From 'Monsoon Wedding' to 'Lagaan', Top 10 Indian films with international recognition

Bollywood films have an extensive following not only in India but in many foreign countries. Indian films are also considered to be one of the most colourful and energetic films that focus on a varied variety of topics. From love stories to movies about the existing scenarios in the country, Bollywood movies have certainly been able to catch hold of the entire world's attention. Keeping this in mind, here are some Bollywood movies that gained much love internationally. Take a look: 

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Lagaan (2001)

Written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Lagaan released in the year 2001. The movie had a wonderful cast of actors like Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh,  Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne. The film revolved around the story of India under British rule and its people. The movie was a huge hit and reportedly grossed ₹659.7 million in the year 2001. The movie also received much critical acclaim and awards at international film festivals. Lagaan became the third Indian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

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1947: Earth (1999)

Directed by Deepa Mehta, Earth was another movie by Amir Khan that came out in 1998. The story revolved around the tension of the India-Pakistan partition and its aftermath. The movie did alright in India but gained much recognition in the foreign media. It won the Best Film Award in Asian Film Festival and was also India's official entry for the 71st Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1999. 

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Dil Se (1998)

Written and directed by Mani Ratnam, Dil Se released in 1998 and was a huge hit. The film reportedly earned $975,000 in the US and £537,930 in the United Kingdom, making it the first Indian film to enter the top 10 in the United Kingdom box office charts. It also won many awards at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival. 

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Liar's Dice (2013)

Written and directed by Geetu Mohandas, Liars Dice had Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in pivotal roles. The plot of the movie revolved around a woman looking for her husband. The movie did very well in the International market. At the Sofia International Film Festival, 2014, it won the Special Jury Award. At the Granada Cines del Sur Film Festival, the film won the Bronce Alhambra award. 

Devdas (2002)

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Devdas is considered to be a classic movie that came out in 2002. The film gained widespread appreciation in India and abroad. Devdas was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was also India's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Black Friday (2004)

Black Friday is a movie based on a book, Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, a book by Hussain Zaidi about the 1993 Bombay bombings. The film was very successful and it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. It was also nominated for many other international awards. 

Awaara (1951)

Directed by Raj Kapoor, Awaara came out in 1951 and is one of the best films to be made in India, as reported by many media outlets. The film featured Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Leela Chitnis and K. N. Singh. The film became quite famous in South Asia, the Soviet Union, East Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. 

Monsoon Wedding (2001)

Directed by Mira Nair, Moonsoon Wedding came out in 2001. The film featured Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah and Vasundhara Das and was based on a traditional wedding. The film premiered in the Marché du Film section of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

Court (2014)

Directed by Chaitanya Tamhane, Court came out in 2014. The film also gained widespread recognition. The film premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival in 2014 and won the Best Film in the Horizons category and the Luigi De Laurentiis award for Tamhane.  

Gattu (2012)

Directed by Rajan Khosa, Gattu came out in 2012. The movie gained widespread attention. At the 12th Annual New York Indian Film Festival, Gattu won the Best Film Award.

Promo Pic Credit: Monsoon Wedding's Instagram and Lagaan's Twitter