A common cliche is that a strong story is one of the most important elements of a successful film. Since most people would much rather see their favourite movie stars shake a leg than chew on a tale that challenges them, blockbusters frequently lack this essential element. As a result, the movies with the better tales have been reduced in size, and we seldom ever see a picture starring a major motion picture star that also has a strong plot.
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the talent of Hindi film writers, who dedicate months or even years of blood and sweat to crafting an original narrative or adapting a book or true story into an engaging film.
Here are 12 recent examples of these films, in which the author was very explicit.
Masaan
The film, directed by newbie Neeraj Ghaywan and written by humorous stand-up Varun Grover, depicts Varanasi’s surroundings. Masaan literally translates as the location of final rites for the dying, particularly in Varanasi, where the dead are burned on the banks of the Ganga. The film follows four main individuals and their stories: a small-town girl discovering her sexuality, a father attempting to earn enough money to pay a large bribe, and a love story involving lovers from different castes. You could smell the film’s earthy connection to its characters.
Ugly
Anurag Kashyap’s psychological thriller features an incredible cast of characters worthy of three or four Bollywood films. A tiny child is taken while accompanying her father. The remainder of the novel is around how all of the grownups involved in the tragedy attempt to profit from it. Ugly explores how ugly humans may become when things get desperate. This is Kashyap’s most suspenseful thriller by far.
Titli
Kanu Behl’s directorial debut follows a lower-middle-class family of three brothers living in Delhi who work as carjackers. Titli includes at least three scenes that will make you sick to your stomach, and the amount of truth in it is shocking. The film received plaudits for its unflinching portrayal of its unpleasant characters.
Ankhon Dekhi
Rajat Kapoor’s film is a testimonial to Sanjay Mishra’s exceptional acting abilities. Mishra plays an aged patriarch who retires from his role as the family’s breadwinner and begins to reflect on many of his lifelong convictions. He becomes addicted to poker and refuses to believe anything he hasn’t seen with his own eyes. The rest of the novel follows his life as it takes unexpected turns as people challenge his new attitude. Ankhon Dekhi achieves something rare in Hindi cinema: profundity.
Aligarh
Hansal Mehta’s film, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkumar Rao, is based on a true story about a professor at Aligarh University who was fired and evicted from his home after it was found he was homosexual. Aligarh is an effective critique on a society that is overwhelmingly homophobic, yet in which a part of the populace does not view it negatively. Hansal Mehta’s hard-hitting directorial and strong main performances ensured that the story was only better told on film.
Badalpur
After the massive failure of Saif Ali Khan’s Agent Vinod, filmmaker Sriram Raghavan returned to his neo-noir ways with Badlapur. Starting with an African saying ‘the axe forgets, but the tree remembers’ Raghavan attempts to build a tale of retribution and raises difficult concerns about whether individuals who have lost everything can ever find closure. Even after vengeance.
Black Friday
It was based on Hussain Zaidi’s book about the aftermath of the 1993 Bombay bomb attacks, and is widely regarded as Anurag Kashyap’s best film to date. The film works not just because of its diverse cast of characters and superb acting, but also because it skillfully reports on real-world events without becoming monotonous. Black Friday was in difficulties for using real identities, but it was later released once the case was resolved.
Stanley Ka Dabba
This was Amole Gupte’s directorial debut, and the film began as a series of children’s workshops. They didn’t even have a script to begin shooting with, so Gupte began composing ad-hoc segments centered on his two favorite topics: food and children. Despite the film’s numerous feel-good and innocent themes, the final twist takes you by surprise.
Phobia
Pavan Kirpalani’s psychological thriller depicts a psychologically damaged protagonist who fears the outer world. Set in her flat, the story takes a turn when she suspects an intruder is hidden within. Radhika Apte delivers an outstanding performance as the key character.
A Wednesday
Neeraj Pandey’s outstanding debut benefited much from its clean storyline. Following the events of the day, a man holds the entire Mumbai police force hostage in return for the release of three terrorists. The film is tense, featuring the confrontation of two exceptional actors, Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher. The plot, and only the story, is what holds your attention till the very end of the film.
Cheeni Kum
R Balki, a veteran ad filmmaker, made his first film on what some could term a controversial subject. A 62-year-old guy falling in love with a 34-year-old may have shocked traditionalists. But Balki handled the touchy subject with exceptional skill. Cheeni Kum is full of funny banter and doesn’t take its subject matter seriously, thus the audience has a great time.
Manorama Six Feet
Navdeep Singh’s directorial debut involved a remake of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. Set in the parched regions of Rajasthan, a local detective becomes involved in a scheme involving a local politician, a water project, and a mystery woman named Manorama. Abhay Deol leads a pack of chilling performances that includes Vinay Pathak, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Raima Sen. The film exists as an accurate remake of the original.
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