Enough with the Hollywood high handedness and awards mania. Lets switch over to Indian movies now, starting with the list of best Hindi films this year.
Bollywood is on a hatrick (nothing to chest thump about), producing two consecutive years of lifeless duds and big budget flops. The trended started in 2016 and has continued and has even peaked in 2017. Simply put, this year has been disastrous for bollywood in terms of number of movies which crossed the break-even point. If someone like Vishal Bharadwaj didn't make it to the list, then you can imagine the mediocrity dished out to the audience. And the sheer number of comedies that have made to our list throws light with ample pun on the state of B-Town.
Still we managed to handpick Seven B-wood movies released this year (2017) which left a lasting impact on us after watching them. We couldn't watch some of the year end releases (there isn't enough time!!) so we reserved it for you all to comment on.
Hindi Medium - 4/5
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Fantastic satire on our education system and the high handedness of a privileged few in it. It is mildly preachy but true to its heart. In an era where we are being preached for everything unnecessary in our country, from religion to cows, this preaching in the movie is more than acceptable. Irrfan and Saba's performances and superb dialogues keeps you on your toes.
Watch it, Enjoy It!
Lipstick Under My Burkha - 4.5/5
Genre: Drama
It takes guts to make such a movie and give it this title. And the state of affairs is so pity in our country that it takes guts to make such a movie and give it this title!!
Director Alankrita Shrivastava weaves a layered story with women in four different age groups and from four different backgrounds and all living under one roof. Yet the only time all four of them meet across is in the Penultimate scene of the movie.
The performances of the lead actors overtakes the necessity to have hard hitting dialogues. Give it a try!
Trapped - 4/5
Genre: Drama | Thriller
Oh wow!! Vikramaditya Motwane!! Rajkumar Rao!! South Mumbai – In your face!! How brilliantly he showcases the irony of being trapped all alone in a concrete jungle bustling with people. So often than not, at some level everybody gets trapped!!
If Buried (Ryan Reynolds) was claustrophobic this is the opposite of it! Space here was plenty. In fact the actor had a whole apartment to himself and gets felt woefully distraught. A brilliant movie with top notch performance from Rajkumar Rao (what a year he has had!).
Jagga Jasoos - 3.5/5
Genre: Adventure | Musical
All you Reviewer Rascalas!! One underrated movie of the year. Must watch for Anurag Basu’s animated take on the Purulia Arms drop case with a La La Land touch to it and Pritam’s hum worthy music. Ranbir Kapoor lives and breathes the role of Jagga. Katrina Kaif is Katrina Kaif, let’s leave her at that. Do watch it. Make time to watch it. One wholesome family movie to be watched along with Kids.
How hypocritic are we – just because we are ignorant to a case, we are shunning it.
Bareilly Ki Barfi - 4/5
Genre: Comedy | Romance
From the director who gave us Nil Battey Sannata (Amma Kanakku in Tamil), comes this light hearted, fun-filled emotional roller coaster romantic ride. When Ayushman Khurrana and Rajkumar Rao both play cat & mouse when it comes to acting, it is Paisa Vasool for the audience. Wholesome entertainer of the year with one of the best songs, the mesmerizing Nazm Nazm. The desi dialogues and ensemble cast makes this movie al the more entertaining. And Kriti Sanon managed to pull off the rare double of best and worst (Raabta) in the same year.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan 4/5
Genre: Comedy | Romance
Kalyana Samayal Saadham (the original version, which was also a sleeper hit) – Tadka Maarke. The best thing the director did in remaking his own story was 1. hiring specialist writers to tailor the screenplay to suit the Hindi audience, 2. Casting Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar.
Amidst a Sanskaari CBFC comes this movie on Erectile Dysfunction. The tongue in cheek dialogues to convey intercourse (Alibaba & the forty thieves from Arabian Nights) is by far the best comedy scene of the year. The way in which Tiger Biscuit was used to communicate erectile dysfunction visually and metaphorically is another scene stealer.
The ensemble cast more than makes up for the Kicchadi of a climax.
Toilet Ek Prem Katha - 4/5
Genre: Drama | Comedy
This one effectively delivers the poignant message of having a ‘Shauchalay’ in every home. Infact the movie has a dialogue which goes – “agar Biwi paas mein chahiye, toh ghar mein Sandaas (toilet) zarror chahiye”. Some felt it was a public bandwagon for Swachch Bharat campaign and It didn’t strike a chord with many main stream critics/reviewers but then this movie has its heart at the right place, we feel. Makes for a good evening weekend watch with Chai & Biskut (pun intended) ;)
Following are the movies which we are yet to watch but are already making or have made some good & healthy noise:
1. A Death in the Gunj – Konkana Sen Sharma directed
2. Secret Superstar – starring Zaira Wasim of Dangal fame and an Amir Khan production
3. Qarib Qarib Single – Parvathi & Irrfan Khan. Do we need to say more?
4. Tumhari Sulu – Seems Vidya Balan acted the hell out of it!
5. Poorna: Courage is the Limit - Scaling new heights.
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