This year's most eagerly awaited film is expected to close 2013 with a bang.
Dhoom: 3: This year's most eagerly awaited film closed 2013 with a bang. Dhoom: 3, loaded with bike-riding Aamir and Katrina's gymnastics, is a nailbiting sequence of unpredictable events and heart-stopping stunts. Dhoomsday, on December 20, was the final feather in the cap of a year that finally witnessed the shattering of Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots record.
Chennai Express: That record was broken by another Khan. Shah Rukh's 40-year-old hero took the train from Mumbai to Rameshwar, met Deepika Padukone's feisty Tamil runaway and the journey that followed was a laugh riot on such epic scale that, after three years on top, Aamir's blockbuster 3 Idiots was finally relegated to second place in the annals of Bollywood's highest earners.
The Lunchbox: The audience grabbed this meal with relish. Love blossoms between a neglected Malad housewife and a lonely Bandra widower who exchange a series of scribbled notes after a dabbawala accidently delivers her lunchbox into his hands. The poignant story and splendid performances by Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui easily make The Lunchbox one of the top films of the year.
Krrish 3: Just three months after Chennai Express smashed 3 Idiots' record, Krrish, Kaal and Kaya came along and pushed Aamir's film to third place and SRK's film to second. Hrithik's double role as superhero Krrish and his scientist father, Vivek Oberoi's sinister villain, Kangana Ranaut's pyrotechnics as the mutant Kaya and the film's special effects ensured that the cash registers kept ringing.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani: Nerdy Naina's Deewani with the bindass Bunny hit the jackpot. The audience were swept away with this story of three happy go lucky friends, plus the more serious Naina, who go on a trekking trip to Manali and then reconnect with each other after many years. The movie, featuring Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur was the year's first blockbuster.
Ram-Leela: Despite being mired in legal trouble over its name, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's desi Romeo And Juliet cashed in on the chemistry between reported real life flames Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, and its vibrant depiction of the colourful Kutch. The film made it to the Rs 100 crore club.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's biopic starring Farhan Akhtar and based on the life of legendary athlete Milkha Singh sprinted ahead of the other films this year to clinch a place in our list. The story of a partition refugee who loses his parents in the riots and goes on to become one of India's most glorified sportsmen, melted many hearts.
Kai Po Che: Three boys set their hearts on opening a sports academy - only to find their equation challenged by the Gujarat riots. The movie - a mix of cricket, religion and politics - ranked far above the average masala film and struck the right chord with the audience. Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh shone in their roles and made a mark for themselves in their debut movie.
Lootera: Sonakshi falls in love with Ranveer at first sight only to become his most bitter enemy after he deceives her on their engagement day. But Ranveer's love turns out to be so pure that he sacrifices his life for her in this period drama, loosely based on the O Henry's The Last Leaf. Perhaps one of 2013's most critically acclaimed films, Lootera was welcomed by critics with open arms.
Shahid: The real life story of TADA detainee-turned-human rights lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was murdered for defending a 26/11 accused, was perhaps the boldest film of 2013. Hansal Mehta's movie exposed uncomfortable truths about India, the judicial system and the media. Featuring Rajkummar Rao, Shahid was hailed as a defining moment in Bollywood history.
