Movies that have paved the way for grittier and bolder cinema.
Movies are truly remembered when they break the general norms. Movies that really make their mark are either telling a different story or using a different cinematic technique to say it, or both. There are movies which were thought of too daunting, too controversial, paved the way for braver, better, newer storytelling.
Here are a few movies that were way ahead of their time.
Dil Chahta Hai- Everything in the movie was like never before. A different take on friendship, relationships and a tear-jerker of an ending. This Farhan Akhtar production had all the right notes to hit.
Monsoon Wedding- Every family has skeletons in the closet. Monsoon Wedding created quite a buzz with a controversial family-topic at its centre. There’s fun, there’s drama and it’s not pretty when your wedding is crashed by the haunting truth.
My Brother Nikhil- This Juhi Chawla starrer created a lot of buzz and created the long-needed conversation about a deadly disease that was ripe with taboo in the Indian society.
Fire- Oh, the rage when this movie hit theatres was evident enough how backdated film industry really was. Stars were threatened, posters banned – Fire, however, raged against the hate and has become a towering example of revolutionary cinema.
Kya Kehna- This Preity Zinta starrer was an eye-opening cinema. A movie about the repercussions of our actions that affect different people differently; or should we say- affects different genders differently. Kya Kehna is about family acceptance, a lover’s denial and a strong woman fighting the gender battle.
Filhaal- This Sushmita Sen starrer spoke about it back in 2002 when India was still making movies about boy-meets-girl meet-cute. A strong subject dealt with ease and the movie is remembered as ushering in the talks we don’t talk about.
Om-Dar-B-Dar- A cinematic feat, this Kamal Swaroop movie is still considered light years ahead of its time. Take a dive into a fantasy city and postmodernist in its making. The surrealism is gratifying while you try to piece the puzzles together.
The Girl in Yellow Boots- Warped in a tale about the human psyche, The Girl in Yellow Boots didn’t catch many audiences. Ruth doesn’t find her happy ending but the movie is an eye opener- the disillusionment is the truth of frail human life.
