Best movies of 2019: Gully Boy, Uri, Bala, Saand Ki Aankh top the list

A bald man trying to woo a girl, a real life biopic on Shooter dadis, a gripping narrative of the surgical strike in Uri, a boy obsessed with writing rap songs dreaming to make it big, these are some of the narratives that audiences lapped up in 2019. These are also some of the films that made for best Bollywood content in 2019. Here's a look at the best Bollywood films of the year and what made them work.

Aditya Dhar's war drama told through the eyes of Major Vihaan Singh Shergill (Vicky Kaushal) was not just an attempt to chronicle one of the most brave and untold stories in the history of Indian armed forces, but it also made for some good cinema. Apart from the patriotic fervor the film riled up, it also was technically one of the best films of 2019 with sound and cinematography being some of the highlights. Vickey Kausal as Vihaan also gave one of this career best performances. The film earned 4 stars from Times of India and the review said, "The film scores higher on the technical front than creative. The combat sequences, ambush, gunfire, fistfights, sniper shots are realistically shot."

'Apna time aayega' was the anthem of 2019 and there is no denying the craze that this Ranveer Singh - Alia Bhatt starrer made. Raw, brash, had hitting, unapologetic, Zoya Akhtar's gritty take on the underground rap culture in the city of dreams struck a chord with every cingoer. The film worked largely because of its lead performances by Ranveer and Alia who both will be up in contention for the acting categories at theFilmfare Awards in 2020. Gully Boy got a well deserved 4 star rating from Times of India where the review said, "There’s a reason the film feels legit and that’s down to the fact that real rap artistes worked on this film. The treatment and the visual finesse of the film are at par with anything you’ve seen from Hollywood or anywhere around the world." Now these are some big laurels to win!

Who would have thought a film about a bald man's trouble in expressing his love for a woman would be one of the sleeper hits and most loved film of 2019. Ayushmann Khurranna who's had an outstanding year at the movies gave yet another career best performance in Amar Kaushik's comic drama. Bala had some genuinely funny moments and both Bhumi Pednekar and Yami Gautam got praise for their acts. Bala got a staggering 4 stars from Times of India. The review noted, "But overall, 'Bala' remains a light-hearted comedy with situations that are relatable. Just like the film’s message, 'Bala' is beautiful even with its flaws, and never fails to entertain."

Ayushmann Khurrana makes yet another appearance in the best of 2019 list with Anubhav Sinha's thought provoking Article 15. Touching upon the sensitive yet burning issue of caste disparity, the film is not only well made but has some of the best performances by an ensemble cast. Ayushmann as the IPS officer on duty is remarkably good. Article 15 got 4 stars by Times of India and the review said, "What works for the film is that it’s thought provoking, hard hitting while unflinchingly bringing to light burning social issues."

Taapse Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar delivered an ace performance with ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ wherein they played real-life shooter dadis. The biographical drama was based on the life of India’s oldest sharpshooters, Prakashi Tomar and Chandro Tomar. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ spoke about women empowerment and celebrated the bonhomie among women. Taapsee and Bhumi aptly shouldered the responsibility of delivering a hit with ‘Saand Ki Aankh’.