Science fiction can be a tricky genre to work with due to the complexity of the entire subject but if dealt with properly, it can give us stories that have the potential to embed themselves in our minds forever. Indian cinema has tried its hand at it and given us some mind-boggling and entertaining films. So, today we take a look at some of those science fiction movies that may not be the first ones to cross of minds whenever we talk of the genre, but definitely the ones that paved way for more filmmakers to experiment with science and fiction.
Kalai Arasi (1963)
Jaadu from Koi… Mil Gaya may be the popular one, but he was not the first alien character to be featured in an Indian film. That credit goes to the aliens of the 1963 Tamil language science fiction film Kalai Arasi, who abduct a woman so that she can teach Indian Classical Music to the people of their planet. Directed by A Kasilingam, this was the first Indian film that featured a storyline around aliens and space travel. The film also has a lot of drama, love and laughter as the girl’s boyfriend goes to the alien planet to rescue her.
Mr X in Bombay (1964)
Before Anil Kapoor gave us our version of the invisible man in Mr India, there was Kishore Kumar who did the same in Mr X in Bombay. Directed by Shantilal Soni, it is one of the first Hindi language sci-fi films starring Kumkum and Madan Puri besides Kishore Kumar. This film follows the story of a scientist whose experiment goes wrong and ends up killing one of his employees. Besides being the pioneer in science fiction films, Mr X in Bombay has also given an evergreen hit like Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi.
Patalghar (2003 )
A scientist invents a machine that can put anyone to sleep. But problems arise when people start looking for the device for their personal gain after the scientist’s death, and when the alien who he has put to sleep also wakes up at the same time, 150 years later. Based on Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay’s story of the same name, Patalghar (The Underground Chamber) directed by Abhijit Chaudhuri, it is one of the most iconic science fiction films Bengali film industry has given. The film won two National Film Awards including the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director and Best Cinematography which was won by Abhik Mukhopadhya.
Shree 2013
This is not the first Indian film to deal with time travel, but it’s a few steps ahead of other films dealing with the same subject because it delved deep into the concept. The story directed by Rajesh Bachchani follows the life of an ordinary man who participates in a science experiment for a heavy sum in return. But things go haywire when he is accused of murdering the scientist and others associated with the experiment. What he does to prove his innocence forms the crux of the film.
Cargo (2020)
Arati Kadav’s Cargo, starring Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi, premiered on Netflix in 2020. The plot is set in outer space, where a demon named Prahastha (Massey) works on a spaceship named Pushpak 634A for the Post Death Transition services. This service is meant to help people transition into their next lives after their death. Prahastha is assisted by a young female astronaut (Tripathi) who eventually steps into his shoes after his retirement. The film opened to mixed reviews but paved the path for filmmakers to explore the nuances of this genre.
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