David Lagachu
6. Aankhen
The much talked about successful partnership of director Vipul Amrutlal Shah and actor Akshay Kumar began with a small but an Indian original crime thriller ‘Aankhen’. The USP of the film is in the bonhomie between the actors Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal and Paresh Rawal; their street smartness combined with Shah’s power packed direction made sure that the audiences had a fun ride and went home charged with the joy of having seen a movie worth their time and money. Sushmita Sen was sensational and fearless in the film in her role as the anchor and guide of the leading men.
5. Kaante
It was the most anticipated film of the year as the makers postponed and delayed the release of the film a number of times. The lyrics of the song ‘Rama Re’ triggered the interest of the young audiences and the presence of multiple talented and saleable actors made sure that there was something for everyone in the film. Plot wise the film had nothing to worry about as it was based on ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992) and ‘City of Fire’ (1987), two films heavy on content and action. ‘Kaante’ is easily the best film of Sanjay Gupta in his capacity as a director. Even Malaika Arora Khan’s cameo as a dancing girl is effective as there was a certain amount of sadness and restraint in her act.
4. Company
Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) hardly goes wrong in handling noir crime dramas. He has a natural affinity for raw violence which he so wonderfully executes in ‘Company’; a film that defines his largely unconventional career. However the film wouldn’t be the same without his choice of handpicked actors. Mohanlal, Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala leads the way for newcomers like Vivek Oberoi and Antara Mali and together they display the right emotions at the right moment to create unforgettable moments of magic on the screen. It has all the typical RGV elements and yet manages to stand out from the rest of his films by virtue of its unpretentiousness.
3. Devdas
It is the film in which Sanjay Leela Bhansali owned up to his love of the extravagance and presented the film accordingly. There is not a single frame in the film that doesn’t catch your eye. For instance only in a Bhansali film one can witness the moon beams reflecting on waters to make them sparkle like diamonds. ‘Devdas’ is full of such breathtaking visuals that it almost threatens to divert your attention away from the seriousness of the film. And as if all these wasn’t enough there are the gods and goddesses like movie stars who make up the cast and ups the ante as far as the concept of being starry eyed is concerned. Its commercial success was well deserved.
2. Saathiya
2002 was clearly a very good year for Vivek Oberoi. After making a solid debut with ‘Company’ he followed it up with an equally impressive performance in ‘Road’. However he saved the best for the last as ‘Saathiya’ sealed the deal for him as an actor with both commercial and acting credentials. It was an official remake of the much loved Tamil coming-of-age romance ‘Alaipayuthey’ and even though the fans of the original claimed that many things got lost in translation in the Hindi version, it won massive critical acclaim. Rani Mukherjee blossomed and came into her own with a little help from Shaad Ali’s direction and A.R. Rahman’s tunes.
1. The Legend of Bhagat Singh
It is a historical biopic made by a true blue commercial filmmaker – Rajkumar Santoshi – who has a tendency of leaning more towards sensationalism instead of striving for realism in his direction. Santoshi however tweaked the formula here for the betterment of the film and successfully attained the balance of delivering a massy, thoughtful and a positive patriotic film. Ajay Devgan in the titular role is a picture of dedication and exudes the pride of a job being well done. The National Film Award for best actor further validated and consolidated his hard work for eternity. Another plus point of the film is A.R. Rahman’s musical score.
Read More: Best Bollywood Movies of 2001
