Salaam Bollywood!

We noted an abundance of Ram in Bollywood movie titles.

Turns out there's no scarcity of Salaam either.

The latest to join the bandwagon is Kajol's Salaam Venky, which is based on Shrikant Murthy's The Last Hurrah, inspired by the touching true story of a mother and her terminally-ill son.

Sukanya Verma doffs her hat at all the other salaam-themed titles out there.

 

Salaam Namaste

The title of Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta's peppy 2005 rom-com would make for a perfect inter-faith romance. Except the salaam and namaste refers to the duo's chalk and cheese personality trying to adapt into a live-in relationship.

 

Salaam-E-Ishq

Nikkhil Advani's desi Love Actually ropes in a hoard of stars -- Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Govinda, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Juhi Chawla, Priyanka Chopra, Akshaye Khanna -- to showcase various facets of romance and relationships in an ensemble whose title is inspired by Prakash Mehra's 1978 classic.

 

Salaam Bombay!

Mira Nair's Cannes winner explores the dark underbelly of South Mumbai's red-light area and slum kids through her unflinching, unforgettable gaze resulting in a difficult watch and masterclass in film-making. Salaam, indeed.

 

Maa Tujhe Salaam

Sunny Deol goes full throttle with his trademark jingoism post-Gadar's record-breaking success in a movie where Arbaaz Khan is the actual lead for action director-turned-actor Tinnu Verma's directorial debut.

 

Lal Salaam

Set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement, the brutal reality of Adivasi existence finds focus in the Nandita Das-led drama whose title alludes to the communist greeting.

 

Salaami

Nadeem-Shravan's lilting soundtrack (Chehra Kya Dekhte Ho, Mere Mehboob Ki) and Dilip Kumar's nephew Ayub Khan's acting debut in a run-of-the-mill romance about a military cadet's complicated love life are Salaami's best known attributes.

Speaking of songs,salaam enjoys a popular presence in the lyrics of some of these chartbusters. Of which, these stand out:

 

Salaam-E-Ishq, Muqaddar Ka Sikander

From inspiring a movie's title decades later to hailing the power of ishq in classic Rekha-style adas and thumkas, Salaam-E-Ishq never gets old.

 

Doston Ko Salaam, Rocky

Sanjay Dutt makes his Bandra boy entry in customised jackets and cool motorbikes against R D Burman's lively introductory song while doling out undiscriminating salaams at his dosts and dushmans.

 

Aye Pyaar Teri Pehli Nazar Ko Salaam, Ek Duuje Ke Liye

Young lovers are full of gushy, mushy, grand expressions. Rati Agnihotri applauds that universal feeling since time immemorial over a series of overwhelming salaamx.

 

Bambai Se Aaya Mera Dost, Dost Ko Salaam Karo, Aap Ki Khatir

A welcome drink of songs, the iconic lines from Bappi Lahiri's catchy ditty sure made many Bombay-based guests feel like stars. How salaam is that?

 

Salaam, Umrao Jaan

Aishwarya Rai's remake of the tragic courtesan story leaves a lot to be desired. But there's no denying the visual appeal of her decked up glory, offering her first ever Salaam to the kotha guests in Umrao Jaan.