Team FC
By directing a gangster movie that catapulted many now-famous names into the mainstream, such as Manoj Bajpayee, Saurabh Shukla, and Anurag Kashyap, Ram Gopal Varma redefined a new genre in Indian cinema: the seedy and black underbelly of Mumbai.
Banned for its unapologetic representation of the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, this movie begins with the chaotic aftermath on Dalal Street and leaves you horrified up until the last second. The music (thank you, Indian Ocean) and colour grading of this film adds to the intensity.
A fresh take on gangster culture or a depiction of grassroots gangster life, no matter how you interpret this film, it will remain one of the most intense social commentaries that manages to be gritty, humorous, and a gift to meme culture all at once.
This rustic movie has more layers than an onion. As you continue peeling, you will find yourself giving into the revenge-driven dark cinema this Sriram Raghavan movie unlocks.
A couple on their way to a weekend of relaxation find themselves on a journey of survival instead. Their biggest worry was office leaves just 12 hours ago, but now they're battling to survive in the dark forests outside Delhi against an entire village of misogynistic men who don't mind killing.
This murky dark drama about the blood trade business in Haryana is one of Randeep Hooda's finest films. His portrayal of Shankar, a loud and ruthless man with even louder clothes, strongly competes with his grittiness as Mahabir in Highway (2014).
A movie so convoluted that multiple articles explaining its ending popped up, this masterpiece by Sriram Raghavan about a blind pianist who may or may not have seen a crime will not give you a moment of relief, and you will enjoy the suspense every step of the way.
Thank you for reading!