FILMISTAAN - "Mere Paas Cine'Maa' Hai"

GOOD - Sharib Hashmi's confident, unabashed yet sincere effort (both in acting & dialogue writing); Inaamulhaq who has been in the industry for a long time, deserves a noteworthy mention this time; Kumud Mishra is a pure character actor and has done a remarkable work; The message that has been put forward is the soul of the film and you realise why the makers got their due appreciation in the form of 'National Award for Best Feature Film'.
BAD - The screenplay takes a lot more time to grow on you as you wait for what's in the box; the first half is plain while the second half picks up the pace; The expectations were higher and at some points viewers may tend to loose interest.
FILMISTAAN is a remarkable attempt from director Nitin Kakkar and gives out a beautiful message that people of India and Pakistan are of similar human nature and share common interest, be it Bollywood films, cricket matches, Sunny Deol or Sunny Leone.
P.S. FILMISTAAN also won the Best Feature Film Award at Delhi International Film Festival, 2012 where our Short Film - Sab Maal China (Made in China) was also the official selection.

HOLIDAY - Akshay Kumar is off his regular duty after a long time

GOOD - It's been more than an year (after Special 26) when AK can be seen into something to be taken seriously and he does justice; The plot is unique; enthralling action sequences (Greg Powell of Skyfall); Patriotism factor; Entertainment quotient.
BAD - Slow-paced screenplay (which should be an edge-of-the-seat thrilling types); Running time of 161 min makes the film intolerable (song sequences are the worst part of them); Even Murugadoss couldn't get over with the AK-factor (some lame sequences are there); Freddy Daruwala as the negative lead never looks convincing throughout; The climax is quickly wrapped up and in a sense looked funny (to me). 
HOLIDAY is a sincere attempt but it is not at all an out of the box film. It is a good entertainer but doesn't fulfill the high expectations from its director (after Ghajini). WATCHABLE.

CITYLIGHTS - "Take a bow Rajkummar Rao"

GOOD - Rajkummar's to the core fusion of Deepak's character (I can't forget the "drunk" scene and his superbly delivered performance throughout the film); Another appreciable find is debutante Patralekha (a perfect choice for the role); Apart from all, one man comes out of the blue and delivers a power-packed performance along with the lead cast, the name is Manav Kaul (Bitto Mama of Kai Po Che) and you're going to love his job; Flawless screenplay (though it dips a bit in the middle portion); Beautiful picturisation.
BAD - Some parts of the film looks cliched (Beer Bar sequences); the story in the middle portion seems to be going nowhere; YES, some people may find it a bit more depressing than usual.
Citylights can be easily counted among the best films made on poverty in the big cities. Hansal Mehta once again proves his worth to the industry after 'Shahid'. The best part is "Bhatt Camp" has officially adapted the story from 2013 Filipino film Metro Manila and even gave credits to its director and writers (strange!) RECOMMENDED!

REVOLVER RANI - "Humne Police Ko Chaaron Taraf Se Gher Lia Hai"

GOOD - The confidence of Kangana; the brilliance of Piyush Mishra, Vir Das & Zakir Hussain; the interesting & witty dialogues; some cleverly written sequences (some Tarantino inspiration); in-the-face satire.
BAD - The story is half-baked; lot of flaws in the screenplay; not too lengthy still looks stretched towards the end.
RR is purely a director's film and debutante Sai Kabir (writer of Lamhaa, Kismat Konnection) did a great job. Kangana Ranaut once again surprises and puts a long pause over her criticism. It's an entertaining, paisa-vasool film (for those who read b/w the lines) with some power-packed performances and excellent writing. WATCHABLE.
P.S. The title sequence by Battalion is impressive and opens up the film with a bang. 

2 STATES - 2 States - 149 minutes or 267 pages ?

GOOD - Amrita Singh proves herself once again portraying probably the best character of the novel to the core; Ronit Roy who always surprises you with that extra punch in his acting; some songs; comparative enhancement in the lead pair's acting skills.
BAD - The screenplay which is adapted page-by-page from the novel; dull moments; cliched dialogues; poor editing; continuity flaws; too lengthy and stretched.
2 States was one of the most anticipated films of the year (thanks to Chetan Bhagat). But the worst thing is, you're not going to enjoy this film if you've already read the novel. To Sum Up - "Going for, Buying Tickets of & Watching 2 States - 3 Mistakes of My Life". AVOIDABLE.

GUNDAY - "Hum Gunday Hain, Slo-Mo Humari Puri Film Me Hai, Tere So Jane Se Kuch Nahi Hoga"

GOOD - Undoubtedly Irrfan Khan, though in a special appearance but this man sets the screen on fire each time he comes in action; the huge production value making it a typical Yashraj film; the music and BG score suits the mood; Ranveer Singh easily outshines Arjun Kapoor.
BAD - Loose screenplay; nothing exceptional about the plot; easily predictable plot points; the "Gunday" who are shown like larger than life characters overacts; overdose of slow-motion; the reason for this mishap and mishandling of a film which had huge expectations and better potential is bad direction.
GUNDAY is a sure-shot entertainer without any mindless masala factor but it lacks on content making it a one-time good watch nothing exceptional. 
P.S. You get to see very little of him but 0.5+ for Irrfan Khan only.

ONE BY TWO - "I'm Just Pakaoed"

GOOD - The intention of making a sensible rom-more-com-less film is appreciable; though it's one of his weakest performances but Abhay Deol steals the show so does Preeti Desai; all the split-screens and unusual camerawork gives a soothing look to the film; Khushfehmiyan is a beautiful song.
BAD - Weak screenplay; never-ending length of the film; forgettable dialogues; cheesy characters; the total lack of any romance; the lead characters doesn't meet each other in the whole film except split-screens (i.e. 1/2); it's a story of two different people colliding into each other's life unknowingly but is presented otherwise, so it could be it's biggest TURN OFF.
ONE BY TWO is undoubtedly a light-heart feel good film but it is far from being entertaining. It's a big 139 min bore which is funny in bits n pieces. 
AVOIDABLE!

JAI HO - "Aam admi sota hua viewer hai, sense mat de, jaag gaya to screen cheer-phaad dega"

GOOD - The film runs on the element that "Bhai" can solve every social problem fighting an endless number of goons which is the sole "feel-good" factor; the fight sequences (which are the only thing) are well choreographed; the message that it intends to deliver; you'll get to watch many forgotten yesteryear's actors; the child actor Naman Jain is tremendous.
BAD - Poor script, worse screenplay; monotonous pace; romance is forced; some usually unusual (anything can happen when Bhai is there) events; easily anticipated plot points.
JAI HO tries to be preachy but there is nothing happening which forces you to take it seriously. It is a kg of mixture containing 800g action, 100g drama, 50g romance and 50g comedy. "AVOID - If You Can" !!

DEDH ISHQIYA - "Funny, witty, sarcastic, romantic, intelligent, enthralling"

GOOD - To start with, Naseeruddin Shah is mind boggling, Arshad Warsi is raw & wickedly funny, Madhuri Dixit is alluring, Huma Qureshi is just flawless and Vijay Raaz is superlative; Vishal Bhardwaj's dialogues are impish wicked and at the same time poetic (funniest ever and superb); the screenplay by Bhardwaj and Chaubey is just unimpaired and you're going to enjoy every bit of those 152 minutes (and desire for some more); Gulzar sahab's lyrics are A-grade as usual and Bashir Badr's poetry adds the demanding taste to the film.
BAD - Nothing actually, being critical we can say the climax could have been properly wrapped. 
FINAL WORD - Dedh Ishqiya is a film which is not made frequently, it is one of those rare films which makes a great impact and are to be remembered for years. The smooth flow of the film mixed with the lyrical romantic touch and beautifully written dialogues ("thand hai.. lihaaf maang lein" is epic). Kudos to Abhishek Chaubey for giving out a sequel which is far better than the original and hugely entertaining (I mean who can think of playing a Begum Akhtar's ghazal in the background of a shootout scene). 

DHOOM 3 - "The best sequel to the biggest franchise but certainly not a better one"

GOOD - The huge production value (Yashraj Style); flawless on technical level; the overall cinematic experience of watching this massive film; leaving other things aside, the film is nil if you take out one man from it - Aamir Khan, who surprises you with his superior performance (you'll know what the word 'performance' means after 100 min. into the film); few unpredictably good twists at plot points.
BAD - It has some largely "cheap" stunts and illogical sequences but you tend to ignore that once you start absorbing the story; the length of the film is 172 min. which makes it look stretched at some points; Katrina is not in the cast (just the dances are for her); the admirers of DHOOM 2 would feel cheated as there are no robberies shown, only the after chases. 
FINAL WORD - D3 is the biggest release of the year; it would not be counted among Aamir Khan's best works but it surely would make an impact and you're going to love him in the film. As the "hero" of the film says - "Jeet Tumhari Hui Sahir (AK)" !!

BULLETT RAJA - "Padhe Likhe Bakait Aaj Kal Milte Kahan Hain"

GOOD - Saif Ali Khan as the rusty, raunchy "bakait" and Jimmy Sheirgill as composed, quick-witted "bakait", making a powerful duo of "political commandos"; the chemistry between Saif and Jimmy is outstanding (best moments of the film); the political satire is apt and in-the-face, you need to have prior knowledge to understand some of the dialogues like, "sata ke thoko", "saaye mein dhoop"; 
BAD - The screenplay is lethargic; the story has nothing new to present; the length of the film; the second half is as boring as entertaining the first half is; the climax is not so Dhulia-type and looks childish in a hurry to wrap up things. 
FINAL WORD - BR has its moments, it's a performance and dialogue-based film which entertains you in the first half and bores you in the second (the reason may be a spoiler). Watch out only for Saif and Jimmy or if you're a Dhulia fan else, AVOIDABLE! 

RAM-LEELA - "Lengthy, colourful, dramatic hota hai par Bhansali to aesa hi hota hai"

GOOD - There are numerous adaptations of "Romeo-Juliet" but Bhansali's Gujarat based raunchy and abashed Raameo and Juleeliet are definitely the best ones we've watched so far; Ranveer Singh is the next superstar of the industry delivering such an energetic and praiseworthy performance; Deepika Padukone is no less than her co-star and excels all the way in the film; Supriya Pathak is one actor who look so perfect for her role that you won't care what else is happening while watching her act; Though it is a performance based film, but Bhansali holds the credit for picturising such a grand and colourful film with so much confidence and conviction.
BAD - Tooooo many songs and nothing exceptional about it (the music creates nostalgia about HDDCS and Devdas); the film drags in the second half having the running time of 155 minutes, it could be easily chopped off for about 10-15 minutes; the plot becomes predictable at some plot-points; not favourable for family audience unlike other films of SLB.
GKRRL is a confidently made film promising a grand cinematic experience through the eyes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and some power packed performances. Watchable!

KRRISH 3 - "Hum sab me ek 'krrish' hai", really?

GOOD - Hrithik Roshan's sincere effort towards being Rohit/Krishna/Krrish; the use of VFX (some of the scenes deserve a word of praise); the climax sequence.
BAD - Dull screenplay (boring to an extent); average plot; cheap music; un-bardaashtable songs; yawn-prone dialogues; the total mishmash of superhero meets masala entertainment.
Krrish 3 has huge expectations from the sci-fi lovers comparing it to films like "Man Of Steel" etc. but unfortunately like every time it falls flat. After being into theater for more than 2.5 hours, you feel like you've watched an upgraded version of "Shaktimaan", our original superhero (even it was better).

SHAHID - This is what we call brave and original cinema.

GOOD - The subject, the controversial yet inspiring life of Shahid Azmi; Raj Kumar once again proves his worth to the industry with a stupendous act; Hansal Mehta's thought process, courage and effort for making a film like this; the supporting actors are as original as Kumar, special mention to Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub; the court room scenes are applause-worthy. 
BAD - Dialogues could have been more intense but unfortunately have no recall value; screenplay is low-paced at a few points.
FINAL WORD - Shahid is a brave attempt by Hansal Mehta, it is not an easy job for any filmmaker to do a biopic, that too of a man like Shahid Azmi and Mehta deserves all the credit for bringing it up. Kudos! Long Live Cinema!

THE LUNCHBOX - "Simple is beautiful"

GOOD - From the concept to the treatment to the execution, the film stands out; We do not have more words to describe the talent of Irrfan Khan (if not the best, he can be counted among the Top 5 actors Hindi cinema has produced ever); It is a huge task of sharing the screen space with such a talent, but a man like Nawazuddin Siddiqui can do it and he does it with so much perfection that you're going to love him each time they both share the screen (it's a treat to watch); Nimrat Kaur, another brewing talent performs her intense character with so much ease.
BAD - Nothing actually, it's just that at a point of time the scenes start becoming monotonous and you urge to watch how the story will eventually wrap up.
The Lunchbox is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year (of the decade). Debutante director Ritesh Batra deserves all the credits for telling the story, making the characters look as real as they can and making a film which although looks like a typical art(y) film but is actually entertaining, very entertaining !!

JOHN DAY - "If it's not for performances, the film would have been a dud"

GOOD - Naseeruddin Shah instinctively playing his character; Randeep Hooda in his trademark role of a cop-with-a-dark-past; the other supporting actors; the setting of the film; some dialogues.
BAD - The film looses its pace of a taut thriller with a dull and perplexed screenplay which is fenced around a rather confusing plot; there isn't a single scene of Shah and Hooda together (which is the biggest let-down for their fans); towards the climax the film gets stretched and boring; the climax which is not worthy enough.
John Day promised to be an edge of the seat thriller with a combo of such talented actors playing the main lead. The expectations were higher and debutante director Ahishor Solomon failed to bring the film up to the mark. Disappointing! 
P.S. Being a fan of the two main leads, the ratings may seem biased. 

Shuddh Desi Romance - "The characters are the real winners"

GOOD - Sushant Singh Rajput proves once again that he was not meant for TV as he bounces back with a terrific performance making you fall in love with his character; Parineeti Chopra is a talented girl and very easily slips into the role tailor-made for her; Vaani Kapoor is very confident in her debut act and looks refreshing; Jaideep Sahni is actually the real person who deserves accolades for writing each and every character with so much experience and conviction; Last but not least, Rishi Kapoor who's on his career high doing so much experiments and still standing out.
BAD - The screenplay is dull in most of the parts in the second half; the story is not build up properly; dialogues could have been made better.
FINAL WORD - SDR stands tall explaining the complications and confusions in relationships for today's youth. Backed by the captain Maneesh Sharma who's in his comfort zone with desi-crazy-stupid-real-life-characters having fun. It's a good watch.

SATYAGRAHA - "Prakash Jha has again failed miserably to make an impact"

GOOD - Amitabh Bachchan's never seen before performance; Manoj Bajpayee once again in his tailor-made role is brilliant; Kareena Kapoor and Ajay Devgn doing justice to their roles; the intention is good with a powerful message.
BAD - The plot has many "visible loop-holes"; the Hodge-podge of scenes which are going astray; Arjun Rampal is totally wasted (considering some absolutely stunning performances in his past few films); the pace is too slow for a film with a running time of 153 minutes that you hardly look forward to.
FINAL WORD - Satyagraha is an honest attempt by Jha highlighting one of the most important issue which we're dealing with - Corruption. But the film hardly makes an impact on the audience because of its loose plot and dull screenplay. Watch it only for the hard-hitting performances.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara - "This Time They've Lost It !"

GOOD - The classic look and feel; stylish Akshay Kumar; exceptional Sonakshi Sinha; few dialogues and nothing else.
BAD - The plot is so much unbelievable that you loose the track of what's going on; Akshay Kumar doesn't fit into the character; Imran Khan is too sweet for the role of a local Mumbaiya goon; the dialogues are over-the-top and irrelevant; the story doesn't take you anywhere and the running time of 152 minutes is not justified at all.
After making such good films like Taxi Number 9211 , OUATIM and The Dirty Picture, Milan Luthria has surely lost it this time and ended up making a wannabe commercial blockbuster.

Watch Chennai Express to test your loyalty as an SRK fan !

"Meri dictionary mein impossible word hai and i know what it means, this is impossible."
GOOD: Deepika Paukone, who's the real winner (and probably the only one) in terms of her career, fans, money etc., she looks more charming than SRK (a compliment for her); The beautiful locales of South India (but you're not there to enjoy scenic beauty, do you?); the climax fight sequence; SRK (only where he's not over-the-top).
BAD (an exact word, yeah!): No storyline (as expected); not funny (irritating most of the times); Lame dialogues (what you call one-liners); second half looks stretched; the pace of the film is so slow (the reason being the absence of any plot) that you actually keep an eye on the "exit" board (and there comes another song to dishearten you)). 
Being not a critic of the popular "Rohit Shetty Ishtyle", this times Shetty feels so homely that he's struck the wrong chord and falls flat on his dream project with SRK. And, being an SRK admirer, an advice to the King: Sir, please watch 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' and 'Baadshah' once again to know how good you "were" at comedy.