There are times when directors make films which may not cater to commercial audiences, but are delightful to watch. Made by talented film-makers like Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Sudhir Mishra and Kabeer Kaushik, here are seven hand-picked, underrated gems which prove that B-town does produce good films.
Citylights (2014)
A beautiful and thought-provoking film, Citylights captures the dark side of the city of dreams, Mumbai. With actors like Rajkummar Rao working under national award-winning director Hansal Mehta, the emotional journey of a couple from a small village in search of a better life in Mumbai is truly heart wrenching.
Tere Bin Laden (2010)
The film is essentially Abhishek Sharma’s satire on Osama bin Laden, and America’s war against terrorism after 9/11, and is one of the most hilarious spoofs of recent times. Tere Bin Laden will not disappoint you.
Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010)
Subhash Kapoor’s comedy of errors, Phas Gaye Re Obama, is full of smart dialogues and is a hilarious take on organised crime, crime-politics nexus and the great American dream.
Gulaal (2009)
Anurag Kashyap’s Gulaal may have gained cult status now, but the film had to wait for years before it got a theatrical release. With the likes of Kay Kay Menon, Abhimanyu Singh, Deepak Dobriyal, Ayesha Mohan, Jesse Randhawa, Piyush Mishra and Aditya Srivastava acting in it, the film explores power equations, perceived injustices and the hypocrisy of those in power. It remains as one of the best socio-political commentaries on our society.
Black and White (2008)
Directed by Subhash Ghai, Black and White explores the life of an Afghan suicide bomber who meets an idealist professor while working on a mission. The film traces the intricacies of the struggle between good and bad within a person.
Dil Dosti Etc (2007)
Manish Tiwary’s flick, Dil Dosti Etc features Shreyas Talpade, Imaad Shah, Nikita Anand, Smriti Mishra and Ishita Sharma in pivotal roles. It exposes the growing stature of anti-social elements in student politics and university unions.
Black Friday (2007)
Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday, which is based on the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was released four years after the film was made - only after the TADA court finalised its judgement on the case. Based on writer and journalist S Hussain Zaidi’s book Black Friday - The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, the film portrays the true incidents and its aftermath.