No Rating Movie Review

Watching Ranbir Kapoor on the big screen after four years is in itself good enough a bait to draw audiences back into theatres. But Shamshera isn't just riding on its protagonist's shoulders. It has all the elements needed to make a mass masala entertainer hit the right chord. It has action, emotions, well-written characters, and a solid backstory. A warrior lower-caste tribe called Khameerans led by Shamshera (Ranbir Kapoor) is imprisoned in a fictitious city of Kaza. They are enslaved and tortured by a ruthless authoritarian general Shuddh Singh (Sanjay Dutt), who looks down upon them and tells a British officer: Jaanwar hai, gand toh machayega hi (These are animals, will pollute). After a lot of humiliation and physical assault, the tribe loses leader in his quest to free his people and that's where a fresh chapter starts. 25 years later, we are introduced to Balli (Shamshera's son) who looks exactly like this father. When Balli learns the truth about his father's death and how his tribe has suffered, he takes over Shamshera's mantle and begins a new fight for the freedom of his people and their self-respect, and avenge his father's death.

With aviation dramas, it's the thrill factor and visual spectacle that the director creates, that promise an edge-of-the-seat experience. Ajay Devgn's latest directorial, Runway 34 lands perfectly in these departments. The film is inspired by true events from 2015 when a Doha to Kochi flight had a narrow escape after facing difficulties to land at the airport due to bad weather and low visibility. However, in many places, you'd also notice several resemblances to Hollywood films like Sully and Flight. Yet, Runway 34 succeeds as a gripping story and a great cinematic experience. The story revolves around Captain Vikrant Khanna (Ajay Devgn) and first officer Tanya Albuquerque (Rakul Preet Singh), who face the wrath of an investigation and interrogation by Narayan Vedant (Amitabh Bachchan) following a May Day call they make before landing an aircraft in turbulent conditions and risking the lives of 150 passengers. Whether or not the pilots would come out clean and justify their decision is what forms the crux of the story. Runway 34 keeps you engrossed and makes you feel the turbulence while you're seated comfortably. It's edgy, fast-paced, engaging, and serves you a big-screen cinematic experience that won't disappoint.

Lazy writing, poor execution and ridiculously stylized characters — Heropanti 2 goes from bad to worse. A sequel to Tiger's debut film Heropanti (2014), this one is directed by Ahmed Khan, who also collaborated with Tiger for Baaghi 2 and Baaghi 3. It seems Khan is in a rut and isn't even letting Tiger come out of the stories that don't let him grow. Heropanti 2 is the story of a self-styled magician Laila (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who teams up with a cyber genius and a hacker Babloo Ranawat (Tiger) to scam people via video games, hack their data and bank details, and rip them off their hard-earned money. In the process, Babloo gets romantically involved with Laila's sister Inaaya (Tara Sutaria), who, for the longest time remains oblivious to his brother or boyfriend's ill intentions. What happens when Inaaya finds the truth? What happens when the good guy Babloo turns bad and then again gets on a journey to become a good guy, is what the 2-hour-30-minute film takes you through. Heropanti 2 is extremely loud, over-the-top, illogical, and tests your patience. It's only Tiger's envious dance moves and top-notch action that give you some 'paisa vasool' moments. And of course, musical renditions from AR Rahman, which might appear to be a misfit in the film, but bring some calm amid this noisy storm.

A Hindi remake of the 2019 Telugu film by the same name, Jersey has been written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, who also helmed the original. And no prize for guessing, the remake is a scene by scene copy of the original. Jersey traces the tale of an exceptionally talented Ranji player Arjun Talwar (Shahid Kapoor), who quits cricket at the age of 26 and after 10 years, decides to revive his career and return to the game. In the process, Arjun wants to fulfil his son Kitu's (Ronit Kamra) desire for a jersey and dream of seeing his father play cricket. Along this journey, Arjun goes through emotional turmoils and confrontations with his wife Vidya Talwar (Mrunal Thakur) who bears all the financial burden of the family. But despite all helplessness, nothing seems to stop Arjun from following his dream of playing for the Indian national cricket team. He finds support in his coach Madhav Sharma (Pankaj Kapur), who also acts as a father figure to him. High on emotion, Jersey lacks on the intrigue value that would keep you hooked. And the nearly three-hour runtime of the film makes it only worse.

KGF Chapter 2 is an explosive tale of brash, unapologetic, and larger-than-life characters. Director Prashanth Neel has created something that's way more immersive than part one and worth all the hype that he managed to sustain for three and a half years since the first part came out. KGF 2 once again recreates the dark and deadly world where chopping heads and slitting throats are the norm and gunshots are fired at whim without any remorse in anyone's heart. One of the finest sequels to have come out in a long time, KGF 2 takes off right from where the first part ended. As Anand Ingalagi (Anant Nag), the author of El Dorado is hospitalized and can no longer narrate the story of KGF (Kolar Gold Fields) and the rise of Rocky, his son Vijayendra Ingalagi (Prakash Raj) takes over. In his words, Raja Krishnappa Bairya aka Rocky Bhai (Yash) has built an “indestructible empire” in KGF and wants to conquer even bigger things. While he has already killed Garuda in part 1 and turned ruler of the gold mines, in the sequel, he comes face to face with the deadly Adheera (Sanjay Dutt), who won't let an outsider take over something that he helped build. Meanwhile, Rocky's power-hungry games have also caught the attention of Prime Minister Ramika Sen (Raveena Tandon), who wants his downfall and death. Will Rocky be able to keep all that he has built for himself? Will the monster-turned messiah stand by his followers who worship him?

With all good intentions to educate and entertain the audience, Dasvi starring Abhishek Bachchan, Yami Gautam and Nimrat Kaur, somewhere falls prey to its own chaos and confusion and ends up all over the place. Director Tushar Jalota has mixed too many elements to convey one simple message, and it loses focus way more often than you would expect. As a result, the inconsistent storytelling makes the film appear half-baked and ineffective. The film traces the life of a brash, illiterate and corrupt chief minister Ganga Ram Chaudhary (Abhishek Bachchan), who, for his unexplained criminal records, including an educational scam, is sent to judicial custody. While he's imprisoned, his docile and timid wife Bimla Devi (Nimrat Kaur) takes over the chief minister's chair in fictional Hamit Pradesh and begins to love the power it brings. Meanwhile, the minister is taken to task inside the jail when a strict and lawful cop Jyoti Deswal (Yami Gautam) is appointed as the new superintendent. It's after an altercation between these two when Jyoti calls Ganga 'anpadh gawaar' and he takes up the challenge of completing his Class 10 exam. This comes with a condition that if he fails to clear the exam, he won't take the chair of CM again. Ganga needs to pass both these tests - inside the jail and outside where his wife has just become quite intent on keeping the chair he asked her to fill for him.

For those who've often complained about Bollywood's lack of original scripts and innovation, Attack, to some extent, can give you an adrenaline rush for its novel idea (seen many times in Hollywood by now but still quite a fresh prospect for Bollywood). And some might find it plain bizarre and too unrealistic to even believe any of it. John Abraham is often credited for carrying a film on his shoulders, however, with Attack, the actor and debutant director, Lakshya Raj Anand took this a bit too seriously, as John, as a 'super soldier' is literally the single man out there, killing all the bad men. Attack is the story of a soldier Arjun Shergill (John Abraham) who suffers a terrible loss in a terrorist attack and ends up with permanent paralysis neck-down and is assigned a life on a wheelchair. Meanwhile, Dr Saba (Rakul Preet Singh) has been working on a futuristic scientific technology that can enable a paralysed person to stand up on their feet, and Arjun is deemed that right science bunny to undergo trial for India's first-ever super-soldier program. All this because the country needs to be saved from a terrorist mastermind who is on the loose. Listen to the full episode for more.

Rishi Kapoor's swansong Sharmaji Namkeen serves a perfect tribute to his tough yet jovial person. Directed by Hitesh Bhatia, this is the first time in Bollywood we see two actors - Kapoor and Paresh Rawal - play one character on-screen. Sharmaji Namkeen doesn't have any over-the-top dialogues or a lessons in morality that hits you hard. It's a sweet and innocent slice of life tale told in a simple manner. Sharmaji Namkeen narrates the story of a retired manager of Madhuban Appliances, Brij Gopal Sharma (Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal) who needs to be on the go and just can't sit idle at home. While he contemplates taking up zumba classes, becoming a property agent, giving tuitions or opening a chaat papdi stall, his sons Rinku (Suhail Nayyar) and Vincy (Taaruk Raina) don't really buy into his ideas and tell him to enjoy his post-retirement life. As Sharmaji takes his hobby and passion for cooking to the next level, he is tricked by his friend Chaddha (Satish Kaushik) into cooking at a ladies' kitty party, and soon, it becomes a regular affair. In the process, his circle of friends sees quite a change. In Veena (Juhi Chawla), he finds a friend and a confidante. But what happens when Sharmaji's sons, neighbours and relatives get to know about his secret job? The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Based on the chapters from Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi creates a world of its own that's sleazy violent, reckless but still overflowing with emotions. Starring Alis Bhatt in the titular role, the films shows the lanes of Kamathipura, one of the oldest red-light districts of Mumbai, and Bhansali captures them in the most extravagant way. The first half narrates Gangubai's story from being a barrister's daughter Ganga who was forced into sex trade and how she becomes Gangu with her shares of bruises and scars, the second half shows her rise as a 'gharwali' (Madame of a brothel) and eventually fighting the elections to be the president of Kamathipura. Alia delivers a superlative performance with her near perfect diction, dialect, expressions and how she emotes anger, rage, happiness and helplessness.

Bollywood's fixation with humor to narrate stories on taboo subjects seems to be working pretty well so far. So, it comes as no surprise to see Badhaai Do also resort to a lighter tone while highlighting an important issue of homosexuality. Directed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni, Badhaai Do revolves around the story of Shardul and Sumi played effortlessly by Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar, as closeted members of the LGBT community, living together as roommates after they agree to get into a ‘marriage of convenience. The film shows how an individual's sexual orientation defines and decides their fate in society. While Shardul, a police officer, and Sumi, a PT teacher, agree to this arrangement — referred to as a lavender marriage — to shut their families up and get rid of the constant pressure to get married, the journeys they take on with their respective partners eventually lead to several realizations about their realities. The makers deal with the subject in an extremely mature and sensitive manner, and in his attempt to sound witty, at no point does he trivialize the ordeal homosexual people go through. Badhaai Do is an important film that surely starts a conversation, more so for the families of homosexual people, which is the most important takeaway from this film.

A twisted tale of love, lies, trust, betrayal, complex relationships, and moving on with the dark realities of your past, Shakun Batra's directorial Gehraiyaan is an intimate film. While this is not the first time Bollywood has shown infidelity on screen, the narrative has surely matured, the characters are allowed more depth, and it's no longer merely about simple attraction. Starring Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Dhairya Karwa in lead roles, Gehraiyaan is a modern-day love story where it's natural to fall out of love and find it again elsewhere. The film delves deep into reasons why relationships reach deadlocks and amid all this, lies get uncovered while some stay hid. Gehraiyaan moves past the length of ‘necklines and hemlines' of the outfits the actors have worn in the film and it's the depth of the narrative, story, and the emotions that you connect with. Listen up for Deepika because she truly has outdone herself, once again.

Based on Team India's first-ever World Cup win in England, Kabir Khan's 83 transports you to that era, allowing you to be a part of that victorious moment. In all honesty, I very much felt like I was sitting in that stadium, cheering for Team India each time they hit a boundary and tearing up on the loss of every wicket. On top of it, I couldn't see any actors on the screen during the 160 minutes runtime of 83 — it all looked so real. Ranveer Singh takes the arduous task of stepping into the shoes of Kapil Dev and aces it. He pulls it off with support from his team including Saqib Saleem as Mohinder Jimmy Amarnath, Tahir Raj Bhasin as Sunil Gavaskar, Jatin Sarna as Yashpal Sharma, Tamil actor Jiiva as Srikkanth, Ammy Virk as Balwinder Sandhu, and Harrdy Sandhu as Madan Lal. If you need a reason to walk into a theatre, Kabir Khan's 83 is that film that calls for a big-screen experience. Tune in.

Ever since the trailer of Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui landed, there's been a lot of secrecy around the film's plot. The trailer gave us a hint but kept most of it under wraps. While we're used to seeing Ayushmann Khurrana take up films based on taboo subjects, this time, it is Vaani Kapoor, who has taken the plunge and dived deep into uncharted waters. The film, directed by Abhishek Kapoor doesn't lose sight of what is important and hence, little flaws here and there are easily ignored. Manvinder Munjal aka Manu (Ayushmann) is a fitness freak, who owns a gym and is preparing hard for an annual local championship which he has been unable to crack so far. Things change when Maanvi Brar (Vaani), a zumba instructor is hired to take classes in his gym. Manu with his buff body and Maanvi with her glam looks, are instantly drawn to each other and what ensues is a romantic and passionate relationship between the two. But there's more to Maanvi than just being a gorgeous looking woman and its upon learning truth about her past that Manu is left in a state of deep confusion.

Satyameva Jayate 2 is a sloppy and shoddy portrayal of jingoism and vigilantism at its most heinous. In the name of a vigilante action thriller and to capitalise on the nostalgia for masala films from the '80s, writer-director Milap Zaveri delivers a stale script that doesn't even attempt to add anything new or unique. ​Showcasing the fight against injustice and misuse of power, Satyameva jayate 2 serves up a montage of done-to-death scenes that give the film's lead heroes — John Abraham and John Abraham — a chance to fulfil their pledge to root out corruption. The plot revolves around Dadasaheb Balram Azad (Abraham) and his two sons, who are also played by Abraham — one of whom grows up to be a Home Minister (Satya) who wants his anti-corruption bill passed, and the other who plays a sassy cop (ACP Jay). The film also stars Divya Khosla Kumar as Satya's wife and Gautami Kapoor as twins' mother. The only redeeming feature of this film could have been Abraham, but he has little to work with other than adhering to the boundaries set by the clumsy screenplay and redundant, overdramatic dialogues. And I just didn't understand why every character had to coin rhymes to make a point. It is frequently so poetic that the essence of the scene is lost.

Antim: The Final Truth is an official adaptation of the hit Marathi film Mulshi Pattern and director Mahesh Manjrekar adds a lot of Bollywood masala and massy flavour to make it a wholesome entertainer, but not without over-the-top drama and loud action sequences. Set on the age-old premise of farmers losing their land to mafias and then working for them, Antim demonstrates the ramifications when Rahul (Aayush Sharma), the jobless son of a farmer, transforms into one of Pune's most feared gangsters who joins forces with the land mafias to fight injustice after his father is ripped off his land. Will he be able to reclaim everything he has lost on this journey, or will he face the wrath of his wrongdoings? Sharma's transformation and his well-sculpted body stand out in the film. Antim is unlike any other Khan film and features him in a more subdued role as a Sikh cop, Rajveer Singh. However, what this and all other action thrillers have in common are heavyweight dialogues, bloody punches, gunshots, and men covered in blood flying through the air like dust particles. There's a large cast of supporting actors, including Upendra Limaye, Nikiten Dheer, Jisshu Sengupta, Sayaji Shinde and Sachin Khedekar. Mahima Makwana makes her Bollywood debut with this heavily male-dominated script.

After just 15 minutes into Bunty Aur Babli 2, one realises what a terribly written and poorly-executed film it is. The original, which most of us so thoroughly enjoyed when it first released 16 years ago, was best left untouched and director Varun V. Sharma should have just followed this rule. With Rani Mukherji reprising her character as Vimmi, this sequel is nothing like the first one. Not even remotely close. It's a snooze-fest that fails to engage or entertain. And sadly, doesn't have any punches to keep you from dozing off. Bunty Aur Babli 2 never gains momentum that you want to see in a comedy. Sharma tries too hard to ingest references from the original and he barely gets them right. The narrative is sloppy and juvenile to say the least.

Directed by Ram Madhvani, action thriller Dhamaka introduces to us Kartik Aaryan 2.0 and it is, by far, his most challenging performance. After being labelled as the monolouge king, and having mostly done comedy and romance, Kartik's Arjun Pathak in Dhamaka not only shows his range as an actor but also touches upon a whole different genre and emotion. Dhamaka is loosely based on the 2013 Korean film, The Terror Live, and stars Kartik playing the role of a broadcast journalist named Arjun Pathak. He was demoted from a prime-time news anchor to an RJ but things change when he gets an exclusive interview with a terrorist right who just blew Mumbai's Sea Link bridge. What transpires thereafter, how Arjun Pathak gathers himself to be live on air amid a terror-like situation and what all goes through his mind while talking to this caller, is what keeps you engaged for 1 hour 43 minutes. The film never loses pace and keeps you on the edge right from the word go. No time is wasted in the build-up - neither for the story nor the characters. Madhvani connects with you with the tensed environment that news anchors and journalists experience while reporting a breaking news from the studio or on the crime scene. The film also stars Amruta Subhash and Mrunal Thakur in important roles.

It has now been more than a year and a half since Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a standoff at the border. There have been thirteen rounds of talks between the two sides but increasingly, it has become evident, that the two sides may be locked in an impasse. HT interviews the former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao who has just authored a book called The Fractured Himalaya: India Tibet China 1949-62.

Rashmi Rocket, starring Taapsee Pannu as Rashmi Vira, picks on the archaic practise of gender testing, to ascertain testosterone level among female athletes and how it has ruined many careers and sometimes, the entire life of these girls. While Bollywood has churned out several sports films, director Akarsh Khurana's Rashmi Rocket is slightly different and unique. It isn't about that one big life-changing game towards the climax which makes the hero shine. It's is about the journey towards that change, and the battle an athlete has to fight for her lost identity. It takes on an important issue and explains it in a rather simplified manner — less on the running track and more inside the courtroom. Also, unlike many sports films where parents are against their kids pursuing sports and later accept them when they bring laurels, Rashmi Rocket sets the tone right from the beginning. Rashmi's parents, played by Supriya Pathak and Manoj Joshi never stop her from being "different" since childhood. Everything is hunky-dory from Rashmi being the most talented sprinter in Bhuj to her falling in love with Major Thakur (played by Priyanshu Painyuli) and then landing in Indian Athlete Association where she trains with other girls. Until the point when she is unknowingly made to undergo a gender test and hereon, things turn for worse. Whether Rashmi decides to give up and accept it as her fate or does she get up and fight with the system, forms the basic premise of the film. The film is streaming on Zee5.

Based on the life of late politician J Jayalalithaa, Kangana Ranaut-starrer Thalaivii is about how a naive Jaya transformed into someone more formidable — an Amma to millions. Staying true to the story he set out to tell, director AL Vijay tackles aspects of her life that Jaya's followers may have never got to see up close. Thalaivii takes you to the mid-60s when Jaya (Kangana) was pushed into acting to support her family, all but burying her dreams of becoming a lawyer. As a young, charming, beautiful heroine, she was paired opposite one of the most legendary actors of his generation, MG Ramachandran (played by Arvind Swami). Their love story goes through its shares of highs and lows until the political bug bites Jaya and their lives take a different turn. Kangana's performance as Jayalalithaa deserves applause. She taps into Jaya's rebellious spirit, her ferocity in challenging patriarchy, and her empathy when it comes to serving people. Arvind Swami is a treat to watch bearing an uncanny resemblance to the icon he's playing. In other pivotal roles, Raj Arjun (as RM Veerappan), Bhagyashree as Sandhya (Jaya's mother) and Madhoo as MGR's wife, (VN Janaki Ramachandran) are endearing.

BellBottom is the first film to release on the big screen after theatres reopened post the second wave of coronavirus pandemic. Starring Akshay Kumar as a RAW agent, the film is a heady blend of emotions, action, entertainment, drama and stunning visuals. Directed by Ranjit M Tewari, BellBottom is an edge of the seat thriller with a well-researched script, effective screenplay and impactful storytelling. The film also stars Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Huma Qureshi, Adil Hussain in pivotal roles. Inspired from real life hijackings that shook the country in the 1980s, the film narrates the episode of Indian Airlines flight ICC 691 that takes off from Delhi and is overtaken by four terrorists. This was our fifth plane hijacking in seven years and then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi (played by Dutta) has had enough. While she plans to let the Pakistani government negotiate with the hijackers (as the plane has landed in Lahore), under-cover RAW agent, Anshul Malhotra (played by Kumar), code-named BellBottom, has a different plan in place. He wants to not only rescue 210 passengers but also capture the hijackers. How the team carries out India's first covert mission, gives BellBottom its main plot. Watch the film in theatres near you.

Directed and co-written by debutante Abhishek Dudhaiya, Bhuj: The Pride Of India, is a majorly fictionalized tale of an episode from the India-Pakistan war of 1971 when the Bhuj airbase was completely destroyed in deadly airstrikes by Pakistani forces. It highlights the heroic tale of soldiers and 300 female civilians from a local village Madhapar, who got together to rebuild a bombed-out runway in just 72 hours. The entire mission is led by IAF squadron leader Vijay Karnik played by Ajay Devgn. The first half of the film is a tad over the top but it redeems itself in the second half and especially the last 40 minutes - where flight lieutenant Vikram Singh (Ammy Virk) is trying to land the plane on the reconstructed runway while Col RK Nair (Sharad Kelkar) and Indian Army scout Pagi (Sanjay Dutt) are battling it out with Pakistani forces on ground. Among the ladies, Sonakshi Sinha as Gujarat ki Sherni Sunderben and Nora Fatehi as Hindustan ki beti Heema Rehman, also a secret agent in Pakistan are fiery in their heroic avatars. But I feel bad for Pranita Subhash as Ajay Devgan's onscreen wife, who didn't have a single dialogue in the film. Bhuj pays a tribute to war heroes and Indian Air Force and all those locals who contributed towards winning this war. Nationalism or jingoism, as long as the story strikes a chord with the audiences, who are we to complain? So, don't overthink and go watch the film on this Independence Day weekend. Bhuj: The Pride of India is now streaming on Disney + Hotstar

A biopic based on the life of Param Vir Chakra awardee, late Captain Vikram Batra, Shershaah pays an honest tribute to his bravery and laurels. Captain Vikram laid his life during the 1999 Kargil war while leading one of the toughest operations in mountain warfare. His code name was Sher Shah which translates to Lion King. Actor Sidharth Malhotra delivers a nearly perfect performance playing the role of Vikram Batra. Kiara Advani as Vikram's fiancee, Dimple Cheema, also plays her part convincingly. The two share a great chemistry onscreen. Directed by Vishnuvardhan, Shershaah evokes desired emotions that give you goosebumps during war sequences, and then make you cry towards the end. Supporting actors including Sahil Vaid, Shiv Pandit, Nikiten Dheer, Himanshoo A Malhotra among others have added their own flavour in whatever little parts they play in the film. A perfect perfect watch for the Independence Day week, Shershaah is now streaming on Amazon Prime Videos.

Mimi starring Kriti Sanon (Mimi Rathore), Pankaj Tripathi (Bhanupratap Pandey) and Sai Tamhankar (Shama), is a story of an aspiring actor, who, in a desperate need for money agrees to become a surrogate mother for a childless American couple. But on learning that the child might be born with down syndrome, the couple decides to flee without any explanation to Mimi and she is left on her own, and Bhanu, to deal with the pregnancy and the baby. It's from there Mimi's struggle begins and Bhanu is there for her throughout. Kriti delivers a great performance at carrying it entirely on her shoulders being this feisty, carefree and ambitious small-town girl. Her expressions of joy, happiness, anger, pain and suffering are pretty convincing and balanced. Directed by Laxman Utekar, Mimi is predictable but strikes the right chord with the rampant and yet under reported issue of foreigners coming to India looking for potential surrogates and then often disappearing for various reasons. A family entertainer, the film has some funny dialogues and a lot of emotional scenes, too, especially the climax. Mimi is now streaming on Netflix.

Haseen Dillruba starring Taapsee Pannu (Rani Kashyap), Vikrant Masey (Rishu) and Harshvardhan Rane (Neel), is a twisted tale of love that lives up to the genre it belongs to. Directed by Vinil Mathew and written by Kanika Dhillon, this mystery thriller has some crazy twists and unexpected turns that keep you on the edge till the very end. The references to Dinesh Pandit's novel is perhaps among the newest things in a film that we've seen in a long time. The story revolves around Rani Kashyap who is under investigation as a suspect in her husband, Rishu's murder. Police believes that she conspired with her lover, Neel and killed Rishu, but through a series of flashback sequences, Rani narrates details of her marriage that only complicates the case further. If you can guess the climax, good for you, but it does have a lot in store to keep you thinking what next. The film is now streaming on Netflix.

Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai is Salman Khan's Eid release amid the pandemic, and has opted for a hybrid model release given the shutdown of theatres in the country. Directed by Prabhu Deva, Radhe also stars Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles. With hard-to-digest action sequences, mindless romance, and cringeworthy one-liners — some laughable and others flat — Radhe is a predictable-to-death kind of a film that disappoints from the word go. While Salman fans will once again be in awe of their much loved bhai, for many, it can be a two-hour torture for many who do not understand the cinema that's all about cars flying, helicopters burning and the hero packing a punch mid-air and beating 50 men single-handedly. Radhe is about this good cop and encounter specialist who has been called to Mumbai and is out to get the bad guy, Rana played by Randeep Hooda who is plaguing the city with drugs with his gang. In the process, some 500 men get beaten to death with bloodshed all over your screen. Poor writing, predictable plot and mindless dialogues - these are some of the things Radhe has in abundance. One thing that you may take home with you is the music of the film, though don't complain about the songs being mindlessly placed in the film because some things don't have any logic.

Ajeeb Dastaans is an anthology of four films that do not revolve around any common theme. Perhaps that's why each of the stories in Ajeeb Daastaans gets a chance to stand out and make an impact without the baggage of being compared to each other. Kayode Irani's Ankahi stars Shefali Shah and Manav Kaul, Neeraj Ghyawan's Geeli Pucchi features Aditi Rao Hydari and Konkona Sen Sharma, Khilauna by Raj Mehta is led by Nushrat Bharucha and Abhishek Bannerjee along with child actor Inayat Verma and Majnu by Shashank Khaitan has Jaideep Ahlawat, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Armaan Ralhan in lead roles. A heady mix of flawed characters, layered emotions, fragile relationships and unexplained desires come together to highlight and explore stories of domestic abuse, patriarchy, toxic masculinity, casteism and much more. Interestingly, none of the directors force feed their version on to you, but leaves it the audience to interpret the characters as well as the climax. Through a compelling storytelling, Ajeeb Daastaans is a stark take on complexities of human behaviour, and it explores a plethora of emotions while narrating contrasting stories. Ajeeb Daastaans is streaming on Netflix.

Touted to be a suspense thriller and a dark comedy, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar somehow just misses the plot despite having so much to explore. Its lazy writing and slow pace ruin its chances of clicking with the audience. Director Dibakar Bannerjee's film touches upon bank scams and the elderly people who are victimised by them, an idea that had potential, but the narrative goes haywire. Starring Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor in lead roles, the first 15 minutes set high hopes and you think you're in for a lot of suspenseful storytelling, but the film turns out to be a series of repetitive events and boring twists -- just like the deceptive title. The story revolves around a successful banker named Sandeep Walia, aka Sandy, (Chopra) is escaping from her boss who's out to get her. A suspended cop from Haryana, Satinder Dahiya, aka Pinky, (Kapoor) comes to her rescue. Will they manage to outrun the goons and corrupt cops? Will Pinky be able to save Sandeep's life? That's what the film is all about. Chained to a mediocre script, some seasoned actors including Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav and Jaideep Ahlawat bring their flair. By the end of wish, you just wish Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar had stuck to the suspense thriller genre and it might have worked.

A quintessential action drama directed by Sanjay Gupta, Mumbai Saga stars John Abraham as Amartya Rao and Emraan Hashmi as encounter specialist Vijay Savarkar, along with a stellar lineup of cast including Gulshan Grover, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Amole Gupte, Prateik Babbar, Rohit Roy and Samir Soni. Inspired by true events, Mumbai Saga is set in the 90s, when Mumbai was Bombay -- the land of Bhaus and Bhais. The film narrates the story of a common man, Amartya Rao (Abraham) who resorts to violence and turns into a menacing gangster who takes on the mafia, corrupt politicians, cops, and local goons, to safeguard his younger brother Arjun (Babbar), after Arjun is nearly killed by a gang. Even though Mumbai Saga is more of a visual spectacle with all the action happening onscreen, the heavyweight dialogues are just as impressive. Even if you don't like heavy-duty action flicks, watch this one as an experiment and you may just end up liking it.

A story of a dysfunctional family of three generations of mothers and daughters, Tribhanga explores the complexities, emotions and dynamics of three generations of mothers and daughters. Directed by actor-director Renuka Shahahe and starring Tanvi Azmi, Kajol and Mithila Palkar in lead roles, the film pushes you to re-examine your relationship with your mothers. Contrary to the notion that moms know everything and they can never be wrong Tribhanga tells you that it is absolutely fine for a mother to make wrong choices and no child should ever judge them. But at the same time it also emphasizes on the need to have a better communication with your mother. The plot revolves around Kajol,  plays a famous actor and Odissi dancer Anuradha Apte and she resents her mother Nayan, played by Tanvi for not giving her a childhood that one should get. Adding to the dynamics is Anu's daughter Masha played by Mithila whose bond with her mother has its own journey. Tribhanga is about how their life choices transform their relationship with each other and what happens when self-realizations happen. The film is now streaming of Netflix. 

Starring Anil Kapoor and Anurag Starring in lead roles playing their real parts of that of an actor and director in reel life, AK vs AK is your conventional Bollywood masala film, and no, you can't afford to leave your brains behind while watching it. It's made intelligently, has a clever screenplay, even smarter direction and some ace performances that make it a wholesome watch. Kapoor's and Kashyap's camaraderie even while having a spat, looks so real that you are left to wonder if they're actually venting out for some old grudge or are they doing it just for the film. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, AK vs AK is an edge of the seat thriller that makes you guessing what's next and eventually treats you with the fabulously written climax. It also features Sonam Kapoor and Harsh Vardhan Kapoor in supporting roles. It's currently streaming on Netflix.

A remake of 1995 Govinda and Karisma Kapoor starrer by the same name, Coolie No. 1 is directed by David Dhawan who also directed the original. Starring Varun Dhawan (as Raju Coolie and Kuwar Raj Pratap Singh) and Sara Ali Khan (Sarah Rozzario) in lead roles, the film is old wine in new bottle with both Varun and Sara adding their own tadka, but it doesn't taste anything like the original. Not to say that original was a cult in any way but for that era, it kind of worked with Govinda's effortless comic timing and wit. Switch to 2020, I'm sorry but such blatant frame-to-frame remakes aren't going to work. It's way too over-the-top for today's audiences and proves that not everything can be recycled. Even the music that has been remixed, it would have been best left untouched. The supporting cast includes Paresh Rawal (Jeffery Rozzario), Jaaved Jaffery (Pandit Jai Kishen), Shikha Talsania (Anjali Rozzario), Sahil Vaid (Deepak) and Rajpal Yadav (Pinto) and other than Rawal, no one brings anything new to the table that's worth mentioning. While Rumi Jaffery's screenplay has no head and tail that's evident from highly misplaced songs and abrupt action sequences that come in out of the blue, it's Farhad Samji's utterly ridiculous and mindless dialogues that are a put-off. If anything is good, it's perhaps the fact that Coolie No.1 doesn't have anything vulgar, no cuss words, no double meaning jokes, so it can be well enjoyed with your family. But mind you, don't put any logic into it because they didn't. The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Videos.

Ludo is a kind of a film where even the smallest of distraction can make you miss out on the whole turn of events that follow. Directed by Anurag Basu, the film features an ensemble cast including Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Rohit Saraf, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Pearle Manney and Pankaj Tripathi. Ludo is a modern age take on the circle of life and death and concept of hell and heaven. High on emotions, it's also a heady mix of comedy, drama, action, revenge, romance and thrill. There are four simultaneous stories going on — a tale of a leaked sex tape days before a marriage; a story of a dejected lover still smitten by his now married ladylove; heart-wrenching story of an imprisoned father who goes through the pain of not being able to see his daughter and lastly, a small-town boy and a girl on the run with a suitcase full of money. These four wildly different stories are linked together by the deeds of an local gangster who's both eccentric and funny. With top-notch performances and flawless storytelling, it's definitely at par with the standard of content that OTT platforms are churning.

A remake of Tamil film Kanchana (2011) directed by Raghava Lawrence, Laxmii stars Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani in the lead roles and is directed by Lawrence himself. Given the kind of buzz that the film had been generating, mostly around Akshay's transgender character, Laxmii had set a high benchmark. Was it crossed? Not entirely. Or maybe not as successfully as you would have liked. Asif and Rashmi played by Akshay and Kiara are a married against their family's will, thus setting the ground for an interfaith subplot early on in the story. Asif is out to eradicate the superstitions around ghosts, by offering scientific explanations for supernatural events but later he gives in to one such situation himself when he gets possessed by a spirit of a transgender, who is set to take revenge on all those who wronged her. While Akshay is in full form, Kiara delivers a balanced performance and doesn't go overboard. The supporting cast including Ashwini Kalsekar; Ayesha Raza Mishra; Rajesh Sharma and Manu Rishi Chadha adds a tinge of wit and humor. Stealing the show in a 20-minute cameo is Sharad Kelkar as a trans woman. Music is just about okay but the song and dance numbers Burj Khalifa and Bam Bam Bholle are total paisa vasool.

Picking a trope from the 80s and 90s, Khaali Peeli is proof that stale storytelling doesn't work today. Starring Ishaan Khatter (Blackie) and Ananya Panday (Pooja) in the lead roles, the film is a story of two childhood sweets who have to part ways due to circumstances but they meet again as adults and their story takes a twist. Directed by Maqbool Khan, the film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat as the lead villain Yusuf Chikna. While the film lacks anything concrete to hold onto your attention, it's only some performances that act as the saving grace. Khaali Peeli is now available on Zee Plex.

A sequel to the 1991 cult film Sadak, the latest release Sadak 2 starring Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Jisshu SenGupta, Makrand Deshpande, Gulshan Grover comes across as a half-hearted attempt that lacks the charm and nostalgia of the '90s. Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, who returned to direction after 20 years, the film has a lot of potholes be it story, screenplay or even direction. The story is about Alia's Aarya and Aditya's Vishal going to Mount Kailash with Ravi Kishore played by Dutt as their taxi driver. While Aarya is on a mission to bust the racket of fake godmen, she puts her own life in danger and before she realises who's on her side and who's not, she finds a saviour and a guardian angel in Ravi. Next 2 hours 13 mins is about how this road trip turns out to be a revelation for both Aarya and Vishal and how Ravi gets the closure he's seeking after he has lost the love of his life, Pooja. Sadak 2 is a wasted opportunity where even the best of lineup in terms of actors and director couldn't save a sinking ship. However, one thing is sure that the raging nepotism debate has nothing to do with the film being good or bad.

Starring Janhvi Kapoor in the titular role, this biographical film, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is inspired by the life of Indian Air Force pilot, Gunjan Saxena — the first Indian female air-force pilot in combat, and the first and only woman to be part of the Kargil War in 1999. Directed by Sharan Sharma, the film stars Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi in supporting roles as Gunjan's father and brother respectively. The films shows Gunjan's journey of realizing her dream of becoming a pilot and upon reaching the IAF flying base, how she beats patriarchal mindset, deals with gender bias, proves her physical strength and tales a test at every step. The music of the film is quite a package and there's a song for every situation. Even as the film looks a bit rushed at times, there's rarely a dull moment in this inspiring tale. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl will stream on Netflix starting August 12.

With Vidya Balan in the titular role, Shakuntala Devi is a biographical comedy-drama based on the life of world-famous mathematician, also known as Human-Computer. Written and directed by Anu Menon, the film also stars Sanya Malhotra in a pivotal role with Jisshu Sen Gupta and Amit Sadh in supporting parts. The film is high on emotions and comes across as a mother-daughter tale in most parts. With the message that 'Why be normal when you can be amazing?', the film shows Shakuntala's balancing act between maths and motherhood. Does she finally win over her relations sacrificing her love for maths or does she give up everything for her personal ambitions — it all unfolds with a pinch of humour. The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Videos.

Dil Bechara: An emotional watch that celebrates Sushant Singh Rajput, the actor he was.

Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship doesn’t tinker with Bollywood’s funda for a horror film —horrifying make-up, loud background score and a few well-timed jump scares. There’s a ghost; a creepy doll, and an old professor who chants mantras to shoo away the ghosts and the hero, Vicky Kaushal, with full-on josh trying to solve the mystery of the haunted ship. Writer-director Bhanu Pratap Singh hasn’t made Bhoot outrageously funny but it crack you up at times, though unintentionally. Based on a true incident, the film opens with a huge vessel, Sea Bird, docking itself at Mumbai’s Juhu beach with no one on board. Prithvi played by Vicky is struggling to come to terms with a personal loss. He becomes obsessed with this vessel and is determined to find out the truth. Will he be able to uncover the mysteries? Will he come out alive?

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan talks about a serious subject but gives it a lighter treatment. Touted to be a quirky take on same-sex love, the film traces the journey and struggle of a gay couple — Aman Tripathi and Kartik Singh played by Jitendra Kumar and Ayushmann Khurrana respectively. The film takes on homophobia, and not homosexuality. It showcases the reluctance of the family to embrace their son’s sexuality and instead, be in denial. Aman and Kartik are a happy gay couple living together in Delhi. Back in Allahabad, Aman’s parents are oblivious to his sexual preference and are trying to set him up with Kusum played by Pankhuri Awasthy. It’s during a train journey for a wedding that Tripathi family gets to know of Aman and Kartik’s relationship. Rest of the film is about them convincing the family, breaking stereotypes and working towards a ‘happy ending’ they feel they deserve. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is an important film about an important subject conveyed in the simplest way. It’s absolutely a family entertainer.

The 1st thing that comes to mind is what prompted director Imtiaz Ali to tell a decade old story again, with messed up modern characters, who are also frivolous? Was it just a mindless decision to cash in on the craze his lead pair generate?