Unlike the case with Shoojit and Juhi’s previous collaborations Vicky Donor and Piku, the mood in October is decidedly somber; there’s very little to laugh about. Be warned the overwhelming sadness will take a piece out of you. If you allow it though it has the power to change the way you look at love and life.

October tells us that romance doesn’t necessarily have to play out in the metric of song-and-dance-and-high-pitched-melodrama; that it can be low-key, and unusual, can be conducted through speaking glances, rather than words.

Varun Dhawan Shines In This Exquisite Drama…Director Shoojit Sircar has made his bravest film, a poetic and emotional drama about unconditional affection

…this is the sort of film that will divide audiences – for some, it will play as painfully pretentious. For others, it will evoke a depth of emotions. I belong to the latter.

There are many wonderful moments in October, but the epiphany never quite arrives. Some will say that’s okay, that just the experience is enough. I guess I wanted more from what I found a fascinating experiment rather than a fulfilling film.

Varun Dhawan Proves His Worth In Shoojit Sircar’s Poetic Lovestory…Once again it’s the story and the flow of the narrative that wins your heart. There are long pauses and silences with shots of corridors, or ground, with no activity, and in this stillness, you find the rhythm of the story. Varun Dhawan justifies himself under Shoojit Sircar’s supervision in October.

Calling Varun Dhawan’s film only a love story will be injustice to its resilient tone. It’s a battle, both inter-personal and intra-personal.

October is about love, of course. But more than that, it’s about the inevitable grief that love leads to.

October is soulful, heart wrenching and a compelling watch but with flaws here and there. If you are an ardent fan of slow weepy tales, then go for it.

October is the month when the sweet-smelling flower, known as parijat, shiuli, harsingar, night jasmine or prajakta, enters bloom. But the lesson of love and loss in Shoojit Sircar’s poignant new drama is likely to linger all year long.

In love and relationships, a lot remains unsaid and undefined. What can’t find it’s way into words, will find a way to flow out. Let it. The fragrant memory of Shiuli (the Bengali name for Night Jasmine) and Dan’s unconditional story will linger long after. Go, take it all in.

“October” doesn’t hurry from one plot point to the other. In fact there aren’t any plot points. This might prompt some to call it slow, but it is not. Sircar and Chaturvedi bring a meditative quality to the story, and it is this quality that makes “October” stand out.

If you’re the sort who doesn’t give up on life easily, you should watch October. It’s got passion and more importantly, it’s got soul. 

October is shorn of any sort of melodrama. Yet, leaves you with a lump in your throat.

As a film ‘October’ is like cold summer, imagine standing in the sun and shivering. It’s limitless energy defeated by an inevitable end. While you feel for the protagonists, as a viewer you restrain yourself and end up being indifferent to the act. You relate to it but this is not your story and you certainly don’t want to make it yours.

All said and done, go and watch October for Varun Dhawan. He has expanded his range of versatility with this one and Shoojit Sircar has managed to rip out a shade of him which was never seen before.

‘October’ is an unusual love story and Varun Dhawan’s acting is definitely worth watching.

This subtle, lyrical drama had me slightly teary-eyed on occasion — it could be because of an emotional trigger, or perhaps a memory it subconsciously draws one towards. This happens to me a lot at the movies by the way. Just so you know, and can probably treat that as a word of caution as well!

Discerning viewers would label Juhi as conflicted on the burning issue of passive euthanasia. But with October, she shows that she does not care. Her film transcends logic, debate and even ethics. It is touted as a story about love.

More than love, October propositions itself as a story about hope.

October has class appeal but it has enough soul to touch many hearts and reach the winning post at the box-office, more so because its entire investment (cost of production plus cost of promotion, publicity and marketing) has been recovered completely from non-theatrical sources (satellite, digital, audio rights). Public reports will vary from boring to very sensitive but it will appeal to the target audience and do fair business at the ticket windows in the final tally. It may have started slow but collections will pick up, especially in good multiplexes and big cities. Business in small centres and mass-frequented single-screen cinemas as also in lesser multiplexes will, of course, be very dull.

Shoojit Sircar has managed to turn a singing, dancing, goofball called Varun Dhawan and shown us that the lad can get the audience to cry and laugh and be on his side. October is an unlikely film for Bollywood so used to boy meets girl and falls in love narrative, that a story about human empathy is rare. The film falters because it takes it own time and feels like it is stuck in a loop, but if you are patient, the reward is wonderful.

Director Shoojt Sircar’s October is a poignant tale about love and hope, where Shiuli or night Jasmine flowers, which are perfumed and spread their fragrance everywhere and abound in autumn, is cleverly used as a metaphor to denote the ephemeral nature of life.

When a review becomes more about the viewer’s experience, emotions and thought-flow, it is a movie well-made, a movie one must watch. Even if you might want to watch it over and over again.

Let’s just say it — this film, like the October-born Librans, is moody and petulant and yet, almost obsessively sentimental.

This is not a film that will leave you hanging at the edge of your seat. There are no major plot-twists and no significantly impactful script. The acting is passable and the vibe throughout the film overbearingly sad. Even though there are a few attempts to lighten the mood through Varun Dhawan’s glib jokes, the atmosphere remains one of doleful hope. The cinematography, camerawork and music are commendable, and the screenplay and direction are remarkable, but none of them can really take your attention away from all that is lacking in the movie. Unless you’re feeling rather masochistic, it’s safe to skip this one.

Death is the finale for only the one who dies. October underlines this with melancholy that resonates without ever turning maudlin.

Barring riveting performances from its principal actors and nuggets of wry humour, this drama — with tragic undertones — crawls at a mind-numbing pace. It’s one of those films that takes pride in being pretentious, arty and hyperbolic.

October is a soulful film that teaches us never to lose hope. Credit to Sircar for giving refreshing treatment to a subject that’s been done to death in cinema. While October doesn’t have the boisterousness of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand or the bittersweet romance of A Walk to Remember, the honest performances of Varun Dhawan and the newcomer Banita Sandhu make it a memorable experience. A well-intentioned drama, October requires patience from its viewers. But, if you are looking for a quintessential Bollywood masala film then October is not for you. 

Watching this slow-paced film could be a laborious task for those who are not used to this brand of cinema. ‘And the night-blooming flowers open, the whole night exhales a scent that disappears in the wind. And then dawn: the petals close a little crumpled’- October tells the tale of different shade of love that says it all despite leaving behind some unspoken words.

October is not a usual film. We might even question what bonded the two lead characters. Some of the scenes are extremely sluggish. Yet the film moved me to tears multiple times. I am happy filmmakers are taking a chance, not sticking to a format and experimenting bravely.

There is a Hallmark quality to Dan’s lack of direction, which is presented without adequate explanation. But there is also a lived-in quality to Chaturvedi’s study of life-threatening illness, which is rarely explored by the movies with any seriousness.

October doesn’t seem like a commercial film but rather a heartfelt journey with a lot of emotions. We finally sense what heartbreak feels like, how unconditional care is everything, and how such films need to be watched with all our heart. Do invest your time in this priceless affair of love titled ‘October’.

Watch this film only if you want to see GenY’s most popular hero dazzle differently. Otherwise, stay away from what is decidedly like a boring arthouse movie, despite its few good points.