Bollywood movies of 2012 :Best to Worst
List of Indian movies I have seen this year, with my reviews and comments from Best to Worst.
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- DirectorSujoy GhoshStarsVidya BalanParambrata ChattopadhyayIndraneil SenguptaA pregnant woman's search for her missing husband takes her from London to Kolkata, but everyone she questions denies having ever met him.Exceptional Thriller, Fantastic Direction, Great Acting and Mind-boggling finish - should be watched at-least 2 times with 2 different perspectives. One of mine all time best movies.
Whats great?
1)Story line, Cast and Crew, Direction - The twist in the tale at the end is unexpected.
2)Though there are H/B movies like that, what distinguishes the movie are the sheer direction of Sujoy Ghosh, unequivocal acting of V(B)idya Valan. the correlation of between tradition and real women power, the thrilling suspense all through out the movie.
3) Capture of the City Kolkata, its pulses and moves, never seen a cinema capturing a city so vividly - yet appropriately in the context of the story.
Why not perfect 10?
Nawazuddin could have done better in Inspector Khan's character
Too much of Vidya focus - which is a strength of the movie also
My Rating - 9 - DirectorAnurag BasuStarsRanbir KapoorPriyanka Chopra JonasIleana D'CruzThree young people learn that love can neither be defined nor contained by society's definition of normal and abnormal.Utterly stunning !! In this age where Romantic movie means more kiss and less dress, Anurag Basu came up with a innocent golden masterpiece which will exists perhaps next few decades.
Why so great?
1) Wonderful script, nice narration and direction
2) Exceptional acting of Ranbir/Priyanka/Illeana
3) The after effect, left with a deep feeling of love and life
4) Music, Cinematography, comedy everything good
Why not perfect 10?
1) A little slow story-line
2) More events expected after couple's marriage
3) Questions on originality and lot of inspirations from Chaplin
My Rating - 9 - DirectorAnurag KashyapStarsManoj BajpayeeNawazuddin SiddiquiTigmanshu DhuliaA clash between Sultan and Shahid Khan leads to the expulsion of Khan from Wasseypur, and ignites a deadly blood feud spanning three generations.Very different, original, A great capture of socio-political system, A must watch for young India. Definitely in my best 100 movies list.
Why so different?
1)The reality is stranger than fiction - the real story is better than any script, very unique.
2)Anurag Kashyap has created his own brand of making rough and tough movies and he has mastered it, great direction, relevance of music and dialog.
What could have been better?
GOW Part II was little boring, more violence and less story.
The star effect was missing, though existing cast did exceptional
My rating - 8.5 for GOW I & 8 for GOW II - DirectorGauri ShindeStarsSrideviAdil HussainMehdi NebbouA quiet, sweet tempered housewife endures small slights from her well-educated husband and daughter every day because of her inability to speak and understand English.Simply awesome, a very well written realistic script with perfect execution, the underlying message was the killer. A big hit without having vulgar, violence or superstars.
Whats great?
1)The flow of simplicity, the great Sridevi - her acting, look, passion made a big difference.
2)The robustness of scrip - A must prerequisite for a big hit in today's world, Gauri did great job with direction and story-line
3)The message - its not always about English, about our culture, about our family, about our self-respect, about our priorities.
4) Music, cinematography, subtle touch of humor, capturing different culture and most importantly Capturing New-work was phenomenal.
What could have been better?
1) The last speech of Sridevi was too simple, could have been sharper and more touching
2) A little more camera work or dance numbers in Indian marriage.
My Rating - 8 - DirectorUmesh ShuklaStarsParesh RawalAkshay KumarMithun ChakrabortyA shopkeeper takes God to court when his shop is destroyed by an earthquake.One of the exceptional movie of this year, A great concept & Script, modern look to God/religions and eye-opener to all of us, a must watch.
Why Exceptional?
1) Paresh Rawal was fantastic, excellent cast and crew including the GOD's new avatar Akshay Kumar.
2) Message to the entire society, including the religious groups
3) Nice subtle humor punch, good direction
4) Reinventing religious thoughts within us, in the context of modern India, reinforcing the concept of inner God who resides in everything or “Jibe prem kore jei jon, shei jon shebiche Ishwar” (One who loves others, is truly serving the Almighty himself)
Why not great?
Not original concept, The movie is based on a Gujarati play called Kanji Virudh (vs) Kanji, and with a plot similar to that of the Australian film The Man Who Sued God.
Cinematography & Camera effect could have been better, with better music.
My Rating - 8 - DirectorAng LeeStarsSuraj SharmaIrrfan KhanAdil HussainA young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.Good one, specially the 3D effect and graphics was exceptional, but overall the movie was not great one, its Hollywood movie, but I evaluated with Bollywood movies as the actors are from Bollywood and context started with India.
Whats great?
Visual display. The best visual presentation I have seen after Avatar.
Ang Lee's direction in Indian context was good.
The survival part in sea was also worth mentioning.
What could have been better?
Script, I personally didnt like the mock-up story at the end of the movie, the lasting effect was not there.
My Rating - 8 - DirectorTigmanshu DhuliaStarsIrrfan KhanMahie GillRajesh AbhayThe story of Paan Singh Tomar, an Indian athlete and seven-time national steeplechase champion who becomes one of the most feared dacoits in Chambal Valley after his retirement.Little over rated, but an unique movie from story perspective.
Why Unique?
A real story of Indian soldier. A gold winning sports man who turned into a gangster; which is stranger than fiction. Irfan was fabulous in the main character. Must watch for one time. However I doubt whether I will see it again, so not in my all time best movies.
Whats wrong?
The direction is flat, story line presented in liner way.
The punches of dialog could have been much better as there was huge scope in this kind of story-line.
My Rating - 8 - DirectorShoojit SircarStarsAyushmann KhurranaYami GautamAnnu KapoorA man is brought in by an infertility doctor to supply him with his sperm, where he becomes the biggest sperm donor for his clinic.Excellent funodrama with nice script and unique concept, but the director could have gone deeper with the concept.
Why Excellent?
Script is backbone of any movie, specially the theme and concept, where Vicky Donor excelled
The comedy touch of social representational was unique and the ending was happy
What could have been better?
No good music except title song
Director could have gone deeper with the concept, it was little simple at the end, not leaving any imprint behind
My Rating - 7.5 - DirectorHabib FaisalStarsArjun KapoorParineeti ChopraGauahar KhanA love story of a passion ignited by hatred. Of two people. Born to hate. Destined to love.Must watch film of the year, very natural action romantic film, nicely captured the political and cross-religion love effects of typical Indian society.
Why Must Watch?
Nice script portraying a love story of today's India
Excellent acting by new genre of Bollywood stars, was very much into the film character, thus the movie got pragmatic look
What could have been better?
Music except the song "May Parishaan" and the item numbers
The story is the old wine in a new bottle, much like - "Kaya Mat Se Kaya Mat tak"
Camera effect could have been better in the actions, the lanes and alleys were repetitive - so had scope of improvements.
My Rating - 7.5 - DirectorKaran MalhotraStarsHrithik RoshanPriyanka Chopra JonasSanjay DuttA young boy's father is lynched before his eyes; fifteen years later he returns home for revenge.Agneepath is a hit this year, vibrant, violent and worth watching, but nothing special than a normal remake.
Why Hit?
Good direction, masala punches and on screen violence was special one.
Hrithik & Priyanka played up to their exception. Great work by Sanjay Dutt in the character of Kancha a horrible villein who portrayed himself as larger than life.
This remake shows how our human value degraded in last 2 decades (comparing previous Agneepath's nature of crime).
What missed?
The character of Krisnan Iyer (Nariyel Pani Wala) and his sarcastic comments. The comedy part is completely missing. No twist from the original movie made it extremely predictable.
My Rating - 7.5 - DirectorS.S. RajamouliStarsSudeepNaniSamantha Ruth PrabhuA murdered man is reincarnated as a housefly and seeks to avenge his death.
- DirectorArnab ChaudhuriPavan BuragohainK.K. RainaStarsYudhveer BakoliyaAshok BanthiaRavi KhanvilkarArjun, a Pandava, learns the art of warfare from Drona and becomes his most skilled student. Meanwhile, Duryodhana and his uncle, Shakuni, conspire to win over everything that belongs to the Pandavas.Must watch animation for today's young generation. Very nicely illustrated and presented by Walt Disney.
Why must watch?
1) Good animation, precise and made for all ages (specially under13)
2) Reinvented Mahabharata in new context, precise message to today's genre with meaningful lessons
What could have been better?
1) The animation is definitely not like Avatar or Tintin
2) Look to me unfinished, probably a sequel is waiting
Rating - 7 - DirectorDibakar BanerjeeStarsAbhay DeolEmraan HashmiKalki KoechlinPrime leader of a campaign against a big government project is killed in what appears to be a road accident. An IAS officer is ordered to probe the incident and the veils of falsehood begin to drop.Good one from Dibakar, worth watching, but not great.
Why a masterpiece?
A blend of rural India and emerging India. A concept beyond growth. Fantastic Cast and Crew. A story of using the system against the system to foil the conspiracy of political leaders in the name of growth.
Whats Wrong?
Theme should have been stronger in this kind of movie. The anti-growth fight could have been presented as main theme, but the film suffers its identity between crime/mystery/drama part.
Nothing great in the storyline - Typical Communism against bureaucratic political system. Nothing to carry forward from the movie.
My Rating - 7 - DirectorReema KagtiPriyamvada NarayananStarsAamir KhanKareena KapoorRani MukerjiInspector Surjan Shekhawat, who is dealing with a depressing past, has to investigate a high profile murder case, deal with his crumbling marriage and use the help and solace of a prostitute by the name of Rosie.A must-watch suspense/thriller, but not in this year's TOP 10 list.
Why must-watch?
Good script and excellent acting by the famous trio Amir-Kareena-Rani.
Not typical Bollywood movie, has its own pace and quite different than typical bolly thrillers.
Why not in Top 10 movies?
Good story, but could have been better and the suspense is definitely not like Kahaani.
Second half is little dragging and monotonous.
Little more expected from Amir's movie.
My Rating - 7 - DirectorBedabrata PainStarsManoj BajpayeeBarry JohnDelzad HiwaleSchool kids organize an armed revolt in the 1930s in British occupied Chittagong. There are casualties on both sides. Later, one of those kids successfully leads the peasants to regain their food-grains earlier commandeered by the British.
- DirectorYash ChopraStarsShah Rukh KhanKatrina KaifAnushka SharmaAn uncompromising film on true love from the legendary and unforgettable director Yash Chopra which is fascinatingly distinctive and contemporary.Another Hit as expected, a sweet romantic movie for all ages. This is must watch more because of legendary direction Yash Chopra's last film and SRK-Katrina's first one.
Why Hit?
1)The unique power of thinking the definition of love, which reforms with changing time. Yashji has done fabulous job in JTHJ as director.
2) The Star effect. Romantic SRK never dies, the charisma of Katrina and new age girl Anushka made it a real box office bluster
3) Locations - Ladakh, London and other parts of Europe was captivating.
4) Good music - more important was to fit the songs accordingly.
Why not in this years top movies?
1) Script was good, but nothing special, no surprises, predictable and same old fashion Bolly trilogy.
2) Movie was too long, unnecessary stretch in second half made it little boring at the end.
My Rating - 7 - DirectorSameer SharmaStarsKunal KapoorHuma QureshiVinod NagpalA fugitive frantically looks for a much-coveted chicken curry recipe with which his family can reclaim their pride and wealth.Surprise package of the year, a simple family story executed in a perfect way. Worth watching and leave a smooth feelings.
Why Good?
Cast and Crew - fantastic, Huma and Kunal justified thoroughly.
Wonderful flow of the story-line with a punch of humor and Romanticism. Not stereotype Bollywood movie.
Music was entertaining, overall a mix of Marsala and Fun.
What could have been better?
Story line was slow, nothing special. Screen Play could have been better. Lot of things were predictable.
My Rating - 7 - DirectorPrakash JhaStarsManoj BajpayeeKabir BediArjun RampalOn the request of his friend Kabir, SP Adil Sends him to the Naxal group as an informer. When Kabir finds the truth he becomes one of their gang leader.Good one from Prakash Jha, but could have been better
My rating - 7 - DirectorRajesh MapuskarStarsSharman JoshiBoman IraniRitvik SahoreHow the pursuit of an Indian cricket legend's Ferrari makes a young boy's dreams of playing cricket at Lords a reality.Good one for young cricket lovers. Definitely worth wathing but could have been better.
Whats good?
fun filled comedy with a punch of cricket. Ideal father being dishonest to fulfill the dream of his son, an emerging cricketer. A good representation of politics in cricket and cricket beyond politics.
What could have been better?
Storyline & wittiness could have been better specially in Boman's presence. The climax was abrupt, the cricket sentiment could have been captured in a better way.
My Rating - 6.5 - DirectorPrabhu DevaStarsAkshay KumarSonakshi SinhaNassarA con man uncovers a deadly secret and must save his lady love, the small-town locals and the little girl who insists she's his daughter, from the mob.Fantastic Bollywood Masala, worth watching in lighter mood, but not at par with its contemporary films and quite predictable.
Why fantastic?
Typical Bollywood masti, love-music-fight in a new look; special choreography from Prabhudeva in Chinta-na-chitan-chita.
Akshay played to his strength, wittiness & the on-screen violence were enjoyable.
Why not at par with its contemporary films?
Quite predictable, nothing new from Dabbang/Singham.
Sonakshi was better in Dabbang, nothing special from her in this one.
Chulbul Pandey had both flavors of Shiva (Akhshay's double role) in one character, the only take away from this film is "too much honesty is not good enough";
My Rating - 6 - DirectorKabir KhanStarsSalman KhanKatrina KaifGirish KarnadIndia's top spy Tiger and his love Zoya battle the dark world of intelligence and espionage that forbids its soldiers from loving the enemy.Indian tiger and Pakistani tigress - in a bond mood, a spicy Bollywood action-romance, definitely an one time watch specially in big screen, but expectation was more.
Why to watch?
Salmans action, camera work, Samlan-Kat chemistry, ISI-RAW story, visual entertainments of different countries.
What was missing?
Music, dance was not as expected.
Salman's dialog punches could have been better.
My Rating - 6 - DirectorRohit ShettyStarsAjay DevgnAmitabh BachchanPrachi DesaiAll hell breaks loose when a Muslim man breaks a temple lock to save a little child, thus for his safety keeps a Hindu name, where he starts making web of lies.Total fun, humor and masala punch worth watching once.
Whats good?
Poor Jokes presented in a hilarious fashion
Star Cast - Ajay, Abhishek, Aswin played up to their expectation
What could have been better?
Not extraordinary, simple, typical bollywood film.
My Rating - 5.5 - DirectorMandeep KumarStarsRiteish DeshmukhGenelia DeshmukhOm PuriMini isn't eager to wed the rich suitor who's been chosen for her, so she stages her own kidnapping and runs off with a man who works for her father.Cool one, romantic with a good punch of humor, but not fantastic.
Why so cool?
It was real life romance for Ritesh and Genelia, which made the on-screen chemistry more interesting.
The Script in 2nd half was better and there was smooth effect after the finish.
Why not fantastic?
1st half was not as expected, The "Jab We Mate" effect was missing.
The Star fact of "Ritesh and Genelia" not at par.
Music and dance could have been much better, looks spoiler in the movie.
My Rating - 5.5 - DirectorHomi AdajaniaStarsSaif Ali KhanDeepika PadukoneDiana PentyA love triangle between a guy and two girls, who are best friends but the complete opposite of one another.Great fun and music, but typical Bollyhood love stories and predictable finish. Can be watched once.
Why to watch?
Music - truly amazing, like Rockstar, and the fun-filled first half. two good looking hotties (Deepica & Diana) were superb.
Why not to watch?
The second half is boring, the same old Bollywood love triangle and a finish which does not suits todays generation. Saif looking old, missing the touch of Love-Ajkal or Ham Tum.
My Rating - 5.5 - DirectorSriram RaghavanStarsKareena KapoorRavi KishanSaif Ali KhanA series of seemingly unconnected events across the world leads to Agent Vinod undertaking a globe-trotting mission to discover why his colleague was murdered.One time watch, Good attempt for a action thriller but nothing special.
Whats good?
Good attempt for global action thriller, never seen in Bollywood before. Saif tried to his best to justify the role.
Whats Wrong?
I had a feeling from the movie promotion that it will be an adventure-comedy, but in reality it was an attempt of action-drama, the movie suffers its identity crisis.
"seemingly unconnected events across the world" was not integrated properly. Nothing great about the story-line, looks like the story was made to fit the decided places.
My Rating- 5.5 - DirectorSajid KhanStarsAkshay KumarJohn AbrahamAsin ThottumkalA comedy of errors wherein four men help each other to fool their prospective father-in-laws creating a cascade of confusion and mayhem.Typical paysa wassul movie, one time watchable in a lighter mood.
Why to Watch?
Good comedy, I would say - "tolerable humor".
A set of gorgeous Bollywood legends in the cast and crew.
Whats Wrong?
The subtle fun like Hangama-Halchal-Heraferi is missing.
Script could have been much better - a golden chance wasted.
My Rating - 5 - DirectorRakesh MehtaStarsKay Kay MenonRanvir ShoreyPradhuman SinghA one-day journey of four different people struggling in the city of Mumbai. One with vengeance, one on a mission, one with hope and one looking to con.Portrays a mix of today's Characters in a presentable way, but average.
Whats good?
Not typical movie, the sequences, mix of plots, characters are unique
What could have been better?
Could have gone deeper in the plot and characters.
My rating - 5 - DirectorKunal KohliStarsShahid KapoorPriyanka Chopra JonasPrachi DesaiThe true love between a couple in 1910, 1960 and 2012. Their love is so strong that even destiny wants to bring them together.Romantic movie of different timeline in 3 different places. Can be watched once.
Why to Watch?
On Screen Chemistry of Shahid and Priyanka.
The story-line is not liner, have pulses.
Why not so special?
Typical idealistic love story which proves - real love never fails !!
My Rating - 5 - DirectorArbaaz KhanStarsSalman KhanSonakshi SinhaPrakash RajChulbul Pandey invites a fresh trouble when he kills the brother of a notorious politician and the former swears to wreak havoc in his life.Finally I watched Dabangg2 and obviously it was wrongly placed. Whats Good?
Music, dance and Mashala And obviously Salman-Sonakshi
Larger than life action and Salman's personality
Whats Wrong?
It was Salman's year from box office collection, but definitely his movies are mindless, specially the Dabangg series has no future with this poor script.
My Rating - 4.5 - DirectorAnu MenonStarsAli ZafarAditi Rao HydariCandice PereiraNikhil and Lalitha are two completely different individuals who are drawn to each other in spite of their differences -- or perhaps because of it. Follow their journey as they meet in London, Paris and New York for a night in each city.Need a romantic heart to watch. A story of two youth traveled from India. A good attempt to reinvent todays romantic youths.
Why to watch?
If you are having a romantic evening, it can definitively a turn on.
A visual journey of 3 Mega-cities of the World.
Why not to watch?
A typical confused Bollywood love story. Predictable and liner.
Only two characters made it seamlessly boring.
No special on screen charisma by the actor-actress.
My Rating - 4.5 - DirectorMadhur BhandarkarStarsKareena KapoorArjun RampalRandeep HoodaA female superstar struggles through the trials and tribulations of being a Bollywood actress.Same Old Madhur Vandarkar movie, Nothing special, but portrays today's film industry somewhat.
Why to Watch?
Only for Kareena, she have been exceptional.
If you are interested to know the different shades of a bollywood heroine, this film can give you fare amount of idea.
What went wrong?
Its not a film, more like a documentary.
Very much predictable and more like a Page3, Fashion type sequel in a new bottle.
My Rating - 4.5 - DirectorAshwani DhirAnil DevganStarsAjay DevgnSanjay DuttSonakshi SinhaA guest tries to stay inside the house of a vengeful man who can't kill him unless he's outside, because of equating guest with God.Subtle humor and cheap humor, a movie to watch in lighter mood, but the exception was much more as the hype and promotion was huge.
Whats good?
Humor and Sonakshi -these are the 2 entertaining factors.
Why average?
Flat story, actually there is noting much in the story as well as in the Sanjay Dutt's role.
My Rating - 4 - DirectorPriyadarshanStarsAnil KapoorAjay DevgnMohanlalTo avenge his past, Aakash Rana plants a bomb in a train endangering the lives of 500 passengers.Super flop of this year, Confused attempt of an action-thriller, there is nothing about "Tezz", rather the motion of the picture got lost couple of times and the script was very predictable
Why not Worst?
Big Star-cast and their acting were good
sequence of actions were not repeatitive
Why flop?
Director - Priyadarshan could not focus on the theme, the film suffers it identity crisis between Action/Drama, Bollywood/Hollywood, Tezz/Revenge. Nothing was perfect and end was very much predictable.
My rating - 4 - DirectorVikram BhattStarsBipasha BasuEmraan HashmiEsha GuptaWhen an ingénue's sudden popularity threatens to shove her out of the spotlight, a movie star uses black magic in an attempt to derail her career.Indian film makers are not mature enough to make horror/thriller movies. And Raaz 3 is not an exception. Its a flop due to poor script, horrible animation and average screenplay.
Bipasha was good, the cast performed relatively well, but that was not enough for critics.
My Rating -3.5 - DirectorSachin KundalkarStarsRani MukerjiPrithviraj SukumaranNirmiti SawantA woman goes on the hunt for her dream man, armed with her wild imagination, her passion for Masala-films, and her ultra-sensitive sense of smell.A pure crap, cheap comedy and no story-line. The social dilemma in one girl's marriage has somehow translated, but had a huge scope to improve.
Whats good?
Reinventing Rani with Belly Dance and Prithiraj as 6pack rough & tuf hero. Music is not bad.
Whats Wrong?
The stereotype story, intolerable comedy, bad cinematography.
My Rating - 3.5 - DirectorAbbas Alibhai BurmawallaMastan Alibhai BurmawallaStarsVinod KhannaAbhishek BachchanBobby DeolLearning of a fortune in gold being secretly shipped to Romania, master thieves Charlie and Riya assemble a crack team to steal it.Most Over-hyped and totally disappointing movie of the year.
Is there anything good?
Probably the story - though it was a total copy of English film "The Italian Job".
Full of star-cast, can be watched once as a action thriller.
Why so bad?
I am not against remake, but it was just a copy. Only dubbing in Hindi could have made it much better than this confused attempt.
My Rating - 3 - DirectorGautham Vasudev MenonStarsPrateik Patil BabbarAmy JacksonSachin KhedekarAn aspiring filmmaker from Mumbai falls in love with a woman from a strict orthodox Christian family.Nothing special, a stereotype love story, no twist, no action, no script, not going to waste my words to explain it.
My rating - 2.5 - DirectorShirish KunderStarsAkshay KumarSonakshi SinhaShreyas TalpadeA space scientist working on a project to communicate with aliens visits a village called Paglapur. To improve the plight of the inhabitants of Paglapur, he comes up with a novel idea.A big flop as the movie suffers its identity crisis between ET-Swadesh-Peepli Live.
Whats good?
A try to make a movie with Aliens.
Why a flop?
Poor story, average screenplay, no proper theme.
My rating - 2.5 - DirectorPooja BhattStarsRandeep HoodaArunoday SinghArif ZakariaIzna, a porn star, is tasked by an Indian Intelligence Agency to seduce her ex-boyfriend Kabir, a dreaded assassin, in order to steal vital information relating to his sleeper cell contacts.There is a subtle but mindful difference between Erotica and Vulgarism. I dont think Puja has achieved what she claimed in Jism2. Watch it only if you never had explored Sunny before, but keep your exception low in all front. Poor story and bad acting made the movie even more horrible.
My rating - 1.5 - DirectorVishal MahadkarStarsManish ChaudhariKunal KemmuAmrita PuriA young man elopes with the girl he loves and moves to South Africa, where he works in the diamond-exporting business. Slowly, he is pulled into the underworld.Another flop of this year, Definitely not worth watching.
No Story, Poor cinematography, a total confused attempt
My rating - 1.5