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During our time at home, my daughter and I have been watching a lot of wonderful Hindi movies that are great for children too. Apart from rediscovering old favorites like Lagaan and Swades, we have discovered new gems like Dangal, Makdee, and I Am Kalam! We find that this is also an interesting way to learn and absorb Hindi.
Here is our list of awesome Indian movies to watch during our time at home! Children pick up conversational language skills and have access to our culture too.
The film that went to the Oscars, Lagaan is inspirational, fun, filled with fabulous songs, and boasts of lovely cinematography.
One of our absolute favorites, we love the sports narrative arc and the story about the powerful female athletes in the movie. We also love movies about coaches inspiring players, and this one is just that. The movie is about Kabir Khan, a former hockey star whom many believed betrayed his country. He then begins coaching the Indian women's national hockey team to prove his loyalty to the nation.
My daughter watched this movie at her friend's house many months ago. We watched it again when we were at home and boy do we love it. The movie is based on the Phogat family, a Pehlwani wrestler who trains his daughter to be ace female wrestlers.
My daughter doesn't know too much of Hindi but even now she walks around saying the movie's famous lines, "bahut ho gayi pehlwani, ab dangal hoga!"
Partly based on the lives of the women at the Indian Space Research Organisation who contributed to the Mars Orbiter Mission, which was India's first interplanetary mission. My daughter and I absolutely loved Hidden Figures and she is a huge fan of Marie Curie, which was why we loved this one too. Women in STEM? We're always ready!
Swades is about an NRI who comes back to India and tries to make a difference. Largely regarded as a cult film, we enjoyed this one a lot and loved its music.
Starring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor, this movie had interesting twists and turns and we loved how it took us through the gulleys and metros of Delhi. We loved the songs too!
Vishal Bharadwaj is one of my favorite Indian directors and I was thrilled when I realized that he made a movie for children. The movie is about a girl named Chunni who lives in a village in India and encounters a witch in a haunted old mansion in her neighborhood. The witch traps Chunni's sister but agrees to let her go only on one interesting condition. Chunni has to bring her something. This movie is fun, thrilling, and has a superb performance by Shabana Azmi as the witch!
A story about a little boy who is inspired by the life story of former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam. A heartwarming story about the power of education where the characters have foibles but are good at heart. The movie left us feeling positive and happy!
Set in New York, English Vinglish is a movie that the entire family will love! Don't miss Sridevi's brilliant performance as Shashi, a housewife and caterer who is mocked by her family and friends for not knowing English. Her attempt to learn the language helps her rediscover herself and reassert her value as a mother and a wife. Funny, charming, heart-warming and powerful, this movie is an absolute classic!
Ishaan is criticised by his parents for his poor academic performance and is sent away to a boarding school. Ram, an art teacher, however, realises he has dyslexia and helps him uncover his potential. This movie opened everyone's eyes to children who learn and think differently.
Who can forget this timeless classic? The story is about a poor but big-hearted man played by Anil Kapoor, who takes orphans into his home. After discovering his scientist father's invisibility device, he rises to the occasion and fights to save his children and all of India from the clutches of a megalomaniac, in a scene-stealing performance by Amrish Puri as Mogambo.
We watched this movie just around the same time Sita's Chitwan came to our bookstore! Starring the brilliant Vidya Balan, the movie is about a forest officer named Vidya Vincent who is tasked with capturing and containing a man-eating tigress in a remote village. However, she faces hostility from various sides as she tries to do her job. The movie is rated U, which makes it perfect to watch with your kids and the entire family!
An ambitious Gunjan Saxena eyes becoming a pilot after being drawn by the idea of a life in a cockpit. Despite facing reservations, she fulfils her dream and serves the country in the Kargil War.
The movie is a biopic of the real-life badminton champion Saina Nehwal. Saina discovers her passion for Badminton and considers pursuing the sport full-time. When she starts training under an efficient coach, she soon becomes the best and ranks number one in the sport. A great story about a player who overcomes many odds and struggles, the movie also shows the sacrifices her parents made to fight for her dreams and her dynamic with her coach Rajan, who trains her. Saina overcomes many challenges to become the World's No. 1.
I am sure your parents must remember when India first won the World Cup in cricket in 1983. I was 3 years old and my parents reminisce about the moment like it happened yesterday. This movie is based on the 1983 World Cup. Cricketer Kapil Dev gets an opportunity to make his country famous on the world stage when he captains the Indian national cricket team at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. The movie boasts of an all-star cast, led by Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Jiiva, Sahil Khattar, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Deepika Padukone, among many others.
Have others you want to add to the list? Let us know!
Featured Image: Space.com
