Blog | Amodini's Movie Reviews - Part 61Amodini's Movie Reviews | Movie Reviews by Year, Genre and Rating

Movie Review : Ek Main aur Ek Tu

Posted on February 20, 2012 by amodini

Rating : 3.5/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2012
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Shakun Batra
Cast : Kareena Kapoor, Imran Khan, Ram Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah, Boman Irani
Kid rating : PG-15

Watching the trailer for this film, one could be forgiven for thinking that this was the same old Bollywood tripe, where we pretend we are oh-so-liberal and progressive, and towards the end of the film come back to the usual conclusion – that a girl is best married, and soon. Thankfully it’s not! The reviews range from “meh” to “go-see-it”, and it came recommended by IHM – so kind of had an idea where this would be going. But did see it and did enjoy it.

Rahul Kapoor (yes, Rahul again ** rolls eyes **, it’s like the lucky number thingy, I imagine) is an architect living and working in Las Vegas – the center of architecture and construction apparently, (according to Rahul himself) although I’d doubt that anyone would actually think about that what with LV’s other charms being so touted. Anyway Rahul is a well-brought up lad, a go-by-the book kind of guy, trained by his critical parents to toe the line and be a good child. The child is now 25, but still pretty much does what the parents tell him to do.

Life as he knows it is interrupted when Rahul is sacked. He hides this fact from the parental unit. He also happens to meet Rianna Braganza, a happy-go-lucky, similarly unemployed hair-stylist. When Rahul and Ri are perchance thrown together and manage to get royally drunk, they step into one of Las Vegas’s handy get-married-instantly chapels, and end up man and wife. The rest of the film finds the pair trying to unravel their lives from the tangle.

This film comes to us via the good offices of Karan Johar, who in his films appears to be ahead of the times, atleast for India. I present in evidence : Kabhi Alvida na Kehna – in which the storyline kind of advocated that an amicable divorce was better than an unhappy marriage, and for supporting which, my review on Rediff was royally reviled by most of the commenters for being “untraditional”.

Anyway that was the past. We have moved on . . . to “Ek Main aur Ek Tu”. This was frankly a pretty decent film – good acting and construction overall. Kareena is quite the star here as free-spirited, flamboyant Ri; the film sparkles because of her. Imran might be playing himself; his character is so staid and goody-two-shoes. Whenever I watch Imran onscreen, it seems like his performance lacks will, like he himself is incredulous about being a Hindi film hero, so it never carries the believability it should.

Ratna Pathak Shah is Rahul’s socialite mummy. She is constantly chiding Rahul on his haircut (a trip to the Vidal-Sassoon salon maybe, beta ?), his food-chewing (chew 32 times before swallowing) and looking askance at his not-so-fashionable colleague(s) – an over-glorified Maya Sarabhai, if you will. She does do the snottiness very well! Boman Irani is Rahul’s dad – the portrait of the self-sacrificing pater, even when he looks oh-so-critical. The ever expanding Ram Kapoor (he is almost porcine here) is Mr. Bulani, Mr. Kapoor’s business associate, who exhorts Rahul to find other “extra-curricular” activities. Mrs. Bulani (Dana Lewis) has a wandering eye (and hand) and Rahul finds himself subject to her subtle ministrations almost under his parents’ nose (and table).

This film creates the almost mythical Indian girl, by Bollywoodian standards. She is independent, unconcerned about being a good girl or sticking to social mores. She does what she wants when she wants to, and not because it is expected of her by her husband/father/brother/mother/family/society/culture. Ofcourse it is easier doing this in liberal Las Vegas (and US) than in moralistic, we-do-not-practice-what-we-preach India. Batra directs well. My only grouse was that the film was a tad slow, and some sequences, like the one where Rahul calls up ex-girlfriend Anusha (Soniya Mehra), seemed contrived. The film’s music was good. “Auntyji” is vaguely catchy, and Gubbare is slow and soft and whimsical.

Not your usual filmi fare, this one is worth a watch.

Kidwise : This film is clean and classy, but has references to adult situations.

Posted in 2012, bollywood, drama, rating-PG15, recommended, romance | 1 Comment

Movie Review : Cooking with Stella

Posted on February 15, 2012 by amodini

Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2009
Running time : 1 hour 45 minutes
Director : Dilip Mehta
Cast : Seema Biwas, Lisa Ray, Don McKellat, Shriya Saran
Kid rating : PG-13

A young diplomatic couple, Maya (Ray) and Michael (McKellar) comes to Delhi. Their Canadian Embassy accommodations come with cook/housekeeper services. Stella Elizabeth Matthews (Biswas) is their cook, and has been the cook for several Canadian families in the past. She is old and a little crotchety but well-versed in the art of keeping saheb-memsaheb happy. She has also learned ways to make the system work for her. Maya and Michael settle in to their new surroundings but don’t quite know what to make of Stella and her quick-silver moods. Michael, a chef and temporary house husband who dreams of setting up his own restaurant on his return to Canada, wants to learn cooking from Stella. Meanwhile Maya hires a young nanny named Tanu (Saran) to help with their baby. Tanu, an honest girl, moves in but worldly-wise Stella doesn’t like the look of her.

With Maya and Michael given to intermittent discord, Stella and Tannu at loggerheads, and the uneasy teacher-disciple relationship between Stella and Michael, life on the home front is brimming with tension. Things come to a head when Stella is mysteriously kidnapped . . .

This is a very interesting film, short and simple and well-nuanced. Dilip Mehta explores Indian society’s class structure in this witty film. He gives us a unique eye-view of each of the parties in the household: Maya and Michael are nice people, and naively trusting of the capable help, Stella having lived a servant’s life has learned wilier ways, and Tannu, out to support her penniless family, clings to her honesty and integrity. All of them come from different backgrounds, societies and experiences and have learned to fend for themselves via different philosophies. Stella is crafty but drawn humorously – she knows what to say when and how exactly to present herself. Her employers are not only unaware of Stella’s extra-curricular activities, but they in their Western we-are-all-equal sensibility strive to treat Stella like a friend. She, of course, is completely befuddled with their egalitarian attitudes towards the help (her), but finds ways to make it work to her advantage. Tanu, by comparison is pretty virtuous and straight-forward and cannot stand Stella’s capricious ways.

Seema Biwas is quite fantastic as Stella, as expected from an artiste of Biswas’s caliber. Lisa Ray is adequate as the overburdened diplomat Maya Chopra, finding her feet in a new job in vaguely familiar surroundings (Maya is supposed to be half-Indian). Don McKellar as Michael Laffont, the disgruntled husband forced to put his job on the back-burner still comes across as pretty amiable and good-natured. And Shriya Saran as virtuous, untainted Tannu rounds off a capable cast.

I quite liked the fact that the film moved unpredictably, and the story seemed well-fleshed out and rang true. The details seemed right, which I was thankful for because in a lot of these high-brow, arty, foreign-conglomeration type films, the details are often not right; the films are done up through an outsider’s eyes. Witty and threaded with dark humor, “Cooking with Stella” is an enjoyable film. Do watch it – it is currently available on Netflix Streaming.

Posted in 2009, All Netflix, drama, foreign, Hindi movies on Netflix, hinglish, humor, rating-PG13, recommended | 2 Comments

Preview : Agent Vinod

Posted on February 9, 2012 by amodini

I’m excited about this film because it is directed by Sriram Raghavan, the director of such fantastic thrillers as “Johnny Gaddar” and “Ek Hasina Thi”. Agent Vinod releases March 23rd; here is the trailer :

Posted in 2012, action, bollywood, crime, directors, Previews, thriller | 1 Comment

Movie Review : Agneepath

Posted on January 31, 2012 by amodini

Rating : 3.5/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2012
Running time : 2 hours 45 minutes
Director : Karan Malhotra
Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Sunjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri, Zarina Wahab, Rishi Kapoor, Sachin Khedekar, Rajesh Tandon, Chetan Pandit
Kid rating : A

AGNEEPATH MOVIE REVIEW : NOSTALGIA, ANYONE ?

It is the time for remakes apparently. After Akhtar’s Don and Don2, now it is another of Amitabh’s films “Agneepath” remade and redone for our viewing pleasure. It is not that I do not like remakes, but remaking anything by the very definition of the word invites comparisons, and you’d better redo it well, else the brick-bats – they are a-waiting. I was pleasantly surprised to read nothing but praise from fellow critics and tweeters. So I am probably in the minority on this one; post-viewing I thought the film just about average.

The story essentially remains the same, although some characters have been added/modified. Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, a village-boy of 12, sees his school teacher father’s (Chetan Pandit) life snuffed out by a lynch mob of fellow villagers. Leading the muderous rally is resident villain Kancha (Dutt), who’s had it in for the school master after he (the master) has tried to stop Kancha from usurping the villager’s lands. Vijay and his mom them move to Mumbai from Mandwa, but that does nothing to tamp his desire for revenge. He takes the violent route and as a young man becomes the right hand man of Mumbai’s mafia king and Kancha’s enemy, Rauf Lala (Rishi Kapoor). He becomes estranged from his mother and sister in the process. Lala is at loggerheads with Kancha and Vijay sees an opportunity to use Lala’s might to wreak his revenge.

First the good : This is a film on a lavish scale – everything about it is big, the sets, the hero, the villain the frenzy and the solid 80s formula. It is a revenge story, so there are clear-cut good and bad guys here – nothing grey about it. The build-ups to crucial plot-points is pretty good, with thrumming background music, and some well-composed shots. Direction is decent, and the acting average.

Sanjay Dutt is an impressive villain. He’s big and bulky and hairless (shaved eyebrows no less!). To me he looked like a mix of Voldemort and the Shrek, only uglier. He’s menacing and plays the unhinged character of Kancha very well. He also has some of the smartest lines in the film, and delivers them with a dark wit. Hrithik on the other hand was a relatively weak Vijay. Purportedly Vijay has a fire in his belly, but I could not see the seething, simmering anger on him. Hrithik looks like a nice-guy; I cannot imagine him menacing. Neither can he apparently, because his dark anger comes through as the jitters and not as the soul-eating malaise that it is supposed to be. Plus I do think that Kancha gets more screen time and the better dialogues. I sit through many minutes of seeing Vijay get his ass royally whupped by a surprisingly limber Kancha, and when the time comes to turn the tables – it’s over in a blink-your-eyes-and-it’s-gone moment.

Rishi Kapoor is the big surprise here, packing a punch in this solid performance as wily, evil Rauf Lala. Pandit does nicely as the principled school-master, and Zarina Wahab resurfaces as the hero’s plaintive mother. Priyanka Chopra is Kali, Vijay’s love interest. Her role is inconsequential, as were women’s roles in the 80s, and awkwardly contrived.

This film reminds me why I’m over the 80s style melodramas like I am – because they’re overdone, overdone, overdone. Now, when less is more, and one awaits subtle and nuanced Hindi films, this movie is royally in-your-face, and contains enough melodrama to last me a decade. It delivers it’s message with sledge-hammer like drumbeats, and Ganpati-Visarjans galore.

And there’s the small matter of contemporary values – there are none. The phones are small enough, but the rest of the film takes one on a time-travel jaunt to a little island in the Arabian sea populated by impoverished farmers. This film then is not a re-interpretation of the earlier, but purely a remake with a different hero. Unfortunately it suffers on the style and personality counts. Amitabh had truck-loads of it. And a very grounded, earthy kind of charm. Hrithik, while stylish and trendy in his own way, looks a little too refined for this role. A singlet and a sweat-drenched body to match might have suited the angry-yoing-man of the 80s, but now it looks positively schlumpy, even on Hrithik – a Greek God among Bollywood actors.

Why would anyone watch this film ? Amitabh carried the earlier version with his swagger and smoulder and his wittily done snark. That film while unsuccessful at the box-office, developed a cult-status with some. This, a mere tribute to hammy cinema, unfortunately fails to garner us a hero suited to this gritty, down-and-dirty role. This new Agneepath offers up nothing new – it’s the same old stuff in a new bottle. And now the old stuff is a little stale.

It’s a long three hours of running time. Watch it if you know what you’re getting is what you want. For the rest, I advise restraint.

Kidwise : This film is rated A by the Indian Censor Board. I second that rating – Agneepath has lots of blood and gore; unsuitable for kids.

Posted in 2012, action, bollywood, drama, rating-A, rating-R, remake | 11 Comments

Movie Review : Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries)

Posted on January 27, 2012 by amodini

Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2010
Running time : 1 hour 40 minutes
Director : Kiran Rao
Cast : Amir Khan, Kriti Malhotra, Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra, Kitu Gidwani
Kid rating : PG-13

Dhobi Ghat is Kiran Rao’s portrayal of Mumbai and it’s people. She does it by telling us the story of 4 people, tenuously linked. There is Arun, a painter, who is distant and aloof even to Shai, whom he has a one-night stand with. Shai, is an American banker taking a sabbatical from work to indulge in her passion for photography. She walks around Bombay photographing what she finds interesting. Shai meets Munna, the local dhobi (washerman) and coaxes him to guide her through the innards of Mumbai. She is particularly intrigued by the Dhobi Ghat where hundreds of dhobis gather to wash their loads of laundry. Munna has aspirations of becoming a movie star and is very happy to find that Shai can shoot a portfolio for him.

Meanwhile Arun moves into a new flat to discover that the previous resident of the apartment has left behind some video-cassettes. Arun tries to find her to return her belongings, but failing to do so, plays them to find that they are video-diaries or video-letters really, in which the woman, Yasmin, catalogues her new married life in Mumbai to her (younger) brother back home.

These 4 characters come from different walks of life, religions, social and class backgrounds. Shai is a wealthy American, quite an outsider to India’s social mores, and sees nothing wrong in socializing with Munna – they go out to eat, see a movie together. Munna is from the impoverished lower class; he has a second job at night – that of rat-killer. When Shai, with her American upbringing, begins to see him as a “friend”, Munna dreams of equality, of being at par, a social equal to Shai. Arun is a Hindu artist, and by the nature of his work is a member of the privileged class. He finds his muse in Yasmin, a middle-class Muslim housewife he hasn’t met.

Rao explores these 4 different worlds in a very nuanced fashion. We see the social boundaries that divide Shai and Munna – he lives in a ramshackle room, and she in a posh Mumbai flat where he isn’t even offered a seat. His just as impoverished friends rib him about the memsaheb. Arun is curious about Yasmin – where did she go, what happened to her ? He finds himself drawn to Yasmin’s predicament. Yasmin, a character we only see through the lens of her video camera, (which her husband has bought her and she is quite excited about) is captivated by Mumbai, and her life in a big city. As Arun progresses through her video diaries though we find her spirits drooping. And then the videos end; we know no more. Shai, after the one-night stand, tries to find Arun again but he has moved. And Munna is half in love with Shai, a woman who does not return the favor.

This film is a little depressing and slow, but it is one I remembered and thought about long after I’d finished watching it. Quite fascinating, really. Worth a watch.

Kidwise : Fairly clean, some love-making and references to adult situations.

Posted in 2010, All Netflix, bollywood, directors, drama, Hindi movies on Netflix, hinglish, rating-PG13, recommended | 2 Comments

Movie Review : Pyar ka Punchnama

Posted on January 21, 2012 by amodini

Rating : 3/5
Genre : Drama, Comedy
Year : 2011
Running time : 2 hours 15 minutes
Director : Luv Ranjan
Cast : Nusrat Bharucha, Raayo Bakhirta, Sonali Sehgal, Ishita Sharma, Divyendu Sharma, Kartikeya Tiwari, Padam Bhola
Kid rating : A

I went into this one with mixed reviews. My women friends dismissed it and the men found it entertaining. I’m somewhere in between.

For starters here is the story: Rajat, Nishaant and Vikraant are three young working professionals, single and rooming together. They are also very good friends. All three find nice girls – women they think they might be happy with. Rajat meets Neha, whom he moves in with. Nishaant, or Liquid, as he is known to his friends (as Rajat explains it – because itna phelta hai) meets an office newcomer – Charu. And Vikraant , or Chaudhari, meets Rhea who’s just coming off a bad relationship. There is the honeymoon period when all three have high hopes from their attachments. And then . . . Well then, the women turn into scheming witches.

Luv Ranjan directs with a firm hand. The friendship between the three guys is well-depicted; there is warmth and camaraderie, cheeky leg-pulling, as well as support and concern. Divyendu is quite fantastic as the desperate-for-female-company Liquid. He is also the joker of the group, and has some great dialogues ribbing Rajat as “Rajjo Rani”. Kartikeya Tiwari is believable as gentle-souled Rajat, who when upset goes on a 6 minute all-in-one-big-breath must-see diatribe against these oh-so-fickle women. And Raayo Bakhirta is macho Chaudhari. He lives in his underwear (except when he gets spiffy to meet Rhea), fiddles around with his guitar, or rides his bike/jeep. Out of the girls, Bharucha and Sharma do well; Sehgal can’t really act, so she pouts and makes a moue when she is out of expressions.

Yes, the characters are defined well – you get that. There is also a tangible story (however unbelievable it might be), told fairly decently. And there ends my applause. Because there is a big flaw in the story, and that for me takes this film from could-have-been-great to very ordinary. We have three golden-hearted lads, in love with three mean, manipulative females. There is Charu (Ishitta Sharma) – who’s an A-grade user; she uses Divyendu’s genuine concern for her as her support system, and throws it in his face when she has no need for it. Petite Neha (Nushrat Bharucha) is sweetness and light when she gets her way; when she doesn’t Rajat hides (and so do we). Rhea (Sonali Sehgal) is foxy but flighty; she strings Chaudhari along, but isn’t quite sure whether she’s done with her ex.

Now, there are not-nice girls, just as there are not-nice guys – that is just how it is. Sometimes nice girls get hitched to nasty men, and sometimes it’s the reverse. But in this film, Ranjan presents us with a scenario where three doodh-ke-dhule, innocent, I’m-so-good-I-could-be-an-angel guys get stuck with three, yes, three vixenish shrews; it’s like they planned this stuff! What amazes me is how/why this otherwise talented director loses his objectivity so completely in the second half of the movie. I have two theories :

1. A girl broke his heart big time (Sob! Poor baby!). And this is his reply to the female population in general, and that one female in particular.
2. He can see the skewed story-line but goes with it anyway, in the interests of outrageous farce.

I’m going with #1, BTW.

Now, comedy aside, I’ve got to say that this film is misogynistic in it’s treatment of women. Why ? Because we live in a patriarchal society. In Hindi films, boys-will-be-boys while women had better be pativrata naris or else . . . In Bollywood movies, men, married men are philanderers wanting ek gharwali and ek baharwali, who are portrayed as just innocent boys acting out their fantasies – you know the types who never meant any harm even when they were actively cheating on their wives (See this and this and this for more examples of this genre). In reel and real life, where females are reviled and ostracized for just plain not-toeing-the-line-of-expected-womanliness, it is disturbing to see such skewed portrayals.

This, then, is a mediocre film. I hope for a better one from this promising director the next time around. I’m also hoping that he gets over his angst and finds a believable script for his next film; it would be a shame to lose this filmi flair for want of some objectivity!

Posted in 2011, bollywood, comedy, drama, rating-A, rating-R, romance | 5 Comments

The Zero Hour Mashup

Posted on January 12, 2012 by amodini

And because I can’t resist this – here’s a well-done mashup of all the “item” numbers of 2011. The usual suspects make it here all right – there is Dabangg, Ra One, Tees Maar Khan, Double Dhamaal, Dum Maaro Dum, Dirty Picture, Patiala House, Action Replayy but then there is also Mausam and Bodyguard AND . . . Dharmendra and his brood (for all you Deol fans out there 🙂 ). Quite lovely! Also see Top 10 Songs of 2011 :

Posted in 2011, bollywood, dance, music, outstanding, Top 10 | Comments Off

Movie Review : Saheb Biwi aur Gangster

Posted on January 7, 2012 by amodini

Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2011
Running time : 2 hours 10 minutes
Director : Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast : Jimmy Shergill, Mahi Gill, Randeep Hooda, Vipin Sharma, Shreya Naraynan, Deepraj Rana
Kid rating : A

A Macbeth-ian tale of betrayal, this is set in modern-but-suffering-from-a-feudal-hangover India. In the badlands of rural UP, reigns Saheb (Shergill), the now-dead Raja/Zamindar’s son. Dependent on his father’s widow for funds, Saheb himself has a wife – the Begum (Mahie Gill) and a mistress Mahua (Narayanan). Fast losing political clout Saheb decides to contest elections. His rival Gainda Singh (Vipin Sharma), eager to thwart Saheb, decides to plant a mole in his household. The mole Lalit (he calls himself Bablu – “ghar ka naam”), arrives as a replacement driver when the Begum’s driver is inconvenienced. Soon Bablu (Hooda) has struck up a friendship with the lonely Begum and dreams of taking the easy route up . . .

This is such a great setup – Saheb, Chotti Rani and Bablu the three vertices of our tension-filled triangle – that I’m just waiting for the action to begin. And begin it does, slowly and languorously! Dhulia paces this film beautifully, and fleshes out his headstrong characters with interesting quirks and motives. Saheb is conscious of his diminished power, and abhors the fact that he has to ask the Badi Rani for funds. Begum has a history of mental instability, is eccentric and jealous of the mistress. Bablu is in Saheb’s household to spy on him, but finds himself attracted to Saheb’s wife and wealth. With all three wanting what they cannot get, schemes abound. You know the situation is going to explode, and you’re glued to your seat waiting for it!

The actors do a fantastic job. The script crackles with smart dialogues, and lovingly etched settings. Shergill as Saheb is just the right touch of aristocratic, Mahie as Begum just the right amount of headstrong, and Hooda as Bablu just desperate enough to set them all hurtling towards destruction. There is also music-video siren Deepal Shaw as Bijli; a highly deglamorised role for her.

This is a dark, gritty film, and fairly graphic in nature. Dhulia nicely ties the personal with the political, giving us a smart and interesting watch. Highly recommended.

Posted in 2011, All Netflix, bollywood, crime, drama, Hindi movies on Netflix, rating-A, rating-R, recommended | 4 Comments

Top 10 Hindi songs of 2011

Posted on December 31, 2011 by amodini

There were quite a few good Hindi films this year – have you seen them all ? Most of them featured outstanding soundtracks and I was spoilt for choice having to choose just ten. Rockstar, Zindagi na milegi dobara and Mujhse Fraandship karoge dominated. Anyway, here are the 10 best Bollywood film songs of the year. Enjoy!

#10. Abhi kuch dino se from the film “Dil to bachcha hai jee” : A lovely, melodious number, beautifully picturized.

#9. Ooh la la from “The Dirty Picture” : What a song! Made me nostalgic for the Sridevi era!

#8. The Khoya Khoya chand remix from “Shaitan” (caution – violent images) : One of the best remixes I’ve heard, I wrote about it earlier too.

#7. Saibo from “Shor in the City” : A great number from a surprisingly good film, delicate and nuanced.

#6. Uh-Oh Uh-Oh from “Mujhse fraaandship karoge” : Energetic – didn’t they say young love was like this ?

#5. Baatein Shuru from “Mujhse fraaandship karoge” : Shefali Alvaris gives voice to this young and peppy number.

#4. Ik Junoon from “Zindagi na milegi dobara” : Summers and tomatoes in Spain!

#3. Kun faaya kun from RockStar : Genius Rahman can be erratic, but this Sufi-inspired number says it all.

#2. Khaabon ke parinday from ZNMD : Alyssa Mendonsa, Loy (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) Mendonsa’s daughter sings this lovely song.

#1. Jo bhi mein from RockStar : Mohit Chauhan’s unique voice on this unique song – could there be anything to top this ?

Posted in 2011, annual roundup, Best hindi movies, bollywood, lists, music, recommended, Top 10 | Tagged year in review | 1 Comment

Best Films of 2011

Posted on December 29, 2011 by amodini

This year was better than most; there were quite a few “sensible” films. Here then, are my Top 10 Hindi Movie Picks for 2011 :

[amazon_link id=”B004SNCXWS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Patiala House - DVD - ALL REGIONS - Akshay Kumar - Anushka Sharma - Rishi Kapoor - Dimple Kapadia - Bollywood [/amazon_link]10. Patiala House : A predictable family film, this brings up the rear. It’s overdone, but breezy and still fun to watch. Direction, script, screenplay all passable. Great songs, some nice thrumming bhangra beats, cricket, color and energy and a variety of characters, make this a satisfying watch.

[amazon_link id=”B004PSPTJU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Dil to Bachcha Hai Hai Ji [/amazon_link]9. Dil to bachcha hai ji : A Bhandarkar film makes it to the 9th spot. A light-hearted look at love, this amusing film is about three friends (almost) finding it!

[amazon_link id=”B006A00SSS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge [/amazon_link]8. Mujhse Fraandship Karoge : The teeny-bopper film of the year, this is a refreshing change from the mindless, juvenile lovey-dovey flicks of Bollywood. The well-etched characters are honest about themselves and, while ditzy in love, are likeable and fun – jut the way we like them.

[amazon_link id=”B005SKDB1C” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) [/amazon_link]7. Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster : Tigmanshu Dhulia’s latest, this is a quirky drama in an almost feudal setup. Mahie Gill, Jimmy Shergill and Randeep Hooda are the three strong and willful protagonists of this engrossing film.

6. The Dirty Picture : Vidya Balan’s unabashed, moving portrayal of Silk Smitha’s life brings this film to life. A bio-pic well-done, this Milan Luthria film narrowly misses the Top 5.

[amazon_link id=”B0056L5T86″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Shaitan (2011) (Action - Crime / Hindi Film / Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema DVD) [/amazon_link]5. Shaitan : Anurag Kashyap’s remake of his earlier, star-crossed Paanch, Shaitan is about a bunch of richie-rich kids caught up in a bad situation. Dark, violent and gory at times, with a smattering of horror, this film is an engrossing watch.

[amazon_link id=”B004NNHYG8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]4. Yeh saali zindagi : A great little film, YSZ is an off-beat crime-comedy caper that smarts with crackling dialogue and lovingly etched characters. Irfan Khan and Chitrangada Singh star in this delectable drama.

[amazon_link id=”B005DJDF2I” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) (Hindi Movie / Bollywood Film / Indian Cinema DVD) - English Subtitles [/amazon_link]3. Zindagi na milegi dobara : A stylishly shot film about 3 affluent friends bromancing in Spain, this is directed by Zoya Akhtar, and stars her brother Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan and Abhay Deol. Lovely, like only the Akhtars can do it.

[amazon_link id=”B004YHN15Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]2. Shor in the city : A gritty crime thriller set in Maximum City, this film does have it’s sense of humor. A great mix of noir, high drama, pathos and thrills, SITC is one of the best films of the year, and an absolute must-see!

[amazon_link id=”B005QXYGGK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Rockstar - CD (2011) Bollywood [/amazon_link]1. Rock Star : Imtiaz Ali’s ode to love, here and beyond, this ethereal romance is my Number 1 movie of the year. Ranbir Kapoor’s fine form and an outstanding musical soundtrack make this a great watch. American model Nargis Fakhri debuts.