More than a period film, a costume drama, a Bollywood musical, a war memorial, a battle-field actioner, Panipat is essentially a lesson in history that might have occupied at best a page in your NCERT/school text.

Sensational; but a stretch, sadly…In Laal Kaptaan we effectively experience a valiant attempt at merging the East, with the Western

ensational; but a stretch, sadly…In Laal Kaptaan we effectively experience a valiant attempt at merging the East, with the Western

You have to give it to heavyweight Bollywood producers backing this heartbreakingly intimate subject, and the top stars — particularly Priyanka, in top-form, as the ferociously indefatigable tigress for a mom — mainstreaming this delicate script into a picture you’ve got to warm theatre-seats for. And no, Farhan isn’t miscast at all. His character’s life pans out far beyond Chandni Chowk thereafter! Perfect.

Dream Girl is a non-stop gag-fest. And all that you need to know is if the gags being thrown at you at the speed of light, hits your brains, or bounces off the skull.

Chhichhore is the sort of film that we can all add to, with our own versions of the same story — a user-generated series, if you like. This has the makings of one.

Saaho is an attempt to blow your brains out with a series of non-stop, high-octane action scenes, between a bunch of music videos, with a strange mix of Punjabi pop and wannabe-Rahman peppiness.

There’s no escaping basic Bollywood tropes here either. But it’s done all so smartly to never take attention away from a deeply realistic crime-drama. This is clearly Advani’s best work in a long while; suspect since the animation film Delhi Safari (2012), if not his rom-com debut, Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)!

Most movies suffer from what’s called the ‘curse of the second half’. Mission Mangal is a rare one that reverses that principle. It gets much better towards the end!

Whether or not you’re easily drawn to this alternate world (let alone its conclusion), what can’t be denied is how brilliantly Kanika Dhillon carves out a fine suspense-thriller.