My Top 8 favorite Hindi movies

I don't usually watch Hindi movies. Having watched English movies since childhood it became a habit. The mainstream Masala movies of Bollywood have not helped either. But as my eyes opened to the world of Hindi cinema I found out it has its own masterpieces and brilliant pieces of works. Over the years I have watched, very selectively, a few movies which have stayed in my mind long after the movie ended. Here are a few of my favourite Hindi movies. Most of the movies mentioned below I have watched with friends at their insistence.

When choosing these movies I have stuck to my personal mantra that 'More than the story, the moments in a movie stay with you'. The following movies all have excellent moments in them. Also they are in no particular order.

1. Lootera
Lootera is a criminally underrated movie. Featuring the best performance of Sonakshi Sinha till date it is a shame that it did not perform well at the box office. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, one of the directors I keep a track of, it is a period movie set in the 1950s during the abolition of Zamindari system. It is based on O.Henry's short story 'The Last Leaf'. The film beautifully recreates the essence of Bengal of that time. The costumes are perfect, the acting is brilliant, the music is soulful(Amit Trivedi is another underrated star) and there are those memorable 'moments' that I spoke of before. Like the scene where Sonakshi's character and Ranveer's character are involved in a road accident. It is a simple scene made memorable by the execution. Its in these kind of moments that Lootera rises above a number of romantic movies of Bollywood. For me, Lootera remains one of the first movies I mention when talk of underrated movies comes up. 
Link to Wikipedia Article on Lootera

2. Rang de Basanti
What to say about this cult movie. Our group of friends watched this movie together at my home on our PC. And it remains a highlight of our childhood memories. At that time we were not aware of the impact this movie had on the youth of the country(Check out the section titled 'Social Influence' in the wiki entry for this movie) but it sure had an impact on us. We constantly referred to its themes of friendship and the uber cool style of its characters especially Siddharth's and Sharman's. Siddharth's dailogue 'Welcome to India su' and his lighting his cigarette with a burning stick will remain our childhood's 'cool' moments. The central story of the movie is about a group of college students whose lives change irreversibly when they decide to act in a documentary movie about India's freedom struggle. As they learn more and more about the struggle they grow more and more disillusioned with the current state of affairs both personally and in the country.  The movie has everything, brilliant acting, excellent soundtrack by A.R. Rahman, a good storyline, and heavy doses of patriotism including religious harmony. All of these pieces are held together and they all complement each other. Overall a master piece.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Rang de Basanti.


3. Taare Zameen Par
Another of Aamir Khan's gems, Taare Zameen Par can move people to tears and yet feel happy by the end of it. Amol Gupte was the man behind the idea of the movie and he also directed most of the movie before Aamir Khan took over the reins. The story is about a boy struggling in his studies and life due to Dyslexia. A kind Art Teacher played by Aamir understands the kid's struggle and helps him overcome his problems. A lot of Indian kids can relate with the parents attitude in the movie.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Taare Zameen Par

4. Haider
Haider is a classic of Hindi Cinema. Directed by the brilliant Vishal Bharadwaj whose filmography is worth taking a look (notably Maqbool and Omkara), Haider is an adaption of the Shakespeare play Hamlet. Set in the backdrop of Insurgency hit Kashmir of the 90s it is the story of Haider, a student who searches for answers about his father's disappearance. The direction is sharp and the cinematography haunting. Add to it an excellent background score, Haider will leave you shaken. No mainstream movie has shown Kashmir the way it is shown here. The presentation is raw and hard hitting. Also the cast is excellent. Shadid Kapoor is excellent in his role of Haider,but it is Tabu who steals the show. There are a lot of political sub threads too running in the background like forced disappearances, the fear of the state, the trauma of the general populace and others. To illustrate the last point there is a scene in the movie where a man stops in front of a door mumbling to himself. No matter how much his mother calls him to step inside the home he doesn't. Then Irfan Khan's character intervenes and frisks him and gives him the go ahead to move. Only now he gets inside the home. A simple scene but speaks volumes about the people there. All of this has been excellent portrayed in the movie.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Haider

5. Kahaani
The only mystery thriller on this list, Kahaani stars Vidya Balan as a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband in Kolkatta. The film is high quality with its elements of suspense and mystery. The characters are top notch, especially memorable is a character called Bob Biswas. It became so popular that there was clamor among the public to make a spin off movie on Bob Biwas. Sadly it did not happen yet. For me the character I enjoyed the most was Nawazuddin Siddiqui's role as an IB Inspector. This was one of his first major big roles and he reveled in it. Viday Balan too is excellent here and carries the whole movie on her shoulders. The final twist is perhaps one of the finest in Hindi Cinema and for me Kahaani remains my favorite Hindi thriller till date.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Kahaani

6. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
ZNMD as it is popularly called is a story of three friends who go on a vacation to Spain and the people they meet there. The movie is fun, sharp and witty. The poems of Farhan Akhar are an added bonus. There are a lot of moments of friendship in the movie that will make you drop everything, call you friends and plan a trip. Remains my second favorite movie about friends after number 2 on this list.
Link to Wikipedia Article on  Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

7. Ishqiya
Ishqiya is a black comedy starring Viday Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, all class actors. Set in a rural background Ishiqiya has witty dialogues, excellent chemistry between Naseeruddin and Arshad warsi and catchy songs.
Link to Wikipedia Article on  Ishqiya

8. Tummbad
The only Horror movie on this list Tummbad is an underrated gem. Set in the Pre-independence days the sets and costumes are authentic, adding to the creepy nature of the movie. Its the story of a man searching for a hidden treasure in the village of Tummbad. For me the number one criteria for a good horror movie is the atmosphere of dread it creates and Tummbad absolutely nails it in this area. There are downright nightmarish characters and absolutely scary situations. I am a huge horror fan both of stories in the written form and movies. Keeping in mind all of my horror fascination in mind and the work that I have read and watched I can safely say that Tummbad is one of the best Hindi Horror movies ever. If I can take it a bit further it can be even be called the best hindi horror movie ever.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Tummbad