Bollywood's Best in 2010

A look at the most entertaining films of the year

Avani Jain in Pune

Every year Bollywood churns out dozens of films with some rocking the chartbusters while others terribly crashing at the box office. If we talk about the year 2010, then it can be declared as unbelievably temperamental year for Bollywood recording major highs and lows.
While there were major flops like big budgeted Anurag Basu’s Kites and Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, there were films like Udaan and Tere Bin Laden with smaller budgets, lesser known actors and debutant directors- Vikramaditya Motwane, Abhishek Chaubey respectively, which won the hearts of critics.
Then there were few films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzarish, Prakash Jha’s multi-starrer Rajneeti and Vishal Bhardwaj’s Ishqiya and Amir Khan Production’s Peepli Live, which were amongst the average hits of the year but were limited only to particular section of the audience i.e. the upper class.
When we look at some of the names above, then we can also conclude that some worked because of their script, some due to their direction and others due to their big star cast etc. In short, there were only few films which could be tagged as perfect entertainer of the year.
Let’s look at the three best entertaining movies of 2010.

Image: Counting the best films of the year

Source: http://www.cinemaonline.com/

Dabaang

Salmaan starrer Dabangg can be easily declared as the most successful entertainer of the year 2010 as right from the script, direction, acting and music, everything seemed to be perfect it. The film broke all box office records and was loved by every section of the audience. Even before the film was released, people were already dancing on the tunes of ‘Munni Badnaam hui.’
This knuckle-crushing film marked the thumping return of the delightful subgenre- the unapologetic mainstream masala action flick set in small-town of India. Blended with Chulbul Pandey’s irreverent masculinity with paisa vasool dialogues and some of the most original action scenes, the film won every commoner’s heart.
Through the film, Salman and debutant director Abhinav Singh Kashyap clearly proved that there is enough space for 'unfashionable' India to be the backdrop of a Bollywood blockbuster and that well-made films packed with kicks, screams, explosions and gunfire also have a chance.

Image: Trailer of Dabangg
Source: http://www.youtube.com/

Band Baaja Baaraat

Following the lines of Dabbang i.e. simple story targeting all sets of audiences, Anushka Sharma & debutant actor Ranveer Singh starrer Band Baaja Baaraat came as a rather unlikely offering from Yash Raj Films, a studio that has seldom deviated from its tradition of making extravagant films featuring larger-than-life stars. Although released in last month of the year, but with all the masala for a perfect entertainer, it became the second most entertaining film of the year 2010.The first thing about it that caught everyone’s eye was the novel concept of the film. In a country obsessed with marriages and where the whole proceedings involve a long list of rituals spread over a span of 10-15 days, the audiences were undoubtedly hooked by the two wedding planners and their efforts. The setting, the ambience, the lingo, the overall tone and mood of the film was enough to woo the audience.Directed by Maneesh Sharma, the film benefited enormously from its two core strengths – sharp writing, and shooting on location. Both, in fact, gave the film and its characters a real and believable feel.Marinated in the zingy masalas of Delhi and its carefree folk, Band Baaja Baaraat packed in celebration, drama, humour, banter, love, hate all in one go and successfully served it to the audience.

Image: Trailer of Band Baaja Baaraat
Source: http://www.youtube.com/

My Name is Khan

With the classic pair of Shahrukh-Kajol in the film, My Name is Khan was one of the most meaningful and moving films to be rolled out from the Bollywood mills in recent times.
The film took on an expansive canvas: 9/11, post 9/11, racial abuse, a hysterical US jurisprudence, hurricane Katrina but primarily remained a story of a good man and his mission.
It featured a striking performance by Shahrukh Khan. While there were few powerful scenes that brought tears in one’s eyes, there were others where Shahrukh managed to make the audience laugh.
Aided by solid camerawork, tight editing, a layered story and touching soundtrack, Karan Johar crafted an engaging, stirring saga that was earnest and noble. It not only entertained, but also mesmerized, enthralled and captivated the viewer. Thus, looking at the box office numbers and the audience reaction, My name is Khan can easily be called as the third successful entertainer of the year 2010.

Image: Trailer of My Name is Khan
Source: http://www.youtube.com/