Amidst all the talk about how nepotism has prevailed in the industry and how producers and filmmakers and big-shot actors have tried to push forth their relatives and kids, snatching opportunities from the hands of struggling talents with no filmy backgrounds – the Indian audience has also played a significant role in not recognising great cinema time and again.
We have all seen how moves like Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo or Happy New Year continue to rake in big bucks, while cinematic masterpieces like Tumbbad or Gangs Of Wasseypur, don’t attract the same number of attendees to the ticket counter – perhaps because the masses tend to be attracted to popular, glamorous faces.
There are some movies that have been released in the last couple of years alone, that haven’t received the kind of appreciation that they should have. In an industry, where even the annual awards are given away to those that are big commercial successes, instead of the ones that actually stood out when it comes to the very art of movie-making, the constant neglect from both audiences and industry-insiders can be disheartening.
In a bid to bring your attention to some of these complex, sophisticated and beautiful pieces of movie-making, we have put together a list of under-appreciated gems that you should certainly not miss out on.
Here are some lesser known, small budget movies that you should watch ASAP:
MISS LOVELY
A movie created with such realism about an unexplored chapter in Bollywood, that it is going to give you shivers. Filled with raw and gritty performances, particularly from the movie’s lead – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the movie explores what goes on in the dark, sensational and the secret world of C-grade horror movies of 1980’s.
ANKHO DEKHI
A movie depicting the lives of a middle class family, who’s patriarch – played by Sanjay Mishra, ventures into a journey to discover the real truth of the world and of life. Heartwarming and subtle, with an ending that is as beautiful as it is shocking and saddening.
HARAAMKHOR
A movie that moves like a childhood fable, and ends on a devastating note. The title of the flick aptly describes the character played by Nawazuddin, in this 2017 released masterpiece. A brilliant piece of movie-making.
MUKTI BHAWAN
A stunning and heartbreaking movie, dealing on the difficult and morbid subject of life and death, told through the eyes of a son and his dying father – who both venture out to Varanasi to help the latter find ‘moksha.’ In the end, they both end up finding themselves and their long-strained relationship with each other.
TRAPPED
A nail-biting thriller featuring Rajkumar Rao, which gives both the lead character and the viewers an experience of life beyond the confinements of the apartment he gets trapped in. Rajkumar clearly deserved all the ‘Best Actor’ awards that year for this one, but as usual – they failed to even nominate him.
SHAHID
A powerful and impactful movie created under the brilliant direction of Hansal Mehta. Shahid tells the story of a Mumbai based lawyer, who devotes his life to freeing and defending men wrongly convicted in crimes related to terror or terrorism. A thought-provoking drama.
PEEPLI (LIVE)
A subtle dark comedy, serving as a satire on the dreadful situations the farmers of our country have been in and how the media creates a mockery of their situation, with their titillating headlines and sensationalist ways of reporting. Peepli (Live) will melt your heart and also open your eyes at the same time.
MARGARITA WITH A STRAW
Kalki Koechlin in her career best performance, plays an ambitious student suffering from cerebral palsy. A youngster, who ventures out of the country for studies and ends up discovering the various colours of her sexuality. How her experiences with love, loss and life make her a woman of her own, is beautifully shown in this under-rated gem.
ALIGARH
This Hansal Mehta masterpiece was based on the life of Aligarh Muslim University professor Ramchandra Siras and how horribly he was treated by the university, his community and the society in general – after he was “caught” being intimate with another man. Despite worldwide critical acclaim and standing ovations across International Film Festivals, this movie failed to attract Indian audiences to the theatres. Don’t miss it now.
GALI GULEIYAN
Another painfully overlooked Manoj Bajpayee movie. A difficult to watch intense drama, on a dark and largely unexplored subject in Hindi cinema. Gali Guleiyan lets you venture into the dark streets of Delhi and of your own soul, as the lead character continues to dwell more and more into the prison of his own mind. Dipesh Jain should be applauded for how sensitively he handled a difficult and complex subject like this. Don’t miss the great Manoj Bajpayee in yet another world-class performance – that was yet again over-looked by the glamour-obsessed world of Bollywood.
This is only scratching the surface of some of the best work that has been released in the recent years, but you certainly won’t hear about them at the great Bollywood annual tamasha shows.
At the end of the day, it is you who has to be discreet in choosing art over crass.
Which under-rated gem is your personal favorite?