With only few days left in 2015, I want to document for myselfthe list of Bollywood films that I enjoyed the most this year. This list, however, is a subjective exercise that may be liked by some and disliked by many or vice-versa. Here are my favourites of the year.
1. TALVAR
‘Talvar’ is gritty, realistic and most uncomfortable Film to have come out of Bollywood this year. Meghna Gulzar’s pitch-perfect direction coupled with Vishal Bhardwaj’s watertight screenplay and Gulzar’s heart-rending lyrics made ‘Talvar’ a breakthrough affair. Grade: A+
2.
PIKU
The simplicity and charm of director Shoojit Sircar’s ‘Piku’ spoke to me even hours after I left the theatre. It is a beautifully written and brilliantly realised film that leaves the audience spellbound. On the other hand, it also proved to be a path-breaking movie for Deepika Padukone - as an actor. Grade: A
3. MASAAN
‘Masaan’ was the toughest film to watch this year. It made me uncomfortable. Director Neeraj Ghaywan used the best of his capabilities to delineate the mind-boggling study of societal degradation in this film. On the other hand,Richa Chadha has established herself as one of the most facially expressive actress after giving this ‘ballsy’ performance. Grade: A
4. BOMBAY VELVET
In this film, Anurag Kashyap has brilliantly wrapped the critique of capitalism vs.
communism in the bygone era. The main hero of this film is Anushka Sharma - her emotional outbursts, her flirtatious outings and her stage performances are all finely calibrated and perfectly executed. Sharma’s performance took ‘Bombay Velvet’ a notch higher than it could’ve been without her. Grade: A-
5. MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW
This heart-meltingly profound story of a differently abled teenage girl left the critics in awe and admiration.
The performance of Kalki Koechlin is at par with industry’s best actresses this year. No woman this year gave a better performance than Koechlin's. Grade: B+
6. DUM LAGA KE HAISHA
Sharat Katariya’s ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ will evoke tremendous nostalgia. The credit goes to the uplifting music by Anu Malik and the wonderful cast including Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Sanjay Mishra and Seema Pahwa.
Grade: B+
7. DRISHYAM
Nishikant Kamat has served an intense and disturbing tale of wretched emotions in this film. The characters are etched to perfection with thick multiple layers that will leave your mind befuddled. Watch out the movie for Tabu’s heartfelt performance. Grade: B+
8. BADLAPUR
‘Badlapur’ is a gripping drama that unfolds at a taut pace. While, the director slow cooks the narrative and lets the audience simmer in anticipation. ‘Badlapur’ is important because of five solid performances by Varun Dhawan, Huma Qureshi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte and Divya Dutta. Grade: B+
9. MAIN AUR CHARLES
‘Main Aur Charles’ is a genuine endeavour that catapults the echelons of art-house entertainment.
It is a movie that doesn’t rely on the obvious with top-notch performance by Randeep Hooda, Richa Chadha and Adil Hussain. Grade: B
10. TITLI
‘Titli’ is all about audacious storytelling. The real hero of the film is the suspicious character of Shashank Arora. On the other hand, Ranvir Shorey supports the proceedings of the movie quite well. Grade: B-
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
The riveting ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’, the deeply profound ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, the magnum opus ‘Bajirao Mastani’, the hard-hitting ‘NH10’, the refreshingly entertaining ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ and the scrumptious feast ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’.
