Shot ever so beautifully, Chittagong is a textured film, but too many songs and an overlong narrative causes your attention to dither towards the end. Pain, an ex-NASA scientist, makes a confident debut with this moving drama. I’m going with three out of five for Chittagong. It’s a significant film that’s worthy of your time.

Aiyyaa, with its bright visual palette, its strong female perspective, and its intentionally peculiar humor, is evocative of Almodovar’s quirky cinema, but the plot here is wafer thin, and while some elements work, it never all comes together as a satisfying whole.It certainly doesn’t help that the film unfolds over two hours and thirty minutes…an excruciatingly long running time for what’s essentially a slim story of a one-sided crush. In the end — the impressive camerawork and Amit Trivedi’s winning tunes aside — Aiyyaa is at best an original and promising experiment let down by its many indulgences. I’m going with two-and-a-half out of five for director Sachin Kundalkar’s Aiyyaa; an unusual film that could’ve been so much more.

Making an assured debut with a light, frothy film that still has something important to say, Gauri Shinde delivers one the year’s most pleasing films, and Amit Trivedi lends some of his best compositions to the soundtrack. I’m going with three-and-a-half out of five for ‘English Vinglish’. It’s warm and fuzzy, and leaves you with a big smile on your face.

It may not touch your heart, but it’s a feast for the eyes. Watch it for its sheer visual brilliance.

In a sea of dumb Bollywood comedies (many starring Akshay Kumar himself), this one at least starts off a debate. For that alone, it’s not entirely a write-off. I’m going with two out of five for Oh My God!. Carry cotton for your ears to drown out all the shouting!

Despite an entertaining first half, thanks to all the unintentional laughs, Heroine slips into a slush of melodrama post interval. By this point, it feels interminably long and boring. Bhandarkar loses his grip on the script, and it’s evident that his storytelling now desperately needs reinventing.

Sadly, Basu’s film goes on too long and drags its feet in the end. Barfi had the potential to be great cinema, but as it stands it’s a respectable film that’s still better than a lot else you’re likely to see. I’m going with three out of five for director Anurag Basu’s Barfi. It’s a treat like the mithai it takes its name from. Go on, indulge your sweet tooth.

Silver Linings Playbook, under its bittersweet exterior, explores themes of family, second chances, and notions of what is “normal” in the world. Relying on humor – often dark humor – to tell what is eventually an upbeat, feel-good story, the film quickly finds a place in your heart and stays with you long after you’ve left the cinema.

It doesn’t help that the acting is laughable, particularly by the two ladies, while Emraan Hashmi just tries to keep a straight face through this nonsense. ‘Raaz 3’, unlike the director’s last film, ‘Dangerous Ishq’, isn’t even so bad that it makes you laugh… this is just dull, lazy filmmaking.

It’s a smart film with thrills – now how often do you get to see one of those?