A study in superlatives: Here’s looking at best, worst, most, least and everything that had us feeling in extremes
We’ve passed the halfway point in the year and it’s time for some reckoning of the superlative kind. And we’re not talking about categories you’ll see in the regular awards show. These milestones, memories and moments are more personal, as far as Bollywood-watching goes.
As a cinema-goer or a buff, you cannot have missed them and if you have, it’s time you did these films and filmi moments a little revisiting...
Most immediate tearjerker moment
It’s actually heartwarming. In Piku, this entire Bengali brood sitting around after the constipation-phobic Bhashkor’s death and Piku’s short speech and the scenes that follow. So, so real...
Most applicable dialogues
In Gabbar Is Back. Lines like these work when needed. ‘Sabke karam samne aayenge ... woh kya hai na karma rishvat nahi leta.’ Or ‘Na yeh sarkari hai, na gair kanooni ... na yeh neta hai, na koi terrorist ... kaam se hero, naam se villain ... yeh hai Gabbar’, instils as much fear as Amjad Khan’s character from Sholay. GIB has many more such lines....
Best music video for a film
Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ Banno Tera Swagger was picturised mostly on the Haryanvi look-alike of Tanu. The video is a burst of colours, beats and fervent emotions.
Most instant humiliation
In TWMR, Tanu tries to convince the authorities to commit her husband Manu to an asylum, she notes, “Adrak ho gaya hai ye aadmi, kahin se bhi badh raha hai”. He discusses the lack of sex in his life, “Sex hua tha do saal pehle, woh bhi Bhai Dooj pe.
Best reminder not to judge a movie by its trailer
Dum Lagaa Ke Haisha. No buzz around the trailer because the film starred a newcomer and a fresh actor with only one hit to his name. But in the end, content won.
Most self-sustained sequel
ABCD 2. Both dance flicks in 3D. But the stories are very different, despite characters being repeated.
Best use of Sunny Leone in a film
Ek Paheli Leela. One Sunny, several questionable dress changes, and way too many unknown ‘heroes’ opposite her.
Most obvious ‘naam bade, darshan chote’ actor
Ranbir Kapoor in Roy. As it turns out, RK was a figment of Arjun Rampal’s imagination in the film. But he’s there for most of the film. So, it counts as his flop, too, right?
Too funny to be scary horror film
Alone, without a doubt. This Bipasha Basu film had two of her and yet managed to make you laugh rather than scare the pants off you.
Best running gag
The whole ‘motion se emotion’ wala connection in Piku. Used to great effect.
Best 'All work, no play' film
Baby. Right from the starting frames to the end reel, nothing mattered more to Akshay Kumar and his motley crew of people who put country before family. High on patriotic fervour and low on jingoism, it was one of the least digressing films in the genre
Best movie to have lived up to hype created by trailer
Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Box-office collections were strong as was the buzz around the film’s trailer.
Best opening and closing credits
Bombay Velvet had classy opening and closing credits with red and black tones.
Best soundtrack so far
Badlapur, scored by Sachin-Jigar. Each song pulsed with feeling and purpose.
Most heartbreaking character
Bhumi Pednekar’s Sandhya in Dum Lagaa Ke Haisha. As the overweight wife struggling for acceptance from a Shallow Hal of a husband, she leaves you with a lump in the throat every time she’s on the screen.
Worst example of cannibalising a title
Kuch Kuch Locha Hai. Nothing like Karan Johar’s epic debut film that broke records. Nothing like that.
Biggest headscratcher moment
Roy’s just-before interval and the just-after interval frame of mind. What twilight zone did the makers of this film visit?
Best Main Toh Superman moment
Anushka Sharma turning avenging angel and killing off the men who killed her husband in NH10. Soot samedh!
Best joke-gone-bad moment
Came with Welcome To Karachi. Arshad Warsi and Jackky Bhagnani unwittingly land in Pakistan, sans passport. They end up at a dhaba type place, where an India-Pakistan match is playing. Arshad, being the saner one, tries to keep Jackky in check. Only to give in to his emotions when India wins the match.
Best failure to launch example
Tevar might not have been Arjun Kapoor’s debut, but it sure was marketed to do great things for the actor’s career. Papa Boney tried his best. His best wasn’t good enough. Lesson to be learnt here?
Too WTF to be taken seriously film
Easy-peasy! MSG: Messenger Of God. Starring Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Is he Pitaji? Superman? Rockstar? Really, who cared? We were too busy staring at all that hair!
Best example of ‘labour of love’ gone wrong
Vidya Balan-Emraan Hashmi starrer Hamari Adhuri Kahani. It started with the announcement of a book, as a precursor to the film. Then, the revelation that it was a personal tale. Then, the film actually bombing. Then, the announcement that a play based on the book is in the offing. The story is still incomplete for this one.
Best ‘Film’s title describing its fate’ example
Khamoshiyaan. Didn’t hear of this dud? You missed nothing. So much hype, no buzz, no collection figures worth mentioning. All quiet on this Bhatt flick front.
Worst ‘When stars fizzle, not sizzle’ film
Dhanush, Amitabh, R Balki, Illaiyaraja. They sound fully loaded just being in the same line. But at the box office, they shot blanks with Shamitabh.
Best ‘More sleaze than cheese’ film
PC’s cousin Manara broke the mould with Zid. There was really no discernible need for those close-up heaving cleavage shots except for well... you know why.
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