Skip to main content

Blogmas Day 18- Top 5 Indian Films of 2017

Hello, hello,
Mondays sure have a way of running away from you, eh?! I was drowning in work today and before I knew it, it was 9 PM! Whew!

So, 2017 has been a disappointing year for the movies, both in India and in the US. However, there are some unexpected fun movies that we did enjoy watching (mostly on Amazon Prime Video) and I thought I'd share those with you.

You may have seen these or not and, of course, if you have any recommendations for me, please, please leave a comment here or on my Instagram and let me know, okay?

Alright, so here goes:

1. A Death in the Gunj 


A Death in the Gunj is such an atmospheric movie. It tells a simple story- a family (extended and with family friends) goes off to a hill station for the holidays and events take such a turn that leads to someone dying. The performances are brilliant- each of the actors is so, so stellar. The story is heartbreakingly beautiful and sad and familiar. The chaos and self-absorption of each member of the family is so well captured.
Konkona Sen has made such a surefooted and promising debut as a director! I really hope to see more of her films! I hope she makes amazing cinema in the future!


2. Bareilly Ki Barfi 


Bareilly Ki Barfi is such a fun, earthy and delightful movie! The story is based in, you guessed it, Bareilly and revolves around Bitti, her quirky parents and her quest for finding the one man, who seems to have looked into her very soul when he wrote a book, whose key protagonist was exactly like Bitti!
The dialogues, performances, the fun story and even that one hit song- Sweety tera drama- is all so much fun!
I liked how Bitti is shown as working girl and as a bit of a tomboy and also some kind of a feminist- all things that makes me want to forgive the director for the whole smoking=modern girl trope that small town-based movies seem to be all about.


3. Hindi Medium 


Based on the insight that parents these days are willing to do anything to get their kids into a good school, Hindi Medium blunders around quite a bit but sort of makes a point about the need to make our government-funded schools better.

The movie has some flaws and is a bit jumpy, but it is hilarious in parts! Especially, when the Raj and Mita (the desperate parents) pretend to be 'poor' and live in an impoverished part of town. Those are some of the best scenes in the movie and also some of the most heartwarming ones.


4. Byomkesh Pawrbo and Chidiyakhana (Bengali)


Byomkesh Bakshi films are an annual highlight for my sister and I! Normally, every year, one Byomkesh Bakshi film releases around Durga Puja and we wait and wait and wait for it to get online on Prime Video or Netflix! However, we now have a third online content provider subscription- Hoichoi- which is chockfull of amazing Bengali movies and TV series!

So, we watched Byomkesh Pawrbo on Hoichoi and Chidiyaghar on Amazon Prime!

Both movies were, needless to say, awesome! So, even if you are a non-Bengali and like Byomkesh Bakshi cases, then you can watch both these movies with subtitles on either Hoichoi or Amazon Prime Video.

5. Antarleen (Bengali)


Antarleen is a Bengali murder mystery movie set in the beautiful hill station of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh. It has all the classic elements of a good old murder mystery- the atmospheric backdrop of a hill station, a bunch of strangers in a hotel, old sins, an experienced cop, a rookie cop and a murder!

The performances are great, the narrative is taut and fast-paced and the murder mystery is interesting as well.

It's available on Hoichoi, if anyone wants to watch it.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Magic of the Lost Temple by Sudha Murthy.

Book: The Magic of the Lost Temple Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 163 Read On: Paperback How Long it took Me To Read: 1 day Plot Summary:   City girl Nooni is surprised at the pace of life in her grandparents' village in Karnataka. But she quickly gets used to the gentle routine there and involves herself in a flurry of activities, including papad making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a cycle, with her new-found friends. Things get exciting when Nooni stumbles upon an ancient fabled stepwell right in the middle of a forest.Join the intrepid Nooni on an adventure of a lifetime in this much-awaited book by Sudha Murty that is heart-warming, charming and absolutely unputdownable. General Thoughts: Ah! A happy little Children's Book! I wanted it the minute I spotted it in the bookshop. And I started reading it pretty much immediately. :)  I read it after reading a beyond dull and boring and soulless book. This book just cured my bookish blues. I l

Book Review: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.

Some snippets of the stunning art inside the book!  Book: The Room on the Roof Author: Ruskin Bond Illustrator: Ahlawat Gunjan Pages: 171 Read On: Hardback How Long It Took Me To Read: 3 days or so. Plot Summary:   Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy, is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the claustrophobic European part in Dehra Dun. Unhappy with the strict ways of his guardian, Rusty runs away from home to live with his Indian friends. Plunging for the first time into the dream-bright world of the bazaar, Hindu festivals and other aspects of Indian life, Rusty is enchanted … and is lost forever to the prim proprieties of the European community.  General Thoughts: This book is super special. Not only this 60th anniversary edition an absolute beauty. This is also a signed copy I picked up from Mussoorie when I was in Landour earlier in the year. This is perhaps one of Ruskin Bond's most well kn

Review: Grandma's Bag of Stories by Sudha Murthy.

Book: Grandma's Bag of Stories Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 176 Read On: Paperback How Long It Took Me Read: 2 hours Plot Summary:   When Grandma opens her bag of stories, everyone gathers Around. Who can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma? From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals. Grandma tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and provide hours of enjoyment to them. So come, why don’t you too join in the fun? General Thoughts: I've read quite a few Sudha Murthy books this year and really enjoyed them. I find them soothing, simple a