We’ve all read about Rani Lakshmibai in middle-school history. But we remember her best from the Allahabadi poet Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s long poem with the famous descriptor, ‘Bundele har bole ki muh, humne suni kahani thi. Khoob ladi mardani, who toh Jhansi wali Rani thi.’ A genuine, soul-stirring tribute to her phenomenal heroism can at best hope to come close to Chauhan’s immortal lines. Yes, this one does.

No better actor to lead this charge than the fully fired-up Vicky Kaushal menacingly calm as a military mind – inspiring his peers, with an infectious energy that is impossible to resist

Badhaai Ho, on late pregnancy, is just as funny, and as much fun; even as the point of the picture might seem progressively belaboured

…an artsy, gutsy mix of mythology, history, horror, and moral science. Do these elements seamlessly add up for you to naturally feel for the characters in the story? Honestly, no. Does the incredibly strong visual craftsmanship (rare for an Indian indie) satisfyingly guide you into a world hitherto unseen/unknown? Oh, absolutely.

The relentless drama that follows, by the minute, in the lives of the volatile lead couple (Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu) in unhinged love, will make you feel thoroughly relieved about your own staid existence though.

Rajkummar Rao, in absolute top form, plays this part to near perfection, adding yet another facet to his filmography that is probably as, if not more eclectic than any of his contemporaries’

While recounting encounters from 1948, it’s instructive, if not incredible, how this story on Indian sport remains just as relevant in 2018—looking chiefly at big victories being a result of private persistence, philanthropy, personal drive, rather than collective passion flowing from the top. This could be said about any recent, major Indian win, outside of cricket. As you can tell, we are kinda sold on Gold. Yup, you should be too.

For a second if you don’t imagine this to be a film at all, but a compelling conversation; its motive, and indeed its structure, will begin to make more sense to you…

With Soorma, Shaad Ali confidently gets to the centre, keeps his impulses under check, and plays it totally narrow, and fully straight. And, yes, he hits home, alright. This is possibly his best work yet

It’s remarkable though how four shorts, on the face of it, about something as perfunctory as lust at first night, packed neatly into two hours, delves so seamlessly into seemingly uncomfortable but potent subjects as romance, commitment, desire, class, and sex, of course.