MY 10 FAVORITE HINDI FILMS OF THE LAST DECADE

 

It’s almost the end of 2020. It’s almost been a year since the pandemic started. It’s almost as if the year went by in a minute….Phewwww!!!…I wasn’t initially planning to write this article until a friend of mine sent me a list of top 20 Telugu movies compiled by The Hindu. I then thought it might be a good idea to take some time out of my busy (and yet grossly unproductive) schedule, sit back and look at some of my favorite Hindi films of the last decade (2011-2020).

This list is an extremely personal one. Given the inherent subjectivity associated with each viewer (the word favorite itself is such a subjective word), it surely is a tough task to come up with this list of the best films. Choosing 10 films from a particular year is easy (because there are hardly more than a handful of good films in one year). But here we are talking about a whole decade. So naturally the stakes are high! Which is why I’ve chosen those films which made me feel a certain way as I walked out of the theater. They either made me ecstatic, or were satisfyingly poignant, or simply evoked a feeling of pride of having watched such a great film. But most importantly, these are the films which have stayed with me for all these years and make we wish that I get a chance to see them for the first time all over again. Anyone coming up with a time machine soon??...Please?

So without wasting more time, here’s my list (in ascending order of the impact it had on me):

 

10. Delhi Belly

 

Irreverent, cocky, and straight up hilarious, Delhi Belly reinforced the fact that comedy is so much more than simply being braindead, slapstick and loud. Everything about it was so damn fresh; the characters, their casual abusive exchanges, the eccentric but catchy soundtrack (If I had to choose the song of the decade, it definitely had to be Bhaag DK Bose!) and the fact that these crisp 90 odd minutes of unapologetic humor were all being sponsored by Aamir Khan. The film was so bold that I remember when I first watched it, I was afraid to even admit that I liked it. The film has a song called “I hate you like I love you”…that actually echoed my reaction to the film…I hate you, but I actually love you :p

9. Aankhon Dekhi

This was another gem. It was such a relief to see Sanjay Mishra finally get a role he truly deserved. Rajat Kapoor yet again proved that he is one the most interesting filmmakers of our time with a unique voice in every film of his. The film is about a man who refuses to believe anything which he hasn’t seen or experienced himself. That, inevitably, leads to a lot of nuisance for the people living around him since none of them is now able to see the world the way he sees it. This makes for a thoroughly fascinating film that refuses to bow down to the expectations set by conventional cinema. Aankhon Dekhi is made with the utmost sincerity which makes it such an immensely likeable film. Go treat yourself and watch it straightaway!

8. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

After watching Luck By Chance (which I absolutely loved – please check it out if you haven’t), I associated Zoya with a certain sense of artistic sensibility that was not of the most crowd pleasing kind. She was perceptive but not within the realm of what people call “mainstream”. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I watched ZNMD because it was thoroughly entertaining. This is the kind of happy film which leaves a big smile on your face every time you just think about it. And NO – ZNMD is not the modern Dil Chahta Hain. I have heard a lot of people draw comparisons between the two but I have my reasons as to why they are completely different. Anyone who wishes to take this argument forward feel free to send me a message or drop a comment below 😊

7. Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/tanu-weds-manu-returns.html

Look at that innocent smile on Kangana’s face. Who would have thought she would now transform into this attention-seeking poster girl for the media who holds no bars in speaking her mind out, even when no one asks for it or cares for it…Anyway, coming back to Tanu Weds Manu Returns…a time when her acting was restricted only to on-screen. To be honest, I am a sucker for such rom-coms set in UP and Bihar, chiefly for the dialect, quirky characters and some really catchy tunes. Director Anand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma ticked all these boxes and so much more. Making a meal out of the task assigned to her, Kangana made us root for both her characters….something which not every actor is capable of so effortlessly doing.

6. Soni

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2019/01/soni-movie-review.html

I know most of you must be wondering what this movie is about. I am pretty sure not many might have even heard of it. It released only on Netflix in 2018 and mostly went unnoticed for understandable reasons. When I watched the film the first time I didn’t love it. I thought it was a well-made film which probably lacked the punch. But, a few days passed and I found myself constantly thinking about the film, its characters and the message it tries to convey. Only when I re-watched it did I truly appreciate its subtlety and nuances that made it such a wonderful film. This too talks about the gender discrimination in the police sector, but this is cut off a completely different fabric as compared to Article 15. The director gives us a lived-in feel of the scenes with long single take-shots and that, although demanding patience, is a rewarding experience. I urge you to drop everything else and watch Soni right away. Thank me later 😉

5. Masaan

 

I regret not watching this movie in the cinema hall. Seldom has a film that predominantly talks about loss of a loved one, guilt and death felt so emotionally satisfying. The passionate soundtrack strongly evocative of the ghats of present day Varanasi, UP, still gives me the goosebumps (my favorite being “Mann Kasturi”). Masaan is a victorious amalgamation of strong casting (it brought the supremely talented Vicky Kaushal into the limelight) and heartfelt writing which make this bittersweet tale a compelling watch.

4. Lootera

Okay I know I might get into trouble for ranking this film so high. I’ve heard polarizing reactions to it when it released but I can’t seem to understand why. Lootera, for me, is as close as a film can get to perfection! Yes, the second half could have been better and by the director’s own admission, he would have preferred to tell the story in the second half from the point of view of Ranveer’s character….But again, these are just minor complaints in a film that has accomplished a great deal. Who could have imagined Vikramaditya Motwane to make a love story as a follow up to Udaan? (And before you accuse me of bias, No! I don’t have a soft corner for Lootera just because he made Udaan)….Who could have thought that he could make Sonakshi Sinha act?....I mean, mazaak nahi hain boss :p…But jokes aside, I seriously think everything ranging from Motwane’s direction to the production design of the 50’s and 60’s and Amit Trivedi’s soulful soundtrack have an immortal quality to it…And that’s why this will always remain a very special film to me!

3. Piku

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/piku-movie-review.html

I think it’s safe to say that best writer-director duo in the Hindi film industry is Juhi Chaturvedi and Shoojit Sircar respectively. With Piku, what they have achieved is nothing short of genius. If I were ever to make a film, I couldn’t even dream of making a character-driven film. Just imagine the amount of effort which must go into writing a film that is not taken forward by the story but instead by its characters and still be engaging. Some filmmakers take themselves too seriously and let their film slip into the mundane territory where a 2 minute long still shot of traffic where practically nothing is happening is considered to be a sign of a great filmmaker. Sorry, I disagree…that’s just plain boring. But, in Piku that’s not the case. These are real flesh and blood people, the dialogues they mouth, their idiosyncrasies, the clothes they wear….everything is pitch perfect and instantly relatable. Piku’s character, especially, is possibly the most complete and rounded female character that has ever been written for the screen.

2. October

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2018/04/october-movie-review.html

This one, again, is a very personal choice. I was confused between Piku and October for this second spot. Both are the product of the same writer-director duo but yet so distinct in its treatment. Just a while ago you heard me extol their skills of making an engaging film without much of a plot. In October, they take that to the next level. At least in Piku the action shifts from Delhi to Kolkata and there is an entire road trip in between. October, on the other hand, is confined to the closed spaces of a hospital. Okay, I know I might not be helping the cause of getting more people to watch this film, but the truth is, till date I don’t know what is it about the film that has had such a profound effect on me. All I know is that I was in a complete mess as I left the theater, miserably trying to fight back my tears even long after the film ended. I shouldn’t even try to explain what the film is about…it can only be experienced…and I sincerely request you to give it a shot if you haven’t so far.

1.Andhadhun

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2018/10/andhadhun-movie-review.html

The above image and the entire scene revolving around it continue to haunt me. I didn’t have an iota of doubt while thinking about which film should top this list. It’s a film which made me feel proud as a cinemagoer. I always knew Sriram Raghavan was an excellent filmmaker. Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddar and Badlapur….that’s a very handsome filmography man. But, Andhadhun belongs to a different league altogether. I don’t know whether Akash is ultimately blind or not in the film…but during the film, the mastermind puppeteer Sriram Raghavan has surely played a game of blind man’s bluff with the audience by constantly tricking us into believing whatever he wants us to….and the fun part is we so loved getting fooled by him at every step :D

 

 

 

 

So that was the list of my favorite films of the last decade. There were plenty of others which didn’t make the cut but nevertheless I loved watching. Films like Bala, Secret Superstar, Article 15, Shubh Mangal Savdhan, Shahid, Dangal, Sky is Pink, Sir (the most recent film which blew my mind) and many more go into a category which I’d like to call “Respect in Retrospect”.

I would love to hear what you thought of this and what would have been your top 10 lists as well. Feel free to drop a comment below and let’s get this thing rolling!