Bollywood 2015: 5 movies that failed to impress

This has been an unremarkable year for Bollywood, with more misses than hits. It was a year that celebrated mediocrity onscreen.

Most filmmakers appeared to invest less in their stories, and more in star power, camerawork and promotions. Most of these duds even managed to make profits, reducing cinema into a business proposition and nothing else.

A large chunk of stories that unravelled onscreen didn't bother to enthrall, tickle or even make sense. But, what they lacked in coherence and plot, they made up in star value. The Khans – Shah Rukh and Salman – stood at the forefronts of the biggest grossers of the year, by being themselves. It’s worked to their advantage, time and time again, and this wasn’t an unusual year.

There were many like 'Roy', 'Jazbaa', 'Katti Batti', 'Guddu Rangeela', 'Humari Adhuri Kahaani', 'Shamitabh', 'Bombay Velvet' and 'Phantom' that promised to impress with their thrilling thrillers, but when the movie finally hit the screen, it bored us.

Here are our toppers from the bottom.

'Welcome Back'

Director Anees Bazmee thought it wise to cash in on his 2007-hit ‘Welcome’ with a sequel. He roped in the men from the original, barring Akshay Kumar, threw in a hunk, two pretty faces, two seasoned actors and a disgraced actor but forgot to invest in the laughs. The men were seen hugging, fighting, romancing, and doing the most random acts with the hope of winning some cheer. It worked in favour of Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar, but the rest of the cast looked dimwitted and unflatteringly boring in this nonsensical movie. Our only highlight was the stunning Dubai backdrop, but unfortunately, it was pitched on the wrong canvas.

Emirates24|7 verdict – Here

'Singh is Bling'

Akshay Kumar might’ve packed a punch with a powerful performance in ‘Baby’ this year, but he managed to kill that effect with the outlandish comedy ‘Singh is Bling’. While he randomly bounced off the frames mouthing broken English sentences, his ladylove frowned and fought like a hero. Its role reversal of the strangest kind, and where women’s empowerment gets an unlikely (and fractured) pitch. It’s the kind of movie where song and dance are key, the jokes incidental, and the acting abysmal.

Emirates24|7 verdict - Here

'Shandaar'

Riding high on the success of 'Queen', director Vikas Bahl and his writer Chaitally Parmar regrouped for the second round, only it didn't pan out as spectacular as their first. In fact, it turned out to be the biggest shocker of the year, with no real love in this romance. They even roped in great young (and old) blood from the film fraternity to pump up their madness, but, their efforts appeared superficial and lacklustre. The actors were handed quirky tools, a graphic-designed frog being one, but left clueless.

Emirates24|7 verdict - Here

'Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon'

Indian telly’s much celebrated funnyman takes his first step to movie stardom in the most regressive feature of the year. The story of a man with three wives aiming for a fourth, because the first three were “mistakes”, is regressive in tone and texture. While Kapil manages to tickle us in a few crucial scenes, his efforts are reduced in a movie that’s more tragic than comic. Abbas-Mustan might’ve paced the film, but don’t bother weaving together a story. What they do have in abandon are misogynist wife jokes that they splatter lavishly on this tasteless film. Kapil’s a genius on the telly, and that will remain unchanged.

Emirates24|7 verdict: You are better off watching re-runs of 'Comedy Nights with Kapil'

'Alone'

It's interesting that Bollywood still has an appetite for horror, even if that means, Bipasha Basu parades her tiny, lacy outfits to scare off evil (and possibly any discerning movie buff). ‘Alone’ fits that category perfectly, with the leading lady and her lover using majority of te frames to flaunt their perfect gym bodies. Based on a Thai film, of the same name, director Bhushan Patel modified only the wardrobe (or lack of it) in the original narrative.

Emirates24|7 verdict: Here

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