For a long time, Bollywood has treated commercial and independent cinemas as two separate streams. But thankfully, the decade of 2010-2020 redefined Bollywood. These years gave us some brilliant and entertaining movies, ensuring the art of film-making changed forever.
1. Udaan
This movie needs no introduction. This coming of age film beautifully combines teenage sentiments with the topic of child abuse. Udaan is a film that will make you think, and touch your soul.
2. Love Sex Aur Dhokha
Love Sex Aur Dhokha or LSD was a film that took a big departure from the regular trend of film-making. This movie shot completely in a digital format with different cameras, talks of voyeurism; is brave and scandalous. You’ll either love this film or hate it. There is no middle ground.
3. Ishqiya
Ishqiya is a story about love arising in characters, portrayed uniquely according to their own personal traits. Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah and Vidya Balan are at their best in this amazing creation. Ishqiya is a zany little black comedy that may be completely desi in its idiom, its lingo, its landscape. Yet, when it comes to drama, it is totally Hollywood.
4. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
ZNMD is the DCH of this decade. The movie shows three friends on an adventurous bachelor’s trip to Spain. Along with having fun, how they discover themselves on this trip – makes us want to travel to Spain as well. Despite a topic as common (though timeless) as friendship, Zoya Akhtar managed to deliver a film that was refreshing and relatable in all the right ways. And of course, there was bagwati!
5. Rockstar
Imtiaz Ali and Ranbir Kapoor collaborated for the first time and gave us an epic movie called ‘Rockstar’. Undoubtedly one of Ranbir’s finer performances, the movie also delivered a soundtrack that stood the test of time and proved that remixes will never be able to hold a candle to original compositions.
6. Delhi Belly
This dark comedy gained the status of a cult movie, and was widely appreciated. Three unsuspecting, average guys find themselves on the hit list of one of India’s most powerful crime syndicates. It isn’t always that a heist comedy manages to deliver on topics like romance, friendship, and the dark side of smuggling. But Delhi Belly was an exception, along with its ‘out-of-the-box’ soundtrack.
7. Kahaani
This Vidya Balan mystery film directed by Sujoy Ghosh tells the story of a pregnant woman looking for her missing husband. But all is not as it seems.
8. Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and 2
This two-part crime film directed by Anurag Kashyap is a violent tale of revenge and betrayal. From the colloquial dialogues to the regional music, Gangs of Wasseypur redefined the gangster era, initiated by Satya in the previous decade.
9. English Vinglish
English Vinglish is an inspiring story of a simple homemaker and her immense grit in the face of adversity. It is encouraging to see how Shashi takes up challenges with her willpower and overcomes obstacles to earn self-respect. This beautiful story is a reflection of many women, who are striving hard to carve their identity as strong, independent women.
10. The Lunchbox
Much like some other great films, The Lunchbox had an unconventional ending that leaves the audience with bitter-sweet thoughts. Showing a very different shade of romance, this movie gave us an unexpected story along with the love for good food.
11. Queen
Queen is a powerful movie that highlights a woman’s journey of discovering herself. Rani (Kangana Ranaut) is proof that “when things go wrong, cry not, gather your guts and fly away.” A soul-stirring movie in which an abandoned bride, instead of falling apart, chose to travel on her honeymoon alone and rediscover herself.
12. Haider
This beautiful adaptation of Hamlet will shake you up completely. It seamlessly adapts the storyline to Indian geo-political scenario and keeps us hooked till the very end. Probably one of the best creations of Vishal Bhardwaj, this movie saw Tabu and Shahid at their best.
13. Piku
Representing many millennial working women, Piku is a character we all related to. Like many of us, she was struggling with the societal pressure of marriage. But, she refused to bow down to it and remained confident about her life choices.
14. Masaan
Along India’s Ganges River, four people face prejudice, a strict moral code and a punishing caste system as they confront personal tragedies. Beautifully written by Varun Grover and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, with top-notch performances, this is a must-watch movie!
15. Nil Battey Sannata
Most mothers want a life for their kids which is better than the one they have, just like Chanda Sahay who went to extreme ends to achieve it. This movie about a mother-daughter relationship took us on an emotional ride, and we couldn’t stop ourselves from calling our mom after the climax.
16. A Death in the Gunj
Konkana Sen’s directorial debut, starring Vikrant Massey & Tillotama Shome, is based on a real-life incident. It is a mesmerizing tale of what neglect and apathy can do to a family.
17. Andhadhun
An unconventional murder mystery that stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu & Radhika Apte. The plot of the film revolves around Akash (played by Khurrana), an aspiring singer and pianist who’s supposedly blind. Akash is the only witness to a gruesome murder, after which things take an unexpected turn for him. Unlike other murder mystery movies, this movie reveals the murderer but manages to build mystery in a completely different way!
So which one are you watching today?