Happy New Year folks! Here’s my 1st Podcast Episode of 2021! This is Part 1 of the Bollywood Roundup – the Top 10 Bollywood Films of 2020. Part 2 (coming shortly) will talk about the Top 10 TV Shows/Series of 2020.
If you’d like to catch up on 2020’s podcasts (9 episodes), here are the links as well as a list of platforms this podcast is on.
If you’d rather read about the Top 10 Movies and Series of 2020:
– Top 10 Movies of 2020
– Top 10 Shows of 2020
Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi is directed by Seema Bhargava-Pahwa, who’s an accomplished actress (we saw her in the quirky Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and the lovely Ankhon Dekhi), and I’m hoping her directorial venture is as good. The film has an impressive starcast – Supriya Pathak, Vinay Pathak, Naseeruddin Shah, Vikrant Massey, Konkona Sen Sharma and others – so it looks promising.
This was the year of watching stuff at home, and these 10 shows made it to the binge-worthy list. In descending order, they are: :
10. Masaba Masaba (Netflix)
Featuring Masaba, mom Neena Gupta and a healthy dose of pop-psychology, Masaba Masaba was quite enjoyable. And a little frivolous. Watch it for the lovely, confident Masaba who lives and does as she sees fit, even though the real-world and nosy society do get in the way!
9. Special Ops (Hotstar)
This espionage thriller is directed by Neeraj Pandey (he directed “A Wednesday” and Special 26), and stars KayKay Menon as Himmat Singh of the Indian Research and Analysis Wing. Singh and his team analyze patterns of various terrorist attacks in an attempt to catch the perpetrators.
Pandey does this genre particularly well, and Special Ops is no different. And KayKay Menon’s fantastic performance sure helps!
8. Scam 1992 (Sony LIV)
Harshad’s Mehta’s cautionary tale of tampering with the stock market, this has Pratik Gandhi playing the aggressively upwardly-mobile Mehta. The details out Mehta’s sudden rise and fall, and attempts to explain the intricacies of his crime in simple terms.
7. Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)
This reality show features an intrepid, jet-setting matchmaker Sima Taparia and her many clients across the world. The show is so interesting because it features different personalities jiving and clashing with one another as they meet and weigh one another up from the marriage angle.
6. A Suitable Boy (AcornTV in the US, Netflix in India)
Vikram Seth’s doorstopper about the search for a suitable boy for the 20 year old Lata Mehra, who’d rather not marry but is hounded to do so, has been turned into a 6 episode series by the BBC. It is directed by Mira Nair (who also directed The Namesake) and has a humongous cast, with Tanya Maniktala debuting as Lata. Other worthies include Tabu, Ishaan Khattar, Ram Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shourey, Randeep Hooda, Shahana Goswami, Rasika Duggal, Vijay Raaz and Vijay Verma.
The series is primarily in English which is a little jarring, and methinks 6 episodes is too short to take in the richness and detail of the book, but it is what it is – which is enjoyable!
5. Jamtara (Netflix)
A group of young men, including brothers Rocky and Sunny, run phishing scams from a small town in Jharkhand, India. Tensions rise when a local politician wants his cut and the local, seemingly fearless policewoman is out to get them.
Gritty, intense, beautifully acted and directed, Jamtara is a must watch!
4. Mirzapur 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
Season 2 picks after Season 1 which left brothers Guddu and Bablu in a precarious situation. Guddu and Golu must run for their lives after the slaughter, and now plan their revenge against evil, powerful Kaleen Bhaiya (played by Pankaj Tripathi) and his son Munna. The second season is much, much better that the 1st and loses the “wannabe” status. It is just as violent, grisly and riddled with profanity, but is a superbly engrossing watch!
3. Taj Mahal 1989 (Netflix)
Pushpendra Nath Mishra’s quirky look at love is a treat! He weaves in different storylines which almost intersect, and through them presents different situations and viewpoints. Throw in some lovely music, poetry, philosophy, and some fabulous acting and tight scripting and you have Taj Mahal 1989!
2. Panchayat (Amazon Prime Video)
The feel-good show of 2020, Panchayat follows Abhishek Tripathi (played by the very talented Jitendra Kumar who was also in Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan), newly minted grad who’s saddled with an undesirable job in a village. This gorgeous show is clean, wholesome and humorous and suitable for family-viewing.
1. Paatal Lok (Amazon Prime Video)
You’d think that we’d get tired of the honest cop trope, but it never does get old. In Paatal Lok we have Hathi Ram Chaudhry, an old-school stickler for the books, mired in a thankless job, career having stagnated in an Outer Jamuna Par police station or as he calls it – “Paatal Lok” (the netherworld).
A plum case falls in his lap, quite by chance, and Hathi Ram (played superbly by Jaideep Ahlawat) is determined to prove his mettle and get that promotion, even when the powers that be want him to let go. Acting, direction and impressive story-telling make Paatal Lok the Best Show of 2020!
What with Covid and all, 2020 has been a low-key year for movie releases in general. Still, even from the few that did release on OTT platforms (Netflix, Prime etc.), I have managed to cobble together a Top 10 2020 Bollywood Movies list that passes muster! Here are The Best Bollywood Movies of 2020 in descending order, with some music and the platforms where you can watch them:
10. Jawaani Jaaneman (streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Yes, I know you are rolling your eyes at this one, but I did like it. The story of an aging, narcissistic Lothario in for the surprise of his life, a surprise that will literally turn his life upside down, was in parts heart-warming and sweet. Saif Ali Khan plays the playboy with aplomb, Alaya Furniturewala makes an impressive debut and the luminous Tabu lights up the screen!
9. Gunjan Saxena (Netflix)
This real-life based film is about the accomplishments of one of the first female pilots in the Indian Air Force. Watch this film for high-impact story-telling, decent acting and an overall quality production. It’s a story of courage and resilience and suitable for family-viewing. Gunjan Saxena is well worth a watch at #9.
The Podcast Review of Gunjan Saxena is here.
8. Panga (Amazon Prime Video)
Another film about a woman – this time it’s a kabaddi player who has given up the sport at the National Level in favor of being a full time mother and raising her son. When many years later, our heroine Jaya, is dissatisified with her lack of accomplishment while her compatriots have forged on, she must overcome many hurdles to get back in the game. This film raised issues normally not raised in hero-focussed Bollywood, was heartfelt and felt honest. Some great acting – Kangana Ranaut, Jassi Gill, Neena Gupta are all fantastic – and nicely paced events helps bring in Panga at #8.
7. Lootcase (Hotstar)
A middle-class man finds a suitcase full of money and while he is thrilled with the windfall, he is unaware that the not-very-nice owners of that money want it back. Large-scale upheaval results. Kunal Khemu, Rasika Duggal, Ranvir Shourey and Vijay Raaz are very good in this humor-filled action-drama.
6. Yeh Ballet (Netflix)
An unusual film by Bollywood standards, director Sooni Tarporevala’s this real-life based movie is about two boys from the slums of Bombay who want to excel at ballet, and their struggle against family, friends and society at large to do what they love. Yeh Ballet uses the underdog trope well and gives us a lovely, tug-at-the-heartstrings film.
5. Ludo (Netflix)
Anurag Basu’s Ludo, while not quite Barfi quality, is a well-done drama featuring a large cast of characters. 4 different stories intersect and overlap and Basu’s skill at keeping the threads coherent brings in this entertaining film at #5.
4. Raat Akeli Hai (Netflix)
A true-blue murder mystery Raat Akeli Hai has Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the intrepid, quirky policeman Jatil Yadav investigating a suspicious death. There are many characters in this film, but I remember it for the beautifully fleshed out Jatil Yadav and his fawning Mummyji (played by the magnificent Ila Arun). Not since the fabulous Manorama 6 feet Under have I been so impressed with a desi detective!
The Podcast Review of Raat Akeli Hai is here.
3. Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakta Sitare (Netflix)
Konkona Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar play two sisters set adrift by their own special situations in modern society. This film shows them asking the hard questions and having the gumption to actually free themselves from the rules that bind ordinary women. It’s got its rough edges but this film gets you thinking and remembering these sisters and their predicaments for a very long time.
The Podcast Review of Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakta Sitare is here.
2. Thappad (Netflix)
Thappad is a remarkable film with another courageous woman – a housewife Amrita (played by Taapsee Pannu), content with her domestic life – questioning her choices when life goes topsy-turvy in one surprising night. Thappad is remarkable because it questions traditional norms with respect to the role of women in society. The fabulous direction and the heartfelt performances bring Thappad to the #2 spot.
1. Kadakh (Sony LIV)
Kadakh is an unpredictable, edge-of your-seat suspense drama starring Ranvir Shourey, Mansi Multani and a varied and talented cast. Director Rajat Kapoor has made a beautifully nuanced drama with great attention to detail. This genre of film is rare in Bollywood and Kadakh goes straight to my Best Films By Genre List because of its quality and fantastic story-telling.
The Podcast Review of Kadakh is here.
Want more Top 10 Lists? See my Best Hindi Films by Year for 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2020
Running time : 1 hour 57 minutes
Director : Sooni Taraporevala
Cast : Julian Sands, Jim Sarbh, Manish Chauhan, Danish Husain, Achintya Bose
Kidwise : G
Yeh Ballet is the story of 2 boys from poor/underprivileged backgrounds learning ballet, loving it and excelling in it despite objections from family/friends/society in general. It is a lovely, heart-warming film told sparely but with genuine emotion and good acting.
Asif (Bose) is running around with a small-time gang in his neighborhood, but when his compatriots get caught by the police and land in jail, he swears off the petty crime and focuses on his dance. Luckily for him, his brother has managed to land him a spot with a new teacher from America, who notices Asif’s talent in ballet and encourages him. Then there is also Nishu who has made it on reality dance shows on television but is struggling to get ahead in his dancing career. His parents have worked hard to get him to college, and they’d rather he not fritter away his time in frivolous activities like dance. He persists however, and when he finally lands an audition with ballet virtuoso Saul (Sands), Saul helps him and Asif apply to a ballet school in the US.
This film is based on the real life story of two boys – Manish Chauhan (he plays Nishu in the film) Amiruddin Shah and their teacher Israeli-American Yehuda Maor. I really liked this film because although it was slow-going in the beginning and seemed to dither here and there without resolving into a firm plot, it gathered pace and heft by building up the characters and their back stories.
The film feels spare, the acting natural and the emotion genuine. Director Taraporevala shows us the immense odds against these boys and their dancing – the poverty, classism, the bigotry against ballet as an “unmanly” dance. She also manages to convey the honesty of the intentions and the good-will, the warm fuzzy feeling that there are good people and that dreams do come true.
Bose and Chauhan were lovely to watch as dancers and actors, and Julian Sands as ballet teacher Saul Aaron carried the film. Jim Sarbh (he had a major role in the Prime series Made in Heaven), Danish Hussain (we saw him in the marvelous Netflix series Taj Mahal 1989) have supporting roles in the film and are also excellent, Sarbh especially as the dance class manager.
Yeh Ballet is quite lovely and well worth your time. Go watch!
Kidwise: Clean.
The White Tiger is based on Arvind Adiga’s Booker prize-winning book of the same name. I reviewed it here on my book blog. The film is directed by Iranian director Ramin Bahraini and stars Priyanka Chopra, Rajkummar Rao and Adarsh Gaurav, who plays Balram, the lead character.
I liked the book so it would be interesting what they do with the film adaptation.
– The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives (Netflix Series, 8 Episodes)
Yes, I admit it. When I first started watching this series – the 1st episode that is – I almost gave up. It seemed frivolous and name-droppy, designer-spouting – and you can watch folks talk about their branded cars and handbags and exclusive debutante balls (apparently those still are a thing!) but only for so long.
Anyway, I persevered. Which is to say – I dozed off, and woke up in the middle of a skirmish. After that the show grew better as in it focussed on the 4 long-time friends or 4 Bollywood wives who star in this show : Maheep Kapoor (wife of Sanjay Kapoor who was in The Zoya Factor), Neelam Kothari Soni (90s Bollywood heroine, wife of Samir Soni), Bhavana Pandey (Chunky Pandey’s wife and mom of Ananya Pandey of Student of The Year 2 fame) and Seema Khan (wife of Sohail Khan whom you might remember from films like Hello).
The women’s personalities really come through. They are catty, aren’t afraid to air their opinions, wear heels to the pool 🙂 but are firm friends, and the show does manage to portray their long-standing friendship endearingly. The show ended rather nicely too. I hear there is a 2nd season a-coming.
– Molly’s Game (Netflix, 2 hours 20 minutes, Jessica Chasten, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner)
This fast-paced thriller is based on the life of Molly Bloom, who ran the world’s most high-stake poker games before she was arrested by the FBI. Among the folks who played at her games were members of mafias and crime syndicates, and she was caught in the cross-fire. Under pressure to cooperate with the FBI, Molly refuses to give-in.
Molly’s Game is really well-told and manages to keep us in the thick of it. It goes backwards and forwards in time, but very skillfully and clearly presents Molly’s case. It was an engrossing watch even at 2.5 hours!
– Chaman Bahar (Netflix, 1 hr 51 minutes, Jitendra Kumar)
Jitendra Kumar, who we most recently saw in the lovely series Panchayat, stars in this film as humble pawn-shop owner Billu who falls in love with a school-girl, who stays in her home with her family, across the road from his pawn-shop.
Rinku, the pretty school-girl, has many admirers, whom she is wholly unaware of. Billu, from whose point of view the film’s story is told, attempts to keep the admirers at bay, but ends up messing up his own situation. The film isn’t full of big events, and doesn’t really go from point A to B; rather it is a character/situational study of young, unrequited love in a small-town.
I reviewed Kadakh a couple of weeks ago, and if you’d like a Podcast version of it is – here it is!
Bollywood does do suspense-thrillers, but they are few and far between (here’s a list). Kadakh is a worthy addition to this list because it is a fantastic, unpredictable film. It stars and is directed by Rajat Kapoor. Listen on or read the review to see why this film is a wonderful one to see!
Lately we’ve seen more and more female comics take to the stage. Not that they weren’t there before, but the exposure on Netflix/Prime has increased with specials – like Comicstaan which featured many female comedians, and Ladies Up, which was pretty good.
Bhaag Beanie Bhaag is the story of such a female comedian. Bindiya Bhavnagar realizes she doesn’t want to go down life’s traditional, pre-ordained route; she wants to do stand-up instead. Swara Bhasker plays Bindiya aka Beanie.
I’m looking forward to this one!
Rating : 3.8/5
Genre : All-in-one
Year : 2020
Running time : 2 hours 29 minutes
Director : Anurag Basu
Cast : Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanya Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Rohit Saraf, Pearle Maaney
Kidwise : PG
Ludo is a 4 person game. And life is Ludo, with our four players being : Bittu (Bachchan), Alok (Rao), Akash (Kapoor) and Rahul (Saraf). Bittu is a small time conman, and used to be the right hand man of Sattu Bhaiya (Tripathi) before he left the life of crime to settle down in happy domesticity. Alok aka Aloo runs a restaurant and pines for Pinky (Shaikh), who ditched him in favor of a more favorable alliance. Akash must clear the air with ex-girlfriend Shruti (Malhotra), and lands up at her home, where wedding preparations are in full swing, 3 days before her marriage to another man. And Rahul is the innocent bystander who gets caught up in a crime.
These 4 stories of different people, start to intersect and then things really get interesting. Some of the main events in the film are shown through different perspectives – sometimes we are taken back in time, and shown a different angle, introduced to a fact we did’t know before. You connect the dots, and the little a-ha moments make the film.
Any self-respecting crime caper has to have a villain, bags full of cash and madcap chases. Ludo has all that and some unpredictable quirks. There’s humor, drama, love, pathos. There’s also an impressive and large star cast, all of whom do reasonably well.
Of the 4 main protagonists, Rajkummar Rao stood out. He was hilarious as the helpless-in-love Alok. Abhishek Bachchan does decently but the role is such a downer, and Bachchan seems to be caught up in reprises of the same “regretful” character portrayals. Here, his character gets caught up in some emotionally drippy scenes with a kid. And I’ve had it up to here with precocious, cutesy little somethings spouting smart nothings; I wish Bollywood would lay off and just let kids in films be kids.
Aditya Roy Kapor and Sanya Malhotra as the main romantic pair in the film have great chemistry; they keep demurring but we know how it will end! Pankaj Tripathi is in his heyday, and a hoot here as wily mobster Sattu Bhai.
Ludo starts very well, but starts to lose steam as it goes along. Also, director Basu casts himself in a small cameo as a “sutradhaar” or prescient narrator – which seemed gimmicky. Still Ludo is a fun watch; just don’t expect it to match Basu’s Barfi qualitywise.
Kidwise: Gunslinging and violence. Adult situations are implied but nothing explicit is shown on screen.
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