Recall kiddies films in Bollywood and Taare Zameen Par, Koi Mil Gaya, and Chillar Party are some of the first names that come to the table. But we thought we’d dig in a little deeper to remind you of some of those old gems that our parents (and even some of us) grew up watching. Although some of them may have themes that the iPhone generation may not relate to, you will definitely have a blast watching them. In fact, parents should watch them with kids as a major bonding exercise and supplement the movie with stories from their own childhood. #win
So these are our picks of 10 timeless Bollywood films that every child must watch!
1. Masoom
It’s the first film that came to my mind for this list. Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Supriya Pathak, Tanuja and Saeed Jaffrey, Masoom is a heartbreaking yet beautifully written story about a family’s bad decisions in the past, and their struggle to give a little boy the acceptance and love he longs for.
Why should kids watch it? Apart from the epic Ladki Ki Kathi song, this Shekhar Kapur film is a classic starring actors Urmila Matondkar and Jugal Hansraj as children!
2. Anjali
The film (originally in Tamil but dubbed in Hindi and Telugu) revolves around a family of four, mother (Revathi), father (Raghuvaran) and two children. In the film, they discover that the miscarriage that the mother had few years ago… wasn’t actually a miscarriage. In fact, the baby (though suffering from a serious mental condition) is alive, but not for long. The father didn’t want the mother or the children to deal with the heartache so, for years, he kept it a secret. Anjali, which is also the little girl’s name, is a heart warming film and has some strong performance by all actors.
Why should kids watch it? The child actors in the film are brilliant and the movie is filled with a great mix of happy and melancholic moments and songs that kids will really soak in.
3. Mr India
Another Shekhar Kapur film in the list! Mr.India is hands down a must watch where Anil Kapoor plays an ordinary orphaned guy who rents an old house and plays a ‘big brother’ to orphan children. The brilliance of the film is that this ordinary-to-the-eye man is Mr. India who has access to an extraordinary device that allows him to turn invisible. Obviously, as in every superhero film, with great power comes great responsibility and Mr.India fights infamous Bollywood villain Mogambo and saves the day!
Why should kids watch it? Apart from being one of the 100 Greatest Films In Indian Cinema, kids will love the superhero element of the film. And Sridevi‘s Charlie Chaplin impersonation is definitely one of most memorable moments in the actress’ career.
4. Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke
A remake of an old Sophie Lauren film, Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke stars Juhi Chawla, Aamir Khan and 3 young, mischievous kids. The film has some hilarious supporting characters and a serious of funny events framed in the plot.
Why should kids watch it? The film is stocked with a few pranks that the little children play on the adults through the story.
5. Chota Chetan
Chhota Chetan is a 1998 Hindi movie directed by Jiji Punnoose. The Hindi dubbed version stars actor, Urmila Matondkar, Dilip Tahil, Satish Kaushik, Shakti Kapoor, and Ravi Bawani.
Why should kids watch it? Chhota Chetan is India first 3D film!
6. Haathi MEre Saathi
What if an elephant were a part of your family? That’s exactly what Haathi Mere Saathi talks about! Rajesh Khanna, in the film, is an orphan who has a pet elephant. There is a back story to how the elephant became a key part of his life and the movie takes you on a journey through it all.
Why should kids watch it? The film has a desi feel of Disney movie that kids with enjoy. Besides, there is an elephant in it!
7. King Uncle
King Uncle released in 1993 and is a Rakesh Roshan film. The Jackie Shroff, Shah Rukh Khan and Anu Agarwal starrer is a remake of the American musical and film Annie.
Why should kids watch it? Apart from the pranks and funny moments in the film, King Uncle is cute story where a kid helps a stone-hearted, grumpy man realise that life is more than money. (#CheesyButAdorable)
8. Ginny Aur Johnny
Ginny Aur Johnny is a 1976 Hindi movie that was directed by Mehmood and stars him with Amjad Khan, Helen, Hema Malini, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Vinod Mehra, Rakesh Roshan and Baby Ginny, who is Mehmood’s daughter.
Why should kids watch it? The conversations and escapades that Johnny (Mehmood) and Ginny (Mehmood’s Daughter) get into are fun and the children will love it.
9. Ajooba
Another Bollywood fantasy superhero to hit this list! Amitabh Bachchan plays a superhero named Ajooba. The film, like Hakim Tai, was loosely based on Arabian mythology and was also released in Russian language.
Why should kids watch it? The main attraction for kids in this film would be the fantasy element. There are demons, magical horses, donkeys and enchanted swords.
10. Rockford
I had to add this one to the list. Nagesh Kukunoor‘s Rockford is one of the best Indian coming of age films (I’d say!).
Why should kids watch it? Well, school kids will definitely relate to this film with all the jokes and classroom banter!
So what film will you watch first? Tell us in the comments below!