This is that time of the year where we start to look back at the best and the worst in the year gone by. We look back at everything from events in our own life as well as events in other fields as well. So why should films be left behind????
This year we celebrated 100 years of Bollywood and it is a really big milestone and a proud one for us Indians. But sadly the quality of films churned out this year ranged from obnoxious to downright dumb. Bollywood seems to be divided into two distinct parts - The one which counts Quantity and the other which counts Quality - and the sad part is that there is hardly any movie merging both together. 100 Crore seems things of the past and the new benchmark is 200- 300 Crores as set by some of the Blockbusters this year.But are the makers of these films really caring that films are a medium of art is a matter of huge debate. Can we judge the quality of the general audience based on these hits??? I don't know but I know this that unless this is a fad, it does not augur well for film lovers like us and the industry as a whole.
Anyway, this post is about the 10 best films Bollywood produced this year according to me. I guess I have watched more or less all the worthy films to be in contention - barring SHIP OF THESEUS and RAMLEELA - and this is my humble POV. This list may not contain the so called Blockbusters of the year, but films which made me sit up and pay notice. So here goes the list..............
10. D Day
There was a time in his prime when Rishi Kapoor was frustrated with playing the same romantic hero in each of his movies. That was then, but during the past couple of years he has truly experimented with characters of the darker shade. AGNEEPATH showed that he can carry out the negative character with ease and in D Day he has again showed what a great actor he is. His portrayal of Dawood seemed as close to reality as it can get. Combine this with a brilliant ensamble cast including the brilliant Irrfan Khan and you have one of the better films of the year. The songs are good and the action sequences shot well. Its more than your one-time-watch caper.
9. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
This movie is the biopic of sprinter Milkha Singh and his journey from a child in the refugee camps after partition to becoming one of the most famous sportsman of this country. If there was one movie this year which was a one man show, this has to be it. Take a bow Farhan Akhtar for portraying the role to perfection and his dedication for the role can be made out as soon as you watch the film. Be it his awesome change in physique or his seamless change of character from a shy romantic to a fierce competitor, he deserves a pat on his back for this role.The only reason this film finds itself in the lower half of the list is its length and lack of anything else to mention other than Farhan.
8. Jolly LLB
Films like Jolly LLB proves time and again that a smart script with competent actors is all we need sometime to produce a wonderful film. I did not have much expectations from this film, but oh boy I had a smile on my face as I left the theater. The trio of Boman Irani, Arshad Warsi and specially Saurabh Shukla are brilliant and this is probably the first time we see in a bollywood movie what a real courtroom looks like. The story was in sync with our current issues and problems in our judicial system where the big fish often escapes, and the editing was well done. This one was a surprise package of the year.
7. Bombay Talkies
Being the 100th year of Bollywood,how come a film celebrating the milestone be too far in this list. BOMBAY TALKIES is a Omnibus of 4 films directed by 4 celebrated directors of Bollywood in recent times. Each of the films show different aspects of our lives and how each of the characters deals with them. Each of the segments are beautifully directed and the acting in each of them is brilliant - specially the segment featuring Nawazuddin. Overall, this was one film which may not get popular success but was a good effort and a nice collaboration.
6. Lootera
The thing with Romantic tragedies is that if executed properly, they stay with you for a long time. Yes we knew what was going to happen in the movie once it was revealed what was its source of inspiration, but still LOOTERA is a very well made film. The beauty of the film is its simplicity and the wonderful romance between Ranveer and Sonakshi who both does an excellent job in bringing their roles alive. Add to that some beautiful cinematography which transports us to the Bengal of the past and some really melodious songs, and we have a simple yet lovely film which should not be missed.
5. The Lunchbox
This was a year of some really innovative stories being tried on the big screen. Some failed to capture our imagination but some really hit the right notes. THE LUNCHBOX was a delicious offering which was really out of the box. The story of friendship between two diametrically different human beings where food acts as the catalyst really is presented beautifully. We have a smile on our face as we become privy to their conversations, but at the same time can feel the void in their respective lives. Films like these are rare in Bollywood and the acclaim this movie received brings hope that all is not bad with the industry. But this film could have done with a lil more pace as it feels repetative at some point.
4. Kai Po Che
You can never be sure how a movie adaptation of a Chetan Bhagat book turns out. While I found his book THE THREE MISTAKES OF MY LIFE as his worst book, I was sure it was the one which could be made into a great Bollywood masala film. But the big screen adaptation really left me surprised. It was great alright, but it was far from the melodramatic masala it could have been. It is narrated in a such a manner it touches your heart and you begin to feel for each of the characters. It helped that the ending was tweaked for the movie which made it more hard hitting. Bollywood may have unearthed a future star in Sushant Singh Rajput and Raj Kumar Yadav is brilliant as usual. The music and songs are awesome too. Overall a surprise package which surpassed my expectation.
3. Madras Cafe
You may wonder how does a film starring John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri - admittedly not the best of actors - be so high in this list. But make no mistake this is one of the best and slick thrillers ever seen in Bollywood. It is a Political thriller based on the assassination of former Prime minister Mr. Rajeev Gandhi as told from the POV of the character of John. This must be the best shot film of Bollywood in recent times, if not the best ever. The pace is taut and acting brilliant. Be pleasantly surprised with the performance of Siddartha Basu who makes his debut.
2. Special 26
Its always a treat when a con movie gets it right, but more often than not the big twist or revelation is the major letdown. But this wonderful movie manages to carry the story beautifully with the right twists at the right time. The movie is certainly helped by great acting from brilliant actors and none more than Akshay Kunar. He shows us yet again what is he capable of, but sadly we see this side of him rarely these days.A wonderful tale told in the backdrop of Delhi and Bombay from years gone by, this one is indeed Special.
1. Raanjhanaa
At the start of this year, If someone told me that I would rate RAANJHANAA as the best film of 2013 come December when I sit down to make this list, I would have just laughed away and think he must be out of his mind. This film stars Sonam kapoor who has as many expressions as there are dinosaurs inhabiting our earth, and opposite him we have Dhanush of Kolaveri Di fame who is by no means the ideal choice for a bollywood hero.The question was how good can it be. Believe me when I say that you have to watch this film to know just how good it is. There is still the same number of expressions on Sonam Kapoor's face, but Dhanus will steal your heart and make it ache for him.He gives the best performance of this year and the transformations in his character over his journey to find love and do everything to fulfill his side of unconditional love is just amazing. The score by the mozart of Madras adds an extra dimension to the movie. I was blown away by the film and this, for me, is the best film of 2013.
So these were the films I felt deserved to find a mention as the best of 2013. I know its not the most conventional list as this list features almost none of the top grosser of the year, but as I said earlier, this was a year where either you side with quantity or quality. Overall a very mediocre year in terms of quality but huge on quantity........
