Jodhaa Akbar

Three decades since its release, the magic of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge remains undiminished; the film still screens daily at the Maratha Mandir Theatre in Mumbai. Audiences will fall in love with the charming Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and the spirited Simran (Kajol), both Indians raised in the UK, who meet on a train when traveling with their friends across Europe. A frothy love story develops against picture-postcard Alpine landscapes, and the couple’s romance is threatened when Simran’s father takes her to India for an arranged marriage. The film wears its patriotism on its sleeve as it captures the conflict between modern attitudes toward love and traditional Indian values, where duty to the family takes precedence.

Kanchenjungha is Satyajit Ray’s first original screenplay and his first film in color. Indranath Roy (Chhabi Biswas), a domineering patriarch, is determined that his daughter Monisha marry an affluent man of his choice. Over long walks and conversations in this slow, contemplative film, independent-minded Monisha is hesitant about her prospective suitor, due to her budding relationship with working-class man Ashoke and her sister’s failed marriage. The play of light and color reflects shifting moods, as the promise of a sunny day is lost to darkening clouds and lowering mist, bringing with it ugly revelations, confusion, and doubt—all set amid majestic views of Mount Kanchenjungha.

One of the most significant films of the Indian Parallel cinema movement, Maya Darpan focuses on Taran (Aditi), who lives with her father in a small town on the cusp of industrialization. Taran has a strained relationship with her father, who is increasingly bitter as he is unable to find a suitable match for his daughter. The young woman finds solace in her interactions with an engineer, and claims her freedom by becoming his lover. The film was considered a breakthrough in cinematic language, as director Kumar Shahani adopted a painterly approach that moved away from a linear narrative using color, movement, and sound to represent Taran’s isolation and the conflict between the individual and society.

A political thriller inspired by the relationship between screen idol M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and screenwriter M. Karunanidhi—both of whom went on to become heads of state in Tamil Nadu in South India—Iruvar delves into the intersection between politics and cinema, telling the story of a friendship that turned into bitter rivalry on the political battleground. The film’s fiery dialogues propagating social equality penned by fictional screenwriter Tamizhselvan (Prakash Raj) catapult Anandan (Mohanlal) to superstardom. But when writer and star enter the political arena, a clash of ambitions drives a wedge between them. Considered one of director Mani Ratnam’s finest works, Iruvar is memorable for its visual poetry, standout performances, and A. R. Rahman’s superb score.