The dialogue is soul stirring in the film. In the big bad world of big ticket releases this little film with a big heart has all the right ideas. The execution of those ideas has been done with utmost honesty and the end result is a film that can move it’s audience to tears. Watch this and you will want to give your mother a bear hug. Do not miss this gem.

Even if you have nothing else to do this weekend, do yourself a favour and avoid Santa Banta Pvt Ltd. Go fall off a cliff or cross the highway blind folded for thrills. Even those experiences will be a lot less painful than watching two sardars look for their underwear sash and argue over the value of an old metal pot. This movie is an exercise in banality. If you’re smart, you’d keep a safe distance.

SRK is on top of his game and so is director Maneesh Sharma. Some of his decisions are real aces. The no song-and-dance approach really adds to the film’s experience. The background score as well as the cinematography add to the director’s vision. Even though the film is two and a half hours in length, it feels breezy. This is definitely a taut film. It takes a fresh concept and adds the right amount of zing to it. You could argue with the formulaic approach, but the usual thrills and spills don’t rob the story of its impact. Both the star and the fan have their grey shades. And that’s what makes Fan a smart film.

The film has a crackling cast on offer. You have Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper leading the performances. Gyllenhaal as the young and brash guy is the perfect complement to Watts’ older but confused pothead blonde. They make a fantastic couple, almost like Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Despite their best efforts, the film does absolutely nothing. The final act, a desperate attempt to make a popcorn happy ending seem poignant is just disappointing. Having watched the film you desperately wonder, what the entire point was. It’s definitely not the kind of sentiment you want to end with.

In India, The Jungle Book will always be compared to the version that was aired on Doordarshan. In comparison, this movie is every bit as brilliant as it seemed 20 years ago on 21-inch television sets. The 3D and the IMAX goodness add depth not just to the visuals but the impact of the story and the experience. Kids, young adults and adults will all enjoy this thrill-a-minute ride in the jungles of India, where animals can talk and where human beings and their creations are a part of enigma. Do not miss this at any cost.

Apart from the writing, there are issues with the editing of Ki And Ka. The gaping holes in quality in these two departments can’t be saved, even by the peppy music of Mithoon, Meet Bros. Anjjan and Ilaiyaraaja. Not even by charisma of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, who play phenomenal cameos in the movie. If only R Balki had built on the idea of having this couple play a more consequential role in the film.

If you’ve followed the franchise, this movie cannot be missed. If you’re new to Po the Panda’s goofy charisma you’ll have a ball. Either way, this promises to be a high-flying experience.

Style and stunts play a big role in action movies. But you can’t discount other aspects of filmmaking just to make an action film that looks sexy. The biggest mistake Rocky Handsome makes is to give it’s lead character an emotional and patriotic back story. It just turns him into another caricature and it never quite justifies his appetite for killing. John Abraham’s training in martial arts is evident in the scenes featuring him in hand-to-hand combat. There the effort is 100 per cent. But rest of the way, this is one rocky film trying a little too hard to be handsome. 

If you want to gain a perspective on what went wrong in Armstrong’s professional pursuits, this film is worth a watch. But if you have plans of discovering more about the man himself, we’ll just have to wait for a more solid reboot.

Watching an underdog win International sprints in sepia tone is reminiscent of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. But this movie has much more emotional depth and deftness than the Indian biopic. If you enjoy films and sports, this is a must watch.