The year 2007 went very well for Bollywood. Can’t say the same about Hollywood’s business in India, I remember only ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘I am Legend’. There is a reason why. To begin with, the bharatvaasis were quite taken by the desi flavor which brought them a spectacular treat of modern cinema.

Let’s starting from the beginning. Yes, Rahul Dholakia’s ‘Parzania’ comes to my mind first. A soul-stirring film set against the backdrop of the Gujarat riots, telling the real-life story of a Parsi boy who got separated by his family when his housing society was struck by the fundamentalists. The film was tense, no masala here, but it gave a very strong message of non-violence.

The next film that struck a cord with me was ‘Chak De’. And for the first time in my life, I was immediately caught by the performance of the 16 girls and didn’t have eyes for SRK alone (which is a big thing considering the die hard fan I am). The plot was lively, very real, and the social message was given so masterfully! The film presented two aspects about our country that our sports teams have innate talent but do not perform well due to the absence of team spirit. Second, sexism still prevails in our society and even in the hockey board. Despite not having any songs and dances, the film is a wholesome entertainer. Like the year, my list will end with Aamir Khan’s directorial debut ‘Taare Zameen Par’.

The movie was fabulously done and one just couldn’t stop the tears from trickling down the cheeks. Darsheel Safary was brilliant as the ‘affected’ kid victimized by the education system and his over-expectant father. It was a story about all of us. Yes, also add two more names to the list – the comic satire ‘Bheja Fry’ and the gruesome documentary ‘Black Friday’ based on the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.