A good story well narrated but stumbles at points when the director seemed to be under pressure to present Raees as larger than life. But the overall tone of the film is honest and in a way as gutsy as Raees himself, as it questions the logic behind the alcohol prohibition in the state.

Outdated in its approach, and tacky in its handling, ‘Shorgul’ disappoints on more counts than one. Even though the intention might be to bring a gritty true story to life, it shows less guts and more compromise in the final product.

It is dark, very dark and deprived of even a shred of dignity. It makes you feel nauseated at the shocking spread of depravity served to you. But then again, it is unique storytelling. Go for it, if you have the suitable palate.

Walking out of the theatre, one is grateful that the filmmakers fought for this film. This had to be served undistilled, and untouched by people who don’t see or choose not to see the gravity of the situation.

A lot of credit for making this film so endearing goes to the child actors’ performances.
While Krrish with his childlike charm steals your heart, it is Hetal who stands out with a stunningly natural performer. The rest of the cast provide good support. Music is fabulous too.

Even though this film is a remake of a Korean film, ‘Montage’, full marks to Ribhu Dasgupta for giving it a strong local flavour, with familiar and comfortable sights and sounds.

Even in the absence of a terribly sensible script, this could have been tender and a tear-jerking film, if the director Deepak Tijori had a less absurd script and a little more sensitivity at his disposal. Hooda and Aggarwal look great together.

This is not a politically correct film by any standards and is quite unapologetic about it, except for a forced, unwittingly hilarious scene where the girls talk about kindness towards handicapped people.

Sachiin Joshi makes an attempt to look and act the role he plays, but then the attempt shows more than the talent. Sandeep Bharadwaj as Veerappan and Jadhav as Mutthulakshmi are perfectly cast and they both do a convincing job of it. Even then this could have been an engaging watch, if not spoiled by that constant assault on one’s eardrums.

Rarely do you come across a good horror movie in Bollywood which has most often dished out tacky, sex driven B-grade drivel in the genre. ‘Phobia’ is an intelligent film, which deals with the most unusual of situations.