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There is a princess from a fictional kingdom. She is already bored with the formality of a royal existence. She wants to come down from her ivory tower and explore the world unknown to her. She eventually meets a commoner. Almost half of the movie revolves on their love story. It follows the formula. They met, they fell in love, their love was tested, and the fairy-tale ending.

Familiar, isn't it? The movie is loosely based on Roman Holiday. Audrey Hepburn becomes Dayanara Torres while Gregory Peck, the journalist is transformed into Aga Muhlach, the jeepney driver. The movie banked on the popularity of its stars. It is interesting to note that Dayanara Torres was the reigning Miss Universe during that year. The pageant was held in Manila the same year so it was an opportune moment to avail of her services.

Ask any Filipino and you have little chance of finding someone who don't have an idea about "Ang Panday" (The Blacksmith). This Carlo Caparas opus tells the story of a blacksmith named Flavio (portrayed by Fernando Poe Jr.) who saw a meteor. When it fell to earth, he forged a sword out of the meteorite.

The meteor turned out to be a harbinger of the sinister events to come. The evil force is led by Lizardo (played by mainstay villain Max Alvarado). Flavio wields his sword against Lizardo's minions, and ultimately against Lizardo himself.

"Ang Panday" is the first of a series of Flavio's exploits. The anthology won both critical and commercial acclaim especially during the yearly Metro Manila Film Festival. Offshoots, including an animated and live-action TV series, sprang as a result. During Fernando Poe Jr.'s(FPJ) campaign for the presidency, he used the moniker "Panday". No wonder, the movie reasserted FPJ's permanent mark on Filipino popular culture.

Dolphy is the Philippines' comedy king and he is known for making spoofs of hit Hollywood films. Tataynic is one of those. The movie was produced during the time Titanic was making its successful run in Philippine theaters.

Tataynic is derived from the words Tatay Nic (Daddy Nic), the name of the main character played by Dolphy. The setting is - you guessed it right - a luxury liner !!! Unfortunately, the movie didn't match its Hollywood counterpart's popularity. The comedy aside from being outdated, is also peppered with a plethora of uncalled for musical numbers.

I hope that a more sensible comedy film would be produced in the future.

In this comedy flick, Dolphy plays a good-natured common man. The story revolved in a Faust-like premise. One day the devil (played by the quintessential Pinoy movie villain Romy Diaz), tempts him to give powers of sinister origin. However, the price is the former's soul. The pact was sealed. The use of "black magic" on benevolent purposes lead to hilarious situations.

Many Filipino movies have plots borrowed from foreign movies, ranging from classics to potboilers. Black Magic is one of them. This movie, like many other offshoots, is a hit with the masses. I am just wondering if this movie remained in Filipino cultural memory.

I have always like watching movies. However, as time went by, I have only known of Hollywood, European, Japanese, and Filipino cinema.

When I learned that Awara is one of Time Magazine's Top 100, I got a copy. The movie called my attention because I haven't seen a Bollywood movie.

I watched Awara, and I was entertained. All the genre you can think of, you'll find it there. Name it: melodrama, action, comedy, romance, music, fantasy. Raj Kapoor craftily weaved them in the almost three hour-long classic.

Behind the melodrama is the social commentary. The conflict between a person versus the orthodox beliefs of the milieu is a recurring theme each of us face in everyday life. Pressures to adhere to the norm led the main character to his plight. Children growing up in squalid areas is an important issue tackled.

The musical sequences showed the movie's multi-faceted nature. It showed references to Chaplin, Rodgers/Hammerstein, and the like. Particularly amazing is the dream sequence in an east meets west setting. Elements of Hindu-Buddhist mythology are mingled with those of ancient Greco-Roman.

The eclectic experience solidified my belief that Bollywood is indeed a pillar of world cinema. I look forward to watching more.