Manisha Koirala Movies
Political parable meets tragic love story in Matrubhoomi director Manish Jha's tragic tale of a sensitive Muslim who finds his love for the beautiful girl next door unexpectedly thwarted by a jealous Hindu boy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidharth Koirala, Nauheed Cyrusi, (more)
- 2005
The romantic story behind one of the world's great architectural wonders comes to the screen in this Bollywood drama. As the emperor Shah Jahan (Kabir Bedi) is held captive by his son Aurangzeb (Arbaaz Khan), who killed his brother Dara Shikho (Vaquar Sheikh) in a battle over which sibling would assume the throne after Shah Jahan's death, he spends his final days with his daughter Jahan Ara (Manisha Koirala) recalling the great love of his life. As a young man, Shah Jahan was known as Prince Khurram (Zulfikar Syed), and he had fallen in love with Mumtaz Mahal (Sonya Jehan), a beautiful young woman whose father was the Emperor Jahangir (Arbaaz Ali). However, the emperor wanted his daughter to find a suitor who would bring him greater political advantage than Prince Khurram. Meanwhile, the prince became the focus of the meddling Empress Noor Jahan (Pooja Batra), who was eager to arrange a match between him and her daughter Laadli Begum (Kim Sharma). While Prince Khurram and Mumtaz Mahal shared a love that would not be denied, no small amount of conflict stood in their way, with battles both physical and emotional keeping the two apart. Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story was only the second directorial credit for former actor Akbar Khan; the lavish production was over three years in production and cost an estimated 15 million dollars to make. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annik Leroy, Zulfikar Syed, (more)
This Bollywood gangster movie stars Vivek Oberoi as Chandu, a young man who dreams of finding fame and fortune and escaping the slums of Bombay. By chance he meets and becomes friends with the dashing Malik (Ajay Devgan), who turns out to be the rising star of a criminal syndicate. Chandu joins the gang and the two friends soon become rich and move their operation to Hong Kong. Their life of luxury is soon destroyed by jealousy and anger, and the two become bitter enemies. Chandu flees to Nairobi, but Malik soon locates him, and their feud escalates into a full-scale gang war that forces each of them to question their loyalties and decide how far their mutual hatred will take them. ~ Tom Vick, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, (more)
Mani Rathnam, who has proven with films like Bombay (1995) and Iruvar (1998) that it was possible in India to make quality films that could also be box-office hits, chose the 50th anniversary celebrations of Indian Independence as the backdrop for this film about the clash between love and ideology. Amar Kant Varma is the son of a deceased army officer and he lives with his family in Delhi. As a program executive for All India Radio, he travels all over the country to interview common people to mark the anniversary. On one of these trips, he meets a mysterious girl named Meghna at a train station, but loses sight of her before he can get to know her. He sees her again in another town and reminds her of their meeting. Meghna doesn't seem to recognize him. Although she doesn't really want him, he follows her all the way to Ladakh. After two days together, she leaves him to join a group of insurgents on a mission. Amar is heart-broken and marries a girl of his mother's choice. In the meantime, Meghna is chosen to be the main person on a suicide mission targeting the Republic Day Parade. She finds Amar and their destinies entwine. Director Ratnam uses the two characters as symbols for two distinct parts of India at odds with each other -- the big states on the one hand, and the border areas with minority populations on the other. The latter are angry at the central government for having neglected them, which have resulted in a recession. Dil Se, a good example of the energy and imagination of the "Bollywood" movies (referring to Bombay, the "Hollywood of India") from one of the masters of the genre was screened as part of the International Forum of Young Cinema at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shah Rukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, (more)
Bollywood heartthrob Bobby Deol stars in this musical drama as an innocent man charged with killing his father. Though he did not commit the crime, circumstantial evidence suggests he may have been involved, and the young man is found guilty. Unable to deal with the constraints of prison life, he escapes and sets out to prove his innocence by tracking down the actual murderer. Kajol and Manisha Koirala highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Manisha Koirala, Om Puri, (more)
In this musical drama from India, Annie (Manisha Koirala) had known adversity from the moment she was born. The daughter of a pair of deaf-mutes, Joseph (Nana Patekar) and Flavy (Seema Biswas), Annie dealt with the deaths of both her grandmother and her brother at an early age, and her parents' handicaps force her to gain a certain independence and maturity early in life. As Annie edges into adulthood, she meets Raj (Salman Khan) and discovers they share a love for music. Annie has a fine voice and would like to become a singer, but she's not sure how to explain her career goal to her parents, who have never heard music and will never her sing. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This Hindi melodrama is set during India's fight for independence from the British. Although lavish song and dance numbers are unexpectedly common in Indian cinema, the soundtrack, prepared by prolific film composer Rahul Dev Burman remains a favorite among Indian fans. This musical tells the story of two lovers during this politically turbulent period. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
The epic, fantasy-tinged Bollywood adventure drama Maharaja commences with an evil man, Ranvir (Salim Ghouse) staging a one-man coup d'etat - he usurps the local king's throne, kicks out the regent's family, and forces his own clan into power. In response, the king's son, Prince Kohinoor (Govinda) - a young man with fantastic magical powers - flees to exile in the jungle, and uses his otherworldly abilities to help the local animals evade hunters' traps. Then, one day, a pretty female broadcast journalist, Shaili (Manisha Koiral) turns up and attempts to woo her; alas, Kohinoor soon discovers the true (base) nature of her motives. Meanwhile, as Ranvir's powers grow broader and more dominant, Kohinoor comes face-to-face with the need to return to his father's kingdom and depose the resident tyrant. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Govinda
