Top 20 all-India films of 2021

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Here's my Top 20 All-India Films of 2021. The Top 10 films, 1-10, were last week; 11-20 are below. The list is not in order: it includes mainstream films, low budget indies and an experimental feature, that cannot be compared. I'm also making women's work more visible. This is not a water-tight list; it is more to spark conversations around good Indian cinema, so your suggestions are welcome. What a rich year, despite COVID-19!

11. Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer) by M Manikandan, Tamil: Brilliant, original storytelling; it explores why farmers are our future, by the Kakkaa Muttai director. The octogenarian Nallandi is the last farmer standing in the village. When arrested for burying three dead peacocks he found on his farm, he is worried who will water his standing crop. Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi presents and is terrific in a guest role. Was at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021.

12. Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (refers to Vishnu and Shiva) by Raj B Shetty, Kannada: Writer, director and actor Shetty directs a crackling gang war saga, with the cop Brahmayya, relating the story of Hari and Shiva, friends who turn foes. There is inventiveness in the storytelling, a good script and strong performances by Raj B Shetty (Shiva) and Rishab Shetty (Vishnu). There's horrific brutality; the small town detailing, including the tiger dance, stand out.

13. Sardar Udham by Shoojit Sircar, Hindi: Polished biopic on Udham Singh, his political initiation, and final killing of Michael O'Dwyer, Lt Governor of Punjab, who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. It acknowledges Bhagat Singh, the Ghadar Party and the Hindustan Socialist Republic Association; a far cry from the jingoism of today's ‘patriotic' films. Vicky Kaushal is excellent, aided by a solid script by Shubhendu Bhattacharya and Ritesh Shah, in this handsomely mounted period film. On Amazon.

14. The Rapist Aparna Sen, Hindi: Fine return to form for Sen, who also wrote the screenplay. Starring Konkona Sensharma, Arjun Rampal and Tanmay Dhanania, the film is a powerful, richly layered reflection on the aftermath of rape. And how the delivery of justice is deeply affected by class, gender, education and religion. Produced by Applause Entertainment, it had its world premiere at the Busan Film Festival. Woman director-writer.

15. Sherni (Tigress) by Amit Masurkar, Hindi: Strong, feminist thriller observing the destructive impact of toxic masculinity in the environment versus development debate. If a woman does a good job, it shows up the bad/useless/insecure guys for what they are, so she will have hell to pay. Masurkar and screenwriter Aastha Tiku daringly break the Bollywood template with a strong woman-oriented story. On Amazon.

16. 83 by Kabir Khan, Hindi: Rousing film that recreates India's historic cricket win in the 1983 World Cup. Ranveer Singh marvellously plays captain Kapil Dev, but each player gets his moment in the sun. It underlines not only how cricket is the glue of national integration, with a multi-religious team, but Indo-Pak soldiers on the border suspend hostilities when more important matters like cricket scores are awaited, and in riot-torn Nawabpur, riot police embrace a Muslim cricket fan with joy during India's winning streak. Multiple producers include Deepika Padukone; woman producer.

17. Minnal Murali by Basil Joseph, Malayalam: A charming superhero film with Tovino Thomas playing Jaison, a tailor who gets special powers after being struck by lightning. He uses his powers to fight the baddy's superpowers, but it stays local and real. Produced by Sophia Paul, Tovino Thomas and Guru Somasundaram. On Netflix. Woman producer.

18. Jai Bhim by TJ Gnanavel, Tamil: Important courtroom drama on caste atrocities. An Irula tribal is framed by the police for a theft and dies in their custody. Starring Suriya, it has been produced by Jyotika and Suriya's 2D Entertainment. But it is a "massy" film, with a saviour hero, simplistic good and evil characters, gruesome violence, and high decibel wailing and music. Inspired by the work of Justice K Chandru, former judge of the Madras High Court. Woman producer. On Amazon Prime Video.

19. Dostojee (Two Friends) by Prasun Chatterjee, Bengali: About two little boys living on the Indo-Bangladesh border, whose friendship survives the barriers of religion. But will it survive fate? Was at the BFI London Film Festival. I doubt there will be a dry eye at the deeply moving climax. Debut feature, produced by Prasun Chatterjee, Prosenjit Ranjan Nath, Soumya Mukhopadhyay and Ivy Yu-Hua Shen (Taiwan). Woman producer.

20. Jole Dobe Na (Those Who Do Not Drown) by Naeem Mohaiemen, Bengali: Brilliant and elegiac, it's a reverie on the afterlife of caregivers by the gifted Bangladeshi filmmaker, that was selected in the Berlin Film Festival's Forum Expanded (but due to be shown in 2022). An experimental feature, it is an Indo-Japanese-Swedish collaboration.

Special Mentions would include Irfana Majumdar's Shankar's Fairies (Locarno); Nithin Lukose's Paka (Toronto); Rahul Jain's documentary Invisible Demons (Cannes); Madhuja Mukherjee's Deep6 (Busan) and Nikhil Mahajan's Godavari (Marathi).

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist.
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com