TOP 7 FILMS OF 2014

Aside from the films competing for the next crores milestone at the box office, the year 2014 had a few shiny film pearls appear on screen. It is these that make the audience truly vibrate to the emotions evoked by directors, actors and a good story. Here is our pick:

1. THE LUNCHBOX

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazzudin Siddiqi

The Lunchbox is an Indian film that conquered audiences around the world in 2014. With its high octane casting and a subdued approach to matters of the heart, it carried universal appeal and struck gold at many festivals and amid audiences in India too. One word: Unmissable.

2. HAIDER

Director: Vishal Bhardwaj 

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Shraddha Kapoor, Irffan Khan

Haider is another one-man exploit, with Vishal Bhardwaj at the front of directing, scripting and producing a new adaptation of a Shakespearian drama. Suffering, insanity, right, wrong and jaw-dropping landscapes are the backdrop of a very well shot and emotionally compelling Haider.

3. QUEEN

Director: Vikas Bahl, 

Cast: Kangna Ranuat, Lisa Haydon

Who does not feel for Rani, an innocent girl from Delhi, when she is shoved aside by a heartless groom? The tale that follows her evolution after heartbreak is empowering and inspirational. Every girl, but also every boy, should make a point to watch this. In the end, it is more than just a chick flick. It is a tribute to human resilience that does not take itself too seriously, therein its timeless charm.

4. ANKHON DEKHI

Director: Rajat Kapoor

Cast: Sanjay Mishra, Namit Das

Aankhon Dekhi honors critical thinking at the same time pinpoints its ridiculous pitfalls. The wise Bauji asks relevant questions and brings change into an otherwise peaceful mini-society, inviting the audience to rethink their existence.

5. FILMISTAAN

Director: Nitin Kakkar Cast: Shabir Ahmed, Inaam Ul Haq

When people who claim to be from fundamentally different backgrounds discover they are in reality much more alike than they would like to think, the setting is right for intelligent comedy. Based on the relationship between Hindi speakers on both sides of the Indo-Pakistani border and their common love for cinema, Filmistaan is an opportunity to embrace that every human being is fundamentally equal. 

6. FINDING FANNY

Director: Homi Adajania Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Arjun Kapoor

Stolen moments in Goa's off-the-beaten-track locations with one thing in mind: recovering lost love. Homi Adajania's Finding Fanny is a tale of distinctive characters and experiences. The cast, the images, the music result in a journey that is one of a kind.

7. DEDH ISHQIYA

Director: Abhishek Chaubey Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Madhuri Dixit, Huma Qureshi

When tight writing as well as a tried and tested mega-talented cast are put together, one can expect the likes of a film such as Dedh Ishqiya despite the fact that most sequels are usually not what garners the most critical acclaim. The film has been ravely reviewed across the board and ingredients such as social critique, action, comedy and romance make it a surefire entertainer.

Ooh La La: THE DIRTY PICTURE is here!

Rating: ****

SMASHING is the first word I had on my lips upon seeing the first rushes of The Dirty Picture's promos with a delicious Vidya Balan... and yes, I am a girl talking about a girl here, but let me make a bet that the seductiveness this chick exudes in the film does fit with every guy's fantasy.

At the centre of The Dirty Picture's plot is Silk Smitha (played by Vidya Balan), an actress who was an ultimate sex symbol in 1980s south Indian cinema. The lascivious star was a sizzling element of more than 400 Malayalam and later on Hindi Bollywood films, one of which was the famed Sadma, starring opposite Kamal Hassan and Sridevi. Smitha's success was short lived despite the wide array of films she left as her heritage, given that she passed away in 1996 at the young age of 35.

Read more>>

BEST HINDI FILMS 2009 FOR DUMMIES

Hindi cinema is such a vast universe that coming up with a hot list for 2009 seemed daunting (it would be even harder to come up with a "Films of the Decade" list, but we still have a couple of months to write that one).

We decided to concentrate on films that we believe would appeal to an international audience. If we were Hindi film "pushers", what would we show uninitiated and non-Indian friends in order to convert them? 

Here is the Hindi Cinema Blog's international pick for Best Hindi 2009 Film Releases:

Quick Gun Murugun: Be it as the first or last course of a filmi meal, 'Quick Gun Murugun' is a delicious satyre of everything a Hindi film virgin imagines Indian films are. Forget the difference between North Indian and South Indian films. The foreign common viewpoint is that Indian cinema is a mix of colours and dance, sprinkled with improbable script turns, action, love stories and a cheesy dialogue here and there. Well... 'Quick Gun Murugun' blends all these prejudices in a shaker and serves them as a clever and quirky cocktail, ensuring surefire entertainment for everyone: Hindi film buffs, Tamil film buffs and complete foreigners to the whole Indian film scene in general. Now that calls for one Masala Dosa with sambhar, I say!

Kurbaan: Do you want a full-fledged Hindi film experience? Despite a couple of loopholes here and there, particularly in the New York scenes, our vote goes to 'Kurbaan' for the beautiful visuals, performances, fabulous soundtrack, plot and climax. We believe it is one of the most honest attempts in mainstream Indian cinema to treat the delicate subject of terrorism and can definitely be considered international class entertainment.

3 Idiots: The year was marked by the undisputable victory at the box office of Rajkumar Hirani's '3 Idiots', which will undoubtedly continue collecting praise well after 2009 is gone and forgotten. Pulsating rhythm, optimism and a humanistic core give this film a high feel-good and entertainment quotient. There is something in it for everyone, whether it is great laughs or soul touching moments. Don't miss it. 

Kaminey: A two-hour ride of unpredictable violence and stirring action, featuring Shahid Kapoor in an extremely convincing double role and Priyanka Chopra looking (praise the lord) as the girl next door and thus finally allowing viewers to concentrate on her acting instead of her looks. Kaminey is what we can call "thinking cinema", with each minute sincerely serving its purpose. Add to that a magnificent soundtrack and... Dhan te nan! You've got hot film material.

Firaaq: Nandita Das paints a disturbing and thought-provoking canvas in 'Firaaq', giving us a fictionalized account based on the Gujarat riots (2002) between Hindus and Muslims. Marvellously well cast, the story entwines the lives of 6 normal people who are affected by the communal violence taking place around them. No rose-coloured glasses are used in this story, despite all the escapism preconceptions that are spread about Hindi films among foreign viewers. A must watch. 

Wake up Sid!: 2009 is the year that had us going back to school with '3 Idiots' and Dharma production's fresh, lively and youthful 'Wake Up Sid!'. Where other movies have failed to bring Ranbir Kapoor's full talent to the fore, this lighthearted film particularly succeeds. Is it the fact that they have cast him alongside a consistently excellent Konkona Sen Sharma? Is it the script? Who knows... but it works! Check out its soundtrack and the final hug scene (sorry guys, couldn't help it). You will come out of the cinema experience smiling, as if you had just received a big hug yourself.

Hopefully, this new year will bring plenty of amazing films, making more and more people abroad realize the international entertainment potential of Hindi films. Now that we have revealed our personal favorites, let us mention some of the films that made it to the 2009 runners-up list. Just in case your friends become as addicted to Hindi cinema as you are and are willing to take their experience a step further:

Luck by Chance (dir. by Zoya Akhtar, starring Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma) Insightful movie about the film industry in India. Mindblowing soundtrack.

Barah Aana (dir. by Raja Menon, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz and Arjun Mathur) An unconvential view on the reasons behind organized kidnappings.

Videsh (Heaven on Earth): (dir. by Deepa Mehta, starring Preity Zinta) A beautiful Indian bride moves with her husband's family to Canada. She finds her inner self  and her strength when she is confronted to domestic violence and her new family's hostility.

Little Zizou (English language film by Indian film maker Mira Nair) A sweet and fun tale about a Parsi little boy who dreams of meeting football star Zidane.