Our cinematic landscape is littered with escapist tales of impossible love told using outrageous song-and-dance sequences; our heroes routinely indulge in fights unreasonable enough to make Chuck Norris wince, while their lasses are dutiful enough to be archers in the Mahabharata -- except also immediately ready to forgo all clothing, all for the sake of a song. Yeah, we pretty much corner the market in fantasy.

Yet fantasy cinema, as a genre, isn't something we've been that brilliant at. There are certainly some exceptional films, but most of our attempts at the genre are a muddied bunch of snakewoman movies, cardboard faux-mythologicals, and derivative attempts at children's cinema.

Now, with Drona around the corner, here's a chronological exploration of five truly, maddeningly brilliant fantasy films, which do the genre proud:

Text: Raja Sen

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