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The best Indian film I've seen and any other similar ones??


I have seen only a handful of the contemporary glossy Bollywood films which always come with lots of lavish setting, costumes and dazzling singing and dancing. But Ankur's quiet yet gripping social statement about India's rural life and the caste system is something none of those newer Bollywood films I have seen can offer. Other than the three films one poster recommended, Barsaat, Mahal & Andaz, which I intend to watch soon, can anyone recommend any other great Indian films similar to Ankur? I am trying to find other great Indian films that do not have the Bollywood style singing and dancing.
Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy some of the singing and dancing, but over all I felt they tend to be overdone in most recent films.

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im surprised you didnt get an answer for this post after such a long time.
If you liked this movie... and the debutant heroine (shabana azmi), may i suggest one of her greatest movies... MANDI.
watch it. it will get the after taste of some of the bad bollywood films' aftertaste!
The heroine did a De Nero by putting on weight only for this movie!
Its directed by the same director.
regards.
if you read this and want more recomendations, let me know.

cheers

<<.. the stories that are easiest to write are the hardest to read ..>>

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I doubt the OP is still around, but I'll add some recommendations anyway because this film deserves more messages. As you said, this is an outstanding film that I just saw for the first time and the first Shabana Azmi film I've seen. I'll definitely look for more of her films. Other more serious Indian social dramas that I've seen and recommend (that don't rely so much on song and dance and corny comedy like a lot of the more popular Bollywood offerings do) are:

Satyajit Ray's films, especially "Pather Panchali" and the rest of the Apu trilogy, "The Big City," "The Music Room," "Charulata," and "The Goddess";

Guru Dutt's "Pyaasa" and "Kaagaz Ke Phool" are both excellent and have some great songs, too;

Vijay Anand's "Guide";

"Mother India" has a lot of singing and dancing but it's definitely worth watching.

Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay";

Deepa Mehta's films - these aren't Indian productions but they take place there - "Earth," "Fire," and "Water."

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Watch these Bollywood gems
Mausam. 1975
Mere apne 1972
Dushman 1971
Khushboo.jetendra
Mother india. Sunil dutt
Mujhe jeene do.sunil dutt
Mera saaya. Sunil dutt.
Meharban. Sunil dutt
All are highly recommended

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