David Lagachu
5. Queen (2014)
Feminism got a new lease of life in Bollywood with the Kangana Ranaut starrer ‘Queen’. Director Vikas Bahl’s tale of a sheltered girl coming into her own and spreading her wings won hearts all over. The film broke many rules without trying too hard. Young Indian women found an icon and inspiration in Kangana Ranaut and the actress herself soared to new heights in her career. The film has already inspired many remakes in different Indian languages and a Hollywood remake is just a matter of time. ‘Queen’ reminds us of one of the happy-go-lucky Julia Roberts entertainers of the 90s and it can very well revive the trend of feel good films in Hollywood.
4. Neerja (2016)
Arguably one of the finest biopic to come out of Bollywood, Ram Madhvani’s ‘Neerja’ is as real as it gets. It matter-of-fact storytelling and flawless performances, especially from Jim Sarbh as one of the terrorists, powers the film and make it both an honest tribute to Neerja Bhanot and a film that dares you to blink during its running time. Sonam Kapoor came up with the best performance of her career so far in this film and won multiple awards. Hollywood’s penchant for biopic of extraordinary unsung heroes is a blessing as ‘Neerja’ fits the bill perfectly. If there ever is an announcement of an American remake it will be worth the wait to see how they treat a sensitive subject matter that revolves around bravery and terrorism.
3. Dangal (2016)
Earlier this year the Aamir Khan produced and starrer ‘Dangal’ grossed over $100 million at the Chinese Box Office and opened up many new possibilities of earning profits in a foreign market. It also helped that the film was distributed by Walt Disney Studios. The film was accepted in such a big way in foreign shores as it dealt with universal human emotions and the trial, tribulations and ultimate victory of two pugilist siblings. The principle cast of the film delivered heart wrenching performances that hits a raw nerve with the audiences. Disney can plan a big budget Hollywood blockbuster off ‘Dangal’ if the right opportunity arises. Aamir Khan can retain his position as the producer and can also oversee some of the creative aspects. The result will be a guaranteed success.
2. Rang De Basanti (2006)
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s BAFTA nominated film ‘Rang De Basanti’ is style meets substance, a perfect Bollywood entertainer. It instills patriotic feelings in one’s heart without being didactic. A.R. Rahman’s soulful score hit the right notes both musically and emotionally. The film manages to score a perfect casting as each character has a unique identity and does a significant contribution to the story. It tackles issue like corruption and red tapism in the most comprehensible and effective way possible. The success of the film proved that the youth of the country is ready to accept meaningful cinema packaged in an entertaining way but sadly Bollywood has failed in producing enough quality films to keep the interest going. In the current presidential era of Donald Trump in the U.S Hollywood needs to make their own version of ‘Rang De Basanti’ and see how the audience reacts.
1. 3 Idiots (2009)
In 2009 the ‘3 Idiots’ fever gripped the nation and the Engineering profession no longer the same anymore. The film also in a way planted the seeds of following their passion and photography in the minds of the Indian youth. Rajkumar Hirani’s sarcastic take on the Indian education system was lapped up by the critics as well as the masses. Thanks to the film the term ’Virus’ got a new meaning and ‘arey kehna kya chahte ho’ the new catchphrase. The film has already inspired a Mexican remake by the name of ‘3 Idiotas’ (2017) and it’s only a matter of time before Hollywood follows suit. ‘3 Idiots’ was the first Indian film to cross the 200 crore mark at the box office.
