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Raja Sen looks back at the good things that happened in Bollywood in the first half of 2015.
Half of 2015 has flown by, and it’s a good time to take stock of Hindi cinema and its latest shenanigans.
Today, I’ll focus on the good stuff, the films and performers that have impressed us in these last six months -- while keeping the red pen ready for tomorrow’s more ominous installment of the report card.
The Best Films
Piku: Without a doubt, this is the A+.
Shoojit Sircar’s finely crafted and emotional film about a constipated father and his irritable daughter is something special, challenging and conceptually very ambitious indeed. The acting is top-notch, the storytelling is warm and relatable, and it is a film worthy of many a viewing.
Badlapur: Sriram Raghavan’s intense slow-burn drama about revenge is a compelling and visceral work of art, with an arresting, unpredictable narrative, heaps of style, and a deeply introspective core that lifts it above the genre.
NH10: We haven’t done many true slasher movies in India, and Navdeep Singh’s gritty tale of a woman on the run is made unforgettable because of how believable the whole nightmare seems.
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The Interesting Attempts
Dil Dhadakne Do: Sure, it’s a bit too long and there’s that insufferable talking-dog voiceover, but Zoya Akhtar’s film does indeed feature some genuine and rather quotable gems.
Hunterrr: Harshvardhan Kulkarni’s film about a horny hero never quite takes off, but has some seriously quirky stuff going on and is bolstered by its performances.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha: There is a lot of marvellous flavour to Sharat Katariya’s film which gets a lot of things right but ends up being a paean to arranged marriage and how we must all settle.
Tanu Weds Manu Returns: I must confess I was travelling when this released and haven’t yet caught the film, but even trailer-length glimpses of the short-haired (and electrifying) Kangana Ranaut ensure it being 'interesting.'
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The Best Actors
Deepika Padukone: Is Padukone our best leading lady right now? She’s certainly not playing it safe, pushing it with every role.
Piku sees her flanked by two legendary actors, but she is, impressively enough, the one who shoulders the film.
Irrfan Khan: What can one say about the marvellous Mr Khan?
Piku sees him as the most wonderfully nonplussed leading man, and as always, he brings tremendous nuance to a role that would, in less capable hands, be a mere comic foil.
Anushka Sharma: Sharma is exceptionally good in NH10, stripped of makeup and believably panicked as she tries to survive a hellacious night.
A powerful performance.
Anil Kapoor: Kapoor, one of our most consistent performers, rises to his belligerent best in Dil Dhadakne Do, steamrolling over the talented ensemble to ensure you go home wowed by him.
Radhika Apte: Does this actress know what a false note is? It sure doesn’t look like it, and Apte -- who is superb in both Badlapur and Hunterrr -- is excelling with a truly eclectic filmography.
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The Big Surprises
Varun Dhawan: Dhawan, so spontaneous and buoyant in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya just last year and, heck, bouncing off walls in ABCD2 a few days ago, dialled it all down and went gruff and bearded and mature for Badlapur.
The gradual slide of man to monster is slow and challenging, and Dhawan nails it.
Ranveer Singh: Similarly, Singh, known for his far-out frippery and hammy flamboyance, peels off the moustache and swagger and plays it straight (and bemused) in Dil Dhadakne Do, giving us the kind of calm, internalised performance we really aren’t used to anymore.
Bravo.