Next up in my series of posts on must watch Bollywood movies – action movies! Turns out, some of the best Bollywood action movies are actually part of a series of movies, which means you have more movies to watch! In my opinion, it’s the perfect time for a movie marathon with the weather getting colder. Also, the music in these movies is upbeat and energetic, matching the crazy car chases and stunts that you will see, so you just may hear a few BollyX songs while watching! 🙂
- Dhoom Series (Dhoom, Dhoom 2, Dhoom 3)
The Dhoom series follows Assistant Police Commissioner Jai Dixit and his sidekick Ali as they set out to capture highly wanted thieves. Each movie involves a new case to crack, a new and highly intelligent criminal to catch, and unexpected plot twists that will leave you hooked. As a pure action movie with bits of comedy here and there, these films are perfect for all of you that love intense motorcycle chases and ridiculous stunts. Even if you don’t love the action genre as much, I would still give these a try, as the song and dance sequences from all the movies are super catchy! If you make it to Dhoom 3, you’ll even catch the BollyX warm-up song Dhoom Machale Dhoom ! 😉
- Don / Don 2
These movies are a bit older, but are still some of the best action-thriller Bollywood films. The films revolve around the main character Don, who manages a booming illegal drug trading business. The punchline of the film, translated into English is: “It is not just hard to catch Don, it is impossible.” Hopefully that made you think you’re going to see Don mastermind his way through avoiding getting caught by the police/higher authorities, as well do some crazy action stunts while he escapes! Other bonuses: Priyanka Chopra, of Quantico fame, is also in the first movie of the franchise, and one of the best Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, who plays Don, has a double role (yes there are two of him in the movie!).
- Main Hoon Na
Disclaimer: this may be one of mine and my entire family’s favorite Bollywood movies of all time. I can watch it over and over again since it has an awesome story, awesome cast, and awesome music. The film follows Major Ram of the Indian army, who is tasked to protect a peace initiative between India and Pakistan known as Project Milaap. Both this project and a personal mission bring him back to college, where he goes undercover as a student. Naturally, Major Ram is much older than the students and thus initially has a hard time fitting in with the hip college culture. Does Major Ram complete his missions successfully, and does he make any friends?! Watch to find out! I guarantee you will find yourself glued to the television, rooting for the budding romance among characters and biting your nails while you wonder if a character is going to die.
- Race / Race 2
This series gets its name from the main protagonist of the films, Ranvir, who is a successful horse breeder in South Africa as his trained horses always win the annual horse racing competitions. The first film revolves heavily around Ranvir’s relationship with his younger brother Rajiv, who is also a horse breeder, but is a much more unsuccessful one than Ranvir. Jealousy causes Rajiv to hatch a plot to undermine his brother’s success. Whether Ranvir will be able to catch what is happening before it destroys him makes up the main story of this enthralling movie. Little spoiler alert, Ranvir is definitely still alive as the main character in Race 2 again. However, Race 2 features Ranvir playing the cat, rather than the mouse being chased, as he hatches a revenge plot against an enemy. Following Ranvir on his road to revenge makes up the story of the second movie in this series. In both movies, there are plenty of car chases and explosions, unforeseen plot twists, and catchy dance numbers. Look out for BollyX dynamic stretch (and maybe even get up and dance to) Party On My Mind as you watch Race 2!
- Dilwale
This may not be one of the best movies you’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely worth a watch! Unlike all the above films, this film is a bit lighter hearted, with comedy thrown in from the beginning to the end and a bit more of a predictable story. Raj is a charismatic car mechanic who seemingly leads a normal life and works hard to take care of his little brother Veer. However, one day, Raj runs into a woman named Meera, whom he had once loved immensely, but his love had remained unfulfilled. His past will disrupt his present and family secrets will be unveiled as you watch the film. I personally love the song Gerua, which you will know is playing when you see the Raj and Meera dancing in the beautiful mountains, but I’m sure you all will love watching Veer break it down to the BollyX song Manma Emotion Jaage!
About the author: A self proclaimed health nut and flegan (flexible vegan), Riti is so glad to be a part of the BXFam and continue pursuing her passion for fitness and dance. Riti is extremely enthusiastic about all things Indian and Bollywood since she trained in Bollywood and Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical dance) as a child and also was captain of a Bollywood fusion dance team at Tufts. Not to mention she has probably seen every Bollywood movie made. She looks forward to continuing to dance with others and remind them to smile, sweat it out, and show off what they got! Check out Riti’s classes in Boston and join her for a BollyX class!