7 Meta Moments of Bollywood Films

Team FC

Andaz Apna Apna (1994) 

In this comedy film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, we follow the story of two slacking young men, Amar and Prem. In an extremely funny sequence, Amir Khan and Salman Khan are seen in a lock up and the song “Papa Kehte Hai Bada Naam Karega'' plays ironically in the background.

Luck By Chance (2006)

In this drama film written and directed by Zoya Akhtar, we see the journey of an aspiring actor in Mumbai. The entire plot, cast, characters and dialogues of the film is essentially a spoof on the Hindi film industry. The film is a great satire with meta moments like the shoot of the “Baware”. 

Pathaan (2023) 

Directed by Sidharth Anand, this film is about an Indian secret agent who forms a special unit against the terror outbreaks on the country. In the post credits scene, we see Shah Rukh Khan as Pathaan and Salman Khan as Tiger resting after a fight with the bad guys, in a funny conversation that creates a great meta moment. 

Golmaal Returns (2008)

​​This is a comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty, part of the Golmaal Film Series. This film revolves around Gopal who is stuck between accusations from his suspicious wife and a local inspector. In the end of the film, a mute Lucky played by Tushar Kapoor speaks up about his role in the next film of the series. 

Om Shanti Om (2007)

This is a drama film directed by Farah Khan, following the story of Om Prakash Makhija, a supporting actor in the 1970s who dies and is reincarnated 30 years later, as a successful star kid, Om Kapoor. The plot, characters and scenes are very deliberate, one of them being the melodrama between son and mother.

AK vs AK (2020) 

​​In this black comedy thriller directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, we see a film-within-a-film narrative where the main actors play fictionalized versions of themselves. Anurag Kashyap as an eccentric film director and Anil Kapoor as an aging film star. The film is full of meta moments that are funny but also profound, like Anil Kapoor pleading for help at a police station but not being taken seriously.

Fan (2016) 

This action thriller film directed by Maneesh Sharma, stars Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role as film star Aryan Khanna and his obsessive fan Gaurav Chandna, who looks just  like him. When dismissed by his idol, the heartbroken fan plans his revenge. The film has many meta references, like the rooftop chase sequence. 

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