Bollywood is by far the biggest film industry in the world. And it is easy to see why. It continues to churn out a huge number of movies, some of which are hits and others fail miserably at the box office in the theatres across the country and beyond. Talking about the industry in India or abroad, two names that immediately come to one's mind are Amitabh Bachchan aka The Big B and Shah Rukh Khan aka King Khan. The duo continues to have a strong hold and great influence. In this column this month, I have been entrusted the difficult task of choosing the ten best movies that had great influence in 2007.

Here we go...

The first on my list is Black. Sanjay Leela Bhansali takes credit for a movie which required immense courage and confidence and the whole credit goes to Rani and Amitabh. Their performance was power packed. Rani, as Michelle, shows a depth that has never been seen in any of her characters. It is the role of her life and she has done complete justice to it. Amitabh as her teacher once again proves that the big B still reigns.

He is superb in his role. Debutant Ayesha Kapoor playing little Michelle is a revelation. Others including Dhritiman Chatterjee as Michelle's father, Nandana Sen in a small role as her jealous but kind sister are flawless and Shernaz Patel as her agonisized mother is especially touching in her role.The movie is a tribute to the famous blind and deaf laureate, Helen Keller. The story is the director's interpretation of Helen's remarkable life and the role her teacher Annie Sullivan played in her life. Michelle as a little girl is totally confused and angry cause of her handicap. Her parents don't know how to deal with the little girl as she becomes more and more destructive and wild. When things get out of hand, her father (Dhritiman Chatterjee) decides to put her in an asylum.

Her mother (Shernaz Patel) fights for a last chance for her daughter. She summons a teacher, Debraj from a deaf and blind school. He is slightly eccentric, but is dedicated to his profession. The teachers meeting with his ward is far from pleasant. But the teacher is tough with the obstinate girl and slowly reaches a truce with her. He gradually changes the wild thing into a presentable young lady. Though the father was at first against his rough handling of the girl he later accepts him when he sees the positive progress in her.

Debraj slowly introduces her to the world of light and sound. With his help she tries to make sense of the pitch dark world around her. She learns her first words. The teacher becomes her constant companion. He helps her to get into a regular college and sits with her during class interpreting the lessons to her through hand contact to fulfill their dream to make her a graduate. But a quirk of fate awaits them as he slowly begins to loose his memory. He succumbs to Alzheimer disease.Black is a beautiful movie from a brilliant director. It touches you to the core.

Rang De Basanti is next on my list. This movie was hailed by most critics in India as the best film produced in recent years. The film was praised for having a storyline of depth, sensitive performances by the ensemble cast and terrific dialogues. The film was also seen as sparking a new fervour among the Indian youth to learn about India's freedom struggle.

As a patriotic film, Range De Basanti does not bore by glorifying the past. Instead, it meticulously draws a line between the past and the present, both of which move in parallel lines. If the past shows a group of young martyrs sacrificing their lives to uproot the British from the country, the present has a bunch of college pass-outs clueless about their future. The film records their transition while they work on a documentary film based on the lives of freedom fighters, a gradual awakening to what life around them is all about.

Third come Gangster . Like Bhatt's early films, Gangster takes us to the darkest recesses of the human heart to unravel a dark tale of violence, love, betrayal and revenge. The highlight of the movie is a solid performance by newcomer Kangna Raut. Kangna shines as Simran, the exbar girl involved in a relationship with dreaded gangster Daya (Shiney Ahuja) as well as a singer Akash (Emran Hashmi).

A chance encounter brings Daya and Simran together. However, their life together is hardly placid and filled withconstant violence.They are forever on the run from the Indian police, who are always close on their heels. journey into success, the director brings into play a kind of abiding charisma that's born out of a sincere passion for a neglected sport and that even more neglected spirit of collective aspirations, writes a film critic.

Dhoka is the fifth on the list. This movie deals with the life of suicide bombers. The movie dwelled into the reasons that forced a six months pregnant woman to turn into a suicide bomber. The story is heart rending and makes you want to cry out. It is both significant and valid in today's times.

Then next movie to make it to the list is Provoked . The movie is inspiring making you realize that even you can make a difference. When Kiranjeet Alhuwalia decided to speak about her sufferings, she had never thought that she will become a mentor to many women who suffer from domestic violence. This movie shows how a house wife, unable to bear the brutality, takes initiative to break the shackles of cruelty and breathe the air of freedom. Since it is a true story, it becomes more relevant. We live in a society where domestic violence is a reality. Therefore, the movie acts as a reminder that the women are not as liberated as we think.

Next in the line is Laage Raho Munnabhai . In this movie the principles of Mahatma Gandhi were brought forth in a humorous way. It is a very well thought-out, well directed movie. Both, Sanjay and Arshad Warsi gave an awesome performance. Vidya Balan looked gorgeous and the philosophy of the movie somehow struck a cord with the audience. The movie was not as funny as the prequel but still it was enjoyed and adored by the masses.

Also making it to the top ten is Dhamaal . Though the story line is very simple, one just can't stop laughing throughout the movie .The comedy makes a great impression in the viewer's mind. It is feel-good, light movie; an out and out entertainer. Javed Jaffery, Arshad Warsi, Ashish Chaudhary have done a wonderful job. The performance is convincing and the dialogues are witty. The end of the movie is something which is totally unexpected but hilarious. Last but not the least is Heyy Babyy . This movie is a remake of “Three men and a baby”. This movie shows how the life of three bachelors changes after the arrival of a baby, who is left at their doorstep by his grandfather. The three actors, Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh are as irresponsible as any bachelor can be. When the baby comes they become doting men and learn to take care of her. Soon there is a twist in the movie and it is from there that the story becomes gripping. With this, I conclude the list of my ten best movies. Some of them have made it to the list because they brought tears in my eyes, some brought endless laughter, but more importantly, some of them brought home many hidden truths and phases of life in the society we so often ignore.

Soumee Mitra

BA (Journo, Psy & Eng)

- Additional inputs from the Internet