Hits and Misses of Bollywood in 2014

Quite contrarily to last year in which eight movies made it to the 100 crore club and three of them crossed 200 crore, 2014 was quite a dull year for Bollywood. Talking about just the Domestic Box Office, only one film crossed 200 crore- ‘Kick’. Second on the list of money-churners was ‘Happy New Year’ which released with shattering a few records but slowed down and failed to beat last year’s ‘Chennai Express’ record too. Eagerly awaited ‘PK’ released on Friday (19^th December) and needless to say, it will break a few records like any big film; massive screen count, Director Rajkumar Hirani teaming up with superstar Aamir Khan post ‘3 Idiots’, good reviews, positive word-of-mouth and a three-week long run with no prominent releases now… these will all work well for it.

The other films in the club were ‘Bang Bang’, ‘Singham Returns’, ‘Holiday’,  ‘Jai Ho’ and ‘2 States’. While ‘Ek Villain’ missed the club by 2 crore, it was still a super hit as the budget was low. Other successes were ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ and ‘Gunday’. However, movies like ‘Jai Ho’, ‘Bang Bang’, ‘Holiday’ and ‘Gunday’ can be termed just average if you consider the budget. The awaited ‘Mary Kom’ went on to become a semi-hit while the other two prominent women-centric films of the year, ‘Mardaani’ (hit) and ‘Queen’ (super hit) did better commercially due to low budget costs. It was good to see films with female protagonists doing well. Other successes were ‘Ragini MMS’ (super hit) and ‘Heropanti’ (hit). Unlike last year, the smaller movies didn’t really match up to expectations and throughout the twelve months, I was eagerly waiting for game-changers; not for the records to be broken but movies I would really enjoy watching. There were few.

This year didn’t really belong to anyone. While Salman Khan crawled to 108 crores with ‘Jai Ho’ earlier in the year, he proved his detractors wrong with ‘Kick’. It was Deepika Padukone last year with four films above 100 crore. It was her year. If you ask me, I’d say the year was lucky for Alia Bhatt. While she made you sit up and notice her performance in ‘Highway’, she followed it up with equally endearing roles in ‘2 States’ and ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ which also did well at the BO. Yes… in a way, 2014 was Alia’s year.

So again…

Here, I present my picks for Hits and Misses of 2014. Do remember these are personal choices and irrespective of commercial success or star power. You may choose to disagree and are most welcome to do so. I am not expecting the awards at the upcoming ceremonies to be in sync with most of my picks.

Director Vikas Bahl’s ‘Queen’ started off on a familiar premise – a middle class wedding in Delhi, something which has caught the fancy of film-makers post ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’. The would-be bride narrates her excitement and you feel what she must be going through while wedding preparations are on in full swing. Just when you think it might be yet another take on modern-day marriages, there is a little twist and you have a coming-of-age story with the perfect humour and no unnecessary melodrama – a sparkling little gem of a film with its share of hiccups but excusable for a terrific lead performance by Kangana Ranaut after a spate of bad films.

My Verdict: ‘Queen’ was Kangana’s show all the way… she ruled well enough to rise above a film which might have been mediocre without her.

At the Box-Office: Super Hit

A rich spoilt carefree NRI brat having no qualms about healthy flirting mostly wearing shirts half untucked gets serious just once in life; when he falls for a girl completely opposite to him. She is getting arranged but he won’t let her elope with him. He will win over the girl’s strict and conservative father. Almost two decades post DDLJ released, the cult film still continues to inspire film-makers. Still running in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir, it is but quite impossible to imagine any other movie celebrating love the way DDLJ did. Debutante Director Shashank Khaitan’s ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ was a modern-day tribute to that film and not a rip-off or remake; about a DDLJ-obsessed fan whose love story takes the same path. Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt shared a nice on screen chemistry.

My Verdict: “Jaa… Jee le apni zindagi”– this time the guy was asked to live well. Women Empowerment!

At the Box-Office: Hit

A little over two years back, ‘Oh My God’ based on a successful play told us a thought-provoking story about the hypocrisy surrounding religion in our country while also being a fantasy tale; it brought forward a message that people here are not God-loving but God-fearing and we are fooled by some supposedly holy Godmen who are making business out of it all. Director Rajkumar Hirani (‘Munnabhai MBBS’, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, ‘3 Idiots’) returned after five years with ‘PK’ along the same lines. Backed by Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra again, the maverick film-maker teamed up with his last film’s hero and superstar Aamir Khan who played an alien with ease. Like his previous film outings, Hirani’s ‘PK’ too was a film laced with humour but with a strong message.

My Verdict: PK was like Rancho of ‘3 Idiots’ on drugs and asked to act alien… and while that happened, it was fun with a message.

At the Box-Office: Blockbuster (my prediction; second day of release today)

Set in a quaint little Goan Village Pokolim which doesn’t even figure anywhere in the map, Director Homi Adajania’s third film outing ‘Finding Fanny’ wasn’t everyone’s idea of entertainment and the language had its limitations too when it came to catering to all. Sure, it was dubbed in Hindi too but the same dialogues never sounded that funny. The Director stuck to simple story-telling and though it all boiled down to finding love, he didn’t intend to keep it profound. Instead, he conceived five whimsical characters and took them in an unusual road trip making them say and do stuff that were hilarious at most occasions. If Naseeruddin Shah easily stole the show, Pankaj Kapoor wasn’t too way behind. Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia were credible too. It was a good and different cast together. Just like the Adajania’s ‘Being Cyrus’, this was meant for people with a whacky sense of humour.

My Verdict: Finding Fanny would be most fun on a lazy afternoon. A word of caution- your fellow passengers are odd and hilarious; you can hoot and howl with laughter but please don’t choke!

At the Box-Office: Flop

Some may question SRK’s choice of movies recently and rightly so; but the fact is one needs to be in sync with the time and we are at a time when mindless movies are mostly commercially viable. Farah Khan’s third outing with the superstar post a debacle called ‘Tees Maar Khan’ proved third time lucky and Team Red Chillies walked laughing all the way to the bank. A heist drama completely in the director’s style had all the right ingredients for a paisa vasool masalathon. SRK fans (like me) were not disappointed.

Last year, ‘Chennai Express’ didn’t make it to my top 10 list. This has. Probably, this was more entertaining or there were fewer good films in 2014.

My Verdict: ‘Happy New Year’ was a loud and silly way to wish us in advance… but it entertained while it did so.

At the Box-Office: Blockbuster

The best directors have always been good story-tellers. Right from ‘Socha Na Tha’ to ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and ‘Rockstar’ – Director Imtiaz Ali has effectively told us stories most could relate to; all of them about love but without the usual mush and sugar-coated romance the genre is known for. Also co-produced by him, he told us a love story in ‘Highway’ as well but the lead characters here are people you may not have really identified with. It wasn’t a perfect movie and might have been frustratingly slow for many thereby, not really appealing to the masses but a beautiful road movie which ends with a bold powerful climax.

Alia Bhatt did a complete turnaround and made you notice she can act and how! A bravura performance!

My Verdict: This one is a rough ride to the highway but once you are there, the view is good!

At the Box-Office: Flop

The first prominent release of the year was a hilarious black comedy; a sequel to a movie I hadn’t enjoyed much. But ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ had me in splits in most occasions. About twenty odd minutes into ‘Dedh Ishqiya’, Madhuri’s Begum Para meets Iftekhar aka Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) and comes up with one of the most cliché lines – “Aapko pehle kahi dekha hain”, to which Khalujaan replies – “Yaad aaye kahaa toh itilla zaroor kijiyega; hum bhi dhoond rahe hain kab se apne aap ko”. A scene so routine that you would just pass it off as mushy trash had it not been for the wonderfully restrained performances; it was among the best scenes in the movie. Sequels are seldom better than the original movie but there are exceptions. Director ‘Abhishek Chaubey’s ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ stood tall in that rare list.

My Verdict: Is baar Khalujaan kaa ishq saccha tha! Even then, it left room for another sequel. Another ‘Ishqiya’… But we hope Khalujaan and Babban remain the same.

At the Box-Office: Flop

Rani Mukerji’s comeback film came with near-zilch expectations but it turned out to be one of the most gripping thriller dramas in recent times. In an industry where actresses have a shelf life, the once reigning Rani of Bollywood delivered a stupendous performance as a Senior Inspector in Mumbai Crime Branch tracking down a mastermind behind an organized racket dealing with girl trafficking and drugs. Director Pradeep Sarkar kept it short and crisp; there were no unnecessary songs or silly item numbers and no romantic track either. It was justice done to a crime thriller. He resorted to a very simple way of telling the story. Newcomer Tahir Bhasin was so good in a negative role that you must have liked him and that says a lot, given the kind of unlikeability the character was all about. What also worked really well were the dialogues between the two of them.

My Verdict: ‘Mardaani’ wasn’t great cinema but those big action blockbusters aren’t either… this one was much better than most of them.

At the Box-Office: Hit

Film adaptations are seldom better than the book; the rare ones which stand out are mostly movies wherein some cinematic liberties have been taken to make it a more engrossing watch. Chetan Bhagat, the blue-eyed boy of Bollywood when it comes to film adaptations writes simple; simple writing which people relate to. That explains his mammoth success and huge fan following (mostly youngsters) even if most of his critics term his books mediocre. All his books so far except the last one have now been made into movies and the writer rejoiced even with this adaptation – Based on his own love story, ‘2 States – The Story of My Marriage’ had a lot of potential to be a big screen treat and Debutante Director Abhishek Varman didn’t at all let it down. ‘2 States’ is one of the finest movies in recent times. A simple story about love and inter-caste marriage, the movie had good performances from leads Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt sharing a cozy if not crackling chemistry and the supporting cast (especially Ronit Roy) was perfect.

The director succeeded well in keeping alive the charm, humour and drama of the book in his film adaptation so much so that Bhagat’s one-liners and views were also borrowed for it. This is why ‘2 States’ worked so well and even if you hadn’t read the book, you might have as well enjoyed every moment of it.

My Verdict: Most loved to travel to the ‘2 States’; there was a lot of love, warmth and charm.

At the Box-Office: Super Hit

Shakespeares’ Hamlet was not only his longest play but is also considered the most difficult to comprehend. Director Vishal Bhardwaj who successfully adapted Macbeth (‘Maqbool’) and Othello (‘Omkara’) cast his ‘Kaminey’ star Shahid Kapoor in ‘Haider’ in the titular role. It’s a character stage actors have struggled with given the kind of complexity it deals with. But Shahid Kapoor delivered a top-notch performance as a vulnerable young guy who transforms to a near-insane revenge-seeking furious man. Shahid himself hasn’t been too lucky with movies- apart from performances in ‘Jab We Met’ and ‘Kaminey’ or his last outing ‘R… Rajkumar’ (I shudder with fear recalling the trauma I underwent watching it!) which made bucks at the BO, he was nearly on the verge of being written off. For him, ‘Haider’ was a blessing. And I don’t mean the market value here. Bhardwaj has had average successes at best; it’s his vision that counts in film-making. However, the best part of the movie was Tabu. She conveyed so much even when she didn’t speak; as the heart-broken confused mother torn between her son and second husband, Tabu was simply brilliant. It’s a shame that an actress like her does not get many roles in our movies.

My Verdict: If Shakespeare was alive and watched ‘Haider’, he might have rephrased a quote from Hamlet– ‘To die, or not to die: that is the question’… he would cherish this adaptation.

At the Box-Office: Semi Hit

A mention for Jackky Bhagnani starrer ‘Youngistaan’ here and I’m surprised myself though it didn’t make it to my Top Ten list! There is something common between him and the character he plays in the movie – one became an actor because of his father and the other becomes the Prime Minister of India for the same reason. Rich dad Vashu Bhagnani produces a movie for his darling son almost every year now and he continues trying to re-launch him in spite of all the flops (one did average business to give him his due); his son shamelessly acts in all of them. ‘Youngistaan’ is yet another attempt by Bhagnani to showcase his son as an actor. But Jackky put up a noticeable performance here and while the movie was quite pointless and short-sighted, it worked more as a love story than trying to make politics look cool.

My Verdict: Jackky Bhagnani should watch ‘Youngistaan’ all by himself on a quiet evening, realize he can act now, stop wasting his father’s money and try to bag movies.

At the Box-Office: Flop

You tend to take a movie seriously if it begins with a message. Director Habib Faisal (‘Do Dooni Chaar’, ‘Ishaqzaade’) tackled the shameless practice of dowry which is still relevant in our society in ‘Daawat-e-Ishq’; but neither did it work as a rom-com nor as a con film. Parineeti Chopra was good even at her weakest but seeing Aditya Roy Kapur get wasted especially after that performance in ‘Aashiqui 2’ told us he clearly has a lot to prove.

My Verdict: In this daawat… the food might have looked inviting but it was stale and there were no right ingredients.

At the Box-Office: Flop

Two ex-rivals Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla shared the screen for the first time in ‘Gulaab Gang’ and though the makers claimed it was a work of fiction and not inspired by Sampat Pal and her Gulabi Gang in Bundelkhand, anyone could guess they wanted to avoid any further controversies. It was yet another example of a good opportunity gone wasted. The cast was talented and perfect. There was a scope of good dose of women empowerment and its release was during Women’s Day. Yet the movie fell very short of expectations. Blame it on Director Soumik Sen because it was so evident in every frame what a lousy debut he had made. The movie was nothing but a poor commercial movie where we had a hero and a villain. The only difference – both the parts were essayed by two talented leading actresses coming together for the very first time. It was just another Good Versus Evil story sloppily scripted and very lazily directed, not to forget the unnecessary tuneless songs.

My Verdict: While the Gulaab Gang here danced to tuneless songs, I wondered why Madhuri didn’t choreograph them and herself as well. At least, we would have something watchable in this dud of a movie! If Sampat Pal watches this one, she might as well regret why her movement came into limelight.

At the Box-Office: Flop

Director (!) Sajid Khan’s ‘Humshakals’ began with a note from him- “A wise man once told me.. err.. I forgot what he told me”… indicating his lack of interest in anything serious or intellectual. Nothing wrong in that but then we were informed the movie was dedicated to the ‘masters of mad comedies’– Kishore Kumar, Jim Carrey and Peter Sellers and one couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that, perhaps the only time you did so during those damned 159 odd minutes. Move over his ‘Heyy Babyy’ and the ‘Housefull’ series or even the disastrous ‘Himmatwala’; Sajid Khan’s new movie was not a test of patience but a punishment wherein he took the audience for granted and made them suffer every ridiculous (not in a good way) minute. Not to forget Saif Ali Khan terribly miscast in a role where he looked completely out of place.

My Verdict: If I had even one such loud and unfunny ‘humshakal’, I’d call for immediate help. Alas… I couldn’t do so while watching the movie!

At the Box-Office: Flop

I can’t really comment on this one as I didn’t understand what exactly Director Divya Khosla was trying to make. Or did her producer husband Bhushan Kumar (T-Series) give her a lot of pocket money which she didn’t know how to spend? It had some good music for sure but that is about it. The movie had some new but very unfresh unwatchable faces.

My Verdict: What was it?

At the Box-Office: Semi Hit (!)

Rarely do you come across such a pathetically acted terribly misdirected movie which can make other unbearable movies seem like classics. Director Sanamjit Talwar seemed to think he would be making a slick crime action thriller. But it was so bad a film that I’d suggest Harman Baweja to never try acting again. His expressions all wrong in a film so very wrong that even Sunny Deol in a meaty role couldn’t save; leave aside saving his own plummeting acting career.

My Verdict: You would rather play snake and ladders all by yourself than watch Sunny and Harman play it. This was not a mess; it was a sin directing it and having it released for the audience.

At the Box-Office: Disaster

P.S. – I haven’t considered movies like ‘Gang of Ghosts’, ‘Mr. Joe B. Carvalo’, ‘Heartless’, ‘Kaanchi’, ‘Karle Pyar Karle’ and other movies in the list. It does not mean these were better. It just means they were equally bad but unimportant films.

Saif Ali Khan doing what he is best at is now getting repeatable and that itself was one of the problems with Raj and DK’s ‘Happy Ending’, a rom-com that starts off on a promising note but ends up as underwhelming. Neither did it have any of the zany humour of their last ‘Go Goa Gone’ nor could Govinda’s presence make it any better. It was plain average with some good music but nevertheless, it didn’t meet expectations. Preity Zinta as Saif’s ex was the best part of this otherwise average movie.

My Verdict: With a mediocre climax like that, the ending wasn’t too happy. It could have been called ‘Happy Beginning’.

At the Box-Office: Flop

Director Mohit Suri post all his successes and especially his last ‘Aashiqui 2’, Riteish Deshmukh attempting a negative role and ‘Teri Galliyan’ were good enough reasons among others to have my expectations soaring. Alas, what I got to watch was an average routine fare and the serial killer was so unconvincing (modus operandi: a screw driver) that he made me laugh and not be terrified. It was neither a relatable love story nor a gripping thriller.

My Verdict: The real Villain was the lousy script-writer.

At the Box-Office: Super hit (well!)

Biopics aren’t easy films to be made; these require a lot of research on the person, correct casting and careful execution. Expectations soar high right post announcement of the film and the audiences expect a well-made justified take. Some are more interested to know about the person’s personal life; some others want to get right to the point and probably look forward to learn something more than what Wikipedia has to offer. Debutante Director Omung Kumar made an honest movie and it had a power-packed performance from Priyanka Chopra; when she does a challenging role, none of her contemporaries come a close second. ‘Mary Kom’ should have been a better movie but that doesn’t mean it was a bad one. To start with, Priyanka Chopra didn’t look like Mary Kom. Yes; a lot of effort was gone to make her look convincing and that included her body language or even the freckles on her face. It wasn’t really a case of miscasting because nobody else apart from her could pull off the role better. Director Omung Kumar kept it short and tried to balance Mary Kom’s personal life with her boxing career. For the most part, he succeeded but somehow the desired impact didn’t come up too well. He resorted to some melodrama which hit the right notes but not really in the climax, when Mary is fighting an important match and gets beaten for some time because she learns her child is being operated right then.

This is here in the list just because I was expecting much more.

My Verdict: What can’t a woman do? Everything… and that includes making a mediocre film appear good.

At the Box-Office: Semi Hit

The very first trailer of ‘Gunday’ promised a good commercial potboiler. Not a bad movie, it had Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor into some fun bromance and not to forget the foot-tapping ‘Tune Maari Entriyaa’. But it wasn’t half as good as the trailer. Two big criminals trying to sue a girl made for a silly plot and dialogues seemed daft post-interval.

My Verdict: The ‘Gunday’ were silly, confused and lovesick but nevertheless, they made a good combo. Strictly average!

At the Box-Office: Semi hit

Big films come with a baggage; rarely do most meet the huge expectations which begin the first time the trailer is aired and mixed reviews is what you get. It is either hugely enjoyed or terribly disliked. They are watched by all; no two opinions on that. These are the movies we truly wait for and why not? It is an event for fans to watch their favourite stars once or twice a year in a blockbuster. Blockbuster, it mostly is unless there is some grave issue. Right from the number of hits for the trailer on You Tube to the last crore it makes, Friday and the numbers decide the current reigning star. Stardom is what brings in the moolah and not (mere!) acting abilities. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala turned Director with the year’s big EID release – ‘Kick’. Salman Khan was cast once again in a South Indian remake, a Telegu smash hit by the same name. I’m of the opinion that this phenomenal superstar does not need to act (something he can never do). Not at all conscious about a performance; Salman needs to only appear on the screen and even if he shakes his belt, his fans will go crazy. That in itself explains his aura. I, for one have rarely enjoyed any of his performances barring ‘Dabangg’ (the first one) but he is in my list of the most likeable stars. Writer Chetan Bhagat co-scripting this week’s release was another reason I was looking forward to it. I was disappointed. While it had some style, it was like a ‘Dhoom’ film with the superstar doing what he does. Over-stretched and inconsistent; I really wanted to like ‘Kick’ but I couldn’t.

My Verdict: I got a kick while watching ‘Dabangg’… this one gave me a mere jolt. Salman ke baare mein itna mat sochna… yeh dil mein aate hain… dimaag mein nahi!

At the Box-Office: Blockbuster

P.S. – I was thoroughly disappointed with ‘Pizza’, an otherwise unimportant film but seemed to be the movie horror freaks should be waiting for. Alas! It was a con film which conned the audience. The plot was thin… thin crust without cheese burst; the topping was soggy. The ‘Pizza’ was cold, stale… and definitely not haunted!

I’m sticking to one to keep it genuine unless there seems to be two equally best contenders.

Expect bigger movies, more power in star power and some huge records to be broken and created in 2015 as well. See you at the movies!