Lion is based on the true story of Saroo Brierly (via People), who, after being tragically separated from his family 25 years prior, embarks on a journey across India to reunite with them. Highly emotive and truly powerful, the movie was a huge success with critics and was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards, with particular praise aimed at the acting of the cast, which included Dev Patel as Saroo and Nicole Kidman as his adoptive mother, as well as a number of well-known Indian actors, including Tannishtha Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Priyanka Bose.
Octopussy is the 13th film in the James Bond franchise and the sixth to feature Roger Moore as the suave and sophisticated British secret agent. Investigating the murder of a fellow agent, it sees the globe-trotting spy travel to India where his trails led him to the mysterious Octopussy, who he ends up later enlisting to help thwart the dastardly plans of exiled Afghan Prince, Kamal Khan, who is working with the deranged Soviet General Orlov, to detonate a nuclear bomb on an American airbase in West Germany. With much being filmed in India, audiences are treated to plenty of high-octane action sequences, including brawls in the densely populated streets whilst riding a tuk-tuk, as well as Bond hanging onto the tail of a moving airplane whilst high in the sky. There are also plenty of elegant palaces, with images of the Taj Mahal and locations including the Shiv Niwas Palace, Taj Lake Palace and Jag Mandir Palace, being used.
When it comes to awards, this 1982 biopic is one of the most highly decorated there is. Starring Ben Kingsley as the eponymous Gandhi, Gandhi tells the story of how he led the nonviolent non-cooperative Indian independence movement against the British Empire during the 20th Century. Visually stunning, beautifully acted, and telling an important story, the movie was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning eight, including Best Actor for Kingsley as well as Best Director and Best Picture.
The Jungle Book – There have been countless adaptations of Rudyard Kipling’s collection of short stories collectively known as The Jungle Book. Probably, the most well-loved is Disney’s 1967 animated musical. Set deep in the Indian jungle, it tells the tale of a feral child raised by a pack of wolves as he navigates the dangers of the jungle, making man a friend and foe along the way. The beautifully animated Indian wilderness perfectly captures the essence of the jungle described in Kipling’s stories, no doubt inspired by his time growing up in India.
Life of Pi is a 2012 adventure-drama film directed and produced by Ang Lee and written by David Magee. Based on Yann Martel’s 2001 novel of the same name, it stars Suraj Sharma in his film debut, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu and Adil Hussain in lead roles. The storyline revolves around two survivors of a shipwreck who are on a lifeboat stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days. One is a sixteen-year-old Indian boy named Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) and the other is a ferocious Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The film began development shortly after the release of the book and filming was split between India, Taiwan and Montreal in 2011.