Bollywood: The Best of 2006
Let bygones be bygones, so they say. Plus, 2007 seems to have started on a bright note, with Guru bagging both critical and BO accolades for Mani Ratnam, er, Abhiwarya and everyone associated with the film. Still, it is also time to look back to reward and rebuke some of the best and worst in cinema last year. So here goes!
The Best of 2006
Hindi cinema is surely evolving- and there were more than just a few signs of that on the silver screen in 2006. There have been some great films, some great performances, but above all, what was often heartening to see was the marked effort to break the mould- and go beyond. Here’s applauding the films that gave cineastes reason to cheer, despite their BO status- good or bad- and the people behind these wonderful creations.
Best Films/ Directors:
Omkara/ Vishal Bharadwaj: Mind-blowing is the word to describe this brilliantly inventive adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello by our very own (if you pardon the pun) Mr Bard-waj. This man certainly deserves kudos- for not bending down to commercial pressures and diktats and producing an authentic, honest and tremendous piece of work. For putting to shame the so- called ‘progressive, original’ filmmakers of our industry ridden with dishonesty, unoriginality and shameless plagiarism. And for showing us the difference between copying and tribute, between pretentiousness and pure genius.
Lage Raho Munnabhai/ Rajkumar Hirani: Comedy had been dumbed-down and cheapened so much in our film industry, that it hardly remained a respectable genre. And here came Hiranibhai MBBS and gave it a booster shot, or should I say a tight jadoo ki jhappi and comedy was alive and kicking again. And what’s more, the father of our nation was brought to life and into the collective consciousness of the nation. Hirani’s gentle brand of humour tickles as well as warms the heart. But then, Munnabhai is not just a very funny film- it has turned into an absolute phenomenon. Purists may sneer, but Gandhigiri absolutely rocks, man! What can I say except, well- lage raho…
Rang De Basanti/ Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra: A generation awakens, said the tagline. And indeed it did, with the dazzling- even if flawed- film, which inspired young Indians, created movements and provoked endless debate and discussion throughout the nation. The youth easily related to RDB, with much of its dialogue (Take a bow, Prasoon Joshi) startlingly similar to everyday college conversation. After the dismal failure of his interesting debut, Aks- Mehra has risen like the proverbial gleaming phoenix with his powerful, heart- pounding film.
Khosla Ka Ghosla/ Dibakar Banerjee: Wow. This is what one can truly call a triumph of honest writing and solid acting. This ‘small’ film, which harks back to the films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, stands tall and manages something amazing- to be touching without being melodramatic and being hilarious without being unrealistic. Terrific, detailed nuances in the script and dialogue by Jaideep Sahni and spontaneous, natural performances by Anupam Kher, Ranvir Sheorey and Boman Irani make for a film that is charming without trying. The classic, tragicomic tale of the rise of the underdog showed us the great Indian middle class story like never before. Chak de Phattey!
Dor/ Nagesh Kukunoor: Kukunoor stunned everyone with a little gem called Iqbal- breaking out of his somewhat amateurish style of filmmaking to become a director with confidence and finesse. He also gave us the immensely talented Shreyas Talpade. This year, he brought us Dor, a beautiful and touching film embellished with arresting cinematography and music, and luminous performances from a young, and very raw, fresh lead cast. Looking forward to more fine work from you, Mr Kukunoor- but just one small request- if you could only resist the temptation of acting and stay behind the camera- and do what you do best.
Best Actor(s):
The name’s Tyagi. Langda Tyagi. Now these are what you call wicked performances, quite literally. The Chhote Nawab may not have quite the same star status of a Shahrukh, Salman or an Aamir- but as far as truly splendid performances go, he has certainly come out on top of all the Khans. Saif Ali Khan, till now saddled with the usual romantic comedy roles in frothy films like Salaam Namaste and Hum Tum sunk his teeth deep into the meaty roles he had in Omkara and Being Cyrus.
If in the latter, he was marvelous as the dark, disturbed Cyrus, he chewed up the scenery in Omkara with a tour-de-force performance as Iago in a stunningly complex, and layered portrayal. So brilliant was he, that one almost was tempted to root for the villain. Saif has been constantly climbing the graph as an actor in films like Ek Hasina Thi and Parineeta , skillfully balancing light roles with serious ones. So while all our silly award functions will have to offer to him is some stupid ‘Best Villain’ award (who will they give best actor- Hrithik Roshan for Krrish?) this man certainly deserves to be praised to the skies. Rest assured, we won’t be seeing a performance like this one for a while.
Also worth mention are Sanjay Dutt (LRM), Aamir Khan (RDB), Anupam Kher (Khosla Ka Ghosla), Ajay Devgan (Omkara), Shiney Ahuja (Gangster) and Shahrukh Khan (Don).
Best Actress(es):
Even though there was no single performance that overshadowed the rest, there have surely been some actresses who excelled themselves this year.
If Sushmita Sen sizzled and sparkled with fury in the otherwise awful Chingaari, Konkona Sen Sharma left one speechless and haunted in 15 Park Avenue. If Kareena Kapoor was a timeless picture of pure innocence and beauty in Omkara, Bipasha Basu gave a spirited portrayal of a modern woman in the corporate world, crafty, yet humane.
If Kangana Ranaut won us over in Gangster- she blew you away in Woh Lamhe. And if baby-faced Ayesha Takia impressed with a surprisingly mature turn in Dor, Vidya Balan made men go weak in the knees with her coquettish eyes, lovely smile and of course- Good Morning, Mumbai!
Best Supporting Actor/ Actress:
With a good bunch of dependable supporting actors in Bollywood today, second leads have become the ones to look out for. Think Boman Irani- from Lucky Singh to Khurana- what amazing acting and body language. Think Ranvir Sheorey- awesome spontaneity and comic timing in Mixed Doubles, Pyaar ke Side Effects and Khosla Ka Ghosla.
Then there’s Arshad Warsi- the show stealer in Lage Raho Munnabhai and Kabul Express. There is the talented Shreyas Talpade who revealed his natural flair for comedy and mimicry as the behroopiya in Dor. And finally Siddharth, who debuted in Bollywood with a smouldering act in RDB, and left a solid impact.
Among actresses in supporting roles, if there is on name that immediately springs to mind, it is again- Konkana Sen Sharma. Armed with oodles of confidence and capability, she stood tall in a towering performance in Omkara, grabbing eyeballs with her tongue in cheek dialogue delivery and blazing screen presence.
Best Music/ Lyrics:
AR Rehman never ceases to enthrall- and the reserved composer belted out not one, but two great soundtracks in Rang De Basanti and Guru. Vishal Bharadwaj had us spellbound with his mellow, earthy and passionate Omkara score- one of the most unconventional in a long time, yet managing to be a commercial success, too. That the songs were embellished with golden words from the pens of Gulzar (Omkara, Guru) and Prasoon Joshi (RDB) also helped. And added to the sheer listening experience.
The new guys on the block- Vivek Philip (who earlier composed the lovely Le Chale in My Brother Nikhil) and Mithoon (now of Tere Bin fame)- came up with interesting compositions in Onir’s disappointing second film, Bas Ek Pal.
Best Cinematography:
Omkara and Rang De Basanti – great films they were, and undoubtedly, what really elevated them to a different level altogether was their outstanding cinematography. While Tassaduq Hussain’s moody, dark and expressive camerawork added to Omkara disturbing menace, Binod Pradhan’s work in RDB was an expertly shot riot and celebration of India’s colour and youth.
Best Writing/ Dialogues;
The raw, poetic quality of Vishal Bharadwaj’s writing in Omkara made even the curses sound profound and literary, even symbolic. And the deadpan humour added to a potent combination. Jaideep Sahni captured the heart soul and essence of saddi Dilli with his labour of love- Khosla Ka Ghosla. And Prasoon Joshi and Rensil D’Silva had their fingers on the pulse of the youth in RDB.
All three films had lines which were whistle- worthy, yet natural; proving that dialogue need not be overwrought and dramatic to make an impact. Or as Siddharth said as he read the script of the docu-drama in RDB- Aise kaun baat karta hai yaar? (Who the hell actually talks like this?)
Coming up: The Worst of 2006!
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Here are my top movies of 2006. I think Dor will be winner all the way
1)DOR
2)RDB
3)Omkara
4)Khosla ga Ghosla
5)Lageraho
Top Songs
1)Naina - Omkara
2)Tu Bin Bataye - RDB
3)Paathshala - RDB
4)Tere Bin - Bas Ek Pal
5)Main Hoon woh Asma - Krish
Top 5 Directors
1)Nagesh Kuknoor - Dor
2)Dibakar benarjee - Khosla ka Ghosla
3)Vishal Bharadwaj - Omkara
4)Rakesh Mehra - RDB
5)Lage Raho - Raj Kumar Hirani
out of all the movies mentioned above.. i’ve only seen Lage Raho Munnabhai.. and i really liked it…On sunday i am watching Khosla ga Ghosla as i keep hearing so much about it.. so its a must see movie.. i guess
baarishh, khosla is a GEM of a movie!!!! watch it asap and enjoy!!
Completely and whole heartedly agree with you except for Aamir in RDB. Yes it was a flawed film, but it was enjoyable. Yet I found Aamir’s try at Punjabi flawed and overly irritating for an actor who claims to “research” extensively. Shourie was able to do Delhi punjabi full justice.
As for kukunoor, his Dor was brilliant. I think his departure from ameteur filmaking started before Iqbal with teen deewrien. I mantain that 3 deewarein is one of the best Indian movies i have ever watched.
Glad to have found your blog, its good to see people who see through the crap that Krissh was
this is it!!!i seriously dont get why Siddarth(RDB) has been praised sky high by virtually everyone.
he and Kunal Kapoor, i felt were just not delivering the dialouges in the best way. i mean, i dunno how to explain it, but i just felt that they(esp sid) in fact looked a bit unconvincing as the revolutionaries. i just felt something lacking.dunno how to explain.
in fact i prefered Sharman Joshi to them.
I do agree Siddharth wasn’t great in the ‘Bhagat Singh’ portions, but I did think he had great screen presence and good impact. BTW, even I thought Sharman was great, too.
Jahan my man..kaun ho tum…I love your articles…Just coming back from the “Worst of 2006″…I would not flinch twice to give you the ” Best Debut on PFC” award…lol!!!
I do not agree when you say that Siddarth wasnt great playing Bhagat Singh.. We the audience are spoilt by the actors who have played Bhagat Singh over a period of Bollywood history, right from Manoj Kumar to Ajay Devgan…mind you none of them looked 23 years old…We never knew that Bhagat Singh was cold-blooded as acted by these legendary actors…for once we had a Bhagat Singh played by Sid who acted and looked all of 23..still he had the passion for the Freedom and Inquilab…We dont like our Freedom fighters to be mellow..we always want them to do a lot of hero-giri….which wasnt done by Siddhart..rightfully so..
I agree with what you say Om, still I just found him a tad immature somewhat. Refreshing portrayal, nonetheless. And thanks for the ‘award’…truly an honour to this 16 yr old soul!
Siddharat’s character (Karan) was sort of mellowed/laid back so he would hardly get noticed when being surrounded by loud characters like DJ and Sukhi, and yet he exceeded in the film, for example: in Ajay’s farewell scene, just after J Bhag scene, the ending..
Exactly my thoughts, HG!
I loved omkara and dor…saif was crazyyyy as langda tyagi…everything jsut fell into place in the movie..dor was very touching..i love ayesha takia ,from her first movie i felt she had potential..and she showed it through dor..
rdb..i think i need to rewatch it..i know its a god movie but so many people talked about before i gotto to see and udnerstand that they ended up ruining it for me
ahhhh
another omkara lover on board ….
Wat about deepak dobriyal (Rajju) in omkara for supporting actor ????
And and and dor ???? uhhh maan ..everyone likes it..why not me ???
http://passionforcinema.com/dor-cut-it-short-mr-nagesh/
there was a small film YUN HOTA TOH KYA HOTA HAI.i agree with your listing coz will appear somewhat the same but i also liked this endearing debut by naseerudin shah.
Hi Kartik- I think Deepak Dobriyal was great, it’s just that his role wasn’t too substantial, though his character is pivotal to the plot. Awesome act nonetheless- I agree.
Supporting Actor: Boman Irani for Khosla ka ghosla.
This is wat i call gettin into a role of a harami contractor/builder.
the way he holds onto his pants which keep going down of his fat belly,
kaafir - good one .. i think even his laughter was too good in those scenes … that khe-khe-khe type of laughter … with his belly vibrating
tooooo good !!!
i felt that he lacked the conviction/fiery thing. i dunno, if thats coz (as u r saying, OM) i expected an over-the-top thing or sumthing. but i just felt that he lacked the conviction. i mean probably he’d have played the role acc 2 how HE interpretted the character or sumthing but i cldnt interpret it that way.
i just saw the movie once like an year back. so am sounding all unsure and stuff abt this.
Yes, Kaafir, Kartik- in fact, I think each performance in Khosla… is a brilliant gem.
oh i was bowled over by boman’s performance in khosla.. his laughter, his gait, his walk, his talk, his body language.. just look at the way he sits in his office with his arm over his head and legs crossed.. wowww.. brilliant.
This goes to all who have decided the nomination list of the Filmfare Awards’06…..I think the jury has completely forgotten the ultimate when it comes to acting,
am trying to get their attention on none other than Ajay Devgan……what happened? You guyz forgot him for Omkara?
How could you do this to a man who has delivered and proven with 2 National Awards in the past, which none have achieved.
Whats worng with the Jury?
Hi,
I am a hotelier from Mumbai and i simply live Bollywood Films & Music. I understand by seeing the nominations which have been published in the news does not have Ajay Devgan at all in the best actors category.
I am very upset and want to know more why my favourite actor has not even got the nominations for OMKARA which he deserves.
If you could please guide me to ask the same question to the Filmfare people.
Thank you
Dear All,
I love Bollywood and follow Bollywood where ever i am, as currently am stationed in Mauritius, since my hubby is posted here.
I am a big fan of Ajay Devgan and especially after Omkara, he has attained the highest level of respect and love any actor can achieve in my mind….
I am dissappointed to know that such a talented actor who has simply conveyed a message with his eyes and with his immense acting talent has not even come in the nomination list of the Filmfare Awards ‘06.
Is it really that bad scene, wherein true talent is never recognised?!!
Falcon, Reshone and Shubhangi,
Ajay was very good in Omkara and he was good in several other film. But Filmfare judges wont be reading and making decisions by reading PFC and none of the PFC member belong to judges.;)