Bollywood movies have taken the world’s stage, not just India’s. Indian film has made its international mark, especially when it comes to one specific theme: casinos and gambling. Bollywood’s classic gambling-themed films have drawn international acclaim – but some are more celebrated than others. Among the best Bollywood gambling movies are the following titles – each of which follows compelling characters and a unique story that goes beyond the gambling element.
Gambler (1971)
The movie Gambler is one of the best gambling films of all time to come from Bollywood cinema. Released in 1971, it’s a Hindi film that follows a rather lazy police inspector named Daya Shankar Pandey – until his life and career is changed forever by a ground-breaking case.
Pandey uncovers a network of illegal gambling and drug and medicine smuggling – the perpetrators who, in revenge for shutting down their business, make it their mission to make his life a living hell. As the story progresses, Pandey quits his job and instead ventures on the path of the professional gambler, winning a ton of money in the process – but at a great cost.
Teen Patti (2010)
Premiering in 2010, Teen Patti follows the main character, Venkat, as he learns to gamble. His life’s dream is to win a sizable jackpot in a casino. A famous mathematician, Percy, assists Venkat on his quest, both of them hoping to win big in a casino in London. One of the methods they attempt is the probability hypothesis – which proves to work, earning them some significant wins. Eventually, after practicing with peers, Venkat goes head-to-head with professional gamblers, wagering real money in a Teen Patti game.
Now, many non-Indian casino fans may not know what Teen Patti is. It’s a card game originating in India in which players first bet an amount before cards are handed out. Next, every player receives three cards, after which they can raise, call, or fold. At the end of each round, the player with the highest hand ranking is the winner.
In essence, Teen Patti is not too dissimilar to poker, which many players worldwide enjoy playing in-person as well as online these days, particularly through popular platforms like jackpotcitycasino.com. Professional sites like this put a lot of thought and effort into the graphics and their live-feed games to make the experience as immersive as possible. This site has been around since 1998, holds a license from the Malta Gaming Authority and a fair-play certification from eCogra, make sure wherever you play has similarly good certification and reputation, whether it’s in person or online.
The Great Gambler (1979)
The Great Gambler is one of the all-time Bollywood greats in terms of gambling-themed films. Character Jai is a professional gambler – one who’s never lost. His success captures the attention of gangs, who hope to lure him into their business operations to deceive people into unlawful casino and gambling games.
Jai accepts their proposal and participates, but there are many ups and downs that follow his decision to join these criminals. The story also showcases Jai’s other problems in life, making the movie one that focuses on more than just gambling.
