2006 has been an eventful year for Bollywood. There have been many great movies this year, as well as some of the biggest money spinners in history. It was truly a special year for Bollywood. We are here to countdown the ten best movies this year had to offer. Our list will be based on content of the film as well as box office success, in some cases one weighing more than the other. Since it was such a great year for movies, this was a difficult list to make. Some movies that were left out but deserve to be here are Zinda, Taxi 9211, Phir Hera Pheri, and Jaanemaan. Here is our list of the ten best movies of the year:
10. Umrao Jaan – The movie was a failure at the box office, but makes the list because it was a well made movie. It may not have lived up to the original, but was still good on its own. The movie was filled with amazing performances led by Aishwarya Rai. Had the film done a bit better at the box office, the movie would have been higher on the list.
9. Corporate – Madhur Bhandarkar’s new venture may not have been as powerful as his last outing, Page 3, but was still a great movie. The movie did not set the box office on fire, but did manage to hold its ground. Another movie filled with great performances. This was the movie that proved that Bipasha Basu is more than just a pretty face. Her talent truly raised this movie to great heights as well as the number nine position on out list.
8. Don – The movie obviously not anywhere near the original, but it still managed to be a pretty big hit. As a matter of fact it was one of the biggest hits of the year. The film still managed to entertain the masses with its wonderful action and surprising performances. Yes, Shah Rukh Khan was not expected to do much in this movie, but still was able to give us more than we expected. That is why the movie makes the list here at number eight.
7. Krissh – Krissh not only became one of the biggest hits of this year, but it became one of the biggest hits of all time. It was totally different from its predecessor, so comparisons are baseless. It was the first real superhero in Bollywood, so it gets points for novelty. One thing is for sure, Hrithik Roshan is the ideal superhero in Bollywood. His charismatic presence helps Krissh make the list.
6. Gangster – Gangster was one of the more beautiful stories told this year. Its story is the main reason it was such a great movie. The content of the film is the reason it was able to succeed in the box office. The movie showed Emraan Hashmi can do more than just kiss and made Shiney Ahuja and Kangana Ranaut household names in a flash. The fact that its content made it a winner at the box office rather than star power, shows how good it was. That is the main reason for its inclusion in the list.
5. Fanaa – Fanaa marked the big comeback of Kajol after a five year gap. It was also the first time Aamir Khan was working in a Yash Raj film in over ten years. The expectations were mammoth for sure. The movie met those expectations in a big way as it proved to be one of the best films of the year. Aamir and Kajol’s wonderful performances as well as a great story helped this movie reach all the hype that surrounded it. The lead pair’s amazing chemistry helped the movie become one of the biggest hits of the year. Great movie and big box office success, which means a one way ticket to the top five of 2006.
4. Omkara – A movie that could easily have been in the top three had it been a bigger success story at the box office. Omkara is not only one of the best movies this year, but one of the best movies we have seen in the past couple of years. There is not one blemish in the film, as it is a wonderful adaptation of Othello and it has brilliant performances by the entire cast, particularly Saif Ali Khan. The content in this movie is so strong that we have it ahead of bigger successes such as Don, Krissh, and Fanaa.
3. Lage Raho Munna Bhai – This has to be the feel good movie of the year. No other movie makes you feel as good once you finish watching it, then LRMB. The movie preaches Gandhigiri, and it works in a huge way. The movie is not only the second biggest grosser of the year, but it is one damn good movie in terms of content. You loved seeing Munna in the original attempt to become a doctor. You love him even more in this one preaching Gandhi’s beliefs. Sanjay Dutt’s chemistry with Arshad Warsi is uncanny and that is what makes the film work in such a huge way. It has also become an independent entry into the Oscars for best foreign film. With success like that, we had no choice but to put the move this high on our list.
2. Rang De Basanti – This was the first big movie of the year. All expected a great movie from watching the promos and stuff like that. Not only did we get a great movie, but we got a historic one. RDB will go down as one of the greatest movies ever made. Yes folks, it was that good. No one expected this movie to be this good. It was a great surprise for us all. The theme being different and all, the box office wasn’t supposed to be earth shattering either. Again we were mistaken, as it became the biggest hit of Aamir’s career until Fanaa released. It brought our attention to some fresh young talent such as Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth, and Soha Ali Khan. Now it has become India’s official entry to the Oscars for best foreign film. RDB has truly become a landmark film in Bollywood. So much good things going for it propels it to the number two spot. The only reason it isn’t number one is because it isn’t the biggest hit of the year. For that, we get to our number one.
1. Dhoom 2 – As RDB was the first big movie of the year, this was the last big movie of the year. There wasn’t this much hype and hoopla surrounding a movie in quite some time. The fact that the movie would be enormous at the box office was no surprise, but how enormous it ended up being was a big surprise. Dhoom 2 has rewritten box office history since its release. It had the biggest opening of all time and broke records instantly. All this has helped it become the biggest hit of the year in such a short period of time. It is now not only the biggest hit this year, but the biggest grosser in Bollywood history. In that case, it is truly a historic film. Oh yes, and the movie was pretty damn good too. Hrithik Roshan leads the way with his amazing on screen presence. His chemistry with Aishwarya Rai is picture perfect. Abhishek, Bipasha, and Uday also lend adequate support. Without a doubt, it is the most entertaining movie of the year. You won’t have this much fun watching a movie ever. Great content and historic box office lands Dhoom 2 as the best movie of 2006.
2006 was truly a historic year for Bollywood. These ten films sure helped in making 2006 such a wonderful year at the cinemas. We haven’t seen a year like 2006 ever, so it will be tough to beat. But 2007 does have a solid line up of movies going for it, so hopefully it can match the magic of 2006. 2006- a year Bollywood will never forget.
