No interesting Indian Movie on BD yet!!!!

[halimali]

There might be many of you who would not agree with me, but I personally feel that the Bluray market for Bollywood still has a looooong way to go.
Again I personally feel this because of lack of good releases (for my taste) on bluray. I have over 1000 Hollywood movies but not a single Bollywood BD. Though I have many Bollywood DVDs but nothing really interests me from the Bollywood releases on BD.

Its really time for companies to release the Goldies on bluray. I would like to see some of the great movies in special editions, with slips, digi books, some supplements.

I would love to see a movie like Pakeezah or Mother India released in a limited edition, something like what Warner done with Wizard of Oz or Gone with The Wind. How great that would be.

There are tons and tons of great movies that yet need to be released and those movies would really deserve special treatment.
I'm sorry but all what I see is mediocre to below than average titles.

[mrbrat_Boy]

Originally Posted by halimali

There might be many of you who would not agree with me, but I personally feel that the Bluray market for Bollywood still has a looooong way to go.
Again I personally feel this because of lack of good releases (for my taste) on bluray. I have over 1000 Hollywood movies but not a single Bollywood BD. Though I have many Bollywood DVDs but nothing really interests me from the Bollywood releases on BD.

Its really time for companies to release the Goldies on bluray. I would like to see some of the great movies in special editions, with slips, digi books, some supplements.

I would love to see a movie like Pakeezah or Mother India released in a limited edition, something like what Warner done with Wizard of Oz or Gone with The Wind. How great that would be.

There are tons and tons of great movies that yet need to be released and those movies would really deserve special treatment.
I'm sorry but all what I see is mediocre to below than average titles.

+1... This is the point i have been trying to make for a while now, i also have many Hollywood blu Rays and the Bollywood side is lacking in their vintage cinema. The cinema i would love to see.

We have had confirmation of Mughal-E-Azam and Pakeezah from Shemaroo for a future release.

I just hope our concerns doesn't fall on deaf ears. Vintage Cinema is a gold mine!

I hope Yash Raj will release classics like Lamhe.

[vjmajic2000]

im still hoping for dil se.. fingers crossed..

i think the reason for 'not-so-great' movies being released is because they are cheaper to acquire the rights to.. because bollywood is still testing the waters with bluray..to see how high there sales go

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by halimali

There might be many of you who would not agree with me, but I personally feel that the Bluray market for Bollywood still has a looooong way to go.

I agree with you, but there is only one really good Indian movie on blu-ray and that's Jodhaa Akbar. This is the blu-ray that made me convert from DVD to Blu-ray. I recommend getting the Big Home blu-ray because I dont wan't to support UTV after they screwed up the DVD version.

Jodhaa Akbar is a great movie in general. It's not like it's a "good movie for India". It's actually a perfectly-made Indian film that doesn't even need to get curved due to the fact that it's from India.

Originally Posted by halimali

I'm sorry but all what I see is mediocre to below than average titles.

That's all I see as well, as well as every single god-damn recent Ashkay Kumar film on blu-ray. I hate this actor and I can't watch any of his movies. I'm convinced that he's working with the Indian blu-ray industry, because he seems like the type of conceited A-hole that would want to see himself in high definition.

[eyesofra]

Jodha Akbar was good, same goes with saawariya ...

if ur talkin bout Indian movies in general and not limited to bollywood movies, then sivaji is one movie that any enthusiast would want to have in their collection ! It's simply made for high def !

[Anurag1700]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

I agree with you, but there is only one really good Indian movie on blu-ray and that's Jodhaa Akbar. This is the blu-ray that made me convert from DVD to Blu-ray. I recommend getting the Big Home blu-ray because I dont wan't to support UTV after they screwed up the DVD version.

Jodhaa Akbar is a great movie in general. It's not like it's a "good movie for India". It's actually a perfectly-made Indian film that doesn't even need to get curved due to the fact that it's from India.

...+1. I Totally Agree with You. Even I became a DVD> Blu ray convert because of the same reason except for me it was Bodega version instead of BHV blu ray. Life was almost suicidal for me when I discovered the torture this greatest film received on the DVD version.

Jodha Akbar actually has so much of detailing as a film itself that it deserved the highest possible HD treatment for its stunning visuals ... and it indeed got the best 'reference' treatment. Every shot is a 'picture postcard' moment.

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by Anurag1700

...+1. I Totally Agree with You. Even I became a DVD> Blu ray convert because of the same reason except for me it was Bodega version instead of BHV blu ray. Life was almost suicidal for me when I discovered the torture this greatest film received on the DVD version.

Jodha Akbar actually has so much of detailing as a film itself that it deserved the highest possible HD treatment for its stunning visuals ... and it indeed got the best 'reference' treatment. Every shot is a 'picture postcard' moment.

+1.........i just think that cinematography took the movie to a whole new level and its one of the best camera work ive ever seen.....stunning visuals and according to me this movie must have got all the awards for the same........but again these bloody biased indian awards they awarded rock-on!!! instead for cinematography ........!!!

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by eyesofra

Jodha Akbar was good, same goes with saawariya ...

if ur talkin bout Indian movies in general and not limited to bollywood movies, then sivaji is one movie that any enthusiast would want to have in their collection ! It's simply made for high def !

I know this may be hard for you to understand, but 99 percent of the Indian movies that are released on blu-ray are amateurish, b-movie, bad movie, "only good in India, but laughable outside of India" films.

Saawariya is an awful, dull film with no interesting story and no character development. The movie was only produced/bought by Sony because the movie is just eye-candy. Most people outside of India know that this is an obviously bad film. Guess what? There are plenty of bad movies from other countries that have great eye candy as well. So, Saawariya isn't special for anyone else. It was just special for India because it was different for India.

Sivaji is a movie that I love, but it's just a b-movie as well. It's not good enough to be respected as a good movie outside of India. It's a Rajnikanth and Shankar film - who the hell in India is going to disrespect the combination of that powerful actor/director force? You see what's going on with Robot. Definitely entertaining for anyone. Great movie in India, bad movie outside of India.

I mentioned Jodhaa Akbar as being the only good movie released on Indian blu-ray because it is the only current Indian movie on blu-ray that doesn't need to be curved by the outside world. Curved grading meaning = "don't expect a good movie, just be prepared for a typical Indian masala film" (the "let me remind you that this is a typical Indian film, so be prepared for music, drama, action, comedy, filler, blah blah blah" disclaimer).

A good film doesn't need a "disclaimer" before watching it. Ninety-nine percent of the Indian movies on Indian blu-ray need that "disclaimer" to the outside world.

[eyesofra]

emmm....yeap I c what u mean with that....agreed !

[FreakMan]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

I know this may be hard for you to understand, but 99 percent of the Indian movies that are released on blu-ray are amateurish, b-movie, bad movie, "only good in India, but laughable outside of India" films.

Saawariya is an awful, dull film with no interesting story and no character development. The movie was only produced/bought by Sony because the movie is just eye-candy. Most people outside of India know that this is an obviously bad film. Guess what? There are plenty of bad movies from other countries that have great eye candy as well. So, Saawariya isn't special for anyone else. It was just special for India because it was different for India.

actually Saawariya was well received by people outside india, it was india that didnt enjoy the film. And most of the other films which you call amateurish or bad movies are also enjoyed both in and outside of india.

But i do agree we need more movies like Rang De Basanti, Dil Se, and Lagaan released.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by FreakMan

actually Saawariya was well received by people outside india, it was india that didnt enjoy the film. And most of the other films which you call amateurish or bad movies are also enjoyed both in and outside of india.

But i do agree we need more movies like Rang De Basanti, Dil Se, and Lagaan released.

There is a difference between enjoyed/entertained versus good movie. I understand exactly what the Original Post said - you dont have to convince me that there supposedly is another good movie besides Jodhaa Akbar released on Indian bluray.

And anyway if Saawariya is added to the supposed good list which has a low critics score of 39% at Rottentomatoes.com, that makes 2 good Indian movies released on Indian bluray, which would mean 2 out of 60+ Indian blurays which is just a pitiful percentage.

I think Indian video store clerks, as well as the Indian bluray companies believe that "bluray is a new format so it is best for new movies. No one wants to buy older good Indian movies on bluray."

[FreakMan]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

There is a difference between enjoyed/entertained versus good movie. I understand exactly what the Original Post said - you dont have to convince me that there supposedly is another good movie besides Jodhaa Akbar released on Indian bluray.

And anyway if Saawariya is added to the supposed good list which has a low critics score of 39% at Rottentomatoes.com, that makes 2 good Indian movies released on Indian bluray, which would mean 2 out of 60+ Indian blurays which is just a pitiful percentage.

I think Indian video store clerks, as well as the Indian bluray companies believe that "bluray is a new format so it is best for new movies. No one wants to buy older good Indian movies on bluray."

im not trying to say Saawariya is a good movie, but most of the individual American critic reviews i have read for Saawariya were positive. But i think (and most others who have seen these films) that there is a bunch of great movies released on blu-ray.

Jodha Akbar, Taare Zameen Par, Apaharan, Sarkar Raj, Dev D, Cheeni Kum, Dil Chahta Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, Gangster, My Name is Khan, Rock On, Raajneeti, Swades, Rocket Singh, Wake Up Sid, Paa, New York, Namastey London, Kurbaan, Mohabatien, Lage Raho Munna Bhai and a few more. Most of these movies would be considered great movies outside of India.

There is also the typical bollywood films which are great to have for the people who enjoy them, i dont think anyone can say a certain movie shouldnt release on blu-ray cuz each movie has its own audience. Even a bunch of hollywood biggies are considered bad movies does that mean they shouldnt release on blu-ray?

I own most of the bollywood movies released on blu-ray and i have many american/non indian friends who watch, enjoy and really like the films, ranging from Kambakth Ishq to Dil To Pagal Hai to Kurbaan, and im pretty sure they dont consider any of them b-grade movies or laughable. I myself, punjabi 20 year old, was born and raised in california, and i enjoy bollywood movies more than hollywood movies, and i cant even speak hindi or punjabi but can under stand most of it.

Im not trying to start a argument, i just get annoyed when people say that people outside of India think Indian films suck and people wont like them, when most of the time they actually do.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by FreakMan

im not trying to say Saawariya is a good movie, but most of the individual American critic reviews i have read for Saawariya were positive. But i think (and most others who have seen these films) that there is a bunch of great movies released on blu-ray.

Where are these positive American critic reviews - Neverland? Pleasure Island? Oz? Wonderland? Narnia? If you go to the major USA critics review sites, such as Rottentomatoes.com or Metacritic which compiles reviews of critics from respectable publications, the majority of the reviews are negative, which usually indicates something about the film.

Taare Zameen Par, Apaharan, Sarkar Raj, Dev D, Cheeni Kum, Dil Chahta Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, Gangster, My Name is Khan, Rock On, Raajneeti, Swades, Rocket Singh, Wake Up Sid, Paa, New York, Namastey London, Kurbaan, Mohabatien, Lage Raho Munna Bhai and a few more. Most of these movies would be considered great movies outside of India.

It's pointless to argue with someone that is missing the whole point of the original thread. For example, let's talk about PAA. Remember what critics and most people thought about I Am Sam, Jack, Patch Adams, and Radio? If you think those are good movies, I really don't know what else to say.

I own most of the bollywood movies released on blu-ray and i have many american/non indian friends who watch, enjoy and really like the films, ranging from Kambakth Ishq to Dil To Pagal Hai to Kurbaan, and im pretty sure they dont consider any of them b-grade movies or laughable. I myself, punjabi 20 year old, was born and raised in california, and i enjoy bollywood movies more than hollywood movies, and i cant even speak hindi or punjabi but can under stand most of it.

The films you listed (besides Jodhaa Akbar) are "time pass" films - entertaining films, but nothing more, not films to talk about, interpret, break down, discuss in depth. They might have potentially been good movies, but the final package sucked. Sure, they are professionally filmed, but story? Character development?Paa? A joke of a film. My Name Is Khan? good idea on paper, but a joke of a film. New York? good idea on paper, but a joke of a film. I don't think any of your non-Indian friends will ever say that one of the best 100 films ever made is Kambackth Ishq. This was the point of the original thread. There isn't one movie (besides Jodhaa Akbar) on Indian blu-ray that deserves to be in the Top 300 films ever made in the history of cinema. I personally didn't like Laagan, but I'm assuming that Laagan is going to be the next "good" Indian movie released on blu-ray, but I haven't heard any news about that one. Dil Se? Sholay? Mughal-E-Azam? Mother India? I haven't heard any news about those movies getting released on blu-ray which could potentially be considered to be part of the Top 300 films ever made in cinema history.

Im not trying to start a argument, i just get annoyed when people say that people outside of India think Indian films suck and people wont like them, when most of the time they actually do.

This isn't the topic. It's a fact that there are many good Indian art-house/Bollywood/South Indian films, and people all over the world love the bad, entertaining, and/or good Bollywood films. That's not the topic. The topic is about the massive lack of good Indian films not getting released on blu-ray.

I'm going to do a roleplay of Indian blu-ray company executives:

- Sholay or the new Ashkay Kumar film? hmmmm....Ashkay!
- A Mani Ratnam classic or the new Ashkay Kumar film? hmmmm...Ashkay!
- A classic old Indian film or the new Ashkay Kumar film? hmmm, let me think...old means black
& white...and that means there will be no colors in the film...who would buy a blu-ray that is in black & white...colorful movies sell blu-rays....hmmm.....Ashkay!

[bollywood karim]

I totally agree with Freakman, indian movies are made for indians, and the indian diaspora outside india, nri's like us, the market is big enough, one billion in india and tens of millions outside india in us, england, canada. If you don't speak hindi, understaind hindi rituals, culture, sharam, comedy, way of life in india, dialect, nuaances of all the dukawallah's, ricksha wallas, indian tariqa, you will not appreciate indian movies, because of a cultural divide. Like i don't understand tiawanese movies, or cambodian movies because i am from a different culture. Indian movies are great, that is why they are adored around the world and bollywood is the biggest movie industry in the WORLD. Our songs, dances, dresses costumes make us unique, the immense passions, love, relationships that are in indian culture are unrivaled in hollywood.

My white friends come watch movies in Artesia with me and they adore them, they love the bollywood songs, dances, stories.

bollywood rocks, i would take the worst bollywood movies even a movie like baadshah over any hollywood movie anyday.

[mrbrat_Boy]

Originally Posted by bollywood karim

I totally agree with Freakman, indian movies are made for indians, and the indian diaspora outside india, nri's like us, the market is big enough, one billion in india and tens of millions outside india in us, england, canada. If you don't speak hindi, understaind hindi rituals, culture, sharam, comedy, way of life in india, dialect, nuaances of all the dukawallah's, ricksha wallas, indian tariqa, you will not appreciate indian movies, because of a cultural divide. Like i don't understand tiawanese movies, or cambodian movies because i am from a different culture. Indian movies are great, that is why they are adored around the world and bollywood is the biggest movie industry in the WORLD. Our songs, dances, dresses costumes make us unique, the immense passions, love, relationships that are in indian culture are unrivaled in hollywood.

My white friends come watch movies in Artesia with me and they adore them, they love the bollywood songs, dances, stories.

bollywood rocks, i would take the worst bollywood movies even a movie like baadshah over any hollywood movie anyday.

The topic is not about upsetting anyone, everyone has different tastes, yes i agree, but learn more about cinema, what are the classy movies etc.

I think you should retrosepctively look at example to understand what this topic is all about:
Lets compare two movies:
Kabmbakkht Ishq Vs Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam (B&W)

What makes Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam MUCH more CLASSY and worthwhile? Look at the acting, the directors style, the great musical score, the STORY itself, Meena Kumari, Guru Dutt. basically the overall feel of the movie.

Now compare this to Kambakkht Ishq.
Sloppy acting (and repetitive), only glitz, style very similar to most movies, story line has no impact literally, The less said about Akshay Kumar & Kareena, the better.

While certain movies are not for everyone, we are saying we want more movies like Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam on blu ray. Movies that are fresh, innovative, that inspire. Todays bollywood movies are fickle and have totally whacked out / out of this world / unbelievable story lines (with the exception of a few, very few). I wish the trend would change, i sincerely hope so.

I also hope we are not robbed these interesting classic movies in High Def. I sincerely hope they also get released on Blu!

[FreakMan]

well i guess it all come down to personal taste no one can speak for another i was just saying what i beleive is true, and i know Kambakth Ishq isnt a good movie, even my friends know it isnt but it is entertaining, and if you were to ask my friends some of the best movies they have seen ever, they would list a few of the movies on that list. Thats how much they have liked the movies. They might know they arent the best movies ever made but they are damn good. Anyways i hope they start giving more priority to films liks Dil Se, Lagaan, Sholay, etc.

I believe that cinema is also about getting away from the real world, so if a movie is out of this world, unbelievable story lines and over the top it is okay as long as the movie can entertain which i think most bollywood movies do very well, no matter how crappy the film might be it still entertains. Why do you think people like superhero movies and a majority of hollywood movies, most of them can also be considered "out of this world" and have "unbelievable story lines".

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by bollywood karim

indian movies are made for indians...you will not appreciate indian movies, because of a cultural divide. Like i don't understand tiawanese movies, or cambodian movies because i am from a different culture.

Well, that's a racist ideology and another way of saying, "you don't appreciate or respect other cultures because you don't accept mediocrity in our style of filmmaking." That's the same as me saying, "Hollywood movies are not for you Indians because Hollywood is in USA." That's a racist comment you made. I'm not upset with you though. This is a fun debate.

I like movies from every country and understand good movies from every country, including Iran, Vietnam, Israel, Chile, Finland, Russia. There is no cultural divide when it comes to a good movie from anywhere in the world that is professionally made, well-structured with polished dialogue, interesting story, and characters with depth.

What you are talking about is "native inside joke pop-culture movies." Ever see one of those spoof films that pokes fun at all the past movies - like Naked Gun, Dance Movie, Scary Movie? Every country has these types of movies where they poke fun at their past movies, their own pop culture, etc. That is the case when a foreigner may "not get" a movie because the comedy is local or native to that country.

the immense passions, love, relationships that are in indian culture are unrivaled in hollywood.

Come back to Earth when you are done defending stalker romance dialogue which seems like it was written by amateur teenage boys that have never been in a relationship found in Bollywood movies.

Originally Posted by FreakMan

well i guess it all come down to personal taste no one can speak for another i was just saying what i beleive is true, and i know Kambakth Ishq isnt a good movie, even my friends know it isnt but it is entertaining, and if you were to ask my friends some of the best movies they have seen ever, they would list a few of the movies on that list. Thats how much they have liked the movies. They might know they arent the best movies ever made but they are damn good. Anyways i hope they start giving more priority to films liks Dil Se, Lagaan, Sholay, etc.

I believe that cinema is also about getting away from the real world, so if a movie is out of this world, unbelievable story lines and over the top it is okay as long as the movie can entertain which i think most bollywood movies do very well, no matter how crappy the film might be it still entertains. Why do you think people like superhero movies and a majority of hollywood movies, most of them can also be considered "out of this world" and have "unbelievable story lines".

I agree with you. That's why I love Indian films - I love to be entertained. They are like cheesy "superhero films" (Catwoman, Fantastic Four), but they ain't at the level of a good deep "superhero films" (The Dark Knight or Watchmen).

But once again, let's stay on topic as Mrbrat_Boy and Halimali has stated - Good/classy/masterpiece Indian flicks on Indian blu-ray - that's the topic.

[bugsnest]

@todly666
I for one like some of the Bollywood BD releases for the simple reason that they are good films. If you are not a person who grew up in India and do not understand some of the nuances of living there then you may not appreciate the jokes and plot of some of these films (the subtitles ruin the experience which is always the case!). Western reviewers on RottenTomatoes are not a real yardstick for Indian films...Incidentally Indian cinema is made up of movies from many states. If you are truly in pursuit of quality Indian cinema then I would urge you to go beyond the moronic cinema represented by Rajni (Sivaji) and the like and step into Bengali, Malayalam and some of the “regional genres” that have some world class gems to be found. Before you ask, they are not on BD yet.


That said, I love it that a Kaminey, Dev-D, Rocket Singh, Dostana etc. have got a BD treatment. I look forward to others in that vein.
I could care less if they had never released "Jodhaa Akbar" or "Saawariya" on BD coz, simply put, I found both movies to be colossal crap that were made to feed the giant egos of the filmmakers behind them! But hey, that's just me and I don't really need to waste money or time to see something that a western reviewer recommends highly and thinks that represents Indian cinema!!


Now going to the original post, the OP talks of having over 1000 BD's and yet not finding a single Bollywood BD worth purchasing. It’s quite obvious he is a collector so a "Lagaan" or "Pakeezah" or "Mughal E Azam" may rock his boat more than a contemporary story or a well made entertainer unless they are released in a steelbook maybe?
Who knows! But all I can say is there definitely is some quality content in the current crop of releases.
He has the former queen of masala films as his avatar and still finds every Bollywood release on BD mediocore??

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by bugsnest

Now going to the original post, the OP talks of having over 1000 BD's and yet not finding a single Bollywood BD worth purchasing. It’s quite obvious he is a collector so a "Lagaan" or "Pakeezah" or "Mughal E Azam" may rock his boat more than a contemporary story or a well made entertainer unless they are released in a steelbook maybe?
Who knows! But all I can say is there definitely is some quality content in the current crop of releases.
He has the former queen of masala films as his avatar and still finds every Bollywood release on BD mediocore??

Well, the OP has a lot of crap Hollywood films as well as good ones, so I don't know why he wouldn't want any crap Bollywood films in there. But then again, a bad Bollywood movie is crappier than a bad Hollywood film, so maybe that's why he doesn't have any Bollywood blu-rays. But the main thing that I interpret from his post are Bollywood contemporary masterpieces and old masterpieces are missing on blu-ray- and none of those are on Indian blu-ray yet. It's very simple to understand.

[bugsnest]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

Well, the OP has a lot of crap Hollywood films as well as good ones, so I don't know why he wouldn't want any crap Bollywood films in there. But then again, a bad Bollywood movie is crappier than a bad Hollywood film, so maybe that's why he doesn't have any Bollywood blu-rays. But the main thing that I interpret from his post are Bollywood contemporary masterpieces and old masterpieces are missing on blu-ray- and none of those are on Indian blu-ray yet. It's very simple to understand.

What "Bollywood contemporary masterpieces" are you waiting for??