Both films, though unrelated, touch on the personal secrets that families often hide from each other, and the long-held grudges and jealousies that are brought to the forefront when the whole family gets together after years of being apart. Its risk pays off in its understated drama and elegance in its storytelling, and showcases the breadth of what Indian filmmaking has to offer.Ī family drama about estranged brothers who return to their family home after their grandfather has a heart attack, Kapoor and Sons has similar beats to the novel-turned-Hollywood-film This Is Where I Leave You. Originally conceived as a documentary about the intricate and large dabbawala (or lunchbox delivery) system in India, The Lunchbox situates itself squarely in one of the busiest cities in the world and succeeds in telling a story about loneliness. Irrfan Khan delivers one of his best performances in this sweet and delicate story about human connection. But when the tiffin box gets delivered to another unassuming worker on accident, Ila strikes up a friendship with the widower who is receiving her husband’s meals (Irrfan Khan), largely through written notes. This is a wonderfully realistic romantic comedy for anyone who has experienced the highs of pushing themselves outside of their limits and the lows of unrequited love.īored and lonely in her marriage, housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur) tries to get the attention of her inattentive husband by packing him a special lunch. They try to rekindle their flame, but it’s unclear if marriage fits into the equation of either of their lives.
Years later, the two meet again at a friend’s wedding-Nina is now a successful doctor and Bunny is a world-traveling TV host. But before she can express her feelings, he informs her that he’s moving away to America for graduate school. A shy girl, Nina pushes herself to befriend some of her former classmates on the trip, eventually falling in love with one of the most rebellious boys in her year, Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor). Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ( These Youth are Crazy) (2013)ĭialed into millennial dissatisfaction, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani details an impulsive trip by medical student Nina (Deepika Padukone) to the Himalayas after feeling pigeonholed by her parents’ expectations. It’s infused with heart and understanding that shows promise for this type of storytelling in Bollywood for years to come.ġ1. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga was released to much fanfare, and is a surefire tearjerker about owning your identity and familial acceptance that wasn’t always seen in previous decades. Unfazed, Sahil recalibrates and commits himself to helping her tell her family about her truth in the only way he knows how: an elaborate musical play. After months of his persistence, she finally tells him that she’s in love with a woman.
Sweety (Sonam Kapoor) is plagued by her family’s constant marriage inquiries when she meets Sahil (Rajkummar Rao), a flailing playwright who is instantly smitten with her. While Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is partly on this list due to the sheer significance of its existence as the first mainstream lesbian Bollywood film, it’s also here because of the method by which the story is told. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga ( How I Felt When I Saw That Girl) (2019) While the moves are slow, and the majority of this decade’s Bollywood releases continued to reach the masses in theaters around the world, the 2010s set in motion a new way of operating.ġ9. Bollywood, one of the largest film industries in the world, cashed in on the shifts with some A-list directors and actors turning to streaming originals in lieu of the typical theatrical release. Platforms took an interest in international stories, with both Amazon Prime and Netflix striking new deals overseas.
Many of these new types of projects were ushered into existence by new avenues like Netflix and Amazon the landscape became more fractured than ever before, with streaming platforms becoming a new breeding ground for original content. This decade furthered conversations around marginalized communities, mental illness and feminism, and filmmakers and studios finally began to showcase diverse faces, sometimes even tapping into international markets. Huge strides have been made since the early aughts in storytelling content, on-screen talent, and distribution in both Hollywood and Bollywood. And in 2019, that also means we’re also inching toward the end of the decade.
Sweaters are out, heating is on-it’s time to start your countdown to the end of the year.