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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Jefferson chapter.

It is well known that I enjoy reading books especially since most of my articles are about books. However, another one of my favorite things to enjoy is movies. I truly love the entertainment industry and practically watch most movies that come unless they fall under the horror genre. Most of all, I enjoy watching movies from the Indian entertainment industries because they make me feel more connected to my culture and are a form of comfort to me. (P.S. This is a list of Bollywood movies which is the Hindi language-based film industry established in Mumbai previously known as Bombay, India. The combination of Bombay and Hollywood creates the name Bollywood. There are different language and location-based film industries in India including Pollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood, etc.) I have decided to share a list of Bollywood Movies that beginners who are interested in the Indian entertainment industry can start watching. 

Cult Classics: Movies from the 2000s that are iconic, entertaining, and beloved by the Indian population.

  1. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) is a family drama movie about a multimillionaire family that opposes their adopted son’s marriage to a girl from a lower socio-economic status. Found on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  2. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) is a romantic drama where a man falls in love with a woman, but is unable to reciprocate her love because of a secret, so instead, he plans to set her up with her best friend. Found on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  3. Jab We Met (2007) is a romantic comedy where a heartbroken businessman boards a train where he meets a sunshine girl. Their journey starts when they miss their train and have to get back to her home, falling in love as they learn about each other. Found on YouTube, Sling TV, and Tubi.
  4. Om Shanti Om (2007) is a romantic fantasy where an unknown actor dies in an on-set fire with his crush in the 1970s and is reincarnated in the present time as a superstar and seeks revenge on the person who killed him and his crush. Found on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  5. 3 Idiots (2009) is a coming-of-age comedy where two parallel storylines are depicted: one focused 10 years in the past and the other in the present following the friendship of three students at an Indian engineering college. This movie depicts the social and mental pressures of the education system in India. Found on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  6. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) is a personal growth road trip comedy film that focuses on three childhood friends reuniting for a three-week road trip as a bachelor trip. Each friend struggles with their problems and fights against their fears while making memories as friends. Found on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  7. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) is a romantic comedy and coming-of-age drama that follows four classmates who go on a trekking trip where two of their friends fall in love, but don’t express their feelings and drift apart. Later, they reunite at a friend’s wedding and restart their love story. Found on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.

Action Movies: Movies that are heavy on action and thriller storylines.

  1. Doom Series (2004;2006;2013) is a franchise about two officers: one is an assistant commissioner of police and one is a deputy commissioner of police. They embark on missions together to capture professional thieves wreaking havoc. Found on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  2. Don (2006) is a movie about a criminal lookalike being sent on a secret mission to impersonate the Don he looks like and to learn more about the drug mafia. Found on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  3. Race (2008) is a movie about two brothers and businessmen as their professional and personal loyalties become intertwined and cause conflicts to arise. Found on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  4. War (2019) is a movie about an Indian RAW agent who is allocated the unfortunate duty of eliminating his beloved former mentor who is believed to have gone rogue. Found on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  5. Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva (2022) a fantasy action adventure film part of the cinematic universe taking inspiration from Hindu mythology. This film follows Shiva, an orphan with fire powers that he must use to stop immense power from being taken by an evil that holds a tie to his own past. Found on Hulu and Disney + with a subscription. Found on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.

Tragic and Eye-catching Movies: Movies that have sets that draw you in either with grandeur or simplicity and plots that are full of tragedy.

  1. Devdas (2002) is a period romantic movie about the tragic love story between a wealthy law graduate and his childhood friend. They want to get married but are stopped by his family, and the consequences are devastating. The movie can be found on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  2. Rang de Basanti (2006) A coming of age social film that focuses on a British film student traveling to India so she can document five freedom fighters from the Indian revolutionary movement. She becomes friends with five young men who become the stars of her film and become inspired to fight for good in the modern government. Found on Netflix with a subscription.
  3. Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) is a romantic tragedy that is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. It follows the star-crossed love story of Ram and Leela, born into enemy gangster families who fall in love but are unable to unite due to their families’ rivalry. The film can be found on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.
  4. Highway (2014) is a road film that follows a young woman that discovers her freedom after being kidnapped. Found on Amazon Prime Video with rental or on Apple TV. 
  5. Bajirao Mastani (2015) is an epic historical romantic tragedy film that follows the story of Maratha Peshwa Najirao I and his second wife, Mastani, and the storms that their love brought to their lives.
Vrunda Raj

Jefferson '27

Vrunda Raj is the Secretary and Senior Editor of HerCampus at the Jefferson chapter. Vrunda writes articles and edits member articles, ensuring that they follow HerCampus guidelines, and helps Junior Editors with their editing. As Secretary, she deals with correspondence, creating meeting minutes, organizing agendas, and monitoring documentation. She helps the President and Vice President stay on schedule for chapter endeavors. Vrunda is currently a junior at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She is majoring in a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology in the 3 +2 program. Outside of HerCampus, Vrunda participates in SASA, the South Asian Students Association which is a culturally aware organization that helps build stronger connections to the South Asian community and culture. Both HerCampus and SASA help Vrunda explore her voice and her culture further. In her free time, Vrunda loves to read romance books, watch TV shows from different countries especially India, take pictures, do paint by numbers, and sculpt with clay. Vrunda is a fan of anything that lets her relax on her couch or use her creativity. Recently, she has picked up a love of traveling so she hopes to travel more creating more experiences and memories to cherish.