Bollywood is famously home to gloriously shitty movies that are the cinematic equivalent of tasteless, unseasoned meat. But in a world where we have embarrassingly detestable films like Masaan and The Life of Pi, hidden beneath the sheaths of lustrous glamour lie the crown jewels of Hindi cinema whose luminous film craft and superior star power often go underappreciated.
Here are 5 Bollywood masterpieces that made us bow down to their genius artistry:
1) Saif and Deepika in Race 3
The sharp rigour with which the luxury automobile bursts through the burning aircraft, aided by the fulsome, quintessential Race soundtrack perfectly encapsulates the adrenaline surging through your body as you witness the intricately crafted action sequence that not only blows up the plane but also your mind. The ending completely redefines physics as we know it, as Einstein and Newton rise from the dead, only to jump into the backseat with Saif and Deepika. Oh but the car has no backseat, just like the scene has no logic.
2) Lord Bobby in Soldier
I would like to give a chef’s kiss to whoever choreographed this cinematic masterpiece. I mean how do you come up with such Avant-Garde scenes? You need an IQ of 500 to ideate a plotline where the hero lights a matchstick with his opponent’s teeth. The sequence made me think deep, then deeper and then took me to the depths of hell where I still failed to comprehend the logic behind such a godly act. This movie is ahead of its time.
3) Saif Ali Khan, Ram Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh in Humshakals
Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Ram Kapoor, three fine actors of their time, delivering the best performance of their career. Humshakals is a torture chamber masterfully camouflaged as a film.
4) Tiger Shroff in Heropanti
I don’t know what’s more commendable, the writing or the dialogue delivery. The poetic interludes seamlessly intertwined with the raw emotion pouring out of Shroff’s eyes provide a sensation so palpable that it stings your skin. Lines like “Choti Bachchi Ho Kya” ring a harmonious melody in our ears and occupy a soft corner in our minds and in our hearts <3. Varun Grover take notes.
5) Will Smith in SOTY 2
Not the Oscars slap gate, but Student Of The Year 2 was Will Smith’s finest performance to date. The complex thumkaas accompanied by the ostentatious backdrop make for a pictorial jewel that lives in our brains rent-free.
When will we as a society start giving genuinely good movies the applause and commendation they deserve? It’s time we do justice to superior filmmaking and denounce superficial elements like acting or a plot.
Alas, guys, this was all in jest. These movies are eye cancer.
