Thugs of Hindostan is occasionally marred by lazy writing and uninspired direction. It is as its best in the scenes which succeed in capturing the right feelings and emotions. The film’s visceral influence can best be felt in the decisive sequence wherein a major character makes a big sacrifice. Moments like this one can really define a film. Thugs of Hindostan takes giant leaps in action choreography as far as Hindi cinema is concerned. But the film’s CGI & VFX is a major let down which severely hampers the viewing experience. That’s precisely where the Baahubali saga beats all other Indian films hands down.

With Manmarziyaan, Anurag Kashyap finally unleashes his version 2.0 which is significantly different than his old self. Kashyap 2.0 has much less darker ideas about life. And the ideas are far more pragmatic. In fact, Anurag Kashyap 2.0 is closer to Karan Johar and Aanand L. Rai than to the Kashyap of old as a result of which Manmarziyaan doesn’t come across as a film that’s true to his revered body of work.

Nicely wrapped within Stree has a strong message that no one can ignore. If the film has any major weakness it is the ending which somewhere fails to match the film’s overall brilliance. Also, it leaves the viewer high and dry. Nonetheless, Stree has enough to keep everyone engaged until the very end. Also, the clever blend of horror and humor is expected to provide a much needed push at the box office.

Soorma is an entertaining film but one that’s far from satisfying. The single best thing about Soorma is Angad Bedi. He delivers an earnest performance that may prove to be a career defining one as well just like Udta Punjab had proven for Dosanjh. Another performance to watch out for comes from Vijay Raaz who plays Indian Hockey Team’s Bihari coach. His one-liners are so brilliant that one just can’t help but applaud his delivery and timing. Then of course there is the legendary Kulbhushan Kharbanda who is always a treat to watch. Soorma proves to be a decent watch but it could easily have been much much better.

Sanju has its moments but as the story progresses it gradually begins to loosen its grip. The acting performances are solid all around. Apart from Vicky Kaushal, Ranbir Kapoor and Paresh Rawal another actor who deserves a special mention is Jim Sarbh who yet again impresses in a rather insignificant role. The movie’s focus is more on redeeming Sanjay Dutt than telling an honest story. It is the kind of a film that one would expect from an average filmmaker but from someone like Rajkumar Hirani one is bound to expect better.

Overall, Race3 is marked by bad acting and ridiculous twists. The laughable subplots and vacuous humor make it a somnolent affair that even Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor fail to spice up. Sadly, the supporting cast is just terrible, At 52, Salman should seriously reconsider playing such clichéd characters, especially after having played some very interesting characters in recent films like Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sultan.

For the last one hour the film seems to be really struggling to find some sort of a closure that comes at least thirty minutes too late. However, the biggest disappointment of the film, however, is Vikramaditya Motwane’s uninspired direction which makes an average screenplay look rather pedestrian. The end result is a self-indulgent superhero flick that lacks both spine and purpose.

Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain is neither entertaining nor compelling. It is at its best, watchable in parts. Far from a project destined for excellence in cinema, it is rather an excellent example of ordinary filmmaking. 

A major problem with Raazi is that its plot suffers from an element of predictability throughout. Even towards the end there are no major unexpected twists or turns barring one which too more or less gives itself away. The film does have its moments but ultimately they prove to be few and far between. The fact that the movie’s trailer almost gave away the entire plot didn’t help in keeping the element of suspense intact. Hopefully makers would be more careful in future while packaging their trailers.

October is a soulful film that teaches us never to lose hope. Credit to Sircar for giving refreshing treatment to a subject that’s been done to death in cinema. While October doesn’t have the boisterousness of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand or the bittersweet romance of A Walk to Remember, the honest performances of Varun Dhawan and the newcomer Banita Sandhu make it a memorable experience. A well-intentioned drama, October requires patience from its viewers. But, if you are looking for a quintessential Bollywood masala film then October is not for you.