The Best of Bollywood in 2014

                     TOP 5 MOVIES OF 2014 - A YEAR DEDICATED TO FRESH STORIES.

Another year has passed by and our love for bollywood movies continues to grow as always. 2014 gave us a good feast of varied subjects, masala romcoms and absolutely mediocre movies those kept the cash counters busy. And, yet, there were a few that stood out for its amazing content at the end of the year.

Here is my pick on 2014's top 5 movies that really signified the change bollywood has marched towards in recent years or so.

1. CityLights - Stark. Heartfelt. Engrossing. "Citylights" showcases the hardships faced by a small town farmer , beautifully played by Rajkumar Rao who steps in the city of dreams only to realize that the city is a lot more than dreams as he crumbles into the world of deceit, betrayals and crime. Hansal Mehta casts his profound impact on story and screenplay and is equally well supported by brilliant acting by the main lead. A must watch for those who love realistic off beat cinema.
                                                               

2. Queen - Many say that Kangana Ranaut is one of the most underrated actresses we have today in our industry. She certainly proves this with authority while she plays "Rani", an orthodox & under-confident girl from Delhi. The entire movie revolves around Kangana as she transforms from a shy delhi girl to a free-spirited confident woman who explores her freedom, happiness and new friendships on the backdrop of a cancelled marriage. Undoubtedly in the race for the best actress award this season.

P.S. -You will also come across one of the most delightful supporting star cast.

                                                                 

3.Haider - When Vishal Bhardwaj makes a movie, the whole world sits back and makes note of it. This time it was no different as he explored Shakespearean "Hamlet" and presented its Indianized version that revolved around something as sensitive as Kashmir issue and a tale of complex relationships. Though many had their own views on the climax which was reasonably debatable, Shahid Kapoor did absolute justice to the title role and was almost flawless in each frame. We all must have surely understood why they don't make like her anymore when Tabu delivers a heart wrenching climax scene which will go down as one of the best and most realistic death scenes showing a mother-son relationship. A deserving contender for most awards this season including the best film and best actor.             

P.S. - Irfan Khan & KK Menon were a delight in their own capacity.  

                                                                                                                             

4.Highway - Right from the first scene, you come to know this is an Imtiaz Ali film. Unusual start, dramatic events, picturesque locations, effortless acting, slice-of-life moments midst tense drama and above all, Randeep Hooda & Alia Bhatt re-discovering their acting genes in the most amazing manner till date. A movie that holds an absolutely sensitive & burning issue few layers within but eventually leaves the viewer with a wide smile and a sense of having watched something touching, thought-provoking and surreal.

P.S. - Randeep Hooda in emotional scenes was a revelation.

                                                     

5.Ugly - Anurag Kashyap. A name that needs no introduction when it comes to nerve chilling storytelling and off-the-edge thrillers.With his new offspring "Ugly",he raises the bar to an insurmountable level in thriller genre. The movie is dark, creepy, brutally realistic and hard-hitting that leaves audience stunned at the climax with a lingering effect. Though story and screenplay are  real stars of the movie, it is nothing but impossible to neglect breath taking performances by Rohit Roy, Rahul Bhatt and other actors. A stellar movie that ended the year with a BANG!!!!   

P.S. - Girish Kulkarni ( Inspector Jadhav) is an absolute showstopper!!!

                                  

                                                                                                                                                                    Hope you agree or disagree to the above. Feel free to write in your comments and views on the blog or alternatively at prasad.kasbekar@gmail.com !!! Cheers!!!!