… makes for a sparkling watch this Diwali. Fall for the grandeur, reconnect with values and try not to seek much of a story. Though we must warn you that sitting through a three-hour long film can be daunting in times of web-series and short films. But that’s what Barjatya is all about. Take some time out of your busy schedules to return to a bygone era, of simpler things, family films and Prem – who is waiting for you with his arms open.

Bahl and Katariya have written a potent script that believes in conveying without many words. It is amazing that none of the characters have a backstory that was forcibly incorporated to add substance to the script. Good writing is so holistic that it paints the right picture without meandering and still manages to keep it wholesome. It is commendable how the film’s vision is never myopic and is always intact on the narrative. The homosexual relationship is never excavated but is observed when blatantly suggested. The multiple dysfunctionalaties leads way to a delicious story.

It is great to watch, enjoyable in parts, a treat for romantics who finally get a film that is more than trials and tribulations of love but it never gives you the heady high of mushrooms and pot brownies. Shaandaar isn’t all that Shaandaar but is a breezy, feel-good entertainment that will soon in future will be counted as comfort-cinema. Bahl deserves to be applauded for creating newer tangents to deliver on and not replicating what already exists. Until next time, dream on!

Jazbaa is daring, menacing, intriguing and aptly gripping but is never more than a shadow of its original. Novelty is avoidable if the product is able to latch itself to your subconscious (My facourite example of this is Barfi), but Jazbaa barely scrapes through on those grounds. It works but it could’ve been so much better.

Talvar shines because of its loftily detailed screenplay. It is hard to find suspense in a widely discussed case like Aarushi’s. It is inevitable to be aware of every detail, prominent and petty ones alike, given the amount of media interest in the murder.

With exquisite cinematography, charming shots and stellar stunts, Phantom scores as a terrific, taut, crisp, nail-biting thriller that will easily be unmatched for a long time to come. When we see the final shot of Taj and Gateway, it is hard to miss the feeling of satisfaction Kabir has conjured up. So what if isn’t true yet, some day the souls of those killed on that gruesome night will be avenged. Some day…

Drishyam is nifty and is all about the nail-bitingness that edge-of-the-seat stuff are made of.

We have always been of the opinion that reviewing a Salman Khan film is futile. Not that the opinion has budged much with this, but this is one film that one wouldn’t mind writing about. Its message is captivating and more than that its pristine soul leaves you emotionally stirred. Fan or not this film is worth a watch. Eid aa gayi aur who apni Eidi lene aa gaya.

As it ends, one hopes that 2016’s Bahubali has none of the above discrepancies and is in true sense of the term India’s answer to Avatar is terms of being a cinematic landmark. For now, this movie is all fluff, that transports you to into another world far-away from yours, done with a lot of help from the VFX team. It is part entertaining, part engaging and part watchable.