What a year this has been! So many good movies, so little time! This year, I lost out a lot of Hollywood (including Harry Potter!) coz of desi stuff!
Highlights of hindi movies 2005:
Variety:Historicals, sleaze flicks, pretentious stuff, comedies parading as tragedies,tragedies parading as comedies, gay themes, horror flicks, animation movies...Hindi Movies had them all!
Skin: Everyone from Mallika to John Abraham to the next wannabe got their epidermal layers glowing. With this, the skin doctors are poised to be the next-gen fashion designers. I will not be surprised if I hear some actor tomorrow saying, '' I got this at Dr. Mulchandanis!''
Music:Saner melodies lost out to the pelvic twisters. ''Piya Bole'' simply had no chance against a ''Dus Bahaane'' or ''Kajra Re''. Gulzar, God bless his pen, was the sole crusader against cheap and pedestrian https://lyrics. Vaah...life ho to aisi! and Dosti had me reaching out for barf bags.
The young brigade of directors stormed old bastions. Despite their disproportionate success, these guys are here to stay.
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Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (Kay Kay, Chitrangada, Shiney Ahuja, Dir; Sudhir Mishra)
Set in the 80's when it was fashinonable to be a commie, this movie speaks about three people caught between politics and love. Exhilarating performances from all the leads and some sincere direction. With Capitalism being the flavor of the season, it was not surprising that this movie did not get the audience it deserved.
My Brother...Nikhil (Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Suri, Purab Kohli Dir:Onir)
One of the few movies which deals with homosexuality and AIDS heads on and still does not makes its straight audience squirm. Honest to goodness performances and some lovely music marked this movie. Highly recommended for those with an open mind.
Iqbal (Shreyas Talpade, Naseeruddin Shah Dir: Nagesh Kukunoor)
While Ghai's misadventure Kisna bombed at the box-office, this sweet little story about a small-town physically challenged guy who makes it big in Cricket warmed hearts across the country. Produced on a shoe-string budget, it managed to rake in decent profits.
Hanuman (Dialogue: Mukesh Khanna Dir: VG Samant)
What a big surprise! It was hard to believe that this wonderful animated film was actually a desi production. OK, Indian animation is still not there yet but is surely on its way! And the young Hanuman was...oh so chweet! If you missed it, get the CD! Your kids are going to love this one and you too!
My Wife's Murder (Anil Kapoor, Suchitra Krishnamoorthy Dir: Jijy Philip)
This movie about a married man on the run for accidentally killing his wife showcased Anil Kapoor in a totally different light. Although slightly stretched out towards the end, it still made for compelling viewing.
Paheli (Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee Dir: Amol Palekar)
Based on the Gujrati Story '' Duvidha'', Paheli speaks of a ghost which falls in love with a married woman. There are many layers to this intricate love story and Amol Palekar handles this sensitive topic well. No Oscar material this but it is a little heart-stealer that will not escape notice.
Page 3 (Konkana Sen, Mridul, Atul Kulkarni Dir: Madhur Bhandarkar)
In this movie, Bhandarkar gives us a sneak-peek into the lives of the Page 3 people without taking sides anywhere. Partly funny, partly tragic, Page 3 gave several hints about the real-life identity of the characters stopping just short of naming them. Doesn't make for family viewing though.
Bluff Master (Abhishek Bachhan, Priyanka Chopra Dir: Rohan Sippy)
A mad caper about a conman caught between the love for his profession and his girlfriend, Bluffmaster takes its audience along till the very end. Tongue-in-cheek, trendy, sleek, and heavily hollywoodish, it might find the going rough in rural centers.
Bunty Aur Babli (Abhishek Bachhan, Rani Mukherjee Dir: Shaad Ali)
When two small-towners aspire for the big things in life, the result is Bunty and Babli. Amitabh gives enough space to his Junior and the son doesn't disappoint. While Bunty and babli are on a looting spree, it is Aishwarya Rai's ''Kajra Re'' that walks away with the audiences' hearts. Shaad Ali proves that Saathiya was no flash in the pan.
Sarkar (Amitabh Bacchan, Abhishek Bachhan Dir: Ramgopal Verma)
Verma's take on the Thackerays won accolades for its lead stars. No one expected less from Amitabh but it was Abhishek's performance that took everyone by surprise. But then, that is why people work for Mr. Verma. Ask a certain Oberoi.
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Salaam Namaste and Kaal just got edged out from the list :(
I forgot Parineeta till Vishal mentioned it in the comments section.
I found Black highly pretentious and so, left it out. I enjoyed a few sleaze flicks like No Entry, Maine Pyaar Kyon kiya, Garam Masala, Kya Kool hai hum ...but surely you wouldn't expect me to get them into the already crowded top 10? I missed seeing Kalyug, Subhash Chandra Bose...and some others. If you dont see your fave movie there, that could be the reason.
Looking forward to more Hindi Movies in 2006! Pass the Pop Corn Please!
