky is pink

This film chronicles the life of Aisha Chaudhary suffering from severe combined immunodeficient diseases, and the struggle of her parents. A great family story and an awareness. 🤕

White Tiger

Balram Halwai recounts his rise from penniless villager to successful entrepreneur in modern India. It owes everything to his nerve, ambition and devotion (and a few more trashy stuff, but 🤫 no spoiler). This film shows India's unequal system and its injustices. 👊

Namaste London

Jazz grew up in London and soaked up the culture. When her parents start speaking about arranged marriages she isn't really interested. But during a trip to India, she agrees to get married, more or less against her will. 👰‍♀️

Note: In India arranged marriages are very common. It's part of the culture. The family often chooses the future husband/wife based on the caste, the family, the professional situation, the astrological sign. This should not be confused with forced marriages, which unfortunately also exist in India and other countries.

Jagga Jasoos

This film is with 2 actors that I love: Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor. It tells the story of Jagga who since his childhood has been playing the inspector and is quite talented. The biggest mission of his life is to find his father, and for that he can count on the help of a very clumsy journalist.
Small singularity, Jaggu stutters, and expresses himself mainly by singing (there is therefore even more music than in a "normal" Bollywood film) 🎶

Raees

A film that changes a bit with the story of a rather particular "entrepreneur". He lives the life of a gangster since he illegally sells alcohol in a state where it is prohibited. With, again and again, the famous Shahrukh Khan in the main role. 🍸

Basanti Rank

A young English girl decides to make a film based on the memoirs of her grandfather, a member of the British police force in India at the start of the Indian revolt for independence. She will have to find the perfect actors, those who will share the motivations of their characters, those who will fight for their country ... ✊

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

We follow 3 friends who are going on a trip for the bachelor party of one of them. They are all super different, and this trip together is not easy. It will lead them to question themselves and to turn upside down a lot of plans ... 💃

Bell Bottom

A brand new film released in 2021, and it is a gem. It is inspired by real events of terrorist hijacking in India in the 1980s. The film is cold in the spine, it is really well shot, with great actors, and not too many songs (that change from the typical romantic Bollywood movie: well ... there is still a wedding scene) ✈️

The little extra: this film may make you want to postpone your pants!

Kota Factory

It is not a film but a series, and I find that it represents the real India well.

The story takes place in Kota, where we follow Vaibhav who has just joined a coaching center. The coaching center prepares its students for the famous JEE competitions, allowing them to join the prestigious and very selective IIT.

I really liked that the series is talking about topics as teenaghood, dating and love in India, school pressure, having to be the best and standing out among millions of students. 👨‍🎓

There ! A little tip if you can't find these films on Netflix France. Use a VPN and connect to India 🇮🇳

Now it's up to you: get ready with the popcorn, the blanket and go get a Netflix party.

Enjoy and do not hesitate to tell me in the comments what is your favorite Bollywood! 🍿