Hello Friends, this post is for all movie lovers. We usually go and watch movies in Cinema hall and Multiplex but here we can only watch new movies so what about old classic movies. So here is the solution Zee Classic presents collection of  ‘India’s Finest Films’ starting on 16th July, every Saturday at 10 PM all these are must watch movies.

Three hours of entertainment. Some songs, dance, action and comedy. Sounds familiar?

Bollywood movies have always been the most popular mode of entertainment in India. We are all familiar with the on-screen running around the trees, high-octane action sequences, twins separated at birth reuniting decades later with a sprinkle of romance and lots of mirch masala. We leave the theatres after watching these movies wanting our lives to be a perfect film story with a happy ending.

But sometimes, we want to experience something historical, contemporary, something more deep rooted and intense. This is when we wish to watch movies which leave a greater impact on the society as they entertain leaving an impactful message that concerns all of us living together in a society. Some of these movies actually change our mindsets while some fill us up with emotional turmoil and some others, give our life a new direction. Indian Cinema, over the years, has beautifully transformed and re-invented itself. From socially relevant topics of child marriage, dowry, female feticide, re-marriage to a simple love story, film-makers have done it all.

With its proposition of ‘WohZamaanaKareDeewana’, Zee Classic is India’s only Hindi movie channel that endeavors to recreate the magic of iconic classic and new age cinema by showcasing not just the films that shaped Indian cinema, but also acquaint viewers with the creative talent who were a part of that timeless era. Zee Classic boasts of an outstanding library of Indian cinematic classics and it has recently associated with National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). Starting 16th July, every Saturday at 10 PM, Zee Classic will premiere ‘India’s Finest Films’, a distinguished property showcasing masterpieces like ‘Mirch Masala’, ‘Ek Doctor kiMaut’, ’27 Down’ and ‘Salaam Bombay’ amongst many other such gems from the NFDC library. These movies mark the debut of icons like Irrfan Khan, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah and many more. This festival kickstarts with ‘Salaam Bombay!’ directed by Mira Nair on Saturday, 16th July at 10 PM.

Here is a list of 14 movies you cannot afford to miss:

1.Salaam Bombay!

In 1988, Mira Nair made her directorial film debut with Salaam Bombay!which chronicled the lives of a group of street children in Mumbai. Inspired by the actual street children of Mumbai who starred in the movie, the film won awards across the globe for its authenticity and unwavering portrayal of the life of Mumbai’s abandoned and homeless youth.

The list of achievements is a long one for this movie. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, the National Board of Review Award for Top Foreign Film, the Golden Camera and Audience Awards at the Cannes Film Festival, and three awards at the Montréal World Film Festival. ‘Salaam Bombay!’ was India’s second film submission to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was among the list of “The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made” by the New York Times.

Catch ‘Salaam Bombay!’ on 16th July at 10 PM on Zee Classic

2.Mirch Masala

For some Ketan Mehta will always remain the man who made Mirch Masala. An attention grabbing film, it rotates around the gender divide in the society. It is the story of Sonabai(SmitaPatil) and her struggle to protect her sanctity from the evil Subedar (Naseeruddin Shah) and a village full of sexist men. The dusty and dried surroundings of Kutch shown in the movie probably are an illustration for the values of a male and class-dominated Indian culture.

Amongst other things Mirch Masala has gone down in history as one of SmitaPatil’s finest performances with Forbes including her performance in the film on its list, ‘25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema’.

Catch ‘Mirch Masala’ on 23rd July at 10 PM on Zee Classic

3.Salim LangdePe Mat Ro

Salim LangdePe Mat Ro is a rare film and an attempt to showcase the dilemmas faced by urban Muslims thoughtfully but boldly. In addition to the portrayal of Bombay’s mohalla life, it also shows the joys of friendship and camaraderie and pleasure of loafing around. Salim Langda(Pawan Malhotra) is a confident petty thief. Salim earns his livelihood by doing odd jobs for the big bosses of Bombay’s underworld. His final ambition is to ape these underworld kings whose status he envies.

Saeed Mirza, the director, has a long history of making films which have ridiculed stereotypes to which minorities are subject to in popular Hindi films and this movie is one of his finest creations. The film won the 37th National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and the National Film Award for Best Cinematography in 1989.

Catch ‘Salim LangdePe Mat Ro’ on 30th July at 10 PM on Zee Classic

4.Ek Doctor Ki Maut

Ek Doctor Ki Maut is an award winning film by the noted Bengali director Tapan Sinha, which depicts the ostracism, bureaucratic negligence and insult of a doctor and his research, instead of recognition and credit. This movie is loosely based on the life of Dr. SubhashMukhopadhyay, an Indian physician who pioneered the IVF treatment just around the same time when another leading scientist, Dr. Robert Edwards was conducting separate experiments in England.

The film won the 38th National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, National Film Award for Best Direction and National Film Award – Special Jury Award awarded to the male lead, Pankaj Kapoor.

Catch ‘Ek Doctor Ki Maut on 6th August at 10 PM on Zee Classic

5.Gandhi

The name says it all!

Gandhi (1982) was produced and directed by Richard Attenborough and written by John Briley. Starring Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Roshan Seth and Martin Sheen, it is one of the most iconic films of all times.

Gandhi is the highest Oscar winning film of all time – claiming eight awards from 11 nominations, including Best Film – although it almost never got made! The late director Richard Attenborough revealed in of his interviews “It took me 20 years to get the money to get that movie made. I remember my pitch to 20th Century Fox. The guy said: ‘Dickie, it’s sweet of you to come here. You’re obviously obsessed. But who will be interested in a little brown man wrapped in a sheet carrying a beanpole?’ I would have loved to have met that guy after the Oscars!”

Attenborough knew that he would be telling one of the 20th-century’s most remarkable stories, that of the Indian lawyer who returned from racially segregated South Africa to drive the British out of his home country through successive acts of non-violent protest.

Catch ‘Gandhi’ on 13th August at 10 PM on Zee Classic

6.ArdhSatya

ArdhSatya is directed by the very talented GovindNihalani. The film is based on a short story by D.A. Panvalkar and the script is written by Vijay Tendulkar. It has Om Puri, SmitaPatil, AmrishPuri, Naseeruddin Shah and SadashivAmarpurkar in lead roles. It is the story of AnantWelankar, son of a retired constable in Maharashtra Police, who is forced to let go of his dream of pursuing an MBA and join the Police force.

After Aakrosh, ArdhSatya is the second film made by GovindNihalani. It is brutally honest in the depiction of the trials, tribulations, character and conflicts of its protagonist. In times when everything and everyone has a price, it is a hard hitting journey of an honest man… a part of which remains back to haunt you long after the credits have rolled.

Catch ‘ArdhSatya’ on 20th August at 10 PM on Zee Classic

7.Pestonjee

Pestonjee is a film directed by Vijaya Mehta, starring AnupamKher, Naseeruddin Shah and ShabanaAzmi in lead roles. The film is an intimate look into the life and mannerisms of the Parsi community especially those living in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) in the 1950s and 60s.

‘Life is for living, not for complaining.’ says the cover to ‘Pestonjee’. Phirohshah aka Phiroj(Naseeruddin Shah) and Pestonjee aka Pesi(AnupamKher) are the best of friends. They are almost like twins. There is no life without one another and they also hope to get married at the same time. But destiny has something else stored for them.

Catch ‘Pestonjee’ on 3rd September at 10 PM on Zee Classic

8.Qissa

All of us have grown up with different kinds of stories that were narrated to us. Some of them will be overlooked while some will be lost with the passage of time. But, the story of Qissa is timeless. Irrfan Khan as Umber Singh, Tisca Chopra as Mehar, TilotamaShome as Kanwar Singh, RasikaDugal as Neeli are the main protagonists of the movie.

Anup Singh’s Qissa is a powerful, haunting, superbly crafted film about the complexities of character and sexuality. Does personality stem from a society or nation you were conceived in, your sex, sexuality or just the environment you were brought up in and situations that formed you? The film packs these profound inquiries into a simple story.

Catch ‘Qissa’ on 10th September at 10 PM on Zee Classic

9.27 Down

27 Down is a film directed by Awtar Krishna Kaul, featuring Raakhee and M.K. Raina in lead parts. The film is description on 27 Down, the Bombay-Varanasi Express. Sanjay (M K Raina), the son of a railroad employee, gives up on his dreams of becoming an artist when his father demands he come back to the family occupation. He gauges life in train sounds and journeys. The requests of congruity influence his connection with a young lady Shalini (Rakhee).

27 Down is one of those rare gems of the Indian silver screen that merited more credit than what it really recieved. Despite it being made 40 years ago, it manages to remarkably portray the relationship between two young adults as they get together and try to discover themselves in each other through their conversations, meaningful connections and silent solitude!

Catch ’27 Down’ on 14th September at 10 PM on Zee Classic

10.Gangoobai

“Apnepasandkicheezmilnabadibaathai.
Agar sab kuch mil gaya, lekinapnepasandkicheez hi namilitohmatlabkyahaijeekay!”

(“It is a big thing, to get what one desires.
If you have everything, but cannot get that one thing you desire, then what is the point of living!”)

Directed by PriyaKrishnaswamy, Sarita Joshi is the main protagonist in Gangoobai. The story revolves around an elderly maid who strives to accomplish her dream of buying a costly Gara sari and changes the lives of individuals she comes in contact with while in Mumbai to purchase the sari.

Catch ‘Gangoobai’ on 1st October at 10 PM on Zee Classic

11.Mammo

Mammo (1994), a film by ShyamBenegal, is the first film in the series of Muslim trilogy including Sardari Begum (1996) and Zubeidaa (2001).

The film portrays the flinching truths frequently confronted by the powerless, post-partition. It reminds of the emotional torture of being torn far from one’s roots over and over; in spite of one turning a blind eye or making a noise for change in the circumstances which they have no control over. It makes one appreciate something which is frequently is taken for granted until it is lost or gone for good. The character of Mammo (Farida Jalal), abandons her family and home behind for love and moves to Pakistan. They live in peaceful co-existence until her husband leaves Mammo defenseless and desolate.

Even though the motion picture is named after Mammo, the film tells two stories, one of Mammo, obviously, and other of youthful Riyaaz…His life and companions, his trysts with cigarettes, adult films, his shame that he is not as affluent as his companions, him trying to find himself, his bothering on seeing a stranger trying to be a part of his family and his ambition of turning into an author in the future.

This movie is also the recipient of National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance by Farida Jalal and National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress by SurekhaSikri.

Catch ‘Mammo on 27th August at 10 PM on Zee Classic

12.Massey Sahib

Massey Sahib is a 1985 film directed by PradipKrishen, featuring RaghuvirYadav in the main role. It was PradipKrishen’s first film, and was based on a novel Mister Johnson written by Joyce Cary in 1939. The film also has stars like Arundhati Roy, who was yet to pen down her first novel and win the Man Booker Prize, alongside Barry John and VeerendraSaxena.

This story revolves around a man who is stuck in the crossfire where British Frontier principles smothered Indian freedom and colonializes it. This is a story told from an Indian perspective. Francis Massey (RaghuvirYadav) works as a secretary for a British government officer in central India. Francis tries to out-do his employer in an attempt to be more British than him. He dresses British and even has a church wedding. He is not the most productive or gifted specialist, and his supervisor, the Commissioner Charles Adam (Barry John), regularly mediates on his benefit. But, Massey’s unexpected fate is entirely past the Commissioner’s mediation.

Even though RaghuvirYadav has never won a National Award…he did win two International Awards for the Best Actor for Massey Sahib, FIPRESCI Critic’s Award, Venice Film Festival, 1986 and the Best Actor Silver Peacock, IIFI, 1987.

Catch ‘Massey Sahib’ on 17th September at 10 PM on Zee Classic

13.Arvind Desai Ki AjeebDastaan

Arvind Desai Ki AjeebDastan (ADKAD), a film dear to Saeed AkhtarMirza’s heart, was a masterpiece of the parallel silver screen development that was a tribute to Indian producers. The motion picture revolves around the internal clashes of a person born and brought in a city, who battles to comprehend the significance of his life and those encompassing him, including family and companions. It stars ShreeramLagoo, RohiniHattangadi, Satish Shah, Suresh Oberoi (in a cameo), Om Puri and DilipDhawan.

Arvind Desai (DilipDhawan) is a single child of a rich specialist (ShriramLagoo) who deals in extravagant luxury handcrafted products. His has conflicting emotions for his dad. While he detests his commanding nature, he respects his aura, power and sharp mind. He has long examinations on workmanship and governmental issues with a Marxist companion (Om Puri). Much against his desires, his marriage is orchestrated to a young lady from a high-class family who has quite recently returned from Paris.

It’s a film about the trans-generational exchange of qualities and the repercussions of the prevalent legacy influencing the value system in the future.

Catch ‘Arvind Desai Ki AjeebDastaan’ on 8th October at 10 PM on Zee Classic

14.The Good Road

The Good Road is a 2013 Indian drama film written and directed by Gyan Correa. The film won the trophy for Best Gujarati film at the 60th National Film Awards. Also, it was the first Gujarati film ever chosen to represent India at the Oscars. The motion picture is described in a hyperlink arrangement, where a few stories are interwoven, with the focal point of the story being an expressway in the country terrains of Gujarat close to a town in Kutch.

A family on a holiday lose their child… A truck driver’s last rid… A young lady in search of hope… This is an adventurous journey, across a national highway, and into the heart of a concealed India, where demonstrations of extraordinary sympathy are shown to outsiders.

Catch ‘The Good Road’ on 15th October at 10 PM on Zee Classic

To acquaint the youth of India with parallel cinema and enhance their movie-viewing experience, Zee Classic has also curated an hour long special feature called ‘India’s Finest Films – A Parallel Journey’. It includes views of stalwarts of Indian cinema like ShyamBenegal, Mahesh Bhatt, Saeed Mirza, Kundan Shah, RohiniHattangadi amongst others. It is available on the Zee Classic YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDRbplMpfOI ). Audiences can also catch it on television as a prelude to ‘India’s Finest Films’. Excerpts of this feature along with additional exclusive interviews will be showcased during the telecast of movies on Zee Classic.

~Watch ‘India’s Finest Films’ every Saturday at 10 PM only on Zee Classic~

Press Release only for reference

Announces
‘India’s Finest Films’ from 16th July @ 10 PM with the premiere of ‘Salaam Bombay!’

National, 12th July: With its proposition of ‘WohZamaanaKareDeewana’, Zee Classic is India’s only Hindi movie channel that endeavors to recreate the magic of iconic classic and new age cinema by showcasing not just the films that shaped Indian cinema, but also acquaint viewers with the creative talent who were a part of that timeless era. Zee Classic boasts of an outstanding library of Indian cinematic classics and it has recently associated with National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). Starting 16thJuly, every Saturday at 10 PM, Zee Classic will premiere ‘India’s Finest Films’, a distinguished property showcasing masterpieces like ‘Mirch Masala’, ‘Ek Doctor kiMaut’, ’27 Down’ and ‘Salaam Bombay’ amongst many other such gems from the NFDC library. These movies mark the debut of icons like Irrfan Khan, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah and many more. This festival kickstarts with ‘Salaam Bombay!’ directed by Mira Nair on Saturday, 16th July at 10 PM.

Parallel cinema in India has evolved through the years, starting from the Neorealism-influenced films of Nehruvian India, through the more politically radical films of the Seventies and the liberal humanist films that were termed as Independent cinema. Zee Classic gives viewers a golden opportunity to taste this flavor of cinema and experience the magic for the very first time on Indian television. The first film ‘Salaam Bombay!’ chronicles the day-to-day life of children living on the streets of Bombay (Mumbai). Recipient of many distinguished awards including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, the National Board of Review Award for Top Foreign Film, the Golden Camera and Audience Awards at the Cannes Film Festival, the film was India’s second film submission to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was also among the New York Times list of ‘The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made’.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., Chief Business Officer, Sunil Buch said, “A Hindi movie channel as distinct as Zee Classic has seen growing viewership with every property that we have showcased. In line with its brand positioning ‘WohZamaanaKareDeewana’, we have enriched the channel’s library to present our viewers with some never-seen-before timeless classics. Zee Classic will soon telecast the crème de la crème of landmark cinema under its latest property – ‘India’s Finest Films’. It offers a mix of critically acclaimed independent and award winning films that are treasures of Indian cinema. We have associated with NFDC to create this property and today, with new age films setting new benchmarks in parallel cinema, the films that are a part of ‘India’s Finest Films’ represent the semantics of Indian culture over the years and have carved the way for realism in films. With films such Gandhi, Mirch Masala, 27 Down, it is for the discerning cinema lover who likes to be challenged. This property will present films that brings life to so many iconic characters and thought provoking narratives.”

To acquaint the youth of India with parallel cinema and enhance their movie-viewing experience, Zee Classic has also curated an hour long special feature called ‘India’s Finest Films – A Parallel Journey’. It includes views of stalwarts of Indian cinema like ShyamBenegal, Mahesh Bhatt, Saeed Mirza, Kundan Shah, RohiniHattangadi amongst others. It had an extravagant digital release and premiered on the Zee Classic YouTube channel on Tuesday, 12th July at 12 noon. Audiences can also catch it on television as a prelude to ‘India’s Finest Films’. Excerpts of this feature along with additional exclusive interviews will be showcased during the telecast of movies on Zee Classic. The channel has also launched a 360 degree marketing campaign including Outdoor, Radio, Print and exclusive screenings of these titles with influencers.

Zee Hindi Movies Cluster, Business Head, Ruchir Tiwari said, “With the success of properties like ‘The Bimal Roy Festival with BomanIrani’ and ‘The Golden Years with Javed Akhtar’, we are constantly innovating with content on Zee Classic to entertain its audiences. We have acquired 49 path breaking titles produced by NFDC and some of them will be showcased for the very first time on television. The sheer brilliance and uniqueness of these films is that they have no shelf life as they are timeless genius masterpieces! The promotional campaign has already kick started across mediums. The prelude, ‘India’s Finest films – A Parallel Journey’ has luminaries from the industry share their unrivalled expertise and insights of these classics and is a content goldmine for lovers of parallel cinema. While this genre of films is not commercial, the work of many superstars and filmmakers in them has increased the popularity of these masterpieces and will surely entertain viewers across age groups.”

NFDC spokesperson, Ms. Nazhat J. Shaikh, Director (Finance) said, “Over the last few years NFDC has developed and nurtured not only Indie cinema and fresh film talent but also audiences that would be groomed to connect with the same. Our Best of Indian Cinema initiative with Zee Classicis a step further in that direction. The viewer will experience over the next few months a selection of some of our landmark films packaged with some interesting trivia. A true spread for the Cineaste ! This is also a great moment to acknowledge the contribution made by the filmmakers and the film talent who walked with us on this journey and created these endearing works of cinematic expression.”

Talking about India’s Finest Films and Zee Classic, Mr.ShyamBenegal said, “Rabindranath Tagore once said that every art seeks to find its own independent manner of expression within the world it creates, and no creative genius has yet arrived to deliver it from its bondage. Having said that, television has always been a very effective medium, particularly for films that may or may not have the opportunity to do well in cinema houses. This is because televisions reaches homes and you do not pay individually for movies. I personally feel Zee Classic’s initiative is a very good one. It will help to keep alive the film culture of our country and Zee Classic is in the ideal position to do this.”

~‘India’s Finest Films – A Parallel Journey’, an exclusive special feature is available on the Zee Classic YouTube channel~
~Starting 16th July at 10 PM, tune-in to Zee Classic for ‘Salaam Bombay’ from ‘India’s Finest Films’ ~