Despite its harum-scarum script and barely-there logic, I quite enjoyed ‘Ragini MMS 2’ in the portions when Sunny Leone is in full stride. She is totally comfortable in her acres of bare skin, and is surprisingly not that much of a slouch when it comes to acting her part. Heaving and moaning, sure, that’s expected. But she can carry a scene: maybe not ‘porn se Rituparno’ just yet (another example of the dialogue that fits the tone of this film like another kind of sheath), but not half bad.

…spends most of its time trying to showcase a slew of brands, get us to smile at the antics of the father of the bride which are singularly unfunny, and to convince us that its leading lady can helm an entire film.

Finally, despite the superb acting, ‘August : Osage County’ feels becalmed. The heat rises from the ground, but doesn’t really reach us.

This could have been hilarious. But all it does is drag its feet through unfunny, stretched situations.

From its opening frame you discover that in its supposed feminist garb, ‘Gulab Gang’ is actually the old-style good vs evil story, styled in the tired way these films have been for the longest time. Its chief baddie is, ta da, a woman.

While the going is good, ‘Shaadi’ is fun, and real, and has some nice laugh-out-loud situations which the leads make the most of. But marriage takes two, and the tango here is only from Sid’s perspective : how about showing us what it could be like from Trisha’s?

‘Darr @ the Mall’ did give me a couple of jumpy moments. But at no point did I feel like diving below, or closing my eyes. After a while, you give up. Because there is nothing to be feared from this predictable tale, other than dullness.

I wanted more because it comes from a director who knows, or at least has known how to transfuse exuberance in love, and joy in sheer movement. ‘Highway’ is pretty but stagey.

‘Gunday’ is as generic as its name suggests: even that old phrase ‘luchchhe- lafangey’ had more character. In the name of plot, we get a mash-up of many popular blockbusters, several of them belonging to Yashraj, the producers of this one. In the name of acting, we get pumped up beefcake and one number plumped-lip eye candy. There are a few solid supporting acts, and they are the ones that keep you watching, but they get buried in the sludge. What you get is what you’ve been getting. Over and over again.

Features about messages can be tricky, because the latter can overwhelm the story if the balance is not right. The director has made strong message films before ( ‘I Am Kalam’) with much more clarity and success. This one tries to do the same but fails : the plot is weak and the acting amateurish.