I truly believe that the movies I have watched over the years have helped me become the person I’m today. They were my comfort space, my solace. There are movies that left me in awe, there are movies that helped me heal some wounds from the past, then there are some movies that encouraged me to appreciate myself and the world that I live in. Today, I thought of sharing about nine such movies that left an everlasting impression on me.

1. Melvilasom (2011, Malayalam)

This is not a popular movie but it is a deeply moving one. I happened to watch it while in eighth grade and it was kind of a revelation to me. We have all read about how we don’t have caste-based discrimination anymore in India, but this is applicable only for a larger narrative. On lower, unnoticed layers of our society caste discrimination is still a practice that goes beyond record, something only the victim witnesses and feels. I didn’t know about this until I saw Melvilasom. It’s a courtroom drama, where a low-rank officer is accused of assaulting a senior officer. The movie inspired me. It introduced me to a world that I was unaware of.

2.3 Idiots (2009, Hindi)

This movie was an obsession for me for a really long time. Though it was released in 2009, I happened to watch it four years later, while I was in ninth grade. I was a person who cared a lot about studying, getting good grades, and getting a good job. 3 Idiots helped me see beyond this. The movie helped me in understanding what it really means to learn, what it means to do a job you actually love. I used the lesson the film tries to convey, follow excellence and success shall follow, for my tenth board and things worked out pretty well! Guess what, I still apply this lesson in my life.

3. Bangalore Days (2014, Malayalam)

I watched Bangalore Days when I was sixteen and confused. The movie was everything I needed at that time. I felt so liberated. The film somewhere helped me realize that I need to own myself and my life rather than fret over the societal norms that expect me to behave a certain way. Every character of the film is trapped in these societal norms and finally breaks free to live life their own way. 

4. Queen (2013, Hindi)

Queen was a female-oriented movie with a different narrative and I loved that. Most women-oriented movies at that time were serious and had women struggling for a cause. But Queen saw a normal Delhi girl on an adventure that changes her perception of life. She fell in love with herself and was able to accept her the way she was. Maybe because I was myself struggling with identity issues as a teenager, this movie felt refreshing and inspiring. 

5. Pink (2016, Hindi)

I watched Pink during my first year in college, having just turned 18. Honestly, I never knew what consent was or even why it mattered. I was unaware of the existence of this practice itself! Before watching this movie maybe, I myself would have blamed the woman in question as to the one responsible for anything that happened, because of the conditioning we all received. Pink was very clear about its purpose and helped me take my first step in learning and unlearning certain things. 

6. Dear Zindagi (2016, Hindi)

This movie was like therapy. I didn’t know what it was about when I first started watching it and remember crying as Kiara opened up about her childhood issues. I could relate to Kiara so much. When people think of issues, they are generally expected to be of a bigger scale to stand relevant. But as a kid, every tiny thing can have a profound impact on the future life of that child. The movie kind of relieved me of childhood issues that kept me from expressing myself or even allowing myself to be happy. Dr. Jug turned out to be my therapist as well! 

7. Kumbalangi Nights (2019, Malayalam)

I honestly enjoyed the movie the second time I watched it. I don’t have any specific reason for liking apart from how it made me feel in the end, very satisfied and calm. Even today, this is the movie I rely upon for catching a break or just to calm my mind. 

8. 500 Days of Summer (2009, English)

I had no idea how relationships work because I had never been in one. I watched 500 Days of Summer during a time when things weren’t exactly going as expected. Just like Tom, I had created this unrealistic fantasy about a relationship that actually never meant anything. I had all these unrealistic expectations and when my fantasy world tore down, it took me some time to understand what actually happened. 500 Days of Summer helped me in that, a lot actually! 

9. Thappad (2020, Hindi)

Thappad was the last movie I saw in a theatre before the pandemic struck. I watched it with my girl gang just to kill some time before we headed out to a place. The film that was supposed to just help us pass time became a film that left us questioning many things, mainly how we had allowed ourselves to be treated less and how we had been fine with all of it all this while. Thappad gave me a sense of being, that I matter as an individual, that I’m more than my gender. Thappad for me is and will always remain the best socially relevant movie that I have ever seen. 

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