Top 10 Bollywood films of 2020

Illustration/Uday Mohite

The thrilling reminder, even in a pandemic year that left life and civilisation, including the film industry, devastated, is this: in film, at least, there is still so much to celebrate. Here, then, is my Top 10

Bollywood/Hindi films of 2020:

1. Eeb Allay Ooo! by Prateek Vats: Savage political satire in which a man-monkey conflict reflects the state of the nation. It was at the Berlin, Pingyao and Mumbai film festivals. Actor Shardul Bhardwaj is a revelation. Must see, in Indian theatres now.

2. Sir by Rohena Gera (director, screenwriter, a producer): Exquisite jewel of a romantic drama, it is a story of unrequited love between a wealthy Bombay heir (Vivek Gomber) and his maid (Tillotama Shome, luminous). The Indo-French debut feature that won an award at the Cannes Film Festival's International Critics' Week in 2018, that Platoon/PVR released in Indian theatres this year, after it released in 23 nations. Shame on us! Woman director, screenwriter and a producer.

3. Meel Patthar (Milestone) by Ivan Ayr: Quiet drama about a middle-aged, widowed truck driver, feeling insecure when asked to train a younger driver. Was at the Venice Film Festival's Orizzonti in 2020, where his Soni played in 2018. Woman producer Kimsi Singh.

4. Serious Men by Sudhir Mishra: Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, it is a superb adaptation of Manu Joseph's eponymous novel about Ayyan Mani, an ambitious Dalit, so keen to rise above poverty, that he runs a risky con involving his young son Adi (Aakshath Das). On Netflix; Sejal Shah is a producer. Woman producer.

5. Thappad (Slap) by Anubhav Sushila Sinha: Sinha has been regularly elevating Bollywood with mainstream films on core, unaddressed issues, in this case, domestic abuse, that starts with 'just one slap,' and must stop right there, if at all. Taapsee Pannu is superb. Screenplay by Mrunmayee Lagoo and Sinha; editor Yasha Ramchandani. Woman screenwriter, editor.

6. Yeh Ballet by Sooni Taraporevala: Very moving, inspiring, delightful film about two Bombay slum boys who dream of becoming ballet dancers; Achintya Bose and Manish Chauhan are fab. On Netflix. Director, associate producer Malvika Khatri, editor Antara Lahiri, all women.

7. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan by Hitesh Kewalya: This Ayushmann Khurrana-Jitendra Kumar starrer was welcome for showing a gay relationship like any other love relationship. With the gorgeous Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao, and even a SRK-Kajol train scene tribute. Producer Divya Khosla Kumar, co-producer Karuna Badwal, both women.

8. Dolly Kitty aur Woh Chamakte Sitare by Alankrita Shrivastava (director, screenwriter): Konkona Sensharma and Bhumi Pednekar play spunky sisters who discover that honesty in love and sex can be liberating. On Netflix. Shrivastava wrote it too. Woman director, screenwriter.

9. Chhapaak by Meghna Gulzar: Deepika Padukone risked a lot to play Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor we believe in: "Ab khush hoon toh kya karoon?" Fox Star Studios. Woman director, women writers Atika Chohan, Meghna Gulzar; Meghna Gulzar and Padukone are also women producers.

10. Shakuntala Devi by Anu Menon: Vidya Balan plays the feisty mathematician and human computer who travelled to England, and has a troubled family life. On Amazon Prime Video. Director; co-producer Shikhaa Sharma; writers Anu Menon, Nayanika Mahtani and Ishita Moitra; Japanese cinematographer Keiko Nakahara and editor Antara Lahiri, are all women.

Honourable special mentions would include Anurag Basu's Ludo, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Panga, Arati Kadav's Cargo and Sharan Sharma's Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, among others.
PS: I've highlighted some key women's contributions only to make the invisible visible: for the current and next generation: if you can see it, you can be it.
PPS: My Top 10 All-India films will follow.

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist.
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com

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