Best & Worst Films of 2015

The year 2015 will go down in Bollywood history as the harbinger of an era in which filmmakers took new risks to stray away from tried and tested formulas, and for a change, the moviegoers showered acceptance on their works. The stories demanded actors and not stars, the narrations focused on a lead, not necessarily a male hero, and the films told engaging tales, not confined to the romantic-comedy genre. This was not the case with movies across the board and as always, the year also had releases that were best shelved at the scripting stage. With this year end special, BollyCurry brings you a recap of the best and worst movies of 2015.

Bollywood revenge sagas have always featured story lines with over the top dramatic moments which may or may not involve a tale of rebirth. Badlapur, starring Varun Dhawan, took the goriness and the intensity of a scorned hero's tale to a completely different level. It portrayed a layman who embarked on a string of despicable measures to extract revenge from his nemesis, played by ace actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film also gave Dhawan a perfect platform to showcase his acting chops instead of his dance moves and he delivered with a spirited performance.

Actors in double roles meant an artiste playing two characters, where the difference between the two remained directly proportional to the amount of make up used to differentiate them. Tanu Weds Manu Returns too featured the actress Kangana Ranaut in a double role, with only a wig and a denture at her aid. However, the acting powerhouse gave it her best as the unforgettable Kusum, who completely eclipsed the titular character Tanu.  

The superstars of Bollywood are blessed with huge box office openings, which may even cover the production cost of the entire movie. Although, this has often left them wallowing in movies where it's not a sensible plot, but their charisma and showmanship that are highlighted. Salman Khan followed up such a steady run of widely appealing, mostly nonsensical movies, with the industrial blockbuster Bajrangi Bhaijaan that showcased his acting caliber in a heart-touching story. A tale of perfect casting with strong supporting characters, Bollywood has rarely churned out such gems.

Another successful sequel of the year, Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 did not have any an A-list stars among the cast. But it appealed to the urban, young audience because of its witty lines and realistic portrayal of today's youth. The narration skipped the mushy and sappy aspects of current generation's love life, which resonated with the viewers and turned this small movie into a memorable one. 

The unmistakable stamp of a talented director at the helm have occasionally helped a movie surpass it shortcomings and the Ranbir Kapoor - Deepika Padukone starrer Tamasha was one such example. A tale of a man caught between his aspirations and other's expectations, the mesmerizing tale of his journey to self realization and dare we say, "empowerment" stood out among the run of the mill tales.

The film Dolly Ki Doli shared a few similarities with the blockbuster from the previous year - titular female character and a story revolving around weddings. However, that's where the similarities ended. An unimaginative story line coupled with a forgettable performance by Sonam Kapoor made this one of the worst movies of 2015.

Mr. X from the Bhatt camp was an attempt to sell old wine (read Hollow Man) in a new bottle, with the serial kisser Emraan Hashmi in the lead role. The movie disappeared from the cinemas, much like the protagonist and we suspect the script too had turned invisible during the making. 

Peppy songs, fresh from a blockbuster heroine and a director of one of the most popular Hindi movies, Katti Batti had it all, except for a credible story line. A case of what could have been, a fresh take on romance promised by the makers failed miserably to meet even the standard of a routine love story. 

This recap would be incomplete without a word on the recently released Dilwale and Bajirao Mastaani. If the past releases of 2015 have taught us one thing, it is to never judge a movie by the promos and trailer. We, at BollyCurry hope that these two much anticipated releases do not suffer a similar fate and look forward to films that are worthy of the frenzy created thus far. As we say goodbye to to 2015 and hello to 2016, we wish the entire Bollywood fraternity the best in producing movies that will further heighten the appeal of Hindi movies with audiences world over.

Writer: Aishwarya S.
Editor: Pooja B. and Gunia K.
Graphics: Saraa K.

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