The best Farooq Shaikh’s drama movies
If you love cinema, you will share this ranking of the best Farooq Shaikh’s movies, although you may have ordered them differently. In any case, we hope you love it and with a little luck discovering a movie that you still don’t know about Farooq Shaikh.
The Chess Players
7.5/10
It is the year 1856. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is the king of Awadh, one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British colonialists, intent on controlling this rich land, have sent general Outram on a secret mission to clear the way for an annexation. Pressure is mounting amidst intrigue and political manoeuvres, but the Nawab whiles away his time in pursuit of pleasure and religious practice. The court is of no help either—Court nobles Mir and Mirza, ignoring the situation of their country and all their duties towards their families, spend their days playing endless games of chess. The film is based on Munshi Premchand's short story of the same name.
Maya Memsaab
5.4/10
A frustrated housewife whose marriage to an average man does not meet her expectations enters into an affair with a younger man. Of course, there are no easy escapes from reality.
Shanghai
7.2/10
Prime leader of a campaign against a big government project is killed in what appears to be a road accident. An IAS officer is ordered to probe the incident and the veils of falsehood begin to drop.
Katha
7.7/10
A modern retelling of the classic folktale about the hare and the tortoise. Rajaram P. Joshi is a middle-class Clerk living in a chawl in Bombay. He is secretly in love with his neighbor, Sandhya Karnik but is unable to disclose his love for her. Rajaram's fast-tallking friend, Bashudev comes for a visit and makes himself at home. Bashudev starts wooing Sandhya and soon her parents decide to marry Sandhya and Bashudev, much to misery of Rajaram. But on the day of the engagement, Bashudev disappears, leaving behind a devastated, and pregnant Sandhya. Will Rajaram will accept Sandhya?
Rang Birangi
7.2/10
Sparkling comedy about a meddling friend whose attempt to rekindle the spark in his friend's relationship with his wife of seven years leads to complications to their lives, and to the lives of his secretary and her boyfriend he has not 'scripted' ... Splendid performances by Amol Palekar, Deepti Naval, Parveen Babi and Farooq Shaikh, a perfectly pitched script, witty dialogue and a plethora of aptly placed film references make this a film one can watch over and over and never fail to laugh out loud.
Lahore
6.3/10
Lahore reflects the need and the desire to bring about peace and harmony in the subcontinent. It tells us how sports could play a key role in building bridges and bringing the two countries like India and Pakistan together that has more than 50 years of the history of unrelenting hostility.
Youngistaan
5.2/10
Abhimanyu Kaul - a young, independent, Games Developer, living in Japan and the love of his life, Anwita Chauhan - a bubbly, passionate and full of life, summer intern. Their happy and content life faces the test of time, when blood ties and the pressure of being born into the first family of India tears a young Abhimanyu between his love for Anwita and a promise made to his dying father, the Prime Minister of India. Being a public figure, by reluctantly accepting to represent the governing party, much against his own wishes and at the cost of his private life, is a double-edged sword that Abhimanyu must walk on.
Umrao Jaan
7.7/10
In Faizabad, British India, Daroga Dilawar is sentenced to several years in prison after Amiran's dad testifies against him. After his discharge around 1840, he extracts his vengeance by abducting Amiran and selling to a brothel madam. It is here Amiran will be re-named Umrao Jaan. Years later, Umrao has grown up and is an accomplished poetess as well as dancer extraordinary. She has many patrons, chief amongst them are Nawab Sultan and his father. The young Nawab is smitten by Umrao's beauty and her poems, but is finally forced to marry a girl of his mother's choice, leaving behind a heart-broken and devastated Umrao, who seeks solace in the arms of Faiz Ali and finally elopes with him, only to find out that he is a wanted bandit, and is shot down and killed by guards. Umrao re-locates to Lucknow where she establishes herself as a Poet and dancer, but is hunted down by brothel-keepers...
Mera Damad
4.6/10
Utpal Dutt stars as Chaudhry, a landowner who comes to town looking to get his daughter Sunita (Zarina Wahab) married to the son of his childhood friend Khanna. Khanna's son, Jai (Farooque Shaikh), isn't interested in marrying anyone, but his determined father nonetheless plans a trip to Chaudhry's village for Jai, hoping things will work out. What ensues is a hilarious comedy of errors.
Children of War
6.6/10
Children of War is a movie based on the true events of the 1971 Genocide. Can we, in search of power, become animals? A genocide; neglected! The first use of rape as a weapon of war; undocumented! The lives of millions; unaccounted! The culprits; unpunished!
Garm Hava
8/10
In post-Partition India, a Muslim businessman and his family struggle for their rights in a country which was once their own.
Ek Pal
6.9/10
Based on a short story by Maitreyi Devi, Kalpana Lajmi’s directorial debut tells a story of extramarital affair in the tea gardens of Assam. Famous Assamese singer-composer Hazarika contributes some fine compositions, overcoming the mandatory emphasis on regional folk-music in films set in exotic locales.
Bazaar
7.4/10
Bazaar is a 1982 Indian film directed by Sagar Sarhadi and starring Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Smita Patil and Supriya Pathak.The film highlights the tragedy of young girls being sold by needy parents to affluent Indians in the Gulf.
Ab Insaf Hoga
5.2/10
Janki lives a poor lifestyle in a small village consisting of her dad, Bhervi Prasad and her mom. She meets and falls in love with her school-teacher, Ramcharan, and both want to get married. Ramcharan's brother is opposed to this marriage as Bhervi is unable to pay any dowry, nevertheless the marriage does take place, but the couple are turned out of Kalicharan's house, and instead go to live with Ramcharan's friend, Ashok Mishra.
Gaman
7.4/10
In order to improve their lifestyle, Lucknow based Ghulam Hussain decides to re-locate to Bombay, leaving his ailing mother and wife, Khairun, behind. He arrives in Bombay, and looks up his close friend, Lalulal Tiwari, who gets him a job cleaning taxis. Ghulam subsequently learns how to drive, and is hired to drive a taxi. Despite of his best efforts he is unable to save enough money to visit Lucknow. Lalulal has problems of his own, despite of being settled in Bombay for several years; having a sweetheart, Yashodra, he is unable to even rent a decent apartment, and lives in a shanty tenement, which is slated to be demolished by the Bombay Municipal Corporation. Will Lalulal and Ghulam be able to improve their lives or will they be caught up in just surviving on a day to day basis?
Listen...Amaya
6.5/10
"Book a coffee", is an offbeat library cum coffee shop. It is owned and run by Leela Krishnamoorthy, a middle aged widow. She herself is as interesting and free spirited as the café she runs! Amaya, Leelas only child is a fire-brand 22 year-old writer; quick witted, confident and open-minded. They adore each other as only mother daughter can.
