*Sneaks in for movie recommendations* 👁👁
Grouped by very rough, practically meaningless genres. I've aimed to outline the essentials, for someone that might be looking to dip into this subsect of cinema.
Melancholia. Poetry. Artistic angst. In a word – Guru Dutt.
Pyaasa "The Unquenched" (1957): A failed poet learns the value of death in a city that tramples the living. Also, Johnny Walker sings about (not so) miraculous oil massage.
Kaagaz Ke Phool "Paper Flowers" (1959): A meditation on ephemerality, from the perspective of an ageing film director, with a legacy slipping out of grip. Keep an eye out for the revolutionary chiaroscuro camerawork! Also, Johnny Walker warns you against marriage.
Trench Coats. Existentialism. Crime. Bombay Noir.
CID (1956): An inspector investigating the murder of a newspaper editor, discovers a larger crime syndicate. Which is good, because it includes Waheeda Rehman as a femme fatale. Also, Johnny Walker romanticises old school Bombay to the tune of 'My Darling Clementine'.
Baazi "The Gamble" (1951): A desperate young gambler confronts his moral dilemmas while falling deeper in a hole dug by people more intelligent than him. Also, Geeta Bali spurs you to walk the unbeaten path. She's very effective.
Moth-eaten Silk Curtains, aka, Decline of the Aristocracy
Madhumati (1958): A moody gothic zamindari romance, misty hills, murder, melodrama, and of course, Vyjayanthimala. Practically kickstarted the reincarnation trope. Also, Johnny Walker asks pressing questions about peacocks and drunkards.
Mahal "The Palace" (1949): Ashok Kumar being haunted, Madhubala being haunting. If Madhumati is a prophet, Mahal is its god. It's frustrating, aching, delighting, deluding. Go see it. (And tell me!)
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi "The Moving Thing Is Called A Car" (lol idk) (1958): Everyone is a goblin in this, including Madhubala. And the album is great. There's literally no reason to not watch this.
Half Ticket (1962): A grown Kishore Kumar disguises himself as a child to avoid paying full train fare, and stumbles into smuggling conspiracies. There's a song about crows playing drums.
Paying Guest (1957): Mistaken identities, Dev Anand lying for basically no reason, and then...murder. Not completely comedy, clearly – feels more like 3 movies mushed into one, in my experience. Very absorbing nonetheless.
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