Ten Most Entertaining Bollywood Films

By Anant Mathur (December 01, 2010)

 

10.
DON (1978)
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Om Shiv Puri, Satyen Kappoo, Kamal Kapoor, Arpana Choudhary, Helen, Shetty, Jagdish Raj, Pinchoo Kapoor, Mac Mohan, P. Jairaj
Director: Chandra Barot
Producer: Nariman A. Irani
Music: Kalyanji-Anandji

Analysis: Don is a fantastic film. I don't want to reveal too much in case you haven't seen it. But it's a film that doesn't disappoint. I strongly recommend that you see it if you havent. It's Salim-Javed at their finest and features Amitabh Bachchan in one of his most memorable performances.

9.
MUNNA BHAI M.B.B.S. (2003)
Starring: Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Gracy Singh, Boman Irani, Jimmy Shergill, Rajkumar Hirani, Kurush Deboo
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Music: Anu Malik

Analysis: It's hard to believe this was Rajkumar Hirani's first film. Not at any point do you feel that this film was made by a newcomer. Rajkumar Hirani's understanding of a smart comedy needs to be lauded. 

8.
SHARAABI (1984)
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Jayapradha, Pran, Om Prakash, Deepak Parashar, Smita Patil, Mukri, Ranjit, Suresh Oberoi, Satyen Kappoo, Jankidas, Viju Khote, Pinchoo Kapoor, A.K. Hangal, C.S. Dubey, Chandrashekhar, Mayur, Sudhir, Bharat Bhushan
Director: Prakash Mehra
Producer: Satyendra Pal

Analysis: Sharaabi is my favourite Amitabh Bachchan film. I simply love Prakash Mehra's dialogues in this film and Mr. Bachchan's delivery is outstanding. Sharaabi is a lesson in dialogue writing. Not only are the dialogues strong they are full of philosophical thoughts and poetry, something today's generation of writers lack immensely.

7.
JAANE BHI DO YAARO (1983)
Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Baswani, Neena Gupta, Satish Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Kaushik, Rajesh Puri
Director: Kundan Shah
Producer: National Film Development Corporation
Music: Vanraj Bhatia

Analysis: No list would be complete without the inclusion of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Probably one of the finest comedies ever made. This film proves it's not the budget but the content which is king. Made for peanuts, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro delivers in a way that no other film does. A showcase of upcoming talent who will entertain us for the next 3 decades, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro deserves a look by all who haven't seen it and another look by those who have.

6.
GOL MAAL (1979)
Starring: Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutt, Bindiya Goswami, David, Deven Verma, Dina Pathak, Om Prakash
Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Producer: N.C. Sippy
Music: R.D. Burman

Analysis: It's very difficult to make a comedy, but to do it well, that's the talent of Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Gol Maal has the same flavour of all his other comedies. What sets this film apart from other comedies is it's simplicity. From Amol Palekar explaining why he's wearing a short Kurta to why he's playing hooky from work, it's the simplicity we enjoy in this classic.

5.
PADOSAN (1968)
Starring: Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kishore Kumar, Mehmood, Om Prakash, Agha, Mukri
Director: Jyoti Swaroop
Producer: Mehmood, N.C. Sippy
Music: R.D. Burman

Analysis: Padosan is a classic, I don't know anyone who doesn't love this film. The characters are so well etched that you're drawn to them instantly. One can't even imagine anyone else playing these roles. Whether its the scene where Vidyapathi is trying to teach Bhola how to sing or the scene where Bhola is trying to woo Bindu away from Master Pillai, the entire film is full of sequences that keep you in splits.

4.
DABANGG (2010)
Starring: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan, Sonu Sood, Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anupam Kher

Director: Abhinav Kashyap
Producer: Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Dhillin Mehta
Music: Sajid-Wajid, Lalit Pandit

Analysis: If there's any film that brings back the flavour of Sholay, it's Dabangg. Not since Sholay have we witnessed such strong dialogues and seen such entertaining action sequences in a Bollywood film. The songs are a delight and stimulate your emotions. Every song leaves an impression in your mind and you're still humming them long after the film is over. It's not difficult to see why this is one of the highest grossing films of all time.

3.
3 IDIOTS (2009)
Starring: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, R. Madhavan Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Music: Shantanu Moitra

Analysis: 3 Idiots inspires, entertains and educates - this should be the backbone of every film. Rajkumar Hirani is arguably the finest filmmaker in India, today. Few filmmakers take the time to make a film. Most are churning out multiple films a year. But in order to deliver good fillms a filmmaker needs to spend time on the screenplay, Mr. Hirani understands this perfectly. 3 cheers for the man who introduced us to "Jaado Ki Jhappi" with Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., showed us "Gandhigiri" in Lage Raho Munna Bhai and taught us the wisdom of "All Is Well" in 3 Idiots. Can't wait for his next catch phrase.

2.
CHUPKE CHUPKE (1975)
Starring: Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Om Prakash, David, Usha Kiran, Asrani
Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Producer: N.C. Sippy, Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Music: S.D. Burman

Analysis: Chupke Chupke is my favourite comedy of all time, I can watch this film anytime. It's sad that we don't see comedies of this caliber any more. Everything from the jokes to the acting is superb. 

AND THE MOST ENTERTAINING BOLLYWOOD FILM OF ALL TIME IS...

1.
SHOLAY (1975)
Starring: Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan, Iftekhar, A. K. Hangal, Asrani, Jagdeep, Sachin, Mac Mohan, Leela Mishra, Helen
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Producer: G.P. Sippy
Music: R.D. Burman

Analysis: Not surprising that Sholay is number 1, I don't feel I need to explain why, doing so would only demean this classic.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS, PLEASE VISIT MY POSTS ON: 
Ten Bollywood Cult Films

Ten Worst Bollywood Films

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