We all love Bollywood and we all love our movies. July has dawned and this year so far, has been quite a ride, with many movies coming in at a rate faster than usual, in spite of the Cricket World Cup. Quite unfortunately though, many have failed to garner any kind of success. But a few movies have indeed impressed and made us believe that this industry is capable of producing good, quality movies that can provide us entertainment as well as food for thought.
Here, I am trying to narrow down the list of such movies to five – from the year so far. While there have been movies like Yamla Pagla Deewana, Thank You, Ready, Double Dhamaal, etc. that have been huge commercial successes, I would like to overlook them and consider movies that were really thoughtful, entertaining and had some substance to themselves. So, if you might have missed any of these films, I am recommending you get their DVDs as soon as you can and watch these movies. I am sure your weekends will only get better!
Mind you, this is a list of movies released till the month of June only. So I am sad Delhi Belly misses out! And I guess the end of the year list will be even more fun & interesting, with many more movies set to be released in the coming months. So, here we go...
5. No One Killed Jessica
This Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan starrer was an excellent take on the Jessica Lal murder case that rocked India a few years ago. The movie, being inspired from those events, was directed very well by Raj Kumar Gupta and had stellar performances from both the actresses, Vidya Balan impressing in particular. The film had intensity and grit written all over it, something we don’t get to see much these days in Bollywood. But it also had a few moments that were largely predictable – probably due to the basis of the script. Nevertheless, it was a very convincing movie and a project well done. It might not have provided solace to Jessica & her family, but it put forth to the whole nation the tyranny vented upon her.
4. Yeh Saali Zindagi
Not many took notice of this excellent-yet-so-in-your-face film and quite expectantly, was a commercial failure. But it was an absolute delight to see this yet another masterclass from Sudhir Mishra. The film had those typical “do your job & get paid” characters in it, which complemented the story in every sense. And yes, accompanied by that wicked love-ka-keeda thing, if you might call it that, which makes it even more interesting. I won’t write much about its story or concept here, hoping it will feed your curiosity. The film’s racy screenplay and gripping dialogues are its high points. Just go watch it for the sheer brilliance of Irfan Khan, the tenacity of Chitrangda Singh and the audacity of new comers Arunoday Singh & Aditi Rao Hydari. And then there’s Saurabh Shukla too. You simply can’t miss this one.
3. Dhobi Ghat
Dhobi Ghat came with a lot of interest among the people, but not many appreciated it. Probably because of the artistic nature of it’s direction by Kiran Rao, which I believe was quite brilliant. The film was an amazing portrait of the different lifestyles in Mumbai, which do not cross each other, but run parallel. Pratiek’s dhobi (Munna) is such a well-written character; you actually sense his apprehension and predicament in each scene. The work of other actors is commendable too, particularly Kriti Malhotra who plays the estranged Yasmine. Monica Dogra is promising. Aamir Khan though, looked a bit uncomfortable in his role, may be he thought it was necessary for his character. A refreshing movie nonetheless, which makes you think about the connections in the distinct urban societies. Riveting.
2. 404
This movie was a treat for all fans of the suspense/thriller genre. Prawal Raman provides a fascinating story, all well told, accompanied by a mind-blowing twist at the end. The film is an honest attempt at innovative story telling and, with its small budget production, is a rebel to your tried & tested “formula” movies in its own kind. Everything about this movie works - the script is well thought out, the actors have done their job to near perfection, the spooky factor is always there and nothing at all goes over the top, which is most important for any movie of this kind. Raman does a top-notch job here, pulling off a story, which is very original as well as challenging. Nishikant Kamat impresses as the Professor immensely while Imaad Shah shows glimpses of an articulate budding artist. Rajvvir Arora too, shows his potential in a challenging role. Go watch it for the thrill, but also keep your thinking hats ON!
1. Shaitan
Now here is a truly different kind of movie we very rarely are privileged to see. Yes, it was a privilege watching this film, so well crafted yet very rebellious. I might as well make a bold statement here but I really haven’t seen a more technically better movie than this in the Hindi Film Industry. The Cinematography by R. Madhie has to get a very special mention but while I say this, in no ways is the films’ screenplay and direction any lesser. Bejoy Nambiar makes a debut any aspiring director will be envious of. The characters portrayed are your typical “love-to-be-hated”, “carefree” spoilt brats, and you don’t need an introduction to get into stride with them. Everyone has a “Shaitan” in himself or herself, and you are comfortable to live with this fact. Or at least watch it unfold on the screen. Another reason why this film is a winner is it’s mind-blasting music, not just as an individual entity, but also because of its excellent use within the screenplay of the film. You never get to see something like that. The casting couldn’t have been better than this, the young actors, particularly Kalki, Gulshan Devaiah & Shiv Pandit are very impressive. So is Rajiv Khandelwal in his tough-cop routine. Rajat Bharmecha’s cameo is worth the movie’s run-time itself. Watch this and pay your dues to Anurag Kashyap and Bejoy Nambiar.
Omkar Divekar
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