iRohit.com

Empire Magazine has done it, Roger Ebert published his. iRohit is now doing it. Yup, following is the list of the most memorable movies of this decade. Only twist being this is exclusively a bollywood list.

This list consists of the movies that I have enjoyed over the last 10 years. These are the movies that remain with me after I have left the theatre. These have great characters, great stories, great lines, great lyrics, great music. It is complied by sheer power of recollection, and hence in essence are the movies of the decade for me.

1. Lage Raho Munnabhai [2006] This is what I would describe as a flawless movies. It was funny, serious, inspirational, all and all total paisa vasool film. In my opinion this is the best movie released in my lifetime.

2. Rang De Basanti [2006] An intense movie, great parallel narrative. One documenting the youth of the past and one echoing the youth of today, using great camera work and great casting. Superp music, great acting.

3. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi [2003] Another intense cinema, I for one could not believe that bollywood could make such a movie. Splendid music and lyrics and truly great casting, with a screenplay that explores characters to the core. Set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement, this is a story of passion, beliefs, spirit.

4. Dil Chahta Hai [2001] First and still one of the best movies to capture the young india and its multicultural identity, adaptability. Most thoughtful use of a foreign location so far.

5. Mr. and Mrs. Iyer [2002] This movie was a breath of fresh air in a industry that is dominated with happy, pretty people doing song and dance, falling in love and living happily ever after. Set against a backdrop of riots and curfews, this movie presents a tale of how two characters from diametrically opposite cultures come together and help and care for each other.

6. Lagaan [2001] A very rare period film, which went to Oscars. Tale of people from varied backgrounds coming together contrary to the norms of the Indian society to fight and eventually triumph against oppression. Well, that’s Lagaan for you. Amazing sets, music by A R Rahman, Aamir in the lead, directed by a new comer Ashutosh Gowariker.

7. Omkara [2006] An adaptation of Othello by an Indian. That’s something never heard of in India. Vishal Bhardwaj masterfully brought the epic Shakespearean tragedy to the Indian cinema draped in indian colors. Set up in rural northern india, splendid performance by Saif, Vivek, Kareena and Ajay managed to pull off this tale of love, jealously and deceit.

8. Wake Up Sid [2009] 2009s best movie. Careless, rich boy finds love in a friend and career in what he loves. Simple story, but portrayed in a super charming way by Ranbir and his most unlikely belle Konkana Sen. Movie was all about the characters and how the Ranbir and Konkana played them.

9. Jhankar Beats [2003] A very diverse cast comes together to make a movie which centers around a music competition. Great story, good laughs, good music, great performances. A very enjoyable film.

10. Taare Zameen Par [2007] 4th Aamir starrer movie in my top 10. But so unlike all the others he has done. This is a story of a dreamy boy and his life around his family, friends, teachers. Sensitive, warm movie with great music, one of the best hindi song ever written, maa,

So there you have it folks. My top ten bollywood movies of the decade. Though I loved many more, since Top 10 just means just 10, not all could be a part of it. Nonetheless, these 10 are the undisputed movies of the decade. I have to mention a few others that could not be a part of this but were very close. Swades, surprisingly the only SRK movie I liked. Rock On, a more trendy movie about friends and music. Khosla ka Ghosla, movie that captured the soul of Delhi. No Amitabh movie in my top 10 which i realised after making the list. And the very recent 3 idiots.

So there it is. Tell me what you think I missed, or overrated.

Ciao!

Rakhi chose her groom on live TV. Not sure how this will play out over the next few days. So is this path breaking or a really wrong turn. I come from the days when ‘Choli ke peeche’ was ostracized. Today, getting ones genitals smacked for a wrong answer is totally acceptable. How the views have changed. I wonder what the actual TRP numbers are for these shows. But if Indians find shows like MTV Roadies/MTV Splitsvilla entertaining or even slightly funny than that’s pretty alarming. There is already an undercurrent of disgust at these shows, which leads to the obvious question… should they be banned? I have always been opposed to the idea bans. And if one goes by the popularities that these shows suggest, then surely there are people who enjoy watching these shows. So what’s to be done…
What I want is that these shows be explicitly marked as suitable for mature audiences only [you know that red circle with 18 written in it]. I am not sure if I would want any school going kid to watch these overly dramatized shows drawing on explicit voyeurism and take that to be how majority of the people in this world behave, think. And yes, I don’t believe these reality shows represent the psyche of the common man. These individuals are chosen precisely for their eccentricity and emotional quotient that assures of aggravated responses in ludicrous and disgusting situations. I would want these shows to be moved to a late night slot, with adequate warnings mature content and advising viewer discretions and not just the bleeps and the blurs.

Indian Television has stopped being meaningful. Balika Vaadu, is a serial that in my opinion makes child marriage seems routine. And its acceptability by the masses is shocking. How can you educate the society that child marriage is a crime when the society loves Anandi.

And it’s not that we can’t create entertaining television. We had Antakshari, Filmi Chakkar, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Hum Paanch, Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai. So surely there are writers and directors out there that can create quality. But there has to be someone willing to take a pause, re-evaluate what entertainment should be and then deliver.

” If anyone wants a first hand look of the Indian democracy, then please switch to the next available Indian ‘news’ channel. Showing now, ‘The Great India Tamasha’, live from the Parliament, 2 days only!!!. “

It’s so tragic, that it’s actually funny that we have such hypocrites as representing us in the Parliament. I am sure, not more than a few handful know anything about the Nuclear deal. Yet they will vote on the issue and make it look as if they are doing so because the people they represent compel them too.

For the record, I would like the Nuclear deal to go through, for I would rather live and hope that some day in my life time, in most places in both rural, urban India, there will be electricity, connectivity than prepare for a doomsday when we fire nuclear weapons on each other and die anyways!

The Nano, pretty nice isn’t it? no not the iPod, but the new Tata’s 1 lac People’s Car. I think the Tata’s have done a super splendid job, almost close to a miracle bringing out this marvel of engineering. The world shouted that it was not possible, but leave it to an Indian to make a paisa vasool product, the Chinese will do it too, but the product might just cause you to die of lead poisoning … hehe.

Today’s day definitely belonged to the Tatas’, the engineers who made it all possible. Ratan Tata deserves a standing ovation for taking up the challenge to build a ‘car’ for 100,000 Rs.

The biggest challenge for this car was to look like a car, and by god, she does. Infact I think, she aced the looks department. It looks pretty trendy. And if it can survive a wife, two bustling kids, and a bag of groceries, than I have no reason to doubt why this car will not rewrite automotive history. Apart from being esthetically pleasing to the eye, it meets all the safety norms, Bharat Stage-III emission norms and can also meet the Euro 4 norms.

It indeed is a historic day for India, and Indians all over. Today we gift the world, the cheapest car!

Additional read, People’s Car website

Let me too join in and vent my frustrations at the level of umpiring that we are witnessing downunder. The current Indian tour of the Aussie is turning into a farce. There is bad umpiring and then there is what’s happening on the current tour. Symonds not given out, Rahul given out, umpires taking Ricky’s words on a dubious catch, third umpire turning a blind eye!

The umpires might as well setup a sun bed on the field, apply sunscreen, sip Mojitos, and read the books on cricket laws. Since they aren’t doing a good job umpiring, they might as well have a relaxing vacation in the Aussie summer!