7 Timeless Films Celebrating Indian Cinema

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Do Bigha Zamin (1953) - YouTube

Directed by Bimal Roy, this Balraj Sahni-starrer reflected on the trials and tribulations faced by the farmers whose harvest feeds India.

Shree 420 (1955) - ZEE5

Directed by and starring Raj Kapoor, with Nargis, Nemo, Nadira, and Lalita Pawar, the film's title refers to Section 420 of the IPC, which pertains to fraud. The protagonist is caught in a scheme of such devious designs, and must locate his best self to get out of the scheme.

Pather Panchali (1955) - Prime Video

Directed by Satyajit Ray, the film focuses on the plight of an impoverished family in the interiors of Bengal and how they choose to tackle their problems.

Mother India (1957) - Prime Video

The Mehboob-helmed social drama starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, and Rajendra Kumar dealt with the struggles of a single mother in the mid-20th century and juxtaposed that with the grinding gears of a newly-independent nation.

Mughal-e-Azam (1960) - ZEE5

K. Asif's operatic recreation of the court of Akbar starred Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Prithviraj Kapoor, and embodied the rich tapestry of India's many cultures in its telling of the story of a man caught between his father and lover.

Elippathayam (1981) - YouTube

The Adoor Gopalakrishnan follows the life of a man who is trapped within confines of his own making and is incapable of making sense of the many changes taking place around him.

Nayakan (1987) - Prime Video

Mani Ratnam directed this crime drama about an ambitious young man (Kamal Haasan) who takes up a life of wrongdoing out of necessity rather than choice.

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