Bhaskar Parichha
Hardcore critics may call Bollywood’s commercial stuff – those hundreds of films made every year – outright trash, but an objective assessment would show the ability of directors to produce films that are meaningful, worth watching now, and a later-day recall. Bollywood is not always rubbish, nor are the films junk.
Over the years- beginning of the new millennium- there have been several really good movies. While the blockbusters – with their atrocious scripts and big budgets – are well known, it has been the lesser-known offbeat movies where young directors have showcased their filmmaking qualities and inner talent. They may not be in the mainstream, but unconventional films also have takers!
Take for instance Sudhir Mishra’s all-time hit ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’. Set against the backdrop of Indira Gandhi’s emergency of 1975, the movie’s title has been taken from a couplet by Mirza Ghalib. Brilliant performances by Chitrangada Singh, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, and Saurabh Shukla coupled with a good story and script made the film a milestone. Sudhir Mishra ensured that this was one Bollywood masterpiece that would remain unsurpassed for quite some time. A few reviews portrayed the movie to be the ‘real reel from India’.Shantanu Moitra’s folksy-classical music added to the film’s charms. But what is mesmerizing about this film is debutante Chitrangada Singh’s smart acting.
‘Aamir’ (Dir: Raj Kumar Gupta) marked the entry of TV actor Rajeev Khandelwal to the big screen. The actor does a fine job of portraying the role of a middle-class Muslim medico who comes back to his country, and lands himself in an extremely difficult situation: he becomes a puppet in the hands of Islamic extremists.
Two other masterpieces Bollywood has given in the last decade or so are Maqbool (2003) and Gulaal (2009). Maqbool was the first of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare trilogy (the other two being Omkara and Haider). Anurag Kashyap’s Gulaal is one of the darkest movies ever produced in Bollywood.
While the Hindi film industry’s top acting talents were brought together for Maqbool, Kashyap’s ensemble was no less exciting. The lesser-known Raj Singh Chaudhury played the lead role in Gulaal. Piyush Mishra (in a very appealing role), Abhimanyu Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Ayesha Mohan, and Jesse Randhawa among others were the cast line. Maqbool featured veterans like Pankaj Kapur and Tabu in lead roles, with brilliant support from Irrfan Khan. Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah added to the charm with their epigrammatic but fiercely essayed roles of a police duo.
‘Life in a Metro is yet another out-of-the-ordinary movie. Anurag Basu’s storyline was just what the doctor ordered. The film is about nine individuals living in Mumbai. Both Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma were picked up for the Filmfare Awards for their roles in the film. The cast also included Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Sharman Joshi, and Kangana Ranaut.
The greatest love stories are the ones that make you root for the protagonists to come together, despite their destinies. ‘The Lunch Box’ is one such film that illustrates how love transforms the unlikeliest of people. Ritesh Batra’s story of an epistolary romance between a middle-aged man and a woman received rave reviews. First-rate marketing support ensured that the movie fared well at the box office, unlike the offbeat movies. The only sour note of the film was that the Film Federation of India chose the Gujarati film ‘The Road Ahead’ to be sent for the Oscars instead of ‘The Lunchbox.’
‘Manorama Six Feet Under’ is a thriller featuring Abhay Deol in the lead though was a box office disaster, it received critical acclaim. The film is set in a small town in Rajasthan where Deol finds himself playing an amateur detective. The two female leads are played by Raima Sen and Gul Panag. Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Kaminey’ is set against the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld, and tells, rather succinctly, the story of twin brothers (Shahid Kapoor in a double role) pitted against each other. Priyanka Chopra and Amol Gupte play the other lead roles.
Besides these gleaming films, there are some other intelligent ones that should draw equal attention: ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster’ directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. Dibakar Banerjee- directed ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’. Shyam Benegal’s ‘Zubeidaa’ (this was the first film in the new millennium), and Subhash Kapoor’s ‘Jolly LLB’ et al.
Then there are films like Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd; Ek Chalis Ki Aakhri Local; Deewarein, Shaitan; Chandni Bar, Delhii Heights; Mitr, My Friend; Main, Meri Patni Aur Who; Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara; Sikandar; Sankat City; A Wednesday with Naseeruddin Sha’s dazzling performance; Dasvidaniya; Bheja Fry; Queen; Finding Fanny; the much -discussed Gangs of Wasseypur; the film with a cute title Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola; Special 26; Iqbal; Peepli Live; Chakravyuh; The Blue Umbrella; Haasil; Dhobi Ghat;7 Khoon Maaf; Raincoat; Table No.21; Black Friday; Stanley Ka Dabba; Vicky Donor; Shanghai and, last but not the least, The Ship of Theseus.
Far from nerdy romance, funny premise, and heroic toast, these imaginative movies from Bollywood were, to quote a line from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’
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