Popular Gujarati movies to acquaint oneself with modern regional cinema; See list

In current times, binge-watching movies has become a part of everyone's routine. While it is always fun to re-watch comfort classics, it is great to explore some fun movies of the regional cinema of India. For those who wish to explore Gujarati movies but do not know where to begin, here are ten Gujarati films that you can begin watching to acquaint yourself with modern Gujarati cinema. Take a look: 

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Hellaro

Featuring ace Gujarati actors like Shraddha Dangar, Shachi Joshi, Niilam Paanchal, Brinda Nayak, and many others, Hellaro tells the story of a group of women from the small village of Kutch who break the shackles of patriarchy. The story of this film depicts the 1975 India, where a woman is married and sent to a town in the Rann of Kutch.

Hellaro is directed by Abhishek Shah and it recently made its way to Cannes Film Festival. The film also won the 66th National Award for Best Feature Film. What's more, the movie has some great authentic folk music and a lot of Garba as a visual treat!

Wrong Side Raju

Bankrolled by Abhishek Jain's CineMan productions in collaboration with another Bollywood production house, the story of the film Wrong Side Raju is inspired by a hit-and-run case which took place in Ahmedabad in the year 2013. The Gujarati thriller film is directed by Mikhil Musale, who recently directed the Rajkummar Rao and Mouni Roy starrer Made In China in Hindi. Featuring Pratik Gandhi in the lead role, Wrong Side Raju won the 65th National Award for Best Feature Film in Gujarati.

Golkeri

Golkeri in Gujarati is the name of a pickle that will remind each Gujarati of home. Golkeri is precisely like the pickle - depicting the sweet, sour, tangy and spicy dilemmas of modern-day relationships. The beauty of the film lies in its simple yet compelling story of Sahil and Harshita (played by Malhar Thakar and Manasi Parekh) gives a fresh perspective to the effervescent rom-com genre. Directed by Viral Shah, the film is an official remake of the 2017 released hit Marathi movie titled, Muramba - which is a known pickle in Maharashtra.

Chaal Jeevi Laiye

Chaal Jeevi Laiye tells the story of a workaholic son (played by Yash Soni) who takes his terminally ill father (Siddharth Randeria) to a holiday in Uttarakhand to fulfil the latter’s last wish. On the way, they meet a pretty girl named Ketki (Aarohi Patel), and the trio takes an unexpected journey of their lives. Vipul Mehta directorial Chaal Jeevi Laiye completed 50 weeks in January and one full year in cinemas on February 1, 2020. The comedy-drama film was noticed by famous Bollywood actors including Madhuri Dixit, who tweeted in praise of the movie on May 22.

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Shubh Aarambh

Released in January 2017, Shubh Aarambh is an endearing story about rekindling a lost love. Set in modern-day Ahmedabad, the family drama entertainer revolves around two different couples who belong to two different generations, in which the younger couple is excited to be in love, while the elder couple is facing issues in their relationship, trying to find their lost love. The film is an emotional roller coaster and builds a clear narrative, letting the key characters connect with the audiences. The Amit Barot directorial features Harsh Chhaya, Prachi Shah, Bharat Chowda and Deeksha Joshi in the lead roles.

Dhunki

Directed by Anish Shah, Dhunki revolves around the story of a man (Pratik Gandhi) who wants to leave his white-collar job and turn entrepreneur to follow his passion for cooking. Many claimed that Anish Shah did a brilliant job directing the film.

Thai Jashe!

Nirav Barot directorial Thai Jashe!, featuring Manoj Joshi, Malhar Thakar and Monal Gajjar, is a coming-of-age Gujarati film where a reckless but driven man finally realises his true calling, as he sets about his dream of buying a home in Ahmedabad. The film is an inspirational story of coping with challenges life throws at you. The film won four awards at 16th Annual Transmedia Gujarati Screen & Stage awards and three awards at 2016 Gujarati Iconic Film Awards.

Midnights With Menka

Midnights With Menka is a 2018 Gujarati comedy-drama film written and directed by Viral Shah. The film featuring Malhar Thakar, Esha Kansara, Hardik Sangani and Vinita Mahesh in the lead role depicts the fake biopic of Gujarati Cinema’s superstar Malhar Thakar, who finds a quick hack to achieve stardom. The film is later followed by the consequences he has to face. Esha Kansara is well known for her performance in films like Duniyadari, Mijaaj, Vaandha Vilas and many more. She was applauded for her role of Esha in this film.

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