Year Ender 2019: From Ranveer Singh’s Gully Boy to Priyanka Chopra’s The Sky Is Pink, 9 Bollywood Films That Impressed Us the Most in 2019

Well, 2019 has been a strange year for a bonafide Bollywood movie buff. If you are in for box office figures, then the year has been really good with many safe films breezing past the hit mark. Unless your film starred Arjun Kapoor, who continues his box office run. The actors who scored this year were Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Kartik Aaryan, Hrithik Roshan, Shraddha Kapoor, et al. Year Ender 2019: From Alia Bhatt’s Kalank to Salman Khan’s Dabangg 3, 11 Bollywood Movies That Disappointed Us the Most in 2019.

But if you are in for superlative films, then 2019 only had a handful few to offer you. We have covered the films that disappointed us in the year gone by. Now let's talk about the nine films from Bollywood that impressed us the most this year.

Soni

Netflix's this little gem finds its place in not just our underrated films of the year, but also deservedly in our best films. Soni, directed by Ivan Ayr, is a gritty drama that calls out the inherent misogyny not around the workplaces but also in our personal lives, Soni may feel slow-paced but every scene is brimming with so much context.

The performances from the two leads, Saloni Batra and Geetika Vidhya Ohlyan are terrific, and so is the direction. If you haven't watched Soni yet, you are missing out on a gem here. Read the review of Soni here.

Gully Boy

Is Gully Boy Zoya Akhtar's best film? Kinda contentious for me, since I have a really soft corner for her criminally underrated debut, Luck By Chance. Also, its similarities with Eminem's 8 Mile does irk at times. That said, there is no doubt that Gully Boy is a fantastically made underdog tale with some really wonderful performances.

Akhtar makes each and every scene in the film memorable, from those underground rap battles to Murad (Ranveer Singh) reminding his father that he doesn't need anyone to tell him what he is. The performances are uniformly excellent, be it the leads, Ranveer and Alia Bhatt, or its supporting ensemble, featuring Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz, Amruta Subhash and Vijay Varma. Read the review of Gully Boy here.

Sonchiriya

I still can't fathom how this brilliant film, directed by the supremely talented Abhishek Chaubey, was so woefully rejected at the box office. The movie's lack of entertaining bits can be a reason, but had you given it a chance, then Sonchiriya would have blown you away with its captivating tale of revenge and redemption.

Told through the dying breed of dacoits, the movie shuffles through various unsavoury social issues from sexual assaults to casteism to police brutality, and yet manages to infuse a little dose of black humour in the proceedings. The cast delivers a fine act, with terrific performances from Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar and Ranvir Shorey. Read the review of Sonchiriya here.

Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota

Vasan Bala's quirky take on vigilante films is a well-crafted ode to the pulpy offerings of Indian cinema. For an indie film, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota revels in its humour, whimsical premise and well-executed action sequences that rely more on pow-wow than style and fast cuts. Not to mention, it is technically superlative too.

Also, don't go by the title. Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota belongs to Radhika Madan's Supri as much as it belongs to Abhimanyu Dassani's Surya, hers turning out to be a really well-etched character. Let's also not forget Gulshan Devaiah's scene-stealing double act as a Miyagi-inspired one-legged karate master and his evil twin brother. If someone complains to you, saying Bollywood doesn't experiment much with films, then kindly show them this one! Read the review of Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota here.

Article 15

Ayushmann Khurrana's Article 15 may be his least grossing film of the year, but in terms of impact, it registers the most. After the fantastic Mulk, Anubhav Sinha does one better with this investigative thriller with a social backdrop.

A sharp take on brutality carried out in the name of caste politics, the movie actually leaves you with the hope that humanity isn't a dying emotion. Watch the movie and tell me if the final scene of Article 15 doesn't leave you with a smile on your face, even after being numbed by the shocking revelations that came before. Read the review of Article 15 here.

The Sky Is Pink

Another fine film that won over the critics but failed to draw in the audiences. Shonali Bose's film offers a bittersweet insight into the lives of the ill-fated Aisha Chaudhary's parents, as they go through several upheavals to take care of their daughter.

Even though the film's theme may look depressing and it has some well-enacted emotional moments, the spirits are high here and it leaves you with a more positive outlook. Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar are fabulous as the couple, with wonderful supporting turns from the young Zaira Wasim and Rohit Suresh Saraf. Read the review of The Sky is Pink here.

Saand Ki Aankh

Saand Ki Aankh is perhaps the most prolific of all the films here. And yet, its trifle box office collections makes us wish the movie deserves better. Sure, the old women-makeup on the leading ladies Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu feels garish. But considering the same year, we also saw Salman Khan as an unconvincing 70-yo old man in Bharat, guess we can overlook this!

Anyway, the actresses do compensate for inconsistent makeup with competent performances and a warm, heart-tugging camaraderie. As for the film, Saand Ki Aankh is delightful, emotional and above all, inspiring. It is perhaps the most female empowered movie of the year! Read the review of Saand Ki Aankh here.

Bala

Ayushmann Khurrana continues his golden form with three hits in 2019. We have already spoken about Article 15. Dream Girl was funny and entertaining, but Bala makes it to this list, for owning a more layered narrative. Like with most Ayushmann movies, it deftly blends humour with emotions, and it makes for some very compelling writing with its lead characters.

The titular hero may eke your sympathy for his near-bald condition, but the movie doesn't let you forget he is deeply flawed as a person. Yami Gautam is sensational as TikTok sensation, Pari Mishra, in what is the best performance of her career. The one big problem in Bala is again with Bhumi, not the performance, but with the decision to blackface her. Read the review of Bala here.

Mardaani 2

Mardaani 2 has Rani Mukerji's fearless cop take on a cold-hearted rapist/killer, whose young age makes him even more intimidating. At many junctures of watching Mardaani 2, I had this feeling of uneasiness in my stomach, as if I was scared to see what the film gets into next.

Gopi Puthran's debut film as a director has a focussed narrative and some gut-wrenching turns, enhanced by Vishal Jethwa's terrifying turn. Read the review of Mardaani 2 here.