Rewind 2018: Best Movies of The Year

The year offered some mass-masala fares, some class outings and some technically-superb offerings which had strong content. IndiaGlitz takes you through the best movies of the year. Three of them had big stars, two of them had an actress at the centre, some were directed by debutants, a couple of them were sleeper hits, so on and so forth.

Rangasthalam

Taking the best slot has to be 'Rangasthalam', which also became the biggest non-'Baahubali' hit ever. Sukumar's narration of the story of two brothers (Ram Charan and Adhi Pinisetty) and their fight against the village's most-dreaded feudalist (Jagapathi Babu) had the audience go gaga. Mega Power Star's performance, Devi Sri Prasad's songs, the village backdrop, the authentic slang and the period genre were all helpful.

Bharat Ane Nenu

Koratala Siva's hero was a chief minister with a difference. He was authoritarian who was out to change the way people think. Mahesh Babu's intense performance in some scenes was a highlight. The scene where he dishes out a lecture to the media impressed the audience. Devi Sri Prasad's decent songs, the subject, and the climax worked well and made 'BAN' one of the biggest hits ever.

Aravindha Sametha

After disappointing sorely with 'Agnyaathavaasi', Trivikram Srinivas narrated a layered story this time. NTR played Veera Raghava, whose only aim is to bring peace. The last 40 minutes of the film is proof that the writer-director can't be written away thoughtlessly. The action sequences, dialogues, SS Thaman's songs/RR were also major highlights.

Bhaagamathie

After a few poor films, director Ashok G surprised Tollywood with this thriller. Months before 'Mahanati', this one was a female-centric film that had the BO solidly enthused. Anushka's character kept the audience on the end in the last 40 minutes or so. Thaman's mind-blowing BGM was a major plus, so also Madhie's splendid cinematography. Jayaram's performance, the very many characters, the songs - they all helped the film in becoming a major hit.

Mahanati

'Mahanati' was a story told without recourse to short-cuts. Director Nag Ashwin said no to low-hanging fruits and made the biopic proudly self-contained. Keerthy Suresh's performance stood out like rare performance. Mickey J Meyer's's brilliant BGMans songs, Dani's scintillating cinematography and the excellent art work made it a splendid watch. Remarkably, it earned a huge share at the BO.

Geetha Govindam

Here was an atypical story (many thought the story is routine but it's not; one of the major highlights of the movie was its story) that used a regular format to dish out nice entertainment. Director Parusuram enlivened the proceedings by infusing comedy at almost every step. Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna elevated the film with their performances, while Gopi Sundar's 'Inkem Inkem Inkem Kavale' song was a run-away hit.

Goodachari

The action-thriller had the right mix: underplayed heroism, saleable emotions, thrilling twists, technical finesse, clap-worthy dialogue. Besides, it got some of the coolest performances (by Adivi Sesh, Jagapathi Babu and others). Shaneil Deo's cinematography and Sricharan Pakala's BGM were outstanding.

Tholi Prema

Debutant director Venky Atluri told a cute love story that revolved around the two individuals (hero Varun Tej and heroine Raashi Khanna) who mattered. There was a delicate situation, there was a leap that the film took post interval, there was a hero who was a rule unto himself. Capable performances and excellent technical output (music by SS Thaman and cinematography by George C Williams) made it a healthy watch.

RX 100

Here was an unconventional story that received no critical acclaim but the audience felt it was a worthy product. Lead pair Kartikeya and Payal Rajput were enjoyable. The twist in the second half was gripping and the climax heart-rending. After 'Tholi Prema' and 'Goodachari', here was one more exciting product from a debutant director (Ajay Bhupathi).

Care Of Kancharapelm

The film charmed us with its innocence. If its love stories were largely engaging, its characters inspired affection. Rooted music and fairly good dialogues helped. Debutant director Maha Venkatesh told the story of an individual from the time he is 15 till 50. Cinematography by Aditya Javvadi and Varun Chaphekar, Sweekar Agasthi's music, and Nagarjun Tallapalli's sound design had many lessons to offer.

Sammohanam

'Sammohanam' came with excellent characterizations, enjoyable conversations and performances, nuances, and situational humour. Its big minus was its very ordinary storyline. Yet, it's easily one of the best films of the year. Aditi Rao Hydari and Sudheer Babu were fabulous, so also Vivek Sagar's haunting music. Mohankrishna Indraganti proved that he is one of the finest directors out there.

The year offered some mass-masala fares, some class outings and some technically-superb offerings which had strong content. IndiaGlitz takes you through the best movies of the year.