The Bollywood factory was an active one last year. While it churned a whole lot of crap, it also made us happy by producing some really interesting stuff. So different and distinctive these movies were that they clearly reflected the changing face of Bollywood and a sincere attempt to revive our cinema. From Yawn to Yeah, the end of the year indeed heralded the beginning of a new era in tinseltown.
Below are top five picks of Bollywood 2013.
1 GANGS OF WASSEYPUR – Part 1 and Part 2
Raw. Rare. Riveting. No good words can best describe the greatness of the Gangs of Wasseypur duo! Watching “Gangs” is like reading a book. It starts with Once upon a time, and keeps you awestruck with men and women, and their foreplay with guns and bullets, and egos and pride, all this consummating into a delightful experience. “Gangs” is an ambitious project by Anurag Kashyap, the brave soldier who likes to march into forbidden territories and blow your mind!
2 LOOTERA
Lootera is a time machine that magically transports you to Bengal that was in the 1950s, and into the lives of zamindars and their fading glory. There is a certain sense of quietness and hushed tone throughout the movie. Music is soft, never too loud. The camera pans around, taking time. Even Ranveer and Sonakshi adopt a minimalist approach and give performances that will be honored at award ceremonies. Mr. Motwane is certainly working hard towards putting sense in our cinema.
3 THE LUNCHBOX
Irrfan, Nawazuddin and Nimrat come together to serve you the most delicious, heart-warming meal of 2013. The Lunchbox heartily fills your appetite for fine cinema! How two lonely people connect over notes exchanged through a lunchbox forms the base of the story. Simple, sweet, strong – this is The Lunchbox for you in short. We are rarely given a chance to enjoy good cinema, and The Lunchbox should compensate for all the bad releases that were enforced upon us.
4 BOMBAY TALKIES
If The Lunchbox was a scrumptious meal then Bombay Talkies is a bouquet of fresh flowers. The movie is a concoction of four short films, with acclaimed directors, Karan, Zoya, Dibakar and Anurag at the helm of each of their stories. These directors leave their comfort zone and take risks. Some choose difficult topics and others pick personal subjects to give us a wonderful film, and also a sneak peek into the future of Indian cinema. And by the looks of it, the future seems bright.
5 SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE
Shuddh Desi Romance has a big amount of shock factor, and is an undertaking that might evoke a range of reactions. It can even make the traditionalists uncomfortable and angry. SDR is a rare movie, an honest movie, a brave movie that doesn’t fear showing the changing society in small towns. The leading lady smokes, gives gaalis, has many boyfriends, is in a live-in relation with the current one, and is also a run away bride! SDR is a loud movie with a clear message.
Changing cinema is but a reflection into its changing nation. And change is a good thing, isn’t it?
Say good-bye to 2013, and a big Hello to 2014!
Dhoom3 was nice if not great…absolute treat to watch Aamir!!
@Roh – Well…you need to be an absolute, crazy fan of Aamir to watch Dhoom…he indeed brought a lot of life to the movie.