Indian audiences are evolving and have started accepting various genres albeit slowly. But the trend does show that they are ready for dark,gritty films. Some well-made films with dark and violent themes like Badlapur, NH10, Gangs of Wasseypur, Haider receiving green signal at the box office. Thankfully directors like Anurag Kashyap, Vishwal Bhardwaj have got their dues. During the time of release few superb dark themed films might haven’t done that well but by now reached a cult status like Kaminey, No Smoking, JohnnyGaddar. But it at large most of such films go unnoticed at the box office. Here’s 5 under-rated hindi films of last decade (from 2007) with darker themes which deserves more recognition.
404 error not found (Released in May,2010) –
One of the less known brilliant atmospheric horror film that tries to give a rational explanation to uncanny,unreal happenings in a medical college. The film also deals with psychological ragging and its long lasting impact. Go for this one. It is something you have hardly seen in hindi cinema.
The Stoneman Murders (released in Feb, 2009) –
Another under rated hindi film which is about the serial killings that happened in Kolkata & Mumbai in mid 80s. The Killer use to smash the pavement dwellers in the late night with huge chunk of stone. Though the case was never solved the director gave his own reasoning of the motive which is shocking. With reliable Kay Kay in the lead, this is a chilling thriller without any side track, ignoringan unwanted item song. Watch the climax where the real villain is revealed who is also a superb actor who has never got his due in Bollywood.
Manorama Six Feet Under (released in Sept,2007) –
Hindi directors shamefully copy from their foreign counterpart but here is an example when the director gets inspired from a hollywood classic and makes a superb Indian adaptation. Roman Polanski’s all time classic thriller “Chinatown” is beautifully adapted in Indian context thus giving a fine thriller with a dark,morbid twist in the end. Debutant Navdeep Singh should be lauded for this effort who later got his appreciation in his next film “NH 10”. AbhayDeol (as usual) excels in another offbeat great cinema.
(the guy with the pistol is apna Nawaz bhai, much before he became popular he was almost present in small roles in all the off-beat dark films)
Shor in the city (released in May,2011) –
Director duo Krishna Dk& Raj Nidimuro(which had also make some interesting films like 99, Go Goa Gone) gets inspiration from Guy Ritchie and narrates three stories in contemporary mumbai which crises-cross each other’s path through some bizarre yet realistic sequences. Again this dark comedy was not meant for all cine goers, especially those who love Rohit Shetty or Sajid Khan’s brand of humour. By the way don’t ignore this film by seeing Tusshar Kapoor’s name in the cast as this one such rare films which he can actually boast about.
Ek Challis ki last local (released in May,2007) –
This is quirky,gory, bizarre and ridiculously entertaining film which was kind of homage to Tarantino-Guy Ritchie kind of cinema. The film had a unique disturbingsense of humour that makes this AbhayDeol starrer watchable to a new segment of cine-goers who are open to such dark comedies where you don’t mind making fun of a situation where a guy’s ear gets detached after being shot and everyone tried to find the remaining part (remember Pulp Fiction).
P.S; 2 out of the 5 films in the list stars AbhayDeol that makes me wish that he does more films as he choices had been always unconventionally exemplary.
