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Best friends and comfort films are the perfect combo to solve any mood. This Friendship Day, get ready to laugh, cry and revel in the joys of being around
your favourite person in the world. For this unofficial film festival, we have assembled some all-time classics from both Bollywood and Hollywood, featuring some of your favourite actors as well. From the cult classic Dil Chahta Hai, directed by Farhan Akhtar, to the chaotic energy of Paul Feig's 2011 comedy Bridesmaids, these friendship groups show audiences that friends will always have your back, no matter what. Check out our full list below!
Dil Chahta Hai
Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut remains one of the ages. The 2001 coming-of-age film kickstarted the new genre of Indian films being made in the millennium. Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna play a trio of college friends whose friendship is tested by new relationships, circumstances and their own insecurities. After watching the timeless film with a flawless soundtrack, you might just have an inexplicable urge to book a trip to Goa.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara
Brother Farhan's film was followed up a decade later with the ultimate YOLO feature with a boys' trip to Spain by his older sister Zoya Akhtar. Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Kabir (Abhay Deol), and Imran (Farhan) explore the Spanish countryside on a three-week road trip for Kabir's bachelor party. They each ended up learning something new about themselves and each other in their life-changing trip. Katrina Kaif joins the boys as Arjun's love interest Laila.
Veere Di Wedding
Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania play four friends to come to celebrate the wedding of one of their own. The foursome are all distinct individuals, and their friendship is definitely put to the test during the big fat Indian wedding. But at the end, the Bollywood film is a rare Indian story about women bonding and being honest about what's going on in their lives.
Crew
The 2024 film Crew, directed by Rajesh A. Krishnan, features Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon as three air hostesses who reluctantly become smugglers in order to save their families. They become the de facto leaders on a secret operation to smuggle gold out of India to a fictional Middle Eastern country. The feel-good film rests largely on the camaraderie and performances of the three female stars who are there for one another through thick and thin.
Thelma & Louise
Directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the 1991 film is the ultimate road trip movie starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. The feminist film follows the two best friends who embark on a road trip after accidentally committing a series of crimes, from robbery to murder. The two women have been failed by everyone but themselves, and they remain steadfastly loyal to one another to the bitter end. Brad Pitt stars as one of the hustlers the women meet on their crime spree.
The Shawshank Redemption
Adapted from Stephen King's 1982 novella, the 1994 film written and directed by Frank Darabont is an all-time classic. The friendship of two inmates, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), at the Shawshank State Penitentiary over two decades will not only move viewers but also inspire them. The Hollywood film is not only about the surprisingly strong bonds people can make with strangers but also about the challenges life throws at you and how to overcome them.
The Hangover
Todd Phillips' 2009 Las Vegas comedy starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha. The hilarious film launched a franchise as it followed a group of friends in the City of Sin for a bachelor party. But when they lose the groom Doug (Bartha) in the morning ahead of the wedding and find themselves with a baby and Bengal tiger in the room, many questions have to be answered. Audiences can never predict what's next.
Bridesmaids
The script of Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig's comedy Bridesmaids is not just funny but insightful. Hidden behind the several mishaps on the way to the altar in the wedding comedy is a story about changing friendships and being candid about how women really feel, addressing their insecurities as well.
Directed by Paul Feig, Bridesmaids is also raunchy and fearless with laugh-out-loud performances by its ensemble cast of Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy.
