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The Top 75 Films of the Decade

Last updated on: February 8, 2010 18:58 IST

Image: A scene from Rang De Basanti
Raja Sen in Mumbai
In the first and second part of this special series, Raja Sen listed his 20 of the 75 best films of the decade. Here's a look at his next batch of movies to cherish.

Feel free to send in your list as well!

Rang De Basanti
Cast: Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Kunal Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra needs to be lauded for shaking the nation's youth of its apathetic stupor, with his film about college students acting as revolutionaries only to spark off a revolt themselves.

Aamir Khan captained a strong ensemble, generous enough to give away the climax, while A R Rahman made sure the packaging was immaculate.

Read the review here.

Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

Image: A scene from Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Shiney Ahuja, Chitrangada Singh

One of the most distinctive filmmakers in current cinema, Sudhir Mishra hit peak with this fantastic story set in the 1970s, against the Indian Emergency.

The period detailing is affectionate and complete, and it is here we met and fell for the sublime Chitrangada Singh.

Read the review here.

Gangster

Image: A scene from Gangster

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Shiney Ahuja, Kangna Ranaut

It's a simple story, that of a gangster, his moll and a cop who sings many a catchy song, but director Anurag Basu wraps this dramatic thriller so tightly that the pace never slackens and the result is very solid indeed.

A fine storyteller, Basu embellishes his tale with well-etched characters and neat visual touches, showy without seeming so.

Read the review here.

Paheli

Image: A scene from Paheli

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Juhi Chawla, Amitabh Bachchan

Director Amol Palekar and cinematographer Ravi K Chandran brought the vivid colourscape of Rajasthan to vibrant life with this fable, a wonderfully dark fairytale featuring a ghost in love, and the dilemma that follows.

Meanwhile, Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh flaunt immense, screen-scorching chemistry.

Read the review here.

Manorama Six Feet Under

Image: A scene from Manorama Six Feet Under

Cast: Abhay Deol, Gul Panag

Director Navdeep Singh took Roman Polanski's Chinatown from Los Angeles and set it in a dusty Rajasthan town, where an enthusiastic part-time pulp novelist is called on to be detective because... well, because he's the closest thing they have.

A very neat, superbly detailed and acted film.

Read the review here.

Loins Of Punjab Presents

Image: A scene from Loins Of Punjab Presents
Cast: Shabana Azmi, Ajay Naidu, Ayesha Dharkar, Ishitta Sharma, Micheal Raimondi, Seema Rehmani

Director Manish Acharya's witty film about a localised desi singing competition in the US showed off genuine smarts and caricatures so fresh it had us literally rolling in the aisles.

Just sample Turbanatorious BDG, a gay Sikh gangsta-rapper -- an insane idea yet pulled off credibly. A blast.

Read the review here.

Saathiya

Image: A scene from Saathiya

Cast: Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji

Mani Ratnam's assistant Shaad Ali made his directorial debut by remaking the master's Tamil hit Alai Payuthey, and what a charming remake it is.

Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukerji star as young lovers who brave familial odds and get married, only to discover life ain't a fairytale. Immensely relatable.

Hera Pheri

Image: A scene from Hera Pheri

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal

A film that spawned an entire genre -- albeit a now questionable one -- Priyadarshan's Hera Pheri introduced us to Akshay Kumar, the comedian.

It was a breakthrough performance in a warmly funny film, and Kumar's natural comic timing paved the way for the star to realise he was an actor after all.

Ek Hasina Thi

Image: A scene from Ek Hasina Thi

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Urmila Matondkar

Director Sriram Raghavan's first film cast the hitherto wholesome Saif Ali Khan as a slimy villain, playing havoc with Urmila Matondkar.

Featuring one of the best hand to hand fight sequences in Hindi cinema, Ek Hasina Thi is a compellingly dramatic thriller.

Read the review here.

Rocket Singh -- Salesman of the Year

Image: A scene from Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee

It is truly rare to find a film so comfortable in its own skin, and Shimit Amin's modest little gem -- about a good Sikh boy who bends the rules driven by ambition -- is a refreshing treat, a subtle film not trying to amaze or amuse more than it should.

Ranbir Kapoor un-stars himself to lead a fine ensemble to a pleasant triumph.

Read the review here.