The best trailers of 2009

[seema]

Chandni Chowk To China

The energy and lunacy on display in this promo was mindblowing, Nikhil Advani's megabudget film promising us our very own Kung Fu Hustle.

Ranbir Shorey and Akshay Kumar wear weird moustaches, Deepika Padukone looks stunning-er than ever, amid an action-packed melange of complete, unashamed farce. And there's **** Bill's Gordon Liu to give the project credibility. A seriously great trailer for the year's first big release.

[seema]

Dev D

Abhay Deol chews gum as a conversation is bleeped around, and then we cut to the unforgettable ek-doh-teen-chaar-chheh countdown introducing us to Emosanal Atyachaar for the first time ever.

What bloody impact.
As Deol ploughs through cocaine, we realise this Dev is unlike any we've ever seen. The protagonist-mounted camera leads to a surreal, trippy montage -- aggressively cut -- and we know that Anurag Kashyap's gone wild.

[seema]

Kaminey

A Vishal Bhardwaj film is always an event, and this comicbooky trailer introduces us to two Shahid Kapoors and a Priyanka Chopra like we've never seen them before, one lisping, one stuttering and the girl yelling about having ****d a man.

Set around the PulpFictionny Dhan Te Nan, the character-introducing visuals promise mad chaos and a zany bunch.

All the Ss are changed to Fs in Charlie's honour -- 'this fummer', for example -- but the true scene stealing is done by Amole Gupte's Bhope Bhau as he jeers at the lisper.
Oh, and there's a brief glimpse of a running with horses shot that made women in theatres across the country tremble.

[seema]

Gulaal

Hello There, reads the Democracy Beer sign, changing to Hell Here before we know it.
Kay Kay Menon takes the nursery out of a rhyme, Piyush Mishra laments revolutionaries, and we see a twisted take on the classic Deewar dialogue.

The marvellous Aarambh Hai Prachand heralds war as faces are reddened and gunpowder is readied for revolt.

Kashyap ends whimsically, Mishra wondering what good the Gulaal is if everyone recognises everyone anyway.

[seema]

Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year

It's always refreshing to see a film with a bonafide concept trailer, as opposed to one that just goes through the montage-and-music motions.

Shimit Amin's next introduces us to the star-of-the-year as Harpreet Singh, salesman, who then promises to sell the film -- 'his film,' he says shyly -- in 60 seconds.

He says it's not a film about toppers -- '37%, with grace marks,' he points to himself -- and the actor is earnest enough to sell a line about heartbeats being more important than marksheets.

He ends with a loony dance, and by now we're at least interested enough to let the salesman in through the door.