PremiumNH10 to Ugly - 7 Violent Bollywood movies to watch as a warm up for Ranbir Kapoor's Animal
Animal has promised a violent rollercoaster ride like no other, so we thought a little preparation was needed. Here's the list!
Last Updated: 11.32 AM, Nov 29, 2023
Violence as a genre is the trickiest to handle in cinema. The conviction needed to shape and headline a movie that deals with a violent subject needs a different bone and altogether a different kind of skills. You are not allowed to judge your subjects who will do the most bizarre things even when they go to the extreme end of insanity. Now as Ranbir Kapoor tries his hands at the genre with Animal under Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s direction, it will be interesting to see what they have in store for us.
But we are still two days away from the release of Animal, and the anticipation needs something to soothe it. So h ere we are. Let’s take a look back at 7 films woven around a violent narrative, and in case you haven’t watched any, we have fixed your need for a film to warm up for the Ranbir Kapoor starrer. PS: The list has Anurag Kashyap written all over it, so this could also turn out to be a love letter to the Kennedy director. Deal with it.
Ugly (2014):
See, we aren’t even subtle. Starting with one of Kashyap’s finest movies, Ugly. The way Anurag Kashyap looks at the police is quite interesting. And I say this because I have seen Kennedy already, and you are in for a surprise. Ugly is a mix of immoral people who have a motive, and the common thread is money. A movie that gets murkier and darker with each passing scene, and Kashyap’s thrilling idea is at wide display at the end.
(Available On: Prime Video & Lionsgate).
Also Read: As Ranbir Kapoor's Animal runtime creates a stir, here are the 7 longest Bollywood movies
NH10 (2015):
Sudip Sharma is another writer who understands violence like no other. Also, the mind behind Paatal Lok, Sharma’s NH10 stars Anushka Sharma, who also debuted as a producer with this gut-wrenching movie. A couple is going on a weekend retreat, on the highway they cross paths with a lethal gang, and their world is turned upside down. A movie that is so unsettling that it might keep you alarmed for the next few hours at least.
(Available On: Prime Video & Eros Now)
Gangs Of Wasseypur ((2012):
You thought one of cinema history’s best movies wouldn’t be on the list? Both Gangs Of Wasseypur Part 1 and 2 are two of the finest examples of how a world is built and flipped upside down to make the audience be a part of the story rather than just be a spectator. Even with the visual violence and violent nature, GOW became a cult movie in no time. It established Anurag Kashyap on the world map in a much stronger way.
(Available On: Netflix)
Shaitan (2011):
Bejoy Nambiar’s Shaitan is a movie that juggles between a psychological thriller and ace imagination. Five youngsters in their 20s with access to wealth and no idea what to do with their lives are caught in the spiral of drugs. Soon they start doing illegal things, and the world is turned upside down when the trap they laid unknowingly starts taking their lives. An idea so crazy that the producers must be applauded for trusting in it.
(Available On: Prime Video).
Satya (1998):
Ram Gopal Varma with Anurag Kashyap decided to make a movie on Mumbai Gangsters and probably made the best decision of his career. Until Satya, Dons and Gangsters in the commercial space were full of vanity. It took RGV to go into the underbelly and bring out a Bhiku Mhatre who would look at his dead friend and abuse him for dying. Satya’s violence was visual indeed but was more in the idea.
(Available On: Sony LIV)
Bandit Queen (1994):
Who could have thought Shekhar Kapur would enter the list of directors who tried their hands at violence? Bandit Queen with Seema Biswas in the center is one of the most iconic movies to have come out of the Indian space. Set in Chambal, the movie was raw, and brutal, and didn’t even spare the lady who was in the center of it all. Bandit Queen to date will make you cover your eyes, and that’s the power of filmmaking.
(Available On: Prime Video)
Rakht Charitra (2010):
Gruesome is how reviews defined this Ram Gopal Varma directorial. One of the last from the filmmaker's golden phase, Rakht Charitra was an exploration of a character that was a gangster who turned politician to take revenge. Starring Vivek Oberoi, the movie was well-received and is still one of the most interesting takes on violence.
(Available On: Prime Video & Lionsgate).
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