Bollywood Top 7: Author's Pick for 2015

A List of Best Hindi Films Released in 2015

A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature 

Here is the author's pick for the top 7 films so far offered by Bollywood in the year. Various criteria have been considered before closing in on these these 7 films. First and foremost, considerable importance is given to films which offer some food for thought and have cinematic flair in addition to being socially relevant. Apart from these, various other aspects like direction, screenplay, editing, cinematography, music, and the quality of acting have also been taken into consideration.

Note: This doesn't include those films which although got released in India in 2015 but were officially premiered last year or earlier.  


7. NH10


NH10, Movie Poster, Directed by Navdeep Sharma, starring Anushka Sharma

NH10, a crime thriller film directed by Navdeep Singh starring Anushka Sharma and Neil Bhoopalam in the lead roles, revolves around a hapless Gurgaon couple which accidently witnesses the coldblooded murder of a boy and a girl committed by a bunch of rogue villagers in the name of honor killing.  It can be described as a taut thriller that simultaneously serves as an effective social commentary on plight of women in a typical patriarchal setup. But, it spends little time on trying to analyze or understand the major causes that give rise to prejudice against women. Sharma shows good range and seems quite convincing in the action sequences. Barring its sensational music, NH10 doesn’t come across as a crowd puller and it will best be appreciated by serious viewers.

Our full analysis of the film can be read here

6. Bombay Velvet

Bombay Velvet, Film Poster, Directed by Anurag Kashyap, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma

Bombay Velvet has been on the receiving end of flak from all sections of the audience for its pretentious, self-indulgent style but that doesn’t deny the fact that the movie is technically brilliant with music, sets, costumes, cinematography, and performances that offer an unprecedented degree of resplendence. Bombay Velvet is not an easy film to appreciate for the masses, mainly because of its excesses. It would take a diehard cinema enthusiast to truly enjoy it. The movie is quite high on violence quotient and those with weak hearts would find certain sequences quite disturbing. But, as a mere exercise in style, Bombay Velvet is a commendable attempt that’s way more alluring than the trash that Bollywood churns out day in and day out.

Our full analysis of the film can be read here


Gabbar is Back, Directed by Krish, Movie Poster, starring Akshay Kumar, Shruti Hassan

Gabbar is Back, an action thriller film directed by Telugu filmmaker Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi, starring Akshay Kumar, presents the tale of grief-stricken man who turns into a vigilante and decides to clean up the system from corruption by kidnapping and murdering corrupt public servants. Gabbar is Back is a rare Hindi film that perfectly blends entertainment with some decent fodder to ruminate upon. It offers a nice blend of action, drama and suspense in equal parts. And while the relevance of its socio-political commentary cannot be overemphasized, barring a few high points, the movie can best be described as average. Like most Akshay Kumar films, Gabbar is Back is a one-man-show and is marred by its weak supporting characters, predictable plot twists, weak romance quotient, and over-the-top action sequences, but Akshay's intensity and timing are impeccable. Despite its flaws and gimmicks, the film simultaneously entertains and makes us think.

Our full analysis of the film can be read here

4). Piku

Piku, directed by Shoojit Sircar, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, Deepika Padukone, Movie Poster

Piku, directed by Shoojit, stars Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Irrfan Khan in the major roles. The movie revolves around a Bengali father-daughter duo: Bhaskor Banerjee who is a 70-year-old widower suffering from chronic constipation and his caring 30-year old unmarried daughter Piku who is an architect by profession. Part family drama, part road movie, Piku is a unique cocktail of human emotions that tugs at our heartstrings, making us laugh and cry at the same time. It teaches us about the meaningfulness of life while depicting how most of us fail to savor its true pleasures while we still can. The strongest point of Piku is the performances of the leading cast. It makes for a great family viewing and can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.

Our full analysis of the film can be read here

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, Directed by Dibankar Banerjee, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Movie Poster

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a suspense thriller film directed by the Dibakar Banerjee based on the popular sleuth character created by the Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. It stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Neeraj Kabi, and Swastika Mukherjee in major roles. Set in 1942-43 Calcutta with the carefully chosen World War II backdrop, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! can best be described as a marriage of commercial and experimental filmmaking. And those who think that Hindi cinema is not good enough to make great suspense thrillers anymore certainly need to watch this film. Dibakar Banerjee needs to be congratulated for recreating the City of Joy and for eliciting worthy performances from his entire cast of actors. The movie has some pacing issues but despite the flaws it proves to be quite an enthralling experience. While the movie may disappoint the hardcore Byomkesh Bakshi enthusiasts, it has all the elements to satisfy the masses and the classes alike.

Our full analysis of the film can be read here

Shamitabh, Movie Poster, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush, Directed by R. Balki, Movie Poster

Shamitabh, written and directed by R. Balki, stars Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Akshara Hassan in the pivotal roles. Balki delivers yet another unconventional film in form of Shamitabh, which revolves around a highly talented but dumb aspiring actor who borrows another man’s voice to shoot to fame in Bollywood. Shamitabh can be best described as an earnest expression of Balki’s love for cinema. The movie offers endless tributes to various stalwarts of cinema like Charles Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, and Amitabh Bachchan himself.  It is also aimed to be a satire on the lack of originality and creativity in Hindi cinema. While celebrating the power of cinema and its indelible impact on the masses, the movie simultaneously mocks the desperation people show to climb the ladders of fame. Balki doesn’t back down from taking a swipe at the media either. Balki seems to be making a statement about the growing commercial opportunism as well the fast dipping standards of cinema. Shamitabh is part entertaining and part thought-provoking but there are also some glaring flaws and inconsistencies. It’s also Balki’s most ambitious film yet. The overall chemistry between the movie’s three lead characters is nothing short of brilliant; some of the scenes between Dhanush and Bachchan are pure gold. Shamitabh comes across as a breath of fresh air, but it certainly isn't tailor-made for casual viewers on the lookout for a popcorn flick to spend a cozy evening. However, a truly lover of cinema cannot afford to miss it.

Our full analysis of the film can be read here

Badlapur, movie poster, Directed by Sriram Raghavan, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Varun Dhawan, Radhika Apte

Badlapur, directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Huma Qureshi in the major roles, presents the tale of a young man who seeks to avenge the coldblooded murder of his wife and kid committed by two bank robbers. The tragic loss of his wife and kid creates a void in his and he believes that his only way to redemption is through revenge. Badlapur marks Sriram Raghvan’s return to his favorite film noir genre. There’s no denying that it’s a tremendously bold attempt on the part of Dhawan to take up such a rugged and grayish role in a mainstream Hindi feature film. Badlapur is part psychological thriller, part character study that entertains while simultaneously making the viewer think. While the movie has several spine-chilling sequences, a la Alfred Hitchcock, there are also some light moments that provide some respite from the ever brewing tension. Ragahavan shows us how people change with time and adversities. How life can change at a moment’s notice. That honesty and integrity are the last things on anyone’s mind in a diabolical world rife with criminals, corrupt officials, manipulative social workers, pimps, prostitutes, and opportunistic journalists. That redemption can never be achieved by treading the path of destruction. There is a great moral dilemma at the core of Badlapur which makes its more than a quintessential tale of revenge. Badapur is technically brilliant with some topnotch direction, cinematography, editing and music. The acting is solid all-around with shape-shifting Nawazuddin Siddiqui and bold, dashing and dangerous-looking Varun Dhawan leading from the front and ably supported by Huma Qureshi (a couple of dance sequences in the film featuring Qureshi are tantalizingly erotic and immensely add to the movie’s entertainment value), Radhika Apte, Divya Dutta, Yami Gautam, and Vinay Pathak. Badlapur has less style and more gore compared to previous Sriram Raghavan films. The best way to enjoy Badlapur is to watch it with an open mind.

My full analysis of the film can be read here

Readers, please feel free to share your thoughts/views by leaving your comments in the box below. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!  

— Murtaza Ali

Previous PostLouder Than Bombs (2015)

Next PostYouth (2015)

Complete List of Reviews


People who liked this also liked...
Share on Google Plus

4 comments:

  1. What about Baby? Probably one of the top films of the year next to Badlapur.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, Baby was a nice film but didn't find it relevant enough from the cinematic point of view! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. What does that mean? You found Gabbar Is Back to be more relevant?

    Opinions are opinions, but Baby is one the best reviewed films of 2015.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You see various criteria have been considered before closing in on these these 7 films. First and foremost, considerable importance is given to films which offer some food for thought and have cinematic flair in addition to being socially relevant. Apart from these, various other aspects like direction, screenplay, editing, cinematography, music, and the quality of acting have also been taken into consideration."

    In my opinion Shamitabh deserves to be in the top 3 if for nothing else then certainly for Balki's love of all things cinema... the film is both a satire as well as an ode to Hindi cinema... like Bombay Velvet, it's full of tributes to stalwarts of cinema: be it Chaplin, Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Rajnikanth and Amitabh Bachchan himself... more than anything, it's Balki's statement on the lack of creativity and intent in Hindi cinema... the song "Piddly Si Baatein" highlights how brainless escapist entertainers end up making millions at the box office. It is also important as Amitabh Bachchan delivers yet another career defining performance... it's certainly one of his very best performances as well... the monologs, soliloquys and dialogs, non-verbal gestures are a real treat to watch! smile emoticon.

    And Gabbar is Back offers a powerful socio-political commentary... and it's seldom been done in Hindi cinema in such an emphatic and effective manner!
    As for Baby, it was an escapist entertainer at best and as good as it was, for me, it just couldn't top these seven films!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for sharing for valuable opinion. We would be delighted to have you back.