Among other genres, the ‘coming-of-age’ theme has a special charm that depicts the nuances and vulnerabilities of the coming-of-age period, friendship, and self-discovery.
Let’s explore top Indian coming-of-age films like 'Udaan', 'Wake Up Sid', and '3 Idiots' that aptly capture the essence of coming-of-age time!
Udaan (2010) – Netflix, Prime Video: The Vikramaditya Motwane directorial tells the story of a 16-year-old boy who returns to his abusive father after being expelled from school.
Wake Up Sid (2009) - Netflix, Prime Video: Ayan Mukerji’s rom-com follows a lazy rich Mumbai college student who realizes his potential in the world after meeting an aspiring author.
Purani Jeans (2014) – JioCinema: It revolves around a young man, his best friend, and their gang who are on their journey to rediscover their friendship and love.
Yaariyan (2014): This Divya Khossla directorial follows a college student who has a mission to win an inter-college competition to save his college from being demolished.
Rock On!! (2008) - Netflix, Prime Video: Starring Arjun Rampal and Farhan Akhtar, it’s about four friends who reunite to relieve their glorious moments as a rock band.
Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008): The Abbas Tyrewala directorial rom-com follows two best friends who are unknowingly in love with each other.
3 Idiots (2009) - Prime Video: The Rajkumar Hirani directorial follows three engineering friends dealing with the strict and rigid education system of India.
Kai Po Che (2013) - Netflix, Prime Video: It tells the story of three friends who grew up together in India, each pursuing their own dreams and aspirations.