Journalism of Courage
Though we're almost halfway through 2014, this year has seen some exceptional talent onscreen. We haven't had any blockbusters this year nor have we had any 100 crore films, yet its been a refreshing change to see youngsters and newcomers enchant us with their brilliant raw performances. Here’s a look at some of the hit films this year.
Queen: Kangana Ranaut impressed audiences and critics alike with her comedy act as a girl left at the alter in Vikash Bahl’s ‘Queen’. The film also featured Lisa Haydon and National-Award winning actor Rajkummar Rao. With a trip down Paris and Amsterdam, ‘Queen’ collected close to Rs 60 crore in India and Rs 12.53 crore abroad.
Hasee Toh Phasee: Bollywood youngsters Parineeti Chopra and Sidharth Malhotra teamed up for the time onscreen in rom-com, ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’. The film saw Siddharth play the role of a struggling businessman, while Parineeti was a socially awkward geek. After to opening to positive reviews, ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ grossed at Rs 40 million on its opening day and did a business of Rs 37.4 crore rupees.
Highway: Pretty girl Alia Bhatt was a wonder to watch onscreen as the demure yet brave Veera in Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Highway’. Her co-star Randeep Hooda who plays the kidnapper in the film, actually ends up in being the prince in her shining amour. ‘Highway’ received a high rating from most critics and made Rs 30.61 in two weeks.
Main Tera Hero: Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan along with his bombshell costars - Ileana D’Cruz and Nargis Fakhri - was a laugh riot in his father, David Dhawan’s ‘Main Tera Hero’. Though the film opened to mixed reviews but it was a hit among the audience and movie earned over Rs 50.58 crore.
Ragini MMS 2: Former adult-film-actress Sunny Leone left an impressive mark with her thriller flick, ‘Ragini MMS 2’. Though the hottie flaunted more than necessary, her acting skills were much appreciated. ‘Ragini MMS 2’, received positive reviews and was termed a hit. It managed to earn Rs 45.97.
2 States: Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt created quite a stir before the release of their love story, ‘2 States’, an adaptation of a Chetan Bhagat novel. The couple chemistry and their onscreen kisses worked its magic, earning Rs 12.2 crore on its opening day and has till now collected Rs 99.65 crore.
Gunday: Bollywood hunks Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh turned up the heat with their hardcore action in coal mafia flick, ‘Gunday’, which also starred songstress Priyanka Chopra. Set in old Calcutta, the film did well in Northern Central and Eastern India. The movie opened to a good response and earned Rs 16 crore on opening day and managed to collect Rs 78.60 crore.
Yaariyan: Divya Khosla Kumar surprised audiences with her directorial debut, ‘Yaariyan’ which was a coming-of-age film. Revolving around five friends, played by newcomers Himanshu Kohli, Rakul Preet Singh, Nicole Faria, Shreyas Porus Pardiwalla and Devanshu Sharma, ‘Yaariyan’ had a good first weekend of around Rs 16.50 crore nett. And the movie surprisingly collected Rs 40.14 crore.
