Rollback to the Hindi classical comedies of the 80's: 'Angoor' ‘Khoobsurat’, and more

It would be unfair to say that 80’s Bollywood belonged to brooding action heroes. While it carried forward the legacy of the ‘angry young man’ through action films like ‘Shahenshaah’, ‘Shaan’, and ‘Andha Kanun’, the period also had some movies that had us rolling on the floor with laughter. Though today cinema critics may dismiss the 80’s as a period of decline in Bollywood. It was also during this time that Hindi Cinema gave its evergreen comical classics. These movies balanced the melodrama brought forth by the ailing mother and revenge-hungry vigilantes. Think ‘Satte pe Satta’, ‘Khoobsurat’, ‘Golmaal’, and the list goes on. Now, if you are intrigued to explore the funny side of 80’s Bollywood during this weekend on Amazon Prime. Here’s a watchlist to help you out.

Starring Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma in double roles, the movie is adapted from the famous Shakespearean play ‘Comedy of Errors’. Directed by Gulzar, the movie is a remake of the Bengali film ‘Bhranti Bilas’. The film is about two pairs of identical twins, Ashoks and Bahadurs, separated at birth, only to come face to face during their adulthood. You can watch the movie on Amazon Prime.

Directed by Raj. N Sippy, the film is about seven uncouth brothers living a merry life in the mountains. Ravi (Amitabh Bachchan ) is the eldest brother, and Indu (Hema Malini) is his love interest. When Indu steps into Ravi’s life, the brothers are forced to give up their uncouth ways. Things take a twist when all seven fall in love and want to woo the girls. Adapted from the American film ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’, the transformation of the brothers and their attempts to woo the women is sure to bring out a chuckle. Do the brothers manage to woo the ladies?. You will only get to know after you watch the movie on Amazon Prime.

Written by Gulzar and directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, this romantic comedy is a remake of the Telugu film ‘Swargam’. Inder’s (Rakesh Roshan’s) marriage is fixed with Anju(Aradhana). However, Inder’s mother, Nirmala(Deena Pathak), is a tough dictator. On the contrary, Anju’s sister Manju(Rekha) is a happy-go-lucky chap. The two contrasting forces collide when Manju goes to live with her newlywed sister for a month. The confrontation between Manju and Nirmala is humorous and thought-provoking, both at once. Between the serious themes of romance, familial disputes, and hierarchy, it is Manju’s humor that adds light-heartedness to the script and brings a change of heart in Nirmala’s mind. Watch the funny tussle between Manju and Nirmala on Amazon Prime.

Penned by renowned writer Rahi Masoom Raza, this is one of the comedies that has aged well. It all begins with a lie for Ramprasad Dashrathprasad Sharma(Amol Palekar) when he feigns his identity to secure a job. On being confronted by his employer, he cooks up a story of having a twin brother, Laxman Prasad, who does not exist for real. To remove all doubts from his employer’s mind, Ramprasad goes on to lead a dual life. The chase between the suspicious employer and a worried Ramprasad makes the audience laugh out loud and keeps them hooked to date. Watch Ramprasad juggle dual identities on Amazon Prime.

Kailash Pati (Utpal Dutt), a traditionalist, despises the new generation. He wishes to marry off his son, Ramesh (Farooq Sheikh), to a naive village girl to shield him from the shady side of modernization. However, Ramesh is in love with Dr. Ramola (Deepti Naval), a stark contrast to his father’s expectations. For the sake of their love, Ramola takes on the identity of Rama, a village girl. While every time Kailash smells something fishy in Rama’s demeanour, she tactfully dodges his doubts. Rama’s efforts to conceal her identity from her father-in-law make the movie an interesting watch. You can stream this movie for the weekend on Amazon Prime.

Adapted from Sai Paranjpye’s novel 'Dhuan Dhuan,' the movie tells the story of three men who fall in love with the same girl. Omi and Jomo (Rakesh Bedi and Ravi Baswani) fall in love at first sight with a girl (Deepti Naval), but fail to woo her. After discovering that the third friend, Siddharth (Farooq), is dating the girl, they plot to end their relationship. The twists and turns brought about by Omi and Jomo to cause misunderstandings between the lovers make the viewers laugh out loud. You can watch this chaotic romantic comedy on Amazon Prime.