5. Shahid (2012)
Criminal lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi led a singular life of suffering as well as triumph. From witnessing murder during the 1992-93 Bombay Riots to being brutally tortured and then incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, Azmi then persevered to become a lawyer, and represent those wrongfully accused as terrorists.
His struggle for freedom and equality is artfully portrayed in Hansal Mehta’s ‘Shahid’. Rajkummar Rao steals the limelight in the titular role. The film has a highly competent supporting cast in Tigmanshu Dhulia, Prabhleen Sandhu, and K K Menon.
4. Kahaani (2012)
Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Kahaani’ is a blatant love letter to the City of Joy. It can legitimately claim as being a quite exceptional Hindi movie to have come out in a long time. A brilliantly maddening thriller with unexpected twists and turns, ‘Kahaani’ nestles beautifully within the soul of the vibrant metropolis.
Starring Vidya Balan in probably her career-best performance, this is a Hindi film that knows exactly when to engage the brain and when to tug at our heartstrings, making all the difference.
3. Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
The Hindi biopic ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. It focuses on the then largely forgotten figure of the eponymous soldier, athlete, and dacoit. Tomar led a unique life- he was a soldier in the Indian Army. Then he became an athlete when his obvious talents were observed by his seniors. He won numerous medals and broke several records. But due to unmitigating circumstances, he was coerced into a life of brutality as a dacoit in the Chambal Valley.
Irrfan Khan delivers a marvellous performance in the lead, and is brilliantly supported by Mahi Gill and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. For small budget cinema, this was a big winner.
2. Barfi! (2012)
Anurag Basu’s magnum opus was mostly shot without a proper script, which is every bit as mad and taxing as it sounds. There was certainly a lot of method to this madness though, as ‘Barfi!’ proved to be magnificent Hindi cinema.
It has influences ranging from classic silent-era Hollywood to slapstick comedy. ‘Barfi!’ engages the viewer with well drawn characters who develop throughout the story. It has a fairly simplistic plot, which blends well with the technique. There is an overall endearing, fairytale quality that imparts a uniqueness to the movie. With splendid performances from Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D’Cruz in her Hindi movie debut, Basu’s quirky vision undoubtedly gave birth to a classic.
1. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
Hindi movie audiences in India will be familiar with Anurag Kashyap’s labour of love (and violence) as having two parts. ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, however, was originally screened as one movie of 319 minutes at Cannes. Division into two parts helped in increased visibility. What resulted was a bona fide masterpiece depicting a violent, dark yet twistingly funny side to the coal-rich heartlands of the country and its infamous inhabitants.
The film features an ensemble cast featuring Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chaddha, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Tigmanshu Dhulia, among many others. Rajeev Ravi’s camera work is starkly realistic. Sneha Khanwalkar provides a pitch perfect soundstage for the setting, along with G.V. Prakash Kumar. A definite Hindi cult movie, no fan should give this a miss.
Read More: Bollywood Movies 2011
