India, like most of the rest of the globe, has had a turbulent year. The re-election of a Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi inside a landslide majority, the targeting of minorities through lynchings, the repeal of Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which granted special status towards the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the ongoing conversations all around #MeToo movement have gone on to dominate the headlines, among much other news that also included Indian Bollywood space agency ISRO’s (failed) robotic mission to the moon.
In addition to churning out, its own typical masala mix of romance, comedy, as well as action movies a splash of historical fiction as well as biopics thrown in for good measure—Indian cinema in 2019 mirrored these themes playing inside the political and social arena.
Here are the ten finest movies released this year, taking into consideration both critical praise and box office success.
Gully Boy
Gully Boy is partially inspired by the lives of Indian rappers Divine and Naezy and was co-written and directed by Zoya Akhtar, who has become noted for her ability to give sophisticated character studies while still paying regard to Indian popular cinematic traditions. Divine and Naezy developed a Mumbai style known as gully rap, which was inspired by conscious hip-hop musicians like as Nas, Big L, and Rakim. The Bollywood movie stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, as well as a cast of supporting characters including Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Raaz, and Siddhant Chaturvedi. Singh is renowned for his flamboyant sense of style on and off of the red carpet, as well as Akhtar is credited with highlighting his acting talents.
Singh was commended for his understated performance, which enabled the rest of the cast to shine in this narrative about a young Muslim man seeking to make his mark on the stage and also in life.
Article 15
Anubhav Sinha, the co-writer as well as director, explained that he was inspired to create Article 15 after hearing about lynchings based on caste and creed. The Bollywood film, which stars Ayushmann Khurrana as that of the main character, is indeed a detective thriller that explores the problem of caste in India today. This movie is a must-see for its eerie music, evocative visuals and characters inspired by real-life occurrences, and outstanding performance by an ensemble cast. Article 15 is not without flaws; many have critiqued the movie’s treatment of the Brahmin saviour complex.
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