ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2011, DAY 4: FILM OF THE YEAR

An Indo-Italian production, Gangor by Italo Spinnely, opened my day. Based on a short story by Mahashweta Devi, it traced the journey of a photographer who, in a bid to expose the atrocities against tribals, publishes a stark photo of a tribal woman feeding her child. He thinks its art. The locals call the woman a slut and want a piece of her. The photographer attempts to reconnect with the woman, leading to one fateful meeting. The first half held my interest but the second half just fell apart. Seems unlikely this one will wow the jury.

After lunch, Ahmad Abdalla’s Heliopolis from Egypt. I am getting a bit tired of hyperlinked films. As long as there is a central theme, a little bit of hyperlinking is fine. But when it’s the only USP, it’s boring. The gentleman next to me was snoring. Honest.

Was Seven Samurai based on a true story? Sarath Weerasekera’s Gaamini would have you believe so. The LTTE massacre 50 odd denizens of a small Sri Lankan village. In retaliation they set up their own defense with the help of the army. The story maybe true but the treatment was total Kurosawa. Only not as brilliant. The best scenes were the training scenes, Otherwise it was forgettable. The jury will be overlooking this one too.

Since day one, there has been a buzz about this movie. Not only has it won top honours at various festivals, Roger Ebert has listed it as his Best Film of the Year. Asghar Farhadi’s A Seperation is all that and more. I can’t find words to describe it. It’s a rare film that tests the audience’s intelligence, inviting him or her to take sides. I don’t think I blinked even once. If you still haven’t seen it, watch it at the first available instance.



Yasujiro Ozu once again to call curtains for the day. A calibrated Tokyo Story about an ageing couple and their chequered relationship with their children, Fortunately, unlike Day 2, the reel co-operated and we were able to enjoy the film in its entirety.

ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2011, DAY 3: BACK TO SCHOOL

What a start to the day it was! The Marathi film Shaala was screened to a rousing response from the crowd. Based on a popular novel by Milind Bokil, the film captured the essence of what it means to be a pre-pubescent in school. Though it was set against the backdrop of the Emergency, it never got heavy-handed or preachy. Instead, it had loads of humour and poignant moments. Director Sujay Dahake announced that it will be getting a public release on January 20th. Don’t miss it then!



The in-competition Cairo 678’s prints did not make it in time. So it was substituted by Adoor Gopalkrishnan’s Kathapurusham. Even better I thought. The print was clean, which enhanced the experience by several notches. A love story set amidst the Marxist revolution. I wish Adoor Gopalkrishnan’s films become as easily available on DVD as Ray’s.

Up next was another in-competition film, the Iranian Kiss of Rain. About a poor boy who steals to buy a mandatory gift for his fiancée nut later mends his ways. Politely put, don’t expect this one to win the grand prize.

This year, under a section called European Connection, the Asian Film Fest is featuring several films by the Polish director Jan Jakub Kolski. One of them is Venice, about a home that houses wives and children of men fighting in the World War II. They have turned their flooded basement into a mini-Venice where they live out their fantasies. Though the film had several memorable scenes, overall I felt it was too cluttered and unfocussed.

Many sagging days at film festivals are perked up for me by a Dan Wolman film. Today was no different. His Valley of Strength was about a lot of things – Jews migrating to Palestine, a hard life on arid land, conflict between the Arabs and the Jews and a hideous secret. Even though this was the last show of a tiring day, not once did I feel drowsy. The best part is that Wolman is always around after his film for a chat. As I left, I saw him engaged in conversation with someone else. I’ll wait for my turn next time.

ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2011, DAY 2: A DAY TRUCATED AT BOTH ENDS

The lucre of mainstream cinema can sometimes turn irresistible. Like a fool, I forsook, the first two films for today to attend a first day first show screening of Don 2 playing at a nearby cinema hall. To add insult to injury, when I landed up at the venue, I learnt that the opening film 11 Flowers that was screened on Day 1 was open to the public. It wasn’t just an invitee-only event like MAMI.

Plaza Cinema at Dadar which has been home to this festival for quite some time now has been given a miss this time and Ravindra Natya Mandir has doubled up as a cinema hall to provide two good screens for the films. The moment I landed there, I headed straight for Shaji Karun’s Piravi. It has an old man as the protagonist and the pace is befitting his age. He sets out in search of his missing son who may or may not have been captured by the police. I was immediately reminded of Adaminte Makan, Abu which is also a leisurely paced movie about an old man on a journey.



Each year, this festival pays homage to an Asian Master Director. This year its Yasujiro Ozu whose films I have never seen. Thanks to The Consulate General of Japan who has lent his films, we are able to see and acknowledge the auteur that he is. I saw Early Autumn, a seemingly simple tale about an ageing man who rekindles an old affair much to the chagrin of his children. The film seemed very fluid, almost rhythmic. Later, when I read an article on Ozu by Arun Khopkar in the festival booklet where he has explained Ozu’s technique, it because clear to me why the film seemed what it seemed. I recommend you read that piece before watching any of Ozu’s films if you really want to appreciate his cinema.

I have this formula I use at festivals that goes something like this: Chinese Film + Long Title = Good Film. This proved to be handy when I chose Woman From the Lake of Scented Souls over Gumrah. Director Xie Fei was present and felicitated. I would have congratulated him too because his film was just too good. A woman who runs a sesame oil mill has to put up with a good-for-nothing husband and an epileptic son. Business is good but her personal life is in shambles. The lead actress Gaowa Siqin is true to life in the challenging lead role.

The day was to end with another of Ozu’s films. But I mistakenly ventured into the screen that was to play Charulata. Under some guise or the other, every film festival in India sneaks in a Satyajit Ray film. As I had already seen it before I started to walk out when lead actress Madhabi Mukherjee walked on stage. Stayed back till she was done saying a few word and then made a dash for the other screen. The film was Early Spring but it was late in starting. Five minutes into the film and the reel went kaput. After 15 minutes of an agonizing wait, decided to join many others walking out. A few faithfuls were braving it out by staying back. Probably they stay close to the venue.

REVIEW: LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL

Director: Maneesh Sharma
Rating: **

A few things that we have learned about conmen from Bollywood films – One, the most effective weapon in their arsenal is their charm. It can take them through a con job like a hot knife through butter. Two, a corollary of the first rule; their victims are invariably gullible people who will quite easily fall prey to their charm. Three, a change in costume after every job is mandatory. Even if you still end up looking like your original self. And four, the conman walks away from the crime in slow motion, with a fast song / theme music playing in the background.

Our Ricky Bahl, played by Ranveer Singh, too falls into this stereotype. All his victims are young, impressionable girls (why only girls?) who along with their families are willing to invest lakhs into whatever scheme he cooks up. In fifteen years, he has duped thirty girls already. That’s when three of his former victims gang up and decide to out-dupe him by planting a decoy.



Three of his shenanigans are nicely told. One before the credits, one in the normal course and one in flashback. The first and the funniest features Parineeta Chopra as a spoilt Delhi PYT. Dipanita Sharma is good too as the high flying yuppie and the architect of the revenge plan. By comparison, Aditi Sharma as the
conservative Muslim is much more subdued. This film must have set the record for the maximum number of Sharma’s in the cast. Anushka Sharma as the decoy is the third out of the four lead actresses to share this common last name. There’s more. Parineeta Chopra’s father is played by Shireesh Sharma. And of course, the film’s director is Maneesh Sharma!!!

The first half of the film is breezy. And Ranveer is good as he dons various personae to trick his victims. His mannerisms in each role are visibly different, lending credibility to his con act. Indeed, the first half brings with it the promise that you are going to be taken for a roller coaster ride. For not only has Anushka Sharma been introduced just before the interval but the masterplan is about to unfold. So it’s highly disappointing when the second half fails to live up to expectations. Unimaginative and anti-climatic, there is no chemistry between Ranveer and Anushka, a factor that saw their earlier Band Baaja Baraat through. The end is a damp squib because writer Devika Bhagat seems to have run out of ideas. Interestingly, Habib Faisal, who wrote Band Baaja Baraat has been credited with ‘Additional Screenplay’. What’s that? Do we ascribe the better scenes to him?

The music does little to differentiate this film from many others that have come this year. It has been 12 hours since I have seen it and I am already forgetting parts of it. Catch it when it releases on DVD. It’s not worth the price you pay for your ticket.

REVIEW: THE DIRTY PICTURE

Director: Milan Luthria
Rating: *

The year 2006 saw the release of a film called Jigyasa. It was the story of a struggling actress who initially goes through the casting couch before achieving heady success. The film ends with her death under mysterious circumstances. It starred Hrishita Bhatt in the lead role. Briefly, the film created a sensation when the filmmakers claimed that it was based on Mallika Sherawat. But by all accounts it was bad film and it is unlikely that you have heard about it. Five years hence we are graced with The Dirty Picture which allegedly tells the tale of another actress, Silk Smitha, who was equally sensational in her time. The difference between the two films is that TDP has a bigger budget and a bigger cast. But it’s equally wretched.

Making a good film about bad films is a thin line to tread. At what point does the sleaze from the embedded films spill on the main feature. It is difficult to tell. But once it’s out it will be there in plain view. TDP is not so much of a vulgar film as it is a bad film. The maturity in handling a subject like an actress billed as a soft-porn star is completely missing. Instead we have a garbled narrative with the theme of exploitation being repeated ad nauseum.



The script is littered with half-baked characters written so badly, you have no idea what the intention behind their expression is. Take Tusshar Kapoor as the aspiring film writer for instance. Till the end I was not able to determine whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. Or Anju Mahendru as the film critic-cum-gossip columnist. Couldn’t judge whether she was a bitch or Barkha Dutt. But the worst was Emraan Hashmi as the idealistic filmmaker who successfully turns commercial. Just like that. Hashmi is even made to deliver a pointless voiceover which loses whatever little meaning it has thanks to an echo effect. Was the gimmick necessary because Hashmi does not have an arresting voice like Om Puri or Amitabh Bachchan?

Now onto the dialogues by writer Rajat Arora. We have heard about item songs. But TDP sets the standard for item dialogues. Each one has been crafted to induce at least a clap or a giggle from some corner of the auditorium. Unmindful of the fact that there are so many of them, they will ultimately begin to jar. While Naseeruddin Shah knows how to carry his share, the others look like infants who have been handed out toys meant for bigger kids.

Another complaint about the cinematography. I felt a few scenes were out of focus and in a few others, where conventionally the face fills up the screen from top to bottom, the shot extended right up to the chest level. In Vidya Balan’s case, for obvious reasons.

More than Vidya Balan’s acting, I was impressed by her physical transformation. Not only has she put on weight but she puts out the flab on display almost permanently. Can’t think of any other actress with this kind of commitment to the role. But the inherent problem in casting Balan as a struggler is that she never looks like one. Apart from the makeup, you can never see the transformation from a vulnerable entrant to a seasoned item girl. She is as much of a firebrand in her first scene as she is in her last. It’s Naseeruddin Shah who impresses the most. As the ageing superstar who continues to play young characters, he chews up everyone else whenever he is on screen. Their Ooh La La song is when the film hits the highpoint.

Milan Luthria has made some good films like Kachche Dhaage, Taxi No. 9211 and Hattrick. By comparison, this is one of his lesser efforts. He rushes through the screenplay, lining up one scene after another without breathing life into anyone of them. If anything, he has done a disservice to Silk Smitha who was stuck with the label of a sex symbol and never gained acceptance as an actress.

REVIEW: THE KING’S SPEECH

Director: Tom Hooper
Rating: *****

If this was a film about a person with a stammer, it does not tug at the heart strings strongly enough. If it was a sweeping period piece, it isn’t grand enough. Because it does not squarely fall into any of these two genres, it’s not merely a good movie. It’s a great one.

Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush in the lead roles are beyond compare. Firth plays the Duke of York. His position demands that he address the public at occasions. At times like these, a stammer is a tough thing to have. He chokes on words, flaps his lips, but the voice does not reach the mike. This is demonstrated in an excellent opening sequence where we see the Duke staring at his speech with horror. This is contrasted against the elaborate preparations of the announcer who, ironically, will just deliver the introduction.

His wife, a brief but impactful Helena Bonham Carter, pushes him to visit a speech therapist, Rush. Now this therapist is quite a character himself. Besides his unconventional means to treat patients, he insists on calling the Duke by this first name, an act that could have him arrested! But he shall have it no way but his own. He also is a struggling Shakespearean actor, looking for a break whose chances are fading with each successive day. The Duke goes on to become the King George VI and the second World War is on the anvil. As the monarch, he needs to make a rousing speech to guide England into the war.



Firth’ does not overdo the stammer. The moment you make a handicap look like acting, you have lost your audience. The stammer is combined with a quick temper; this is when the bottled words come out in a rapid spurt. It’s a genuine treat to watch Firth squirming, with the rage reaching the eyes followed by an outburst. I would give him an Oscar just for this.

And now onto Geoffrey Rush. An acerbic wit and a condescending attitude towards royalty. His character, Lionel Logue is Australian. That should explain the attitude. But he is single minded when it comes to treating his patients. Rush seamlessly moves through the various dimensions of his character – the dedicated speech therapist, the bad actor or the wife-fearing husband.

Tom Hooper does not let the opulence that goes along with every period drama, get out of hand. In fact, a large part of the film has been shot inside Logue’s office, with the impeccably dressed Duke standing out against the background of peeling walls. When minor characters too find their moment in the sun, you know the director has paid attention to detail.

It is no surprise then that The King’s Speech has garnered more Oscar wins than any other film this year (except for Inception, which won in the technical categories). It scores in every department.

The BQC - IITB Open 2011

THE ROAD TO THE OSCARS 2011: THE PREDICTIONS

This is one of the toughest year’s to make predictions with almost every category having at least two strong contenders. There is no Titanic like film this year to bulldoze its way through every category it has been nominated for. But yet, I’ll have to throw my hat into the ring with just one choice for who might win and another for whom I would give the Oscar to.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
All films in this category are nominated for Best Picture. So from just these five nominees, the one that has the best chance of winning Best Picture should also win in this category. That I think will be Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network. And that’s pretty much my choice too.

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Caveat: I haven’t seen Mike Leigh’s Another Year. So if he were to win, I stand acquitted. From the other four, it could either be Christopher Nolan for Inception or David Seidler for The King’s Speech. I would give it to The King. The Academy might concur.

Animated Feature Film
Last year, Up was nominated in this category as well as for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. It won for Best Animated Film. This year the story repeats itself with Toy Story 3. Why does the Academy bother to nominate two more films in this category when it’s making its choice so obvious in advance? If it doesn’t win, it’s inexplicable. I haven’t seen the other two films nominated but I sure as hell wouldn’t want to award Toy Story 3.
(Can I use a similar analogy and say that Biutiful will win for Best Foreign Language Film? After all, it has also been nominated for Best Actor. I think I’d rather not. Last year, I over-confidently, ended up proclaiming White Ribbon in this category without having seen a single film nominated. This year, I’d rather not have egg on my face.)

Actor in a Supporting Role
Every since I have seen The King’s Speech and The Fighter on back-to-back days, I have been tearing my hair out trying to figure whether it will be Geoffrey Rush or Christian Bale. Rush has already been feted once. But that logic seldom applies nowadays. My personal choice is Bale, without any doubt. But that is not to belittle Rush’s performance. The Academy is likely to go with him. This is one category, where I shall be happy if I am proven wrong.

Actress in a Supporting Role
I found this to be the toughest category to predict. Each time I go over the list of nominees, each looks stronger than the rest. So we’ll start with elimination. First, I’ll discount Amy Adams, simply because Melissa Leo in the same film was better than her. Then I’ll take out Helena Bonham Carter. After the hue and cry over the Oscar for Judi Dench for Shakespeare in Love, I hope that Academy has learnt its lesson and will not award it to someone who has very little footage in a film. Hailee Steifeld is young and can wait for her turn. So it’s a showdown between the two tough mamas – Jacki Weaver and Melissa Leo. Leo has a slight upper edge because her role is lengthier than Weaver’s. She would be my choice too.

Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth. Period.

Actress in a Leading Role
The buzz surrounding Natalie Portman is so strong, I have a feeling this is going to be her year. Annette Bening’s shine gets diluted in the crowd of other good actors in The Kids Are All Right. My Oscar goes to Jennifer Lawrence for single handedly, carrying off Winter’s Bone.

Directing
Hmmm. Whatever I say here is also true for Best Picture. It’s a difficult call between David Fincher for The Social Network and Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech. Judging by past Academy trends, here’s the equation – Social Handicap + Biopic vs. Handicap + Biopic + Costume Drama. Its three is to two in the King’s favour. I’d crown him too.

Best Picture
This is a farce of a category with 10 nominees begging for the hosts to spoof them. Just once, I’d like to see a film win that hasn’t been nominated for Directing. It’s going to be The King’s Speech alright. If I could award a silver Oscar, it would go to Winter’s Bone.

THE ROAD TO THE OSCARS: 2011

A quick round up (I’ll refrain from using the term “dummy’s guide”) of the films nominated for the Oscars in the major categories this year. Some notables such as The Ghost Writer are missing. But otherwise, it has been a good mix this year.

The Social Network
When I heard about a film being made on the creation of Facebook, I was like, how interesting can that be. But I was wrong. This is a film that’s as fast as its lead character’s diction. David Fincher keeps things smart and to the point. Jesse Eisenberg is nice as Mark Zuckerberg. Overall, it’s a film that you’ll definitely ‘like’.

Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 follows a formula that is increasingly becoming common to 3D animation flicks – thrills followed by comedy followed by pathos followed by comedy followed by some more thrills and ultimately, a happy ending. This makes it difficult for it to stand out from so many other 3D animation films we have being seeing over the years. It’s entertaining, but nothing spectacular.

Animal Kingdom

This is a film about a family of criminals in Australia, told through the eyes of their slightly slow nephew who comes to stay with them after his mother’s death. Key decisions in the family are often influenced by the mother, Jackie Weaver. She’s constantly smiling a mirthless smile that reveals her true ruthless character. Genuinely scary. A strong contender for best supporting actress.

The Fighter
Here’s another film where the mother plays a strong, important role. Melissa Leo is the manager-by-default for her son, Mark Wahlberg, who is a small time boxer looking to wriggle out of poverty by fighting the right fights. His brother, Christian Bale, in his best performance to date, is a has-been boxer who has taken to drugs and shaping his brother’s career, whatever shape that maybe. Wahlberg’s bartender-girlfriend, Amy Adams realizes the mess he is in and tries to show him the right path. It’s a superb film with splendid turns by each actor. Never over-the-top, it’s all that you may never expect from a film about boxing.

Winter’s Bone
From one poor family to another. 17 year Jennifer Lawrence’s father has flown the coop, after paying off his bail with whatever little property they had. She is left with a kid brother and sister and an invalid mother to tend to. Her only hope is to track down her father. Its Lawrence’s film all the way as she essays the role of the determined, yet vulnerable girl with total conviction.

Blue Valentine

An extreme close up of a marriage which has nothing left in it to go on. It alternates between today where the husband and wife are constantly having arguments and the good old days when they met for the first time. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are the pair in question. Needless to say, the acting is brilliant.

Rabbit Hole
Another film about a marriage in trouble, another film with superb performaces by the lead pair. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart are the couple who have never quite come to terms with a tragedy in the family. Their failure to talk about it is leading to all sorts of problems in their personal lives.

127 Hours
For a change, an upbeat film to lift your spirits. James Franco is a daredevil hiker who gets his right arm caught ‘between a rock and a hard place’. Based on a real life incident, he spends a harrowing 5 days in the same position before he… well, you have to see the film to find out. Danny Boyle’s inventive, stylized direction is always fun to watch.

Black Swan
Films on similar lines have been made in a better fashion. Not that Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a bad film, but it just isn’t in the league of some of the other nominees this year. A ballerina playing the swan princess loses the distinction between her real life and the role. I wasn’t impressed with Natalie Portman; Mila Kunis in a brief role stole the scenes.

Inception
Surely you have already seen this mind bender by Christopher Nolan. Which will spare me the extrmelty difficult part of summarizing it in just one sentence. It’s one of those films where you can get away by saying ‘like it or hate it, you can’t ignore it’. I liked it.

The Town

There isn’t a single scene in The Town which won’t remind you of some movie you’ve seen before. A film about a bunch of bank robbers where one of them falles for a witness with the FBI hot in pursuit. Yet, it’s a testament to Ben Affleck’s directing skills that he makes it into a watchable film.

True Grit
I was left wondering why this remake had to be made in the first place. Was it a safe bet for the Coen brothers for whom this was the first outing in the Wild West? Jeff Bridges is as good as John Wayne was as Rooster Cogburn and Hailee Steinfeld is better than Kim Darby as Mattie Ross. But everything else is nothing you haven’t seen in the original. Matt Damon as LaBoeuf could have been played by any actor with a moustache in a hat. At best, it’s a good substitute for those who haven’t seen the first version.

The Kids Are All Right

A film with a lesbian couple in the lead but it’s never about homosexuality. Annette Bening starts feeling insecure when the biological father of their children, Mark Ruffalo comes into their lives and inadvertently, starts pushing her out. A good ensemble cast with Julianne Moore as the other half of the couple.

The King’s Speech
This will be the film to beat at this year’s Oscars. It’s not intolerable in length, something that a costume drama rarely is. It’s funny, something that a film about a handicap rarely is. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are irresistible as the incumbent King with a stammer and his unconventional speech therapist, respectively. It’s already leading the tally in terms of nominations. It could also be the front runner for actual awards won.

REVIEW: 127 HOURS

Director: Danny Boyle
Rating: ****

Films with just one actor and just one location are tricky. Take Phone Booth for instance. Starts off really well and then the interest wanes. For the most part, 127 Hours also has just one actor, James Franco, and one location, a narrow crevice in the Grand Canyon. But yet, it’s terrifyingly gripping.



The outdoors can be a heady experience. More so when you are hiking alone. But it’s foolhardy when you do it without leaving a note at home about your whereabouts. Aron Ralston does just that. He takes his car as far as it can go, then takes his bicycle as far as it can go and then he takes himself, as far as he can go. As he frolicks on the rock faces, you too can feel the rush. And then suddenly, a loose boulder that he steps on, comes off, and he is pushed inside a gap with the rock. When the dust has settled, his right hand is stuck between the rock and the inside of the crevice. Irretrievably. For five days.

This is the second collaboration between Danny Boyle and A R Rahman and both have outdone their previous efforts in Slumdog Millionaire. Boyle is unquestionably, a master of style. His camera captures all possible angles that can be exploited in a space no larger than 5 feet wide. Even simple acts like sipping from a water bottle look profound under Boyle’s touch.

James Franco is perfectly suited for this role. As the carefree backpacker for the first ten minutes, he takes us along for the ride, before it ends abruptly. Then on, you stay with him, not just physically but emotionally too. His increasing frustration is catchy; it will make you squirm in your seat.

127 Hours is based on a true story. Which seems shocking after you have seen the film. But it lends credibility to the high point that the film finishes on. If this were fiction, it wouldn’t have been so convincing.

TOP TEN FILMS OF BOLLYWOD: 2001-2010

Is this list coming in a year too late? Not really. The decade ends with 2010 and releasing this compilation early means you are missing out on one whole year of movies. (Not that 2010 was a year with many memorable films.)
This list is not simply a pick of one ‘best’ film from each year covered. Instead, these are films that stand out in the decade and have contributed to the template for films in their genres. In fact, this has been a deciding factor for the inclusion/exclusion of films here. Also, the concept of “Bollywood” is being extended to include films by Indian filmmakers featuring Indian actors.
In chronological order…



Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
The foundation for the ‘smart’ film was first laid with Dil Chahta Hai. It introduced a slickness never seen before in Indian cinema. We knew Aamir Khan could deliver his lines like no one else and Saif Ali Khan had also been fairly successful with comedy before. But they hit their peaks under Farhan Akhtar’s direction who hasn’t disappointed since. Comedy and tragedy dissolve seamlessly in this film whose music is still heard blaring from cars out on a long drive.
P.S. – Lagaan released in the same year has knowingly been kept out of this list.

Monsoon Wedding (2001)
The more you watch this film, the more it grows on you. A typical wedding at an upper middle class household becomes an excuse for various intertwined stories, skeletons tumbling out of the closet, Punjabi garishness and many prospects for a sequel (which sadly has never materialised). Mira Nair winds it all tightly together with an eclectic selection of songs in the soundtrack.

Khakee (2004)
My favourite Indian thriller since Dev Anand’s Jewel Thief. With another super duper performance by Amitabh Bachchan as the asthmatic cop, and ably supported by
Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgan. Each moment pulsates with suspense, and there is hardly a scene that does not make an impact. The best being the one where Devgan gets a constable to slap Bachchan. This ranks as one of Rajkumar Santoshi’s best works.

Maqbool (2004)
Easily, one of the most powerful films of the decade. Vishal Bharadwaj has never quite been able to replicate its creative success in his subsequent ventures. An adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth set to Mumbai’s underworld, Pankaj Kapur, Irfan Khan and Tabu give all they have to their characters. The result is a crackling film that lends itself to repeated viewing. If I were to choose one best film to top this list, this would be it.



Swades (2004)
In 2004, Shah Rukh Khan had already graced us with two mind numbing films viz. Main Hoon Naa and Veer Zaara. So understandably, I was reluctant so tolerate his over acting for the third time. Yet somehow I braved my way to a theatre playing Swades and came out a changed man. Shah Rukh Khan has never acted the way he done in Swades, and he may never do so again. The ‘come back to India’ theme was sensitively and more importantly, believably dealt with by Ashutosh Gowariker. One of the rare films that has given me a lump in my throat. A. R. Rahman’s music is timeless as ever.

Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006)
After Farhan Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee’s is the second great debut of the decade. His Khosla Ka Ghosla is a quiet, unassuming movie with standout performances. A comedy about the tussle of a common man with a land shark, the ha-has range from a quite chuckle to loud guffaws.

Loins of Punjab Presents (2007)
I saw this strangely titled film about a desi idol contest in America seated on a window sill in an auditorium as all the seats were already occupied when I got there. By the time it ended, I had lost track of the number of times I had fallen off the sill laughing. The director, the late Manish Acharya was present to field questions. A comment from the audience member sums up the film perfectly – “There was never a dull moment in the film.”

Jab We Met (2007)
Kareena Kapoor will forever be remembered for this. A brash Punjaban has a chance meeting with a soft spoken upper class boy and sparks fly. Audiences given to repeated viewings of DDLJ found this to be the perfect romantic comedy to break their monotony. I wish it had a better title than this odd bhel puri of Hinglish.



Jodha Akbar (2008)
More often than not, Bollywood trips while making grand, historical costume epics. The last good one was Mughal-E-Azam in 1960. 48 years later, Gowarikar rustles up another eye-pleasing extravaganza with soulful music. What is more commendable is that the film rises above the ordinary despite the stunted acting prowesses of the lead pair.



Gulaal (2009)
Fans may rate Dev.D to be Anurag Kashyap’s best work till date but I prefer Gulaal. A hard hitting look at college elections and the politics that surrounds it. In that sense, it was similar to Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Haasil, only better.