Top 20 Best Bollywood Movies of 2019
Here’s a list of the top Bollywood movies of 2019. They made us giggle, laugh, sniffle, cry, think, reflect, and contemplate, offering us inspiration aplenty.
Here’s a list of the top Bollywood movies of 2019. They made us giggle, laugh, sniffle, cry, think, reflect, and contemplate, offering us inspiration aplenty.
10 Most Impactful Bollywood Films Of 2019
The year's about to end on a buoyant note. Commercially, there have been over a dozen cushy cash-earners, with War, Kabir Singh, Bharat, Mission Mangal and Uri topping the list. The Christmas release - Dabangg 3 - is expected to make whoopee as well, courtesy Salman Khan.
Going strictly by that good ole criterion called 'quality', though, 2019 has been a year of slim pickings. While indie cinema, which addresses unconventional themes and displays technical chutzpah - never mind the lean budgets - continues to thrive in other regions, Hindi cinema couldn't yield too many surprises on the theatrical circuit this year. Still described as 'arthouse' films, they may have made an impact on the international film festival circuit and on streaming channels, but that's it. The indie cinema movement in Mumbai, alas, has been on a slow fade-out.
Be that as it may, here's the annual round-up, wherein I list my top 10 favourites of 2019 - in order of merit - derived largely from the confines of the mainstream Bollywood monolith. You may or may not agree...
DREAM GIRLHere was a gender-bender romedy that was laugh-out-loud uproarious. Entertaining and thought-provoking (a rare combo, believe me), director Raaj Shaandilyaa showcased the current flavour of the season Ayushmann Khurrana as a hapless young graduate with a talent for mimicking female voices at a small town's call centre. Quite smartly, the sub-text of the need for secularism was weaved into the consistently humorous screenplay. Both Khurrana and Annu Kapoor, as his widowed father, delivered good performances.
The-10-best-movies-of-2019
HAMIDCut to a rare independently-realised film that studied the unrest in strife-torn Kashmir through the eyes of a knee-high boy (sensitively performed by child actor Talha Arshad Reshi), who's hoping against hope that his missing father will return home some day. In his quest, he tries to reach out to divine forces to answer his prayers. Beautifully directed by Aijaz Khan, here was a little gem that was critically applauded, besides winning the National Awards for Best Child Actor and Best Urdu Film of the Year.
GULLY BOYCulled from the real life stories of rappers Divine and Naezy, director Zoya Akhtar was in terrific form, venturing into the underbelly of a slum colony to focus on a Muslim youngster whose dream is to write and sing rap and hip hop songs. Ranveer Singh was gratifyingly restrained, reliably supported by Alia Bhatt as his beyond-possessive beloved, and by the impressive Siddhant Chaturvedi as his buddy. One reservation: quite a few plot situations seemed to be brazenly borrowed from Hollywood's biopic on Eminem, 8 Miles.
MISSION MANGALAgain bulwarked by real-life events, this behind-the-scenes dekko at the anxieties endured by scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation who worked on the Mars Orbiter Mission, the nation's first interplanetary expedition, was rivetingly narrated by director Jagan Shakti. Although the star-cast was dominated by Akshay Kumar, the female acting crew comprising Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu and Sonakshi Sinha also made their presence felt - especially Balan, as a housewife dealing simultaneously with her domestic and professional duties diligently. In fact, her showstopper performance was the most underrated one of the year.
SUPER 30Hrithik Roshan was the pièce de résistance in this biopic of the Patna-based mathematician, Anand Kumar, who earned worldwide fame by initiating coaching classes for underprivileged students. Eschewing glamour in favour of realism, Hrithik's role was a difficult one that he succeeded in carrying out with conviction. Director Vikas Bahl fluctuated from competent to slipshod, particularly towards the finale. Yet, undeniably the big-budget production wore its social reformist card on its sleeve. Overall, here was a relatively earnest effort from the big Bollywood factory.
MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTAVasan Bala's modern fable zoomed into the misadventures of a boy who suffers from the disorder of 'congenital insensitivity to pain'. Weaned on martial arts movies, he grows up to encounter a gallery of (at times, far-fetched) characters. A spoof of sorts on superhero films, the visuals were grungy and the action of the bone-breaking variety. Though a film festival hit, it was too 'weird' for the masses. Unfortunately, the likeable performance by debutant Abhimanyu Dassani - son of the Maine Pyaar Kiya heroine Bhagyashree - went right through the cracks. He deserves a second chance.
BALAThe ubiquitous Ayushmann Khurrana slipped effortlessly into the skin of a small-town man, who balds prematurely. Directed by Amar Kaushik, the saucy satire sniped at the societal attitudes towards balding and also tackled skin colour prejudice. Released on the heels of a controversy (it was alleged that the story idea was heisted from a film called Ujda Chaman, also released this year, but featuring lesser-known actors), the Khurrana version attracted 'housefull' shows, thanks to his star power, backed by Bhumi Pednekar and Yami Gautam. Quite a harebrained date flick this, ideal with caramel popcorn.
URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKEThis war drama, which struck up nationalist fervour, coined the catchphrase "How's the josh!".. Vicky Kaushal, in the role of Major Vihaan Singh Shergill, achieved a major hit, placing him among the power list of the Bollywood hierarchy, where the natural-born actor deserves to be.
MARDAANI 2A sequel to the 2014 Mardaani, in which a fearless woman police officer, Shivani Roy, demolished a child racket, Rani Mukerji reprised her role here, taking off on a hunt for a fiendish serial killer in Kota, Rajasthan. The screenplay was punctuated with sermons, and the direction by Gopi Puthran was just about adequate. Yet, Rani Mukerji and Vishal Jethwa, as the psychotic killer, kept you engrossed throughout this compact 100-minute cops-versus-crime thriller.
CHHICHHOREDirector Nitesh Tiwari, widely lauded for Dangal (2016), reunited a group of college friends who exchange bittersweet notes about how the years between 1992 to the present-day altered them for better or worse. Manipulative of the viewer's tear-ducts, the ensemble endeavour - led by Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor and Varun Sharma - echoed the message of 3 Idiots (2009) that students should be allowed, without parental interference, to make their own career choices.
Now on to 2020 then, with a wish that Bollywood stays robustly well and
The Top 10 Bollywood Movies Of The Year
things may have changed across the world, but “going to the movies” remains one of people’s favourite things to do. The bucket of popcorn helps, of course, but it’s the compelling stories we see on the big screen that draw us back every other weekend.
Movies can move us to tears and laughter
Movies aren’t just a couple of hours of cinematic flair; they hold the power to help us change and transform. Be it by moving us to tears, inducing peals of laughter, or giving us the courage to keep going, movies are magic.
Here’s a list of the top Bollywood movies of 2019. They made us giggle, laugh, sniffle, cry, think, reflect, and contemplate, offering us inspiration aplenty.
URI 
Uri
Starring: Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Kriti Kulhari
In the real story of India's retaliation to the 2016 Uri attack, Vicky Kaushal takes centre stage as Major Vihaan Singh, an officer and a gentleman who leads a covert operation against militants who attacked a base in Uri and killed many soldiers. The “josh”, we have to say, continues to remain high!
GULLY BOY 
Gully Boy
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Based on the life of Divine and Naezy, underground rappers from Mumbai, Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy is at heart a story about dreamers and the right to dream. The coming-of-age story centres on a young Muslim man from Dharavi, who uses rap as an outlet to narrativise his life experiences. Powerful performances ensure that apna time aayega!
THE SKY IS PINK 
The Sky is Pink
Starring: Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim
Directed by Shonali Bose and co-produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ronnie Screwvala, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, The Sky is Pink is based on the real-life story of Aditi and Niren Chaudhary and their daughter Aisha, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis at a very young age. A tenacious love story spanning 25 years, the story is told by the spunky teenager posthumously.
SUPER 30 
Super 30
Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Mrunal Thakur, Virendra Saxena, Pankaj Tripathi Hrithik Roshan stars as mathematician Anand Kumar, and puts the spotlights on his Patna-based educational programme Super 30. The movie traces his path as he's employed his way through several challenges before finding success together with his initiative for IIT aspirants. Inspiration in big doses!
MISSION MANGAL 
Mission Mangal
Starring: Vidya Balan, Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Kriti Kulhari
Based on true events, Mission Mangal is the story of the many women at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) who had a hand in the successful launch of India's Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). The tale of a motley crew who must navigate their personal and professional lives as they launch the least expensive mission to Mars is heartwarming and triumphant.
SAAND KI AANKH 
Saand ki Aankh
Starring: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani and produced by Anurag Kashyap, Saand ki Aankh, which literally translates into bull's eye, is based on the lives of sharpshooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. The film may have created controversy over casting, but the real-life story of two women, both grandmothers, above the age of 60, and cracking sharpshooters, can't fail to inspire women that there's nothing they can't do.
MANIKARNIKA 
Manikarnika
Starring: Kangna Ranaut, Atul Kulkarni, Mohammed Zeeshan
The story of the queen who refused to bow down has been told by mothers to daughters over decades. Kangna Ranaut brings the fiery Manikarnika, the wife of the king of Jhansi, alive on screen in this period drama. Rani Lakshmi Bai’s rebellion takes a new life as a revolution against the British, paving the way for future battles and wars. At heart, this is a simple story of patriotism and hope.
KESARI
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Suvinder Vicky, Vansh Bhardwaj
War dramas have always been popular in India, but this year, Kesari, the cinematic retelling of the Battle of Saragarhi, blazed through with its depiction of bravery and valour. The story of Havildar Ishar Singh, a soldier in the British Indian Army, and how he leads 21 Sikh soldiers in a fight against 10,000 Pashtun invaders reinvents the last stand.
ARTICLE 15
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Nassar, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra
This though-provoking film spotlights Article 15 of the Constitution of India, which prohibits discrimination “on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth”. Not based on one specific event, it is “inspired” by multiple true events, including the 2014 Badaun gangrape and the 2016 Una flogging.
The film follows Ayushmann's upright city-bred police officer, Ayan Ranjan, as he tackles the aftermath of caste-based discrimination and crimes in rural India.
BALA 
Bala
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Bhumi Pednekar
In one line, Bala is the story of a young man who’s struggling to deal with premature baldness. But the movie’s much more than that. Set in the hustle-bustle of an industrial UP town, Bala blends a lot of humour, quirky flippancy, small-town orthodoxy, and genteel empathy.
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