And this list, to be honest, is a forced effort because there haven't been 10 films this year that deserve a 'Best-of' show award at all. Five, maybe.

So here we are with a compromised list. The first three films deservedly choose themselves; the middle three do very well in their own right, but each could have done so, so much more; and the rest show flashes of genuine brilliance, even if their incandescence doesn't quite go the distance.

Here, then, are this year's best-in-show. The films of 2008 that deserve genuine applause.

The Tenth Place Tie

Here lie the Almosts, a bunch of 10 films that closed in on excellence but fell well short. They're all films that deserve a hand, and we look to their makers to do even better next time. A wishlist, if you please.

Dasvidaniya, if only it'd have done without the emotional manipulation; Halla Bol, if only it'd have avoided the rabble-rousing attempt in its climax; A Wednesday, had it not pretended to be a substantial film; Sorry Bhai, if only Chitrangda Singh acted better; Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, if only Shah Rukh Khan didn't play that now-infuriating Raj character; Black And White, if only the end wasn't so wishy-washy; Ghajini, had it stuck to just being a fun actioner, minus the protracted flashbacky romance; Welcome To Sajjanpur, if only it was a tad more compelling; Jodhaa Akbar, if only it was 90 minutes shorter; and Bachna Ae Haseeno, had it ended at the intermission point.

Text: Raja Sen

Also Read: Review: Dasvidaniya

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