‘Shockingly Beautiful’: Ranking the Best of Bollywood in 2024
A still from Stree 2
In an uneven year for Bollywood, Nivedita Dey picks seven of the finest releases—films that combatted themes of patriarchy, politics, disability, religious fanaticism, and more.
An emerging trend has been the increase in mainstream Hindi movies containing messages with strong social, cultural, and political relevance. Every art form ought to shoulder a fair share of social and humanitarian responsibility on its shoulders; with its wide influence and reach, this applies even more to the world of Bollywood.
Last year saw the usual mix of commercial and offbeat Hindi films produced by the film industry in Mumbai. Here is a countdown of seven of my favourite Bollywood commercial films from 2024, ranked on their cinematic value and social significance:
7. Maharaj (June 2024)
This period drama directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra is based on the historic Maharaj Libel Case of 1862 fought in the Bombay High Court of British India. The storyline loosely follows the real-life battle of journalist and social reformer Karsandas Mulji, who (along with Nanabhai Rustomji Ranina) faced a defamation suit filed by a Vallabhacharya leader of the Vaishnavite Pustimargya sect Jadunathjee Brajratanjee Maharaj, over an article published in the Satyaprakash journal in October 1860. The article exposed certain controversial religious practices involving sexual exploitation of women devotees by the leaders of the said sect.
An emerging trend has been the increase in mainstream Hindi movies containing messages with strong social, cultural, and political relevance. Every art form ought to shoulder a fair share of social and humanitarian responsibility on its shoulders; with its wide influence and reach, this applies even more to the world of Bollywood.
In this era of ever-growing religious fanaticism and cancel culture, the film was quick to get mired by controversy and failed to get a theatrical release. It was finally acquired by Netflix for its OTT release in June. More obstacles were hurled its way when members of the concerned sect filed a petition against it on grounds of “seriously hurting” their religious sentiments, and the Gujarat High Court had to pre-emptively stall its release. As Netflix and YRF fought back claiming that “we cannot eradicate legal history”, the order was lifted and the film saw the light of day.
Contrary to the objections raised, the film nowhere denounces practising one’s religion, nor promotes anti-Hinduism or atheism. Instead, it juxtaposes the authentic spirit of worship of the divine with the grave dangers of ‘frankensteinizing’ faith into religious fanaticism, blind adoration of godmen, cult-level devotion and the cesspool of spiritual megalomania, perversion, and abuse these often lead to.
Some reasonable criticisms, however, deserve to be raised against Maharaj. Debutant Junaid Khan playing Mulji pales both in terms of screen-presence and performance compared to that of his on-screen opponent Jaideep Ahlwat, the veteran actor playing Jadunathjee, aka Jayjay. The screenplay is a tad bit loose and fails to carve out a more nuanced character arc of Kishori (Shalini Pandey), Mulji fiancée and a victim of Jayjay’s lust. The film’s second-half, leading to the climax, feels somewhat compromised, as it doesn’t delve too deep into the complex nuances of the historic court proceedings and the precise final judgment.
Overall, Maharaj succeeds in portraying the historically heinous sexual exploitation of women devotees, how their own families perpetuated the crime by willingly offering their female folks up for the ‘Charan Seva’, how an entire community turned a blind eye to the bleak reality, and the courageous fight put up by one of their own, despite facing social ostracization and personal losses.
Since times immemorial, India has been a complex sociography teeming with gods, godmen and diverge religious practices, interspersed with infamous cases such as godmen Asaram Bapu, Ram Rahim, and the recent rise of the politically charged ‘bhakt’ culture. Globally, we have witnessed sickening controversies around the Osho sex cult, the Children of God, VatiLeaks alleging hiring of prostitutes for a papal gentleman-in-waiting, the blackmail of homosexual clergymen by the organization, and more. Hence, Maharaj, despite its cinematic shortcomings, successfully acts as a significant social mirror on this timeless and sensitive issue, relevant not just to this country but all humanity.
Memorable lines: “Jo sau saalon se chalaa aa raha usey aaj nahin badlenge toh saidyon tak chalegaa. Dharm guruyon ke bass naam badlenge. Kisse wahi rahenge.” (If we don’t change what has been happening since centuries, it will continue for millennia. Only the names of the religious leaders will change. The story will remain the same.)
6. Patna Shuklla (March 2024)
This socio-legal drama by Vivek Budakori might as well be called an underrated gem of the year. Released on Disney+ Hotstar, it went with almost zero marketing compared to many others. And yet, this delves into an extremely pertinent and burning issue in India, the educational/exam scams backed by a powerful political nexus, while simultaneously highlighting persistent patriarchal oppression and gender discrimination at workplaces, and even within one’s own family.
Patna Shuklla may seem to deal with an issue local to Bihar, but that doesn’t reduce its social significance for the broader Indian audience. Through decades, various examination scams such as the large scale Madhya Pradesh Vyapam Scam in 2013, the embarrassing Bihar School Toppers Scam in 2016 in which at least 40 people were arrested, the Maharashtra TET Scam in 2018, 2019, the Maharashtra Recruitment Exam Scam in 2023 in which widespread paper leaks and exam fraud in Nashik, Sangli, Latur, Aurangabad, Amravati, Ahmednagar, and Wardha were uncovered, the West Bengal TET Scam in 2014 that got uncovered in 2024 and still sub-judice, and several more have severely impacted the life of innumerable Indian students.
When a private university swaps the graduation exam roll number of Rinki Kumari (Anushka Kaushik) with that of the powerful local minister’s son and corrupt youth icon Raghubir Singh, a determined Rinki decides to get her paper reassessed. She approaches Tanvi Shukla (Raveena Tandon)—a lawyer who is more appreciated as a housewife for her cooking skills than her legal expertise—to fight her case. Tanvi soon realises that her client is not an isolated case but one of the several victims of a deadly and large-scale scam going on for decades, wherein corrupt university officials are hand in glove with powerful political figures. While fighting the educational institution, the political leaders, lawyers, and the overall system both inside and outside the courtroom, Tanvi is forced to simultaneously contend against social pressures, gender-based invalidations, and negative expectations from her family, friends, and colleagues at large. Her journey bluntly portrays how corruption and political clout controlling every level of various government institutions are ready to go to any lengths to snuff out anyone who dares to stand up against the evil nexus.
Some have criticized the film for unrealistic courtroom drama and predictable gender tropes. playing out through a loose script meandering through too many subplots. Yet, the shocking and most touching twist at the climax takes the cake, serving as a potent reminder about the vicious malpractices the education system of this country has long been grappling with. This very last screen appearance by late Satish Kaushik also contains one of Tandon’s best performances.
Patna Shuklla’s bittersweet and poignant ending leaves much room for collective introspection, and a call to bravely stand up against the prevalent environment of large-scale corruption.
While fighting the educational institution, the political leaders, lawyers, and the overall system both inside and outside the courtroom, Tanvi is forced to simultaneously contend against social pressures, gender-based invalidations, and negative expectations from her family, friends, and colleagues at large.
Memorable lines: “Nahin jhukenge Didi! – Tum nahin jhukogi? – Didi, hum nahin jhukenge! - Chaahe parinaam jo bhi ho? Toh phir hum bhi nahin jhukenge! Ladenge! Ladenge!” (I will not back down, Didi! – You won’t back down? – I won’t back down – No matter the consequences? In that case, I shall not back down too! We shall fight! We shall fight!)
5. Srikanth (May 2024)
Disabled people have often been underrepresented in Indian cinema. Worse, disabled characters on-screen are often misrepresented either as helpless objects of sympathy, or comic caricatures. Only this year in July, the Supreme Court of India in a landmark judgement condemned stereotyping, egregious portrayal and ‘inadequate representation’ of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in visual media, and laid down a clear framework for portrayal of the same. Amidst all this, the 2024 biopic on Srikanth Bolla, the visually-impaired entrepreneur and founder of Bollant Industries, handles the subject matter with refreshing authenticity.
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, it prides on a powerful performance by Rajkummar Rao in the titular role, which was described as “flawless” by Bolla himself. The storyline follows the protagonist’s journey, who was born blind, and his heartbroken family even considered burying him alive. Bolla grew into an ambitious and cheeky adolescent, and later, the founder of a start-up. Flirting with the web of power and greed, self-realization eventually dawns upon him, and Bolla goes on to become one of the most successful and philanthropic industrialists with a vision to make corporate world more inclusive and anti-discriminatory for disabled people like himself.
Jyothika plays Devika Malvade, Bolla’s mentor and teacher, and Sharad Kelkar is seen in the film as Ravi Mantha, Bolla’s friend and co-founder. The audience are also offered a beautiful glimpse into the significant role played by former President APJ Abdul Kalam in Bolla’s life. Kalam becomes one of Bolla’s earliest investors, and Bolla joins politics with Kalam’s blessings in the pursuit of becoming the first visually-impaired President of India.
The film had its naysayers: Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute criticized the screenplay as “bad writing” and “‘Wikipedia’ approach to Srikanth’s life—a lost opportunity”. A more positive analysis made by Dhaval Roy of The Times of India calls Srikanth “a refreshingly honest portrayal that celebrates potential over glorification. It will leave you feeling inspired and sparing a thought for those with disabilities who deserve human dignity and equal opportunities like all of us!”
Memorable Lines: “Aapne apne dimag me humare liye alag hi kahaani bana rakhi hai; bechara, kitna bura hua iske saath. Kuch bura nahi hua hai humare saath, aur bechare toh hum bilkul bhi nahi hai.” (You all have created a different narrative about us in your head, that we're helpless people and such a misfortune has befallen us. There’s no misfortune that has befallen us, and we’re definitely not helpless.)
A still from Article 370
4. Article 370 (February 2024)
Through the years, Bollywood has churned out many fictional films based on/in Kashmir, some romantic, some military or spy thrillers. In February 2024, Aditya Jhambhale political action thriller Article 370 arrived to wide viewership (it was the fourth Bollywood film in 2024 to cross 100 crores at the worldwide box-office) and intense debate. While the film opens with a lengthy disclaimer about being a fiction “inspired by true events”, the story is about the military operations and the delicate political and diplomatic processes behind the real-life historic abrogation of the said article by the government of India on August 5, 2019.
The lead characters, Indian intelligence officer, Zooni Haskar (Yami Gautam), and Joint Secretary, PMO, India, Rajeshwari Swaminathan (Priyamani), together steer ahead an immersive plot, balancing the world of Indian politics, bureaucracy, military, and Kashmiri militancy. Due to the covertness of such operations, there can be no clarity if Zooni is purely a fictional character, or has been based on one or more real-life Indian soldiers. Rajeshwari, on the other hand, seems to be a neat amalgamation of real-life key players to the abrogation of Article 370, such as the then National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, ex-Joint Secretary, PMO, India and then Chief Secretary, J&K, BVR Subrahmanyam, Rajiv Gauba and perhaps even the then Joint Secretary, PMO, Debashree Mukherjee. The film also uses aliases for characters physically much-resembling several real-life political leaders significant in this context, such as the unnamed Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi) played by Arun Govil, the unnamed Home Minister of India (Amit Shah) played by Kiran Karmakar, Chief Minister of J&K Parveena Andrabi (Mehbooba Mufti) played by Divya Seth, Former Chief Minister of J&K Salahuddin Jalal (Omar Abdullah) played by Raj Zutshi, a senior Kashmiri politician Rohit Thappar (Ghulam Nabi Azad) played by Asit Redij, and more.
Released in an election year, many labelled Article 370 as a propaganda film in favour of the ruling party. One of the many criticisms was about factual inaccuracies, including that in the film’s prologue regarding the exact role of Jawaharlal Nehru, Sheikh Abdullah, and the timeline of talks of the accession of J&K to India. However, that Abdullah was a close friend of Nehru from long before the accession, and that Nehru had insisted on Abdullah being the Prime Minister of J&K, albeit arguably as a shrewd diplomatic ploy to win over the Kashmiri Muslims in favour of the accession to India, are well documented. Critics observed that “from the perspectives of balance and accuracy, it disappoints. Arguments to preserve the article are given no attention.” The film faced backlash for allegedly stereotyping Kashmiri Muslims and propping up Zooni as a representative of their sentiments in favour of abrogation of Article 370. It is perhaps undeniable that public sentiments in the valley around the special status of J&K have always been diverse and layered, but the film doesn’t delve deeper into portraying these nuances. The lack of balance in the historical narration is also witnessed in the highlighting of horrific violence committed against Indians and Kashmiri Pundits by the militant separatist insurgencies in the valley, while omitting of the topic of gross human rights violation committed by certain state security agencies against Kashmiris during their crackdown of the same.
No wonder the film received mixed reactions from its worldwide audience, whose ideological, political, and national allegiances remain as diverse and divided. A segment of the audience has lauded the film for its engaging storytelling, and the passionate Indian nationalism it evokes without sounding jingoistic. Another has denounced it as thinly-veiled propaganda.
Art has every right to be political. What differentiates political art from propaganda is perhaps a fine line. The former expresses a multi-dimensional, historico-political narrative that engages the audience in their own critical thinking, leaving room open for diverse subjective interpretations. The latter tends to oversimplify a historically complex socio-political discourse, often by one-dimensional representation that emotionally manipulates the audience’s opinion towards a pre-intended interpretation.
If you’re looking for an in-depth, nuanced and accurate history lesson of the geopolitical unrest in the Kashmir valley, you may give Article 370 a miss. But if you’re simply intrigued to watched a taut, action-packed drama that is allegedly “inspired by real events”, this film is sure to entertain.
Memorable lines: “Kashmir mein terrorism ek dhandaa hai. (In Kashmir, terrorism is a business.) It has nothing to do with Azaadi. It has everything to do with money!”
3. Bhakshak (February 2024)
This crime thriller, directed by Pulkit, is loosely based on the notorious Muzaffarpur shelter case from 2018 which, till date, remains sub-judice. The film forces its audience to take a deeper look into the real-life incidents of mass sexual abuse and alleged murders that occurred in a Muzaffarpur women’s shelter, that perhaps most weren’t even aware of, at best had long forgotten. The storyline delves into a complex web of invisible nexus between sexual predators and child traffickers often lurking in the children and women welfare lobbies and their political protectors.
The film faced backlash for allegedly stereotyping Kashmiri Muslims and propping up Zooni as a representative of their sentiments in favour of abrogation of Article 370. It is perhaps undeniable that public sentiments in the valley around the special status of J&K have always been diverse and layered, but the film doesn’t delve deeper into portraying these nuances.
Bhumi Pednekar plays Vaishali Singh, an underdog journalist, who pursues the case following a social audit reporting a huge number of missing girls from a shelter in fictional Munawwarpur, Bihar. She does so despite enormous hurdles of bureaucratic red tape, threats to her life, family pressure and lack of viewership, till justice is brought home. Pednekar’s character is inspired by the real-life investigative journalist, Nivedita Jha from Patna who back in 2018 dug into the Muzaffarpur shelter case following a social audit under ‘Koshish Project’ of TISS, Mumbai, and filed a PIL against the concerned shelters.
While some have criticized the film for a basic storytelling, lack of nuance, and a painfully slow-pace, this precise cinematic treatment effectively evokes the avalanche of frustration one often experiences in their fight for justice in real-life. The screenplay includes brazen scenes of sexual violence, abuse, coarse language, nudity, and substance abuse, to drive home the horrifying plight of the victims. With an expressed motive of triggering its audience out of their apathy into righteous rage, Bhakshak refrains from glamorising or diluting the on-screen portrayal of this bleak reality, and that itself nullifies all the above-mentioned criticisms.
The film’s climax, right after a thought-provoking background song “Hum Shaamil Hai”, addresses its audience directly through Singh. Her monologue is both a scathing criticism of the socio-political decadence of the Fourth Pillar of Democracy, and an invitation to collective self-introspection around the pervasive human apathy and lack of social responsibility we get to witness all around us these days. It also criticises the prevalent audience culture: a preference for quick doses of mind-numbing entertainment substituting matters of burning social relevance.
Memorable lines: “Jab tak dusre ke ghar me galat ho raha hai tab tak koi kuch nahi bolega. Lekin ye yaad rakhna Arvind ki agar dusre ki beti ke sath galat ho raha hai to tumahe beti ke sath bhi hoga. Isiliye bolna padega Arvind.” (As long as wrongs are happening in someone else’s house, no one will utter a word. But remember this, Arvind, that if someone else’s daughter is being wronged, then it’ll happen to your daughter too. That is why speaking up is a must, Arvind.)
2. Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank (August 2024)
This sequel to Stree (2018), directed by Amar Kaushik, is the fourth instalment in the Maddock Supernatural Universe (MSU of Maddock Films). Just as all other films of MSU, the sequel belongs to comedy-horror genre, and like its predecessor, is a witty critique of patriarchy and oppression of women.
The film masterfully fuses humour and horror in palatable measure, to drive home a powerful message that educating and empowering both men and women to fight together against the ever-spreading tentacles of patriarchy is the only way to defeat it.
In Stree 2 the original lead pair—played by Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor—fights against Chanderi’s pitra (an ancestral monster) Sarkata (the headless). Sarkata is a literal personification of the toxic institution of patriarchy that has brainwashed and radicalized human society through generations into subjugating and dehumanizing women, especially those who dare to break out of its regressive constructs. Women rebelling against the codes of Sarkata (patriarchy) are abducted by him, their hair shaved off—a metaphor of stripping them of their power, individuality, and dignity—and turned into lifeless dolls wrapped in colourless white cloths. Comedy stalwarts, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurana reappearing in supporting roles add immense value to both the comic element and the social satire interweaved in the screenplay. Writer Niren Bhatt punches in wild sexual innuendoes in some of the dialogues, while creating subtle but powerful social discourses alongside.
Like the Greek nine-headed monster Hydra and the Hindu mythological asura Raktabeej, Sarkata grows multiple new heads whenever an existing one is chopped off, another metaphor of how patriarchy perpetuates itself through its ever-increasing newer subscribers, and thus, is extremely difficult to be eradicated. The film masterfully fuses humour and horror in palatable measure, to drive home a powerful message that educating and empowering both men and women to fight together against the ever-spreading tentacles of patriarchy is the only way to defeat it.
Stree 2 meshed entertainment with poignant social subtext, and crossed the fastest ₹400 crore mark worldwide in the first week of its release. It duly became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024, and stands as the seventh-highest-grossing Hindi film of all time at the time of publication.
Memorable lines: “Sarkate ki satta ko naa stree tod sakti hai, naa purush. Uske liye stree aur purush ko ek hona padega” (The dominion of Sarkate can be toppled neither by a woman nor a man. For that purpose, woman and man needs to unite as one singular force.)
1. Laapataa Ladies (March 2024)
Directed by Kiran Rao, Laapataa Ladies leverages a perfect blend of pathos and humour to critique patriarchy, gender oppression, and related socio-cultural evils still plaguing several parts of contemporary India. The plot opens with the ‘parampara’ of ‘ghunghat’ (the tradition of completely covering married women’s face in several parts of North and Western rural/semi-urban India) playing the ironic culprit behind two newlywed brides accompanying their respective grooms to their marital village, getting accidentally switched. Once their respective families realize the mix-up, a rigorous search ensues for both the ‘laapataa ladies’.
The film highlights two polar facets of the Indian woman: a naïve and docile Phoolkumari (Nitanshi Goel), from the fictional village of Gangapur, who is ignorant of the world outside the boundaries of her home, and hence feels severely helpless and distraught on being separated from her husband; and Jaya/Pushpa (Pratibha Ranta), who has been forcefully married off by her family against her wish to pursue a degree in organic farming from Dehradun, and is now more than happy to find a temporary shelter in Phool’s marital home, a perfect opportunity to run away from her abusive husband and his dowry demands.
The screenplay is taut with the diverse humane moments of humour, heightened emotions, and intrigue. The dialogues carefully avoid being preachy and through light-hearted and touching exchanges between the various characters, shining a light on the inherent cultural flaws and social repercussions of patriarchal powerplay, gender inequality, domestic violence, dowry system, and lack of women’s education and empowerment, which are still prevalent in certain Indian societies.
Rechristened as Lost Ladies, the film became India's official entry for the Oscars 2025. The Film Federation of India (FFI) attracted widespread criticism from Indian netizens for two distinct reasons. First, because the board once again sent a more commercial-looking film backed by big names and a big banner that arguably had little chance to win, over Payal Kapadia’s indie film, All We Imagine As Light. AWIAL, listed as one of the top five international films of 2024 by the National Board of Review, New York, got nominated for the Palme d'Or after its world premiere at the main competition of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. It went on to win the Grand Prix, the second highest award at Cannes. AWIAL was also nominated for Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. This “shockingly beautiful” on-screen journey of two Malayali nurses who—despite their disparate personalities and life choices and unique fragilities—discover the larger meaning of non-judgment, empathy, sisterhood and life’s fellowship, was perhaps a more promising candidate for India’s Oscar nomination.
The second objection netizens had against Laapataa Ladies’ nomination was for it allegedly misrepresenting India as a backward culture in front of an international audience, made worse by the “Juri” citation opening with “Indian women are a strange mix of submission and dominance”. The citation goes on to describe the diversity of Indian women who can “happily desire to be home makers as well as rebel and be entrepreneurially inclined.” which is perhaps a more appropriate statement in this context. Criticisms about showing India in a poor light perhaps miss the socio-cultural relevance of the film, expressed by Rao herself, “I want to champion narratives that reflect diverse experiences and challenge societal norms… I aim to support stories that resonate with audiences and spark important conversations, while being entertaining and engaging.”
Rao’s forte lies in poignant discourses presented through narrative subtlety, which has been beautifully employed in telling this unique story of two Indian rural women embarking on a symbiotic journey from the darkness of both social or internalised powerlessness to the light of self-empowerment. Both in terms of cinematic aesthetics and social message, Rao’s Laapataa Ladies bags my Numero Uno position for 2024 position!
Memorable lines: “Dekh Phool, aurat anaaj ugaa bhi sakti hai, paka bhi sakti hia. Bachcha paida bhi kar sakti hia, bada bhi kar sakti hai.Dekhne jaaye toh auraton ko mardon ki kauno khaas zaroorat waise hai nahin. Par ee baat agar auraton ko pata chal gayi toh mard bichara ka baaja na bajj jayega?” (Look, Phool, a woman can grow crops, cook, give birth to children, and even raise them. If one thinks about it, a woman doesn’t really need a man. But if women become aware of this truth, won’t it be game-over for poor men?)
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Nivedita Dey is a poet from Kolkata, India. Her poetic philosophy is one of hope and transcendental humanism, and her debut poetry collection was Larkspur Lane: Branched Labyrinths of the Mind (Notion Press, 2022). Dey holds post-graduate degrees in English and Psychology. She is part of the editorial team of HNDL Magazine. She can be found at niveditadey.com, Twitter: @Nivedita_Writes, and Instagram: @niveditadeypoetry.
