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Behind every great movie, there is a director who has put everything he has into making that film. The year 2008 had directors trying new things, with novel approaches and different stories, and they gave us some incredible films to see. Not only were there hard hitting dramas, there were some great comedies, a new take on an old standard and an epic never seen before on film. It took us a long time to decide on the order of this list, and we probably could have gone on going back and forth forever, but we finally came down to this: our list of the Ten Best Directors in 2008!
10. Rajat Kapoor - Mithiya
Rajat is to be congratulated for bringing together two of the most unique talents in Bollywood, Ranvir Shorey and Neha Dhupia, and then for incorporating them in such a unique tale which seems to be a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Even with his acting career still going full force, Rajat Kapoor continues to turn out one movie after another that are constantly a surprise. There simply is no limit to this man's imagination, and we pray that there never is. Reviewers said that his extensive knowledge of cinema and perfect understanding of it is exactly the secret ingredient in his filming recipe, and we couldn't agree more. He may not be everyone's cup of tea but Rajat Kapoor is certainly here to stay, and so are his pieces of art, which have innumerable creative avenues flowing in every direction.
9.Tarun Mansukhani - Dostana
Tarun Mansukhani is a director to keep your eye on. His debut film was backed by Karan Johar and had three of the biggest stars as the leads. He also took on the comedy genre for his first outing, and it was not just a simple masala comedy because he also broached a taboo subject with his lead couple not being a man and woman, but a man and a man (though it was pretend). He handled it all with aplomb and great sensitivity while guiding the story and timing so well he made a completely entertaining film. There were amazing performances by Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra, and though that is mostly due to their talent, some credit must be given for his direction. The film was an instant hit and has ended up on our Best Films of 2008. Not a bad start to a career! We can't wait to see what this talented director will show us next!
8. Nishant Kamat - Mumbai Meri Jaan
It is not every day that you have a debutant director tackle such a delicate issue in such a mature manner. Nishant Kamat belongs to the very rare group of filmmakers who pulled off with so much lan the difficult task of creating a film such as Mumbai Meri Jaan. Every character and every situation is logically crafted to make the audience one with the script. You simply do not question any twists, turns and feelings portrayed in front of you. What is even more amazing is that so many things could have easily gone wrong when handling such a subject, but Nishant managed to grasp the emotions of his characters on screen and portray just that as a tale rather than make a personal or political comment on an issue that is much bigger than him, the industry and the audiences. Hats off to you, Nishant!
7. Shyam Benegal - Welcome to Sajjanpur
Returning to the genre of comedy with a bang after many years, Shyam Benegal instantly showed audiences and the whole industry of his brilliance. The film was a satirical take on rural India with a combination of comedy, emotions and moral values intertwined in the story. This project could have easily gone wrong with so many underlying themes, but with his experience and talent Mr. Benegal brought to screen one of the most intelligent films of 2008, reminding everyone that Indian cinema is so much more than just song, dance, culture and color. Cherish the film, ladies and gentlemen, because only the genius himself knows when we'll get the opportunity to witness his outstanding work again.
6. Madhur Bhandarkar - Fashion
One of the greats in Bollywood, Madhur Bhandarkar's films always have realism at their core, and in this film that core was the fashion industry. He is also known for having female main leads, and in Fashion he followed Priyanka Chopra's character from a simple girl with big dreams to a showstopper who has a big fall but rises once again, and made it one of the best performances of her career. He brought out something in Priyanka, a deeper and more complex performance that was brilliant. In fact, the entire cast was superb. He has an eye and a style that is all his own, and it makes for great cinema. His work on this film was outstanding and will always be considered one of his best. He has 3 National Awards already, do we hear number 4?
4. Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na
It took three years for JTYJN to come to theaters but it certainly was worth the wait. With a cast of debut actors and a fresh and wonderfully creative take on what could be considered a standard Bolly film, Tyrewala made it into something new and fantastic. As not only the writer but also director, he gave us a film that was full of fun, comedy, emotions, friendship and most of all love, but included a deeper look into what looked, on paper, like a typical college love story. He utilized the extremely talented cast to its fullest, told a fantastic story that kept you intrigued throughout, and made a film that was one of the best of the year. Here's hoping we won't have to wait until Godot comes before we see his next film! (Look for the guy holding the sign at the train station near the end to get the double meaning to this, and the director's joke!)
3. A R Muragadoss - Ghajini
He is surely to go down in history as one of the most talented filmmakers to which India has given birth. A R Muragadoss created a new style of filmmaking in Tamil cinema with Ghajini, he gave the original actor Surya a new career path and now he's given Bollywood one of its biggest blockbusters. What makes A R Muragadoss a celebrated filmmaker is not his talent to tackle a new subject or his charisma to attract Aamir Khan to his script, but his formula to create a whole entertainer. There was action, adventure, emotion, drama, romance, and none of this was packaged as your average masala flick but instead the formula was sealed with perfection and maturity in every corner of the execution, and sealed with performances of high calibre. From acting to editing, each fine point was honed and executed by this master. So here's a New Year's wish for more and more masterpieces from one of India's most celebrated film makers!
2. Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday
This film can easily be said to be one of the most impressive works of art in Indian cinema in the year 2008. A script like A Wednesday has never touched the celluloid before, and despite its unique take on terrorism, the film touched hearts rather than created controversy. It's very rare that one says such a compliment about a film that deals with the issues that A Wednesday tackles. In addition, Neeraj Pandey pulled off all this and much more without feeling the need to hire A list popular actors that are swooning audiences in the current times. Each character and actor fit the other like a perfect glass slipper, and the story fits just as perfectly around this beautiful arrangement. What you see on screen is a work of a pure genius and nothing less - a true masterpiece. And if all that hasn't impressed you, wait till you find out that Neeraj got the whole formula perfect in his very first try! A debut like no other!
10. Rajat Kapoor - Mithiya
Rajat is to be congratulated for bringing together two of the most unique talents in Bollywood, Ranvir Shorey and Neha Dhupia, and then for incorporating them in such a unique tale which seems to be a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Even with his acting career still going full force, Rajat Kapoor continues to turn out one movie after another that are constantly a surprise. There simply is no limit to this man's imagination, and we pray that there never is. Reviewers said that his extensive knowledge of cinema and perfect understanding of it is exactly the secret ingredient in his filming recipe, and we couldn't agree more. He may not be everyone's cup of tea but Rajat Kapoor is certainly here to stay, and so are his pieces of art, which have innumerable creative avenues flowing in every direction.
9.Tarun Mansukhani - Dostana
Tarun Mansukhani is a director to keep your eye on. His debut film was backed by Karan Johar and had three of the biggest stars as the leads. He also took on the comedy genre for his first outing, and it was not just a simple masala comedy because he also broached a taboo subject with his lead couple not being a man and woman, but a man and a man (though it was pretend). He handled it all with aplomb and great sensitivity while guiding the story and timing so well he made a completely entertaining film. There were amazing performances by Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra, and though that is mostly due to their talent, some credit must be given for his direction. The film was an instant hit and has ended up on our Best Films of 2008. Not a bad start to a career! We can't wait to see what this talented director will show us next!
8. Nishant Kamat - Mumbai Meri Jaan
It is not every day that you have a debutant director tackle such a delicate issue in such a mature manner. Nishant Kamat belongs to the very rare group of filmmakers who pulled off with so much lan the difficult task of creating a film such as Mumbai Meri Jaan. Every character and every situation is logically crafted to make the audience one with the script. You simply do not question any twists, turns and feelings portrayed in front of you. What is even more amazing is that so many things could have easily gone wrong when handling such a subject, but Nishant managed to grasp the emotions of his characters on screen and portray just that as a tale rather than make a personal or political comment on an issue that is much bigger than him, the industry and the audiences. Hats off to you, Nishant!
7. Shyam Benegal - Welcome to Sajjanpur
Returning to the genre of comedy with a bang after many years, Shyam Benegal instantly showed audiences and the whole industry of his brilliance. The film was a satirical take on rural India with a combination of comedy, emotions and moral values intertwined in the story. This project could have easily gone wrong with so many underlying themes, but with his experience and talent Mr. Benegal brought to screen one of the most intelligent films of 2008, reminding everyone that Indian cinema is so much more than just song, dance, culture and color. Cherish the film, ladies and gentlemen, because only the genius himself knows when we'll get the opportunity to witness his outstanding work again.
6. Madhur Bhandarkar - Fashion
One of the greats in Bollywood, Madhur Bhandarkar's films always have realism at their core, and in this film that core was the fashion industry. He is also known for having female main leads, and in Fashion he followed Priyanka Chopra's character from a simple girl with big dreams to a showstopper who has a big fall but rises once again, and made it one of the best performances of her career. He brought out something in Priyanka, a deeper and more complex performance that was brilliant. In fact, the entire cast was superb. He has an eye and a style that is all his own, and it makes for great cinema. His work on this film was outstanding and will always be considered one of his best. He has 3 National Awards already, do we hear number 4?
4. Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na
It took three years for JTYJN to come to theaters but it certainly was worth the wait. With a cast of debut actors and a fresh and wonderfully creative take on what could be considered a standard Bolly film, Tyrewala made it into something new and fantastic. As not only the writer but also director, he gave us a film that was full of fun, comedy, emotions, friendship and most of all love, but included a deeper look into what looked, on paper, like a typical college love story. He utilized the extremely talented cast to its fullest, told a fantastic story that kept you intrigued throughout, and made a film that was one of the best of the year. Here's hoping we won't have to wait until Godot comes before we see his next film! (Look for the guy holding the sign at the train station near the end to get the double meaning to this, and the director's joke!)
3. A R Muragadoss - Ghajini
He is surely to go down in history as one of the most talented filmmakers to which India has given birth. A R Muragadoss created a new style of filmmaking in Tamil cinema with Ghajini, he gave the original actor Surya a new career path and now he's given Bollywood one of its biggest blockbusters. What makes A R Muragadoss a celebrated filmmaker is not his talent to tackle a new subject or his charisma to attract Aamir Khan to his script, but his formula to create a whole entertainer. There was action, adventure, emotion, drama, romance, and none of this was packaged as your average masala flick but instead the formula was sealed with perfection and maturity in every corner of the execution, and sealed with performances of high calibre. From acting to editing, each fine point was honed and executed by this master. So here's a New Year's wish for more and more masterpieces from one of India's most celebrated film makers!
2. Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday
This film can easily be said to be one of the most impressive works of art in Indian cinema in the year 2008. A script like A Wednesday has never touched the celluloid before, and despite its unique take on terrorism, the film touched hearts rather than created controversy. It's very rare that one says such a compliment about a film that deals with the issues that A Wednesday tackles. In addition, Neeraj Pandey pulled off all this and much more without feeling the need to hire A list popular actors that are swooning audiences in the current times. Each character and actor fit the other like a perfect glass slipper, and the story fits just as perfectly around this beautiful arrangement. What you see on screen is a work of a pure genius and nothing less - a true masterpiece. And if all that hasn't impressed you, wait till you find out that Neeraj got the whole formula perfect in his very first try! A debut like no other!
1. Ashutosh Gowariker - Jodhaa Akbar
Jodhaa Akbar has been linked to the amazing epic films of old Hollywood made by Cecil B De'Mille. Nothing on this scale or grandeur has been seen in Bollywood before and Gorwariker gave us a film full of greatness. Aly Kassam started off his review with "Astonishment- that is what one feels after watching the epic, Jodhaa Akbar. There has truly never been a film like this in recent memory. It is grand, rich, beautiful, and gargantuan. Pulling off a film like this is incredibly difficult, but Ashutosh has pulled of the remarkable feat and makes it look so easy." With the costumes, the scenery, and with every little detail he painted a glorious palette that was stunning to see. Just for that he could be considered number one, but not only did the film encompass huge battle scenes, it was also the intimate moments between Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai that made the film so incredible. You get lost in the simple love story, and it is a mark of a great director to do that. He put his heart and soul in this project, and came up with a film that can be called a magnum opus, and we are not sure he will ever be able to top it. However, we will certainly run to the theater to see this master director's next work.
If you have been reading our series of New Year countdowns, you probably have noticed we have had a hard time keeping to the "only 10 in the list rule", and once again we must break it to give Honorable Mention to two directors. One must be Danny Boyle, for his outstanding direction of Slumdog Millionaire. He recently won a Golden Globe for his work, and we hope that his run will continue with an oscar nomination.
We also must give kudos to Anees Bazmee for Singh Is Kinng, which is the highest grossing film of 2008. He certainly knows what he is doing, and he does it with great comedy and style, and audiences cannot get enough of his films!
Of course, there are other amazing directors we could mention, but these are the ten we truly feel made films that will leave their mark as the Bollywood greats of 2008.
Bollyspice.com
Jodhaa Akbar has been linked to the amazing epic films of old Hollywood made by Cecil B De'Mille. Nothing on this scale or grandeur has been seen in Bollywood before and Gorwariker gave us a film full of greatness. Aly Kassam started off his review with "Astonishment- that is what one feels after watching the epic, Jodhaa Akbar. There has truly never been a film like this in recent memory. It is grand, rich, beautiful, and gargantuan. Pulling off a film like this is incredibly difficult, but Ashutosh has pulled of the remarkable feat and makes it look so easy." With the costumes, the scenery, and with every little detail he painted a glorious palette that was stunning to see. Just for that he could be considered number one, but not only did the film encompass huge battle scenes, it was also the intimate moments between Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai that made the film so incredible. You get lost in the simple love story, and it is a mark of a great director to do that. He put his heart and soul in this project, and came up with a film that can be called a magnum opus, and we are not sure he will ever be able to top it. However, we will certainly run to the theater to see this master director's next work.
If you have been reading our series of New Year countdowns, you probably have noticed we have had a hard time keeping to the "only 10 in the list rule", and once again we must break it to give Honorable Mention to two directors. One must be Danny Boyle, for his outstanding direction of Slumdog Millionaire. He recently won a Golden Globe for his work, and we hope that his run will continue with an oscar nomination.
We also must give kudos to Anees Bazmee for Singh Is Kinng, which is the highest grossing film of 2008. He certainly knows what he is doing, and he does it with great comedy and style, and audiences cannot get enough of his films!
Of course, there are other amazing directors we could mention, but these are the ten we truly feel made films that will leave their mark as the Bollywood greats of 2008.
Bollyspice.com
Tum Se Tum Tak
Ganesh Kartikeya
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