What are festivals without fun, happiness and enjoyment? And if the festival is Diwali, it just adds to all of that, as it brings friends and family together. The history of this festival of lights, dates back to centuries, with the homecoming of Lord Rama from 14 years of exile. Since then, this festival has marked the homecoming, bonding and unity of people.
Diwali is all about spending time with their loved ones and gorging on delicious food and sweets. It also marks the time of taking a break from routined, monotonous life of work for relaxation and rejuvenation. And what better way to relax this festive season, than watching some amazing movies with your near and dear ones? Especially, animated movies.
Animated movies, usually generates a feel-good factor and looks into the realms which is difficult to capture in live-action full-length features. They help us to envision the ideal that is otherwise an illusion in this real world. Crafted with love and passion, animated movies act as breath of fresh air in this too mechanised a world. These movies are a slice of life with its amazing content and treatment. And on top of all, they spread love, happiness and good vibes- just what festivals are all about!
So, here are our picks of animated films that will make your Diwali better:
> UP (2009)
Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures, Up is an American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama that revolves around Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), an elderly widower and an earnest boy named Russell (Jordan Nagai).
He embarks on a journey by tying thousands of balloons to his house to fulfill his dream to see the wilds of South America and complete a promise made to his late wife, Ellie.
Directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, UP was a heartwarming film commending the humor and the power of love and passion. The montage of Carl and his wife Ellie aging together, was a beautiful portrayal of companionship that stood out.
>Tangled (2010)
A take on the popular German fairy tale, Tangled follows Rapunzel who was kidnapped as a kid and locked up in a tower. Her wish to escape into the world outside finally comes true when she meets the good-hearted thief, Flynn. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures, it’s the 50th Disney animated feature film.
Directed by Nathan Greno, the film tells the story of the young princess with magical long blonde hair who against her mother’s wishes,accepts the aid of an intruder to take her out into the world which she has never seen. The films talks about believing in magic but not at the cost of courage, love and hope. What makes the film special, is a scene at the end that portrays a lantern festival.
Before the film’s release, its title was changed from Rapunzel to Tangled, reportedly to market the film as gender-neutral.
> Frozen (2013)
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen‘s fairy tale The Snow Queen, Frozen tells the story of a fearless princess, Anna who sets off on a journey accompanied by a rugged iceman, his loyal reindeer and a naïve snowman to find her estranged sister, Elsa, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped their kingdom in eternal winter.
Yet another Pixar production, Frozen saw a huge box office success as an animated movie of all times. It talked about the power of love, self-acceptance and zeal to overcome any stormy situation. The beautiful portrayal of the sibling (sisterly) love and affection between the two sisters was the cherry on the cake. It also defied the typical notion of a damsel being saved by a knight in distress.
> Inside Out (2015)
Directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Ronnie del Carmen, Inside Out is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama, again from the house of Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures.
Inside Out features eleven-year-old Riley moving to San Francisco, leaving behind her life in Minnesota. She and her five core emotions- Fear, Anger, Joy, Disgust and Sadness, struggle to cope with her new life. Adapted from a story by Docter and del Carmen, the one-of-a-kind film is set in the mind of Riley. Such an unique concept and treatment comes rarely and Inside Out deserves all the appreciation and attention.
> Sing (2016)
Directed and written by Garth Jennings, co-directed by Christophe Lourdelet,Sing is a 2016 American computer-animated musical comedy-drama film produced by Illumination Entertainment. The film finds a group of anthropomorphic animals that enter a singing competition, that has a prize money of 1000 USD hosted by a koala, Buster Moon who is trying to save his theater.
The film includes more than 60 songs from famous artists and also has an original song by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande called Faith, which was nominated for a Golden Globe. Hell breaks loose when his assistant adds two extra zero by mistake while making the fliers.
It’s an adorable movie which perhaps will not trigger your thoughts but will surely lighten up one’s mood with great tunes, making one enjoy it.
> Coco (2017)
Another Pixar production, Coco is a 2017 animated fantasy film inspired by the concept of Mexican Day of the Dead holiday. The movie is based on an original idea by Lee Unkrich, it is directed by him and Adrian Molina.
The story follows a 12-year-old boy, Miguel who gets accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living.
Coco won two Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, Remember Me. The film spreads the power of music and strong will that can make one fetch their toughest dreams.
These are few chosen ones that we feel will leave a mark on you and your family during this festival of lights. There are several others which stands out in their own ways and as somebody rightly said, good films are a treasure, one can always choose their favourite one.
Let there be light in your lives, always!
