101 Years Of Indian Cinema: Check Out The Best Movies Of Past Decades

It is the first film of the Indian cinema, but we have not put it in this list just because it is a historic landmark. A masterpiece when it comes to acting and expressions, Raja Harishchandra takes us back to the early days of movie-making when it was a novel form of entertainment in every sense of the term. But in spite of many odds, the movie features truly expressive acting that conveys every emotion beautifully, without any word.

Paving the way for a popular genre of sports-based movies in Bollywood, Lagaan not only induces a sense of national pride in viewers, but also explains why Aamir Khan is considered one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. Who doesn’t smile when a jealous Gauri sees Bhuvan with Elizabeth, and who doesn’t clench his fists when a ball hits Bhuvan at a crucial point in the match? Starting the new millennium on a positive note, Lagaan went on to become India’s official entry to the Academy Awards.

A movie that immortalised every name associated with it, Mother India went on to become India’s first submission for the Academy Awards. Although it lost to Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria and that, too, by a single vote, it has always features in the list of must-watch Indian movies of all times. The greatness of this film can be comprehended from what the famous screenwriter and poet Javed Akhtar said about it, “All Hindi films come from Mother India.”

This musical thriller, directed by Subhash Ghai, established Rishi Kapoor as one of the leading romantic heroes of Indian cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. Also starring Tina Munim, Simi Garewal and Pran, this film reincarnated the age-old formula of reincarnation that often rules the Indian cinema. The film was a huge hit and the soulful singing of Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar rendered a classic touch.

Directed by Mukul Anand and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty and Danny Denzongpa in lead roles, this crime drama has made its way to this list because of its strong script, gripping direction and above all, Big B’s top-of-the-line acting prowess. His portrayal of the vengeful Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, who single-handedly destroys the entire mafia kingdom of Kaancha Cheena, won him his first national film award.

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Almost every Indian has watched this movie and that, too, more than once. Director Ramesh Sippy brought on-screen every human emotion that could be possibly emulated while the larger-than-life theme fascinated all. A classic example of stylish film-making, Sholay happens to be the movie that sometimes defines Indian cinema.

Directed by Ardeshir Irani, it was the first Indian ‘talkie’ and cast Master Vithal and Zubeida Begum Dhanrajgir in lead roles. This movie also had Prithviraj Kapoor playing the crucial role of Adil, father of Alam Ara. Needless to say, the novelty of people talking on-screen drew huge crowds. There were seven songs in this film and it ran for 124 minutes.

Imagine a film that took more than 15 years to be completed and cost the makers a crore or so back in 1950s… Well, you have just hit upon how Mughal-e-Azam, the magnum opus of K. Asif, was made. Such was the craze about Mughal-e-Azam when it was released that it held the record of biggest grossing Bollywood flick for a stretch of 15 years. It is said that K. Asif used real diamonds instead of glass pieces in a scene that required diamonds to be dropped on the floor. The conviction and passion that went into this movie lifted it to great heights and it surely deserves a place in this list.

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The highest grossing movie of 1940s, Zindagi was directed by P.C. Barua, with superstar K.L. Saigal, Ashalata Wabgaonkar and Jamuna in lead roles. The film was a huge hit as it portrayed the problems an average Indian youth faced in those times. Saigal played the role of Ratan, a graduate bearing the brunt of unemployment and further complicating his life by falling in love with a married woman. 

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