ou wish Hirani had exhibited more maturity in the script. Somehow, the favourable approach towards Dutt bothers you but the film is so high on entertainment value, energy and brilliant storytelling that the buff in me is satiated and the journalist in me is enraged.

Raazi also works for its novelty. There is charm in the unexplored and especially when it’s this well-done it’s a treat. Gun blazing action, though wholesome and entertaining is often exhausting. Why can’t spy movies be more brain and less brawn? Meghna skilfully tries her hand at that, and though there are a few stray shortcomings, Raazi is unsettling which is the most delectable thing about it. Watch out for Meghna’s truth is stranger than fiction stories. She has a knack for finding the most potent ones. 

Simran has so much going for it that you really want to like the film, root for Praful, draw satisfaction from a stellar performance of a fine artiste like Kangana. But then, something doesn’t work for the film. Unfortunately, it’s a great one-time watch which makes you wish that the makers had fine-tuned it enough to propel it towards a huge success!

…it could be Kabir’s most mediocre movie till date but when television news channels cannot stop screaming about strained relations, fuelling war from volatile situations rather than dousing them, here’s a story that must be heard. As a film it might not be an exemplary work but as a thought it dares to provoke impressionable minds to use logic rather than fall prey to warmongering. Who’s listening?

Bahubali might well be a red letter moment for movie buffs in this country where a indigenous film is able to enthuse a mammoth of a reaction like this. For years we have been blabbering about content being king over the superstars Khans and Kapoors alike, but here is a film, which with regular actors who have grown to be monumental by the sheer credit of what they brought to the table. Give it up for Rajamouli for what he has managed to whip up. As for the film, it is a decadent watch that must be savored. We don’t see a reason to not watch it. There is nothing like a homegrown spectacle.

The underwritten love stories never realize their full potential and Phillauri treads down the familiar half-baked Bollywood path. What, however, stays consistently arresting is the film’s music which is every bit worth cherishing. With some better writing and some tight editing, the makers could’ve whipped up a Chamatkar. This isn’t half as novel, earnest or memorable. If idle, take that trip to the nearby multiplex, but make it about the caramel popcorn more than the ghost bride. She doesn’t have the menace, charm or intention to haunt you.

There are several humorous moments between the sturdy supporting actors which salvage the odds. Varun gets a standout one when he buys a kamino (kimono) for Alia. Do you watch it? Yes. For the point it makes. For Alia, who sparkles as a no nonsense, all business beauty. For Varun, who makes all the effort come together in the end. Let’s not underrate the boy. He can do it all, be gritty, act fabulously, be his character and all of it while dancing like a star. May be there is already a superstar here. 

What doesn’t work is the pace! It is awfully slow and between one scene and another, there is a light years’ gap. The superfluous dance numbers are nothing more than Rajesh Roshan going back to his young years to end the secret of his magic. The VFX work is shoddy and Gupta’s tinted Instagram-filterish view of every scene could get a bit tiring. Since the editing has its own share of flaws, the film in the second half makes you dreary.

To point out that the film is unoriginal is futile. Besides blaming the convoluted writing of the film, its forgettable songs at regular intervals hardly makes a strong case for it. Its fabulous dialogues are a handful in number and doesn’t have the punch, one may have hoped for.

The last fifteen minutes of the film are pacy and just about crackling. But it takes too long to get to the point. Obviously, novelty in rom-coms is a wrong expectation but this one seems sincere. What doesn’t convince me, however, is the reason for their commitment phobia. Shraddha’s character has some context, Adi, however, settles for being a regular boy with no backstory. There is a lot of heart, enough mush but not much to remember. We hear; OK Kanmani was better. Take your pick for this one – Remake or Original?