Two of the most iconic movies in the history of Hindi cinema—Gangs of Wasseypur and Lagaan have been audience favourites for a long time, and rightly so. But did you know that these two Bollywood movies have something in common? Well, interestingly, they’re among some of the longest films in Bollywood. Wondering what other Hindi films have a long runtime? Well, here is a list of some entertaining Hindi films that have a long runtime.
1. Sangam (1964)
This movie, starring Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, and Vyjanthimala in the lead, has a runtime of 3 hours and 58 minutes. The film narrates the story of three childhood friends who find themselves at a difficult crossroads in life. The movie was one of the biggest hits of its time, and interestingly, one of the first Hindi movies to have such a long runtime.
2. Mera Naam Joker (1970)
Another Raj Kapoor film has made it to the list of longest movies in Bollywood. The 1970 film has a runtime of 3 hours and 44 minutes and had Kapoor helming the role of a director. The movie has an ensemble cast of actors like Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Simi Garewal, Rishi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Dara Singh, and Rajendra Kumar, among others. Mera Naam Joker narrates the tale of Raju, a joker in a circus. This emotional drama is considered to be one of Raj Kapoor's best works.
3. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
This period drama has an ensemble cast with actors like Aamir Khan, Raghuvir Yadav, Gracy Singh, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Rajendra Gupta in pivotal roles. This movie directed by Ashutosh Gowariker is 3 hours 44 minutes long. The film narrates the tale of a village during British Raj that play a game of cricket with the British in order to forgo paying the taxes they owe.
4. Mohabbatein (2000)
This movie, starring Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai, also features actors like Uday Chopra, Jugal Hansraj, Shamita Shetty, Jimmy Shergill, Preeti Jhangiani, and Kim Sharma in pivotal roles. The film has a runtime of 3 hours and 36 minutes, making it one of the longest Bollywood movies. The Aditya Chopra directorial narrates the story of two stubborn men and their opposing ideologies about love and life.
Mohabbatein interestingly marked the Bollywood debut of actors Uday Chopra, Preeti Jhangiani, Kim Sharma, Shamita Shetty, Jugal Hansraj, and Uday Chopra. These actors went on to feature in several Bollywood movies.
5. Saalam-E-Ishq (2007)
The Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra starrer has a runtime of 3 hours 36 minutes and is the pair’s longest Hindi movie. The 2007 film is an unofficial remake of Richard Curtis’ Love Actually. Saalam-E-Ishq has an ensemble cast featuring Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, JohnAbraham, Vidya Balan, Akshay Khanna, and Ayesha Takia, amongst others. The film narrates the tale of six couples as they navigate their relationships.
6. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
The movie, starring Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, Abhishek Bachchan, and Preity Zinta, narrates the tale of Dev and Maya, who find love outside of their relationships. The film is 3 hours and 13 minutes long. The Karan Johar directorial also has actors Amitabh Bachchan, Kirron Kher, John Abraham, and Arjun Rampal in extended cameo roles. The 2006 romantic drama was heavily criticised by critics and audiences for its bold theme.
7. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
The gangster drama is undoubtedly the longest Bollywood movie with a runtime of 5 hours and 21 minutes. Due to its length, the film was released in two parts, namely Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and 2. The movie, starring Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Tigmanshu Dhulia, also had an ensemble supporting cast featuring actors like Richa Chadha, Huma Qureshi, Jameel Khan, Piyush Mishra, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Zeishan Quadri amongst others.
Besides being one of the longest Bollywood movies, Gangs of Wasseypur is credited for giving the film industry one of its best talents, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actor gained popularity soon after the release of this film. The movie directed by Anurag Kashyap narrates the tale of Sultan and Shahid Khan, two gangsters of Wasseypur.
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