thank you acquarello and Dizzy_Bird for your posts. acquarello, you are dead true that indian films lack strong advocation. considering the amount of exposure the other asian films get (especially hong-kong,chinese,singaporean) in us and europe, contemporary indian films are hardly viewed in western world. i am giving you a hands-on list some of the new indian films worth watching:

*buddhadeb dasgupta's (the wrestlers (2000), red door (1997),  shelter of the wings (1993))
*goutam ghosh's (boatman of the river padma (1993), the voyage beyond (1987), the crossing (1984))
*aparna sen's (house of memories (2000), yugant (1995), 36 chowringhee lane (1981)
*adoor gopoalkrishnan's - arguably india's finest contemporary filmmaker (man of the story (1996), the servile (1993), the walls (1990)
*shaji n karun's (the last dance, my own (1994), birth (1988))
*jayaraaj's pathos (2000)

apart from these newer films, has any one of you seen films of ritwik ghatak, mrinal sen or shyam benegal?
by the way, i am strongly reccomending you a film called spice (by ketan mehta)- available in us in vhs. 
if you have any querry regarding indian films, please let me know?

