From Airlift to Dangal: 13 must watch films of 2016

In what could be a metaphor for this list, Airlift was a wonderfully crafted film about the escape of Indians from Iraq during the Saddam Hussein coup. While Akshay Kumar was perfect as the sometimes selfish, but always pragmatic businessman, it was the supporting cast that truly epitomised the film's success. Inaamul Haque as the Bollywood dialogue spouting major, Prakash Belawadi as the irate NRI, or Kumud Mishra as the quiet government man who steps in the rescue were metaphors for a film that was about a group of survivors in calamitous times. 

2015 was the year of biopics, and 2016 began with a searing, courageous one on the life of Neerja Bhanot. Ram Madhvani's film managed to capture an entire lifetime's fear, anxiety and courage within the span of 2 hours in Neerja. Set in the last two days of a courageous 23-year-old's life, the film saw Sonam Kapoor deliver her finest performance as the ordinary young girl who finds the extraordinary courage to save her passengers from terrorists. Add to it the nuanced sorrow of Shabana Azmi, the controlled direction of Madhvani, and it is obvious why this film makes the list. 

A film named after the first family of Indian cinema and produced by a studio that gave birth to the phrase 'It is all about loving your family', Kapoor & Sons represented the generational shift in the idea of families. This was not a family that celebrated lavishly or had sons that were dutiful. Shakun Batra's version was delightfully cracked, distorted and had a bittersweet aftertaste that made it all the more real for the audience. Throw in a sassy prosthetic covered Rishi Kapoor, and you have the perfect recipe. The courage of having Fawad Khan, the poster boy of romance, play the gay brother, was a marker that Hindi cinema had finally grown out of its conservatism. 

The diversity of content coming through Hindi cinema was one of the remarkable characteristic of the year 2016. Ashwini Iyer Tiwari's little gem had Swara Bhaskar play the 'kaamwali bai' who wants her headstrong daughter to get back to her books. The sullen reluctance of the young girl and the dogged determination of her mother make up for a fantastic battle in the film. Garnished with some sparkling performances by Swara Bhaskar, Ratna Pathak Shah, and an in form Pankaj Tripathy, the film was a delightful canter away from the highways of big blockbusters this year. 

It is very difficult to make a children's film, but not make it look childish. Nagesh Kukunoor managed it with some class in this year's Dhanak. A touching tale of a brother and sister on a journey to restore the little boy's eyesight, Dhanak won the Crystal Bear Grand Prix at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. Filled with characters of every hue that join the caravan, Dhanak was a rainbow you could not miss in 2016. 

The film's launch made a bigger splash than the film itself. Every once in a while, some film, by choice or accident, becomes the poster child of its generation. Udta Punjab was it for the post millennials. Uncouth, brash, loud and direct, Abhishek Chaubey's film on the drug problem in Punjab's heartland was anti-establishment in its very pixels. No wonder that the Censor Board did not approve of it. So began the revolution that took the spotlight away from the main issue of the film — the growing drug culture in Punjab. Nevertheless, this was the film that brought a divided industry together against the greatest threat facing it today — censorship. 

Anurag Kashyap is certainly not in a rich vein of form. The debacle of Bombay Velvet took a heavy toll of Hindi cinema's rebel without a cause, and Raman Raghav 2.0 was his vengeance. Epitomised by the flawless, gripping performance of Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the serial killer, and Vicky Kaushal as the out of bounds cop on his trail, the film was a surreal tale of bloodlust and evil. Though it failed at the box-office, it was a stern reminder of the technical and narrative skills that makes it difficult to take your eyes off an Anurag Kashyap film. 

The film of the year was Aniruddh Roy Chaudhary's hard-hitting drama, Pink. Powered by some dramatic performances by Taapsee Pannu, Kriti Kulhari, and Amitabh Bachchan, the film was a stiff uppercut to the male patriarchy. In an industry where heroines constantly complain of second citizen status, Pink was a daring and necessary statement on the status and independence of women in Indian society. 

It is never easy bringing life to a biopic, let alone one whose lead character is still alive, and playing. Neeraj Pandey's take on MS Dhoni's rise to the top of Indian cricket's legends was a well-narrated story, but it looked better with Sushant Singh Rajput playing the daredevil wicketkeeper from Ranchi. Though it was a story that had been repeated a million times before, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story is one to watch for its historicity alone. To be able to remember those moments that made you an Indian cricket fan. And for Rajput too. 

If there was a performance to watch in 2016, it was Manoj Bajpai as the hounded Prof Siras trying to escape the witch hunt against his sexuality in Hansal Mehta's epochal story, Aligarh. For a long time, Hindi cinema has been accused of stereotyping the gay and transgenders of the country. For a change, the sensitive, struggling face of Manoj Bajpai conveyed the strife and ostracisation suffered by this sensitive people. 

Alia Bhatt as a confused tweenie. Shah Rukh Khan as a grizzled psychiatrist. What else do you need to make a film watchable? Oh yeah, a great story. Gauri Shinde's Dear Zindagi was a wonderful slow sonnet to life and love in a world of high-speed wifi connections. Subtle and devoid of any excess emotional drama, Dear Zindagi is one film you have to watch if you are tired of romantic dramas filled with angsty songs over breakups.