I wasn’t a film buff ever. Growing up in Patna in the 1990s, there weren’t too many options to go to a cinema hall to watch a movie. Also, I felt myself more attracted to books than to the big screen.

However, over the last couple of years, I notice myself watching more & more movies. It is because the Hindi movie quality has improved markedly. I dislike the action & romance genre, which have dominated movies till date.

But it seems to be changing now. There are far more social message movies, strong protagonist (especially female) movies, no love angle at all movies etc. that are now hitting the silver screen. & that appeals to me.

In 2019, I watched 16 movies. I am quite amazed at this number as it means more than a movie a month. If a non – movie goer like me can watch these many movies, ‘Bollywood’ must be doing something right.

Movies are my thought – generators. If I do not take away a message from a movie, it does not cut it for me. So, with this preamble, I list down my three favorite movies out of all I watched in 2019.

Sonchiriya/ Article 15/ Super 30

I have clubbed these three movies as, I felt, all of them had a ‘casteism consciousness’ element. Article 15, of course, clearly was built on the caste – based discrimination premise. The other two had undertones that I caught because I have become a little more sensitive to the scourge called casteism.

Sonchiriya was an intense movie. My jaws were tightened throughout… Caste – based massacres were a reality till a few years back. The magnitude may have decreased but in no way caste violence is a thing of the past.

Sushant Singh Rajput is charming irrespective of the role he plays. Bhumi Pednekar has cracked the feisty, small town girl/ village belle look & role. & Ranvir Shorey is an underrated actor!

The thoughts Article 15 triggered need a separate blog post… Here, I will just say the movie made me determined to set my house in order first. What right do I have to find faults in other religions when my own is encumbered with a ghastly phenomenon called casteism?

Super 30 was an emotional & thought-provoking movie! We must trash the belief that only a king’s son can become a king. Education must be available to everyone. Somewhere, I felt that the education system is mired in casteism too!

Thanks to Anand Kumar for being a change champion. I was surprised to find Twitter has not given a blue tick to his profile despite him being awarded the S. Ramanujan Award & the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar & being named in TIME‘s Best of Asia.

Why I Recommend – Living in a metropolitan city & moving around in MNC circles can make one think that casteism is a thing of the past. That is false. Casteism is alive & thriving. Progress had been made towards a caste-less society, but we have miles to go. These three movies will help a young, urban Indian to get a reality check on the ‘real’ India.

Chhichhore

Despite it being a weekday, & it being a show during work hours, it was houseful at Chhichhore. Five minutes into the movie, I understood why. What a brilliant message, without getting preachy about it, but rather, with tons of humor!

Anyone who has stayed in a hostel will be able to relate to Chhichhore. Dunk fight reminded me of DAXI (Dunking Association at XLRI). GC reminded me of XL- IIMC meets. The movie was even more relatable to me as my brother was in H4 (or HIV) in IIT Bombay.

Chhichhore had a beautiful portrayal of how friendship is way more than ‘hanging out’ together. It is a bond that should only get stronger with time. If it does not, it is not friendship my friend. (Read more about my view on friendship here.) Move over DCH & 3 Idiots, the new friendship movie is here.

A thing which did puzzle me was that there is no mention of the word ‘chhichhore’ anywhere in the movie. Rather, ‘losers’ is the term used repetitively. I wonder what made Mr. Nitesh Tiwari choose Chhichhore as the title.

Why I Recommend – For the entertainment with the social message. And for uncontrollable laughter… If you have stayed in a hostel, you will automatically love Chhichhore. If not, it will tell you what you have missed out on in life. IMHO, Chhichhore should get the 2019 Best Film Award.

Saand Ki Aankh & Mardaani 2

Women – oriented subjects interest me. over the last few years, the Hindi film industry has begun to give women their due importance. More movies are now being made on women – related topics and/ or having a woman as the protagonist. As movies have a considerable influence on society, more of them will only serve to change the opinion this male – dominated country holds.

Saand Ki Aankh (SKA) is a grim reminder of the prohibition women continue to face. Rural women have it worse, but even urban women have challenges. Even the most educated of us are expected to be nice, behave, obey, & shut up. In fact, there are women out there – educated & working women – women of my generation – who take their husband’s ‘permission’ to get their hair cut! (What the!!)

However, the movie also reminds that women can & must pull other women up. Like the queen did for the protagonists. Like the protagonists did for their daughter/ granddaughter! The world will be a better place if we women start supporting each other. This was my note to myself after watching SKA.

Mardaani 2 helped me form an opinion on the Hyderabad Encounter. Rape (or any gender – based violence) is a mental illness. Scratch that! It’s an evil. Such evil needs to be ended; it cannot be ‘judged’.

Rani Mukerji has cracked the lone wolf role – No One Killed Jessica, Hichki, Mardaani etc.! But the star of the movie was Vishal Jethwa – the antagonist. He makes you hate him; such is his class acting.

(On this note, do watch Delhi Crime on Netflix, if you have not already. It is based on Jyoti Singh’s brutal rape & murder. Shefali Shah portrays DCP Chaturvedi. She will make you wonder how she could keep an impersonal, professional demeanor throughout the series, in the middle of such an agonizing tale.)

Why I Recommend – For a woman, to understand that she must stand with other women. For a man, to understand that rape is not about sex; it is an evil greed for power.

Special Mention

Uri: The Surgical Strike/ Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi/ Kesari/ Romeo Akbar Walter/ The Tashkent Files/ Batla House

I like movies based on real-life events. Hence, these movies had an impact on me.

I liked how Uri showed the brutal (e.g. Major Vihaan slicing the terrorist’s leg) as well as the humane (e.g. Major Vihaan crying at Captain Karan’s funeral) side of the Indian army. My heart has always gone out to the ones who fell & those who wait.

Thanks to the movie for also giving the now legendary question – How’s the जोश?

As much as I find Vicky Kaushal attractive, Mohit Raina stole this one for me.

Manikarnika was a reminder of something we take for granted – freedom. India underwent pain to win something so basic. Those of us who have got it on a platter do not value it! A long movie but a good one. & I want all the jewellery worn by all the ladies in Manikarnika! (But then, I am an aspiring minimalist.)

As much as I adored Mohit Raina’s looks, I could not go beyond 20 episodes of 21 Sarfarosh, owing to its slow pace & unnecessary romantic angles. But I watched Kesari & loved it. Better. Faster. Funnier. No additional plots! To every soldier ever – salute.

I caught Romeo Akbar Walter on Netflix. Glad that Bollywood has started making movies on the unknown, unnamed, unsung heroes – RAW operatives. The operatives have a dangerous & thankless job. Even in death. If they die in the line of duty, they are not even acknowledged.

What hit me in The Tashkent Files was the fact that, as a nation, we did not even blink when our Prime Minister died in mysterious circumstances. How could the citizens mutely accept it? But then, वो दौर कुछ और था।

Batla House reminded me when I had almost got into an argument with my DU professor on Afzal Guru. She claimed he was innocent; I did not think so. The rest, as they say, is history!

Missed

Two movies that I wanted to watch but could not were Gully Boy & Mission Mangal. Hopefully, I will catch them soon on the small screen.

With this, I wrap up my cinema season for 2019. I look forward to the film adventures 2020 brings…