It’s that time of the
year when everyone is busy interpreting at the months gone by – for both the
admirable & the dreadful. For our dear Bollywood, it was quite a multifarious
2011. Some films disappointed, some scored commercially but got bashed by
critics, while some, went the other way round. Salman Khan couldn’t care less
though. Anyways, many quality films remained unobtrusive & this pattern is
being amplified each year. Now this is me, trying to concoct a “top 10” list of
films from the year that we are bidding a farewell to.
10. 404 Error Not Found
If 2011 was a year
that promised originality & non-conventional ideas, 404 Error Not Found was
one of the reasons for it. A refreshing psychological thriller written &
directed by Prawal Raman, with more than decent performances by Rajvvir Aroraa,
Imaad Shah, Tisca Chopra & an outstanding one by Nishikant Kamat – this was
a very good film that went largely overlooked by the audience. The film is a
tale of horror & suspense, has an eerie feel about it, giving you the
spooks without going over the top – but is eventually built around the concepts
of the supernatural and how our mind perceives it. Definitely worth a
watch.
9. The Dirty Picture
This is Bollywood,
where the audience wants a Hero with a six pack, packing off the villains &
goondas in style – simultaneously wooing a beautiful lady who generally, as an
individual, is let fallen between the cracks. But then there is a certain Vidya
Balan, who, with the guts of a lone ranger, keeps disregarding such notions
with each film of hers. With “The Dirty Picture”, she just did it once again,
but this time, with some amazing oomph & a sexy, in-your-face attitude.
What Mallika Sherawat & Co. can do, she can do a ton times better, but not just that –
she can act, and how! She carries the film on her gorgeous shoulders, all by
herself, & deserves every accolade there is in the industry. The film in
itself – an unofficial biopic on Silk Smitha – is patchy & unconvincing,
but Balan makes it “more” than worth a watch.
8. Dhobi Ghat
Dhobi
Ghat came with a lot of interest among the people, for obvious reasons, but it
went without much attention. One of the most probable reasons being the
artistic nature of the film. Kiran Rao’s direction of this dramatic film, I
believe, was quite brilliant. The film was an amazing portrait of the different
lifestyles in Mumbai, which 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, maybe purposefully
done for his character. A refreshing movie nonetheless, which makes you think
about the connections amongst the distinct urban societies. Riveting.
7. Stanley Ka Dabba
Amole Gupte being associated with a
yet another film that revolves around a school & a kid, many thought he was
having his own “version” of “Taare Zameen Par” and conveniently neglected "Stanley Ka Dabba".
But how so wrong they were. With encouraging performances by Divya Dutta,
Partho Gupte, Divya Jagdale, Raj Zutshi & Amole Gupte himself, this low-budget,
high on pure quality film leaves you thinking & thinking with a broad smile
on your face. The movie makes you realize how unpredictably beautiful &
alluring life is and something that you should never take for granted. It has a soul so pure & heartwarming, you’d definitely be sad to have
missed it earlier.
6. Saheb, Biwi Aur
Gangster
Tigmanshu Dhulia might just be one
of the most underrated directors in Bollywood, just like his films. Saheb, Biwi
Aur Gangster was another outstanding movie, yet remained deprived of the
accolades it deserved from the masses. Starring Randeep Hooda, Mahie Gill &
Jimmy Shergil, this thriller/drama set in Northern India has some of the best
written dialogues of the year, as well as an amazing screenplay that keeps you
guessing. An enthralling tale of intricate politics, love & finally
betrayal, the film deserves more than a mere watch.
5. Yeh Saali Zindagi
Some films have just got “IT”. This “IT”
is something which you’d call the “X” factor, or the “extra mile”. But it was
an absolute delight to see this yet another master class from Sudhir Mishra.
The film had the typical “do your job & get done with it” characters, 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 the film’s story or concept here, hoping
it will feed your curiosity. The film’s racy screenplay and applause-inducing
dialogues are its high points. Just go watch it for the sheer brilliance of Irrfan
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.
4. Rockstar
Imtiaz Ali – a director with immense
promise & unique filmmaking style. And 3 excellent films to show for it.
Ranbir Kapoor – an insanely talented actor who has been stirring the industry with brilliant performances. And A R Rahman – the musical genius himself. Three
reasons why you could not have missed this film, surely. A musical drama/romance
that kept you engaged in it’s unusually long runtime, Rockstar came up trumps
with memorable music, intricate direction & an incredibly outstanding lead performance
by Ranbir Kapoor. Where this film lacked for me, was a little wayward
screenplay & Nargis Fakhri – the lead actress – who cut a sorry figure in
the end. But what it lacked in vigour, it made up with terrific music & an
intriguing tale told rivetingly by Imtiaz Ali. One of the most talked about
films of 2011, surely.
3. That Girl in
Yellow Boots
Anurag Kashyap has been a filmmaker
who has never shied away from bold, uneasy films that make you stop & take
notice. TGIYB was one such film, and I might add it is one of his boldest &
most moving films. Kalki Koechlin, who plays a British girl Ruth who is trying
to find her missing father in India, delivers a tremendous performance that
leaves you shaken & stirred. The movie has a deliberately slow pace, giving
the audience a feel of the wait & the growing frustrations that Ruth is
undergoing. Naren Chandavarkar & Benedict Taylor’s
music is highly refreshing & engaging at the same time. Kumud Mishra,
Naseeruddin Shah, Gulshan Devaiyah excel in their brief roles, but it is Kashyap’s
brilliant direction that takes the cake on this unnervingly realistic portrait
of a painful life.
2. Shaitan
Shaitan was a truly unique movie, a
kind that we very rarely are privileged to see. Yes, it was a privilege
watching this film, brilliantly crafted yet very rebellious. I might as well
make a bold statement here but I really haven’t seen a technically better movie
than this in Bollywood. The Cinematography by R. Madhie has to get a very
special mention but while I say this, by no means 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 its mind-blasting music (by
Prashant Pillai & Ranjit Barot), not just as an individual entity, but also
because of its excellent use within the screenplay of the film. You rarely get
to see something like that. The casting couldn’t have been better than this,
the young actors, particularly Kalki, Gulshan Devaiyah & 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.
1. Zindagi Na
Milegi Dobara
Zoya
Akhtar made a highly intriguing & indulging debut with “Luck By Chance”
& then crafted a movie about three friends who embark on a road trip in Spain,
with Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar & Abhay Deol as the lead cast. Not to
forget Katrina Kaif & Kalki Koechlin. Well, it turned out that the film is
not just about a road trip, it is about friendship & life coming full
circle for three individuals. The film is high on light humour, moments of
immense purity amongst three best of friends and realisations of diversified
proportions for each character. Ecstatic cinematography, stellar performances
from the cast (even Kaif), light hearted yet sincere dialogues, engrossing
screenplay, foot-tapping music and an end that reaches an amazing crescendo of
emotions & sentiments – ZNMD has everything you need in a movie that not
only entertains you, but also leaves you intoxicated with thoughts and a lively
high. Undoubtedly, my most favourite film of the year.
Some other films
that I really liked this year & cannot leave without a mention are:
7 Khoon Maaf
(Vishal Bharadwaj), Shagird (Tigmanshu Dhulia),
No one killed Jessica (Raj Kumar Gupta), I Am Kalam
(Nila Madhab Panda)
and Delhi Belly (Abhinay Deo).
