Bollywood films have a way of presenting life king-size – be it the songs, the costumes and makeup, the larger-than-life sets, or the picturesque locales. From the movie or television screens, a viewer can feel close to Sridevi and Rishi Kapoor romancing in the Swiss Alps, or explore Europe with Raj and Simran in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge or have a quite moment at Goa’s Fort Aguada with the actors of Dil Chahta Hai. Movies have a way of making the world look smaller and closer.
While you have seen enough of Prague, Paris, Spain in Bollywood films, Akarsh Khurana’s Karwaan is a road trip movie that goes on a journey from the picturesque Western Ghats to Kochi. Talking about the film, the director told Silverscreen, “Bengaluru to Kochi via Ooty is a route I have traveled on so much as part of my life in theatre. I have performed in all these places. Oh, it’s a beautiful terrain! When it comes to road dramas in Bollywood, I think we have seen enough of North India and the Goa-Mumbai route.” The film has Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar and is releasing this Friday.
As we await the release of Karwaan which means travellers, here are five other Bollywood road trip movies:
Piku
Delhi-based architect Piku Banerjee (Deeepika Padukone) lives with her father Bhaskor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) – a grumpy old man who has severe bowel issues, which simply refuses to be tamed. Piku’s Baba is a hypochondriac – someone who gets the jitters even at the slightest variation in his body temperature. The movie puts you through a lot of sh*t. You can spot Piku and Baba discussing potty even on the dinner table.
Right from the beginning of the film, Bhaskor comes across as a hard-core Bengali, who longs to go back to his roots (Kolkata). His potty problem reaches a whole new level when they head on a road trip, from Delhi to Kolkata. From Bhaskor carrying his ‘simhasan’ along to Rana (Irrfan Khan) advising him to have tulsi to clear his bowels, this road trip is peppered with witty banters and lot’s of potty humour.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Three best friends – Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Imraan (Farhan Akhtar), and Kabir (Abhay Deol) – head on a fun trip across Spain, instead of throwing a regular bachelor’s party for Kabir. While on the trip, they have one old promise to keep – to perform three daring stunts suggested by each one of them.
During their journey, Hrithik finds love in scuba instructor Katrina Kaif, while Kabir realizes his relationship with Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) was just not meant to be and Imraan comes to terms with his past. Imparting a few life lessons, the film takes us to the bylanes of Spain, the Tomatina festival, deep-sea diving, accompanied by Javed Akhtar’s beautiful poems. The film is all about good looking people and how they overcome their fears in picturesque locations.
Queen
A not-so-confident and naive Rani (Kangana Ranaut) decides to go on her already planned honeymoon after her fiance ditches her at the altar. Exploring the streets of Paris and Amsterdam, Rani finds friends in people who are very different from her in every aspect. It is also during this trip that Rani learns to navigate her way in an unknown land and finally finds her feet, experiencing true freedom. She returns to India as a free-spirited woman.
While the movie is all about a woman, her liberation, and identity, the film also takes you through the quaint streets of Amsterdam and the romantic city of Pairs, letting you explore the city along with Rani.
Finding Fanny
Five dysfunctional friends set out in search of an old postman’s (Ferdie a.k.a Naseeruddin Shah) childhood love, Stefanie “Fanny” Fernandes (Anjali Patil). A young widow Angie (Deepika Padukone) puts together a plan where they are joined by Angies’s widowed mother-in-law Rosie (Dimple Kapadia), Don Pedro Cleto Colaco (Pankaj Kapoor), the painter who finds his muse in Rosie and Arjun Kapoor (the brooding Savio) who’s in love with Angie, but is too egoistic to admit.
While films like Dil Chahta Hai and Go Goa Gone took us to the tourists spots of Goa and its beaches and sea-side pubs, Finding Fanny explored Goa’s quaint villages where life goes on at its own pace. It’s a screwball comedy that manages to bring out Goa’s old-world charm and susegad life.
Jab We Met
This one tops the list of Bollywood road trip films. Two strangers meet on a train, only to change each others lives for good. Geeth (Kareena Kapoor) is a happy-go-lucky girl who plans to elope to marry her boyfriend. Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) is a rich businessman who is frustrated with the monotony of life and leaves home after his girlfriend walks out on him. After a series of hilarious incidents, Geeth and Aditya embark on a journey back home, exploring the interiors of North India. Geeth then leaves home and whether she will see ‘happily ever-after’ with her boyfriend or will return to Aditya is the crux of the plot.
From exploring the rich culture, traditions, and folklore of Punjab to the snow-capped Rohtang pass in Manali, Jab We Met brings onto the big screen an India that will inspire your next holiday.
