Hindi cinema may not be the best in world at the moment, but one cannot deny that over the years, we have seen the craft being preserved by mavens who have richly contributed to the film industry. We have generations of directors/actors/writers who have given us something to be proud of for years to come, namely Satyajit Ray, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor, Shyam Benegal, Yash Chopra, Mira Nair, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Vishal Bhardwaj, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Zoya Akhtar, Rajkumar Hirani, Shoojit Sircar & the list goes on.
The undying Bollywood fan in me fights a losing battle when someone points out the obviously better films being produced in different parts of the world. But at the same time, the eternal optimist in me knows we’ll be there one day soon, and we are closer to that goal with each passing year.
Out of the 200 movies that release every year, there is a handful of great ones. They may not have raked in 100 crores at the Box Office and they may not gain cult status 20 years later – but they are a small step in the right direction.
Here are a few films from 2017, in no particular order, that did us proud:
1. Trapped
This year belongs to Rajkummar Rao and his class act in whatever projects he did. A seemingly simple incident which is turned into a taut thriller with brilliant acting and of course, Vikramaditya Motwane‘s stellar direction – Trapped is definitely a must watch!
2. Anarkali Of Aarah
Cinema happens to be mass medium in communicating the plea of the marginalised sections of the society. Swara Bhasker‘s portrayal of a singer from Bihar often treated as a sex worker may not have reached too many people, but it touches all the right subjects and that is a step in the right direction.
3. Hindi Medium
Language unfortunately divides our society in an ugly way – a relevant topic that never goes beyond a superficial level. I am no film critic/cinema expert, but I can tell you that the film was not a 10/10. Despite a promising start, it dwindled towards the end & became too preachy and utopian.
But then again, it threw light on a pertinent issue. It’s enough for a start, right?!
4. A Death In The Gunj
IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED IT YET, DO YOURSELF A HUGE FAVOUR & WATCH IT ASAP! Kthanksbye!
5. Lipstick Under My Burkha
The trouble this film went through to reach a theatre near us was worth the effort. It painfully puts across the casual sexism, patriarchy and gender bias rampant in our society via its 4 wonderfully sketched female protagonists. Enough to break your hearts!
6. Jolly LLB 2
Jolly LLB 2 is more than courtroom comedy-drama. A flawed, selfish middle class man becomes a hero when his guilt gets the better of him. Yes, it’s quite Bollywood-esque because of the sudden redemption & reformation of the lead character, but it still has an appeal. And it has Akshay Kumar!
7. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
Another phenomenal performance by Akshay Kumar, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is a satire on the age old tradition of defecating in open. TEPK discusses a pressing concern with a side of humour & a pinch of Bollywood drama.
Here’s hoping that it was successful in creating awareness about basic hygiene in the minds of a common Indian man/woman – and most importantly – the civil authorities.
8. The Ghazi Attack
It can be deemed as another patriotic film which rightfully leaves you in awe of our soldiers, but at the core of it, The Ghazi Attack is a riveting thriller. It’s engaging and has brilliant performances by the best seasoned actors we have – Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni & Milind Gunaji, the late Om Puri & others.
9. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Apart from the aforementioned, another issue which has stigma attached to it, is Erectile Dysfunction AKA gent’s problem. Major props to Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar & director R.S Prasanna for taking up an issue which is a taboo in our society and bringing it forward as a mainstream Bollywood film.
10. Newton
Apart from being screened at 40 International film festivals, Newton was India’s official entry for the Oscar awards 2018. It is impeccably written, makes you laugh and forces you to think – and all these ingredients add up to a good film. Also, no amount of appreciation will ever be enough for Rajkummar Rao (again!) and Pankaj Tripathi.
11. Secret Superstar
It’s true that Aamir Khan has the Midas touch when it comes to movies. But Secret Superstar undoubtedly belonged to 17-year old Zaira Wasim. It’s a story we have all heard somewhere about someone from somebody, but Advait Chandan narrates it with a gamut of emotions and leaves you weeping yet joyous with victory in the end.
12. Tumhari Sulu
Sulu has infectious energy, is happy-go-lucky and keeps herself entertained some way or the other – it’s easy to fall in love with her. But there’s also a woman you find in every second Indian house – under appreciated with a number of unfulfilled dreams. Vidya Balan gets into the skin go her character and honestly for me, that is what made it all the more enjoyable. No one else could have played the role with as much finesse as her.
Tumhari Sulu is like a warm hug, it will leave you smiling.
That’s all from my side! You can of course disagree with my views in the comments below. Or you can also agree. Or you can tell me a movie you liked which deserved to be a part of this list. 🙂
Also take a look at the list of movies that failed to please us in 2017.