Indian Cinema After 2000

Indian Cinema After 2000

2000 : Terrorist has a release in the USA. The Sixth Sense receives Oscar nominations in the Best Film, Director and Original Screenplay among other categories but wins none. Kaho na Pyaar Hai introduces the brightest new discovery in Indian Cinema in a long time - Hritik Roshan. IIFA, the Indian International Film Awards launched.

Kaho Na... Pyar Hai (2000): Kaho Na... Pyar HaiRakesh Roshan`s young prodigy Hrithik Roshan attained stardom with his very first film, and became the new darling of young cinebuffs. There`s a great deal of expectations pinned on Hrithik, after his seasoned performance in his debut movie. The film completed its silver jubilee run recently when majority of films rarely go past the 10 week run at theatres.

Mohabbatein (2000): MohabbateinThree young men arrive at a famous private school in India, Gurukul. Gurukul is headed by a stern headmaster named Narayan Shankar (Amitabh). The headmaster has instituted a strict anti-romance policy. The three of them all have their eyes set on three girls. And the former, encouraged by Raj Malhotra (Shahrukh), follow their hearts and break the rules of the school.

Fiza (2000): In this film a sister searches for her brother who disappeared during the Mumbai riots of 1992. It is directed and written by Khalid Mohammed. The film features the hit song Mehboob Mere performed by Sushmita Sen. The film was a critically acclaimed but did not do well at the box office. Audiences praised the three lead performances. Karisma Kapoor in particular was applauded for her performance as a disillusioned sister. She also won the IIFA Best Actress Award for her performance as did Jaya Bachchan in the best supporting actress category. They also both won Filmfare Awards in the best actress and best supporting actress categories.

Hera Pheri (2000): Hera PheriThe film stars Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Sunil Shetty and Tabu. The sequel to the film, Phir Hera Pheri is now released. The movie revolves around the lives of three men and the first half revolves around the early attempts to solve their problems with sometimes humorous consequences. The second half deals with their problems through a bizarre series of mistaken identity and comedy of errors. Paresh Rawal won the Filmfare Best Comedian Award for his performance, as well as the Star Screen Award and IIFA Award in the same category.

Chandni Bar (2001): Chandni BarChandni Bar is a film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. It depicts the gritty life of the Mumbai underworld, including prostitution and gun crime. The film stars Tabu and Atul Kulkarni in lead roles. The film was a critically acclaimed hit and it won three National Film Awards. Tabu also received Best Actress nominations at the Filmfare Awards and Bollywood Awards. Atul Kulkarni also received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Star Screen Awards.

Dil Chahta Hai (2001): Dil Chahta HaiIt was directed by Farhan Akhtar and was a hit in cities in India and overseas. Those who liked it said it broke new ground by showing Indian youth as they are today. The movie tells the story of three friends graduating from college and transitioning into life as adults. The style of the film and its setting was well appreciated. The film`s style extended to the music, by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Many film fans thought that the music was fresh and different.

Lagaan (2001): LagaanIt is an award-winning movie made in India and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film, attracted a great deal of free publicity. As a result, Lagaan was booked into many theaters worldwide, theaters that do not ordinarily show Indian films. This was for many Westerners the first opportunity to see a genuine Bollywood film in the local cinema.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001): Kabhie Khushi Kabhi GhamThis film features some of Bollywood`s most popular actors: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji in a guest appearance. It was director Karan Johar`s second movie (after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai). K3G is the highest grossing Indian film overseas. It climbed up to 3rd place in the British box office within two weeks of release, and maintained its place for over 3 weeks. The film was also thought to have broken the American Box Office Top 10, but this remains uncertain due to a lack of confirmed figures from the distributors. The film was the first Bollywood feature to see a theatrical release in Germany (with German subtitles, a dubbed version was produced, too). It was the highest grossing Indian film ever until 2002`s release Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Gadar (2001): Gadar is a 2001 Hindi movie. Stars Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel along with Amrish Puri. The movie is based on the partition of British India into India and Pakistan. It focusses on a cross border love story, along with action when the hero takes things into his own hands. The movie went on to become the biggest hit of 2001 surpassing even Lagaan and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.

Aankhen (2002): AankhenAankhen is a heist movie based on a Gujarati play by Andhalo Pato revolving around a bizarre premise of bank robbery committed by three blind men. The movie was a commercial as well as a critical hit with Amitabh Bachchan`s performance receiving particular praise. The movie was also something of a departure for him as he played a rare villainous role. The roles of the supporting cast were also well received. The movie however was criticized for its improbable premise and heavy plot holes. Ironically, two years after this movie a group of thieves staged a bank robbery in the same way portrayed in the film.

Kaante (2002): KaanteThe film is a Hindi remake of Quentin Tarantino`s Reservoir Dogs, which in turn was inspired by Ringo Lam`s City on Fire starring Chow Yun Fat. The plot is not changed at all from the original movie, though the scenes have been altered to the liking of Indian viewers. It also lifts a scene from the Usual Suspects and a few "inspirations" due to a few alterations. However, Sanjay Gupta was involved in a long court case about this movie due to its being a copy of Reservoir Dogs.

Raaz (2002): Raaz (spirit/ghost), directed by Vikram Bhatt, is unoffically a Bollywood adaptation of the film What Lies Beneath. The film is based on the story of a couple who have moved to Ooty to save their failing marriage. However, what they find in their new home is more then they expected when a ghost starts haunting the place. Raaz was one of the top grossing films of 2002.

Devdas (2002): DevdasThis film is based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel, Devdas. Shahrukh Khan played Devdas including Aishwarya Rai (Paro) and Madhuri Dixit (Chandramukhi) in this adaptation. It was the most expensive Bollywood movie and it had a lavish budget. The film was made to the highest industry standards, and no costs were spared for sets or costumes. The movie was the biggest box-office grosser of the year. Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit were highly appreciated. Shahrukh Khan`s performance as the sensitive yet rebellious alcoholic Devdas is often considered one of his best performances yet, and he won a Filmfare Award for his performance. The song Dola re Dola became a hit because of the unique dance duet between Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit. Devdas was India`s entry for Hollywood`s Oscar in 2003. The movie was also judged at the Cannes Film Festival 2002. It won 10 awards at the Filmfare.

Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003): This film was directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vinod Chopra Productions. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Dutt, Gracy Singh, Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani. This movie won 4 awards at the 2004 Filmfare Awards.

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003): Kal Ho Naa HoThis is a Bollywood film set in New York City. It stars Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan. A romantic love triangle set in New York City. This movie resembles Dil Chahta Hai (2001) in blending Bollywood and Hollywood conventions with high production values. Because of its familiar setting and music, accessiblilty to non-Indians, good production values and respect for copyright, Kal Ho Naa Ho has been used to introduce Bollywood to markets where Indian films have been rare.

Koi... Mil Gaya (2003): Koi Mil GayaThis film is directed by Rakesh Roshan, starring Rekha, Hrithik Roshan, and Preity Zinta. It was inspired by the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, with which it shares many plot elements. Rakesh Roshan has produced a sequel to the film titled Krrish, which opened worldwide in 2006. The movie is said to have inspired an Indonesian television series called Si Yoyo, which also features a miraculous alien visitor.

Maqbool (2004): MaqboolThis film is directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and starring Pankaj Kapoor, Irfan Khan and Tabu is an adaptation of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare. Though the film failed to entice much of an audience during its theatrical run in India, critics were appreciative and Pankaj Kapoor went on to win a Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics). Maqbool (Irfan Khan) is an orphan adopted by Abba Ji (Pankaj Kapoor), a reputed underworld don, works for him and is highly grateful to him for all the help. Nimmi (Tabu) is Abba Ji`s mistress, but loves Maqbool deep somewhere. She fuels Maqbool`s mind and persuades him to kill Abba Ji and take over his post, and Maqbool does so but he is unhappy ever after and is haunted by his own sins and Abba Ji`s spirit and he finally dies after facing all the hardships.

Yuva (2004): YuvaDirected by Indian director Mani Ratnam, simultaneously this was made in Hindi (as Yuva) and Tamil (as Ayutha Ezhuthu), this film tells the stories of three men from completely different strata of society and one fateful incident on Calcutta`s Hooghly Bridge which changes their lives forever. Lallan (Abhishek Bachchan) is a criminal don, settled in Calcutta. He loves, marries, and abuses his wife, Sashi Biswas (Rani Mukerji). Michael Mukherjee (Ajay Devgan) is a student leader, who wants politicians like Prosonjeet Bhattacharya (Om Puri), to keep away from college elections; and then there is Arjun (Vivek Oberoi), carefree and spoilt, in love with Mira (Kareena Kapoor), who he just met, and who at one time wanted to relocate to Canada, but then after meeting Michael, changes his mind and wants to be a politician. The paths of these three young men cross each others`, resulting in violent changes in all their lives.

Swades (2004): SwadesThis Bollywood film stars Shah Rukh Khan and film newcomer Gayatri Joshi. Swades was also released in Tamil as Desam. A NASA project manager, Mohan Bhargav (Shah Rukh Khan) is an NRI who misses his home nation, India. He decides to come home to find his former nanny, Kaveriamma, (played by Kishori Ballal) and take her back with him to the States. In his quest to find his nanny, Mohan encounters a childhood friend, Gita (played by Gayatri Joshi), who teaches primary school in a rural village in India. As is usual in romances, they clash initially but eventually fall in love. However, Mohan sees the best of India, as well as the worst: the poverty, the prevailing caste system and lack of education. The course of his life changes when he decides to chip in and do whatever he can for his nation.

Dhoom (2004): DhoomDhoom was a movie produced by Yash Raj Films` Aditya Chopra and was based loosely on the 1998 French film Taxi, it was one of the biggest hits of 2004 in India, and brought in a new genre of movies akin to the fast paced motorcycle-robbery dramas of Hollywood. Dhoom 2, its sequel is expected in 2006.

Main Hoon Na (2004): Main Hoon NaThis film was directed by Farah Khan and produced by Gauri Khan and Shahrukh Khan; it was released and was considered a box-office success. It mixes the genres of action, teen comedy, family melodrama and Bollywood musical. Main Hoon Na was nominated for ten Filmfare Awards, but ultimately, it only won one award: Filmfare Best Music Director Award for Anu Malik. The film is notable for lively music and dance sequences and for thrilling action scenes featuring Matrix-style slow-motion effects.

Veer-Zaara (2004): Veer ZaaraThis film was directed by Yash Chopra. It is a romance set against the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. The movie stars Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji. Veer-Zaara was heavily promoted pre-release. The film music, released before the actual cinematic release, was a hit, as was the movie. Veer-Zaara received fifteen Filmfare nominations. It won awards for best dialogue, story, movie and lyrics.

Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005): Hazaaron Khwaishein AisiThis film is an Indian movie made by director Sudhir Mishra. Set against the backdrop of the Indian Emergency, the movie tells the story of three people in the 70s, when India was undergoing massive social and political changes. It went to 12 film festivals in 6 months.The film opens in Delhi University with the story of three students, Kay Kay Menon, Chitrangada Singh and Shiney Ahuja. It follows their lives over the next five years in a story of politics, love, and ambition. The film`s socio-political statement retains the intellectual power and depth and is not overshadowed by the strongly emotional love story its woven with.

Parineeta (2005): ParineetaParineeta is a Bollywood musical adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar, based upon a screenplay by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the movie featured Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan and Amitabh Bachchan as the narrator. This movie was well received all over India and abroad.

Paheli (2005): The Unfinished 2000sThis film was directed by Amol Palekar. Paheli is based on the short story written by Vijayadan Detha and tells the story of a wife (Rani Mukerji) who is left by her husband (Shahrukh Khan) and visited by a ghost, disguised as her husband, who is in love with her and takes her husband`s place. Here, Suniel Shetty, Juhi Chawla, Rajpal Yadav and Amitabh Bachchan have special appearances. The movie opened the ninth Zimbabwe International Film Festival at the Libertie Cinema Complex in Harare. Some critics claim that this movie`s screenplay is loosely based on the Girish Karnad`s critically acclaimed Kannada movie "Nagamandala". Paheli was nominated as India`s official entry to the 2006 Oscars, a decision which surprised the film community. Paheli had received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the acting but criticized elements in the direction or with the story in general.

Sarkar (2005): SarkarThis film is directed by Ram Gopal Varma and starring Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan in the title roles. Sarkar meaning "the government", has been termed as Varma`s homage to the classic The Godfather. Subhash Nagre is known as Sarkar by his followers in the city of Mumbai. His son Vishnu (Kay Kay) is a movie producer who is more interested in film actresses than his wife. Sarkar`s other son, Shankar (Abhishek Bachchan), returns from the USA after his studies and falls in love with Pooja (Katrina Kaif). One day, a Dubai-based don asks Sarkar for a deal which he refuses on moral grounds. The don in turn tries to eliminate Sarkar`s supremacy with the help of Sarkar`s elder son Vishnu. Shankar, on the other hand, tries to counter each his father`s rivals. Sarkar as expected went on to become a hit at the box office. Abhishek Bachchan in particular, was rewarded for his portrayal as a son trying to save his father.

Black (2005): The Unfinished 2000sDirected by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, it is a story of a blind and deaf girl who graduates from a normal college. The film is based on the life of Helen Keller, though the first half is similar to the 1962 film The Miracle Worker, which focuses on Anne Sullivan`s struggle to educate Helen Keller. Time Magazine (Europe) selected the film as one of the 10 Best Movies of the Year 2005 from across the globe. The movie was positioned at number five. Black was the main winner at the Filmfare Award`s winning eleven in total.

Omkara (2006): OmkaraThis film is an interpretation of the classic Othello is a Hindi film directed by Vishal Bharadwaj starring Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma and Ajay Devgan in lead roles. The score and soundtrack of the film has been composed by Vishal Bharadwaj himself with lyrics by Gulzar. A 10 minute preview of the film was showcased during Cannes Film Festival in Cannes.

Dor (2006): Ayesha Takia in DorDor is a realistic and qualitative film that deals with touching emotions like love, betrayal, friendship, forgiveness and redemption. The three main leads in the film are Shreyas Talpade (Behroopiya), Ayesha Takia (Meera) and Gul Panag (Zeenat) and there are several other character actors. The film deals with an extremely touching and sensitive subject of two women whose lives are inextricably entwined through circumstances. The strength of these women to overcome the harsh realities in their path forms the crux of the story.

Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006): Lage Raho Munna Bhaihis is a Bollywood comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vinod Chopra Productions. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Dilip Prabhavalkar, and Boman Irani. Vidya Balan and Dia Mirza also star in the film. In this second film of the Munna Bhai series, Munna Bhai encounters Mahatma Gandhi. Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra will submit Lage Raho Munna Bhai as an independent entry to the 79th Academy Awards, which will be held in 2007.

Krrish (2006): Hritik in KrrishThis is a Bollywood science fiction superhero film directed by Rakesh Roshan, which released as a sequel to Koi... Mil Gaya. The movie stars Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah, Rekha and Preity Zinta in a special appearance. It has been subsequently dubbed in Tamil and Telugu. In India, Krrish became the highest-grossing movie since 2001 and is the second highest-grossing movie of 2006. It has also become the tenth highest-grossing Indian film overseas. Early reports of the sequel, Krrish 2, have claimed that Hrithik Roshan will be carrying out a double-role (both of hero and villain) in this film.

Rang De Basanti (2006): Rang De BasantiThis film was directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The film stars Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Madhavan, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, British actress Alice Patten, Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Kiron Kher and Anupam Kher. The movie was well-received all over the globe. The film has recently been selected as India`s entry to the Golden Globe Awards and will compete in the foreign language film category. The movie has been selected as the official entry from India in the best foreign language film category at the 2007 edition of the Academy Awards.First week box office receipts were Rs. 34.55 crores, or 345.5 million rupees. It is one of the most successful movies in 2006, matched only by Krrish and Fanaa.

Fanaa (2006): FanaaThis film starred Aamir Khan and Kajol in pivotal roles. It is directed by Kunal Kohli. The film also stars Rishi Kapoor, Kiron Kher, Tabu and Shruti Seth. Aamir Khan plays the role of a tourist guide in Delhi ( post interval he is revealed of his true identity; a terrorist) while Kajol plays a Kashmiri girl. Rishi Kapoor and Kiron Kher play the role of Kajol`s parents. While critics claim that the plot is taken from the Hollywood movie Eye of the needle, it doesn`t seem to have many similarities. However, the climax has been lifted from the Kannada movie "Aryabhatta" starring Ramesh Arvind and Soundarya.

Kanchan Chauhan ,23/12/2015,Wednesday