The Fantastical Journey of Bollywood

Comments [ 0 ] By Shreya S. | 01 December 2015 | 8:35pm

Whether it was a story based on the Ichchadhaari Naagin (the snake taking on the shape of a human) in movies such as Nagin (1976) and Nagina (1986), or fables coming to life in the form of Alibaba Aur 40 Chor (1980) and Hatimtai (1990), fantasy has been a large part of Bollywood for much of its lifetime. However, recently Bollywood has gone beyond these tried and tested formulas and have unleashed upon its viewers some stories that are only visually appealing, but also made for great storytelling. BollyCurry presents to you fantasy movies from the last decade that has left an lasting impact, whether positive or negative, upon cinema lovers.

Paheli(2005)

When one talks about fantasy movies, Paheli always stands out prominently for its star studded cast and excellent storytelling. Directed by Amol Palekar, this movie has Shah Rukh Khan playing the double role of a ghost as well as Rani Mukerji's groom, with the latter quite begrudged upon having got married. This is a delightful tale of a genteel ghost taking the form of Mukerji's husband, all due to the fact that he has fallen in love with the said woman. This movie received many awards including Best Art Direction and Best Film Processing.

Krrish (2006)

One can never forget Krrish when creating a list of fantasy movies of Bollywood. Bollywood has seen its fair share of heroes with abilities resembling a superhero, but an actual mainstream superhero arrived in the form of Krrish. The movie was a commercial hit at the box office and was one of the few movies that went outside the usual realm of marketing by launching Krrish action figures and costumes, something that had only happened with Hollywood movies till then. Starring Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Rekha, and Naseeruddin Shah, this movie was directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan.

Aladin (2008)

The story of Aladdin and his magic lamp has been narrated by many directors in many different versions, whether it is Bollywood or Hollywood. In 2008, another attempt was made by Sujoy Ghosh, director and producer, to tell the same story. Starring Riteish Deshmukh in the titular character with Jacqueline Fernandes as his lady love, Amitabh Bachchan as the genie, and Sanjay Dutt as the evil genie, this movie unfortunately did not perform well at the box office. However, it remains in our list for attempting to tell one of the most famous fantasy tales from the Arabian Nights in true Bollywood style.

Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (2010)

Jaqueline Fernandes and Riteish Deshmukh paired up for another fantasy movie, except this time it was about aliens. With Fernandes taking up the role of an alien, the movie is a romantic comedy with a dash of sci-fi thrown in. Directed by Milap Zaveri, the story is about an alien arriving on earth to find her one true love and actually managing to find it after a series of twists and turns. This movie may have received mixed reviews both at the box office and by critics, but no one can deny that it was a brave attempt to turn an alien arrival into a light hearted love story.

Ra.One (2011)

A science fiction story, Ra.One is considered in this fantasy list due to the sheer ingenuity of the story. When a video game villain actually manages to breach into the real world, how a young boy saves the world by reconstructing the protagonist of the game in the real world is the premise of this story. With unseen action scenes, popular songs and dance, and actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Arjun Rampal essaying key characters, it is not a surprise that the movie became the third highest grossing movie in 2011. The movie is directed by Anubhav Sinha and produced by Gauri Khan.

Krrish 3 (2013)

The third sequel to the successful 2006 movie, this movie starred Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra with Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranaut essaying the antagonist roles. Produced and directed by Rakesh Roshan, the movie is based on superhero Krrish's fight against an evil genius called Kaal played by Vivek Oberoi. While the critics were not impressed with the movie, it did become a commercial success and is still remembered by kids and adults today, all thanks to Krrish, the superhero.

Mr. X (2015)

Last in this list is this year's release Mr. X. This movie is a thriller science fiction film that is considered a fantasy due to its concept. It is about a man who becomes invisible and uses his power for revenge on those who wronged him. Produced by Mukesh Bhatt and directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the movie consisted of a very weak plot and therefore tanked at the box office. Starring Amyra Dastur and Emraan Hashmi, Mr. X. can also be called a poor attempt to imitate yesteryear's memorable movie, Mr. India. While this movie may not be a hit, it definitely was memorable for attempting something different.

Fantasy is a genre that has not been much explored by Bollywood. There are many sub genres in this area that have not even been touched but BollyCurry carries hope that just as these movies were made by some brave movie makers who attempted to explore the unknown, he fantasy genre will continue to grow and rival our Hollywood counterparts. Till then, let us know what do you think about the above mentioned movies and if there are any movies that you think we missed by commenting on them below!

Writer: Kalpana K.C.

Editors: Shreya S. and Jenifer A.

Graphics: Gurprit S.

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