Pushkar Ambekar
5. Jai Gangajal (2016)
A completely unnecessary sequel that couldn’t repeat the magic of the original. Very few Indian directors can make films about hinterlands and grassroots like Jha does. That’s very evident in films like Gangajal, Mrityudata and Apaharan. But in ‘Jai Gangajal’ he is just repeating his old formulas without any zing. As a result what we get is a dull film.
4. Saawariya (2005)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a painter. Every film he directs has picture perfect frames, elaborate sets with the biggest actors donning the fanciest historical attires. Devdas (2002), Hum DIl De Chuke Sanam (1999), Ram Leela (2013) and Bajirao Mastani (2015) were the biggest hits in their respective years. Black (2005) was a critical and commercial success as well even though the film was a bit drab compared to the rest of his filmography. But every once a while any director may have a ‘brain fade moment’ and Saawariya was Bhansali’s. Based on a Dostoyevski short story, the film took the two random souls spending a dream vacation together theory a bit too far and it was a very much forgettable debut for both Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor.
3. Raavan (2010)
One of the greatest directors South India has seen, Mani Ratnam dabbled in Bollywood multiple times with great success. Dil Se (1998) didn’t work out well because it was way a bit ahead of its time but Yuva (2004), Saathiya (2002) and Guru (2007) worked wonders in Bollywood and are known for their realism in portraying the middle class. Raavan is one film that has received undue criticism. The film follows a bandit who kidnaps a cop’s wife because he had killed his sister and needless to say falls in love with her. The movie had exhilarating music and cinematography but in terms of content it was a king size disappointment. The film scores only on the aesthetic front and doesn’t really fit in Ratnam’s otherwise sublime filmography.
2. Mohenjo Daro (2016)
Acclaimed for writing and directing the Oscar nominated Lagaan (2001), following it up with the fan favourite Swades (2004), Gowariker is a confusing person. Lagaan marked a watershed moment in Indian cinema and forever changed the landscape for future films. A director of such a high calibre just couldn’t match up to his own expectations and directed a series of flops after 2005 including Jodha Akbar (2008), What’s Your Rashee (2009) and Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se (2010). But his downfall culminated in the over hyped Hrithik Roshan starrer Mohenjo Daro. Set in the Indus Valley Civilization, the story follows a farmer who travels the city of Mohenjo daro and falls in love with a woman. He eventually has to fight the powerful men in the city and save their civilization. Though Gowariker took more than 3 years researching and developing the script, the film has too many historical inaccuracies to ignore. The movie eventually faced heavy financial losses.
1. Bombay Velvet (2015)
The king of indie films in India. His works have been compared to those of Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese. His films have their own cult following and his distinctive approach toward the film making craft make him one of the best directors in India. His magnum opus Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) was internationally acclaimed at different film festivals all over the world. After the successful Ugly (2013), his next venture, Bombay Velvet was touted to be a runaway success with Anushka Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor and Karan Johar in the cast. The story follows Balraj, a street fighter who wants to make it big in the city of Mumbai with a love story and an element of enmity between the underdog and an already ‘big shot’ criminal. The movie was a humongous flop and became one of Kashyap’s biggest disappointments.
