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.
Siddharth (2013)
7.3/10
Director: Richie Mehta
Starring: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Rajesh Tailang
At the beginning of "Siddharth," from director Richie Mehta, main character Mehendra (played with raw emotion by Rajesh Tailang) is told that he is li... Read more
Chokher Bali (2003)
6.6/10
Director: Rituparno Ghosh
Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Lily Chakrabarti, Prasenjit Chatterjee
Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh adapted and directed this costume melodrama based on the classic 1902 novel by Rabindranath Tagore. Subtly using th... Read more
Raincoat (2004)
7.6/10
Director: Rituparno Ghosh
Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Ajay Devgan
On a rainy afternoon, two estranged lovers meet after six years. Neither wants to tell the truth about their empty lives, so both make up elaborate s... Read more
Shadows of Time (2004)
7.7/10
Director: Florian Gallenberger
Starring: Prashant Narayanan, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Irfan Khan, Tilotama Shome
German filmmaker Florian Gallenberger makes her feature debut with this epic Indian love story spanning 60 years. In the early 1940s Riva and Masha a... Read more
Vanaja (2006)
7.2/10
Director: Rajnesh Domalpalli
Starring: Urmila Dammannagari, Mamatha Bhukya
A financially troubled fisherman sends his 14 year old daughter Vanaja to work in the local landlady's house, where she hopes to learn Kuchipudi dance... Read more
Windhorse (1998)
7/10
Director: Paul Wagner
Starring: Dadon, Jampa Kelsang, Richard Chang, Lu Yu
This compelling first feature from Academy Award-winning documentarian Paul Wagner tells the story of three young Tibetans and their search for freedo... Read more
Kaante (2002)
6.6/10
Director: Sanjay Gupta
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Kumar Gaurav
In a world where loyalties are easily abandoned and allegiances bought, six perfect strangers come together to pull off the perfect crime. To get the... Read more
Slumdog Millionaire ( Blu-ray ) (2008)
8/10
Director: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
Starring: Irfan Khan, Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto
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
Son of a Lion (2007)
6.7/10
Director: Benjamin Gilmour
Starring: Niaz Khan Shinwari, Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad
A thoughtful and engaging meditation on post-9/11 Muslim society, from Australian director Benjamin Gilmour, about a sensitive adolescent being raised... Read more
The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005)
6.5/10
Director: Ketan Mehta
Starring: Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Toby Stephens, Coral Beed, Amisha Patel
A valour-drenched historical epic, recalling the 1857 Indian rebellion against British rule, led by Mangal Pandey (played by the charismatic Aamir Kha... Read more