Netflix India recently dropped the trailer of a docu-series which has got everyone talking, The Romantics. Created by the makers of Indian matchmaking, the series is an ode to legendary Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra.
The sneak peeks into the docu-series through the trailer show that some of the biggest names from the industry will be featured in it to share their memories of Hindi films and Yash Chopra.
This leaves us wondering about the movies or shows which are about movies or shows! One of the most popular yet under-explored genres in world cinema is movies about movies. There are several such products made for big and small screens which we have found very interesting, but there is surely scope for many more.
Here is a list of a few movies from Hindi Cinema that dwelled on this interesting idea :
Rangeela
A still from Rangeela, Credits – Film Companion
Ram Gopal Verma’s Rangeela was one of the most loved movies of the otherwise forgettable 90s decade. The movie was praised for several of its aspects, including the self-aware nature of the screenplay.
The movie follows the life of its female protagonist Urminal Matondkar, who dreams of becoming a heroine in the b-wood. RGV presents the movie through her perspective and while doing so, he effectively comments on the several problematic aspects of the Hindi Film Industry.
Luck By Chance
Luck By Chance. Credits – Arre
Zoya Akhtar made her debut with one of her most accomplished works Luck by Chance. Starring Konkana Sen Sharma and Farhan Akhtar, the movie takes a deep dive into the dark yet quirky side of the cine business. There are characters representing almost all types of personalities from the business, showing us the reality, which we are not very comfortable with.
Unlike Rangeela, LBC is not a very commercial take on the turn of events, but it’s not all monotonous either. The cameos by stars playing themselves are one of the best parts of the movie.
Om Shanti Om
Credits : Pinkvilla
After delivering a string of acclaimed movies in the earlier part of the 2000s, Shah Rukh Khan made his most commercial choice of that decade with Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om. The movie shows SRK in a never seen comedy role, with him playing the background artist in the first half and a superstar in the second half. Besides the story in the film, even stylistically the movie is an ode to the traditional form of Indian moviemaking.
The movie was a huge success at the box office, and it also marked the entry of Deepika Padukone into the Hindi film industry.
Action Hero
Official Poster – The Action Hero
Ayushmann Khurana’s last release ‘The Action Hero’ went under the radar when it was released in theatres in 2022. The movie gained a loyal following after it was released on Netflix in January because of the subject matter at hand. The movie perfectly shows the dire state of the relationship between media and movies in the current times.
There is less world viewing as far as the glossy side of the business is concerned but more about the stigma attached to the concept of being a star in India and the media treatment of the film industry.
