2014 was possibly one of the most exciting as far as Hindi
cinema was concerned. For one, the trend of the last few years appears to have
intensified – the truly “big” movies generated lots of hot, rancid air and made
big bucks and the “semi-big” ones balanced both creative and financial success.
Also, the range of powerful performances from female actors was immense – from Tabu
to Rani to Kangana and so was the range of subjects – from several rom-coms and
its variants to serious, gut wrenching cinema.
For me personally, I was constantly surprised - either pleasantly or unpleasantly. Is that a sign that I am no longer able to accurately predict the artistic merit of a movie? Ouch. A bigger Ouch (in a good way) was Alia Bhatt - someone I wrote off, but she delivered a range of characters that can put most of her senior contemporaries to shame.
Movies I saw and loved -
·
Highway – this one is the one I love; even as I acknowledge
its flaws, I connect with it. The journey of self exploration, the straight-from-the-heart
performance by Alia, the music that’s part of the narrative.
·
Queen – possibly one of the most flawless movies
I have ever seen, it has more nuances every time on watches it. One of those
movies where you live the character’s life and laugh and cry with her. Also ground-breaking
in so many ways.
·
Ugly – so ugly, yet so beautiful. A well-paced
thriller, with layers that creep up on you without you even realizing it.
Gripping in its depiction of the darkest underbelly of our lives, a much-darker
version of my old favorites - Satya & Company.
·
Haider – I wanted a repeat of Maqbool &
Omkara but didn’t get it. Comparisons aside, this was possibly the best A-list
movie this year, with compelling performances and a multi-layered script.
·
Khoobsurat – the best surprise of the year. I
would pitch it against the best Meg Ryan rom-coms. Super production values,
loads of laughter, pitch-perfect supporting cast and a dreamy leading man.
·
Finding Fanny – quirky black comedy. Reminded me
of the earlier Johny Depp movies. Again, brilliant performances and what
detailing.
·
Hasee Toh Phasee – most underrated movie of the
year. It’s a genuinely funny romance, with OTT characters and pretty good music.
Also broke a lot of new ground as it reversed traditional gender roles in
movies.
·
2 States – another pleasant surprise. Both the
romance and the familial emotion was relatable, and the music helped.
·
Mardaani – Reasonably well-made, it was elevated by the absolutely spot-on social
issue that it highlighted, and a solid performance by both the “hero” and the “villain”.
Weirdly satisfying climax.
·
Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania – not really a very
good movie, but the charm of the lead actors carried it through and I can call
it a favorite. Could have been much, much better especially if it had good
music.
·
Filmistan – wasn’t positioned well. It’s quite a
serious movie. Not very well paced, but it was a good experiment and we need to
see more of this.
Movies that disappointed –
·
Happy New Year…I wanted a full blown Bollywood
entertainer, I got instant gratification crap
·
PK – over-simplified and the most anti-climatic
climax ever
·
Bobby Jasoos – such amazing raw material, and such a
forgettable product
Movies that I didn’t see but would probably have liked –
Dedh Ishqiya, Main Tera Hero, Mary Kom, Bhootnath Returns
Movies that I didn’t see and I am glad I didn’t – Kick, Bang
Bang, Gunday
Movies that I saw and I am sad I did - Holiday