The Best Of Bollywood- From Millennium to The Moment (2001-2012)

10- Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006)

It will be a crime worth capital punishment not to include Rajkumar Hirani as one of the forefront mainstream filmmakers of the first dozen years of the 21^st century (despite the contrived ‘Munnabhai MBBS’ and the plasticky and ponderous ‘3 Idiots’). 2006’s ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has to be not only the finest work in his oeuvre but also one of the finest and neatest examples of feel-good mainstream cinema without pretensions. As a loosely held sequel, it not only surpasses the flashes of wit of the original with generous amounts of honesty and sincerity but it is also a far more neatly edged work; Hirani and co-writer Abhijat Joshi belt out a hilarious and heartfelt story that sparkles with wit and wisdom. As the love-struck lovable goon Munnabhai (Sanjay Dutt) embarks on a do-good campaign, goaded by a shimmering illusion of Mahatma Gandhi, and the ever-reliable sidekick Circuit (Arshad Warsi), the film gains unprecedented depths- it is a breezy romance, a rib-tickling comedy, an adequately moving and flexible social message movie all tucked into a film punctuated with splendid performances. Dutt and Warsi have never been better, Boman Irani does much show-stealing as the malicious property-shark while Dilip Prabhavalkar shows up in an inspiring role as the Mahatma himself, endowing the film with solid idealism; yet the film keeps it starkly and admirably real. Hirani’s direction never flags its pace and mints the film a truly stirring experience without sounding preachy.

9- Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

No matter how many young filmmakers may come up with their own stories of coming of age, Farhan Akhtar’s smashingly simple and stirring debut will remain to be the Holy Grail of the genre. It is not just how Akhtar blends the arthouse sensitivity and intimacy with formulaic mainstream elements seamlessly to craft a superiorly entertaining piece; it is also about how his skill at character-building and storytelling lend the film the stamp of genuine honesty. Three friends (played with ample conviction by Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna) embark on different paths of love, relationships and careers after a bitter argument, only to reunite in the end, finding that all they have is each other. Never too formulaic, never digressing into darkness, this is perhaps as smooth as filmmaking can get. But while the smooth edges may blur some of the reality, it never goes in the way of Akhtar’s honest, water-cool observations on growing up and falling in love. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s wonderfully poignant soundtrack blends in with Ravi K. Chandran’s visuals to lend a film a terrific, mesmeric beauty.

8- Rang De Basanti (2006)

Now there are some ( a growing minority) who think that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s bold, provocative and brilliant urban patriot drama is one of those 80s’ vigilante films which benefits solidly from slick packaging and awesome music. Think again, cynics. By drawing sharp, well-etched and exceptionally nuanced parallels between the youth of the 2000s and the fired-up patriots of the 30s, ‘Rang De Basanti’ sets out to touch a raw nerve with guts and glory. The story- of how an aspiring filmmaker (Alice Patten), goaded by recorded memories of the turbulent 30s in India, unwittingly eggs a gang of friends to rediscover their inherent patriotism, might sound wooly but only on paper. It is Mehra’s superb execution of the material, armed with fellow-writers Rensil D’Silva and Prasoon Joshi, that makes the film a modern, subversive classic. The happy-go-lucky gang (played by the likes of Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and a simmering Siddharth) discover a cause celebre when their plane-flying buddy Ajay ( R. Madhavan) is killed in an air-crash and scandal erupts. True, the politics could have avoided some of the stereotypes and the climax is stretched to squeeze a shower of tears but for most part, this is blistering filmmaking, wonderfully leaping from the staccato dash of the modern days to the sepia-tinted violence of the past to make its arguments solid and convicing. Pity then about Mehra’s subsequent efforts- the metaphor-ridden and confusing ‘Delhi 6’ and the incredibly slow and hackneyed ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.

7- Chak De India (2007)

One of the reasons quite why ‘Lagaan’ is not on this list is because how it starts with great promise and has a great concept- of how unity can defeat an Empire, even in sport- but the film’s meandering storyline and its overlong running time ruin the impact. This is not the case with Shimit Amin’s breathless entertainer- a fired-up, snazzy and amply moving version of the same tale, done with much more precision and packed with more masala than ever. Amin and scriptwriter Jaideep Sahni rarely relax in his full-throttle narrative as they start with hockey hero Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) defamed as a traitor to the country and then quickly cuts to the modern day when the same outcast returns with revenge- to fire up a slack team of women hockey players and make them win the World Cup. Sound familiar? Hardly so because Amin packs in the pace of an action film into the buzz of proceedings- from the verbal battles between the belligerent players and Khan to the turbo-charged hockey scenes unfolding as if Scorsese had a field day on the grounds and goalposts. Sahni himself keeps the central ideology simple and basic but loads it with plenty of clever characterization, ensuring that we cheer for each and every player on our side. And finally, there is Shahrukh Khan in the performance of his career, eschewing smugness to deliver full-throated fire, acid and warmth and confirming his kingship among fellow actors.

6- Omkara (2006)

No other Bollywood filmmaker can get medieval literature as good as Vishal Bhardwaj does it. And I am talking about none other than the Bard himself. History will rightfully recognize ‘Omkara’ as one of the truest and most spectacular adaptations of Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ on the big screen. Bhardwaj masterfully transplants the central tragedy of romance and envy into the blistering, sun-baked rural chaos of Uttar Pradesh; his Moor is the tough-as-nails yet tender Omkara (Ajay Devgn) who heads a clan of loyal gangsters working for crooked local politico Bhaisaab (Naseeruddin Shah). After finalizing his plans to marry the high-caste Dolly (Kareena Kapoor), he decides to choose the prudent rookie Kesu (Viveik Oberoi) over the grungy, limping Langda (Saif Ali Khan) and sets into motion a fierce tale of envy as the green-eyed Langda plots his downfall. Faithfully placing the Bard’s legendary lines into scorching, profane lingo and recreating the feudalistic monarchy of the original source with casteism and gender domination in the badlands of UP, Bhardwaj also balances intense drama with subtle character study and sensual romance with near-perfection. Technically too, it is stunning- with leisurely Sergio Leone-style visuals by Tassaduq Hussain and earthy settings by Samir Chanda and Bhardwaj blends them both to create mood and milieu to recast the most dramatic and monumental moments from Bard’s prose in fully-blown beauty and intensity. Add that to the stellar cast- Devgn, Kapoor, Oberoi, Shah and the reliable Konkona Sen Sharma all deliver their thespian best while Saif Ali Khan is simply unforgettable as the limping and repulsive Langda, spewing vitriol and verbal abuse with reckless glee.

5- Udaan (2010)

Coming-of-age genre may have gained its fresh colors from ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ and the like but it is Vikramaditya Motwane’s bleak and brilliant debut that casts the idea of coming-of-age in murky gloom. On the face of it, ‘Udaan’ is the simple story of a young boy confronting a domineering father, who coerces him to join his factory and abandon his simple-minded writing aspirations. Look deeper and you will actually find the shattering revelations in its incisive storytelling. By depicting, in stark honesty, the particularly sadistic tastes of Bhairav Singh, the bad daddy essayed with chilling conviction by Ronit Roy, Motwane sets out to expose the glaring holes in the idyllic Indian idea of parenting and family. Singh is a flawed, furious yet utterly believable character who vents out his inner demons- of a possibly repressed childhood- on his utterly helpless son, Rohan (Rajat Barmecha, an excellent debut). Rohan’s odyssey against the tide of his father’s frustrations is beautifully contrasted against the parallel tracks of his younger step-brother Arjun, who faces Bhairav’s harshest abuse, his genial and warm uncle Jimmy (a mesmerizing Ram Kapoor) and his own gentle aspirations crushed under the weight of his father’s small-town-bred psyche. Along with the searing narrative, Motwane’s stark visuals of an oppressive Jamshedpur, dominated by smoke-spewing factories and cloudy skies (superbly captured by Mahendra Shetty) lend the film a poetic force, coupled by Amit Trivedi’s elegiac yet enlightening score to make the film an everlasting story of coming of age against all odds.

4- Dev-D (2009)

Few blunders have been as grievous as handing out the top prizes- and much undeserved honor- to that bloated, self-indulgent college satire ‘3 Idiots’ despite its sheer entertainment value, in the face of 2009’s true champion- the incendiary, explosive ‘Dev-D’. It is not just Anurag Kashyap and (it must be said) actor Abhay Deol’s snazzy, jazzy, stark and sexy revamp of the ‘Devdas’ saga that makes this film such a potent, heady delight for true aficionados; rather, what makes it more seminal in the recent history of cinema is how it reinvents and debunks all the myths about romance in our filmmaking. The central character- Dev (a stunning Deol) goes the downhill path, not only from a flaw in his character- he is after all a born loser- but also with the urban, sybaritic arrogance that makes him think that he can take even love and feelings for granted. But when rural lass Paro (Mahie Gill in a fiery debut) shows her spine and spurns him, it is time to hit the bottle and hit the streets and this is where Kashyap’s psychedelic chaos kicks in, with gut-wrenching effect. And yet, thanks to the blazing, laconic screenplay (by Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane), the heart-stopping, haunting yet spectacular imagery (courtesy of Rajeev Ravi) and the moody, melancholic score by Amit Trivedi (clearly the finest talent we have in recent years to rival A. R. Rahman), the film emerges as a piece of art, an experimental yet instantly accessible and relevant tale of romance and despair that rivals ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge’ in its iconic stature. Further on, by interspersing the parallel track of the lonely call-girl Chanda (Kalki Koelchlin) with a bitter, news-headline inspired past, Kashyap’s film emerges as a miracle of dark, dystopian filmmaking.

3- Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008)

Comedies have been either sparklingly funny (Rajkumar Hirani) or embarrassing raunchy (blame it on numerous Ekta Kapoor and Indra Kumar outings) but it is indeed rare to find comedies which also emerge as finely detailed portraits of social and class divisions in a city seemingly obsessed with wealth, amidst the widening gulf of status in India. Dibakar Banerjee, who made a smash debut with the hilarious ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, goes one step up with his second venture- a Barry Lyndon-style tale of a man rising from rags to riches in an extravagantly rich Delhi through his kleptomaniac behavior. In depicting the tale of the smart-aleck Lucky (Abhay Deol), Banerjee along with co-writer Urmi Juvekar and Manu Rishi (who also played the delightful sidekick Bangali) doff their hat at Sai Paranjpe as they punctuate Lucky’s rip-roaring exploits with plenty of incisive, nuanced and satirical depictions of the capital city’s many nooks and crannies- from small-time dealers selling stolen goods, to buzzing discotheques where the super-rich come to play and to the rich, upper-class enclaves. However, while there is plenty of fun from the hilarious dialogues and crackling performances (Paresh Rawal shows up in a three-in-one portrait of the various shades of the city, signposting Lucky’s journey to the top as well as his fall), this is also a film with a darker vein of humor. The laughs are more cynical than full-throated hilarious, the characters are not merely colorful goonies having a ball but rather malicious people who plot Lucky’s decline while Lucky emerges himself as a delusional character, whose starry-eyed dreams go for a sobering toss. Armed with Deol’s charismatic, cocky performance, Banerjee decorates the gripping story with amazing technical finesse as well to craft a truly sensational portrait of a city of pomp and show and a man who wants to be a part of it all. Even with trail-blazing work throughout the years- the caustic ‘Love Sex Aur Dhokha’ and the creepy ‘Shanghai’- this remains to be Banerjee’s most true and unflinchingly comic portrait of human society’s flaws.

2- Maqbool (2004)

When I first watched 2004’s ‘Maqbool’, I felt that it was an innovative twist on the Macbeth legend with an amazing cast. With subsequent viewings, I have only gone on to admire it for the deep, scalding intelligence which Vishal Bhardwaj’s film rolls out with breakneck speed and reckless fury. What particularly amazes us is not just the inventiveness with which Bhardwaj and his cast replay the legend in the scenario of twisted loyalties in a decadent Mumbai gang. Loyal henchman Maqbool (Irrfan Khan) is totally dedicated to his boss- the devilish and aging Abbaji (Pankaj Kapur) but loses his heart to the latter’s devious wife Nimmi (Tabu) and soon is swayed by her and a duo of crooked cops, acting as the Three Witches, (played by Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri with brash panache), in a cold-blooded scramble for power. While Bhardwaj directs the quirky and lightening quick tale with a flair for dread and ferocious poetry, the genius of the film lies also in how, within Abbas Tyrewala’s rubber-tight script, there lie layers of unconventional wisdom. Abbaji’s Muslim gang operates with the political aid of Maharastrian clan leaders, while Maqbool, himself a devout Muslim, falls prey to the myths of Hindu astrology, which eventually propel his doom. Behind it all, lays a solid slice of cold logic, as cops bend the rules to manipulate the blood-splattered saga unfolding in front of them. Bhardwaj has been on a trailblazing run all these years and while we love him for the mesmerizing ‘Makdee’ and the mad and brilliant ‘Kaminey’, it is this film which thrills us with its grittiness and sobers us with its acid wit. And yes, the performances only feel much more indelible than ever- Irrfan is brilliant as ever, Kapur steals the show with a towering performance, Piyush Mishra, Shah and Puri lend in terrific support while Tabu creates an unforgettably menacing Lady Macbeth.

1- Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

Okay, so I am cheating here, by picking out two films, which are actually rolled together into one mammoth filmmaking accomplishment. And so what? The truth remains that, even as this is the latest entry into the list of greats, as this decade goes by, Anurag Kashyap’s two-part gangster saga will be commemorated as clearly the most iconic, sensational and legendary movie of our generation. Maybe, we are already lapping it up as the new ‘Sholay’ of current Bollywood. Every single ingredient in Kashyap’s sizzling cocktail of East and West- of Prakash Mehra and Francis Ford Coppola- remains to be as exotic, mesmerizing and spicy as it has been. The performances and the characters are all larger-than-life yet utterly raw and real- from Manoj Bajpai’s deliciously nasty gangster Sardar Khan rampaging on a revenge for his ancestors, (his most outstandingly devilish act since the demented terrorist in ‘Aks) to Tigmanshu Dhulia as the sinister coal kingpin standing in his way, and from Nawazzudin Siddiqui’s fiery and fast Faizal Khan to the women- Richa Chaddha and Huma Qureshi set the stage on fire. Random names entered the vocabulary- from ‘Womaniya’ to gangsters named after mathematic terms- film memorabilia became even more monumental- from tearful 80’s songs in funerals to taunting enemies with posters and songs of Mithun-starrers of yore and the invective-laden lines entered the national conversation. Sneha Khawalkar belted out an avant garde soundtrack- from local Bihari folk singers to calypso crooners while Rajeev Ravi’s visuals captured the nooks and crannies of mofussil life and contrasted it beautifully with the chaos and violence- from Muharram crowds raining blood-splattered blows on their naked bodies to the tense, taut action scenes and the images of exploding mines of Dhanbad. And finally, with true gusto and glory, Kashyap wraps it all up, mixing biting satire and cheeky snark with cold-blooded violence and a wallop of emotions to deliver a magnificent kick on senses. India found its answer to ‘The Godfather’ series while the world got treated to a ballsy filmmaking experience like no other.