Doctor G to Khosla Ka Ghosla: Must Watch Comedy Movies

The quote by Charlie Chaplin, “A Day without laughter is a day wasted,” itself implies how much positivity a good laugh can inject into one’s life. That is also one of the reasons why comedies never lose their popularity. From slapstick fun to black humour and satires, successful movies that belong to the comedy genre also have longevity that normal movies can’t guarantee. On World Laughter’s Day (May 5), we offer you a curated list of comedies that will not only tickle your funny bone but also offer some thought-provoking socially relevant messages.

Providing wholesome entertainment, ‘Thank God’ (2022) also conveys moral and emotional lessons about resilience, empathy, and the value of familial relationships. Directed by Indra Kumar, the movie stars Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh in lead roles. Lauded by critics, ‘Thank God,’ revolves around the life of Ayaan Kapoor portrayed by Sidharth Malhotra, who, after meeting with an accident, faces judgement in heaven. Devgn portrays the role of Chitragupt. All the characters in Heaven are given modern outfits and behaviours to make them relatable and enjoyable even to the new generation audience. Produced by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures, T-Series Films, Maruti International and Soham Rockstar, ‘Thank God’ is available for streaming on Prime Video.

Rated by many critics as one of the best comedies ever made in Hindi, ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), also won the Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi at the 54th National Film Awards, highlighting the strength of its realistic and unique narrative style. The film, which was a sleeper hit, features veteran actors Anupam Kher and Boman Irani along with Parvin Dabas, Ranvir Shorey, Tara Sharma and Kiran Juneja in lead roles. Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, it set the template for a new filmmaking style in Hindi cinema beyond the conventional formula of a narrative revolving around superstars. Produced by Tandav Film Production and UTV Motion Pictures, ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’ is streaming on Disney+Hotstar.

Directed by Anubhuti Kashyap, ‘Doctor G’ is a movie that once again proves how lighthearted entertainment can convey a serious message. Dealing with various issues plaguing society, including patriarchy, the movie’s strength also lies in its cast including Ayushmann Khurrana, Rakul Preet Singh, Sheeba Chaddha and Indraneil Sengupta. However, the show stealer was Shefali Shah, who featured in a powerful cameo as Dr Nandini Srivastav. Produced by Junglee Pictures and distributed by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures, ‘Doctor G’ is streaming on Netflix.

Belonging to the relatively unexplored genre of science-fiction romcom, ‘Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya’ is helmed by directors Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah. It is an unusual love story between a man and a machine. The directorial duo, who also penned the script, take a hilarious dig at the chemistry behind modern-day relationships through this movie. Shahid Kapoor plays the lead character Aryan Agnihotri, while Kriti Sanon portrays the role of the female robot along with veteran actors Dharmendra and Dimple Kapadia also in central roles. The movie’s soundtrack was a chartbuster, especially the song “Akhiyaan Gulaab”. Produced by Maddock Films and Jio Studios, ‘Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya’ is streaming on Prime Video.