Along with the well-known blockbusters, each year Bollywood also witnesses a number of well-intentioned and intelligently made films that go unnoticed and fail to get the due respect which they rightfully deserved. There can be various reasons for their downfall like lack of promotion, lack of interest for the masses, lack of superstars or lack of masala or entertaining factors. Sadly, the first half of this year too witnessed such unsung heroes. Let’s take a look at them: –
The Stoneman Murders: Director Manish Gupta’s thriller was based on the mysterious serial killings which terrorized Mumbai in 1983. After adding some meaningful fictitious elements, Gupta made an intense drama with some unpredictable twists leading on to a heart-wrenching climax. It had a powerful script without a single dull moment. Plus, Kay Kay Menon’s flawless and memorable performance summed up a flick which surely deserved a watch. Unfortunately, it opened with a poor response and was ignored after the first week itself.
Gulaal: This one received a great deal of critical as well as international acclaim. However, that wasn’t enough as the film failed to gain a good response at the ticket-window. An unusual subject of student cum mafia politics was dealt in a mature manner by director Anurag Kashyap, who showed his special touch in a number of praiseworthy sequences. It had some topnotch performances by Kay Kay Menon, Raj Singh Chaudhary, Abhimanyu Singh, Ayesha Mohan, Piyush Mishra and, in fact, even by those side actors. Its dark, hard-hitting and somewhat disturbing subject could be the reason why it didn’t attract the masses.
Firaaq: Actress Nandita Das’ directorial debut was appreciated round the globe. Sadly, back home the film received a dismal response at the box-office. It was a never-tried-before realistic account of the people who have just gone through the nerve-wracking Godhara riots in Gujarat. Das managed to churn out some realistically excellent performance from Nasserudding Shah, Paresh Rawal, Shahana Goswami and Raghuveer Yadav. One doesn’t expect such a film to be a blockbuster but one certainly expects the multiplex audiences to help the film gain at least something notable at the box-office.
Let’s Dance: Aarif Sheikh’s directorial debut wasn’t a such a praiseworthy affair. However, what’s saddening is that the fact that a superlative performance by the first-timer Gayatri Patel didn’t manage to turn heads. It’s a rare for a debutant girl to carry the whole film on her shoulders without any support whatsoever from her male counterparts. When was the last time we witnessed such a thing? Memory takes us as back as 1997 when Rani Mukherjee did the same thing in her debut Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat.
Ratings – * * * *