The best ten moments of Bollywood – 2008

31Dec08

N.B: A very personal list.

1.    Aamir - The Haara song in Aamir – butcher shop and all. I was already a fan of the soundtrack but after realising the beats were of meat getting hacked and chopped – goosebumps only.

2.    Welcome to Sajjanpur – Whenever the brilliant yet underrated Ravi Jhankal came on screen. Good old days of watching Doordarshan were revived and God bless Shyam Benegal for bringing this brilliant actor out one more time. Hope somebody does the same for Mangal Dhillon, Raja Bundela, Pankaj Berry, Madan Jain and more of their ilk.

3.    A Wednesday – The last scene of climax when both the common man and the police commissioner meet. Fantastic minimalist acting by two aging stalwarts of Indian Cinema.

4.    Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! – The sansanikhej dialogue by the journo towards the end which goes somewhat like – “Yaar aur koi shabd nahin hai kya? Biwi raat ko puchti hai khana kaisa banaa hai, mun se nikalta hai sansanikhe”.   ROTFL moment of the year.

5.   Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na – Paresh Rawal explaining the violent streak within Imraan Khan.

6.    Love Songs – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow – I got hold of this movie somehow. Don’t ask, can’t tell. There is a moment in the movie when an old and married Om Puri is talking to past love, Jaya Bachchan, about what could have been and of times gone by. He gulps all the emotions, looks upwards and in a flash of brilliance makes those eyes tell you everything. Stuff great acting is all about.

7.    Mumbai Meri Jaan - When KK Menon’s character asks the old Muslim Pav vendor “Khaane ke baad pet ke andar jaakar phatega to nahin“. He can be one mean bastard when he wants, isn’t it? Spine chilling.

8.    Superstar - The introduction of a few major characters in this movie is pure joy. Watch for yourself. (After much recommendation from a few friends I bought the DVD of the movie and was pleasantly surprised by this decent entertainer. I don’t know why it failed though. Kunal Khemu?)

9.    Dasvidaniya - The rain scene when Vinay Pathak confesses his love to Neha Dhupia. That it was Neha Dhupia only heightened the unease. Aww…

10. Jodhaa Akbar - A magnificient Hrithik Roshan as Akbar along with the whirling dervishes in the radiantly picturised Khwaja mere Khwaja song.

These three find honourable mention among many others:

Mithya – The pyaari Ophelia (To be or Not to be!) monologue by a consistently brilliant Ranvir Sheorey (and all the Neha Dhupia goodness the movie provided).

Shaurya – KK Menon describing Scotland to a dumbstruck Rahul Bose through single malt Scotch. Whoah Baby.

Rock On!! – Farhan Akhtar’s odd and cold behaviour at the party when the old friends reunite – was good but could have been much much much better… 

Wishing all of you a fantastic New Year.

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Tags: Aamir, Bollywood, Cinema, Fun, Hindi CInema, India, Movie, Movie review, Reviews