Seventy years is a long time to be watching (and making) films. The Quint brings you the story of India through the films she has loved; the ones which have defined how she looks at herself, and how we as Indians look at our past. Read earlier parts here:
Also Read:
‘Parallel’ Cinema Clashes with Crass: Films India Loved in 1980s
An Angry Nation Reclaims the Screen: Films India Loved in 1970s
Films Which Defined India: The Technicolour 60s
As India Turns 69, A Look at the Films She Loved: The Golden 1950s
1987-1997
In 1990s, India is on the cusp of a transition. Liberalisation is around the corner, the young generation growing up in cities is confident, bratty and self-assured. Independence is a distant mirage and thanks to increased travel and better job opportunities, the world is a playground waiting to be conquered. And the confidence is reflected on the screen.
Hindi cinema in the 1990s doesn’t take itself too seriously; very rarely do issues of caste or religion play a role. Even when they do, they always do in the context of love. But through a new-age romances, films in this decade craft a new image of India. A country which is not averse to the West, which is as comfortable in London as in Ludhiana, a country which knows what it wants, and unlike previous generations, is not afraid to follow its heart and go for it; societal conventions be damned.
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge (1995)
In Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, (DDLJ) the obstacle to true love is a crate of beer.
When Raj (played by Shahrukh Khan) pranks Baldev Singh (played by Amrish Puri), a convenience store owner and fearsome patriarch to buy beer, little did he imagine that he would end up falling in love with Singh’s daughter, Simran (played by Kajol). And that far away from London, in the mustard fields of Punjab, his beer prank would prevent him from marrying his one true love.
Aditya Chopra’s DDLJ sets up the conflict between tradition and modernity, except it chooses to do it with a dash of NRI patriotism. Love trumps all, even a Western upbringing and there’s nothing more important than a family’ blessings for an Indian couple, even if they are irrationally against a child’s love. Hailed as a classic love story, immensely quotable and eternally popular DDLJ’s protagonists are not afraid to embrace freedom (read: zara sa jhoom loon mein...) but only when they are in pardes. Just like most young Indians in 1990s, they tuck away their jeans, pull out the salwars and will wait for their families to sanction their love till the last minute.
Even when the train is leaving the station.
Roja (1992)
In Roja, the nation is not very far from love.
Directed by Mani Ratnam, Roja places a newly-married and in love couple in the backdrop of militancy in Kashmir, and in the process, reimagines the country in unprecedented ways. During the 1990s, Kashmir was ravaged by militancy with separatists gaining in influence and power. And what did the rest of India think of the separatists? As misdirected, naive and erring men who are betrayed by Pakistan. If Roja is to be believed a patronising sermon by an Indian RAW cryptologist is all that is needed to ‘reform’ separatists in Kashmir!
Whether it is Rishi (played by Arvind Swamy) risking his life to put out a burning flag or Liaqat’s (played by Pankaj Kapoor) abiding presence as a separatist caught between two countries, Roja is an intensely political film. It just cloaks its politics in soothing strains of love (thanks to AR Rahman’s music).
Mr India (1987)
Mogambo khush hua!
Never before has a declaration of happiness sent shivers down people’s spines in fear. But then, Mogambo is not just another villain. And Mr. India is not just another film.
Directed by Shekhar Gupta, Mr. India is filled with acid pits waiting to devour children, inter-continental ballistic missiles and scientific inventions which can render you invisible (only if you stay away from red light).
Mr. India/Arun (played by Anil Kapoor) will remind you of Raj Kapoor’s Awaara. But Arun’s India is different from the one inhabited by the tramp. Ambition and money are a driving force, but not at the cost of love and intelligence.
Released in the late 90s, Mr. India reflects a generation confident in its abilities, but not afraid to believe in a little magic.
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)
William Shakespeare may just be the most popular playwright in the Hindi film industry.
Directed by Mansoor Khan and adapted from Romeo and Juliet, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) film immortalised young love in a way few films had done before. And introduced the world to Aaamir Khan along the way.
Raj (played by Aamir Khan) and Rashmi (played by Juhi Chawla) fall in love, oblivious to their warring families, class and practical considerations like income.
Watching QSQT in 2016, above all, one is struck by this idea of love. Love, which is not found in dating apps or not constrained by commitment phobia. Raj and Rashmi’s love is idyllic, set in abandoned forts and eternal belief in soulmates.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun! (1994)
Phenomenon.
That’s how Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Aapke Hain Koun! was described when it was released. Audiences watched the film repeatedly in theatres, sang along to its many songs and legend has it, some women went in the theatre with food and sweets; just as they would if a horde of relatives came home.
Watching HAHK, is like going to a long drawn wedding, with hidden romances, scheming aunts and family jokes being played out in the background. It presented an ideal, aspirational family to middle class audiences and revered relationships in a joint family at a time when the institution was being threatened by divorce and nuclear families. And along the way, through Prem (played by Salman Khan) and Nisha (played by Madhuri Dixit), it showed a new way of falling in love; family sanctioned, non threatening and socially acceptable.
Khiladi (1992)
A suspense thriller, a romantic love story and an out-and-out action film, Khiladi was a landmark in Indian cinema for many reasons.
For one, its leading hero, Raj (played by Akshay Kumar) has no qualms about gambling. He is not a goody-two-shoes and gets the girl, Neelam (played by Ayesha Jhulka) despite that. Secondly, romance in Khiladi is not the typical running-around-the-trees fare. Raj and Neelam aren’t shy when it comes to expressing their love.
They are young, bratty, self-assured, fearless and well-off. And they don’t particularly care about what the world thinks.
Baazigar (1993)
Ajay (played by Shahrukh Khan, in his breakout role) is an evil guy. He kills the heroine (played by Shilpa Shetty), cons a rich businessman out of his money and assumes a dual identity, for which he kills more people.
But audiences who walked out of the theatre after watching Abbas-Mustan’s Baazigar in 1993 fell in love with Ajay. They rooted for him, were enamoured by him and wept when he died in the end. Baazigar and SRK made bad look good (just as Gabbar Singh had in Sholay)
But Ajay/Vicky wasn’t all evil. He is a villain, but because he was unjustly robbed of his family fortune and family. The audiences cheer for him, because they know he has been wronged. In a way, Baazigar is symptomatic of the period in which it was released; bold, experimental but in a way which still clings to traditional values.
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