In Bollywood or reality, marketing plays a pivotal role. Many Bollywood movies soar and make loads of cash at the box office despite not having a substantial plot or storyline. These films excel solely in star power or marketing or both.
With that being said, there are countless films which ‘fail‘ at the box office despite having everything needed for a good Bollywood movie.
The reason could be less publicity or the fickle mind of the audience, but some films are worth remembering.
Here are some films of 2019 that you might have missed out on but you must watch this year!
Sonchiriya
Sonchiriya had a mainstream Bollywood star cast with the likes of Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Padnekar, Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Bajpayee. The story revolves around the infamous dacoits of Chambal region.
Despite having excellent reviews and ratings, Sonchiriya was pulled from most theatres merely 5 days after its release. Still, some theatres realized the potential of the film and started illegal and unauthorized screenings which did not benefit the movie.
As it is a ‘dacoit‘ movie, expect a lot of violence but if you are a fan of the western genre or want to try something new, you must not miss Sonchiriya.
Nagarkirtan
Nagarkirtan follows the life of Porimol/Puti, a trans woman from rural Bengal, in search of her identity and love. But the journey is not easy. Puti’s quest for happiness is this film’s focus.
The film had eunuchs who play a pivotal role. They give Puti hope and courage when she decides to go through transition. The movie perfectly captures the struggles of the community as well as the pain that comes from betrayal and disapproval of society and one’s self.
Starring Riddhi Sen and Ritwick Chakraborty, the film won four national awards. Yet it was not very popular among the general audience.
At a time when society is slowly embracing the LGBTQIA+ community, this film shows the daily struggles of eunuchs. The constant dilemma between sin and happiness, desire and rejection make this film a must-watch!
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Yours Truly
Soni Razdan makes a comeback in this film. The film follows the life of Mithi Kumar, a 57-year-old government employee on the verge of her retirement.
Everything is going on as usual until she finds herself infatuated with a voice. The voice is of an announcer at the nearby Howrah station. Her infatuation leads her to write personal letters to that person, even though there’s no reply.
Will Mithi ever find the person? Or will she continue to long for the unknown?
Yours Truly centers around the theme of loneliness and melancholy yet how one hopes for the better days.
Aamis
The film is quaint. This movie is deemed by some as the best movie of 2019, centering around the lives of a housewife and a researcher who bond over their common love, meat!
Aamis translates to “non-veg”. The two protagonists’ obsession over meat rapidly takes an eerie turn.
The movie premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival and was nominated under 5 categories.
The relationship between Nirmali (the housewife) and Sumon (the researcher) remains undefined. Perhaps the suppressed nature of this relationship, led to the complicated conclusion of it.
The movie puts sensory love over bodily love. Aamis is not a movie for the faint-hearted!
No Fathers in Kashmir
This film is another film starring Soni Razdan which focuses on longing. This longing symbolises the longing of the entire region of Jammu & Kashmir.
Noor and Majid are two kids on a mission to find their ‘missing‘ fathers. They wander off to the India-Pakistan border and are detained by soldiers on patrolling duty.
Later, Noor is released due to her British passport but Majid is taken away and tortured. Will Noor be able to free him or will Majid also ‘disappear‘?
This powerful movie describes the ‘missing’ childhoods and dreams of Kashmiri adolescents via Noor with ‘missing’ fathers as a symbol of their missing guides or perhaps their ‘missing’ fates.
These movies might not have done remarkably well in box office as their mainstream contemporaries. The reason could be a lack of publicity or audience consciousness.
Yet, as great Bollywood movies, they will surely make a lasting impact on the audience.
Sources – Eastmojo, Indian Express
Image Sources – Google Images
Find the Blogger – @angana101
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