Bollywood is a place where magic is created. Where people go, forget about the woes of the world, and get lost in the wonder world of dream sequences of songs and dances, the most exotic places on this earth, and where the protagonist is the strongest and wins over all evil in this world. Here the movies include the Box Office Hits. However, there are some gems in Bollywood which have remained underrated, which deal with reality, where the protagonist is like any other common man and not a super hero. These movies touch the chord in one’s heart and make one think. Some of these gems like Swades, Udaan, Bheja Fry etc have attained the cult status over a period of years. But there are many such movies in Bollywood, which though not mainstream, are surely a must watch. These movies are indeed masterpieces and have been created by directors like Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Sudhir Mishra and Kabeer Kaushik and surely deserve a standing ovation.
Haasil (2003)
Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, this movie saw Irfan Khan win a Filmfare award for Best actor in a negative role. Irfan’s powerful performance in conjunction with the sensitive narration of the inevitable connection between students and politics while in college is indeed commendable.
Sehar (2005)
In this movie, Arshad Warsi showcases his talent. Set in Uttar Pradesh, this movie depicts the organized crime. The movie has been directed by Kabeer Kaushik.
Khosla ka Ghosla (2006)
A directorial debut by Dibakar Banerjee, this is indeed a delightful comedy which won the National Award for the best Feature Film in Hindi. Anupam Kher and Boman Irani are indeed in their elements in this movie.
Black Friday (2007)
Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday is about the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai. One of the best films in recent years, the film is also very controversial, with real people named in the film. The film is based on S Hussain Zaidi’s book Black Friday.
Dil Dosti Etc (2007)
With a few unknown and yet very versatile actors like Shreyas Talpade, Imaad Shah, Nikita Anand, Smriti Mishra and Ishita Sharma, Dil Dosti etc dabbles into the world of the nexus between students in college and politics. The movie has been directed by Manish Tiwary and certainly worth a watch.
Black and White (2008)
This movie depicts the life of an Afghan suicide bomber on a mission, who happens to meet a teacher with great ideals. Anil Kapoor has indeed acted very well in the movie. The intricate struggle of the good and the evil in oneself is portrayed to perfection in the movie.
Gulaal (2009)
With names like Kay Kay Menon, Abhimanyu Singh, Deepak Dobriyal, Ayesha Mohan, Jesse Randhawa, Piyush Mishra and Aditya Srivastava, this film, directed by Anurag Kashyap has now attained cult status. The film deals with the socio-political scenario, including the perceived injustices in the society, and hypocrisy in the elite and the powerful.
Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010)
Directed by Subhash Kapoor, this movie is a perfect example of a comedy of errors. It portrays the life of a gangster as well as an NRI in the aftermath of the recession. The hilarious angle to organised crime and the collapse of the great American dream with intelligent dialogues is indeed commendable, and will have you in splits.
Tere Bin Laden (2010)
This movie is a satire on Osama bin Laden. Directed by Abhishek Sharma, the film portrays America’s war on terror and post-9/11 world scenario. However, do not be deceived. This is not a serious movie. It is one of the most hilarious spoofs in recent times.
CityLights (2014)
This is indeed a heart wrenching story of a couple from the modest background of a village, who undergo a tremendous emotional turmoil in the city of dreams in India, Mumbai. It is a thought provoking film that beautifully highlights the darker side of Mumbai. National Award-winning director Hansal Mehta surely does get the best performance out of actors like Rajkummar Rao.
Conclusion
Walk away from the mainstream and try something different this time like watching a movie which will echo your own thoughts and feelings. Grab the DVD this Sunday and have a thought provoking weekend. Happy Movie Watching Sessions. Cheers!!
