10 Best Bollywood 2008 Movies

Though Bollywood has an international reputation for opulence and frivolity, the 10 best Bollywood movies 2008 display a powerful depth of emotion and complexity of content. The films tackle issues of terrorism, national identity, modernity, development, adulthood and sexuality against the backdrop of song and dance.  

1. “A Wednesday” – Despite its pedestrian title, “A Wednesday” is one of the 10 best Bollywood movies of 2008. The film deals with terrorism, crime, economic development, citizenship and civic responsibility in modern India and how all of these things are ultimately interconnected.
2. “Mumbai Meri Jaan” – Another serious film about crime and terrorism, “Mumbai Meri Jaan” is one of the 10 best Bollywood films of 2008. In addressing the Mumbai train bombings of 2006, the film asks many questions as to the nature of India’s character and development and finds both humanity and monstrousness in its answers.
3. “Aamir” – On the surface, “Aamir” is a routine cat-and-mouse thriller about terrorism on the modern subcontinent. However, and despite being extremely entertaining, the film asks deeper questions of identity and presses audience to question the importance of nationality in the face of large-scale violence and the ultimate truth that all citizens are humans before being Indian, Pakistani, or anything else.
4. “Mithya” – This dark comedy is one of the 10 best Bollywood movies of 2008. “Mithya” satirically explores love, friendship, ambition and society through a multilayered story that travels amidst the worlds of petty thieves, organized crime and the seedy underbelly of Bollywood.
5. “Rock On” – Finally, something for the life loving and light at heart. “Rock On” is the charming and musically inspired tale of four young men struggling to find meaning in adulthood who rekindle their childhood friendships through the music they loved in their youth. The cynical might call it hokum, but it’s a sweet, gently funny film.
6. “Race” – Thank god the title of this one doesn’t refer to big questions of ethnicity and identity. That plus the ethically morass of the first three films on this list would be enough to make your head explode. Rather, “Race” is a crime thriller based in South Africa. The two and half hour film packs as many plot twists as a Guy Ritchie movie. It’s one of the 10 bet Bollywood movies of 2008.
7. “Dostana” – “Dostana” is a musical comedy that dares to explore the nature of homosexual relationships in modern India. The first half of the film is laugh-out-loud funny and the second half addresses more serious topics such as children’s perceptions of homosexuality and the nature of prejudice. “Dotsana” is a wining film that asks tough questions through laughter.
8. “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na” – It may not been purely coincidence that the poster for “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na” looks like an ad for television’s “Friends.” The film tackles a number of the same issues of love and romance in the modern world and the difficulty of navigating those tumultuous straights in throes of young adulthood. It’s a sharp, witty flick filled with excellent performances.
9. “Jodhaa Akbar” – A list of the best Bollywood movies of 2008 would be incomplete without at least one bloated historical epic filled with opulent sets, sparkling costumes and ostentatiously executed musical numbers. For our purposes, the honor goes to “Jodhaa Akbar,” a three and half hour extravaganza detailing a sixteenth century imperial romance.
10. “Sarkar Raj” – “Sarkar Raj” is a political thriller about a good-hearted CEO attempting to build a power plant in a provincial region of India. The CEO and a local ally attempt to mobilize the support of the locals and end up invoking the ire of Internet Movie Database describes as “the evil forces mightier than ever,” surely a force to be reckoned with.