7 Best Art Films Of Bollywood | Best Indian Art Films
Art Films, also known as Parallel Cinema, form an integral part of Bollywood. The culture of Art Films first started in Bengali film industry by critically acclaimed filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray & Mrinal Sen. Parallel cinema of 70s, 80s gave careers to a whole new breed of young actors, including Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor etc. If you are tired of Bollywood escapism and in the mood for watching realistic cinema, here are 7 Best Art Films Of Bollywood you must watch.
7 Best Art Films Of Bollywood !
Water (2005) | Top 7 Indian Art Films
This art film shows the importance of widow remarriage, raises questions about child marriage and the social status of women. The story shows the life of an 8-year widow Chuyia ( Sarala) who left her husband’s house and stayed in a widow ashram. The situation of all widows in the ashram is the same. Most of them got married at an early age and lost their husbands. The movie exhibits the struggle of the Indian widows and has been nominated for many awards.
Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1992)
This movie is based on the famous novel The Sun’s Seventh Horse written by Dharmavir Bharati. Manek Mulla, the storyteller, tells his friends about the character of three women he meets in his life. Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is one of the top Hindi art movies and it received the 1993 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Udaan (2010) | Best 7 Art Movies of Bollywood
Udaan traces the journey of a young aspiring writer, Rohan who is forced into an engineering course by his abusive alcoholic father Bhairav (Ronit Roy). Rohan’s father doesn’t only turn out to be a bad householder but is also proven to be a dangerous parent. Rohan runs away from the suffocating place he once called his ‘home’. He decides to take Arjun away with him so he doesn’t have the same fate as him. Udaan is symbolic of the flight of a bird who loves freedom. And is not bound by restrictions of cold terrestrial life. Udaan received many National awards including 56th Film fare Awards (2011) for Best Screenplay.
Ankur (1974)
This movie disentangles the intricacies of caste, class and gender in both rural & urban settings in a simplified yet enlightening way. Shyam Benegal’s first feature film, Ankur, released in 1974 which also marked the debut of Anant Nag and Shabana Azmi. Ankur movie has received three National Film Awards along with 43 other prizes- both in India and abroad. Ankur movie was nominated for the 24th Berlin International Film Festival.
Bandit Queen (1996)
Bandit Queen shows the fluidity and the turmoil of Phoolan Devi’s life. Seema Biswas plays excellently as the character of Phoolan Devi . The movie opens at the point at which the 11 year-old Phoolan is sold as a bride to a middle-aged man. The marital rape and abuse that follows drives her away and eventually, as an outcast, into a life of brigandage. This movie manages to work both as an adventurous spectacle and a tale of resurgence after national injustice and misfortunes.
Lootera ( 2013 )
An adaption from O’Henry’s “The Last Leaf”, this movie is based on how art can bring the light of hope to someone’s life. Pakhi is the daughter of a Bengali zamindar who falls in love with a fraud archaeologist, Varun. When Pakhi was ill, she believed she would die the day when there would be no leaves on the tree in her garden yard. Varun used his drawing skills obtained from Pakhi and hung a leaf daily to lighten Pakhi’s desire to live life. Among all Bollywood art movies, Lootera is loved widely.
Dor ( 2006 ) | & Best Hindi Art Films
A 2006 Indian drama film, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor,features Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade in the lead roles. An official adaptation of the Malayalam film, Perumazhakkalam, Dor depicts the story of two women, who belong to very different backgrounds. But come together due to their certain circumstances. Ayesha Takia plays a widow, Meera, who is confined by society and tradition, while Gul Panag plays Zeenat, an independent and strong woman trying to save her husband, who is on trial for murder.
Final Takeaway | 7 Best Art Films Of Bollywood !
Bollywood art movies are the alternative to mainstream media-especially for those who use their brain while watching a movie. There’s a far difference between Hindi art movies and mainstream cinema as the art movies come with serious content, naturalism, and realism. While they didn’t do well commercially, they were instrumental in putting India on the world map. These 7 Best Art Films Of Bollywood are an amalgamation of old and modern Bollywood movies, clearly showing the importance of art in cinema.
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For more insights on Parallel Cinema : Visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_cine