10 forgotten films NOT featuring khans

10 forgotten films NOT featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan that you can watch this weekend!

Great performances...unique content...brilliant narration...yet lost in the blockbuster melee!

With Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Baahubali the only movie names trending on everyone lips, everyone is rushing to see either of them or both of them!

And if you are the kind of the person who have seen both the films or are not in the mood of a blockbuster or never cared for such films and are a sucker for indie gems, then we have some recommendations for you.

I have compiled a list of ten films that you should definitely watch, if you feel that Bollywood never cared for content! And no...it doesn't have the Khans or the Roshans!...And we will keep on updating the list!

1971

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Deepak Dobriyal, Ravi Kishen, Manav Kaul and Piyush Mishra

Prison break movies are a genre of their own, especially in Hollywood. In here, it's an idea less explored. The first prison break movie that comes to my mind is Deewar - Let's Bring Our Heroes Home, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna and Sanjay Dutt. Deewar was more of a typical masala potboiler, but if you want a realistic gritty prison escape movie, look no further than1971. Based on a true story, it's about a group of Indian POW's who are trapped in Pakistan during the 1971 war, led by Manoj Bajpai. It's about how they plan their escape successfully, only to realise that the road to freedom is not so easy to traverse! Nail-biting sequences, trully under-rated performances...this is one film that will make Bajrangi Bhaijaan look like a Charlie Chaplin skit!

My Brother Nikhil

Cast: Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla, Purab Kohli and Victor Bannerjee

Very few films have been attempted on AIDS awareness in Bollywood. Onir, in his debut film, merged this taboo subject along with another less discussed topic, homosexuality, to create a really beautiful drama about human relationships and how one unexpected revelation can change much-established dynamics! Sanjay Suri gives his career-best performance, ably supported by Juhi Chawla and Purab Kohli. If you have seen the entire movie and not moved to tears, God save your soul!

As a bonus, listen to this beautiful song from the film...

Loins of Punjab Presents

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Ishita Sharma, Ayesha Dharker, Ajay Naidu and Manish Acharya

Manish Acharya was a young talented director, who we lost, when he died in a freak-horse riding accident. His only film is a really under-rated comedy that pokes fun at reality shows, racism and our perception towards foreigners. Everyone in the cast, including the incorrigible Shabana Azmi in her meanest avatar ever, deliver near natural performances, in a film that doesn't rely on slap-stick to evoke humour!

Tango Charlie

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Bobby Deol, Tanisha, Nandana Sen, Sanjay Dutt and Suneil Shetty

It may have a screechy Tanisha and a weak third act, but no one can deny Tango Charlie has its heart in its right place and is one of the better films made on Indian soldiers...at least those who saw the movie. Both the leads, Ajay Devgn and Bobby Deol, are wonderful here, especially the former. The best part of the movie is the first mission where the commando outfit faces the Bodo unit, and has one of the most heart-rending scenes I have ever seen!

3 Deewarein

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff, Nagesh Kukunoor, Juhi Chawla and Gulshan Grover

Nagesh Kukonoor may be known more for his Hyderabad Blues, Iqbal and Dor, so it's sad that one of his darkest films - 3 Deewarein got lost from the radar. Featuring Naseeruddin Shah and Juhi Chawla at their best, it narrates the tale of three prisoners serving life imprisonment for three different murders. They are interviewed by a journalist with a dark secret of her own, only for us to realise they all are linked by the same crime!

Xcuse Me

Cast: Sharman Joshi, Sahil Khan, Sonali Joshi and Jaya Seal

Style was a sleeper hit, and made Sharman Joshi a known face. However, its sequel, a far better and more humorous film, didn't manage to find favour with the viewers, It's tragic tale for this comedy, since there were some truly hilarious scenes and a ribtickling climax, with even Sahil Khan emoting for the first time in his life. Also, the supporting cast, with Sourabh Shukla and Darshan Jariwala in the mix, was brilliant!

Paanch

Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Aditya Shrivastav and Vijay Maurya

Anurag Kashyap's first movie was never released, but you could find its bootleg version on the net. And it turns out to be one of his best efforts, on par with Ugly and Black Friday. It narrates the tale of a rock band, with four guys and a girl, who find themselves trapped in a kidnapping gone wrong, and devises way to outwit and betray each other! Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitan takes some inspiration from this vastly unseen flick!

Sehar

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Mahima Chaudhary, Sushant Singh and Pankaj Kapur

Easily Arshad Warsi's best solo effort ever, it's now sad to see the under-appreciated actor lolling around with the likes of Jackky Bhagnani in tripe like Welcome to Karachi! The movie also features some powerhouse talent like Pankaj Kapur and Sushant Singh. It's a cop tale that's as realistic and gritty as it could be. Also, don't miss the climax - one of the best ever conclusions in Bollywood!

My Wife's Murder

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Boman Irani, Nandana Sen and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi

Like Ram Gopal Varma, some of his under-rated gems are disappearing into oblivion. Though directed by Jijy Philip, it has the touch of a class film-maker, RGV, once was (he produced the film)! Anil Kapoor plays a cuckolded husband who kills his wife accidentally and tries to hide his crime for the sake of his children. It brilliantly depicts the turmoils of an innocent man caught in a crime he never wanted to be in, and his struggles to escape out of it! Also, Boman Irani is superb as the always-hungry investigating officer.

Ramji Londonwale

Cast: R. Madhavan, Samita Bangargi, Raj Zutshi and Satish Shah

R. Madhavan is an actor who is yet to get his due, even though he is a good actor and has a likeable presence (Face it, the successes of Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel are always credited to Kangana Ranaut!). Ramji Londonwale is the remake of his Tamil hit, Nala Damayanthi, where he plays a naive immigrant cook in UK who is robbed off his papers and had to enter into a fake marriage with his friend's lover to prevent him from getting deported. It's a sweet love story, with some nice humorous touches and a little cameo from Big B.

Let us know what you feel about the movies in the above list. Also share other movies that you feel should have got more recognition...and we could compile them in another list!