The main aim of any film is to touch lives and emotions. Movies are made solely for the audience. Thus, no matter how much critical appreciation is received by a film, the final say is always of the audience. No matter how great a film, if viewers don’t turn up, it’s definitely disappointing. Here are some films that were box office rejects but definitely deserve a second chance.
- Sonchiriya- Despite getting positive reviews from critics; this is a film that was missed by a lot of people. Sonchiriya is the story set in 1975 and speaks about a gang of dacoits residing in the Chambal region. Starring Manoj Bajpayee and Sushant Singh Rajput, this film received the Best Film in 2020 in the Filmfare Critics Award along-with Article 15 of Anubhav Sinha. It earned Rs. 8 crores.
- Photograph- This soft and extremely emotional story, though painfully slow, is beautiful. It describes the journey of a photographer to find a girl captured by him in Gateway of India. After finding her, he requests her to pose as his fiancé in front of his grandmother and she agrees. Though there aren’t much twists and turns in this movie, it is emotional and soothing. Also, it beautifully captures Mumbai as a city. It earned Rs. 5.74 crores.
- Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota- This film is delightful in its concept and revolves around a man Surya who doesn’t feel any pain due to certain genetic conditions. Still, he has some weaknesses which, if you want to know, you must watch the movie. He also has a villain to defeat whose name is Jimmy and is the twin brother of Surya’s friend. There also is Surya’s lady love Supri who is a total badass. The actions remind you of the Bollywood in the 80s and this film is one of the best Hindi movies made in the past few years. It earned Rs. 3 crores.
- October- This film, beautifully written by Juhi Chaturvedi, is about a woman on the verge of death and a man who falls for her when she slips into a coma. Laced with intricate details, this film has restlessness, acceptance and persistence expressed quite subtly. This delightful film earned Rs. 54 crores.
- Laila Majnu- Though predictable, it’s still entertaining to watch Laila Majnu due to the exceptional acting performances of the lead actors, Tripti Dimri and Avinash Tiwary. The heartbroken lover slipping into madness as he is unable to bear the pain of separation is beautifully portrayed by Avinash. To say the least, the songs of this movie are absolutely magical. This film earned Rs. 2.76 crores.
- Mulk- Based on real-life incidents, Mulk is a hard-hitting movie that beautifully describes the current socio-political condition of our nation. It describes the struggles of a Muslim family who are residents of Varanasi and how their lives are turned upside down as one member decides to join a terrorist organization. It beautifully portrayed the truth of “secular India” and was lauded by audience and critics equally across the board. It earned Rs. 30 crores.
Manosrija Sarkhel
(1st Year)
Mahila Maha Vidhyalaya, Banaras Hindu University.
A student of English Hons. at BHU, Manosrija is a passionate writer with a writer’s page on Instagram (@manosrija_04) and a YourQuote profile (That Girl). She is a sincere reader and is interested in poetry, fiction and politics.
