Bollywood top 10, 2021

Now how does one define Bollywood anyway You canrsquot Technically since the B in Bollywood stands for Bombay I guess we simply mean films from BombayMumbai They could therefore be in any language and genreIncluding in Marathi mdashwinning India its first global gong at a toplevel film festival Venice in 20 years The film is set in Mumbai all the same Likewise a movie starring Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao along with a debutant in the lead but directed by an American yet produced by a Bombay filmmaker for Netflix is Bollywood tooMinor technicalities apart the true test of a great featurelength movie in my head is one you can watch at least twice As I did with both the movies mentioned above mdashThe Disciple and The White Tiger Also to be fair itrsquos not like we only love great moviesWe also love wilfully crap pictures opening our minds to limits of human lunacy on the screen The notflicks Bhuj The Pride of India and Satyamev Jayate 2 topped my list from the bottom in that regard But those are better watched than spoken about The ones below in my personal order of favourites from the top of 2021 should be equally watched and spoken about of course1 Chaitanya Tamhanersquos The Disciple NetflixAn inside view of a subculture ie gurushishya parampara and Hindustani classical music A treatise on talent versus mediocrity purist perfection versus commercial art persistence versus excellence A deeply meditative experiment on music that doesnrsquot stop playing long after the film has2 Ramin Bahranirsquos The White Tiger NetflixArvind Adigarsquos devastatingly angry novel The White Tiger was dedicated to Iranian origin American friend and director Bahrani who finally filmed this story of extreme class divides and India in every way Young Adarsh Gourav killed it in the part if you may pardon the pun The film argues that the lowest classes can rise in India only through crime and politics There is I guess the third option too mdash talent And that everyone behind this film display in abundance3 Rohena Gerarsquos Sir NetflixA soft sensitive story centred on care and love beyond class that stands as a wall between a rich young man Vivek Gomber and his humble house help Tillottama Shome in downtown Bombay This film could go either way with the plot The beauty is until the last shot you donrsquot know which way it would4 Vishnuvardhanrsquos Shershaah Amazon Prime Video Kabir Khanrsquos 83In both these films you know what happens in the end No spoiler alerts necessary Captain Vikram Batra that Shershaah is a biopic on died in boots fighting for Indian Army at the 1999 Kargil War The 11 unlikely men in 83 won the cricket World Cup almost miraculously under Kaptaan Kapil Dev Both movies are patriotic by their themenature And yet exhibit the most positive secure elements of love for the nation mdash which is to celebrate onersquos own bravery and valour rather than put others down Given the outcome both brought collective tears to audiencersquos eyes mdash for totally opposite reasons of course5 Shoojit Sircarrsquos Sardar Udham Amazon Prime VideoSuch little was known about the man who assassinated the British former Punjab Governor Micheal OrsquoDwyer There was of course way more to him than the act of violence alone And which director Sircar and lead actor Vicky Kaushal patiently bring to life through a multinational film that will stand the test of time As will most definitely the dark lingering scenes from the gruesomely haunting 1919 Jallianwala Bagh episodemassacre6 Ranjit M Tewarirsquos Bell Bottom Amazon Prime VideoLet this be placed here for personal memory I watched the Bollywood film Bell Bottom in the neighbouring town of Surat since theatres were still shut in Bombay owing to the pandemic So literally homeairportmultiplexairporthome was that daymdashfor a movie screening No movie can live up to such determined expectations Or they can if yoursquove been starved of a theatrical viewing for monthsyear Bell Bottom was a ballmdashno OTT can match the popcorn plus picture as a collectivetribal exercise Yeah movies are stories but theyrsquore bigevent experiences first Same for why I ended up loving Rohit Shettyrsquos Sooryavanshi too7 Diya Annapurna Ghoshrsquos Bob Biswas Zee5 Kookie Gulatirsquos Big Bull Hotstar Slightly underrated have to admit 2021 saw actor Abhishek Bachchan in the 20th year of his career in mainstream films leaping furthest away from his comfort zone yes but also risking more Firstly with Big Bull which was unluckily timed if you may since only a few months before the film audiences had loved and lapped up Scam 1992 a fulllength series on Bombay Stock Exchangersquos tainted kingpin Harshad Mehta Likewise Bachchan helmed Bob Biswas a character already immortalised by Saswata Chatterjee in the film Kahaani Be that as it may Bachchan like the two Bollywood movies on OTT platforms stood out for trying hard enough and eventually living up to a thoroughly watchable playlist for the year 8 Abhishek Kapoorrsquos Chandigarh Kare AashiquiIf the muchabused Bollywood term hatke ever applied appropriately to a recent film it would fit first this Chandigarh movie about aashiqui between a man who loves a woman who was a man once That the woman is the Yash Raj heroine Vaani Kapoor speaks volumes That the man is Ayushmann Khurrana is almost a given for tackling popular societal taboos as a filmic theme Ayushmann draws you in with his physical transformation Vaani holds you with her brave casting move Between both is a film that immeasurably mainstreams an invisible community Whatrsquos there not to love9 Umesh Bistrsquos Pagglait NetflixBlack comedy dealing with aftermath of death mdash the toughest thing to make light of mdash much like Seema Pahwarsquos wonderful Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi which was a theatrical release in 2019 but dropped online after Pagglait The latter stands out wholly for Sanya Malhotra the girl from Dangal whorsquos scripted a decidedly mature career since her 2016 blockbuster debut10 Amit V Masurkarrsquos Sherni Amazon Prime VideoVidya Balan is quite chameleon like as Vidya Vincent in Sherni mdash soft yet sincerefirm The title refers to another tigress an actual one whorsquos turned maneater Whatever that means for forests that are encroached upon by men in the first place Thatrsquos the wildlife theme here that isnrsquot a creature picture but a political film that combines concerns on ecology in ways that is equally essential and entertaining