Musicals are one of the more defining marks behind what truly makes a Bollywood film work. For years, we have been programmed to be intrigued by the narrative and have the tension take a breather with a melodious track. This could either be in sync with the emotions of the scene or just to help resonate a particular feeling towards the characters.
Now, there are some movies whose entire plot revolves around music as a subject. Here, we will look into some of the most entertaining music dramas from around the world.
In This Article
Rock On
The 2008 Bollywood film narrates the tale of four friends in Mumbai who together form a rock band of their own called Magik. The whole storyline of the band takes place in 1998, wherein the band unfortunately disbands over minor internal disputes.
Cut forward to ten years later, the present, each member now live separate lives, with Aditya (Farhan Akhtar) now a successful business man. On the other hand, Joseph (Arjun Rampal) struggles to make ends meet in the music industry, Kedar (Purab Kohli) works in his family business, and Rob (Luke Kenny) composes music tracks. After discovering that Rob has a terminal brain tumour, the members decide to reunite to perform one last time as a band to honour their bond.
Aashiqui
Aashiqui is a classic musical romance from the 90s under the direction of the veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. The story follows Rahul (Rahul Roy) and Anu (Anu Aggarwal). A chance encounter leads the two young troublemakers to meet at a police station. As fate would have it, they both fall in love.
Rahul, a supportive gentleman, wishes only for the best, pushing Anu to pursue her dreams of becoming a model. Rahul, on the other hand, is on his own mission of making it big as a singer. Anu ends up being the first to make it big. Now, by the time Rahul becomes famous, his ego leads him to believe that it was only because of her that he could achieve this dream. This causes a spiral of conflicts with an offer of relocation, testing the waters of how strong their bond truly is.
Abhimaan
Subir Kumar (Amitabh Bachchan), a popular pop singer, meets Uma (Jaya Bachchan) during a visit to his aunt’s place. He ends up falling in love with her, and they marry. After heading back to Mumbai, Uma becomes an overnight star, her singing abilities popularising her to surpassing Subir in terms of fame.
As jealousy takes birth within his subconscious, a heated rivalry begins, creating a toxic atmosphere within their marriage. This eventually leads to further complications between the two.
Saajan
Saajan surrounds a dramatic love triangle between a disabled poet, Aman (Sanjay Dutt), his adoptive and wealthy brother, Akash (Salman Khan), and a woman, Pooja (Madhuri Dixit) they both unintentionally have an eye for.
Ama would write poetry under the alias of Saagar, who Pooja began to converse with through letters and music. His insecurities clouding his judgment, Aman asks Akash to pose as Saagar, entangling them all within a web of love and loyalty.
Rockstar
An Imtiaz Ali classic, we follow the tragic tale of Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir Kapoor) and his unconventional path to becoming a rock icon.
The story revolves around the old message of heartbreak being the true fuel for artistic creativity. Ranbir takes this advice to heart and tries to woo Heer (Nargis Fkhri) just so that she can break it. But instead, they form a deep connection. Heer eventually has to move out and marry another man, sending Janardhan into a state of turmoil. While he eventually reaches the fame he always sought after signing a record label deal, her re-entry into his life brings trouble along.
Aashiqui 2
Rahul Jaykar (Aditya Roy Kapur) begins the story as a has-been. A highly successful singer, his career gradually begins to fail due to his heavy drinking habits.
On a visit to a bar in Goa, Rahul meets Aarohi (Shraddha Kapoor) and ensures she becomes a star in Mumbai upon visualising a promising singing career for her.
The further they work together on her music, the deeper they fall in love. Aarohi makes it big in the industry while Rahul reaches rock bottom. This is exactly where his inner demons and insecurities begin to creep in, straining their bond and creating conflicts. But Aarohi’s love remains strong, with her willing to do anything for him. The climax surrounds an ultimate sacrifice.
Secret Superstar
A 15-year-old girl possesses all the talent in the world, coupled with the dream of becoming a famous singer. The only thing holding her back is her abusive father. Her mother proves to be her support system, secretly aiding her in pursuing this dream.
The story is based on how she breaks through her fear, travels far on her own to meet a music director (Aamir Khan), and delivers her voice to the world behind the comfort of her niqab, under the alias of Secret Superstar. Further complications entail her father discovering the truth and how she battles for her resolve to shine.
A Star Is Born
Jack (Bradley Cooper) meets the talented singer and songwriter Ally (Lady Gaga) during her performance in a bar. They spend the night connecting and eventually bond over their shared passion for music.
Jack later invites Ally to perform a duet with him for the song ‘Shallow’. Ally quickly becomes a sensation and gets signed by a manager, making her a pop star. Ally’s trajectory keeps on ascending while Jack’s career keeps fading. Grieving in self-loathing misery, he reaches an all-time low and resorts to becoming an alcoholic.
Now, realizing Ally’s potential, the manager creates a further rift in the already unsteady bond between Jack and Ally.
La La Land
A barista (Emma Stone) who wishes to make it as a big actress in Hollywood and a jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) who holds the dream of opening his own Jazz club cross paths in this fun musical.
They quickly find love hidden in the reflections of their self-driven ambitions. Ryan gets a breakthrough, joining his friend’s pop-styled jazz band. While the money was good, Mia is disappointed as Ryan begins to steer from his original dream. Conflicts and heartbreaks arise as both of them realise an agonizing truth.
The Greatest Showman
The Greatest Showman is a rags-to-riches tale where P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) grows up in a poor household, marries his childhood sweetheart who leaves her home for him, and they live a simple life.
One thing that remains a constant is the never-dying will to earn the respect of the higher-society folks. We follow his tale as he gathers a group of outcasts and forms his own circus to perform in a live museum show, helping them all to grow comfortable in their own skins, and finally be accepted.
The Sound of Music
Maria is a young, spirited woman, sent to work as a governess for the seven children of Captain Georg Von Trapp. Through the raw power of music, we witness the journey of how Maria breaks through the protective shells of the children, teaching them the joys of singing and dancing.
Also Read: Vikas Bahl’s Next Directorial Set Against The Explosive Rise of Punjabi Music in The 90’s
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
