Do you know we are in Golden Age II of Hindi Indian Cinema ?

Amitabh Bacchan has said that its exciting times in Indian Hindi Film Industry.

And this is true for the audiences as well. I am listing here all the mainstream (or did decently well in terms of box-office earnings; this is important as this is decisive in what kind of cinema floats or sinks) recent movies,
that are different by varying degrees from the usual template of the hero, heroine, funny sidekick and villain. The list is in no particular order.

Paan Singh Tomar

Peepli live

English Vinglish

Barfi

Kahaani

Ship of Theseus.

Lunchbox

Bombay Talkies

Kai Po Che

Kaminey

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Ranjhanaa

These are movies I personally liked and would recommend to others. The fact that I am able to come up with this long list is a dramatic change from a few years before. Most of the movies here content-wise don't get categorized under commercially risk-free projects. Lets have a look at them one by one, and see what's so special about them ?

Paan Singh Tomar : There isn't a scene in the movie that I could point out to be out of context (or included only for effect). Great script. The scenes between the protagonist and his wife are pitched so well, whereby the characters get etched
out in a realistic fashion. It has us investing ourselves into these lives.
Such well-made biographical films, is only a recent phenomenon (Guru, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Shahid are others).

Peepli live : Depicting a difficult reality using humour as the instrument and making it work and leaving a deep impression, is an art. Movies are well suited for such a thing as compared to any other medium. I recall "Burn after reading" (from Hollywood) as something similar and does it so well. 'Peepli Live' is about how media is a necessary evil (like friction) that doesn't care for subjects in the camera, or the negative impact it makes on their lives. I cant remember any movie before this one that didn't resort to melodrama to deal with heart-breaking ground reality that cant be done away with.

English Vinglish : I think the movie's speciality can all be wrapped up in one word : "Sridevi". I think she is the best Indian Cinema has ever had, capturing its essence and beyond.
While there are/were : Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Amitabh Bacchan, Jaya Badhuri, Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Irrfan Khan. No one is both charming, nuanced and uninhibited simultaneously, exuding depth in their emotions. Only if there were more movies extracting her talent. Sometimes, you are born in the
wrong times. I wish Sridevi was here and now. But then English Vinglish got made. And hats-off to Gauri Shinde. She brought in sensibilities that were not explored before. Its very interesting to see the relationship the protagonist shares with her niece and their bonding thats more intellectual and modern.

Barfi : Much has been said about this movie. It was our Oscar entry for 2012. It is a different movie in its story and setting. There are brilliant scenes with Ranbir, which are heart-warming and delightful. Such movies have been made in the past but still kept in a melodramatic (forcing tears) format.
This movie has characters like Jhilmil that only manage to grow on you over the course of the movie and not necessarily immediately (this is by far the most different element).

Kahaani : Ah, that thriller we all wanted. With that climax that we never knew
was coming upon us. Which was not copied off some Hollywood flick. And surprise, surprise, with a pregnant female protagonist ! The last scene with
Vidya wrapped in the white Bengali sari with red border, set in the Durga Puja time, pulling out her weapon for the first strike with blood shot eyes. That is an empowering unforgettable image.

Ship of Theseus : Brilliant, brilliant film. I think it would have marked the cornerstone for Indian Cinema if its profoundness and originality and potential had been understood fully. It SHOULD have been our official Oscar entry. An international critic's circle chose this one for its list of 15 'life-changing' films.
The movie is 'delicate poetry' which explores deep philosophy in a sophisticated but accessible manner. It is a delight in the midst of films that have themes which are based only on either romance, comedy or action. It is a progressive intellectual film that is both a reflection and contemplation of the society and its social, cultural and religious structure in an indirect way.

Lunchbox : Now this a film which in its theme is not really new but is highly original in its pacing, direction and depiction of characters. Its got brilliant, brilliant acting. Its a softy at heart caring for the small lives in small lanes or small offices in the crowded city of Mumbai. With poignant, magical moments.
But I didn't think it was THE movie for the one entry to represent the best of Indian cinema this year (Ship of Theseus (SOT) is.) Only because we have already seen such movies (this one is close to Indian 'American Beauty') on international platform, while SOT is truly original.

Bombay Talkies : This format of four shorts in one movie is again never been done in Indian Cinema. Each short was better than many of good 2-hour movies.

These are examples of few movies which are different (with 5-sigma significance) for different (again with 5-sigma significance) reasons.

We are finally somewhere else, on the roadmap of Indian cinema. And this is largely correlated with the onset of internet.
Film industry attributes this correlation to the increasing exposure of the audiences to world cinema.
While that can be true to a large extent, its also because of the exchange of dialogue on a global platform like internet. Opinions are getting spread faster.
People converse in the comments section below the reviews in online newspapers. Also below the reviews by national award winning critics on their
blogs. And these comments are not random. Much thought is put in them and they are independent and not just one-syllable long (good or bad). Sometimes with better content and insight as compared to the particular review. Then, there are individual blogs. Then, one can imagine
a chain reaction, i.e. once they gather the information on the internet, it propagates by conversations at water-coolers in IT offices, on the phone by lazy afternoon chats between housewives, between family on dinner table, then in schools, parks, buses and so on.

We are in Golden age II (the first one is attributed to 1944-1960) as far as
Hindi Indian Cinema is concerned. These are indeed exciting times.