Cinemania’s Top 10 Hindi Films of 2024
It has been yet another challenging year for the Hindi film industry with several big-budget and most-anticipated films underperforming at the box office with the exception of franchise films Rajkummar Rao – Shraddha Kapoor’s Stree 2, Kartik Aaryan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again. The underwhelming box office collections could also be due to the fact that there hasn’t been a single film featuring at least one of the Big Three of Bollywood – Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan or Aamir Khan this year.
Box office performances apart, Bollywood has continued to deliver some fantastic films with memorable performances this year. Below is Cinemania’s pick of Top 10 Hindi original Films in 2024:
10
Film: Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya
Directed by: Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Dharmendra and Dimple Kapadia
Produced by: Maddock Films, Jio Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 9 February 2024
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Promoted with the tagline “An Impossible Love Story”, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya revolves around a robotics engineer Aryan (Shahid Kapoor) who falls madly in love with an android named Sifra (Kriti Sanon), designed by his aunt Urmila (Dimple Kapadia), during a work trip in the USA. Aryan is devasted after learning the truth about Sifra, however he brings her to his home in Delhi to “test” her within a traditional family setting and then announces to his parents, who are not aware that she is an android, that Sifra is his girlfriend, leading to comical situations.
The highlight of the rom-com is Kriti Sanon’s flawless performance as a robot and her chemistry with Shahid Kapoor’s Aryan – which keeps the film entertaining, despite an inconsistent screenplay and a rushed climax.
9
Film: Stree 2
Directed by: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana
Produced by: Maddock Films and Jio Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 15 August 2024
Streaming on: Netflix
In this horror-comedy sequel, an ancient demon called Sarkata who can separate his head from his body enters the town of Chandeli and starts abducting “modern” girls. Lovelorn barber Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and his friends Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), Jana (Abhishek Banerjee), Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) have to once again save the inhabitants of Chandeli with the help of the nameless mystery woman and Vicky’s love interest (Shraddha Kapoor), who returns to the town after disappearing for a while.
Stree 2 benefits from an engaging story (Niren Bhatt), impressive direction (Amar Kaushik), effective background score (Justin Varghese), terrific performances of its cast, especially Rajkummar Rao’s Vicky who carries the film on his shoulders with his unique mannerisms and dialogue-delivery. Despite its flaws and predictability, the sequel is entertaining with a good dose of humour and scares although it’s a notch below its superior predecessor Stree (2018).
8
Film: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3
Directed by: Anees Bazmee
Cast: Karthik Aaryan, Triptii Dimri, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit
Produced by: T-Series and Cine1 Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 1 November 2024
Streaming on: Netflix
In the third instalment of the hit horror-comedy franchise, written by Aakash Kaushik and directed by Anees Bazmee, fake ghostbuster Rooh Baba (Kartik Aaryan) is blackmailed by a client Meera (Triptii Dimri) and is forced to travel to Rakht Ghat where there is an ancestral castle belonging to Meera’s royal family who wants to sell it but they can’t because it is haunted by a ghost named Manjulika. As Rooh Baba and the royal family start to renovate the castle and invite prospective buyers, two strangers Mallika (Vidya Balan) and Mandira (Madhuri Dixit) enter the castle and spooky things start happening around them leading Rooh Baba to suspect that one of them is the dreaded ghost Manjulika.
Just like the second instalment, Kartik Aaryan once again shoulders the film with a terrific performance, flawless dialogue delivery and comic timing. His final act is applause-worthy. Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit do justice to their roles and keep you guessing till the end which one of them is Manjulika. Their epic dance face-off is a delight to watch. While the twists are interesting and unpredictable, the highlight of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is its brilliant climax twist.
The film is not without its flaws though – the lead actress is wasted, the songs are distracting and some of the comedy sequences fall flat.
7
Film: Swatantrya Veer Savarkar
Directed by: Randeep Hooda
Cast: Randeep Hooda, Ankita Lokhande and Amit Sial
Produced by: Randeep Hooda Films, Legend Studios, Avak Films, Anand Pandit Motion Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 22 March 2024
Streaming on: ZEE5
Directed by Randeep Hooda in his directorial debut, who also magnificently played the role of the titular character, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a gripping biopic that follows the journey of legendary but controversial Indian freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who coined the term “Hindutva” and aspired for a unified India.
The writing and screenplay (Randeep Hooda and Utkarsh Naithani) deserves special praise for its research, bringing alive facts overlooked by historians, for its attention to detail and clapworthy dialogues. Some of the highlights in the biographical drama include Kaala Paani segment and conversations with Gandhi (Rajesh Khera) whose ideology clashes with Savarkar’s. The film is technically great as well with impressive costume design and production value.
The only pitfalls of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar are its runtime (some sequences in the second-half could have been trimmed) and its forgettable songs (the background score by Mathias Duplessy and Sandesh Shandilya is fantastic though).
6
Film: The Buckingham Murders
Directed by: Hansal Mehta
Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Keith Allen, Ranveer Brar, Ash Tandon and Prabhleen Sandhu
Produced by: Balaji Motion Pictures, Mahana Films, Miracle Pictures
Release Date: 13 September 2024
Streaming on: Netflix
Kareena Kapoor Khan (Jaane Jaan, Crew) delivered spellbinding performance as a grieving mother trying to come to terms with the death of her child and at the same time maintaining a professional demeanour as a detective tasked with investigating the disappearance of another child in The Buckingham Murders, directed by Hansal Mehta (Shahid, Omerta).
The crime-drama follows British-Indian detective Jasmeet Bhamra (Kareena Kapoor Khan) who has recently relocated to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and her first case is to find a missing Punjabi child with her senior colleague Hardy (Ash Tandon). A Muslim man known to the family is arrested as a suspect, leading to communal tensions in the town. Jasmeet believes the case is more complicated than it appears to be, however her views are belittled by Hardy. Despite being put off the case, Jasmeet continues her investigation in secret, uncovering new angles to the case leading to some startling revelations.
The Buckingham Murders is engaging and thought-provoking, however the film occasionally suffers from pacing issues and the climax could have been better.
5
Film: Article 370
Directed by: Aditya Suhas Jambhale
Cast: Yami Gautam Dhar and Priyamani
Produced by: B62 Studios and Jio Studios
Release Date: 23 February 2024
Streaming on: Netflix
Presented in the form of chapters, Article 370 is a gripping political drama-thriller that explores the events leading to the abrogating of Article 370 by the Indian government, leading to the state of Jammu and Kashmir being revoked of its special status.
The film revolves around two powerful women – Kashmiri NIA agent Zooni Haksar (Yami Gautam Dhar) and PMO Joint Secretary Rajeshwari (Priyamani) – who work together on a series of activities that involves dealing with politicians and militants, each activity having a challenge of its own, however if they are successfully executed as per the plan, then that would enable the Indian government to revoke Article 370 in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in a legal and peaceful manner.
Screenwriters Aditya Dhar, Aditya Suhas Jambhale (also director), Arjun Dhawan and Monal Thaakar have performed a brilliant job in making a very complicated story with too much political jargon and Constitution-related procedures easy to understand and gripping from start to finish.
4
Film: Fighter
Directed by: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor and Rishabh Sawhney
Produced by: Viacom 18 Studios and Marflix Pictures
Release Date: 25 January 2024
Streaming on: Netflix
Exactly one year after ultra-blockbuster Pathaan (2023), director Siddharth Anand once again hit the right note with another jingoistic but entertaining action-thriller Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan (War), Deepika Padukone (Padmaavat) and Anil Kapoor (Nayak).
Fighter revolves around a team of highly-skilled Indian Air Force aviators called Air Dragons that includes Patty (Hrithik Roshan) and Minni (Deepika Padukone), led by Captain Rocky (Anil Kapoor), who are tasked with fighting against their neighbouring country’s formidable air force resulting in a series of visually-appealing, high-octane battle sequences in the sky.
Director Siddharth Anand and screenwriter Ramon Chibb weave an engrossing tale that adds multiple layers of emotions behind the jaw-dropping action sequences. Hrithik Roshan delivered yet another memorable performance as Patty, a supremely-talented and sometimes overconfident aviator but is also guilt-ridden for not able to prevent the death of his fiancee in a previous mission. Deepika Padukone aced the role of Minni and shared good chemistry with Hrithik Roshan.
Apart from the fantastic performances and eyepopping aerial combat sequences, the other highlight of Fighter is its outstanding cinematography by Satchith Paulose that captures breathtaking visuals of the mighty Himalayas that serve as the backdrop to most of the sequences in the film.
3
Film: Kill
Directed by: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Cast: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala
Produced by: Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment
Release Date: 5 July 2024
Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
Written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat (Rasbhari web series) and starring Lakshya in his feature film debut, Tanya Maniktala (A Suitable Boy, Toothpari) and Raghav Juyal (Bahut Hua Samman), Kill follows commando Amrit (Lakshya) who sets out to rescue his girlfriend Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) from an arranged marriage whilst she is travelling with her family on the Rajdhani Express, however the train is hijacked by a gang of armed dacoits led by Fani Bhushan (Raghav Juyal) leading to an intense face-off between the commando and the criminals.
The story is basic, however Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s excellent direction, tight screenplay (Ayesha Syed and Nikhil Nagesh Bhat) and a plethora of relentless action sequences (action choreography by Parvez Shaikh and Se-Yeong Oh) keep the film engaging.
In summary, Kill is the best action film made in India and is a must-watch for action lovers.
2
Film: Chandu Champion
Directed by: Kabir Khan
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Vijay Raaz and Bhuvan Arora
Produced by: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and Kabir Khan Films
Release Date: 14 June 2024
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Kartik Aaryan delivered his career-best performance in this inspiring sports biopic, directed by Kabir Khan (Bajrangi Bhaijaan) and based on the life of Murlikant Petkar – India’s first Paralympics gold medalist. The actor stepped out of his comfort zone and went through a major physical transformation over an 18-month bootcamp to breathe life into the role of Petkar.
The film, spanning several decades from 1950s to 2018, chronicles the journey of Murlikant Petkar fighting hardships and defying odds to fulfil his dream of winning a gold medal for his country. Each and every sequence in the film is emotionally-charged and leaves a strong impact, thanks to Kabir Khan’s excellent direction, Kartik Aaryan’s award-worthy performance, Julius Packiam’s powerful background score and Sudeep Chatterjee’s amazing cinematography.
1
Film: Laapataa Ladies
Directed by: Kiran Rao
Cast: Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Ravi Kishan, Sparsh Shrivastava, Abhay Dubey and Chhaya Kadam
Produced by: Aamir Khan Productions, Jio Studios and Kindling Pictures
Release Date: 1 March 2024
Streaming on: Netflix
Kiran Rao’s film adaptation of Two Brides by Biplab Goswami is a heartwarming tale of two newly-married veiled women Phool (Nitanshi Goel) and Jaya (Pratibha Ranta) who accidentally get swapped with each other’s husbands during a train journey to their respective husbands’ villages.
The cast delivered compelling performances (despite most of them being new faces apart from Ravi Kishan) in this drama that is wholly engaging and entertaining (screenplay by Sneha Desai) with witty and thought-provoking dialogues layered with dry humour (Sneha Desai and Divyanidhi Sharma). Some of the best scenes in the film include the conversations between the innocent Phool and life-hardened Manju Mai (Chhaya Kadam), an orthodox Muslim shopkeeper preaching about the loss of identity due to wearing a veil and at the same time his wife serves him tea wearing a veil, and the sequences involving Ravi Kishan’s Shyam Manohar and Pratibha Ranta’s Pushpa Rani.
If there is one Bollywood film that released this year that deserves a sequel, it has to be this one!