Is this post just an excuse for me to recommend Notebook again? Yes, it might be! But it is also a place for you all to recommend your own “Notebook” type movies.
There’s movies like War that we all saw and all love. And movies like Bahubali that everyone in the world saw and loved. And movies like Kumbalangi Nights that an influential subset of critics/viewers saw and loved. And movies like Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga that almost no one saw but those of us at DCIB love. But then there are the little movies that didn’t get promoted, no one saw them, and even the critics didn’t like them. This is the post to champion those films!
For me, for 2019, it is ALL about Notebook! Bharat is better than expected, War is insanely fun, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga got a decent promotion campaign and even more people should see them, but Notebook went in and out without any fanfare from critics, or producers, or The Internet Community. And it’s wonderful! Not the greatest movie I’ve ever seen in my life, but just super happy making and enjoyable and more people should see it. The one movie I would recommend from 2019 that no one else will tell you about, FOR SURE.
Now, for the 2010s? I am going to go back to my yearly Hindi films list and I am not going to limit myself to just one. Prepare for a long list of wonderful films you have never heard of! Yes, not even films at the level of Daawat-E-Ishq, I am talking REALLY obscure, not even popular on DCIB.
Jhootha Hi Sahi: No one talks about this movie, but John Abraham is a shy bookstore owner in sweater vest and glasses who falls in love over the phone and then has many mistaken identity moments. And it has an AR Rahman soundtrack!
Bbuddah Hoga…Tera Baap: This is a very weird movie. Amitabh Bachchan plays an aging gangster cool dude who returns to Bombay and tries to win back his ex-wife Hema Malini. And there’s a lot of other stuff too. But it’s Amitabh and Hemaji! How is this film not discussed more?
Love Breakups Zindagi: Not a great movie, but somehow it has this dreamy happy feel to it. Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza (real life best friends and co-producers) play a couple who meet and become friends over the course of a long wedding weekend, and then somehow can’t forget each other.
Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurrana: Beautiful Kunal Kapoor runs away from home to London, and then returns years later on the run from London trouble to make peace with his small family in Punjab and figure out how to make the family Chicken Khurrana recipe. Mostly watch this for Beautiful Kunal Kapoor, but the rest isn’t bad either!
Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola: Every Vishal Bardwaj film is critically acclaimed and so on, EXCEPT THIS ONE. And, why??? It’s a sweet gently comic story of misunderstandings and complications set in a small farming town, with a love story between rich girl Anushka Sharma and lower class driver Imran Khan.
Akaash Vani: It’s not exactly a good time watch, but if you ever wanted a young woman to confront her parents for forcing her into marriage with a man she didn’t love and then blaming her when it doesn’t work out, this is the movie for you!
Action Jackson: Yes, this is the movie where Sonakshi Sinha decides that Ajay’s penis is her good luck charm. But it’s also kind of totally fun! In a crazy plot twist and samurai sword battles sort of way.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!: It’s just so good. Best period film, best mystery film, best Sushant Singh Rajput film, best of everything.
Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive: I wanted to put the first Tere Bin Laden on the list, but then that one actually was critically acclaimed and popular, and this one wasn’t. And it is super good! A meta joke about the film industry, about politics, about rapping Obama, about stupid CIA agents, and also it has a song titled “6 Pack Abs”
Rocky Handsome: Korean remake staring John Abraham, cute little girl, gritty action, happy ending. Not the greatest movie ever, but worth watching and thinking about, especially if you want John Abraham action without the patriotism.
Akira: Sonakshi as a tough ex-con silent action hero. Why are you not watching it already?
Mirzya: So many movies in 2016! But this one isn’t just “more people should see it” but instead “actually stunningly brilliant”. The story isn’t original, the acting is odd, but the visuals and music are just amazing.
Befikre: A pleasant nice rom-com with some great song numbers in the mix and just generally a happy feel to it.
Running Shaadi: This film has a decent chance at being my all time favorite rom-com of the 2010s. Dreamy silent hero, difficult spunky heroine, little lesson about the legalities of marriage in India? It’s the perfect film.
Raabta: It’s the best! Crazy flashback sequence, crazy Jim Sarbh villain, crazy good chemistry between Sushant and Kriti as the leads.
Pari: Best horror movie from India of all time! Yes, I said it. Deep complex consideration of gendered violence and prejudice, and really clever scary special effects. And powerful performances, and an ultimately hopeful message.
Notebook: SO GOOD! They fall in love THROUGH A NOTEBOOK! There is a cuddly little 6 year old girl in a hijab!!! There’s a boat! There’s a “Bumbro” remix!
dontcallitbollywood 
Laila Majnu: fantastic movie, perfectly acted as seen from the scenes showed, but was HORRIBLY mismanaged in its promotions and I can’t even watch it with english subtitles or show anyone because of said no subtitles that somehow are attached to this movie.
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I should add that the music is so good and characteristic with the different moods that it doesn’t matter that I can’t understand the nuance of the text talked about, but it really speaks even when I don’t understand all of what’s going on.
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If Laila Majnu was bought by Netflix and not by this graveyard for movies Zee5 is, it would have a second life and a lot of fans.
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Let’s hope that whenever their contract expires that it does go to Netflix or Amazon Prime
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Yes! I was putting this list together and there all these movies other people had championed which I haven’t seen and I wanted to include them, and then I thought “no, that’s not right, they are someone else’s favorite”. Laila-Majnu has been name checked, I will be patient and wait for everyone to arrive and mention there other things.
On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 10:51 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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We need to pick some of these films for our DC marathon when you are here! I have only seen 4 or five of them.
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I was thinking about that! There’s a balance between “movies we all know super well” and “movies that it is fun to introduce to people” and I’m not sure where to go!
I did have a thought of “movies with surprise Shahrukh cameos”, and then we could see Luck By Chance, Love Breakups Zindagi, and Dulha Mil Gaya.
On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 12:06 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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No surprise here, obviously I will recommend Malaal 😉
For all Sanam Teri Kasam lovers and beautiful, sad men with heart of gold lovers, and stunning visuals lovers:
Luca
Again a beautiful love story between handsome, sensitive man and intelligent girl with some sad past + lovely photography
Tum Bin 2
From the director of Article 15, Ra.One and Dus. A perfect little movie, that doesn’t want to be nothing else. I love the music and heroine’s costumes.
Nila
This is one of those small movies, without any fireworks and superfluous stuff, that must have strong good actors and good script to work. It’s like 96 but smaller. Still very moving, intime + my fav Shruthi Hariharan
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I knew you would have lots and lots of things for this post!!!!! Feel free to post more as you remember them.
On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 1:19 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I hope somebody will watch and like those movies too.
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Great recommendations! I enjoyed Netflix’s Chopsticks, but I think Abhay Deol is super cute, as long as he doesn’t dance. I think Kunal is gorgeous, so I will have to check out Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurrana. And now I really want to see Tere Bin Laden too.
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Tere Bin Laden is suuuuuuuuuuuuuper good. Tere Bin Laden 2 is still pretty good. Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurrana is not super good, but it’s very pleasant and Kunal is handsome.
On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 1:25 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Bobby Jasoos!! Yes, it’s worth watching! I actually highly recommend it to everyone (including you, Alisa and Angie). It is a legitimately a good movie. Not just a movie, I weirdly like. If possible, please please watch it and review it. I not only can’t wait to read your take on it, I have so much to say about this movie but don’t want to spoil it.
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You are the first person to ever tell me this! But I trust your judgement, so I will try to track it down and watch it. I know I was interested when it was first announced as “Vidya Balan plays a detective”.
On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 1:57 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It’s on Einthusan. I couldn’t find it anywhere else.
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I also suspect, I might be among the 10 people in the world who actually watched this movie. Also, her birthday was this week, so it was fun to watch it as a birthday present to her!
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I literally don’t understand why so many people trashed Befikre when it came out. Sure, it’s not amazing, but it’s a harmless romcom, what’s the big deal?
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It must be the curse of expectations, it’s an Aditya Chopra Movie, it has to be Amazing. And the funny thing is, when he announced it he said “people will be disappointed and won’t understand this movie, but I just really want to make it”. And he was right! People were disappointed and didn’t understand! But if it was a Maneesh Sharma movie, it would be a perfectly lovely little rom-com and no one would have made a fuss. At least, that’s what I think.
On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 8:50 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I wish more people watched Ho Mann Jahaan. It’s got so many good things – strong, independent women, coming of age + family struggles + band drama among three friends, with two out of three of the families being non traditional, a romance between a younger man and older woman, lovely songs, a Fawad cameo, and of course Mahira. It’s predictable in spots but really well done.
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Yeah, I really liked Luv Shuv Tey Khurrana which is a food movie in addition to having Kunal. What more could you ask for?
My truly obscure favorites: Spoiler alert, they are both Bengali. The Japanese Wife has my boo Rahul Bose and Raima Sen in a movie about a Bengali gentleman who marries a Japanese woman he’s never met. Really gorgeous movie, directed by Aparna Sen. Asha Jaoar Majhe (Sometimes called Labour of Love in English) has no plot, no dialogue, and only ambient sounds and music, aka the most Bengali film ever. Not for everyone, but it immerses you in the life of a lower middle class couple in Kolkata and has a really uplifting message.
My obscure favorite someone might realistically want to see: Yeh Saali Zindagi. This is a crime drama, obviously influenced by people like Quentin Tarantino, but with a big romantic heart, characters you like, and a non-depressing ending. Irrfan is super sexy in it.
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I have seen The Japanese Wife! And agree, it’s a very good movie; sad, but beautiful
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I just wrote a lengthy dark version of Little Women in which I had Rahul Bose play Meg/Katrina’s dead husband! And you are probably the only person who cares about that imaginary casting….
On Sun, Jan 5, 2020 at 10:42 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Masaan. The performances are amazing, and the film is beautifully shot and crafted. If you can manage not to cry at some tremendously moving scenes you must gave a heart of stone. Vicky Kaushal’s debut.
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Oh man, everyone keeps saying I should watch it but I just can’t seem to force myself to do it. I should probably put it on the schedule so I have a deadline.
On Mon, Jan 20, 2020 at 10:51 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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