Looking for Indian movie suggestions for kids
June 30, 2019 7:48 PM Subscribe
My kids (4 and 8) recently saw and really enjoyed Chillar Party. They can understand a bit of Hindi/Urdu, and I am trying to get them exposed to more content and culture of my native language.
Any other movie suggestions?
When I was that age I watched lots of Bollywood movies, but they were all romantic comedies so it depends on your kids' tolerance for that sort of thing. I really liked the songs and dances. I didn't enjoy all the violence you got in typical potboilers.
Out of more recent movies, I recall that Chennai Express seemed fairly kid-friendly and low in violence with some great songs and dances that your kids might enjoy.
posted by unicorn chaser at 5:02 AM on July 1, 2019
Out of more recent movies, I recall that Chennai Express seemed fairly kid-friendly and low in violence with some great songs and dances that your kids might enjoy.
posted by unicorn chaser at 5:02 AM on July 1, 2019
Here are a few kid-friendly movies that aren't typical Bollywood potboilers. On mobile, so sorry for the lack of links!
- Filmistaan: An Indian assistant director working on a Hollywood movie in Kashmir is kidnapped by terrorists from across the border. Lovely, touching movie about the power of cinema.
- Gully Boy: Based-on-a-true-story flick about a boy from the slums who becomes a rap star. It has very little violence, almost no bad language, and is an EXCELLENT example of characters that happen to be Muslim rather than the story being about them being Muslim.
- Chak De: Feel good sports movie about the Indian women's field hockey team's against-all-odds quest for gold. There’s an extra topical bit of social commentary with the film’s coach, the former captain of the men’s hockey team whose patriotism is called into question because he’s a Muslim.
- Munnabhai MBBS: Patch Adams Bollywood style, basically.
- Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga: Really, really lovely story about a young lesbian woman from a small town and her journey towards her family accepting her sexuality. Bonus: the father and daughter in the movie are played by a real-life father and daughter and the chemistry is AMAZING.
- Lagaan: Historical movie about a rag-tag band of villagers who make a bet with their English masters after drought destroys the harvest: they win a cricket match, and they’ll be exempted from lagaan (taxes) that year.
posted by Tamanna at 5:59 AM on July 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
- Filmistaan: An Indian assistant director working on a Hollywood movie in Kashmir is kidnapped by terrorists from across the border. Lovely, touching movie about the power of cinema.
- Gully Boy: Based-on-a-true-story flick about a boy from the slums who becomes a rap star. It has very little violence, almost no bad language, and is an EXCELLENT example of characters that happen to be Muslim rather than the story being about them being Muslim.
- Chak De: Feel good sports movie about the Indian women's field hockey team's against-all-odds quest for gold. There’s an extra topical bit of social commentary with the film’s coach, the former captain of the men’s hockey team whose patriotism is called into question because he’s a Muslim.
- Munnabhai MBBS: Patch Adams Bollywood style, basically.
- Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga: Really, really lovely story about a young lesbian woman from a small town and her journey towards her family accepting her sexuality. Bonus: the father and daughter in the movie are played by a real-life father and daughter and the chemistry is AMAZING.
- Lagaan: Historical movie about a rag-tag band of villagers who make a bet with their English masters after drought destroys the harvest: they win a cricket match, and they’ll be exempted from lagaan (taxes) that year.
posted by Tamanna at 5:59 AM on July 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
Maybe check out other children's movies that have won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film?
posted by onebyone at 7:05 AM on July 1, 2019
posted by onebyone at 7:05 AM on July 1, 2019
This is old school, but Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) remains one of the greatest Bollywood movies of all time. Three brothers separated as children, adopted by a Hindu policeman, a Muslim tailor, and a Catholic priest, then reunited in adulthood to discover they are brothers and team up to fight crime.
It kind of hits you over the head with secularism (which is a good thing, given the way Indian politics has gone in the last quarter-century), but if anyone doubts its kid-friendly cred, there is a song where Amitabh emerges from a giant Easter egg and sings nonsense verse for several minutes.
posted by basalganglia at 3:16 AM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
It kind of hits you over the head with secularism (which is a good thing, given the way Indian politics has gone in the last quarter-century), but if anyone doubts its kid-friendly cred, there is a song where Amitabh emerges from a giant Easter egg and sings nonsense verse for several minutes.
posted by basalganglia at 3:16 AM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
My kid (9) loves Disco Dancer, but it likely isn't appropriate for the 4 year old (mother is killed by an electrified guitar among other insanities). Music is catchy though.
posted by Ashwagandha at 4:45 PM on July 2, 2019
posted by Ashwagandha at 4:45 PM on July 2, 2019
3 Idiots!
Hilarious and sweet and has lots of beautiful scenery, fun dance numbers, and silly humor that kids would like.
posted by exceptinsects at 10:44 AM on July 9, 2019
Hilarious and sweet and has lots of beautiful scenery, fun dance numbers, and silly humor that kids would like.
posted by exceptinsects at 10:44 AM on July 9, 2019
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