30 Best Bollywood Movies of the Last Decade – Part 2

Following our previous article which highlighted some of the best made hindi movies of the last decade, we got another guest writer to research and come up with more movies that are a nice watch. Buy their DVDs, get a cooler of beer and a bowl of popcorn, and we assure you that you will not get bored 🙂

So here’s another compilation of the 10 best Bollywood flicks of the last 10 years. Hope you like it.

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Pinjar (2003) – Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedii’s film starring Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpai & Sanjay Suri depicts the Hindu- Muslim divide, riots, chaos, the helplessness, human sufferings, rituals, beliefs in such a life-like way that one feels as if they were present that pre-indepence era. Excellent story telling and outstanding acting, watch this movie for some mind numbing food for thought. Pinjar is a movie which people who have a taste for serious cinema should watch.

Satta (2003) – directed by Madhur Bhandarkar and starring Raveena Tandon magnifies the nitty-gritty of politics. Though the subject maybe dry but Raveena’s convincing portrayal of a woman’s struggle in the murky world of politics makes it worth watching. Sadly, the movie could not make a mark at the box office.

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Hum Tum (2004) – directed by Kunal Kohli and starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee, this is a modern and at the same time a very traditional story. Kunal Kohli, a former film critic, was immensely criticized for making a movie in a style that he had been criticizing over the last few years. However, he did manage to set a smile with the smug romance of Rani and Saif Ali Khan. It is funny as well as emotional providing abundant laughter and the end result of satisfaction. All in all a delightful movie to watch.
Maqbool (2004) – Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Macbeth which is set in modern day Mumbai. It is based on the underworld and the nexus between police, gangsters and politicians. Tabu plays her complex character to perfection as do the rest of the cast. Much like Omkara, an intricately written script adds a dark touch to the screenplay of this film.Maqbool is as lurid as hindi cinema can get and keeps your attention hooked.

Ek Hasina Thi (2004) – Ramgopal Verma’s movie starring Urmila Matondkar, Fardeen Khan & Seema Biswas has an almost eerie feel to it. It centres around a very popular and dark theme – “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. It is a new perspective on love, passion and deceit which brings to mind our mom’s warning – don’t trust strangers. Watch this movie for a knock-out performance by Urmila.

Black Friday (2005) – directed by Anurag Kashyap it is based on the 1993 Mumbai blasts. It tells us of the conspiracy, the conspirators, the blast and the aftermath. This film gives you goosebumps, it haunts you, it disturbs you and most of all, it brings out feelings that we would feel had we lost our own loved ones. Watch this movie for an entertaining screen adaptation of what happened during the 93′ Bombay Blasts.

Black (2005) – Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s potrayal of Hellen Keller’s autobiography, ‘The story of my life’ left audiences spell bound with emotion. The movie depicts the struggles in the life of a deaf-blind-mute girl played by Rani Mukherji and the attempt by her teacher to bring her into the realms of a ‘normal’ person. A fabulous representation of an eccentric but brilliant teacher by Amitabh Bachchan who tries to tame the wildness of his student and their extraordinary relationship.

Sarkar (2005) – Ramgopal Verma’s epic movie which was inspired from Francis Ford Coppola’s cult film, ‘The Godfather’, revolves around heavy-weight political issues and the politician-gangster nexus. This film is intense, grim and powerful. Amitabh Bachchan and Kay Kay Menon prove yet again their mettle as actors leaving you spellbound. Though the film has little in terms of originality to boast about, you can watch it for Amitabh’s excellent performance.

Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006) – The sequel to Munnabhai MBBS is a worthy follow-up. It is as funny as its predecessor and as touching. Gandhiji’s eternal message of love and non-violence rings loud and clear  throughout the movie. During its release, every newspaper and magazine was discussing the importance of Gandhian ideologies in present day India which is indeed influencing many people across India. That is the power of quality cinema.

Rang de Basanti (2006) – Rakesh Omprakash Mehra’s movie aims to reach out to the patriotism inside us. The first half is fun, entertaining and touching however, the ending is too melodramatic. This movie is a must watch simply because of the message it tries to spread i.e the citizens responsibility to bring change. Though an Aamir Khan movie, the supporting roles played by Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi and gang are equally powerful. So influencing was this movie at the time of its release that the murder of a Delhi socialite by the son of a powerful minister was highlighted throughout the media and justice prevailed.

These hindi movies prove that Bollywood is not just a fancy film industry where films with item numbers, big budgets, out door locations and skin show work. Once a while, a film with a flawless script, beyond-perfect editing and cinematography and direction that is world-class indeed comes along.