Year in Review: Bollywood’s Hits and Misses of 2018

Now that I have watched all (almost) of this year’s releases, here’s my list of the ones that I liked the best and ones that gave me a headache. My list has nothing to with the film’s box-office collections, this is my personal choice of the ones that worked best for me and some that just didn’t. 2018 was a year of epic disappointments and pleasant surprises. Check out this list to find out if you agree:

Hits

Raazi – Directed by Meghna Gulzar, this edge-of-the-seat spy thriller made for a compelling watch. Alia Bhatt’s performance as the young bride/spy in an enemy nation tugged at my heartstrings. Vicky Kaushal played her Pakistani husband and a quintessential gentleman, his genuine affection broke my heart a little at the travesty of the situation. ‘Raazi’ deserves a repeat watch and loud applause.

Andhadhun – Sriram Raghavan’s dark comedy/thriller ‘Andhadhun’ was a delectable tale about deliciously evil characters. Ayushmann played a blind pianist and Tabu belted out a commendable performance as she played layered character. If you haven’t watched this intriguing story yet, you must.

Badhai Ho – ‘Badhai Ho’ was a heartwarming tale of a very ‘unusual’ situation. Ayushmann plays the son of an elderly couple who suddenly discover they’re pregnant and have a difficult time grappling with the sudden development. Peppered with genuine humour and brilliant performances by Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Surekha Sikri and Ayushmann Khurrana, this family drama is a must watch.

Stree – ‘Stree’ was an entertaining horror comedy. Amar Kaushik’s debut film had a rare mix of really scary moments peppered with a generous dose of humour. Actors like Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi and Aparshakti Khurrana made this small-town tale a fun film.

Karwaan – I loved this trippy road movie starring Dulquer Salman and Irrfan Khan. Three unlikely travelers on an unusual journey to exchange dead bodies delivered to wrong addresses. An unusual premise but understated dark humour and effortless performances made this one of my favourite films this year.

Misses

Fanney Khan – Even dependable actors like Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao couldn’t salvage this film. Fanney Khan believed that his overweight daughter had it in her to become a singing sensation. Unfortunately he was the only one convinced of his brattish daughter’s talent.

Race 3 – This multi-starrer with Salman Khan leading the pack was the big Eid release this year. The third release of the ‘Race’ franchise failed to impress and the film opened to mixed reviews by the critics.

Namaste England – This love story starring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra was a dam squib. Too many issues like fake marriage, illegal immigration, deportation marred this romance. Both Arjun and Parineeti desperately need a hit after ‘Namaste England’ tanked at the box-office.

Baaghi 2 – ‘Baaghi 2’ was a clichéd action movie full of revenge and drama. This Tiger Shroff starrer sacrificed logic and rationale at the altar of daredevilry. Even actors like Manoj Bajpai and Randeep Hooda couldn’t provide relief in this ridiculous scheme of things.

Batti Gul Meter Chalu – ‘Batti Gul Meter Chalu’ wanted to showcase the issue of inflated electricity bills and how the common man suffers because of it. The film however tripped on many roadblocks, much like the tripping electricity connection in a small town in Uttarakhand. The humour fell flat and Shahid Kapoor failed to impress.