The road trip movie genre has always been a popular one – and during COVID times when there are travel restrictions, this genre is probably even more so. Road trip movies are a form of vicarious travel where you travel not physically, but through the adventures of the characters on the screen. Here are some of best Indian road trip movies; a purely personal and subjective list:
The quintessential bade baap ki bigdi hui aulad runs away from home to marry someone unsuitable, but finds someone ‘suitable’ on the way. This was a funny, sweet, romantic film featuring a very young Aamir Khan and Pooja Bhatt and a fairly nutsy Anupam Kher. You can rent this on YouTube for just Rs. 25.
The almost manically bubbly young woman, the depressed, near-suicidal young man go on an unlikely road trip and of course, they fall in love. And of course, they don’t discover this till later and of course, there are eccentric family members involved. A lovely romance and an enjoyable caper featuring Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor – and some of the time's best floor-filler tracks! You can watch this on Jio Cinema free if you have a Jio number or on Netflix.
Watch this for friendship, bonding, making up, nice looking guys but most of all watch it the stunning bits of Europe you get to see in this film. Quite spectacular; it this movie starring Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol as Arjun, Imran and Kabir doesn’t give you travel goals, perhaps Jee Le Zaraa will? Watch this on Netflix.
This is a film about self-discovery, about claiming one's own independence, unlikely friendships and serious travel goals. This was Kangana Ranaut at her absolute best – hesitant, full of wonder, brave, adorable! It’s available on Jio Cinema right now.
This was a sensitive film about class disparities, personal traumas and the open road as a metaphor for freedom. It was also an unlikely but poignant love story featuring Randeep Hooda and Aalia Bhatt, both of whom were a revelation in terms of their acting abilities. Oh! And absolutely brilliant music by A R Rahman. You can watch this film on Disney + Hotstar for free.
This movie didn’t get the attention it deserved. It was funny, full of quirky characters and featured a superb ensemble cast of Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur, Deepika Padukone and Arjun Kapoor. You can watch it on Disney + Hotstar for free.
The movie had a dream cast – Amitabh Bachchan as the eccentric old hypochondriac obsessed with his bowel movements, Irrfan Khan as the laconic ‘driver’ and Deepika Padukone as stressed, on-edge professional and daughter. The movie works beautifully as a road movie and a gentle caricaturing of the quirky Bengali and just a wonderful take on relationships. You can rent it on YouTube.
This was a layered and complex film that many dismissed as slow, but which I loved. It wasn’t just because of the stunning locales, but also for Deepika Padukone’s vulnerability and Ranbir Kapoor’s almost schizoid personality. Watch it on Netflix. Bombay to Goa, Dil Chahta Hai, Dil Dhadakne Do and Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd are other films I recommend: road trip movies or just films that will stir your wanderlust.
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