Indian & Tibetan Cinema
Hindi/Urdu cinema is the most prolific in the world, churning out literally hundreds of films a year. Centred in Mumbai (once Bombay), it has earned the nickname 'Bollywood' (see 'Browse the Aisles' sub-category 'Bollywood Masala'). The cinema Western audiences are used to from India is what local audiences there would term 'art films'. These are not widely patronised in India, but many such as 'The Apu Trilogy' from Bengali director Satyajit Ray and the works of Mira Nair like 'Salaam Bombay' and 'Monsoon Wedding' have been received to great acclaim in the wider world.
This section is called 'Indian & Tibetan'. From Tibet we have (at the moment) just a handful of films. But as film makers emerge from this region Alice is committed to expanding our collection from both Tibet and India.
Samsara (2001)
7.8/10
Director: Pan Nalin
Starring: Christy Chung, Shawn Ku
Indian born filmmaker Pan Nalin makes his directorial debut with this sensual, elegant look at sex and spirituality. Tashi (Shawn Ku) is a brilliant y... Read more
Travellers and Magicians (2003)
Director: Khyentse Norbu
Starring: Tshe Wang Dendup, Lhakpa Dorji, Sonam Kinga, Sonam Lhamo, Deki Yangzom
Dondup is sick of life in his small Himalayan village and is determined to make a go of it in the US. On the trek to the airport Dondup meets up with... Read more
Fire (1996)
7.3/10
Director: Deepa Mehta
Starring: Dilip Mehta, Alice Poon, Nandita Das, Shabana Azmi
The subject of bans and protests throughout India, this taboo-breaking erotic tale focuses on the relationship of Sita, the wife of a grocery store ow... Read more
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
8/10
Director: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
Starring: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Irfan Khan
Danny Boyle's quirky and suspenseful romantic drama is set in the slums of Mumbai and riffs on the multi-cultural icon that is 'Who Wants to Be a Mill... Read more
The Terrorist (1998)
7.2/10
Director: Santosh Sivan
Starring: Ayesha Dharker, Vishna Vardhan, Bhana Prakash
A highly acclaimed offering about a teen terrorist (Ayesha Dharkar) who, being a veteran of killings during 30 covert operations with a resistance gro... Read more
The Lunchbox (2013)
7.8/10
Director: Ritesh Batra
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur
A good old-fashioned romance that has charmed cinema audiences worldwide, "The Lunchbox" sees a mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunch... Read more
Lagaan (2001)
8.1/10
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Starring: Aamir Khan, Rachel Shelley, Gracy Singh
Aka 'Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India'. In 1890s India, drought-plagued villagers are faced with paying extraordinarily high "lagaan", or land tax, t... Read more
Monsoon Wedding (2001)
7.4/10
Director: Mira Nair
Starring: Lilete Dubey, Vijay Raaz, Roshan Seth, Naseeruddin Shah
Director Mira Nair's spicy, lively blend of Hollywood culture clash comedy and Bollywood musical entertainment follows a large and diverse Punjabi Ind... Read more
Earth (1998)
7.8/10
Director: Deepa Mehta
Starring: Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Kulbushan Kharbanda
A powerful, moving tale about real people caught in a historical nightmare. The movie opens in Lahore of 1947, before India and Pakistan became indepe... Read more
Bride and Prejudice (2004)
6.5/10
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Daniel Gillies, Anupam Kher, Nadira Babbar, Nav...
Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" gets the Bollywood treatment in this spectacular fusion of East meets West. Director Gurinder Chadha ("Bend It Lik... Read more