My self-important, pompous annual assessment of the movies of 2014

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