Dec 07, 2002 12:49 AM
1075 Views
(Updated Dec 07, 2002 12:51 AM)
I would just like to start out by saying that I havent been an ardent follower of Bollywood movies but here are a few that caught my eye but didnt quite make it at the box office
ZAKHM (Ajay Devgan, Pooja Bhatt):
Mahesh Bhatt's semi-autobiographical swan song seems like an obvious tribute to his mother. The story is set in the background of the mumbai riots and with the burning of Pooja Bhatt by a muslim fanatic. The man who directed absolutely gems such as Saraansh and and absolutely crap such as Duplicate extracts great performances from his cast especially Pooja Bhatt and Ajay Devgan who come up with amazingly restrained yet emotive performances. The movie is also helped by some beautiful songs. The movie at times tends to drift a bit but has some very well crafted sequences especially the ones between the young mother and illegitimate child; and the two feuding brothers. A touching film that I probably rate as one of the finest this decade.
LAMHE (Anil Kapoor, Sridevi):
A sensitive love story about the relationship of young woman with an older man. The movie according to most failed because of its bold storyline. The movie has some good numbers and Anupam Kher in a delightful role. The old film song medley is an absolute laugh riot. Both Anil Kapoor and Sridevi put in competent performances and this is probably one of the better movies to come out of the Yash Chopra banner.
DIL SE (Shah Rukh Khan, Manisha Koirala):
The third part of Mani Ratnam's trilogy on terrorism. This movie deals with terrorism in the North East in which Manisha plays a suicide bomber out to kill the PM. The story basically follows the the metamorphosis of Shah Rukh's love for her from mere infatuation to absolute obsession. The music score is to die for, my favourites being the title track and the haunting Ae Ajnabi. Also look out for Preity Zinta in a short but feisty role as Shah Rukh's fiance. The movie is disjoint at times and this did not go down well with the audiences. This coupled with an abrupt ending lead to the failure of the film. The movie however is still extremely gripping and worth a watch.
MAIN AZAAD HOON(Amitabh Bachchan):
A political and social drama about the transformation of a small town man into an icon. The film not only highlights the fallacies of our political system but also also shows the power of the media. The thing that struck me most about the film was the beautiful way in which the irony of the fact that one man's death brings hope to thousands is shown. Amitabh as usual comes out with a stellar performance and is a treat to watch.
ROOP KI RANI CHORON KA RAJA (Anil Kapoor, Sridevi):
Sorry... couldn't help myself. Just Kidding.
Special Mentions to RAAKH and ANDAZ APNA APNA which would have made it to my list if they already werent on madlalya's list.
JC
