The year about to end has been a rather lacklustre one for Bollywood in terms of revenues. Barring "Ek Villain" and "Holiday", thrillers of 2014 didn't do so well, both critically and commercially.
"Dedh Ishqiya"
Released on 10 January, this Abhishek Chaubey film was a gripping tale of crime, passion love and deceit. Starring Madhuri Dixit, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Huma Qureshi, "Dedh Ishqiya" went on to become one of the critically-acclaimed movies of the year. Dixit, who was making a comeback on the big screen after seven-year-long hiatus, stunned the audience with her portrayal of Begum Para. Essentially a sequel to "Ishqiya", Shah and Warsi's onscreen bonding was fresh and offered some fun moments. Unfortunately, the film didn't earn enough at the box office, though appreciated by viewers.
"The Xpose"
Released on 16 May, the film was panned by critics nationwide. Fresh faces Sonali Raut and Zoya Afroz's performances failed to create any impact. Himesh Reshammiya was verbally shot down for pulling a deadpan expression through the film. Directed by Anant Mahadevan, the film clearly didn't make as much as the makers would have loved it to. Set in the 60s, the flawed storyline revolved around the killing of an actress and the mystery about it. Yo Yo Honey had a funny extended cameo.
"Holiday"
Akshay Kumar (Captain Virat Bakshi) and Sonakshi Sinha's (Saiba Thapar) "Holiday" was the first thriller of 2014 which made it to the coveted ₹100-crore club. Released on 6 June, it was praised for its intellectual content and action sequences but viewers were heavily let down with the half-baked romance Sinha and Kumar shared. The songs, composed by Pritam, were appreciated by all. Arijit Singh's "Shayaraana" went on to become one of the chartbusters of the year.
"Ek Villain"
A romantic thriller directed by Mohit Suri featuring the dishy Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor, it was loved by some, hated by others. In its attempt to churn the most intriguing film of the year, it faltered at many levels. Kapoor's overacting was a major let down and the climax was disappointing for viewers. The story revolved around Guru and how he has this massive change of heart on meeting over-the-top cheery girl Aisha. Released on 27 June, the film did well at the box office and earned Malhotra his first ever ₹100 crore grosser.
"Hate Story 2"
Surveen Chawla and Jay Bhanushali's "Hate Story 2" was at best an erotic thriller that used sleaze and cheesy one-liners to lure the audience to theatres. Directed by Vishal Pandya, the film revolves around young shutterbug Sonika (Chawla), politician Mandar's (Sushant Singh) mistress, who unties herself from his shackles to run away with college friend and lover Akshay (Bhanushali). The film, a sequel to 2012 superhit "Hate Story" did near-average business.
Mannara's "Zid", Soha Ali Khan's "Chhaarfutiya Chokare", Anurag Kashyap's "Ugly", Adhyayan Suman's "Heartless" and Rajeev Khandelwal's "Samrat & Co." were the other thrillers of 2014.
