Hello, hello,
In the year where we all had to stay home, watching movies provided for an escape from the very real, very scary and heartbreaking reality around us.
Before we get into this list, just a little disclaimer that not all these movies were released in 2020, we just ended up watching them this year.
Raat Akeli Hai also available on Netflix is a murder mystery and it is so well made! A rich, dysfunctional family's cruel patriarch is murdered and an honest police officer comes in to solve the case. The case takes on one unexpected turn after another as old sins and their long shadows catches up with the murder. Another must-watch!
Mardaani 2 is the sequel to Mardaani and manages to stand up on its own merit. A series of brutal rapes leaves the city of Jaipur petrified and SP Shivani Roy has very little time to identify and stop the killer. A breakthrough film debut by Vishal Jethwa and Rani Mukerjee's competent performance as the determined cop make this movie an engaging watch.
Motichoor Chakhnachoor is a romantic comedy (of sorts) about a girl, who only wants to marry an NRI. She sets her sights on her neighbour, a much older bachelor, since he has a job in Dubai. Except, that he no longer has a job in Dubai. Chaos ensues and somewhere love happens. A pretty decent, "timepass" watch.
Sandh Ki Aankh is inspired by the real-life Rifle Dadis- two women in their 70s, who have won multiple sharp shooting contests! The movie dives into their lives in a typical patriarchal rural family and how they show their family, their village and community that age is just a number and women can do anything they set their minds on! This film is available on Zee5.
Maati is a Bengali movie that dwells on the question that plagues our entire subcontinent- for how long can we hold on to the hatred and trauma of the Partition? Maati tells the story of a young woman, who whilst attending a wedding in Bangladesh, goes to visit her family's ancestral home and is faced with the same dilemma- when is the right time to let go of the trauma and hatred of the past? When is it time to start healing again? This is a beautifully made movie and an absolute must-watch! Available on Hoichoi.
Sanjhbaati is a Bengali movie that tells a simple and beautiful story about the true meaning of family. Increasingly, Calcutta (like many Indian cities) has seen the exodus of young people, who move all over the country and world in search of career opportunities. The only people left behind are their ageing parents. The movie explores the beautiful relationship between one such set of ageing parents and their domestic helpers. Available on Zee5.
Dwitiyo Purush is a Bengali crime thriller and it is such a refreshing and nicely made movie! Don't want to spoil anything except that the movie is a sequel to Baieshe Srabon and involves a serial killer! Available on Hoichoi. Do watch!
Home Stories is a classic pandemic movie. 4 stories about staying home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Very entertaining. Quirky and is available on Netflix.
What Are the Odds? is a quirky and cute little coming of age movie on Netflix. It is cute, different and fun! Do watch it just to encourage the makers, who have tried a totally different genre of filmmaking in India!
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