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thebiasedlens · 8 years

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My Top 15 Hindi Movies of 2016

It’s January 2017. Which means it’s Awards season. Which also means it's List-making season. And before I start watching movies from the 2017 movie calendar, here are MY Top 15 Hindi Movies of 2016:

15. Fan

At 15 is SRK’s flawed yet powerful - FAN ! This movie may have tanked at the Box office (unfortunately) but SRK’s performance in Fan was exactly what us SRK “Fans” have been waiting for since Chakde India! Here’s hoping for more such performances from him in the future.

14. Befikre

Like Fan, Befikre also failed to ring up the box office. Despite that, in my opinion, Befikre is one of the brave movies of 2016. Brave because Director Aditya Chopra “Dared” to make something different from what he has always made. It was honest and true to what it promised to be, i.e. India’s first true Rom-Com. All fun and NO melodrama. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

13. Nil Battey Sannata

Nil Battey Sannata was a nice and sweet Mother-daughter movie that emphasized the importance of education - irrespective of your age. It was one of those feel-good movie that left me with a smile in the end.

12. Phobia

This movie gave me the chills. The second half was a little clunky, but was saved by Radhika Apte’s brilliant performance. She deserves to be showered with awards for this performance. Phobia joins the short list of good Thrillers to come out of India.

11. Parched

I saw this movie at New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) in May 2016 and was moved by its brave subject. It reaffirmed the fact that Radhika Apte is currently one of the best actress in Indian cinema. But sadly, the most underrated actress. Like I said above - Shower her with awards please.

10. Waiting

I also saw Waiting at NYIFF and loved every frame of it. It is a shame that this movie did not get the love it deserved. If you haven't seen it please give it a chance. It is honest and clean cinema that deserved to be seen and appreciated. The friendship between Naseeruddin Shah and Kalki Koechlin is endearing. Exceptionally well made.

9. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

ADHM is Karan Johar’s most mature movie till date. Funnily enough, my favorite part of the movie is the part that received the most flack from everyone else, i.e. the final act. A lot of people said that the movie should have ended at the rooftop, but what a disappointment that would have been. It would have been the same old Karan Johar movie without any evolution in his storytelling. The final act changes that. And I commend him for it. The storyteller that Karan has now become with ADHM is who should have made KANK and My Name is Khan.

Also - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - WOW!

8. Dear Zindagi

2016 was a good year for SRK fans. He was part of two good movies. Movies that reminded everyone of his true ability as an actor (that he has always been), and not just the star that he has allowed to take over these past few years. It seems (and we hope) that he now plans to let the actor be in-charge going forward.

Having said that, Dear Zindagi was all Aia Bhatt start to finish. She was just OUTSTANDING in it. She was so mesmerizing that I forgave the tiny flaws the movie had, just to continue watching her.

Director Gauri Shinde deliver a sensitive and beautiful movie that teaches you to see small things in life from a different point of view. And gives you the much needed optimism, that we all need in our lives, to live and love Zindagi!

7. Neerja

Neerja was The Surprise of the Year! I had average expectations from this movie. The trailer looked great but I was afraid that Sonam Kapoor will ruin it as I have not been such great fan of her acting. But I came out of the theatre astonished and stunned by her acting and the movie. The camera work and editing of this movie was also very well-done! Full marks to Director Ram Madhvani.

6. Udta Punjab

Udta Punjab was this one movie that I knew would be good from the first time I saw the first trailer. But beyond how good the movie was, the performances were even better.

While Diljit Dosanjh underplayed his role, Shahid Kapoor balanced it with his over-the-top performance as the drug addict rockstar. And complimenting them was Alia Bhatt with her career best performance. Her silence in some scenes said more that what other actors can't even express with an entire movie.

If it wasn't clear before, it became abundantly clear after this performance that Alia Bhatt is my new favorite actress.

5. Kapoor & Sons

Kapoor and Sons gave me so many feels on so many different levels. Right from that opening scene when the camera is just floating through the Kapoor house, I knew I would love this movie.

And like Udta Punjab this was also filled with outstanding performances. From the quarreling couple Ratna Pathak and Rajat Kapoor, to the grandfather who just wanted a family photo played adorably by Rishi Kapoor. From the dysfunctional brothers, played remarkably by Fawad Khan and Sidharth Malhotra, to the cute and bubbly Alia Bhatt who added the much needed sweetness to the Kapoor family drama. They were all great.

Kapoor & Sons was one of the best written and executed movies of 2016. Can’t wait to see what Shakun Batra and Ayesha DeVitre have up their sleeves next.

4. Raman Raghav 2.0

Raman Raghav 2.0 was a treat to watch. Its Anurag Kashyap at his best. The wounded lion, after Bombay Velvet, hit back with this psychotic crime drama that was not for the faint hearted. What I loved about this movie was that it stared with a Prologue and thereon in was narrated in chapters. Brilliant Kashyap at his brilliant best.

Executing his vision vividly was the immensely talented - Nawazuddin Siddiqui! This man is par excellence. Just that one scene in which he is locked up and is shouting for help - and then cut to - changes his expressions when he hears someone coming. What a performance. Too good.

3. Dangal

This movie has been breaking all the records at the box office and I'm glad it has. Because Dangal is the kind of sports movie we deserve and not an average half baked movie like MS Dhoni or a pile of garbage that Sultan was.

Unlike Sultan, wherein misogyny was packaged as woman empowerment and the audience was told that having a baby and sacrificing your dreams and career to see a smile on your husband’s face is as good as winning that gold medal you have been working all your life to achieve, Dangal actually depicts what woman empowerment is and should be. That girls are no less than boys and they can achieve their dreams.

Minus the one dimensional villain coach and some fictional masala added in the end, Dangal was an extremely well made and executed movie. All props to director Nitesh Tiwari and Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan.

Also Zaira Wasim as the young Geeta was exceptional. Power performance.

2. Pink

“No Means No” - Hard-hitting and powerful. That was Pink.

In 2015 over 34,600 cases of rape were reported in India. The rape victims were among the age group of below six years to over 60 years. That is just disgusting. Hence I had said after watching this movie and I will say it again- Pink needs to be shown in Indian schools during sex-ed classes. It is a must.

Pink is an essential viewing, hence you forgive it when it indulges a bit during the courtroom scenes - only to make what is being conveyed more dramatic and in your face. Mr Bachchan as always was outstanding, and so were the girls. LOVED IT!

1. Aligarh

Oh what do I say about Aligarh. It was dark and brutal and honest and real and raw and it refused to (even for one frame) let go. From the cinematography, to the camera work, the costumes, the art direction, everything was perfect to the T. Unlike Pink, here director Hansal Mehta chose to not overdramatize anything, including the courtroom scenes and for me personally that had a bigger impact.

This was Manoj Bajpayee’s best performance so far and my favorite performance of the year! He deserves all the Best Actor of 2016 Awards for this sublime performance.

This movie opened people's eyes and minds and made them realize what an embarrassment section 377 is for India. And SC needs to abolishes it completely. ASAP!

#bollywood

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m-v-s · 8 years

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Best Bollywood Movies of 2016

From Wazir to Dangal, the year 2016 has seen many downs and a few ups both in terms of quality of the movies and the business they made. Its surely one of the worst years in the past decade in terms of quality of Bollywood movies despite some of the very good movies that have set new trends. Even from a planning perspective, it was bad to see two movies competing against each other on long weekends and eating into each other’s earnings. Its almost safe to call this year a sports/biopic/individual-oriented one. Its also one of those extremely rare years where you would see SRK, Aamir, Salman, Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar films coming in one single calendar year. Here’s a look at the top 12 movies.

Twelve: Ae Dil Hai MUshkil

Karan Johar’s most-close-to-his-life-yet movie had lots of expectations with the casting coup that he has managed to pull off and the chemistry between Aish and Ranbir that we got to see in the teasers. The movie had that emotional quotient coupled with stellar performances from everybody in the cast, except that KJo went wayward both with the screenplay and story in the second half. Its safe to say that Pritam, Amitabh and Arjit combo has peaked in this movie and Pritam is going to be sureshot winner at most of the award ceremonies alongwith Arjit. I would love Amitabh also to get an award for his soulful lyrics. Ranbir will have to wait for Dutt’s biopic and Dragon to better his last hit Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani.

Eleven: Udta Punjab

Just the concept and the conviction to do such a film would be enough for this movie to get in the top ten list this year. The movie made enough pre-release noise to be taken seriously and the performaces by the four pillars of the movie, with a special mention to Alia Bhatt, has taken this movie to a different level. The movie feels loud at times, too good to be true at times, and doesn’t seem to have a well-directed path, but all is forgiven for the guts of the director to bring this out in close-to-realistic fashion. Alia Bhatt is sure to get a best actress (critics) award if not the best actress itself, where she would be facing stiff competition wth Sonam Kapoor’s Neerja.

Ten: Budhia Singh: Born to Run

Just when I thought that the career of one of the finest actors in Hindi film industry is almost over, Manoj Bajpayee gives us four features and shorts each in this year. As the coach of the Budhia singh, this role seems absolutely tailor-made for him. This is one of those rare breed of films where ‘winning a medal for the country’ is not the motive. The director seemed very clear on what he wanted the audience to see and he did not stoop down to tick off some unnecessary checkmarks that a bollywood film these days needs for survival. 48 marathons at 5 years of age could make the kid a hero, but the coach an absolute villain. The intricate relationships between the coach and the kid, the coach and his wife, the coach with himself more than watchin the kid run those marathons make the film a must watch.

Nine: Airlift

The first good movie of the year and no wonder it had Akshay playing the lead role. The strike rate of AKshay delivering hits has been phenomenal despite not delivering the blockbusters. But he just does not seem to care much about it. The variety of roles he is able to get and also produce some of those movies seem to be motivating him to explore his acting abilities. Airlift, despite all its controversies of not being faithful to facts, making a hero of the protagonist, dramatizing few incidents, underplaying the actual airlift operations, gets a thumps up for Akshay’s performance and bringing to light a 25-year old incident that very few in my generation would have known. Tere bin duniya chhod dee hai is a winner.

Eight: Kapoor and Sons

Shakun Batra comes up with and absolutely riveting story of a family. The situations, the emotions, the performances, the seeming triangle, Kar gayi chull, backdrop... there are so many aspects of film-making that get 100 marks in the movie. Alia is growing as an actor leaps and bounds. She should also be grateful for the variety of roles she is getting to play. Don’t be surprised if the film bags the story, screenplay, dialogues awards. Did I mention the grand-old Rishi is gonna sweep the supporting category at all the Awards.

Seven: Dhanak

Crystal Bear grand prix for Best Children’s Film at Berlin, Best Film Award at the Montreal International Children’s Film festival and a bunch of other international accodolades, but sadly no recognition in India. It was by a recommendation from a friend that I was reminded that the movie was in my wishlist. Beautiful performances by both the kids and a nice little narration makes the movie an absolute watch.

Six: Rustom

Akshay it is yet again. Teaming with Tinu Suresh Desai, who was Neeraj’s AD for Baby, this was yet another story that needed to be told to the current generation. Akshay played Rustom to perfection, while the director ensured the movie did not lose the plot in the second half. The courtroom scenes were undertaken pretty well and the supporting cast did not disappoint either. Akshay ensured he had a hat-trick of 100 crore movies in a calendar year which is a first to any actor/actress.

Five: MS Dhoni: The Untold Story

Neeraj Pandey, Sushant Singh Rajput and MS Dhoni. This combination was one of the most awaited one this year by me after Sultan and Dangal. Sushant nailed the MS demeanor to perfection and Neeraj ensured there was enough drama, enough heroism and enough of the untold stuff to make the wait worthy. I was actually surprised that the movie had crossed the 100 crore mark by a big margin and the credit should go to Neeraj for bringing the whole Dhoni saga to under three hours. He very wisely stayed away from controversies and that was the only complaint I had from the movie.

Four: Neerja

There are few movies where the trailer tells you this movie is gonna work and in the case of Neerja, it did not hold true. It just became a superhit in terms of box office collections and even the producers were taken aback with the response. Ram Madhvani did a good job in ensuring he did not drift away from the plot too much and Sonam Kapoor fitted into Neerja Bhanot so much that when I actually saw Neerja Bhanot’s pics, I felt Sonam Kapoor did more than justice to Neerja. Her elegance, charm and that infectious smile are right in front of my eyes while I am writing this piece. What gives the movie that extra icing is Shabana’s monologue at the end. That one act is sure to get her the best supporting actress award. Also, I sincerely hope its not Ali Abbas Zafar, or Karan Johar, or even Nitesh Tiwari for that matter, but Ram Madhvani who would walk away with the Best director trophy, if not the critics award.

Three: Pink

Pink is one movie which I did not have any expectations on, given how Amitji’s movies did not live upto the expectations this year. Maybe that’s the reason I liked the movie even more. The subject, the performances, the dialogues, the courtroom, the girls, and above all Mr Bachchan. The movie is a winner in every possible way and was a great Bollywood debut for ANirudh Roy Choudhary. The best part was the impact it had on the general public that lasted for more than two weeks. This is a rare breed of female-oriented movies where its not the females, but Mr Sehgal that walks away with the accolades. Dont be surprised if Amitabh walks away with yet another Best Actor Award.

Two: Dangal

Despite ranking Pink at 3, and Sultan as the top movie, I think it would be only fair to rate the three movies as number 1. Dangal had blocbuster written all over it right from the making. And that was the challenge. How could it be attained. We already had the biggest blockbuster of the year and it was based on wrestling, Haryana, the sandpits, the international competitions, the junoon. How different would Dangal be from Sultan. And the answer was the theme itself. While the backdrop for both the movies was different, Sultan was a romantic love story while Dangal was father-daughter love story. And there it was. Despite the innumerable wrestling bouts, it was the emotional turmoil a father was going through by punishing his daughters to make them the best, was what the movie showcased in a very convincing fashion. And needless to say, Aamir ensured no stone was left unturned and we are going to end the year with an-time blockbuster. Awards for direction and best movie alongwith Action are almost certain.

One: Sultan

Jab Eid aati hai, tab Bhaayi aata hai. Aur har Eid ko record thodtaa hai. Dabanng, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger, Kick, Bajrangi Bhaijan and Sultan. Each movie bettered the other and Salman has remained the undisputed king this decade. Sultan gave India its first truly blockbuster pure sports film. I had wondered all my life if India could produce a movie like Raging Bull or a Rocky, and Ali Abbas Zafar has given the entire nation this one movie which we could be proud of for a generation to come. The best part is the narrative seemed so true that people would believe if they are told its a biopic. The music, the performances, the emotions, the drama ensured the Sultan tsunami swept the whole earth away. ‘Khooon mein teri mitti, mitti mein tera khoon, oppra allah neeche dharti , beech mein tera junoon… Rrey Sultan’ on one side and the signature Sultan slam on the other elevated Salman enough for his die-hard fans. All in all, it was not just a perfect Eid gift, but also the best gift of the year.

#bollywood #filmfare awards 2017 #dangal #sultan #Neerja

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blograzorwit · 7 years

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Jest A Minute (17/2/2017) from Subroto Mukherjee

Did you watch the Grammys on TV? What was Lady Gaga wearing? Was it a backless top? Heck, looked like she had it on back to front! Have to say those female American artistes are fashion conscious -- but totally unconscious of their boobs peeping out! They are such talented entertainers. Their talent brings out the best in them -- and their bizarre outfits brings out the bust. *** Jamming In Space------------------------------- Our pride, ISRO, just rocketed as many 104 satellites into orbit at one go, setting a world record! I bet this has also caused a record-breaking traffic jam in orbit! Look through a telescope and you might see all the world's satellites now jostling bumper to bumper in orbit! *** From Throne To Thrown------------------------------------------ We see it in films, don't we? The way a judge uses his gavel, his mallet, his hammer to rap out orders in court. Well, of late, our Supreme Court judges have certainly been using their hammers to nail wrongdoers in high places, thereby hammering home the point that even our VIPs cannot escape the long arm of the law. Take, for example, Sasikala and company. She and her cronies, she and her partners in crime have been nicely nailed and jailed. Phew, I tell you, she came this close -- this close -- to getting to the throne as chief minister -- only to be thrown into prison as 'thief minister'! *** From No Patience To No Patients------------------------------------------------------- And our SC judges have also been busy rapping, and ripping off the licences of, over 600 doctors involved in MP's disgraceful Vyapam Scam. All these docs, when they were students, got into medical colleges by flagrantly cheating in the medical entrance exam. They had no patience to study long and hard and prepare for those tests. Well, now they have no licence to practice and no patients either. *** Kick Ass Or Kiss Ass?---------------------------------------- Nixon will go down is history for being booted from office. Clinton will go down in history for turning the White House into Scandal House. Bush Jr will go down in history as the worst President ever. Obama will go down in history for getting the Nobel Peace Prize but dropping the most bombs. And Trump will go down in history as a global joke. The laughing-stock of the world. A democratically-elected dictator. A pathetic fascist. He raves and rants against other countries and their leaders, threatening to kick ass. Only to perform a backward flip and talk sweet to them on the phone. In fact, after all the talk of kicking ass, Trump even invites those leaders over to 'kiss their ass'. So I ask, kick ass or kiss ass? Make up your mind, you pompous jackass! *** Potty Talk----------------------- The moment Mumbai's civic polls were announced, there were opportunists who lost no time. Some left this party and joined that. Some others left that party and joined this. My question is, why? Aren't they essentially all the same? What's the difference in this, that or any potty -- er -- party? *** You know what happens when we have elections? Newton's 4th Law comes into effect. A mouth in motion tends to stay in motion. Until this motor-mouth candidate is interrupted by a rotten egg or tomato. *** I have been listening to the candidates on TV. And you know how best to enjoy the grandiose political rallies and speeches? Listen to them with the SOUND OFF. *** But no, not always. We have great leaders and I love to listen to them on TV. Because I LOVE FICTION. *** Failed Delivery----------------------------- You know the BIG BLUNDER we made in our last general elections? We elected a former tea-stall entrepreneur to serve us. He failed to deliver. In the next general election in 2019, we should elect a pizza-delivery guy to deliver the goods. Who knows, as the PM, he might actually be able to deliver in half an hour! *** Garibi Hatao? Done!---------------------------------- In the past, the great party that led this nation sure gave us a great slogan -- GARIBI HATAO! Remove poverty! And boy, did they succeed! They removed their own poverty and the poverty of all their family members and friends. *** Battle of the Bulge-------------------------------- The heaviest woman in the world has been airlifted from Cairo to Mumbai for her weight-reduction surgery. This operation involved a cost over 80 lakhs, heavy-duty trucks, cranes and even a modified jumbo jet. But it all went off with military precision. For the team of surgeons and medical experts, now begins the real battle -- the real BATTLE of the BULGE! *** By the way, here's my one-line review of the sequel to Jolly LLB. Where there are plenty of laws, there will also be plenty of loopholes. And where there are loopholes, there are sure to be assholes who masquerade themselves as custodians of the law. End of review. Thank you. *** Being Judgmental-------------------------------- Now CCTV cameras are to be introduced in our courts. So, like the honorable judges, we the humble public can also sit in judgement on a trial. In other words, so we can also judge who is the better LIAR -- who is more imaginative and creative -- and who is better at creating fiction -- the prosecution team or the defense team? Ooh, isn't that cool? *** And here's my take on Kung Fu Yoga. Who's the real hero of this film -- Jackie Chan or Sonu Sood? Neither. The real heroes are those in the audience who have to bravely endure this mess. *** Knowing The Price But Not The Real Value-------------------------------------------------------------------- Burglars broke into Kailash Satyarthi's Delhi residence and stole his valuables. But if you ask me, the thieves left behind the most PRICELESS ASSET of our Nobel laureate -- they left behind his exemplary IDEALISM to rescue our poor children from the daily drudgery of hard manual labor! Those robbers might know the price of things but not the real value of things. *** A Kiss Before Dying!---------------------------------- Seen that Hollywood movie A Kiss Before Dying? Or at least have you seen its Bollywood carbon copy version, Baazigar starring Kajol, Shilpa Shetty and SRK? Recently an imbecile youth in Thane tried to enact his own version of a kiss before dying. Planning to upload the pictures on Facebook for instant global fame, this moron kissed a cobra! Yeah, just imagine that! Well, I don't know how much fame he got for his stunt but he certainly got A KISS BEFORE DYING! *** Kiss-mas?------------------- On Valentine's Day, as usual, college couples were sneaking hugs and stealing kisses in public. And it looked like, after Christmas in December, they were celebrating Kiss-mas in February. Valentine's Day is like a learning lesson for youngsters. And this is what they learn. There are things that girls can do. There are things that boys can do. But the best things are those that boys and girls can DO TOGETHER! *** No Happy Hours, Bihar Happy------------------------------------------------- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar claims that one year of prohibition has turned Bihar into a happy state. No happy hours have made his people happy. Except of course two kinds of people. Liquor barons and bar owners. In fact, underworld kingpins who used to run liquor joints have been left fuming and furious. Or you could say, these BAR KINGS are now (woof, woof, bar, bark) BAR-KING mad! *** Recently a Bollywood star threw a party at home, played the music so loud late into the evening, the disturbed neighbors had to call the cops. Hey, that's nothing. You should hear the noises my neighbors make. Take the heavy thumps and loud bumps I hear from the flat above! You'd swear their pet hippos were playing leap-frog over the furniture. Or their pet elephants were kicking around the cooking-gas cylinder, playing football with it! *** Aamir Khan wants to play the first Indian in space, Rakesh Sharma, in a film. Some time back, Aamir's wife expressed a sort of desire to leave the country. Now Aamir has gone one better. He has expressed a desire to play someone who not only leaves this country but also leaves this very planet and goes into space. *** Vote for Vultures----------------------------- In these pre-poll days, party volunteers are turning up on our door steps canvassing for votes. No matter which party they represent, I tell them I have only praise of their party and candidate. They go away happy. But mark my words -- ONLY PRAISE. I have only praise for them but not my vote for them. All inept, incompetent and useless people! All vultures of the same feather out to feather their own nest! *** Sizzling---------------- Last couple of days have been real sizzlers here in Mumbai. Hottest February days on record! And today it's so burning, you could fry an egg on your window sill. No kidding. I put the frying pan with the egg on the window sill and the egg began to pop and sizzle in seconds! *** I stepped outdoors for just a little while and now my forehead is so feverishly red-hot, I could places slices of bread on my forehead and toast them. ***

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