PIX: The Top 25 Beach Moments in Bollywood

A backdrop plays a pivotal role in creating the overall impact of a scene. All the better if it is available in the form of clear blue skies, sparkling ocean, gushing waves and silvery sand.

Be it to induce romance, inject glamour, boost drama or simply project an eye-catching environment, the beach does a perfectly great job of enhancing the setting. Whilst most filmmakers view it as an ideal excuse for the heroine to slip in a bikini, there are some who love to weave sinister sequences or philosophical musings against the pensive sea.

Here then, grab a look, in no particular order, at 25 of the most memorable and varied on-the-beach moments of Bollywood.

1. Dostana

Dostana, for all its queer subject matter, is first and foremost an exposition on what beach bodies should be like.

We have photographic evidence of Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham and Shilpa Shetty to make our point.

Leggy temptress Zeenat Aman, in nothing more than a two-piece swimsuit, steps out of the water only to walk out on boyfriend Feroz Khan in his stylish action drama, Qurbani.

Too bad for FK but not a single guy in the audience complained.

There's much profundity and probing in Rajesh Khanna's bittersweet albeit touching admissions -- Zindagi kaisi yeh paheli hai -- as he takes a long walk on Mumbai's Juhu beach to reflect over Anand's inevitable fate in Hrishikesh Mukerjee's sentimental tale.

Imbued with intensity and wildness, one of Awaara's most famous scenes features the celebrated chemistry of Raj Kapoor-Nargis demonstrating its many dimensions or how their lively mockery on the beach abruptly shifts into a stark moment of aggression.

Call it complicated, unpleasant or whatever else you choose to make out of it.

Kareena Kapoor's size-zero outing in Tashan is synonymous with her daring lime-green two-piece and other itsy-bitsy outfits.

Dimple Kapadia's seductive return to silver screen in Ramesh Sippy's Saagar is marked by a slo-mo jog or suggestive sigh on Goa's beautiful beaches, captured between sunrise to sunset, in almost everything from a swimsuit to a sari.

No point shooting in the city of sun, sand and exotic beaches if there aren't any bikini-clad women, you say?

Dhoom 2, one of the first Bollywood films to be shot in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, ensures there's no room for complaints courtesy a blazing hot Bipasha Basu and her numerous skimpy avatars.

Inspired by the gingery waves and bare sands, Urmila Matondkar lets go of her inhibitions and transforms from a girl-next-door to a sensuous star to the captivating sounds of A R Rahman's Tanha Tanha.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial debut employs the stormy and serene contrasts of the ocean to convey the poignant graph of Khamoshi's story.

Especially hard-hitting is the moment when a deaf-mute Nana Patekar thrusts the cross into the sea to express his anguish following the loss of his little son.

In the final scene, he returns to the shore side to embrace his regained faith.

Vinod Pande's take on infidelity starring Shabana Azmi, Marc Zuber and Parveen Babi features the late actress at her evocative best, shooting a modelling assignment on, where else, but the beach.

K Balachander's super successful love story of the 1980s is set in the uncorrupted scenery of Goan beaches.

It forms the backdrop for Vasu (Kamal Haasan) and Sapna's (Rati Agnihotri) youthful affections as well as the venue of its tragic demise.

Whether you may or may not recollect Manoj Kumar's Shor, there's just no forgetting Nanda's mellifluous definition of life Ek pyaar ka nagma hai (composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal) even as she dreamily strolls by the beach in the kerchief caper co-starring Jaya Bachchan.

Naseeruddin Shah's turn as a dynamic Mumbai cop trying to hunt down his friend's killers leads to unofficially sneaking out leads concerning the crime mafia of Goa.

His interactions with Johnny Lever and Archana Puran Singh feature many such strategic moments on the beach in Pankaj Parashur's hit remake of Beverly Hills Cop.

A song on the beach is mandatory for any film set in Goa.

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa obliges on that front and more with Shah Rukh Khan's adorable antics in pursuit of his beloved Anna (Suchitra Krishnamurthy).

This Khan just loves the beach.

Judwaa, Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega, Khamoshi, Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, God Tussi Great Ho, Wanted, Main Aur Mrs Khanna, Salman Khan is always prancing on desi shores or abroad.

But it's his shirtless, guitar-armed avatar crooning Oh O Jaanejaana in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya that hits all the right notes.

Loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's novel, And Then There Were None, Gumnaam's mystery packs in all the omnious elements -- deserted island, huge mansion and several characters and their multiple motives.

It is, however, Helen's vivacious jig to Is duniya mein jeena hai on this very foreboding beach that is etched in viewer memory.

In an alternate stuck-on-an-island scenario, the banter between Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel leads to much flirtation, song and dance designed to showcase its leads' talents along with the pristine white sands and aqua blue waters of Krabi, Thailand.

Away from nagging parents and every care in the world, three BFF take off on a spontaneous vacation in the coastal paradise called Goa.

And that iconic scene of Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna perched atop the Chapora Fort in Dil Chahta Hai continues to be one of the most popular poses to strike at the said location among thick pals.

Shaan may not have worked at the box office but Ramesh Sippy's stylish action film is big on edge-of-the-seat thrills.

One of them involves Sunil Dutt's execution, wherein he's chased by pack of blood-thirsty dogs on a remote island and ultimately shot down by the evil Shakaal (played by Kulbushan Kharbanda).

Sridevi transforms into a sari-clad vision, sashaying to Kalyanji-Anandji's spunky melody Har kisiko nahi milta to serenade Feroz Khan by the beach in the swagger-packed, Jaanbaaz.

Jadoo and Nasha prevail as John Abraham-Bipasha Basu steam the screen with their lustful romp around the gorgeous Pondicherry seashore in their first-ever outing together, Jism.

Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor's frothy beach date, against the beats of A R Rahman's Anjaana Anjaani in Mani Ratnam's Yuva, is a welcome change from Bollywood's tedious obsession with candlelight romances.

The sly alliance between a seething Vijay Dinanath Chauhan and sleek Kancha Cheena is forged on a virginal beach of Mauritius.