10 Bollywood Blockbusters of 2016

The year 2016 was truly a mixed bag in terms of offerings from Bollywood. While some movies struck the right notes with audiences, others fizzled out rather quickly. As we stand on the threshold of another New Year, it is a good time to look back at the top 10 Bollywood blockbusters that had the movie buffs hooked:

Sultan

The Salman Khan-starrer romantic sports drama is the classic story of an underdog wrestler giving his all to fight the mounting odds and make a successful comeback. The movie also saw Anushka Sharma essay the role of a state-level wrestler, a portrayal that won the actor critical acclaim and flak in equal amounts. Despite being criticized for a somewhat misogynistic plot, the movie definitely struck a chord with the audience, grossing over Rs 300 crore in the process.

Dangal

A sports-based biopic on the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his journey to turn his daughters, Geeta and Babita Phogat, into international wrestling icons has awed and wowed the audience across the country. The movie has done some brisk business within a week of its release, grossing over Rs 152 crore and counting.

MS Dhoni

The Untold Story: Another sports-oriented film based on the life and struggles of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had the audience bee-lining for the movie halls. Well, that’s kind of a given for a movie that celebrates the life of an iconic cricketer like Dhoni in a country obsessed with the game. The icing on the cake was actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s portrayal of the cricketing star, who is so convincing that he makes you forget the real Dhoni for those three hours. The film did a business of over Rs 130 crore.

Airlift

A movie that revolves around the awe-inspiring story of the largest human evacuation by air in the recorded history makes for a gripping tale. The movie strode to success solely on the shoulders of a power-packed performance by Akshay Kumar and some gut-wrenching tales of human loss and vulnerability. The film did a business of nearly Rs 129 crore.

Rustom

Trust Akshay Kumar to turn even the simplest of narratives into a gripping tale that has the audience on the edge of their seats. That’s exactly what Rustom, a courtroom drama based on a scandalous murder involving Indian Navy officer Commander KM Nanavati from the 1950s, does. Akshay Kumar does an impressive job in retelling a tale buried in the pages of history to a pan-India audience. The result? A total business of over Rs 127 crore.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Karan Johar returned to the director’s chair with this much- ambitious and talked about film (for the right reasons and the wrong ones too). The film is a rather modern telling of the classic tale of heartbreak and unrequited love, something that succeeded in capturing the imagination of the young audience. Despite having a rocky and controversial start, the movie did a business of over Rs 112 crore.

Pink

Another courtroom drama that struck at the consciousness of the Indian audiences was the woman-centric Pink by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. Amitabh Bachchan stands out in his portrayal of a retired, ailing lawyer, who has still got it in him to rise to the occasion and defend three girls caught up in a rigged case after being subjected to molestation and humiliation. The movie strikes a lot of right notes, touching upon the all-important right of a woman to say ‘no’. Pink examines the societal fabric through a feudal, patriarchal mindset and does a damn good job of shredding the stereotypes bit by bit. The film did a brisk business at the box office, earning over Rs 60 crore

Udta Punjab

The movie was mired in controversy right from the word go. From trouble with censor board to an online leak just hours before the film’s release, Udta Punjab made headlines even before it hit the theaters. But despite all this, this saga of drug abuse in the state of Punjab depicted through the lives of a rock star, a migrant laborer, a policeman and a doctor left the audience awestruck. The film collected nearly Rs 40 crore at the box office, and Alia Bhatt emerged the true hero for her seamless and impactful portrayal of a migrant laborer from Bihar.

Neerja

Another biopic, another hit. The movie was based on the life of Neerja Bhanot, the PanAm head purser who was gunned down by hijackers on board the Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi. Actor Sonam Kapoor received much praise and accolade for her portrayal of the ‘slain hero’ Neerja. Despite the absence of a strong male lead, the movie did a business of over Rs 75 crore. And that calls for an extra round of applause for the audiences coming of age.

Dear Zindagi

The beauty of Dear Zindagi lies not in its plot but in the impactful telling of a simple truth that many of us miss acknowledging – of finding comfort in the many imperfections of life. It is the story of Kaira, a budding cinematographer with a seemingly perfect life, and a turn in her life’s journey after a tryst with an unconventional thinker, Jug, who offers her fresh perspectives on mundane realities of life. This fresh and out-of- the box film from Gauri Shinde earned Rs 57 crore at the box office.

Going by this list, 2016 was really a year of sports dramas, biopics, and movies inspired by true events. The audience certainly prefers a dose of reality in their cinema to suspended disbelief.