5 Bollywood Movies That You Can Watch On Netflix

Whether you’re intrigued by Bollywood or completely unfamiliar with it, there’s no time like the present to explore the booming Indian Hindi-language film industry. Bollywood produces hundreds of films a year, well more than Hollywood films with a global reach that extends far beyond the Indian subcontinent. Classic films are known for love stories and elaborate musical numbers, but there’s more to it than that. Bollywood is more than a genre: It’s a feeling, a mindset. One that’s marked by an element of magical realism that most Western media, quite frankly, cannot get away with.

Bollywood movies are, above all, about love. Love between friends, soulmates, family, and even strangers. They are about becoming better, kinder people in the service of finding worthwhile relationships with other human beings—or losing and sacrificing those relationships and suffering the consequences. Thanks to Netflix, films that were once only accessible in specialty video stores are now easier than ever to watch. Here are 5 Bollywood experiences that are essential viewing for anyone looking to understand just what makes these movies so special.

'Barfi!'

Though actually named Murphy, the title character of this 2013 film can neither hear nor speak and pronounces his name “Barfi,” (an Indian dessert). A known troublemaker, Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) meets the autistic Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra, of ABC’s upcoming Quantico), and they end up on a whirlwind adventure through the stunning scenery of northern India. With minimal dialogue, the film speaks through nuanced acting and Pritam’s whimsical background score.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

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If this movie were to come out today, it would probably be called YOLO. In another transformative Euro-trip, three friends travel through Spain for a prolonged bachelor party vacation. It’s completely unlike conventional Bollywood fare, with sweeping cinematography, vignettes of poetry penned by Javed Akhtar, and a story that spotlights platonic love over the romantic. Thanks to the writing of siblings Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, ZNMD feels like going on a trip with your own friends, complete with their baggage, neuroses, and inside jokes.

Queen

Easily the greatest triumph of Indian film in 2014, Queen is the story of a single woman jilted the day before her wedding. Heartbroken, she decides to go alone on the honeymoon through Europe (Seriously. We love Europe!), even though she has never traveled alone or had to take care of herself. Queen shines because it is not the story of badass, independent power woman; it is the story of an ordinary, middle-class Indian woman forced into difficult circumstances and using them to grow into someone of whom she can be proud.

3 Idiots

Years after graduating from engineering school, Farhan ( Madhavan ) and Raju ( Joshi ) go off in search of their disappeared best friend and classmate, Rancho ( Khan ). the trio - the three idiots of the title - give the movie all the elemnts that make a Bollywood film s great to watch : a heavy dose of comedy, a complex father-son relationships and class defying friendships. It even boasts a runaway bride - a plot line that somehow never gets tired. No wonder it's one of the Bollywood highest grossing films of all time.

Raees

We all can agree on one thing, there's no bigger badass than SRK. Like wine, he only gets better with age.The story of Raees revolves around the prohibition of alcohol and illegal drugs in Gujarat. Raees Alam, a bootlegger, must survive and keep his trade thriving when challenged by ACP Majmudar. While he's in the mix of his illegal trades getting busted at an alarming rate, he must keep his wits to face people far sinister than he has ever came across.