5 Must-Watch Hindi Films of 2023

2023 was, what can be called, the reboot year for Bollywood, as the Hindi film industry is popularly called.

Snubbing the threat posed by over-the-top, melodramatic commercial pot-boilers from the South, Hindi films emerged stronger, more meaningful, and more rooted to reality.

Barring some bloopers like Adipurush, Kisi ka Bhai etc., and some absurd misogynistic fare like Gadar 2 and Animal (that surprisingly brought the moolah), the Hindi film industry produced some of the best films this year.\

What was striking was the variety of fare and the irreverence of the stardom of the protagonist. Small, medium-sized, well-made films that focused on content won the race, and made a name for themselves. Maybe these weren't blockbusters or money-spinners, but they did make an impact and secured their place in the annals of good cinema.

The Best of 2023

Image source - IMDb

1. 12th Fail: Topping this list is this Vidhu Vinod Chopra directed, Vikrant Massey front-lined film for its sheer honesty and the sincerity of its story-telling. Its like a breath of oxygen at a time when we are too frightened to hope, too cynical to dream. Based on a best-seller - written on the life of Manoj Kumar Sharma, a real-life David who challenged the English-speaking, moneyed Goliaths, and surmounted impossible odds to become an IPS officer, this extraordinary film uses no frills or tropes, no resorting to violence, sex, cuss words, nor item numbers.
A film in 2023 ticks all these boxes, yet becomes a sleeper hit to touch the hearts of millions of ordinary men and women aspiring to rise above their station. It becomes a tutorial on honest hard work, an inspirational guide to all young people on the verge of their careers. Easily the best film of the year.

Image source - IMDb

2. Banda/Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai: Manoj Bajpai embodies the role of the intrepid lawyer who takes up cudgels on behalf of a victim of molestation at the hands of a religious pariah.
The sheer rawness of his emotion while arguing the case sets Bajpai a class apart. This is again a no-nonsense film, adhering closely to the subject, focusing on the event and its denouement. When the verdict comes at the end of the film, you also know that the verdict is clearly in favour of Bajpai's finesse as a performer. Such was the impact of this small film, that it was re-released on the big screen after debuting on streaming platform - Zee 5.

Image source - Wikipedia

3. Afwaah: Sudhir Mishra aims his guns at the rumour mills that can kill or maim at will. This hard-hitting film, functioning almost like a docu-drama, shows the mirror to all that is wrong in today's India.
Dogmatism, religious bigotry, witch-hunts, political manipulation, and misuse of media, we saw it all in this movie that featured brilliant acts by actors like Sharib Hashmi, Bhumi Pednekar and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

4. Dunki: Rajkumar Hirani comes back after 8 years to bring a smile on our faces with this poignantly told tale of illegal migration. The topic is serious, almost morbid - as evident from the actual statistics of people around the world, trying to immigrate to other countries for a better life, but perishing in the process, or undergoing unimaginable hardship.

Image source - IMDb

The film has Hirani's trademark treatment of couching a bitter pill with a humorous, well-told story, and some impossibly ridiculous situations. Shah Rukh Khan and Tapsee Pannu chip in authentic acts, supported ably by Vicky Kaushal's impactful cameo.

Image source - Wikipedia

5. Zwigato: Nandita Das' Zwigato isn't an easy film to watch. It talks about the people who are around us, yet are invisible. The delivery person, the cleaner, the driver you hire, the masseur, the security guard, the cook or household help. 
With Zwigato, we see the dark underside of the “India shining” story. Kapil Sharma's astonishing transformation from a popular comedy actor to a performer shorn of all airs, and Shahana Goswami's heartfelt performance propelled this small film to a remarkable one.

  

With such beautiful films coming up, no wonder the Indian movie-goer was back at the halls. There were some astounding films that released on OTT too:

1. Darlings

2. Monica, Oh My Darling

3. Three of Us

4. Mast Me Rehne Ka

5. Kho Gaye Hum Kahan

6. Lost

7. Kathal

8. Shiv Shastri Balboa

9. Dhak Dhak

10. Bawaal

Let's hope this halcyon streak continues, and we the audience are enthralled by cinema once again.

Cheers to good cinema!

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