Film critics can get unexpectedly bashful when pressed for recommendations. While you might think it’s part of their job description to provide suggestions, they often find themselves hesitating. I’ve personally experienced the awkwardness of blinking politely and indecisively whenever cornered by friends and colleagues demanding, “suggest something good.” It’s the directness of the request that gets under the skin—a good thriller, a romantic comedy, a weekend binge-watch. There’s little room for accounting for subjective tastes or personal whims (theirs or mine). The whimsical and slippery nature of the connections that bind movies in our minds can’t be confined by strict genres and sub-genres.
This column represents an effort to turn the tables, recommending movies and shows on our own terms. Every other weekend, my colleagues and I at The Hindu cinema team will be suggesting titles tied to a mood, theme, or pop-cultural event.
To kick things off at the muggy end of June, I delve into films about escape.
Last month, as the Cannes Film Festival unfurled by the Mediterranean, India was gripped by a heatwave. The soaring temperatures affected voting turnouts and even led to Shah Rukh Khan suffering a heatstroke during an IPL match in Ahmedabad. It was also the season of summer blockbusters, with films like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” setting screens ablaze with their blend of sand, fire, and chrome.
Sweltering away at my desk, I started thinking about cinema’s retreat to cooler climes. The idea that a change of place—and crucially, a change of weather—can have a liberating effect on both body and soul is an old one in fiction. Films have always been particularly attuned to this visceral need for escape.
One of the great films with summer in its title is Ingmar Bergman’s “Summer with Monika” (1953). In this classic, Monika, the titular heroine played by Harriet Andersson, falls for Harry, a dreamy young man working in a factory.
. They leave ordinary Stockholm for the expansive archipelago off its coast, living off a boat, brewing coffee, smoking cigarettes, kissing, and lolling around. There is a famous scene where Monika, lulled by the wind and waves, decides to go skinny-dipping in a tide pool while Harry watches from a distance, almost as if storing this joyful image in his heart.
Hindi films have long exhibited a fondness for the great outdoors. Given India’s tropical climate, this often manifests as a dash for the hills. “Suhana Safar” from “Madhumati” (1958) features Dilip Kumar singing his way through Ranikhet near Nainital while in “Anupama” (1966), Dharmendra meets Sharmila Tagore in Mahabaleshwar. Sharmila Tagore was also the ‘kali’ in “Kashmir ki Kali” (1964), a film where Shammi Kapoor, the hero, became an unofficial mascot of Kashmiri tourism. Kapoor’s characters from this era often found the slightest excuse to rush off to the hills. In fact, when Kapoor passed away in 2011, his ashes were immersed in Kashmir’s Dal Lake, showcasing his love for the region.
In recent decades, it has been Kapoor’s grand-nephew, Ranbir, who has made footloose wandering fashionable again. His films like “Tamasha,” “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani,” “Anjaana Anjaani,” “Rockstar,” and “Brahmastra” are all shot like high-gloss travelogues. For characters on a budget, check out Irrfan Khan and Parvathy in “Qarib Qarib Singlle,” traipsing around half of North India, or Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi in the recent series “Do Aur Do Pyaar,” which follows their characters as they soothe their nerves and rekindle their romance in picturesque Ooty.
This escape into new environments is a theme as old as storytelling itself. Whether it’s leaving the oppressive heat behind for the cool embrace of nature or seeking a fresh start in an unfamiliar city, films about escape tap into a universal longing. For many of us, escaping into the wonders of cinema provides a respite from our everyday lives, allowing us to live vicariously through characters’ adventures.
From the Hindu cinema team, we’ll continue recommending films and shows every fortnight, each tied to a specific mood, theme, or pop-cultural event, hoping to help you find the perfect escape from your day-to-day grind. Whether it’s world cinema or Indian gems, there’s always something to whisk you away, even if just for a couple of hours.
So, next time you’re sweltering under the summer sun or yearning for a break, remember that a cinematic escape is just a play button away.
