It's been an incredibly exciting decade for Bollywood where the entire concepts around scripts, characters, budgets & stars have got redefined. So choosing my top 12 favourite movies was tough as I thought about movies that broke existing trends or established new ones, redefining the template & raising the bar. But even that wasn't enough. I finally applied the criteria of the heart; i.e. movies which affect me deeply and I would like to revisit again & again.
- Tumbadd - this is how horror & fantasy got a deeply Indian twist. What stands out for me the most is the brilliant production design & cinematography, done with such limited budgets,
- Bareilly ki Barfi - this will forever be my bar on the format of "character-driven-small-town-stories". Entertaining yet sensible, with so much humour.
- Kapoor & Sons - one of the few family dramas of our generations, this went far beyond the usual tropes with endearing performances and good music. Also brought the "gay" conversation into mainstream.
- NH10 - at par with any international movie, this is an underrated thriller with a social conscience.
- Highway - the new Bollywood's take on the coming-of-age stories, this one takes you on an emotional rollercoaster.
- Queen - nearly flawless, this is a worthy successor to the titular roles that superstar actresses have played through the years.
- Lootera - deeply flawed, yet incredibly impactful love story, with a brilliant soundtrack
- English Vinglish - Sridevi redefined the rules yet again with a genre-bending story; delightful and incredibly well made
- Death in the Gunj - it was like reading a Jane Austen novel with dark tones.
- Ek Main Aur Ek Tu - the rom com for the new generation. Unusual script, new narrative styles and cool music.
- Band Baaja Baraat - celebratory and reflective in equal measure, it has many firsts to its credit
- Ugly - more than all the other celebrated Anurag Kashyap movies, I found this to be the most claustrophobic, dark and strong.
- Laila Majnu - underrated gem of a movie seeped in beauty - its setting, its performances, its music.
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