Neo-Noir – A new genre that emerged in Bollywood in late 90s and early 2000s after liberalization wherein sex, crime and violence didn’t have to be concealed by heavy undertones and allusions. Neo-noir as a genre addresses the challenges faced by the urban youth which differ from the benefits of upper class and caste folks gained during privatization.
The ‘hero’ in this new genre become an ‘antihero’ – who had ambiguous morals and resorted to violence quite casually- a hyper masculine and dominant man with ‘alpha’ qualities was norm for these movies. Neo-noir as a genre was a transition from the socialistic cinema to a more neoliberal cinema that turns the focus from a collective to an individual (with questionable morals) trying to change the system.
Many Bollywood directors experimented with this genre. Let’s look at 5 of Bollywood’s best neo-noir films.
Talaash- The Answer Lies Within (2012)
Directed by Reema Kagti and written by Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap, Talaash is the story of cursed love, lethal temptation and a mission to get to the bottom of a perfect crime. With suspense at its centre, Talaash investigates Mumbai’s shady side like never before. Inspector Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) investigates the death of a popular film star when things start to mysteriously unfold from then.
Inspector Shekhawat’s investigation becomes a life-altering journey as he must confront his suppressed grief and deal with the fallout from his failed marriage to Roshni (Rani Mukherji). Inspector Shekhawat encounters a sex worker named Rosie (Kareena Kapoor) while conducting his investigation and battling personal struggles, who adds even more mystery to the case. Investigations into what first appears to be a straightforward car accident become puzzling when many inconsistencies are linked to the victim’s death.
Badlapur (2015)
Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Badlapur is a story of how Raghu (Varun Dhawan) lost his wife and son, in a bank robbery and now he wants revenge. In this case, there are two suspects, one walks away with the money, while the other is caught by the police and given a 20-year prison term.
After fifteen years, he has just a year to live because of cancer, so he begs Raghu to forgive the remaining part of his sentence to release him from prison. Raghu agrees to accept his apologies, but only if he discloses who his partner is. Will Raghu be able to seek out the other suspect who ruined his life after 15 years? Will he exact his 15 revenge and punish him?
Ghajini (2008)
Directed by A.R.Murugadoss, Ghajini revolves around a successful business man Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan) who suffers from short-term memory loss, after witnessing the murder of his fiancé Kalpana (Asin). Unable to remember things, Sanjay draws tattoos and uses photographs to track down Ghajini– the man who killed Kalpana– and seek his revenge. The film is filled with action, drama and suspense and it also explores the themes of memory loss and revenge.
Vikram-Vedha (2022)
Directed by Pushkar-Gayatri, Vikram-Vedha is the story of Vikram (Hrithik Roshan) an infamous gangster, and Vedha (Saif Ali Khan) a righteous police officer. Vedha is on a mission to catch Vikram, but their Tom and Jerry like chase becomes complicated when Vikram surrenders voluntarily. As Vikram starts telling his story to Vedha lines blur between good and evil. The movie talks about the duality of human nature and explores themes of morality, justice and how everything isn’t just black or white.
Monica, O My Darling (2022)
Directed by Vasant Bala, Monica, O My Darling is a dark comedy and thriller that takes place in corporate world. When Jayant Arkhedkar (Rajkumar Rao) a low-level employee gets embroiled in a murder plot his life takes a drastic turn. He with a couple of his colleagues tries to cover the murder of Monica (Huma Qureshi) whose blackmailing them to protect himself and secure his position. As Jayant attempts to cover up the crime, he gets more and more entangled within the situation. The film explores ambition and betrayal while also being comedic and suspenseful.
