In black humor, topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in an unusually humorous or satirical manner while retaining their seriousness; the intent of black comedy, therefore, is for the viewers to experience both laughter and discomfort, sometimes simultaneously. It involves feeding the bitter medicine to the audience missed with a sweet syrup. Here are 10 best black comedies of Bollywood:
1. Titli
One of the very few offbeat movies made under the Yash Raj films, The film stars s Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Shashank Arora, Lalit Behl and Shivani Raghuvanshi in the lead roles. The film premiered at the 2014 Cannes festival. The story reflects the brutal, inhuman and selfish instincts that may be hidden, but is a part of everyone’s character to some extent.
2. Gangs of Wasseypur
This two-part Anurag Kashyap film is considered one of the most epic Indian gangster movies. Gangs of Waseypur is based on the actual rivalry of three Muslim clans in the town of Wasseypur in India. Starring great Indian actors like Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Richa Chadda, Huma Qureshi, Vineet Kumar Singh, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Piyush Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi in the major role. The movie uses instances of dark humor and quirky regional music to break the grim theme. The film was a breakthrough for most of the cast and also for the director. Written by Zeishan Quadri, there is a use of blood, gore, and abuse in the film whenever required. Hence with this movie introduced an entirely different style of filmmaking in India.
3. Delhi Belly
The story revolves around three friends who lead an unkempt and debt-ridden life in a shady apartment in Delhi. An Amir Khan Production, the movie stars Imran Khan, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Vir Das, Poorna Jagannathan, and Shenaz Treasurywala. With lots of positive reviews, the movie was criticized for the use of foul language and abusive jokes.
4. Andhadhun
the movie stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte, and Tabu in the lead roles. The movie is a romantic thriller directed by Shriram Raghvan. After Stree this year, this is also a peculiar blend of two clashing genres. According to the synopsis, Ayushmann plays a blind pianist in the movie and some serious events happen in his life, taking the story further. After watching the trailer, there is a dilemma if he’s actually blind or pretends to be so to debunk the puzzles around him. The trailer’s jazzy background music) sets the tone for the film, while it introduces the characters and the premise to the best of its abilities.
5. Newton
Starring the ever-present star of the era, Rajkumar Rao, the movie is one of his best performances. Also starring the very talented Pankaj Tripathi, the film’s story is centered around a government clerk Nutan Kumar who’s sent to the conflicted areas of central India as a part of his election duty. The movie is a satire on the notion of the higher authorities and security forces to conduct free and fair elections.
6. Jolly LLB
This Black comedy starring Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani, and Amrita Rao is a black comedy that comments on the loopholes in the Indian Judicial system and its failed attempt to provide justice equally to everyone. The movie is about Jolly, a struggling lawyer who comes across a hit and run case and decides to help the victim.
7. Kaalakaandi
‘Kaalakaandi’ which is a Marathi slang for the time when things go disastrously wrong. This 2018 Saif Ali Khan starrer is directed by the Delhi Belly writer Akshat Gupta. It explores the themes of life, death, and karma.
8. Oye Lucky Lucky Oye
The movie stars Abhay Deol, Paresh Rawal, Neetu Chandra, Manu Rishi, Richa Chadda, Manjot Singh and Archana Puran Singh. The movie also won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film. Written and directed Dibakar Bannerjee, The movie explores the life of a west Delhi teenager who grows to become a burglar and robs various areas in a unique way just for the heck of it.
9. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron
This cult classic Bollywood comedy directed by Kundan Shah was way ahead of its time. The movie starred an ensemble cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Neena Gupta, Satish Shah, Bhakti Barve, and Pankaj Kapur. The movie was a dark satire in a time when this genre wasn’t explored much in Bollywood. With its amazing comic timing, the movie also comments on the subjects of corruption in Indian Politics and also the news and media business. It starts with a story of two friends who start a photo studio and who come across corruption and bureaucracy and fight the system.
10. Blackmail
The story is about a man who finds out that his wife is cheating on him and decides to seek revenge from her and her lover. What follows is a series of hilarious dark mishaps where he himself gets trapped in a vicious circle of blackmailing and being blackmailed. The movie stars Irrfan Khan in the lead along with Kirti Kulhari, Arunoday Singh and Divya Dutta
