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Top 10 Bollywood movies of 2008
The best thing about Bollywood is its unpredictability. Small films with untried themes, made by newbie directors with relatively unknown actors pop up with delightful frequency, often doing such good business that even their makers are surprised. Many films packed with crowd-pulling elements fall flat on their faces, while others without a shred of commonsense become the rage of the country. For those who've come in late, what is Bollywood's Top Ten this year?
Like it or not, comedy is king, or should we say, Kinng? Made with a fine disregard for details of time, place or dress sense, 'Singh is Kinng' broke box-office records and raced to the top, leaving everyone else in the dust. This one though, is strictly for those who couldn't care less for the art of filmmaking. Perhaps it was the sheer artlessness of the film or its chutzpah that caught the imagination of audiences. Not to mention Akshay Kumar, who can do no wrong these days.
Earlier in the year, Ashutosh Gowarikar of 'Lagaan' fame served up a royal treat in the form of 'Jodhaa Akbar', a fictitious account of the love story of Emperor Akbar and his Rajput queen, Jodhabai. What the film had going for it: Hrithik Roshan's magnificent screen presence offset by Aishwarya Rai's delicate beauty, lavish sets, huge war scenes, gorgeous period costumes and jewellery. No doubt thanks to these elements, the film did great business overseas, drawing in people who'd never had a Bollywood experience before.
The year's sweet surprise – 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na', yet another variation on the timeworn theme of friendship-or-love. A fresh-faced, enthusiastic cast completely charmed the viewers. Hats off to director Abbas Tyrewala who took every clich in the book about college romances and confused lovers and gave them a clever spin. Finally, there was Imran Khan playing the understated hero with such confidence that you'd never guess this was his debut. "Ooooh, so cuuute!" was the standard reaction of starry-eyed teens everywhere. Anything wrong? Genelia's badly accented Hindi!
'Rock On' is the story of four young men who rediscover themselves and their friendship through the music that united them in their youth. Farhan Akhtar, best known for writing and directing 'Dil Chahta Hai', (which really broke the mould for Bollywood films) has now added another feather to his cap with 'Rock On', as its lead actor. And what do you know, he can sing too (sort of, anyway)! Shahana Goswami, as Arjun Rampal's embittered wife was superb. Shahana who? Watch out, you're bound to be seeing more of this talented, young woman.
If you are fond of the color sepia or are a dedicated Bachchan-watcher, 'Sarkar Raj' is right up your alley. Ram Gopal Varma's sequel to 'Sarkar' is all about showcasing Amitabh Bachchan's formidable talents, Mumbai's nasty cocktail of politics-and -goondagiri. Keep some earplugs handy to avoid sudden deafening sounds when the 'Govinda, Govinda,' refrain assault your eardrums.
Dying to see South Africa? You could start with 'Race', the Abbas-Mustan thriller. Though you'd be hard put to concentrate on the landscape, what with three skimpily clad heroines and a plot that has more curves than all of them put together.
This has truly been the year of the minnows, with films like 'Aamir', 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' and 'A Wednesday' garnering acclaim and moolah where bigger fish like 'Tashan' and 'God Tussi Great Ho' tanked. Of the three, 'Aamir' was easily the best – a crisp, tense, man-on-the-run tale that leaves one asking: are we in charge of our destiny, or does destiny decide all? Television star Rajeev Khandelwal put in an excellent performance. 'MMJ' and 'A Wednesday' deal with the nature of terrorism and its human cost - thought-provoking, hard-hitting films, both.
Finally, Emraan Hashmi scored again in 'Jannat' as a match-fixer torn between love and his addiction to danger. Films made by the Bhatts have a special something to them. No surprise then that the audience gave 'Jannat' the thumbs up.
Variety and originality is what today's film audiences' demand and they haven't been too disappointed this year. Would you agree?
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