Top period drama movies - List hai toh hit hai

Period films whisk audiences away to a different time and world. From flourishes such as accurately recreating the architecture to managing the costumes, depicting the distant past is a meticulous affair. But this is something filmmakers have painstakingly executed in period classics time and again. From the colonial stripes in movies set in pre-independent India to the Victorian gowns in Shakespeare in Love and Sense and Sensibility, period films have served as a window to the past. 

Today’s List hai toh hit hai is a compilation of some period movies that you need to watch right away. I'm your host Nikhil. Let’s kick off the list for today

Gangs of New York

Gangs of New York is a 2002 American epic historical drama film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz in the lead. The story is set in the 1860s and follows a young Irish immigrant who’s recently released from prison and heads to Five Points in New York to seek revenge against his father’s killer. In this journey, he fights for his survival, while hoping to garner support from local Irish immigrants.

OTTplay Rating - 7.9

Available - Google Play and YouTube

Shakespeare in Love

Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 American romantic period comedy-drama headlined by Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow. The movie bagged several prestigious accolades and created history. It revolves around the world-renowned playwright who finds his match in Viola and is subsequently inspired to write one of his imminent plays. 

OTTplay Rating - 7.5

Available - YouTube, Google Play, iTunes

Kurukshetra

A 2019 Kannada mythological war movie that stars an ensemble cast of Darshan, V. Ravichandran, Ambareesh, P. Ravishankar, Sonu Sood, Arjun Sarja, Meghana Raj, Nikhil Kumar, Haripriya and Shashikumar. The movie is largely based on the Indian Epic Mahabharata. The story follows the Pandavas who go into exile after losing a gamble against Kauravas. On their return to the kingdom, a conflict over succession eventually leads to the epic war.

OTTplay Rating - 6.9

Available - Zee5, Vi

Lagaan

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, is a 2001 period sports movie that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film stars Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh in lead roles alongside British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne. The story is set in a fictional village called Champaner in 1893 when India was under British rule. When an arrogant British officer challenges the locals from Champaner to a game of cricket, the wager includes tax relief for three years or double tax. Left with no option, the locals are compelled to give it their best shot in the contest where the stakes seem particularly life-altering. 

OTTplay Rating - 8.4

Available - YouTube

Titanic

Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance, disaster movie directed, written and produced by James Cameron. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the lead and was a worldwide success. The film was lauded particularly for its spot-on set design and costumes but also for rendering a timeless love story that straddles generations. The film borrows its name from RMS Titanic, the British passenger liner which sank into the North Atlantic Ocean after being struck by an iceberg. This film’s story revolves around a wealthy young woman who falls in love with a modest artist while traveling on the very same ship from Southampton to New York. A must-watch for those who enjoy eternal love stories but also for those who have an appetite for disaster thrillers.

OTTplay Rating - 8.1

Available - Exclusively on Disney + Hotstar

Partition: 1947

Partition: 1947 is a 2017 period drama directed by Gurinder Chadha, starring Hugh Bonneville, Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi, Gillian Anderson, and Michael Gambon. The movie, which is dubbed in Hindi, was initially released worldwide in English as Viceroy’s House. The story follows the last British viceroy in India, Lord Mountbatten as he navigates the task of dissolving the British rule in India and forming a newly independent nation. During this assignment, he must field conflicts, riots and much strife. This film sensitizes us about the fallout of the Partition and about those who suffered, those who’ve survived and even those who fall in both brackets.

Available - Netflix

Well, that's the List hai toh hit hai theme special for today, I shall be back again tomorrow with a brand new theme, until then it’s your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho!