Shuvrajit Das Biswas
10. Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year
This comedy-drama film explores an idealist vision of business practices – through honesty and hard work. Ranbir Kapoor still new to the scene plays the titular Rocket Singh. He secures a salesman position in a big firm but since he is morally upright and doesn’t believe in shortcuts like bribery, he is demoted in the corporate ladder. However, he forms his own firm based on equality and honesty. In a true Bollywood fashion, the good guy always wins and he gets everything he wants from the love of Sherena to his own successful company, all without moral compromise. A tale of hope and conscience, this movie is a well-crafted film that deserves a watch.
9. Luck By Chance
A Bollywood film that is self-reflexive, this movie stars Farhan Akhtar and was well received by critics but not as much by fans as is the pattern with most Bollywood movies that display some degree of critical thought. The film is about Vikram (Farhan) a man who goes to Mumbai to try to be a major star. The story is a roller coaster tale of deceit, seduction and cutthroat competition in a city where everyone is chasing success and values such as friendships and humanity takes a back seat. Vikram falls prey to the same thing and struggles hard to balance his relationships and ambition ultimately choosing the latter over the former at great personal cost. A fine movie to watch that is insightful about how the industry functions.
8. Kurbaan
Directed by Rensil D’Silva, this Bollywood movie is a thriller of the first order. Kurbaan meaning sacrifice is a film about global terrorism in the US. It stars a stellar cast of Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Vivek Oberoi. The movie shows the philosophical ramifications of the terrorist acts and attempts to exonerate noninvolved Islamic people from acts of terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam. A touching tale which shows how perspectives change with altering situations like childbirth and love, the film ends in a tragic conclusion as the threat is dispelled but the person who has a change of heart cannot live out his life as he tries to be a hero and is fatally wounded and ultimately shoots himself to evade capture and punishment.
7. Kaminey
An Indian caper film, this movie was critically acclaimed and went on to gain cult status. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is remarkably in the same stride as a lot of Guy Ritchie movies. The film explores the seedy underbelly where everyone is dirty and the only thing pure in the movie is the love between Sweety and Guddu. The other twin Charlie is a bookmaker in with some gangsters. Gangsters are bad, cops are corrupt, there is a guitar case with a million rupees worth of drugs and the twins often get their identities mistaken. Kaminey is a sheer enjoyment through and through and some even call it the best movie of 2009 so you know you can’t afford to miss this one.
6. Wake Up Sid
A coming of age story, Bollywood rarely makes movies like these. Sid Sharm is a contemporary Mumbai rich kid, spoilt to the core and never taking responsibility for any actions. Sid meets Aisha and they form a friendship which goes to evolve into love. However, through the course of their relationship and through Sid’s quarrels with his parents he begins to discover himself, to claim responsibility and become a better person. The title refers to a wake-up call that Sid needed in his life, a call to be not dependent on his father’s wealth and not let that be a chip on his shoulder. Ranbir Kapoor’s acting in this film is simply fantastic and really set him up as one of the finest actors in the industry at the time.
Read More: 2010 Hindi Movies
