The film, whose title means thirty minutes past midnight, is masterfully directed by a filmmaker who refuses to take any political stance, but nevertheless offers her viewers endless material to debate. I’m going with four out of five for Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty. This is no jingoistic flag-waving revenge saga, but a thought-provoking and realistic account of the dark side of the war on terror. Don’t miss it!

I’m going with a generous two out of five for ‘Khiladi 786’. Akshay Kumar fans may not complain. The rest might prefer the company of an aspirin.

Its shortcomings notwithstanding, it’s a good example of an entertaining commercial film that didn’t need to be lazy or senseless. Don’t miss it; easily one of the better films this year.

A remake of the Telugu hit Maryaada Ramanna directed by SS Rajamouli, who himself whacked the premise from a 1920s Buster Keaton hit, Son of Sardaar is only sporadically entertaining, and peddles the same tired stereotypes of Punjab and Sikhs. A cameo by Salman Khan, sadly, doesn’t make up for the film’s many flaws.

I’m going with three out of five for the late Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Despite its many script problems, it’s a consistently watchable film that oozes with feeling and real emotion. A fitting swan song.

In the end, Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana is a warm and fuzzy comedy that benefits from the insider’s eye that the director casts on this garrulous community, and their love of food and family. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, the film feels bloated and over-long, but stay with it and you won’t regret it.

Despite these quibbles, the film works on account of its charming characters and some hilarious dialogue. I’m going with three out of five for director Nikhil Advani’s Delhi Safari. Take your kids for this one, chances are both of you will come out smiling.

Too long by about twenty minutes, the film could’ve done with some tightening – perhaps the clunky treasure hunt sequence could go? Nitpickings aside, this is a breezy, enjoyable film by a director who knows his craft.

Make sure you don’t miss it; it’s the most fun you’ll have had at the cinema in a long time!

Bhoot Returns is no Paranormal Activity, although it does borrow at least three key moments from that popular horror franchise. Its not entirely a waste of time either, because Varma does deliver a few good scares. Im going with two out of five for Bhoot Returns. Its the kind of film that the phrase time-pass entertainment was invented to describe.