156 Refreshing Hindi films since 2001 (Period : Jan'2001 to July'18) [This List is updated every month]
To the global audience Hindi films are mainly reflection of unreal scenarios with escapist songs-dance soaked in melodrama. And most of the blockbusters with big stars follow the same trend.. Amidst all such films the multiplex culture had given birth to new kind of cinema which explores various kind of genre and the treatment is different. Some even merged the concept of commercial & parallel cinema - thus making a films which are different yet entertaining in their own way.. And yes each one of them has its own set of audience.
If I start with my all-time favourite films the list would have been an unending one. So I decided to start with year 2001, the time from when the gap between art and commerce reduced to an extent letting new talented directors to experiment.
From now on with each passing month I will be ADDing on to the list.
[List is randomly done, not in any order of preferences/ranking]
If I start with my all-time favourite films the list would have been an unending one. So I decided to start with year 2001, the time from when the gap between art and commerce reduced to an extent letting new talented directors to experiment.
From now on with each passing month I will be ADDing on to the list.
[List is randomly done, not in any order of preferences/ranking]
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155 titles
- DirectorVikramaditya MotwaneStarsRajat BarmechaRonit RoyManjot SinghExpelled from his school, a 16-year old boy returns home to his abusive and oppressive father.Nominated in Cannes film festival this masterpiece marks the directorial debut of Vikramaditya Motwane (co-written Udaan with The Anurag Kashyap). A heart warming tale of a young boy and his relationship with his abusive father and little step-brother, the movie is an eye-opener to harsh realities behind our so called glorious Indian societies with family values and all blah blah blah
- DirectorAnurag KashyapStarsKay Kay MenonPawan MalhotraAditya SrivastavA film about the investigations following the 1993 serial Bombay bomb blasts, told through the different stories of the people involved --police, conspirators, victims, middlemen.A rare brilliant docu-thriller made in Hindi (by talented Anurag Kashyap) on the 1993 serial Bombay Bomb Blast. This film was banned for many years before it got released in 2004
- DirectorAamir KhanAmole GupteStarsDarsheel SafaryAamir KhanTisca ChopraAn eight-year-old boy is thought to be a lazy trouble-maker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.Often a film comes with a sensitive message and sways away the crowd. TZP is one-such masterpiece. Perfectionist Aamir Khan's directorial debut (Story by Amol Gupte) has its heart in the right place as he tells the story of a dyslexic child who is misunderstood by the world. There are many such Ishan in the real world and thanks to Aamir's execution the message is beautifully conveyed.. But yes some intellectuals do complain about unnecessary emotions shown in few sequences but then that helped in connecting with masses.. Personally "Maa" used to be one of my all time favourite song and now recently after losing my mother I feel could feel Joshi's lyrics "..yun toh main dikhlata nehi par teri parwa karta hoon mein maa.."
- DirectorVishal BhardwajStarsIrrfan KhanTabuPankaj KapurThe intrigue of the Shakespearean tragedy 'Macbeth' is transposed to the Mumbai underworld.This brilliant Indian adaptation of Macbeth (by versatile Vishal Bhardwaj) is a classic example of fine film making with superlative performances from Pankaj Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Tabu.
- DirectorDibakar BanerjeePravin E. BirjeStarsAnupam KherBoman IraniParvin DabasA Delhi-based retired middle-class man tries half-heartedly to get his land back from a swindling property dealer with the help of his sons and their friends.Dibakar Banerjee knows the Indian middle class very well. This film explores the plight of an Indian middle class family. The setting & dialogues are created with supreme perfection. Banerjee's successfully amalgamates comedy and drama to make his films subtle yet entertaining
- DirectorAnurag KashyapStarsAbhay DeolMahie GillKalki KoechlinAfter breaking up with his childhood sweetheart, a young man finds solace in drugs. Meanwhile, a teenage girl is caught in the world of prostitution. Will they be destroyed, or will they find redemption?Eternal tragic lover Devdas has been explored many a times in Indian cinema (in different languages) but Kashyap's contemporary adaptation is probably one of the finest representation of the story since Bimal Roy's celluloid rendition of the same.
Indian cinema is about songs and dance but this is the only film in last two decades which is rightly termed as musical with the songs helping to movie the story ahead rather being an obstacle in the narrative. Amit Trivedi (the music director) & Amitabh Bhattacharya (the lyricist) are real "find" of this movie.. "Emotional Atyachaar" has cult written all over it..
Hopefully the Johar,Bhansalis & Chopras will learn from Kashyap on how musicals should be made.. - DirectorSriram RaghavanStarsDharmendraRimi SenAshwini KalsekarPolice officers recount a tale of missing money which results in lies, deceit, betrayal and death.Since the demise of Guru Dutt (arguable the finest film maker of Hindi cinema) film-noirs were rarely tried. This superb Sriram Raghavan noir can set an example to many who wants to try this less trodden territory of Indian cinema
- DirectorAnurag BasuShubzzStarsRanbir KapoorKatrina KaifSaswata ChatterjeeJoin Jagga, a gifted teenage detective, who along with a female companion, is on a quest to find his missing father.Jagga Jasoos is a musical flight of fantasy that prompts your imagination to go wild and make you smile. Just immerse yourself in this imaginary world and you'll become a child once again.
Kudos to Anurag Basu for making a film that doesn't fall under any genre. Somewhat closest to "adventure" (which in itself is rare in Hindi), the film is in a world of its own. I wish that the film gets acceptance from its target audience so that the makers can make a series. Anyhow there's a serious dearth of good children' films in Bollywood that can simultaneously entice the adults.
Then again, the film received extreme reactions.. As a bong i got elated at the various references of Ray's classic & Tintin...
How I wish to see a sequel which might never get made :( - DirectorSriram RaghavanStarsSaif Ali KhanUrmila MatondkarSeema BiswasA woman falls for a charming and mysterious businessman. The whirlwind romance turns sour when she is framed for his underworld crimes. Now, finally out of prison she is ready for sweet revenge.A brutal thriller gets better if all the characters have shades of Grey and Raghavan's debut film had all the ingredients of that. Watch out for the performances of Urmilla & Saif.. And the climax....
- DirectorShimit AminStarsNana PatekarRevathiYashpal SharmaSadhu, an encounter specialist, is armed with a personal vendetta to find and kill the gangsters responsible for his wife's death.Generally police in Hindi cinema are nothing short of super-man, one man army fighting 10 goons at a time. Shimit Amin's debut film is loosely based on a real-life encounter specialist. It's a fine example of cop-gang tale in a realistic setting where both parties uses brains than brawls to get the upper hand
- DirectorVishal BhardwajStarsShabana AzmiShweta Basu PrasadMakrand DeshpandeIn a small North Indian village, Legend has it that a 100 years-old witch lives in an abandoned mansion on the village outskirts, and any person who goes inside is turned into an animal. In the same village a clever, naughty girl named Chunni (Shweta Prasad) lives with her widowed father, grandmother and her identical twin Munni, who is just the exact opposite of Chunni in mannerisms. But one day, Chunni's prank causes Munni enters the witch's mansion and the witch turns her into a hen. Chunni strikes a deal with Makdee (Shabana Azmi) that she will present Makdee with 100 hens in exchange for Munni in human form. How she manages this task forms the crux of the rest of this fun-filled children's movie.Vishal BHardwaj's directorial debut tells a fantasy story about a witch in a haunted house set in rural India and how little Munni solves the mystery unknowingly. It is a sweet honest film which entertains and thrills with a twist in the end
- DirectorVishal BhardwajStarsPankaj KapurShreya SharmaDeepak DobriyalIn a small village when a little girl's prescious umbrella is stolen, things goes wrong for a greedy tea seller who was very much interested in buying that umbrella from her.Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Ruskin Bond's short story of is a treat to your visual senses thanks to Sachin Krishn’s awesome cinematography. The movie itself has many layers camouflaged within a sweet tale of sly Nandu and his desperate means to snatch away little Biniya's precious possession - the cute blue dotted umbrella.
- DirectorPrawaal RamanStarsRajvvir AroraaImaaduddin ShahNishikant KamatA brilliant student starts hallucinating after moving into a room that was occupied by another who committed suicide.One of the less known brilliant Horror film that tries to give a rational explanation to uncanny,unreal happenings in a medical college. The film also deals with psychological ragging and its long lasting impact. Go for this one. It is something you have hardly seen in hindi cinema..
- DirectorAnurag KashyapStarsJohn AbrahamAyesha TakiaParesh RawalA heavily addicted smoker is unprepared for the true price he must pay when he asks a guru's help to kick the habit.Long before Nolan's Inception our own Anurag Kashyap tried experimenting the idea of "dreams within dreams" in a surreal brilliant concept in the form of "No Smoking". Frankly this film is strictly for those who love this surreal abstract genre and loves sequences which are open to thinking & interpretation
- DirectorShimit AminStarsRanbir KapoorPrem ChopraMukesh S. BhattA story of a fresh graduate trying to find a balance between the maddening demands of the 'professional' way, and the way of his heart.Shimit Amin is a talented film maker who choses various subjects and delivers quality product. Rocket Singh is a story of an honest loser who became a big name in business because of the way he handled his business. With global companies going all over stating "customer" is our prime concern, Rocket Singh echoed the same thought but his ideologies clashed with the yesteryear business man with not-so-straight ways of running business. This movie is smart,candid and had lots of subtle message hidden beneath the simple script.Added to the story the acting are top-notch
- DirectorManish GuptaStarsKay Kay MenonArbaaz KhanRukhsar RehmanIn 1980s Bombay, a serial killer starts targeting homeless street dwellers, whilst a suspended police officer attempts to solve the case.Another under rated hindi film which is about the serial killings that happened in Kolkata & Mumbai in mid 80s. The Killer use to smash the pavement dwellers in the late night with huge chunk of stone. Though the case was never solved the director gave his own reasoning of the motive. With reliable Kay Kay in the lead, this is a chilling thriller without any side track (apart from an unwanted item song). Watch the climax where the real villain is revealed who is also a superb actor who has never got his due (till date) ...
- DirectorKabeer KaushikStarsArshad WarsiPankaj KapurMahima ChaudhryAjay Kumar the newly appointed, honest SSP of Lucknow police cracks down on the nefarious cop-mafia nexus in Uttar Pradesh, but finds a cunning and ruthless adversary in Gajraj.Another under rated superb film on UP police and how they crack down cop-mafia nexus in the state in mid 90s.Based on real events this is a fantastic piece of cinema which has gone almost unnoticed. Apart from the execution, the film also boast of superlative performances from The Pankaj Kapoor & Arshad Warsi.
- DirectorVishal BhardwajStarsShahid KapoorPriyanka Chopra JonasDeb MukherjeeThe desperate lives of two estranged twin brothers converge over missing drugs, politics, racial prejudice, corrupt cops and an unplanned pregnancy.Raghavan's Johnny Gaddar sets the noirish stone rolling which is captured by talented Bhardwaj who tried his hands at Noir with almost flawless Kaminey. Bhardwaj's masterstroke writing made this noir a perfect dark comic caper with brilliant performance from every actors in the film. And boy! how can you forget "Dhan tena" ..it became a national youth anthem in 2009 [How i wished to see Shahid Kapoor acting in more such films on dark themes as he was brilliant in Kaminey]
- DirectorDibakar BanerjeeStarsAbhay DeolParesh RawalNitu ChandraLovinder Singh, a thief now in custody and facing trial, reflects on his life of crime while the press reflect on how he managed to get away with so much before being arrested.Dibakar Banerjee knows the pulse of audience and thus his brilliant comic capers are lapped by all cine goers. Oye lucky lucky oye had something for every audience. For regular cine-goers it was indeed an entertaining comedy and at the same time it has many layers reflecting the sorry state of Indian society and its false pride
- DirectorDibakar BanerjeeStarsNushrratt BharucchaAnshuman JhaNeha ChauhanA video camcorder, a store security camera, and concealed cameras candidly expose lives in three loosely-linked tales.Dibakar Banerjee's 3rd venture was again an experiment with hand held camera rarely seen in Bollywood. With the camera being one of the characters Banerjee tells three sordid tales and takes help of humour to make them audience-friendly. The dark comedy was acknowledged by critics and lapped up by audience. LSD reflects the hypocricy, cruelty and again the false pride existing in male dominated Indian society
- DirectorNavdeep SinghStarsAbhay DeolGul PanagRaima SenManorama, wife of an irrigation minister, tasks Satyaveer to find if her husband is cheating. As Satyaveer starts investigating, he gets trapped in a web of lies and must uncover the entire truth.Hindi directors shamefully copy from their foreign counterpart but here is an example when the director gets inspired from a hollywood classic and makes a superb Indian adaptation. Polanski's all time classic dark thriller "Chinatown" is beautifully adapted in Indian context thus giving a fine thriller with a dark,morbid twist in the end. debutant Navdeep Singh should be lauded for this effort. Abhay Deol (as usual) excels in another offbeat great cinema
- DirectorKrishna D.K.Raj NidimoruStarsTusshar KapoorSendhil RamamurthyNikhil DwivediVarious residents and career-criminals face challenges in crime-laden Mumbai.Director duo Krishna Dk & Raj Nidimuro gets inspiration from Guy Ritchie kind of films as they narrates three stories in contemporary mumbai and how the stories crises-cross each other's path through some bizarre yet real sequences. Again this dark comedy is not meant for all cine goers (specially those who love Rohit Shetty or Sajid Khan's brand of humour should Avoid this).. Pitobash Tripathy is a fine new talent who rocked in this film
- DirectorRam Gopal VarmaStarsAjay DevgnMohanlalManisha KoiralaA small-time gangster named Chandu teams up with Malik, a low-level enforcer for a criminal syndicate. Together they eliminate all their enemies, becoming the most feared gangsters in Mumbai.Undoubtedly the "last" good film to be directed by Ram Gopal Verma. Loosely based on lives of Dawood & Chota Rajan, the characters looked real and there seem to be an extensive research done on the underworld
- DirectorTigmanshu DhuliaStarsJimmy ShergillHrishitaa BhattIrrfan KhanAniruddh, a law-abiding college student, in love with Niharika, gets caught up in college politics and crime and must fight it out for himself when his friend becomes his foe.This one deserves a mention due to acting of Irfan Khan in the role of the antagonist.
Also Tigmanshu Dhulia's execution of college politics in an Indian small down looked real. In the second hour the movie slipped into the land of cliché but still it is worth a watch..Jimmy Shergill & Hrishita Bhatt also excelled in their roles.. - DirectorAnurag KashyapStarsKay Kay MenonRaj Singh ChaudharyRaja ChaudharyA law student witnesses deception, homicide, and crime after being elected as General Secretary of his college.When talking about college politics how can one miss out Anurag Kashyap's Gulaal which makes a strong statement against society. This movie is also an example to movie-makers that one should not make a strong character like Ransha and kill him in the mid way. Abhimanyu Singh as Ransha is a powerhouse of talent.
The film also boast of great acting from Piyush Mishra & his strong use of words in the songs are revolution in itself..