To give away any more of the plot would be unfair, but suffice it to say that the quirky characters are why the film seems so engaging. As Muniya, Begum Para’s confidante and shadow, Huma Qureshi puts in a confident performance, but there are so many such performances in the film, it is hard to pick one.

…quite a colourful montage of cinematic gems. Dedh Ishqiya is a taut film. It’s a worthy comeback for Madhuri Dixit Nene. It’s a great start to the movie calendar year.

With so much going for ‘Dedh Ishqiya’, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t plan a trip to cinemas this weekend.

The film contains an ode to the lyricism of classic Urdu poetry, mobsters as well as the familiar two-against-the-world formula that has powered so many legendary films. Chaubey weaves all of this together to create a fictional India in which you’ll love losing yourself. Madhuri, Naseer and Arshad dazzle in this delightful film.

On the whole, Dedh Ishqiya is a dull fare and will not find favour with the youth. Classes may like the film but that will be a very small section of the audience. Its high-flown Urdu dialogues are a dampener. It will end up entailing heavy losses to all concerned.

When I am despirited by the crassly sexist ethos that governs Hindi films today, Ishqiya is one of the films I like to think of. Here too, like the first, Chaubey keeps his light, humorous touch intact without failing to smuggle in the class and gender politics crucial to the story.

If you want to have fun this weekend, Dedh Ishqiya would be the ultimate choice.

When it comes to acting, Dedh Ishqiya is endowed with some great performances. Like Ishqiya, Naseeruddin Shah as Khalujaan and Arshad Warsi as Babban, again getting into the skin of their characters and showing some extra ordinary performances. Credit must be given to Abhishek Chaubey’s direction, good story and strong narration.