Halla Bol (2008)

Actors: Mammootty (actor), Mohanlal (actor), Javed Jaffrey (actor), Viju Khote (actor), Vinod Khanna (actor), Sanjay Mishra (actor), Pankaj Kapur (actor), Abhishek Bachchan (actor), Anil Kapoor (actor), Ajay Devgn (actor), Ajay Devgn (actor), Kabir Bedi (actor), Rishi Kapoor (actor), Anupam Shyam (actor), Jackie Shroff (actor),

Plot: Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan) is a small town boy aspiring to be a film star in the Hindi film industry. He joins a street theatre group run by a reformed dacoit Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur) who uses street theatre as a medium to bring about an awakening in the masses. Ashfaque struggles to give a creative vent to the actor in him in order to realize his dreams. Ashfaque's determined struggle pays off and he gets a break in films. He gets a new screen name - Sameer Khan. With the passage of time, the roles start becoming better and he moves up the success ladder in a very short time. Soon, he becomes Sameer Khan the superstar - one who can enact any role with finesse, get under the skin of any and every character with ease and walk away with audience applause. Sadly, amidst all adulation and applause, he slowly loses his own identity. He forgets his real self and imbibes all characteristics of the various roles essayed by him on screen. Corruption takes over his entire system, alienating him from all loved ones, including his wife Sneha (Vidya Balan). A shocking incident at a party changes everything, rocking Sameer Khan's lifestyle. He gets caught between his human self on one side and his corrupted superstar image on the other. Whether the conflict within him gives way to good sense and whether he is able to discard his corrupted image and emerge as a true life hero, becomes an integral part of this true life cinema.

Keywords: actor, aspiring-actor, aspiring-actress, award-ceremony, casting-couch, conscience, corrupt-politician, crowd, drugs, ego
Genres: Action, Crime, Drama,

Rang De Basanti (2006)

Actors: Aamir Khan (actor), A.R. Rahman (composer), Ronnie Screwvala (producer), Mohan Agashe (actor), Aamir Khan (actor), Om Puri (actor), Waheeda Rehman (actress), Anupam Kher (actor), Atul Kulkarni (actor), Atul Kulkarni (actor), Steven Mackintosh (actor), Madhavan (actor), Om Puri (actor), Ganesh Acharya (miscellaneous crew), Kiron Kher (actress),

Plot: A young idealistic English filmmaker, Sue, arrives in India to make a film on Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and their contemporaries and their fight for freedom from the British Raj. Owing to a lack of funds, she recruits students from Delhi University to act in her docu-drama. She finds DJ, who graduated five years ago but still wants to be a part of the University because he doesn't think there's too much out there in the real world to look forward to. Karan, the son of Industrialist Rajnath Singhania, who shares an uncomfortable relationship with his father, but continues to live off him, albeit very grudgingly. Aslam, is a middle class Muslim boy, who lives in the by-lanes near Jama Masjid, poet, philosopher and guide to his friends. Sukhi, the group's baby, innocent, vulnerable and with a weakness for only one thing - girls. Laxman Pandey, the fundamentalist in the group, the only one who still believes that politics can make the world a better place and finally Sonia - the sole girl in the group, tomboy and vivacious spirit, engaged to Ajay - the dashing air pilot. Through her film, Sue wishes to showcase to the world the efforts of these young revolutionaries and the enormity of their contribution to the freedom movement in India. What unfolds is the inspiration behind Sue's passion for bringing their story to the world. The twist in the tale is of course the fact that more than just telling the world, Sue's film makes DJ and his friends stop and stare at themselves for being the actual descendants of these great men and never recognizing and celebrating their courage and spirit.

Keywords: airport, alcohol, amritsar-india, anger, anguish, anti-conformity, assassination, audition, awakening, brawl
Genres: Drama, History,
Taglines: A Generation Awakens.

Quotes:

Sue: [Proposing a toast] To Ajay and Sonia. I wish they live happily forever. May the insanity and the romance never die.

Mr. McHeneley: [the British are trying to get information about all freedom fighters] Breaking a man, bit by bit... they said it would get easier with time. It never did. The torture went on for some time. But Bismil didn't break. Both men had made pain their friend. They didn't break. Instead they did something I'd never seen any prisoner do before. I think it was the poetry that held their souls together as the torture tore their bodies apart. The torture didn't work. So we thought of other ways.::[In Chruch]::Mr. McHeneley: How can this be your will? Tell me.::[shouting]::Mr. McHeneley: TELL ME!

Ajay Rathod: [Enters the room where Sukhi, Aslam, Sue, Sonia, Sid, DJ just finished watching the documentary] Hey guys Whats up? [Everybody is silent, with teary eyes- from the impact of their documentary] Uh-huh... Did someone die?

Ajay Rathod: [Seeing everybody silent and serious after watching the documentary] Sue, I've never seen these people so serious. What have you done to my friends?::Sue: Nothing. Whatever it is, they're doing it themselves.

DJ: With one leg in the past and one in the future... it's no wonder we're pissing on the present.

Mr. McHeneley: [In his diary] I always believed there were two kinds of men in this world, men who go to their deaths screaming, and men who go to their deaths in silence. Then I met a third kind.

Ajay Rathod: I'm proud of my country.::Karan: Really, exactly what are you proud of? The Poverty?::Aslam: No, he's proud of the Unemployment::Karan: Or are you proud of the Corruption?::Ajay Rathod: No country is perfect, Kran we have to work to make it perfect.::Karan: Tell you what Ajay, you go on trying to make this country perfect, once I get into a college, i'm pushing of to America, nothing's ever going to get better in this garbage dump.

Karan: [refering to India] Here you try to change the syste and the system changes you.

Boy sitting on University steps: [Whistles] Which country, madam?::Sue: India, I hope!

Sue: My grandfather was right. He said when you come to India, it's love at first sight.

Manasarovar (2004)

Actors: Atul Kulkarni (actor), Manikuttan (actor), Zafar Karachiwala (actor), Anup Kurian (writer), Anup Kurian (producer), Neha Dubey (actress), Anup Kurian (director), Unni Vijayan (editor), Ayaz Khan (actor), Mathewkutty J. Mattam (producer), Arun Kurian (producer), Yadu Sankalia (actor), Sanju Nair (producer), Narayani (actress), Sanju Nair (actor),

Plot: Kerala-based George Nair is an efficiency expert who travels to Pune to provide a report on downsizing. He is met with the firm's Vice-President, Malathy Chandran, and must come up with a plan to let go a number of employees. Both spend time together and Malathy confides how she had exchanged matrimonial correspondence with another male from Kerala, while George describes his family, his Hindu mother and Christian father, and his elder brother who has been missing for two months. Neither are aware that George's brother, and the male that Malathy refers to, is one and the same. Will they find out his whereabouts?

Keywords: dharamsala
Genres: Drama,