No longer do the mushy romantic stories, embellished with elaborate song n? dance routines, rule the box-office. The stereotype that stifled variety in Bollywood movies is beginning to break. Thanks to some real good quality cinema that came out from Bollywood this year.

The first successful movie of the year, Page 3 , was a semi realistic film that took a raw look into the elitist world through the eyes of a journalist. The movie, starring Konkana Sen , had no big, saleable star to boast of. But it had a script, had direction and had acting performances that bound the audience to the screen. Madhur Bhandarkar ?s movie hit the bull?s eye. It got critical acclaim and, on the top of it, it kept the cash registers ringing, keeping the producers happy.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali lived upto the high expectations that the industry and movie buffs had of him. His Black turned out to be not just a skillfully directed movie, but it saw Amitabh Bachchan stretching his acting skills to a new high. Rani Mukherjee , who never ceases to surprise with her acting range, played a blind-deaf-mute girl in the movie and gave a performance that will in all likelihood fetch her the best actress awards in the coming year.

Rani played a small town con-girl in Bunty Aur Babli with Abhishek Bachchan. Eventhough film pundits totally panned the movie, it turned out to be biggest worldwide grosser of the year. Above all, the movie gave the song, Kajra Re, that has become a cult track on the dance floors. Not to miss Big B feat. in rap.

Abhishek?s good fortune at the box-office continued with Ram Gopal Varma?s Sarkar . The movie, gritty, stark and hard-hitting, was Ramu?s tribute to Francis Ford Coppola?s ?The Godfather?. Both Bunty Aur Babli and Sarkar had Amitabh and Abhishek together. Their presence definitely was one of the selling points of the two movies.

The halcyon days of Bengal were revisited in Pradeep Sarkar?s adaptation of Sarat Chandra?s story in Parineeta that introduced Vidya Balan , who won immense praise for her talent and natural beauty. The movie saw Bollywood?s ?cool dude with a rockstar?s attitude?, Saif Ali Khan , showing his versatility in the role of a traditional, jealous lover who cannot reclaim his love.

Saif then took a somersault and played an antithetical character of an easy-going, modern chef with an apparent lack of commitment to serious relationships in Salaam Namaste , with Preity Zinta.

While other stars were making hay, the sun seemed a bit less bright on the Bollywood?s superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The man who gave three big movies last year ( Main Hoon Na , Veer Zaara and Swades ) hogged the limelight for a short time with his Paheli , that garnered much better response at the box-office overseas than back at home. As some consolation at home, the movie was selected as the Indian entry for the Oscars.

Lucky stars also seemed less benign on Aamir Khan , whose much vaunted movie ?Mangal Pandey – The Rising ? failed to live upto the mammoth expectations its pre-release publicity had created. What salvaged the movie was the initial good opening that was partly due to the fact that it was the only Aamir starrer to have released in the last few years.

Among the big celluloid offerings, it was the unexpected No Entry that took a lead over the rest and emerged as the most successful flick of the year. A tale of three men on an extra-marital fling, ?No Entry? appealed to youth and family audiences alike because of its high entertainment value without using many double entendres.

A rib-tickling comedy on the lines of MASTI and AMERICAN PIE, this Sangeeth Sivan-directed film follows the same path that David Dhawan pioneered in Bollywood.
Targeted at the youth and laced with naughty jokes and hilarious situations. Meet Rahu & Karan, former sincere, simple and hardworking, while latter is just the opposite.

Happy-go-lucky star Akshay Kumar finally had his best shots in 14 years , with hit family drama ‘Waqt’ along with avereges Garam Masala and Deewana Banaya Aapne.

In fact, year 2005 can be dubbed as the year of comedy films. Films like ?No Entry?, Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya , Garam Masala and ?Bunty Aur Babli? enjoyed a good run at the box-office.

All in all, the successful movies of year 2005 had one thing in common ? they were different and offered something new and creative. That is why I said Bollywood is maturing.

Top Grosser of 2005

All of the following movies are ranked according to their Box Office (gross profit, world-wide) NOT gross collections [Gross Profit= (Total Collection - Investement)]. Its further not based upon critical acclaimations or the writer preference.

1. No Entry (blockbuster)

2. Bunty Aur Babli (super-hit)
3. Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (super-hit)
4. Waqt (super-hit)

5. Salaam Namaste (hit)
6. Parineeta (hit)
7. Page 3 (hit)
8. Kaal (hit)
9. Sarkar (hit)
10. Dosti (hit)
11. Zeher (hit)
12. Kalyug (hit)

13. Black (above average)
14. Lucky – No Time For Love (above average)
15. Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya (above average)
16. Paheli (above average)
17. Dus (above average)
18. Garam Masala(above average)
19. Barsaat (average fare)

Top 10 Grosser of Decade

1. Gadar – Ek Prem Katha
2. K3G
3. KMG
4. KNPH
5. BnB
6. No Entry
7. Veer Zaara
8. KHNH
9. Devdas
10. Lagaan

Starring: Uday Chopra, Tanisha Mukerji, Richa Pallod, Abhishek Bachhan (Friendly Appearance)

Neal (Chopra) has agreed to marry the woman his parents picked out for him, on one condition: He wants one last bachelor’s vacation in Vancouver, British Columbia. Right away, he meets pretty, eligible women, but a girl named Nikki (Mukerji) keeps foiling his plans to sew his oats. He’s both infuriated and intrigued by Nikki, and a strong chemistry develops.

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Priyanka Chopra, Nana Patekar
Rating:

BM stars Abhishek Bachchan alongside the vivacious Priyanka Chopra and the talented actor Ritesh Deshmukh. This film will bring together Abhishek and Ritesh for the second time after Ram Gopal Varma’s NAACH (which didn’t dance for a long time at the box-office and fainted) and also Abhishek and Priyanka for the first time ever.

Roy [Abhishek Bachchan] is a conman out of choice. The sole person he tries to be honest with is his girlfriend Simmi [Priyanka Chopra]. However, Roy hasn’t really had the courage to tell her the truth about himself. But when his past catches up with him, she cannot forgive him for the deceit their relationship is built on. She walks out on him.

Dittu [Ritesh Deshmukh] enters the picture here. He is the counterpoint to everything that Roy is — as frantic as Roy is calm, as dumb as Roy is smart, as messy and untidy as Roy is smooth. They have only one thing in common: Dittu is a conman too. At least he thinks of himself as one. In Roy’s book, he’s an embarrassment.

To take his mind off Simmi, Roy agrees to teach Dittu the rules of the game. But he soon realizes that he doesn’t have much time on hand: He has brain tumor. Suddenly, Roy, who prides himself on being able to cheat anyone and anything, is pushed into a corner from where there is no exit.

Roy is ready to take on his final ‘act’: To teach Chandru [Nana Patekar] the lesson of a lifetime. Chandru is a shady character who owns a hotel. Roy and Dittu embark on a new journey?

Official Website