Lockdown blues? Some classic Bollywood feel-good movies to beat them

While we get to watch new films all the time, the lockdown could be a golden chance to catch up with a few classics across genres. Digital platforms are overflowing with them, and you would literally be spoilt for choice selecting some really enjoyable stuff that has come out of Bollywood over the decades. Twenty-one days, it would seem, is too short a time to catch up with what really defines vintage Bollywood and is available in the OTT libraries.
Here is a list of old films that you might want to revisit, that will let you relax and bust the stress of lockdown. Of course, this is not a definitive list.
Chupke Chupke (1975)
Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, the comedy film is about a man pretending to be a driver and fooling his wife's brother-in-law as an attempt to prove that the brother-in-law is not as smart as he claims to be. The film stars Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Om Prakash. It is available on Netflix.
Munna Bhai MBBS (2003)
The comedy-drama, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, is about a goon who sets out to fulfill his father's dream of becoming a doctor. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Gracy Singh, Arshad Warsi, late Sunil Dutt and Boman Irani. It is available on Netflix.
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
The Manmohan Desai multistarrer is widely considered one of the best examples of Bollywood masala entertainment ever. It was Amitabh Bachchan's first major foray into a brand of comedy for the mass. Big B tickled the funny bone with his role of Anthony Gonsalves. The film had a lasting impact on pop culture, with Laxmikant-Pyarelal's distinct score, the dramatic one-liners, colourful characters and a peculiar mix of slapstick and melodrama. It is available on Netflix.
Amar Akbar Anthony (1973)
The iconic film, starring Dimple Kapadia, Rishi Kapoor, Pran, and Prem Nath, is considered a classic in Indian cinema. It is about Raja, an 18-year-old son of a rich Hindu businessman, who falls in love with 16-year-old Bobby, a Catholic belonging to a very different stature. It is available on Netflix.

Gol Maal (1979)
The Hrishikesh Mukherji gem is one of the greatest mainstream comedies that Bollywood has ever made. Featuring Utpal Dutt in what has to be his defining comic role, the film stars Amol Palekar and Bindiya Goswami, in a merry story of confusion, triggered off by a man who, under circumstances, has to pretend that he has a wayward and ill-mannered twin brother. The film is available on Netflix. The idea inspired Rohit Shetty's 2012 hit "Bol Bachchan".