90s decade has been very special for bollywood. It was the era of musical cinema. Many romantic movies were released with chartbuster music. Many young actors debuted and delivered vulnerable soft boy roles which shaped the bollywood. It is true that 90s movies had memorable music which is still very much relevant, however, many movies didn't age well in terms of plot and technicalities.
Here, I am going to list down Bollywood movies from the 90s which have aged very well:
Jo jeeta Wohi Sikandar: This movie was released in 1992. It is based on college rivalry and sports competition. Jatin Lalit has delivered chartbuster songs for the movie. Pehla Nasha due to its melodious tune and slow motion cinematography is still iconic. ‘Yaha Ke Hum Sikandar is still very much relevant and used and rememberd on multiple occasions for motivational purposes. The locations used for filming are mesmerizing and nostalgic. All the actors performed their role very well. Development of Sanjay’s character is very well portrayed. The intense rivalry and romance of college life has been shown in a very entertaining way. The message of the movie to do hard work to achieve goals rather than taking short cuts instills itself into audience’s mind. Due to all these reasons, the movie has aged very well and is still very much watchable.
Maine Pyar Kiya: This movie was released in 1989. It was the debut movie for Suraj Barjatya as a director and Salman and Bhagyashree as lead actors. Despite not having any big star, movie did exceptional business and became big part of Indian pop culture. Script was written very carefully by Barjatya. Almost all songs are filled with emotions and advance the story very well. Emotional scenes have been crafted and placed in the movie perfectly. While Some scenes in the first half seem a bit slow, overall it provides good entertainment with emotional and intense performances. Due to well-thought script and impeccable performances, this movie has aged very well.
In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones: Arundhati Roy has written the screenplay and story of the movie. It is based on the life of Indian architecture students in the 1960s. Despite not being mainstream cinema with a high budget and masala elements, the movie grabs the attention of the audience through a raw and engaging portrayal of students and their academic struggles. The makers of the movie has been very successful to develop characters of several students with distinct characteristics. All of them have their own personalities and perspectives on life. The Utilization of Beatles and Rolling Stones songs in different scenes increases their impact. This is one of the gems of Indian cinema.
Hum dil de chuke Sanam: This movie was released in 1999. It stars Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Ajay Devgan in lead roles. This is the best work of Sanjay Leela Bhansali so far. The romantic chemistry between Salman and Aishwarya is great. Songs like "Aankhon ki Gustakhiya" and "Chaand Chupa" were picturized very well and show their romantic intensity effectively. Also, the emotional intensity during their detachment is captured beautifully through the song "Tadap Tadap Ke." Additionally, Ajay Devgan played the role of Vanraj impeccably. The chemistry between Ajay and Aishwarya was developed very well. Overall, all the actors played their roles naturally. The movie delivers its message, "Sacrifice is the second name of love," very powerfully.
Satya: This movie was released in 1998. It is the peak work of Ram Gopal Varma. The raw portrayal of Mumbai’s underworld is incomparable. The roles played by all the actors seem realistic and convincing. The role of Bhiku Mhatre was played wonderfully by Manoj Bajpayee. J.D. Chakravarthy and Urmila also played their roles of Satya and Vidya very well. Overall, all the scenes in the movie are really strong; however, one scene surprised me a lot. When Satya and Vidya go to a movie and police surround the theatre, it seems like there is no way for Satya to escape. However, he performs a clever move by shooting bullets to panic the audience and take advantage of the chaos to escape. Additionally, the climax scene is very emotional and heart-touching.
Sarfarosh: This movie was released in 1999. Aamir Khan plays the role of an IPS officer. The story revolves around how terrorism and naxalite activities are carried out in India and how IPS Ajay (Aamir Khan), who personally suffered from these terrorists, advances the investigation. Sarfarosh was ahead of its time. When there was a bombardment of rom-coms in Bollywood in the late 90s, Aamir Khan came up with this fresh script. Additionally, the romance between Ajay and Seema (Sonali Bendre) seems very natural. Songs such as "Ek Deewane Ladke Ko" and "Jo Haal Dil Ka" are very well woven to enhance their chemistry. The song "Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya" by Jagjit Singh is still very much relevant.
Andaz Apna Apna: This movie was released in 1994. The basic plot revolves around the characters Amar, Prem, Raveena, and Karishma, played by Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Karishma Kapoor, and Raveena Tandon respectively. Karishma is the daughter of a rich businessman, Ram Gopal Bajaj, played by Paresh Rawal. She has returned to India to marry an Indian man. How Amar and Prem use different tactics to woo her is the core of the story. All the actors played their roles very well. The comedy has aged very well due to the innovative writing by Rajkumar Santoshi. The humor mostly relies on slapstick gags, wordplay, and parodies of other Bollywood movies and real-life anecdotes. The chemistry between Amar and Prem elevates the movie to another level. The dialogues are prevalent in Indian pop culture and still relevant. The movie has high rewatchable value and has aged like fine wine.
Note: Currently I have listed only movies which I have watched completely. There may be few more movies which have aged very well but not in the list.