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The 10 Worst Real to Reel Movies
From the badly-acted to terribly-adapted to disappointing and degrading, bad movies are amusing to reflect on. A writer always has more to say about such films than the good ones.
What's especially riling is when a filmmaker takes material from real life, claims to have researched thoroughly and still botches it up.
Ironically, although such films are doomed for failure, they are remembered for some reason, for how 'bad' they actually are. Without being too harsh, here's a low-down on the 10 Worst Real to Reel Movies of the decade.
Not A Love Story, 2011
Inspiration: Neeraj Grover murder case
What went wrong? Ram Gopal Varma hits new creative nadirs with every new film.
A story of the crime of passions, murder, love and betrayal with Mahie Gill reprising the real-life character of Maria Susairaj, the director has come under harsh criticism for using his camera cheaply and voyeuristically in Not A Love Story.
What did Rediff Critic Say? Made in bad taste.
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, 2010
Inspiration: Chittagong Uprising, 1930
What went wrong? Made with honestly patriotic intentions, the film directed by the very talented Ashutosh Gowariker sticks to facts but in the end, fizzles out as an over-stretched, uninteresting lesson in history.
What did Rediff Critic Say? Abhishek Bachchan is woefully miscast.
Read the review here.
Accident on Hill Road, 2009
Inspiration: Chante Jawan Mallard's car accident, US, 2001
What went wrong? Indianised without a semblance of effort in screenwriting, Accident of Hill Road is a forgettable disaster, lacking the thrills and drama that the genre offers. It was unanimously acknowledged amongst the year's terrible films. Now, it graduates to the decade's.
What did Rediff Critic Say? A terrible excuse for a film.
Read the review here.
Shootout at Lokhandwala, 2007
Inspiration: Lokhandwala Complex shootout, Mumbai, 1991
What went wrong? Dealing in Rajkumar Santoshi-meets-Ram Gopal Varma genre, Apoorva Lakhia outrageously squanders the joint talent of his cast and instead, creates dreary gangsters and ATS officers who are engaged in a preposterous duel.
What did Rediff Critic Say? Very pakao.
Read the review here.
Provoked, 2007
Inspiration: Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who burned her husband to death in 1989
What went wrong? Taking a serious subject matter of domestic abuse, Jag Mundhra trivialises it by injecting little empathy or emotion into the script. Aishwarya Rai's acting is pallid and is a huge let-down considering it's a performance-driven film.
What did Rediff Critic Say? The screenplay is shockingly superficial.
Read the review here.
Shoot on Sight, 2007
Inspiration: Operation Kratos, London, 2005
What went wrong? It was, in some ways, expected of Jag Mundhra to make such a film. It takes the real issue of racial profiling -- centred around the searing dilemma of a Muslim cop in the post 9/11 world and translates it into a terrible gimmick.
What did Rediff Critic Say? Cliche upon cliche.
Read the review here.
Mangal Pandey: The Rising, 2005
Inspiration: Indian rebellion, 1857
What went wrong? Usually attached with the best films, it pains us to include this Aamir Khan film about the first war of Indian independence. While Aamir did pump in heartfelt conviction, Mangal Pandey twists too many facts than it offers.
What did Rediff Critic Say? Just cleavage and cliche.
Read the review here.
LOC Kargil, 2003
Inspiration: 1999 Kargil War (Operation Vijay)
What went wrong? Crammed with far too many actors, it looked like director J P Dutta wanted to create a mini-army than a film about the army. Let Mr Dutta be reminded what Roger Ebert once said of David Lean's epics, "The word 'epic' in recent years has become synonymous with 'big budget B picture.' It refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision."
What did Rediff Critic Say? Much too long, and loud.
Read the review here.
23rd March 1931: Shaheed, 2002
Inspiration: Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh
What went wrong? Released alongside Rajkumar Santoshi's brilliant The Legend of Bhagat Singh, this Bobby Deol starrer pales in comparison. Sadly, the film caricaturises the martyr and does gross injustice to this important chapter in Indian history.
What did Rediff Critic Say? More concerned about glorifying Bobby and his brother Sunny.
Read the review here.
Jaago, 2004
Inspiration: A 10-year-old mentally challenged girl was raped in a Mumbai local train in 2002.
What went wrong? Director Mehul Kumar's lack of sensitivity and sensibility to tackle such delicate topics. The manner in which rape scene was shot was quite disturbing. Bad performances by the cast -- Raveena Tandon and Sanjay Kapoor -- made it worse.
What did Rediff Critic Say? A sensitive film made very unsensitively.