From local train running on one side to the building touching the sky on the other, Mumbai is the city of dreams. Formerly known as Bombay, the city never sleeps yet dreams about every human desire. Filled with natural green beauty and historical monuments, the city of Mumbai is nothing less than a heaven of concrete. And the beauty of this city is often captured by the filmmakers of Bollywood. Over the years, the city of Mumbai has been one of the most desirable movies by Bollywood makers. To color you with the beauty of Mumbai, here we bring you the top 10 Bollywood movies that give a primer to life in Mumbai:
1. Wake Up Sid: from the nightlife of Mumbai to the first rain of the city, this movie gives a look at every emotion every Mumbaikar goes through in their lives. Wake up Sid portrays the story of Sid, a spoiled brat, and Aisha, the new girl in the town. While the history of the duo is poles apart, the end goal for both of them is to find their true identity in the town.
2. City Light: No movie ever can give you a closer look at the life of Mumbai than Hansal Mehta’s City Light. Starring Rajkumar Rao and Patralekha in lead, the movie is a remake of Metro Manila and talks about the struggle of a common man who desires to make a life in Mumbai.
3. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na: Where Karan Johar failed, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na did the work. The movie based on talking about college romance gives you a Mumbai tour for free. The film offers a beautiful view of Mumbai by showcasing Bandra Fort, the Asiatic Library, the Gateway lane, and also Bandra Worli Sea Link before it was inaugurated!
4. Gully Boy: While the movie is based on the life of an aspiring rapper Murad aka Gully Boy, Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, differentiates the life of teens living in multi-storage building and slums of Mumbai most artistically. The song Azadi is enough to give insight into true blue Bombay life.
5. Slumdog Millionaire: As the name suggests, Slumdog Millionaire paints the dark side of Mumbai on the big screen. Directed by Danny Boyle, the movie stars Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, and Irfan Khan in lead. The story of the movie sheds light on the life of a guy who was born and brought up in the slum of Mumbai, and how he becomes a millionaire by using all the life lessons he got while saving his life.
6. The Lunchbox: The Lunchbox a cute love story, portrays the life of a common man stuck in the 9 to 5 job life. The movie captures the connection between Sajjan and Ila over a mistaken delivery by the Dabbawalas in Mumbai.
7. Salaam Bombay: Directed by Mira Nair, this tale of Mumbai is one of the first films to gain international recognition. The story of Krishna and his discovery in Mumbai slums is shown with great sensitivity. It gives you a picture of the life of children living on the streets of Mumbai.
8. Bombay: Released back in 1995, Bombay, is an apt example of the art of symbolism. Helmed by magician Mani Ratnam, the movie traces the struggles of the couple during the communal riots in Mumbai and how they survive it.
9. Dhobi Ghat: Kiran Rao’s directorial debut Dhobi Ghat features Prateik Babbar, Aamir Khan, and Monica Dogra among the others. It is the tale of four people who are connected by fate and the city of dreams. As quoted by Kiran Rao in an interview, Mumbai is the fifth character in the film that follows the lives of four people in the city.
10. Life in a metro: Directed by Anuraj Basu, the film narrated the lives of nine people living in Mumbai. It was a masterpiece and dealt with subjects like extra-marital affairs, love, heartbreaks, marriage, loneliness, and modern-day struggles in Mumbai. With an ensemble cast of Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen, Shilpa Shetty, and Kangana Ranaut, among others, it only gets better. Pritam's music is another plus point of the story.
