Well, this is not a list of the so called ‘popular’ or widely known movies, at least among the Indian audiences. This is a list about films which I have personally enjoyed thoroughly and have urged my near and dear ones to watch time and again. I do have a lot of movies in a separate list of my favourite movies but then, again those are well known and may not need any introductions. This is my choice, my arena and my recommendations if you are going to find a bit variety , away from the movies generally recommended in all those YouTube channels and websites. I am not going to list the movies in terms of merit as I firmly believe that each of these should be viewed. So, here we go… The first installment of a mega-series.

1. Thirteen Days– A film about the 13 days of Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the world to the brink of yet another World War. This is perhaps the highest and the most nerve wrecking phase of the Cold War under the regime of JFK. This movie is all about how his style of thinking saves the world from yet another disaster. Bruce Greenwood as JFK and my favourite Kevin Costner as Kenny O’Donnell steal the show with panache and you just keep on rooting for the duo. A must watch. As you expect, this gem has not found a place in IMDB’s list of top 250 movies of all time. A mere 7.3 rating.

2. The Bridges of Madison County If there is one Hollywood romance movie I have to select after Casablanca, that has to be this one. An unforgettable epic based on a simple Iowa Housewife’s memoir on how a few days of her life spent with a visiting Nat Geo photographer changed both of their lives forever forms the base of the story. But to sum it up just like that is just a tip of the iceberg. The chemistry between the two Fifty plus protagonists in the movie- Robert Kincaid (My favourite of all time Clint Eastwood) and Francesca, the housewife originally from Bari, Italy ( Meryl Streep, my most favourite actress of all time after Ingrid Bergman of course ), the tearjerking moments, brilliant country songs will change the way you have perceived love stories so far. Directed by Clint Eastwood himself, this is a gem not to be missed at any cost. Can you imagine, when I started using IMDB this had a rating of just 6.9! Thankfully now its rated 7.6 but misses a place in the list of their all time greats. On any given day, this comes in the list of my top 10 favourite movies of all time.

3. Pawn Sacrifice– Ever since ‘Glory’ in 1989 Edward Zwick has been a personal favourite of mine. Even though I found his ‘Legends of the Fall’ or ‘Defiance’ to be a bit overrated, I have been enthralled by the other illustrious successors of ‘Glory’ like ‘ The Last Samurai’, ‘Blood Diamond’ and the recent ‘Trial by Fire’. But in this movie about the iconic clash of Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in the much clebrated chess match of the century, he outshines almost all his previous masterpieces and yet the world responded so calmly. This is a masterpiece from a director who deviated from the genre he is known for indulging in and yet he shines. A movie to miss at your own risk. Again, given a cold shoulder by IMDB with just 7 rating. Pathetic!!! The Netflix generation calling The Queen’s Gambit the best artwork ever made on chess should reconsdier their opinion after watching this.

4. Rush – It’s a much celebrated movie worldwide. But I am not sure how many of the Indians have watched it thus far. Based on the the merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda, this is a gem you will not want to miss if you are pining for the maximum adrenaline rush. Perhaps this is the only single time I loved Chris Hemsworth even though his imbecile portrayal of Thor has scintillated billions. Watch it for the pace, watch it for the BGM, watch it for the unforgettable experience of revisiting the older days of F1 Racing rivalry. My personal favourite Ron Howard movie after ‘A Beautiful Mind’ . Thankfully it is rated as #227 in the IMDB list of top 250 movies of all time.

5. Parzania

Hard to believe that it came from Bollywood and today the world seems to be ignorant of this classic. But that scene of drunken Corin Nemec as Allan emracing the image of Gandhi in a room full of liquor and crying while the land which once gave birth to the great man went on for a killing spree is somethig I have not been able to forget ever. He was boozed as he was disenchanted of one Gandhian philosophy and he was crying as he was witnessing the sheer massacre of another Gandhian philosophy non-violence nowhere else but on the land Gandhi hailed from. This contrast has been forgotten by many in the age of parochial ‘Propa-Ganda’ ( Emphasis on the word Ganda) but for a connoisseur of films, it is a cult moment and the movie is nothing less than a masterpiece. It is based on a true story and even though Rahul Dholakia gave yet another masterpeice in the form of ‘Raees’. the world seems to have forgotten his classical angles of moviemaking.’Parzania’ is a forgotten gem the new India hates to remember.

I know many of will be eager to share your favourite film with me. Don’t worry, I have watched thousands but I would like to find one unrated gem like this from your recommendations. So please do comment and let us know. If you suggest a well known movie, I am afraid, I’ll not publish your comment. So please be careful. Till then let’s wait for the part 2 of this article.