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Cast: Deepak Dobriyal, Priya Bhatija, Anshul Kataria
Direction: Rajesh. K.
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1 hour 37 minutes

Story: Satbir (Deepak Dobriyal), a former pickpocket, intends to make a fresh start in life. He falls in love with Neena (Priya Bhatija) and plans to settle down, but a major twist awaits his tale.

Movie Review: Meanwhile, Satbir resists going back to Shuklaji (Avtar Sahani), his mentor, who heads a gang of petty thieves. He chooses to be dressed as a huge samosa instead, outside a food stall. The situation gets wacky as he is also lured by Amol (Jagat Rawat), another self-proclaimed crook. The latter is forever on a mission to poach Shuklaji's loyal men to form his own gang, so that he can commit bigger crimes. Then there's a cop, who considers robbery an art and thus thieves as artists! Can it get any crazier?

Chor Chor Super Chor is a light-hearted, delightful film with a unique storyline and a superb twist. Set in Delhi, it is not an out-an-out entertainer, but manages to keep you intrigued, thanks to its quirky, innovative concept. Since the film's running time is under two hours, the length is just perfect and nowhere does it drag. The romance between Satbir and Neena is interesting. Their song seems a bit abrupt though.

However, what limits the film from being a hardcore comedy is its inability to deliver laugh-out-loud moments. You don't see yourself laughing heartily throughout the movie, except for a scene where an overweight thug gasps for breath after having to climb a tall under-construction building, which happens to be his boss' adda.

Deepak Dobriyal is impressive as usual. Priya Bhatija is pleasant. Even the supporting actors do a good job. We hate to give away the twist but let us tell you, Chor Chor Super Chor could also be titled Tu Sher Toh Main Sawa Sher as that's what the film is all about. Don't go expecting a solid comedy and you won't be disappointed.

 Cast: Akash Chopra, Tahira Kochchar, Arshad Warsi, Riya Sen
Direction: Amrit Sagar Chopra
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Cast: Rituparna Sengupta, Harsh Chhaya, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Aakash Sharma
Direction: Dinesh P. Bhonsle
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Cast: Shilpa Shukla, Shadab Kamal, Rajesh Sharma, Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Direction: Ajay Bahl
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes

Story: A college boy struggles for survival. A married woman is high on erotica. Their illicit relationship ends in a spiral of sex, seduction and betrayal.

Movie Review: Unbutton, unbuckle and unstrap the senses. It's going to be one erotic escapade - kinky, caustic, brutal and brave. With ample 'O's and 'Ahhs!' Some painfully fake, others carnally climaxed. Adapted from Mohan Sikka's short story, 'Railway Aunty', it's about the doom and desperation of an impoverished life and the extremes one can go to redeem themselves of an ignominious existence.

 

The orphaned and penniless Mukesh (Shadab) moves to Delhi to live with his bua and complete his B.A degree. Deprived of love and respect, he befriends grave-digger Johnny (Dibyendu) who becomes his chess mate. Until one day he meets the fiercely flirtatious married auntyji, Sarika (Shilpa), who swiftly seduces and beds him.

The one-day adultery turns into addiction, she plays sex-guru and he surrenders as sex-slave. The moods of passion and 'positions' change with shades of her lingerie and Mukesh sinks deeper into this promiscuous 'sinfest'. The erotic ecstasy is dramatically disrupted when he's betrayed by both fate and friendship.

Shilpa brazenly wears the sex-hungry look and performs steamy acts. From being hot in bed, to crassly cold out-of-bed - (Quote: "Sikhaya maine, mazey sab lenge") - the ease with which she enacts her part is shocking, but impactful. Shadab reveals a range of emotions, and pulls off a complex role heightened by uninhibited sexual exploits.

Debutant Ajay Bahl's film is dark and deeply disturbing. The subject boldly pulls off the cover on what happens behind closed (bedroom) doors of a society that thrives on pseudo morals and values. While the movie doesn't exploit eroticism, a little subtlety would have as much 'shock' value. The sex-scenes are too overused (though well-crafted), and after a point it looks repetitive.

If you want a change from the colourful canvas of Bollywood, and you like it dark, very dark - test this one out. 

Cast: Prateik, Amrya Dastur
Direction: Manish Tiwary
Genre: Romance
Duration: 2 hours 28 minutes

Story: A love story adapted from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set against the backdrop of sand mafia, political power games and Naxalites in Banaras.

Movie Review: Welcome to the holy city of Banaras - replete with 'spesal' paan, levitating smoked-up (on herbs) saadhus, Banarasi babus high on bhaang and others' biwis on un-Holi celebrations. And amidst this colourful backdrop, an age-old feud simmers between two powerful families - The Mishras and the Kashyaps. Mishra son, Rahul (Prateik) - a romantic at heart, (chooses girls over guns); falling madly in love with Kashyap girl Bachchi (Amrya). One tight-chumma is all it takes to win her over (shortcut Romeo, haan?). While the city bleeds with rivalry, enraged Naxals (led by Prashant Narayanan) and political powerplay - the star-crossed lovers defy all rules of bloody war and bravely take on the world. A band of characters add to this drama - Rahul's gori ex-girl (Evelyn Sharma); Teeta (Ravi Kissen - best of the pack) as Bachchi's vicious mamu; sadhu baba (Makarand Deshpande) high on crack; Mishra's lusty doosri biwi (Rajeshwari Sachdev - impressive act), and Rahul's homeboys (Amit Sial and Vineet Kumar Singh - lending strong support).

Prateik doesn't quite fit the part of a Banarasi boy in this tangled love tragedy. His accent doesn't blend in. He air-dives and leaps from terraces and 'Spidermans' his way across walls. His range of emotions remain untapped and inconsistent throughout. Debutante Amrya, as a demure damsel (while unabashedly declaring, 'hum virgin hain' - Holy Mother!), lacks the charisma for her part and ends up looking like a pretty bahu from a tele soap opera.

Manish Tiwary's 'Issaq' lacks vibe, soul or depth needed for a classic love story. With incoherent narrative, unsketched characters, wispy (sometimes embarrassing) dialogues, one good melody in the whole ditty (Issaq tera); pointless shooting (mostly in the dark), gold-plated bandooks and bombs galore - Tiwary misses every target. There are movies beautifully adapted from Shakespeare's works in the past, but none that tragically assault your creative, poetic or cinematic senses.

"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs ..." - Shakespeare. This love saga leaves us sighing ...

Cast: Tusshar Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Dolly Ahluwalia, Ranveer Sheorey and Vishaka Singh
Direction: Shashant Shah
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1 hour 47 minutes

Story: A middle-class widow, her son and a motley group make a plan to dupe a devious businessman who brought grief to their lives. Do they succeed in getting their back at him?

Movie Review: In his third outing in Bollywood, Shashant Shah, who has been previously credited with Dasvidaniya (2008) and Chalo Dilli (2011), attempts a light-hearted comedy based out of sadda Dilli. Predominantly Punjabi-flavoured, the film is one of those of linear, comic capers with a slight drama that makes you smile, though the situations and characters are cliched. A businessman-thug Sabharwal (Ravi Kishan) gets a couple of his bank employees incarcerated when one of his hare-brained investment schemes goes kaput. The shamed bank manager commits suicide. And his lady accomplice goes to jail.

The investors start baying for the blood of the departed banker's widow, Mummyji (Dolly Ahluwalia) and her son ( Tusshar Kapoor). So the aggrieved party and a couple of their well-wishers, child actor Hussan Saad, Ranveer Sheorey and Vinay Pathak, whose wife is the other one imprisoned, and a teenager called Kabootar, make a fool-proof plan to deceive the man who is responsible for their woes.

Mummyji and gang target the various premises and businesses of Sabharwal. And the ways and means they adopt to achieve their end, makes way for comic situations. And love. Yes, Tusshar also manages to sing a duet with a wide-eyed neighbour ( Vishaka Singh), who later becomes his accomplice.

Ransoms, raids and break-ins follow. The unsuspecting Sabharwal allows the gang to infiltrate his home and heart. And the action all comes together at his daughter's wedding because that's when he realises that he's been bajaoed (taken for a ride.)

A film without star-power depends largely on convincing performances. Dolly Ahluwalia, on a roll since Vicky Donor, is adept as are Ravi Kishan, Tusshar, Ranveer and Vinay.

While two of the songs are passable, an aarti based on a popular Bollywood tune and the item song - main naagin dance nachna—are paisa vasool.

Cast: Tanuj Virwani, Neha Hinge
Direction: Joe Rajan
Genre: Romance
Duration: 2 hours 25 minutes

Story: A Christian boy falls for a Punjabi girl, can the two get together and keep the parents happy?

Movie Review: Mark Braganza (Tanuj) is a happy-go-lucky youngster who loves his family, friends and pretty much everyone. Defying Bollywood's stereotype, that
popular kids in college are seldom nice, Marky is the good guy. He fancies classmate Soniyo (Neha), the ever-smiling Punjabi girl, who too is Miss Goody Two-Shoes. The two simpletons take their time to realize that the fondness is indeed love. The realization comes a bit too late, since, by then, in order to oblige her parents' wishes, Soniyo gets engaged to army man Vikram. What follows is a twist to the tale.

Luv U Soniyo manages to keep things refreshingly simple and non-sexual. For instance, the heroine does not make a slow-mo, glamourous entry into college and is not skimpily clad. The hero's not cocky either. Everything is kept understated. However, the minimalism stays stagnant, making the love seem ambiguous and unconvincing eventually. While Soniyo confesses she is clueless about love, you too feel clueless about the 'exact equation' between the lead characters. Are they lovers or friends, you keep wondering!

Like romance, humour too seems forced. Laughs don't come easy, barring the scenes where you see Aamir Khan being mimicked. Funny man Suresh Menon's cameo, as the deadly criminal Kutti, fails to entertain. The film also seems like a mishmash of various films...you see glimpses of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and even Dil Toh Pagal Hai.

While both newcomers Tanuj and Neha are easy on the eyes and have potential, their characters don't match their personality or mannerisms. Child actor Aaditya Shivkumar, who plays Tanuj's younger brother Mario, is adorable. Songs are forgettable.

The film sends out a good message to youngsters like 'family comes first', 'respect your elders', etc. It has its share of sweet moments, but overall, as a rom-com, it fails to leave a mark.

Cast: Poonam Pandey, Shivam Patil
Direction: Amit Saxena
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes

Film Name: Ramaiya Vastavaiya
Director: Prabhu Deva
Cast: Girish Taurani, Shruti Haasan, Sonu Sood, 

Randhir Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Poonam Dhillon, Satish Shah
Release Date: July -19-2013 

Movie Review
After directing two hit action movies in Bollywood – ‘Wanted’ and ‘Rowdy Rathore’, Prabhu Deva is back again with his favourite genre in ‘Ramaiya Vastavaiya’, a romantic drama.

 ‘Ramaiya Vastavaiya’ is a remake of the director's first Telugu film "Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana". It is romantic comedy which of course includes the masala and magic of the ‘demigod of dance’ Prabhudeva.

Actor Girish Taurani is making his Bollywood debut with the film opposite Shruti Haasan.  "Ramaiya Vastavaiya is a romantic film. It has a lot of emotions and a lot of family elements. It's a wholesome family film. There is brother-sister love, father-son love and love between a boy and a girl," Girish Taurani said during an interview.

"The emotional content of the film will touch the people's heart. Since, it's a Prabhu Deva's film, so definitely it has masala, dance, comedy and all. So people will enjoy it," Girish said.

Sonu Sood, who is synonymous with vicious on-screen villain, is for a change playing a positive role in the film.

Shruti Haasan, who associated with the Hindi cinema from her childhood days, is playing the love interest of Girish.

Story : Ram (Girish) is the only child of Australia based billionaire couple Siddharth and Ashvini. He is fond of flirting and therefore he presents himself as badmaash, bigda hua and badtameez guy to every girl. Sona is a lovely girl from a small village of Punjab, who is apple of her brother Raghu’s eye (Sonu Sood). He leaves no stone unturned to give Sona a good life. They are not very rich, but their love for each other is indispensable. Ram meets Sona at the wedding of his cousin Riya, who is also a good friend of Sona.

Ram, the habitual flirt, gets drawn with simplicity of Sona. Young love blossoms – pure and magical. But all is not going to be well in this love story. The family, as in every Hindi Cinema, plays the spoil spirit. Ram will have to face impossible challenges and Sona will have to witness his hardship and humiliation. Will Rama and Sona overcome all odds and live happily ever after or there will be any twist of event?

Cast:Arjun Rampal, Irrfan, Shruti Haasan, Huma Qureshi, Rishi Kapoor
Director: Nikhil Advani
Release Date: July -19-2013

A mission impossible forms the crux of Nikhil Advani's D-Day. But the film's treatment of the story of derring-do, desperate measures and doom remains firmly within the realms of the possible. The director deserves full marks on that score.
D-Day is as far removed in terms of spirit and substance from Advani's debut feature and biggest success, Kal Ho Naa Ho, as any film could ever be. At any rate, it represents a marked improvement on Salaam-e-Ishq, Chandni Chowk to China and Patiala House.

Filmed predominantly in smoky, dimly lit spaces in what is supposed to be the Pakistani port city of Karachi, D-Day is cast in the mould of a realistic action thriller. It is also, however, a tale of thwarted love and shattered lives, the pathos of which is sought to be underlined by a slew of magnificent songs composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

As a crime drama, it works perfectly well, helped along by some high quality acting by the likes of Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan and Huma Qureshi.However, the love story between an Indian spy and Pakistani prostitute is rather half-baked and pushes the film into an avoidable vendetta sub-plot.

To be fair, there is indeed much going for D-Day. The film is completely fictional, but it stays rooted in the geopolitical reality of the subcontinent, allowing itself only the occasional shot at dramatic license in order to buoy up the narrative.

Moreover, the undercover RAW operatives at the heart of the story aren't run-of-the-mill Hindi movie heroes given to displays of false machismo in the face of adversity.

The world of espionage here is marked by grit and grime, and the scalded characters neither live in fancy settings nor carry flashy guns and gizmos.

D-Day is a well-researched, purposefully executed film. Much of the action takes places in 'actual' Karachi locations - the red light district of Napier Road, the busy thoroughfare of Empress Market and the environs of Qasim Port, among others.

The villain of the film is a fugitive from Indian law and has the active support of the intelligence establishment across the border, but the Pakistani figures in the plot aren't tarred with the same brush. They aren't all black.

Nor are the people on the Indian side sought to be passed off as completely free of blame in this long, costly battle of attrition between the two neighbours.

As part of a covert operation, the Indian spies play cat-and-mouse games not only with their foes, but also with each other.

They are committed to "honour, duty and country" above all else, but one of the men - the most hot-headed among them - refers to these virtues as three of their biggest weaknesses.

When they are in danger of being captured in Pakistan after a botched operation, their bosses in Delhi are all too willing to bail out and disown them.

The sly jabs at the powers-that-be are extended to the portrayal of a Prime Minister who is constantly either summoned or given instructions to on the phone by somebody referred to merely as "Madam".

To return to the narrative, a quartet of Indian secret agents is in Karachi to nab 'India's Most Wanted', a character who is obviously modelled on Dawood Ibrahim and goes by the unlikely name of Goldman (Rishi Kapoor).

But D-Day is not Gadar - Ek Prem Katha, and the four agents -- three men and a woman - who have been placed in the thick of the action by an unflappable RAW chief, Ashwini Rao (Nasser), do not strut around spouting vacuously patriotic lines.


The lynchpin of Operation Goldman is Wali Khan (Irrfan), who infiltrated Pakistan nine years ago and now lives in a nondescript Karachi neighbourhood with a wife and a son.

He is joined by a laconic and mysterious suspended army man Rudra Pratap Singh (Arjun Rampal), explosives expert Zoya Rehman (Huma Qureshi), who has flown in from London, and Aslam (Aakash Dahiya), a petty criminal picked off the streets of Mumbai.


Apart from the dynamics of the plan to bring the all-powerful Goldman to book, the film focuses on inter-departmental RAW politics as well as the contradictions that exist within the power structure of Pakistan's ISI.


The back stories and the emotional compulsions of the secret agents form a significant component of the storyline. Unfortunately, these strands are not always emotionally engaging, as a result of which they drag the film down a bit.

Wali loves his son to distraction and is constantly under pressure to choose between line of duty and his commitment to his family.

Rudra develops a strong bond with Suraiya (Shruti Haasan), a sex worker with a scarred face. He goes after the man responsible for the attack on the girl. Matters get worse as Goldman's nephew (Chandan Roy Sanyal) decides to settle scores.

Zoya, on her part, has sacrificed her marriage to join this operation. The audience does not see her husband, only hears him (voice: Raj Kumar Yadav) as he struggles to reconnect with her but in vain.


D-Day is replete with such unusual touches. It is another matter that all of them do not eventually come together to make a cohesive whole. Yet, for all its flaws, this is a film good enough to merit a trip to the multiplex.

Cast: Neeraj Kabi, Aida El-Kashef, Sohum Shah,

Vinay Shukla, Sameer Khurana
Direction: Anand Gandhi
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Story: Three films born out of a philosophical theory, which provoke you to think, question and introspect.
 

Movie Review: This philosophical paean is a 3-part story, each one as complex, conflicting and contemplative. In the first, Aliya (Aida) is a photographer with impaired vision. She depends on sound, touch and intuitive senses to capture images. After a corneal implant her eyesight is restored, but the sudden visual download is so domineering that Aliya finds herself overwhelmed in an unfamiliar world, losing touch with her natural instincts.

The second is an introspective debate between a monk, Maitreya (Neeraj-in an excellent performance) - who staunchly opposes use of animals for scientific research - and a young lawyer Charvaka (Vinay) who challenges Maitreya's non-violent world-view. The monk is diagnosed with an illness that requires organ transplant, but he'd rather die than sacrifice his principles.

The third is about a stock-broker, Navin (Sohum), who has survived a kidney transplant, but is shaken out of his self-consumed life when he learns all about the illicit organ trade.

The film refers to an ancient paradox in which the Athenians replaced each rotting plank in the ship of Theseus until none of the original planks were left. It sparked an intellectually stimulating debate: Does it still remain fundamentally the same ship? It's shot mostly in documentary style, delving over similar philosophical queries - 'Who we are, how our thoughts can impact the universe, and how we tackle self-transformation and battle internal conflicts'.

Gandhi's ruminative subject, catering to art-house cinema lovers (has won critical acclaim in international film festivals), is deeply layered and beautifully intricate. He doesn't compromise artistic depth for commerce, even for a moment, though the story-telling is not without flaws. The pace is exhaustingly slow and scenes monotonously long. This idea could be compressed into smaller 'lifeboats' and still sail safe. The monk's deeply profound story stands out.

There's a light moment in the film where the monk is asked, "If you are celibate, why this intellectual masturbation?" Well, watch this if you are ready for some soul-searching that ends with an intellectual orgasm.

Cast: Raj Kumar Yadav, Anshuman Jha, Aarya Kumar,

 Dhruv Ganesh, Gulshan Grover, Divya Dutta
Direction: Amit Vats
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Released:12-July-2013

Story: Four friends seek love at all the wrong places with dubious intentions, which lands them in trouble. Can they mend their ways?

Movie Review: A young Sardar ( Anshuman Jha) falls in love with a fellow Sikh girl but there's a catch, a skinny fellow ( Dhruv Ganesh) wants to hook up with hot girls but his protective sisters want him to see 'geeky girls' instead. A Bihari boy ( Aarya Kumar), the most decent of the lot, finds love but his father wants dowry, money-minded baniya (Raj Kumar Yadav) dumps his girlfriend as he only wants to date rich girls. Often misguided, the youngsters find themselves trapped in a legal hassle. Inspector-cum-agony-aunt ( Gulshan Grover) interrogates the boys and that's how the story unravels...

Boyss Toh Boyss Hain intends to focus on the college-going generation's false perception of love and its after-effects. What seems like a contemporary theme however gets marred by tacky scenes, cheesy dialogues, silly characters and unfunny jokes. Unnecessary incidents, which have no relevance to the story, further distract you. The message the filmmaker wishes to give gets hidden beneath all the junk that comprises the script.

Never do you really feel for the characters or their issues as they look forced and unnecessary. Why would an educated man, from a well-to-do family, take to being an escort to earn money! Cliches like a well-behaved girl has to undergo a makeover to attract boys, etc., are abundant. A sleazy item song, clearly added to entice front benchers, adds to the disappointment.

Raj Kumar Yadav surprisingly plays a money-minded baniya once again after Kai Po Che, though we believe this film must have been shot before it, as it looks a tad outdated. Interestingly, this too is about the 'mistakes' of his life. Immensely talented Divya Dutta is wasted. Everybody else is loud and annoyingly animated.

Lessons on ethics, morality, friendship, love unfortunately get sidelined in this wannabe comedy.

Cast: Rekha Rana, Rohan Shroff, Ashish Salim, 

Sapna Choubisa, Ujjwala Shikhare, S C Makhija
Direction: Kumar Raj
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

Released:12-July-2013

Story: This is the story of one woman's struggle against prejudices in her village.

Movie Review: Tara ( Rekha Rana) lives a fairly ordinary and peaceful existence in a village called Tanda along with her husband (Shroff), who brews booze for a living. The two are very much in love and life is peaceful. But things are not meant to remain that way for long. His profession gets him into trouble one day, when they are asked to make a larger-than-normal batch. It is a high-risk operation that can land them all into trouble. When her husband is hauled into jail after a police raid, along with a number of other men, life turns upside down for Tara.

After floundering in penury and battling against feelings of loss and sorrow, she decides to take charge of her life and becomes aggressive. The experiences that she goes through are metaphorical for having her mettle tested. She'll hock her jewellery for cold cash and go to any lengths to survive. The message attempted to convey here is that you either stand up for yourself and risk alienation by your peers or just look the other way and do nothing. Her problems are faced by several other fellow villagers.

The film, of course, revolves around Tara and she does give it her best shot. But the performances from most of the other cast members are either unconvincing or, in an attempt to come across as earnest, are over-dramatized. The director probably wants the viewers of this film to empathise with the condition of the protagonist, given all the nasty things she goes through, but it fails. The song sequences seem mostly unnecessary and in some instances, serve as a distraction.

Films are conceived with an idea. In this case, it should probably have been left as one because its execution leaves much to be desired.

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadda,

 Vineet Singh, Satya Anand, Shweta Tripathi, Aditya Kumar,

 Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, Preeti Singh, Sankar Debnath, 

Kanchan Mullick, Arjun Srivastav
Direction: Shlok Sharma, Siddharth Gupta, Anirban Roy, 

Rohit Pandey, Neeraj Ghaywan
Genre: Short
Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes

Released:12-July-2013

Story: Compilation of five short films helmed by five different directors

Movie Review: To cut it short, this one (co-produced by Anurag Kashyap) is for lovers of pure art-house cinema. 'Shor' (Neeraj) and 'Mehfuz' (Rohit) stand out in this ensemble. In the first story, Lallan (Vineet) and Meena (Ratnabali), are a couple wallowing in abject poverty in Mumbai. While she tailors clothes for survival, his joblessness turns him into an ignoble, suspicious husband. Ironically, only when the death-knells toll, they rediscover their long-lost feelings. The film is poignant and touching, with excellent performances.

'Mehfuz' looms around the alley of death. The main character (Nawazuddin) is a solitary soul dealing only with corpses. His clients inconspicuously send him bodies to burn and bury. Until one night a woman walks in to his life, bringing a sudden tinge of hope in his dark existence. In this starkly shocking role, Nawazuddin is brilliant. This one is worth a watch.

'Sujata' (Shlok), is a story of a young girl (Huma) who is harassed (sexually and mentally) by her incorrigible cousin brother (Aditya) since childhood. Every time she escapes his clutches, he hunts her down. Finally, after years of breeding anger and animosity, she's ready to seek bloody revenge. Huma excels at capturing the pain and agony of her character.

In this Bengali dark comedy, 'Audacity' (Anirban), the 13-year- old Lily (Preeti) is a rebel, highly influenced by pop-culture, much to the dislike of her dictatorial dad (Sankar). Her audacity to question his vices (drinking, gambling) leads to a minor social scandal and a family face-off. The Bong setting looks just perfect, but the story fails to create an impact.

Lastly, 'Epilogue' (Siddharth), is a dialogue-less film with two characters - One real (Arjun), the other ghost-like, seemingly unreal (Richa). It's a relationship between an estranged couple, where love and kinky intimacy turn into a cycle of possessive control and insanity, eventually ending in self-destruction. In this ambiguous story, too much is left to interpretation. Too arty for the soul!

 Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Divya Dutta, Prakash Raj, 

Pavan Malhotra, Yograj Singh, Rebecca Breeds
Direction: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Genre: Biopic
Duration: 3 hours 8 minutes

Release Date:12-July-2013

Story: A film inspired by the legendary Indian athlete, Milkha Singh's life and journey.

Movie Review: He doesn't sing for his supper. He runs. Every sinew tugging and rippling to be fed. For that one glass of milk(ha!). He had a choice to run away, or to run. He did the right thing, he ran. Oh yes, the eternal metaphor 'the race of life'. We're all runners. With reason enough? A finish line to shred? Milkha Singh did. He ran his first race for ek glass doodh. And he never stopped. Untiringly. He ran because it was his religion.

'BMB' traces his scarred childhood, brutalized by India's Partition; followed by penury and petty crimes. He finds purpose in life when romance blooms with Beero (Sonam). Joining the Indian Army, where his mentor (Malhotra) inspires him to take the big 'leap'. Thereon, Milkha just runs. Barefooted, bruised, and with the weight of a suffering soul. He goes on to break records, but faces heartbreaking defeat at the Rome Olympics(1960). He takes it in his stride, overcomes his catastrophic past and ultimately emerges a winner.

Mehra is brilliant at his craft; he infuses realism into drama, and explores characters so deeply and sensitively through tragedy and triumph, that it sparks an emotional deluge. The movie transitions from flashback sepia tones to moods of present, without losing the grip of emotions, ever.

Cinematography is ace (Binod Pradhan); the music (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) heightens the drama. Prasoon's writing is powerful, lyrics are pure poetry and emotions robustly sweep the scenes with few dialogues. While there's a lot to marvel at, a hint of the director's over-indulgence in the art, results in a long 'runtime' and prolonged scenes that distract.

Farhan is fantastic! He peeps through Milkha's core to essay this role. With an awe-inspiring body, grit and guts, he puts blood and sweat into Milkha. He races like an athlete, breaks into bhangra like a proud sardar and shows prowess of a Punjab-da-sher. In a brief role, Sonam prettily breezes through. Pavan and Divya (Singh's sister) are outstanding. Overall, 'BMB' pulsates with the storyteller's sheer passion all the way to the finish line.

While you are on-the-run, pause to watch this one.

Note: You will not like this film if in-depth biopics don't appeal to your taste.

Cast: Wamiqa Gabbi, Izabelle Leite, Mehak Manwani, 

Keith Sequeira, Highphill Mathews
Direction: Raj Purohit
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Story: If you are appalled by the behaviour and how 'advanced the kids are these days', Sixteen is for you.

Movie Review: Access to internet, social networking, smart phones and hefty pocket money have resulted in kids getting an early exposure to things that unknowingly shape their lives and determine their future. The more their parents preach or protect them, the more they revolt and crave for that sense of unwarranted freedom. Can the change in the value system ruin the lives of these teenagers or can they still take the right decisions?

Unlike most films made on youngsters, Sixteen is refreshingly real and extremely relevant in modern times. Thankfully, there are no standard teenage-film cliches like youngsters taking to drugs or other addictions, misbehaviour, rebellious attitude towards parents, etc.

Purohit wisely addresses the issues that deserve to be mentioned. Peer pressure, relationship issues, sex, unplanned pregnancy, academic pressure, suicide, MMS scandals, surfing adult content on the net in spite of being under 18...almost all significant issues are maturely handled and presented. Nowhere do you feel too much is being served at one go. Although sluggish pace is what dampens the impact, as the filmmaker slips into an artistic mode every now and then.
Casting is perfect. All the newcomers act well. Wamiqa Gabbi as Tanisha is impressive, Izabelle Leite is effective in spite of her voice being dubbed, Keith Sequeira lends that much needed subtlety to the story.

However, the film has its limitations. It focuses on the dilemmas of the rich kids, thus catering to urbane youth.

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Prakash Raj, Prachi Desai
Direction: K.S. Ravikumar
Genre: Action
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

    
Story: An honest police office alters his principles and morals to give corrupt politicians and criminals a taste of their own medicine. He's the 'combo' offer. He is a gunda and a good guy!

Review: If you are a fan of Rajinikanth's over-the-top action, if films like Wanted, Dabangg and Singham entertain you and if you like Sanju baba's style, Policegiri is bound to make you whistle. Clearly catering to the masses and fans of masala potboilers, this Hindi remake of Tamil blockbuster Saamy (2003) has all the right ingredients, required to appeal to its audience. It has the standard 'cop-cleansing-crime' theme, gravity defying stunts, slow-mo loud action scenes, dramatic storyline, over-dramatic dialogues, superhero-esque cop and a funny villain. Bollywood's fixation for formulaic cop films with south sensibility continues and if you don't have an issue with it, you certainly won't mind watching Policegiri.

DCP Rudra Adityadevraj ( Sanjay Dutt) has his own way of bringing the goons to justice. He thus takes up against bad guy Nagori Subramaniyam (Prakash Raj) who bribes cops, kills innocent people and does not fear the law. Like Salman Khan's Pandey ji, Rudra too feels for the public. He is the Robin Hood kind of cop, who helps the poor by punishing the corrupt. When he is not indulging in logic defying stunts, he romances Seher (Prachi Desai).

However, as an actor, Sanju does not ape Salman in any way. In spite of his age and not-so-fit body, Dutt manages to bring his own elements to the film. His individualistic style is what makes the film look different.

But not all is hunky-dory here. The very pretty Prachi Desai looks young enough to be Dutt's daughter. Prakash Raj gets to mouth a few funny lines but overall, his character is way too lame compared to his previous roles. The second half drags endlessly. A 'Sanju baba will be back' message sits right on top of the end credits of the film. For his fans, he already is and he does pack a punch.

 Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Barun Chanda, Adil Hussain
Direction: Vikramaditya Motwane
Genre: Romance
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Story: In a village, a young archaeologist falls in love with a landlord's daughter. Their union seems doomed. But destiny brings them together a year later. Will they live happily ever after?

Movie Review: Lootera is a love saga of yore. The plot is an amalgamation of a story written by Vikramaditya Motwane with O'Henry's short story, The Last Leaf. It begins in Manikpur, West Bengal, in 1953.

A zamindar (Barun Chanda) dotes on his well-educated but impressionable girl, Pakhi ( Sonakshi Sinha). The landlord's Munim warns his master that courtesy the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950, zamindars like himself (read loyal to the British Empire) were losing their titles and prerogatives. But to no avail. The zamindar is visibly more concerned about his daughter's well-being, more so because she suffers from asthma.

A suave archaeologist, Varun ( Ranveer Singh), enters the village seeking permission from the landlord to dig up a mysterious civilisation buried around his temple. As work progresses, love blossoms between Pakhi and Varun. The father of the bride agrees to their union but the young couple face other hurdles. From a simple love story the film assumes the shape of a thriller.

A year later, Pakhi and Varun (the Lootera) find themselves under the same roof, in snow-capped Dalhousie under extenuating circumstances. Their relationship is volatile, vile and vulnerable. Love him she does, but deep inside, she is nursing a grudge against him for stealing her heart, breaking her father's heart and letting their trust down.

In his second outing, post-the critically acclaimed Udaan(2010), Motwane definitely shows an upward graph. He transports you to the '50s effortlessly with his vintage cars, opulent havelis, authentic costumes and terrific performances from his lead cast. Every frame is a picture postcard. Sonakshi, Barun Chanda and Ranveer need special mention. However, be suitably warned; the old-world aura and the languid pace are not for the young and restless.

Note: You may find this film boring if state-of-the-art, slow romance is not your idea of a movie outing.

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Namit Das
Director:
Raj Kumar Gupta
Writers:
Raj Kumar Gupta, Parveez Sheikh

Cast: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ameesha Patel, Puja Gupta
Direction: Susi Ganesh
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes