Bollywood Masala Mix
(Part 2 – Conclusion)
Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)
In this sequel to the 2003 original (also on the list), the eponymous Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) starts to live by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi to impress a radio jockey (Vidya Balan) he's smitten with. Noted for its ability to balance the message with entertainment, even as some felt it dumbed down Gandhism. Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement.
Lootera (2013)
Set in early 1950s West Bengal as the zamindari system is abolished, an aspiring writer and daughter of a zamindar (Sonakshi Sinha) falls for a conman posing as an archaeologist (Ranveer Singh). Vikramaditya Motwane directs this drama inspired by O. Henry's 1907 short story “The Last Leaf”. Heavily praised for its visuals, but the love story wobbles.
The Lunchbox (2013)
An unlikely mistake by Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox carrier system results in an unusual friendship between a young housewife (Nimrat Kaur) and an older widower (Irrfan Khan) about to retire from his job.
Lust Stories (2018)
Four directors — Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Karan Johar — helm four different parts of this anthology drama that focuses on the romantic lives of four women, delving into love, power, status, and naturally, lust. Noted for its authenticity and portraying real women on screen. A Netflix Original.
Manto (2018)
The life of Pakistani author Saadat Hasan Manto (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) — one of the finest Urdu writers of the 20th century — before and after the Partition of British India, whose acclaimed life in then-Bombay is uprooted and finds his work being challenged in Lahore. Nandita Das directs.
Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018)
Born with a rare condition that doesn't allow him to feel physical pain, a boy who grew up watching martial arts films trains to protect the vulnerable and longs to meet the one-legged man who won a 100-men fight. Praised for being a fun ride that trades on film nostalgia, though it doesn't aspire to be more than a crowd-pleaser.
Kalki Koechlin plays a cerebral palsy-afflicted teenager in this coming-of-age drama from Shonali Bose, who falls in love with a blind girl of Pakistani-Bangladeshi descent after she moves to New York for her undergraduate degree. Koechlin's work and Bose's sensitive handling of the movement disorder were highlighted.
Masaan (2015)
Neeraj Ghaywan ventures into the heartland of India to explore the life of four people in his directorial debut, all of whom must battle issues of caste, culture and norms. Winner of a National Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes.
Mukti Bhawan (2016)
This National Award-winning film follows a son forced to set aside his job and accompany his elderly father to the ghats of Varanasi, where the latter hopes to attain salvation.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)
After his parents find out their son has been pretending to be a doctor, a good-natured Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) tries to redeem himself by enrolling in a medical college, where his compassion brushes up against the authoritarian dean (Boman Irani). Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement.
No One Killed Jessica (2011)
Based on the 1999 Jessica Lal murder case, an activist-journalist (Rani Mukerji) teams up with the victim's sister (Vidya Balan) to bring the entitled son of a prominent politician to justice. Praised by most critics, though some took issue with its heavy-handedness.
OMG: Oh My God! (2012)
A remake of the 2001 Australian film The Man Who Sued God, and also based on the Gujarati play Kanji Virudh Kanji, this satirical comedy-drama follows a small-time shopkeeper (Paresh Rawal) who files a lawsuit against God after a low-intensity earthquake — legally dubbed as an “act of God” — leads to financial ruin. Akshay Kumar also stars.
Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008)
Dibakar Banerjee's second directorial venture is about the charismatic eponymous thief (Abhay Deol), who after being arrested, recounts his life that began in a poor, suburban West Delhi household and how he became a media sensation with a spree of burglaries.
Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
A true story of the eponymous soldier and athlete (Irrfan Khan) who won gold at the National Games, and later turned into a dacoit to resolve a land dispute. Won top honours for film and actor (Khan) at National Awards.
Peepli [Live] (2010)
With elections around the corner, a farmer about to lose his land due to an unpaid government loan seeks help from an apathetic politician, who suggests he commit suicide to benefit from a government programme that helps families of deceased farmers. An incisive satire of farmers' suicides in India, and the media and political circus surrounding it. Produced by Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao.
Pink (2016)
A lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan) comes out of retirement to help three women (Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang) clear their names in a crime involving a politician's nephew (Angad Bedi). Won a National Award.
PK (2014)
A satirical comedy-drama that probes religious dogmas and superstitions, through the lens of an alien (Aamir Khan) who is stranded on Earth after he loses his personal communicator and befriends a TV journalist (Anushka Sharma) as he attempts to retrieve it.
Queen (2013)
A 24-year-old shy woman (Kangana Ranaut) sets off on her honeymoon alone to Europe after her fiancé calls off the wedding a day prior. There, freed from the traditional trappings and with the help of new friends, she gains a newfound perspective on life. Won two National Awards. Co-written and directed by Vikas Bahl, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement.
Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016)
Nawazuddin Siddiqui stars as serial killer Ramanna — inspired by the real-life killer Raman Raghav from the 1960s — in Anurag Kashyap's neo-noir psychological thriller, as he's increasingly obsessed with a young cop named Raghavan (Vicky Kaushal). Many critics found it absorbing, but others were peeved by its misogyny and lack of female character depth.
Aamir Khan leads the ensemble cast of this award-winning film that focuses on four young New Delhi men who turn into revolutionary heroes themselves while playacting as five Indian freedom fighters from the 1920s for a docudrama.
Secret Superstar (2017)
Though frequently melodramatic, this coming-of-age story — produced by Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao — of a Muslim girl from Vadodara who dreams of being a singer dealt with important social issues and broke several box office records during its theatrical run.
Shaitan (2011)
Blackmailed by a Mumbai cop after a hit-and-run, five friends (Kalki Koechlin among them) stage a fake kidnapping with a plan to collect the ransom in this black comedy. While some found it spell-binding, others were put off by its attempts to come across as ‘hip' and ‘cool'. Produced by Anurag Kashyap.
Soni (2019)
A short-tempered young policewoman and her cool-headed female boss must contend with ingrained misogyny in their daily lives and even at work, where it impacts their coordinated attempts to tackle the rise of crimes against women in Delhi. A Netflix Original.
Special 26 (2013)
Inspired by the 1987 Opera House heist in then-Bombay, Akshay Kumar stars as one of several conmen posing as government agents working for the CBI — India's equivalent of the FBI — who execute a fake income tax raid on a prominent jeweller. Neeraj Pandey (A Wednesday!) writes and directs.
Stree (2018)
Based on a Karnataka urban legend — though transported to small-town Madhya Pradesh in the film — this Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.-written comedy horror follows a women's clothing tailor (Rajkummar Rao) who falls for a mysterious woman (Shraddha Kapoor), who frequently disappears.
Swades (2004)
Shah Rukh Khan stars a successful NASA scientist in this based on a true story drama, who returns home to India to take his nanny to the US, rediscovers his roots and connects with the local village community in the process.
Taare Zameen Par (2007)
Sent to boarding school against his will, a dyslexic eight-year-old is helped by an unconventional art teacher (Aamir Khan) to overcome his disability and discover his true potential.
Talvar (2015)
Meghna Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj combine forces to tell the story of the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and the family's hired servant were killed, and the inept police bungled the investigation. Uses the Rashomon effect for a three-pronged take.
Udaan (2010)
Vikramaditya Motwane made his directorial debut with this coming-of-age story of a teenager who is expelled from boarding school and returns home to the industrial town of Jamshedpur, where he must work at his oppressive father's factory.
Udta Punjab (2016)
With the eponymous Indian state's drug crisis as the backdrop, this black comedy crime film depicts the interwoven lives of a junior policeman (Diljit Dosanjh), an activist doctor (Kareena Kapoor), a migrant worker (Alia Bhatt), and a rock star (Shahid Kapoor).
Ugly (2014)
In this thriller from writer-director Anurag Kashyap, a struggling actor (Rahul Bhat) and a policeman (Ronit Roy) look for a missing 10-year-old girl: their daughter and step-daughter, respectively. Termed as one of Kashyap's best by many, though some took issue with its routineness, flabbiness, and unearned insights.
Wake Up Sid (2009)
A wealthy Mumbai businessman's carefree, spoiled son (Ranbir Kapoor) experiences a rude awakening after he fails his college final exams, and then begins to take on more responsibility and be more independent with the help of an aspiring writer friend (Konkona Sen Sharma) who moved from Kolkata. Ayan Mukerji's directorial debut.
A Wednesday! (2008)
Neeraj Pandey's film is set between 2 pm and 6 pm on a Wednesday, naturally, when a common man (Naseeruddin Shah) threatens to detonate five bombs in Mumbai unless four terrorists accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings case are released.
You Are My Sunday (2016)
Five thirty-something friends struggle to find a place in Mumbai where they can play football in peace in this light-hearted rom-com tale, which explores gender divides and social mores along the way.