2007 was a move in the right direction for Bollywood. Although 2006 had some better movies, 2007 comprised of films that had great performances, better scripts, and no random shots to Switzerland. The films I chose were based on what I believed were incredibly entertaining, to films that were intellectually wonderful, to films that were healthy and necessary for Bollywood, and pushed the envelope. So, here are a list of my 2007 top favorites (in no particular order):

• Dharm– This movie, although almost impossible to find, has been very much in the news. From being screened at Cannes Film Festival, filmed in superior quality, and the controversial court case issued by director Bhavna Talwar when it wasn’t entered into The Academy Awards, this film was able to keep its own in the news, a rare feat for such art films. Maybe it wasn’t widely watched in India, but it has garnered some press, which is a start. From the script to the cinematography to performances, from reaching the depths of understanding religion and humanity– this film was one of the best Bollywood films in the last few years. I only hope I see a film as brilliant as this one in the future.
• Taare Zameen Par– This movie was able to appeal to the masses, and was touching and real. The performances (Darsheel, Tisca Chopra) were incredible. The story was unique and definitely one that told the tale of many households. But another reason is why I added this movie to this list is because of Aamir Khan’s involvement. One of the highest paid actors in Bollywood (neck to neck with Shahrukh Khan), Aamir’s directorial venture didn’t use the typical masala ingredients. It was an attempt to make a completely different, smart, “intellectual” film. So all those who look down on “intellectual” films because of their lack of appeal or profit– Taare Zameen Par proves them completely wrong.
• Chak de India– The reason this movie is on this list is not because I was completely bowled over or because I was incredibly entertained, but because of the script’s originality, the themes of feminism in India, a woman’s role in society, and the gap between language and cultures in India. I also loved that this movie, like TZP, did so well, despite the lack of synchronized dance sequences, lip syncing, or a love story. Even if the story was predictable– the overall themes and the fact that it was a success should also prove to critics that commercial isn’t what it used to mean in Bollywood.
• Life in a Metro– This is the most “Bollywood” out of any movie on this list, but still no synchronized dance sequences or lip syncing. It was sincere, real– yes over-the-top at times, but with some great performances and stories. I think Bollywood can do better, and some stories were better than others (the Konkona– Irfan story was brilliant), but this smart, emotional story made me like Anurag Basu, love Irfan even more, and regain faith in Bollywood love stories.
• Gandhi My Father– This film was risky, in that it was pointing fingers at Gandhi. But, it was a risk worth taking. Although the film unfolded like a play (after all, it was based off of a play), the overall production was a gem of 2007. The best performance was not Akshay Khanna, I believe, but Shefali Shah, who proved yet again that good acting is everything.
• Black Friday– So tragically real, and yet, so entertaining. All those Anurag Kashyup haters (I’m not one of them, because I admire his bluntness) may use “No Smoking” as an example of a failure, but not Black Friday. It was true, yet not racist- real, but not offensive. What more could one ask for from a movie about the horrible 1993 Mumbai Bombings?
• Johnny Gaddaar– Neil Mukesh is hot, but that’s not why I liked the movie. It was a thriller done well, with an amazing script and great performances from all. I also applaud Neil Mukesh for his choice of debut to Bollywood. He himself said that he wanted a film that would show his acting ability, not his profitability. Lucky for him this film definitely proved both!
• Bheja Fry– Although it’s a copy of a French film, this movie is on the list because it was a low budget alternative film– yet highly entertaining, and it actually made some money. Great performances and fun movie, I hope to see more of these in the future.
• Honeymoon Travels– A comedy, yet one that was gutsy enough to include themes of feminism, homosexuality, and typecasting. It was silly at some points, but incredibly touching at others. This film touched on topics which were usually stereotypical and derogatory (interracial marriage, homosexuality) in mainstream Bollywood, and for that– I applaud Farhan Akhtar for stepping away from typical masala and taking a risk to produce something much, much better.

So I finally saw Taare Zameen Par– and I do believe it has lived up to all the hype.

The performances by all, the realness of the movie (definitely one of the best Bollywood movies that has captured the cutthroat competition and expectations among Indian youth today), and the script were all brilliant and some reasons why this was one of the best Bollywood movies these past few years.

But– the reason why this movie in particular has stunned critics and audiences everywhere is that, simply, it’s different. First of all– the movie isn’t directed by a Nagesh Kukunoor or a Rituporno Ghosh. It’s directed by the extremely mainstream, popular actor Aamir Khan (who also stars in it). Khan could have opted for an extremely masala movie, like his last film, Fanaa. But, he opted to make this film about a child who has dyslexia, and the struggle the child (Darsheel Safaray) faces at home and at school. There was no romantic angle, or any of the “ingredients” masala films usually demand, such as synchronized dance sequences or action scenes.

The script also deserves a special mention. The father of Safaray’s character could have easily been portrayed as an unreasonable man who refuses to budge from his strict nature. This character was handled quite well. He wasn’t so evil that he was unrelatable, but instead, a figure that people could easily relate to. Stories where children are the main characters haven’t done too well in the past. Safaray’s incredible performance and the realities of this story have made the movie a hit.

The film, albeit had a slow pace at some points– was a touching and heart warming one to watch. With that said, this movie is one that is necessary for today’s India.

Bollywood has not opened up to homosexuality yet– as I said in an earlier post, it’s still “trapped in the closet.” But, a simple question by Indiafm.com posed to various actors gathered noteworthy results.

Eight actors were asked if they would play a role in which they were gay. Of the actors who said they would, 5 actors said they would. Arshard Warsi was definitely the biggest name in the group (none of the other actors were that established– which also says something), said that he would “willingly play a gay character. It will be a new challenge for me as an actor,” which definitely makes sense.

Neil Mukesh, after just starring in one film (that won accolades of critical acclaim) also agreed that he would have no problem at all.

But the people who would weren’t really having the greatest careers at the moment. Mohit Ahlawat, a prodigy of Ram Gopal Varma, really has no hits to his name, said that “For me it’s difficult to play gay as I won’t be able to identify with such a character. Sorry, I can’t play a role I’m so far removed from. But I respect an actor like Irrfan or Sanjay Suri who can.” Obviously, this is ridiculous. He’s not really a great actor if he can’t play a role which he claims he’s “so far removed from.”

Actor Prashant Raj was probably the most mistaken: “I don’t think I’d do justice to a role like that. My structure and built might not be conducive to playing such a role.” What does he even mean by that? He’s too much of a “man” to play a gay character, or that he feels he doesn’t fit a certain stereotype? And anyways, Raj has only done one film– which has totally failed.

So, this interview is in many ways no surprises. But, it was nice for Arshad Warsi and Neil Mukesh to be progressive and open to different roles. As for the actors who denied the possibility… I don’t think anyone is rushing to make a film with them anyways.

Aaja Nachle, a film which I have been looking forward to, released today. In true Bollywood style, it is already knee-deep in controversy.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayavati Kumari, has decided to ban the film from the state. In the title song of the film, there is a reference to Dalits (untouchables) which she found offensive. Because of this, she banned the film from the state she leads. “[It] is not only objectionable and humiliating but also unconstitutional and, therefore, the screening of the film has been banned.”

The part of the song which she (and many others who were protesting in Delhi) found offensive was:

maine galati kari thi, meri nathani padi thi – 2
ke sone mein usako ranga gayi, mein rangaake atariya pe aa gai
mohalhe mein kaisi maara maar hai, bole mochi bhi khud ko sonar hai

Which translates to:

I made a mistake, I colored my nose ring gold, and came on the roof. There were fights in the area to see me, and even the low caste shoe makers would call themselves goldsmiths.

To understand Mayawati’s decision, one must know about her background. She herself was an untouchable (a dalit), and often cites how successful she has become, despite her background. The party she represents is Bahujan Samaj Party, a party which is known for representing the lower caste. Her victory earlier this year made her the first untouchable woman to become the leader of a state, and her campaign was largely grassroots and attracted upper castes, lower castes, and even other religions.

The line from the song was not smart on the part of the lyricist or the filmmakers, because they are all in powerful positions, and made a regressive statement about castes in India. But, banning the film was not the way to go.

The film should not have been banned. The portrayal of (or the lack of) Dalits in Bollywood needs to be changed, altogether. Instead of banning the movie and creating controversy over one line in a Bollywood film, Mayawati should have simply used this as an example of how the very concept of the caste system needs to change and make progressive decisions as the leader of the most populous state in India. Bollywood shouldn’t be her focus.

And, India is still a democracy. If Mayawati bans this film, is it possible for the BJP to call for the banning of the movies they don’t approve of? (Trust me, I shouldn’t even go there.)

The treatment and portrayal of Dalits and untouchables in India and even in Bollywood needs to change now– along with the portrayal of other minorities. The line in Aaja Nachle should be discussed, recognized- but not banned.

After the only real failure in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s career, “Saanwariya,” he decided to blame the media.

Bhansali reportedly said that “Saawariya is the biggest hit of my career so far… Media manipulation won’t kill my film.” Honestly, Saawariya was not the biggest hit of his career. Devdas (which won eleven Filmfare awards, including best actor, actress, director, and film), Khamoshi (my favorite), or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (which won best actress and film and director), were all better movies.

In this film, Bhansali launched two newcomers, who were not very talented. The first hour had four songs, and it was really difficult to get through the rest. Even The New York Times (which is obviously outside the Indian media) gave the film a bad review.

Blaming the media doesn’t always work. How about trying to make better movies for the sake of art, not for the money.

After Anurag Kashyup’s “Black Friday,” an incredible film about the plotting behind the 1993 Bombings in Mumbai, director Nishikant Kamat is making a film titled “Mumbai Meri Jaan” about the commuter rail bombings that took place last year, which resulted in almost 200 deaths.

It took the government three years to actually allow “Black Friday” to release. While “Black Friday” focused on the conspiracy and planning behind the 1993 bombings, “Mumbai Meri Jaan” is a story that will be told from a reporter’s eyes, who witnesses the deaths and bombings first hand.

“Black Friday,” despite receiving rave reviews, failed at the box office. Sadly, “Mumbai Meri Jaan” will probably have the same fate.

Or maybe, the Indian public will actually realize that not all good movies have to be unrealistic… but maybe that’s asking for too much.

Konkana Sen Sharma, known for her brilliant acting skills and the incredible niche she has formed in serious and off-beat cinema, recently said at an event that “cinema isn’t meant for preaching,” and that is was “a form of expression, an art form.”

What’s interesting about this is, many mainstream actors who refuse to do “art” cinema believe it is made for preaching to an audience. It was reported that Farah Khan repeatedly said she didn’t want to make anything “artsy,” while Preity Zinta (who is now doing an art film) said in Filmfare in September that at one point in her career, she did not want to be a part of that cinema which preaches.

Now, I find this really silly. If a film has no songs, or if a film is out of the mainstream, why must people think it has to have some sort of message, or that it’s preaching to an audience? Director Nagesh Kukunoor, who’s films are also known to be off-beat, says that he does not believe films should have messages.

His film “Dor” did focus on the difficulties women face when they are widows, but his story also focused on an incredible relationship two women, who were completely the opposite, were able to form. Yes, it’s great if some people in society understand how wrong they are in treating widows in a demeaning manner after watching the film, like when Karan Johar realized how silly is was to name all his films with the letter “K” after watching Lage Raho Munnabhai, but that wasn’t a message of the film– it was merely a story that Kukunoor wanted to portray.

But, if commercial filmmakers and actors believe that making good films is preaching, then they should try it. I would rather be “preached” than to watch a Farah Khan film, any day.

There is much buzz in India (and now everywhere else) about a certain Bollywood actress, 42, with two kids, making her comeback after six years.

Yes, Madhuri’s back! And it seems like everyone is excited (even the International Herald Tribune). What’s significant is, in the very much male-dominated world of Bollywood (where most films have the actor in the lead role, where most actors get paid twice as much as actresses), Madhuri Dixit is returning to the film industry after having an illustrious career, after marriage, and at the age of 42, a very uncommon age for the female lead of a commercial film.

So maybe this means that women are getting more respected in Bollywood. With movies like Corporate, Dor, and Farah Khan, maybe we’ll be seeing more mainstream films with better roles for women.

Or it could just be a phase. But let’s hope for the better!

For now: check out the song that put Madhuri on the map!

In one of my earlier posts, I wrote about my hopes for Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, and how great it was that such major actors, a director, and the producers were making a film about the growing number of small town women in India who move to a big city, and because of the difficulties in getting an education and finding a job, often resort to prostitution.

I thought this film, which loosely means “a stain on character,” would portray the hardships on these women, would openly talk about prostitution, and would also express how families and society perceive these women.

But no, the film included a trip to Europe (of course, Yash Raj Films produced it), songs and dances with the actresses singing about her new found love, and at the end, the female lead (the hooker) is “accepted” by the man she loves, whom she met for a couple of hours.

The film, which had so much going for it, failed– both with critics and in the box office– because it tried to fit into formulaic Bollywood cinema. If the film was bold and actually dealt with prostitution in a much more clear and distinctive fashion, without the melodrama and the lame love stories, the Yash Chopra camp would have had a clear winner in their hands.

Hopefully, they will learn!