There is no doubt that Modi’s rise to power is a fascinating tale. There is no doubt that many millions of people like him, maybe even love him. There is an interesting film yet to be made that would examine his rise and what led to it. This is not that film. 

Tabu is the only breath of fresh air here; she is unaffected and natural as can be. It is only when she is on screen that the film is infused with life. If the story were told from her perspective instead of that of the rather self-centered Ashish, we’d have a better film on our hands.

With his dancing skills and ripped body, Shroff is perfectly suited to the role of Rohan, but there is nothing in this film that we haven’t seen him do before. A stony-faced Tara Sutaria comes off as too self-conscious in her attempt to play Mia. It is Ananya Pandey who stands out among what is otherwise a mediocre cast. As Shreya, she displays some spunk and life, and is the best thing about this film. 

In India, films that target children (as this one is touted to be) seem to think that kids need messages to be hammered into them as they are unable to grasp any nuance. Junglee follows this same playbook and is too much in love with its leading man for it to have any meaningful impact.

A period war film is not easy to pull off, but “Kesari” falters mainly because it spends too much time talking about war and bravery instead of showing it.

Unlike his earlier film “Lunchbox” (also about an unlikely romance), which became a surprise hit at the box office, Batra’s latest offering doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot.

Director Chaubey tries to get into the dynamics of the group and their equations with each other, but his and Sudip Sharma’s script is too heavy-handed. Sometimes, it is farcical and suddenly gives way to an emotional scene.

There is a half-hearted attempt to weave in real-life bandit Phoolan Devi’s story, but that falls flat. The film’s dialogue is entirely in the Bundelkhandi dialect, which lends authenticity to the proceedings.

Both Sanon and Aaryan share tepid chemistry and are not believable as small-town folks, thanks to their coiffed hair, designer dresses and perfectly made-up faces. They seem out of place and out of depth and like the film, inconsistent and sluggish.

Nothing about “Total Dhamaal” will stay with you after you have left the theatre, but while you are in there, you can be assured of a few laughs.

This might be an incongruous analogy, but Zoya Akhtar’s “Gully Boy” is like those picture-in-picture debates you see on prime-time news, but in a good way. There is a central story with many windows open at once, essentially leading to the main plot, but also alive in their own way, thus making the big picture seem that much more textured and vibrant.