Bollywood’s uniquely stylized take on the cinematic medium has gone through a number of drastic transformations over the years. These phases each appeared with their own distinctive merits, such as the evocative quality of Satyajit Ray’s era of naturalist films, or the unique melodrama of Amitabh Bachchan’s era of crime action movies.
Tracking the trajectory of Bollywood’s transformations through the years, the decade through the mid-90s to the mid-2000s appears in a special light. This was the long period through which Bollywood cinema let go of its classical sensibilities and developed its own "modern" lens. Films released in this time period were a unique medley of the old and the new; they had a distinct style, and they found a magical conjunction of good writing and new stars who would go on to amass an incomparable level of stardom.
The year 1995 is the best representation of this period of Bollywood cinema. Unlike most other years in the industry, many of the top-grossers of that year garnered a timeless relevance for the Indian film audience, becoming evergreen classics. Here are 10 movies that made 1995 a great year for Bollywood.
10 Karan Arjun
Starring two of the three Khans who continue to lead Bollywood cinema, Karan Arjun was a formative movie in the careers of Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. The two had established themselves before this by playing family dramas and antagonistic roles, respectively. Karan Arjun showcased their ability to lead action titles, and the movie ended up becoming an evergreen classic, earning 10 nominations at the Filmfare Awards. They appear in the movie as two brothers who live a happy village life with their mother, played by Rakhee. An unexpected reveal about their noble lineage leads to the brothers being murdered by their greedy relatives. But the endless grief and rage of their loving mother grants them a divine reincarnation, destined for revenge.
9 Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
The superstar Shah Rukh Khan gave some of his most iconic romance performances around this time period, such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Mohabbatein. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge arguably stands a step above the others in terms of its cultural impact. He stars in the movie opposite Kajol as a fun-loving youngster living in London, who falls in love with a girl from a conservative family. Dilwale is one of the most beloved romances in Bollywood history. Iconic scenes from the movie continue to be spoofed, and its songs have a timeless appeal among Indians, young and new. It even finds itself in the 2012 BFI Sight & Sound list of the 1000 greatest films of all time.
8 Rangeela
Directed by the revered filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma, Rangeela was a love triangle featuring Urmila Matondker in her breakthrough role. The movie takes place in the sidelines of the film industry as Matondker’s character wishes to be a film star, and is aided in this endeavor by her childhood best friend, played by Aamir Khan, and an established film star, played by Jackie Shroff. Verma also enlisted the legendary composer A.R Rahman to be the movie’s music director, and its title track remains an evergreen classic among the Indian audience. A movie filled with many near misses and hesitations from its characters, Rangeela played with the audience’s heartstrings, and became a blockbuster success.
7 Coolie No. 1
Coolie No. 1 has garnered cult status in the modern day as a classic comedy film from an earlier era of Bollywood. Built atop a hilarious assortment of double-dealing, the movie starts off when a matchmaker swears revenge on a rich, egotistical man for insulting him. The opportunity for revenge comes in the form of a cocky porter or coolie, played by Govinda. The matchmaker decides to pose Govinda’s character as the prince of Singapore and get him married to the rich man’s daughter, who is played by Karishma Kapoor.
6 Sabse Bada Khiladi
One of the enduring stars from the last generation of Bollywood, Akshay Kumar is known today for his extremely prolific work ethic, appearing as lead in multiple movies every year. While he can mostly be seen in period action films and social dramas these days, he originally broke through as an action star skilled in martial arts. The Khiladi film series is his best work from this early period of his career. Sabse Bada Khiladi is the third movie in this series, with a story loosely based on a pulp novel titled Lallu. The plot takes the shape of an investigative thriller with many twists and turns in the style of classic Bollywood. Akshay Kumar himself played a double role in the movie, and it garnered much success in the box office, becoming the sixth-highest grossing movie of the year.
5 Khilona Bana Khalnayak
An iconic horror movie in India’s film history, Khilona Bana Khalnayak was originally a Marathi-language film titled Zapatlela that was dubbed in Hindi to great nation-wide success. The horror comedy film is based on the American film Child’s Play, with a goofy-looking doll replacing the well-known Chucky. The adaptation replaced the voodoo elements of the original with an esoteric Hindu context. Despite the campy feel of the movie, it managed to terrify audiences with an eerie atmosphere and the scares it offered up work well to this day.
4 Trimurti
An action movie starring three of the biggest stars of the day, Trimurti (translating to "trinity") was the first Indian movie to collect over 10 million rupees on opening day. The movie is led by Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, and Shah Rukh Khan as three brothers to a disgraced former cop, played by Priya Tendulkar. After their mother is convicted over trumped-up charges set up by a crime lord, the brothers grow up and choose different paths of life. Two of them end up working for the same crime lord who had their mother imprisoned. The movie explores this journey in their lives and sees the three brothers eventually put their differences aside and avenge their mother.
3 Raja
While it isn’t remembered as well as the other movies on this list, Raja was nevertheless a popular movie during the year of its release. Starring one of the biggest actresses of the time, Madhuri Dixit, opposite Sanjay Kapoor, the movie was a romantic drama with a story that involved ideas of childhood love and familial conspiracies, which were a typical plot element for Bollywood dramas during that period. The movie garnered 11 nominations at the Filmfare awards, including a Best Actress nomination for Dixit.
2 Ram Jaane
An action film starring Shah Rukh Khan in an antihero-type role, Ram Jaane is a story about a nameless orphan who grows up to be an incorrigible criminal. Ram Jaane is a grim tale with an unusual focus for its time period in Bollywood. Despite including all the melodramatic flairs, the movie didn’t focus on the heroism of its criminal protagonists, nor a romance story, which was certainly included as well. Instead, the movie was about the influence of Khan’s character upon a group of younger orphans, and his relationship with these children.
1 Akele Hum Akele Tum
Akele Hum Akele Tum was another Bollywood movie from 1995 that featured an unusual story. Loosely based on the Hollywood hit Kramer vs Kramer, the movie explored the realities of marital struggles and divorce. The movie starred Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala as two aspiring singers who fall in love and get married. When the wife gains the success that the couple had been independently striving for, it creates a rift in their marriage as the husband’s ego cannot handle his wife’s success. The movie follows the ramifications of their decision to separate, particularly on their young son.