This is Akhtar’s weakest film yet, because she tries to tell too many stories at once and tells none entirely. Besides the performances, what keeps this ship afloat is the cinematography. Carlos Catalan’s camera is the actual fly on the wall that tells you everything you need to know about this poor little rich family.

In the end, you only wish Warsi would get better roles and better films that do justice to his talent, rather than this hackneyed mess of a film.

Kangana Ranaut walks away with the entire film, playing both Tanu and Kusum with panache, in what is probably the defining female performance of 2015 (in a year already filled with many). Yet, even she cannot salvage this film in the end. Half done, in this case, is just half-baked and certainly not fit to be consumed.

…a dated film, both in look and feel, and the cast seems to know it too. They all ham it up like the Bollywood actors of the 1980s. Kumar is required to throw in a few punches, which he manages to do with aplomb, but other than that, doesn’t put in much effort.

Only Kalki Koechlin salvages the film in these moments with her understated and sensitive portrayal of a girl who is unabashed about her sexuality and unafraid to explore it. She embodies Laila, and therefore makes her story believable.

…a multi-lingual film that many will need subtitles to watch, but it is one of the best films of 2015. Do not miss this one.

Like his character, Hashmi’s charm is beginning to flicker and disappear, and playing the same character over and over again is only making it worse. Dastur walks away with more lines and more screen space than the leading man, but doesn’t make much use of it, giving an insipid performance that is in keeping with the film’s tone.

Rajput immerses himself as Bakshy and comes out on top, but the film itself never manages to soar, despite threatening to do so many times. The trimmings on this one are plenty, but it’s the meat that is missing.

“NH10” scares, thrills and entertains throughout its 115 minutes. It also suggests that Bollywood finally might have turned a corner this year, and is ready to churn out films that more faithfully reflect the country we inhabit – the whole country.

This might not be your everyday Bollywood romance, but it is one that should be celebrated, because it is a love story that is rooted in reality.