2016: A year where biopics ruled big screen

Mumbai: It was an year which saw inspirational stories of real life heroes wow audiences with their message of perseverance and triumph in the face of all odds.Biopics like 'Neerja', 'Sultan ', 'Dangal ', 'Azhar', 'M S Dhoni the untold story ', 'Aligarh' ,'Sarbjit' and 'the mountain man' dominated the film discourse in an industry, largely known for its mindless entertainers, larger than life films and 'popcorn entertainers'.

The fact that a majority of these films, including 'Neerja', 'Sultan ', 'Dangal ' and 'M S Dhoni the untold story', did extremely good business at the box office is a reflection of the Hindi cinema coming of age. The year began with the release of 'Neerja', a biopic on the life of Neerja Bhanot, a flight attendant, whose flight from Mumbai to New York was hijacked in Karachi.
Sonam Kapoor played the title character in this film, which also starred Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Ravijani in pivotal roles.

The movie as well as Sonam's performance won acclaim from film critics around the world.
Though 'Neerja' was a moderate box office success, it emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films featuring a female protagonist.It earned a gross of Rs 135 crore worldwide.
The year also saw the release of 'Sarbjit', a biopic on life of Sarabjit Singh, who was convicted by a Pakistani court for spying and terrorism.

This film , directed by Omung Kumar (of Mary Kom fame) starred Randeep Hooda as Sarabjit and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan playing his sister, Dalbir.The film garnered a lot of critical acclaim, especially for the excellent performances by Randeep and Aishwarya.Made on a production budget of Rs 15 crore and marketed at Rs 8 crore, 'Sarbjit' premiered at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.

Released on May 20, the film turned out to be a profitable venture at box-office by grossing about Rs 43.88 crore worldwide. For its cinematic brilliance, the film has figured in the long list of Oscars nominations in the best picture category. (UNI)