One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving as a kid was the annual “Turkey Day” marathon on Comedy Central, featuring back-to-back episodes of my favorite show: Mystery Science Theater 3000. The marathon’s name referred to not only the traditional Thanksgiving turkey we all dined on, but also to the awful movies — “turkeys” — the guys from MST3K skewered each episode.
Though the old Comedy Central event featured lousy films, it got me thinking about how I would organize a Thanksgiving marathon of good Bollywood movies, using only titles available on Netflix. I’ve posted my list below, complete with a fictionalized account of what the day would be like if I were hosting Thanksgiving dinner for my family (which will never happen, BTW).
I’d love to know what your Thanksgiving Bollywood-on-Netflix marathon would be. Here are the rules:
- Choose six movies from my list of Bollywood movies currently available on Netflix (let’s assume our marathon starts at 9 a.m. and ends at midnight, with an average runtime of two-and-a-half hours per film)
- List them in the order you want them to be shown (sure, you could follow Guzaarish with Humshakals, but that’s just mean)
Make sure to limit your movies to those on this Netflix list. This isn’t your ideal Bollywood marathon, just a Netflix marathon. Post your lineup in the comment section below. Happy Turkey Day!
Kathy’s 2015 Bollywood-on-Netflix Turkey Day Marathon
9 a.m. — Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Gotta start out strong. The catchy tunes are perfect background music for early morning prep. (My review | Netflix link)
11:30 a.m. — Kill Dil. By this point, my brother and his wife have come over to help cook. Kill Dil is quirky enough to appeal to my brother, and Ali Zafar can be the eye candy for my sister-in-law. (My review | Netflix link)
2 p.m. — Dhoom 2. The great thing about Dhoom 2 is that it’s just as entertaining (and makes just as much sense) if you come in halfway through the movie as it is if you watch it from the beginning. Perfect for the time period when most of the guests will arrive. (My review | Netflix link)
4:30 p.m. — Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The main course. Dancing, crying, family reunions… This has “Thanksgiving” written all over it. (My review | Netflix link)
7 p.m. — Hawaizaada. How about some kid-friendly fare to go with my Aunt Mary’s pumpkin pie? (My review | Netflix link)
9:30 p.m. — Aurangzeb. My cousins Lara and Jill have taken their kids home, so any adults still lingering are subject to my whims. That means a soap opera about twins separated at birth swapping places to take down their gangster father. Good times. (My review | Netflix link)
Ehr. Ma. Gerd. I thought I was the only one. I love Bollywood and Indian movies. Thank goodness for Netflix. I came across your site looking for a movie that was just pulled from Netflix, but i don’t know the name. Perhaps you can help. Indian movie, highly rated, the Netflix blurb said something about a road trip before a wedding I think? I had it saved to my watch list but it is gone now.
You’re not alone, JRFitch! 🙂 The movie you are looking for is Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. It’s a good one.