Seven films within films

Bollywood often celebrates itself by making movies that look at the nuances of film-making. Sometimes, there is a story of a film within a film. Here is bringing to you seven such films which have the plot of cinema and film-making in their storyline.

Bollywood often celebrates itself by making movies that look at the nuances of film-making. Sometimes, there is a story of a film within a film.

Om Shanti Om (2007) is probably the biggest tribute to the crazy world of Bollywood. There was a procession of films that flitted in and out it. To start with, we had Dreamy Girl, then there was Maa Bharti and some more spoofs during a awards function scene.

HT Image

A still from Om Shanti Om

Khamosh (1985), Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s second feature, was a murder mystery unfolding during a film shoot. Amol Palekar and Shabana Azmi were the lead stars in this flick called Aakhri Khoon.

Gol Maal (1979) Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s double-Amol, single-Utpal, moustachioed comedy had Deven Verma playing himself. He was working for a ‘mythological mystery suspense drama’ called Parvati Ka Pati Kaun?

Luck By Chance (2009), Zoya Akhtar’s debut, set in the film industry, had a long list of film stars in real and fictitious roles. The story revolved around a film called Dil Ki Aag.

Bollywood Calling (2003), had Nagesh Kukunoor take a pointed look at the mainstream cinema of the country. Om Puri starred as the hapless producer, and then reluctant director, of a typical multi-starrer called Maut: The Death.

Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon (2003) was the story of a million girls in India, who want to make it big in the film industry but don’t know how. The lead character Chutki’s break came in the form of a title role in a fictional film called Roshni.

Rangeela (1995) walked the tightrope between reality and spoof, and was about the making of Rangeela. The film starred one of the country’s biggest stars, Raj Kamal played by Jackie Shroff, and starry-eyed debutant Mili Joshi, played by Urmila Matondkar.

- With excerpts from Diptakirti Chaudhari’s book Kitnay Aadmi Thay?