One of the finest things about ‘KDKL’ is Gulzar’s poetic prologue. Without the usual trappings of filmi fanfare, this story has its heart in the right place – pure and undivided. Like pre-partition brotherhood.

‘Revolver Rani’ is loaded with a lot more than just gunpower. You’ll enjoy biting this bullet.

…rolls out like a play or a social commentary with staged events (often over-stretched) that result in an abrupt narrative. The stark portrayal of bare-faced reality (devoid of background music) with a cast of commoners – gives it a docu-drama flavour. ‘DTD’ is ‘grave’ alright, but offers hilarity in decent doses.

‘Jal’ captures the bare beauty of the golden cracked earth and its tortuous tapestry in artfully mounted frames (cinematography: Sunita Radia). It’s a picture-perfect album with stark sights and parched souls. The story is stirring, handling several complex issues in the same breath, and yes, that does leave us a bit thirsty. It also needs a better edit. There are over-dramatized scenes (Bakka dragged across the desert) to enhance visual impact, but the solid performances and soundtrack make up for it.

Afzal’s ‘Youngistaan’ at the core is an interesting idea, far-fetched, but refreshing. The love-story develops tenderly, but the political backdrop and ensuing drama is not crafted with clarity. The story suffers from uninspiring dialogues, with a stretched climax. It’s a well-intentioned drama which vibes with the current political scenario and upcoming elections.

For horror-buffs this might not be ‘spookilicious’ enough, but those looking for a ‘sun-sunny’ weekend, go lap it up!

Single or married, this film will have more of a ‘special effect’ than ‘side effect’ on you.

Vidya is brilliant and hits a high note in the emotional scenes. The film belongs to Farhan who stuns you with his straight-faced witticisms and plethora of expressions that amuse and move dramatically.

Sparking an optimistic hope of a Utopian world. Sohail presents our ‘Hero of the Masses’ fabulously – with all Salmanisms perfectly in place. The premise pompously alerts us of cliches and trappings of a commercial masala fare. The screenplay is not as inspiring as the noble message, the story cuts into too many episodes and the underlying idea is repetitive.

The plot unfolds at a lethargic pace, with long-drawn scenes filled in with few dialogues. Some crucial scenes lack the emotional depth and connect you’d expect, inhibiting us from empathising with the protagonists. Nawazuddin shines brilliantly even in the smoky shadows of this sexploitative world, Niharika and Anil play their parts well. The film is stylishly sleazy, that’s what works for it. Watch it for a retro-ride into the naked innards of a soft-porn world and its bared bosoms.

‘Yaariyan’ is nothing to gush about, but the teenies can watch this one for a lark…and some yo-yo beats!