Save these 8 films on your binge list! 

A warm mug of coffee, along with some mouthfuls and of course a gladsome film, never need a special occasion. With the festivities looming in the air, a good movie marathon is always a great decision. 

The last two years have possibly been the most draining times of all our lives and this year, we are all trying to cope with the concept of festivities and human interaction; being away from our families in different cities to being stuck in a lockdown to almost feeling alienated from normal, we are picking up our pieces and paces again. 

If you are someone who likes to add a dose of films to their festive moods along with sweets and good food, this list is just the right one for you!  

1. Kaagaz (2021)

Directed by Satish Kaushik
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1h 49 mins

With its real-life heartbreaking story, Pankaj Tripathi’s film, which was released in January of this year, gave a lot of hope. Salman Khan is the film’s presenter, and Satish Kaushik is the director. Satish Kaushik, who hasn’t created a picture in almost five years, has made one that is unlike anything he’s done before. Kaagaz is easily his strongest work to date, although he is still catching up in a genre that has long since moved on from melodramatic background music. The film tells the narrative of Bharat Lal, often known as Lal Bihar, a resident of Azamgarh who has waged legal battles for the past 18 years to show that he is still alive. 

2. India Cabaret (1985)

Directed by Mira Nair
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 60 mins

Mira Nair’s film India Cabaret explores the “respectable” and “immoral” images of women in Indian society via the eyes of two strip-tease performers at a Bombay cabaret. The film delves at “the patriarchal society’s double standards.” Neither the cabaret dancers nor the males interviewed who visited the cabaret club provide voice-overs. In all her male and female films, Nair frequently explores the disenfranchised. Bombay’s marginalized women have been the focus of attention this time.

3. Legally Blonde (2001)

Directed by Robert Luketic
Genre : Comedy/ Romance
Duration: 1h 36 mins 

Robert Luketic’s feature-length directorial debut, Legally Blonde, is a 2001 American comedy film. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, and Jennifer Coolidge and was adapted by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith from Amanda Brown’s 2001 novel of the same name. Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, a sorority girl who tries to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III by obtaining a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, and in the process, defies stereotypes about blondes and succeeds as a successful lawyer thanks to her unflappable self-confidence and fashion know-how.

4. Naram Garam (1981)

Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Duration: 2h 13 mins 

After Golmal and Khubsoorat, Mukherjee’s third comedy, Naram Garam, is conveniently labeled as a ‘family entertainer’, despite the differences in characters and events, the three films amount to nothing more than a tedious trilogy of corny jokes and forced situations. With a believable plot, linguistic wit, and clever cinematic humor, the storyline revolves around Ram Prasad, an employee trying to save the love of his life from getting married to his boss and co-workers. 

5. Umrika (2015)

Directed by Prashant Nair
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Duration: 1h 42 mins 

Ramakant bids adieu to his beloved older brother Udai as he departs their small Northern Indian hamlet for the fabled “Umrika” in quest of something greater and better. Udai’s letters have given Jitvapur new life over the years, spawning new rituals, igniting communal debate, and even motivating Ramakant to learn to read. Ramakant discovers a long-held lie regarding Udai’s whereabouts after a family catastrophe. He sets out for Bombay, determined to follow in his brother’s footsteps, only to find himself on his path. Meanwhile, Ramakant continues the family custom of writing letters chronicling Udai’s travels in America.

6. The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Directed by George Cukor
Genre: Romance Comedy
Duration: 1h 52 mins 

A classic romantic comedy-farce about love and marriage, human growth, and class disparities that are intellectual, complex, and timeless. Philip Barry’s Broadway blockbuster play is adapted into a humorous, effervescent, and colorful script. The film emphasizes how the privileged upper class has become indifferent to the simple joys of life, during a time of upheaval and chaotic romances surrounding an imminent marriage, and is typical of screwball comedies with an irreverent style and tone. The film’s subject was articulated by smart journalist James Stewart’s sardonic remark about the rich’s caustic allure. 

7. Lady Bird (2017) 

Directed by Greta Gerwig
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Duration: 1h 34 mins 

Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut, Lady Bird, is a 2017 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. It is a story about a high school senior and her poor relationship with her mother, set in Sacramento, California from autumn 2002 to fall 2003. Despite her family’s financial difficulties, she adopts the moniker “Lady Bird” and wishes to attend a top institution in “a place with culture” on the east coast. Marion, her mother, constantly reminds her that she is ungrateful for what she has. The film is primarily recounted from the perspective of Lady Bird, who, like most high school seniors, is preoccupied with herself and her problems. A sequence of tiny interactions, captured in vignettes and glimpses over the years, punctures her self-involvement of everything that occurs, including heartbreak, humiliation, disappointment, and elation.

8. The Namesakes (2006)

Directed by Mira Nair
Genre: Novel, Bildungsroman, Domestic Fiction, Drama
Duration: 2h 2 mins 

“Pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can.”
The Namesake narrates the story of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli, first-generation immigrants from West Bengal, India, and their American-born children Gogol and Sonia. The film is set in Kolkata, New York City, and its suburbs. A drama film directed by Mira Nair and written by Sooni Taraporevala, based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel of the same name. The importance of names is the core theme of The Namesake. The formation of a daknam (a pet name), a good name, used in public life and on official papers, is part of the Bengali naming history.

 A list touching on various genres, from various timelines. Now hop in and save up the list! 

Written by:
Shristi Chatterjee