How many of the 354 films Aseem Chhabra watched in 2017 have you seen?
IMAGE: Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone in xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
For some people, watching films is a social experience, an outing with family, friends, or being on a date.
Yes, I enjoy watching films with people. But for me, my relationship is always with the actors, the characters, the narrative that is unfolding on the screen.
They are my real companions in any film. So my greatest joy is in watching films alone, in dark theatres or even at home on my laptop.
I watch many films in a year -- for work and pleasure.
In 2017, I watched 354 films, nearly one film a day.
I saw films in movie theatres, on television, on my laptop, in planes, at film festivals and press screenings.
I watched films to review them, and to programme them for the New York Indian Film Festival, the International Film Festival and Awards, Macao and the Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival.
I attended a number of other film festivals in a number of cities like Berlin, New York, Toronto, Mumbai, Dharamsala and Goa.
I watched films for the pure pleasure, the experience of discovering something new.
And I love to revisit films I have seen before.
Three years ago, I made a decision to note down every film that I watch in a year.
It was inspired by a blog posting by film-maker Steven Soderbergh where he had shared all the films, television shows and books he had read.
But making a list of every film I saw was a task, since I had to be methodical in keeping the records.
Here is my list of all the films I watched in 2017. There are a few films that I saw more than once: Call Me By Your Name, The Shape of Water, Village Rockstars and more. And I counted them each time I watched them.
I started the year with Aakrosh, one day after Om Puri passed into the ages.
I ended the year with two films: The Host, a South Korean thriller, with an alien monster, which I had seen before, but I wanted to share it with my 12-year-old nephew; and a new Malayalam film Ee. Ma. Yau (R.I.P.) by Lijo Jose Pellissery (director of Angamaly Diaries).
In addition to listing the films, I have highlighted in bold font that I liked and recommend.
IMAGE: Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri in Govind Nihalani's Aakrosh.
7/1 Aakrosh (India/Hindi)
10/1 Feluda: 50 Years of Ray's Detective (India/English, Bengali)
11/1 Side A/Side B (India/English, Hindi)
12/1 Cameraperson (US), Colours of Innocence (India/Bengali)
15/1 Wrong Side Raju (India/Gujarati)
16/1 Hell or High Water (US), XXX:The Return of Xander Cage (US)
18/1 An Argumentative Indian (India/English, Bengali), Elle (France)
19/1 Turtle (India/Marathi)
20/1 Red Butterfly Dream (Sri Lanka)
21/1 Interchange (Malaysia)
23/1 Land of the Little People (Israel), Kupal (Iran)
23/1 Sometimes (India/Tamil)
25/1 Raees (India/Hindi), Holding a Man (Australia), Kramer vs Kramer (US)
26/1 Divines (France)
28/1 Kerala Paradiso (India/Malayalam) / All For A Day (India/Tamil)
31/1 The Ventilator (India/Marathi), Signature Move (US/Pakistan/India), Badman (India/Hindi)
3/2 My Name is Khan (India/Hindi), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (US)
6/2 Kaminey (India/Hindi)
7/2 Blosson (India/Tamil)
8/2 Omerta (India/Hindi)
9/2 Django (France), Barrage (France), Discreet (US), The Wound (South Africa)
10/2 On Body and Soul (Hungary), T2 Trainspotting (UK), Newton (India/ Hindi)
11/2 Final Portrait (US), Wild Mouse (Austria), Ciao Ciao (China), Honeygiver Among the Dogs (Bhutan)
12/2 Pokot (Poland), Viceroy's House (UK), A Fantastic Woman (Chile), Queen of Spain (Spain)
13/2 Bright Lights (Germany), Call Me By Your Name (US/Italy), Mr Long (China/Japan), Maurice (US)
14/2 The Other Side of Hope (Finland), Lady of The Lake (India/Manipuri), Berlin Syndrome (Australia), Chariots of Fire (UK)
15/2 Colo (Portugal), I Am Not Your Negro (US), Hostages (Georgia), Call Me By Your Name (US/Italy)
16/2 On the Beach, at Night Alone (Korea), Joaquim (Brazil), The Bar (Spain), Shining (US)
17/2 Have a Nice Day (China), Ana Mon Amour (Romania), Centaur (Kyrgyzstan), A Clockwork Orange (UK)
18/2 The Lost City of Z (US), Chevala (Mexico), Taste of Betel Nut (China)
20/2 Bilu: A Demon Within (India/Bengali)
22/2 Jeevan Hathi (Pakistan)
23/2 Rangoon (India/Hindi)
24/2 A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
IMAGE: Plabita Borthakur, Aahana Kumra, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah in Lipstick Under My Burkha.
25/2 Lipstick Under My Burkha (India/Hindi)
26/2 Railway Children (India/Kannada)
27/2 Pop Aye (Thailand)
2/3 Ondu Motteya Kathe (India/Kannada), Sarvann (India/ Punjabi)
3/3 Sameer (India/Hindi), Candyflip (India/Hindi), The Sense of an Ending (UK)
5/3 Shreelancer (India/Hindi, English), Mona Darling (India/Hindi)
7/3 Hidden Figures (US), Love Commandos (India/Hindi), Gurgaon (India/Hindi)
8/3 Moonlight (US)
10/3 Tapei Story (Taiwan), Kingdom of Clay Subjects (Bangladesh)
13/3 Poorna (India/Hindi)
15/3 3 Idiots (India/Hindi)
16/3 Lala Begum (Pakistan)
17/3 Student of the Year (India/Hindi)
21/3 David Lynch: The Art Life (US)
22/3 Karl Marx City (Germany)
26/3 Diva (France)
30/3 Om Shanti Om (India/Hindi)
31/3 Train to Busan (Korean)
2/4 America America (US)
3/4 Taare Zameen Par (India/Hindi)
4/4 Western Ghats (India/Tamil)
5/4 Dabangg (India/Hindi), Arrival (US)
10/4 Stand By Me (US), The Darjeeling Limited (US)
13/4 The Bacchus Lady (Korea), True Conviction (US), Gilbert (US)
14/4 My Father's Wings (Turkey), Silence (US)
15/4 One Week and a Day (Israel)
17/4 Close Knit (Japan), The Long Excuse (Japan)
19/4 Cold War II (Hong Kong)
20/4 Tom of Finland (Finland), The Wedding Plan(Israel), Ember (Turkey)
21/4 Taxi Driver (US), Holy Air, (Israel)
22/4 Sweet Virginia (US), A Suitable Girl (US)
23/4 The Trip to Spain (UK), Lovers (US)
24/4 I Am Heath Ledger (US), Bombshell (US), Saturday Church (US), The Queen of Crime (Korea)
25/4 Stalker (Russia)
26/4 Risk (US)
27/4 Abundant Acerage Available (US), City of Ghosts (US), Nobody's Watching (Argentina)
28/4 Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS (US), When God Sleeps (Germany)
29/4 King of Peking (China/Australia)
30/4 Lipstick Under My Burkha (India/Hindi)
1/5 Side A Side B (India/English, Hindi)
2/5 Bobbi Jene (US)
3/5 Shreelancer (India/Hindi, English)
IMAGE: Prateek Gandhi and Kimberley Louisa McBeath in Wrong Side Raju.
4/5 Wrong Side Raju (India/Gujarati)
5/5 Colours of Innocence (India/Bengali)
6/5 Anatomy of Violence (Canada), A Goat's Mercy Petition (India/ Tamil)
7/5 You Are My Sunday (India/Hindi, English)
9/5 Zer (Turkey), Esteros (Argentina)
10/5 The Big Sick (US)
11/5 Come Sunday (US)
13/5 Kammattipadam (India/Malayalam), Angamaly Diaries (India/Malayalam)
14/5 Blanka (Philippines)
15/5 Gardaab (Pakistan), Sophie's Choice (US)
17/5 Night Flight (Korea)
19/5 The Salesman (Iran), Jurmana (India/Hindi)
20/5 (500) Days of Summer (US)
24/5 Hindi Medium (India/Hindi)
24/5 Apricot Groves (Armenia/Iran)
25/5 Glory and Grace (Brazil)
27/5 Play the Devil (Trinidad and Tobago)
31/5 The Summer of Miracles (India/Malayalam), A Death in the Gunj (India/English, Bengali)
2/6 Ajji (India/Hindi)
3/6 The Florida Project (US), Kedi (Turkey)
4/6 The Rider (US), The Desert Bride (Argentina/ Chile)
5/6 Los Perros (Chile), Anaarkali of Aarah (India/Hindi)
6/6 Ralang Road (India/Nepali, Hindi)
7/6 Old Stone (China), Gabriel and the Mountain (Brazil)
9/6 Oh Lucy (Japan)
11/6 Out (Slovakia)
14/6 Buddha.gram (India/English, Hindi)
IMAGE: Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman.
16/6 Wonder Woman (US)
17/6 20th Century Women (US)
19/6 An Indian Tale (France), Rukh (India/Hindi), A Man of Integrity (Iran)
20/6 Pure Hearts (Italy)
22/6 Main, Meri Patni...Aur Woh (India/Hindi)
24/6 Summer 1993 (Spain), Bhamasur (India/Hindi)
25/6 The Color of Loss or Blue (India/English, Hindi), The Man From Nowhere (Korea)
27/6 Bluffmaster (India/Hindi)
29/6 The Big Sick (US)
1/7 Okja (Korea/US)
2/7 C.R.A.Z.Y (Canada)
4/7 The Cakemaker (Israel)
5/7 Baby Driver (US)
6/7 SpiderMan: Homecoming (US)
7/7 No Bed of Roses (Bangladesh), Shuttle Life (Malaysia), Blank 13 (Japan)
8/7 Hunting Season (Argentina), Baby Driver (US)
10/7 Invisible (Argentina)
12/7 Angels Wear White (China)
13/7 My Pure Land (Pakistan), I Miss You When I See You (Hong Kong)
14/7 The Conformist (China)
16/7 Gunday (India Hindi), War of the Planet of the Apes (US), Tree of Sheep (Japan)
17/7 The World Before Her (Canada/India), Pupa (India/Bengali)
IMAGE: Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor in Jagga Jasoos.
18/7 Jagga Jasoos (India/Hindi)
19/7 Dunkirk (US/UK), Barfi (India/Hindi)
20/7 The Song of the Scorpions (India/Hindi), A Stray (US)
23/ 7 Dunkirk (US/UK)
25/7 The Hungry (India/English, Hindi)
26/7 Foxtrot (Israel)
29/7 Brawl in Cellblock 99 (US),Gurgaon (India/Hindi)
30/7 The Prince of Nothingwood (France/Afghanistan)
31/7 When Harry Met Sally (US)
2/8 Three and a Half (India/Hindi)
4/5 Don (India/Hindi)
6/8 Mammo (India/Urdu)
7/8 Goodbye Grandpa (Japan)
8/8 Mukkabaaz (India/Hindi)
10/8 In Your Dreams (Hong Kong), Atomic Blonde (US)
11/8 Love and Shukla (India/Hindi), Sunshine That Can Move Mountains (China/Tibet)
14/8 Patti Cake$ (US)
16/8 Half Widow (India/Kashmiri, Hindi)
18/8 What Will People Say (Norway/Urdu, Norwegian)
19/8 Bareily Ki Barfi (India/Hindi)
20/8 Subarnarekha (India/Bengali)
21/8 Train to Pakistan (India/Hindi, Punjabi)
24/8 Maacher Jhol (India/Bengali)
25/8 Union Leader (India/Hindi)
26/8 Zoo (India/Hindi)
28/8 Village Rockstars (India/Assamese)
29/8 To Sir With Love (UK)
30/8 North By Northwest (US), Two Lovers and a Bear (Canada)
31/8 Victoria & Abdul (UK)
1/9 Foxtrot (Israel)
2/9 Oh Lucy (Japan)
4/9 Heat and Dust (US/UK), The Autobiography of a Princess (US/UK)
5/9 Logan Lucky (US)
7/9 Loveless (Russia), Happy End (France, Austria, Germany), The Killing of a Sacred Dear (Ireland, UK), Pahuna, the Little Visitors (Indian/Nepali)
8/9 Suburbicon (US), Village Rockstars (India/Assamese)
9/9 Downsizing (US), Filmstars Don't Die in Liverpool (UK), Scaffolding (Israel)
10/9 mother! (US), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (US/UK), Wajib (Palestine), The Poet and the Boy (Korea)
IMAGE: Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water.
11/9 Faces and Places (France), The Shape of Water (US), Sweet Country (Australia), Omerta (India/Hindi)
12/9 Looking for Oum Kalthum (Egypt/Iran), Custody (France), The Square (Sweden), In the Fade (Germany)
13/9 Lean on Pete (US), Lady Bird (US), Racer and the Jaibird (France/Belgium)
14/9 Molly's Game (US), Thelma (Norway), Hannah (Italy/France), The Hungry (India/Hindi, English)
16/9 A Death in the Gunj (India)
17/9 Tapei Story (Taiwan)
19/9 Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim (Egypt)
20/9 Blanka (Philippines)
21/9 Land of Little People (Israel), Clash (Egypt)
22/9 Brad's Status (US), Close-Knit (Japan)
23/9 Inversion (Iran), Zer (Turkey)
24/9 Hotel Salvation (India/Hindi)
25/9 The Square (Sweden)
27/9 Beach Rats (US), Goodbye Christopher Robin (UK)
28/9 78/52 (US), Columbus (US)
29/9 Our Souls At Night (US)
30/9 Checkmate (India/ Hindi), Charandas Chor (India/Marathi)
1/10 Easy Living (US)
5/10 BPM (France)
9/10 Afterimage (Poland)
22/10 Lion (Australia)
24/10 Ask The Sexpert (India/English)
13/10 The Swallow (Swiss/Germany)
3/11 Abu (Canada)
4/11 When My Father Became a Bush (The Netherlands)
IMAGE: Anna Rajan and Antony Varghese in Angamaly Diaries.
5/11 Angamaly Diaries (India, Malayalam)
7/11 Shakespeare Wallah (US/India)
10/11 The Problem With Apu (US)
18/11 Mudbound (US), Chumbak (India, Marathi)
21/11 Bird of Dusk (India/English, Bengali), Pimple (India/Marathi), The Bangle Seller (India/Kannada)
22/11 Soni (India/Hindi), The Journey (Iraq), Noblemen (India/English)
23/11 A Ciambra (Italy),Félicité (Congo), Ottamuri Velicham (India/Malayalam)
24/11 Up Your Mother's (India/Marathi)
25/11 Eye on Juliet (Canada), Her Love Boils Bathwater (Japan)
27/11 Disappearance (Iran)
28/11 The Ashram (US), Get Out (US)
30/11 Bad Genius (Thailand)
1/12 Daha (Turkey)
2/12 Shalom Bollywood (Australia/India)
3/12 A Single Rider (Korea)
8/12 Call Me By Your Name (US/Italy)
9/12 Journey's End (UK), Borg McEnroe (US), Sweet Country (Australia), The Silence of the Lambs (US)
10/12 Okja (Korea/US), The Shape of Water (US), One Nite in Mangkok (Hong Kong)
11/12 Foxtrot (Israel), Beast (UK)
12/12 My Pure Land (UK/ Pakistan), Samui Song (Thailand)
15/12 The Battleship Island (Korea)
16/12 Perhaps Not Human...(India/Bengali)
17/12 Missing Johnny (Taiwan), A Taxi Driver (Korea), The Talented Mr Ripley (US)
19/12 In The Shadows (India/ Hindi)
IMAGE: Pankaj Tripathi, Raghubir Yadav, Rajkummar Rao in Newton.
21/12 Newton (India/Hindi)
24/12 The Sixth Sense (US), A Ghost Story (US)
25/12 Victory's History (US/India)
27/12 Venus (Canada)
28/12 My Happy Family (Georgia)
29/12 In The Shadows (India/Hindi)
31/12 The Host (Korea), Ee. Ma. Yau (R.I.P.) (India/Malayalam)
