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Welcome To The Jungle - Review

meeta — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:12:45 +0000

wogma rating: Don't bother ^(?)

quick review:

It's cute! Not the film. No. It's cute that they felt the need to offer logic. Even cuter that there is an attempt at metaphors. Why bother? When the intent is to evade tax by making the most terrible film possible ?😉

Streaming Partner: JioHotstar

Review

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is sacrosanct in Welcome to the Jungle. Language, age, objectification, racism, casteism, disabilities, to name a few. Oh, and body-shaming in all dimensions—height, width, depth—all bases covered. Everything is game to be the butt of a joke. So, every other scene in this true-blue equal opportunity offender has something problematic about it. And when it's not that, it is characters putting each other down—all with the good intentions of making the audience laugh.

Okay, before I put the entire movie down. I began laughing out loud in one scene, and it became uncontrollable for a bit. Things were getting just way too silly. Also, once you accept that the idea is that the characters berating each other constantly, some of the scenes have witty quips. But, I've never found it in myself to spend energy on considering roasting as a form of humour.

Then there is the other regular slapstick fair—loudness, slurping, people getting shot in the buttocks, and so on. Oh, and characters talking over each other. All the time. To top it off, they go ahead and make it a feature.
Character gets talked over ➡️ They lose track of what they were saying ➡️ They try to remember what they are saying ➡️ Other characters create more confusion ➡️ The first character remembers ➡️ And repeats the train of thought!
I wonder how many extra minutes this non-comedy added to the almost 3-hour film.

Speaking of which, did they just shoot a series of "item" numbers? Sure, some of them will hit the clubs regularly. But, I could spot three left over after an "explainable" one and an end-credit one. How do I know they had extra songs in their kitty? Well, they have one inexplicably follow what I am calling the "explainable" one, one before the end-credit one, and one…hold your breath…during the interval! Not just before or just after the interval, right after "INTERVAL" shows up on screen.

It is remarkable in this mayhem and some-15 oddly-written characters that you can recall some of the actors. Every one other than Akshay Kumar share screen space almost equally. His act is as insufferable as ever. Arshad Warsi stands out because he doesn't shout all the time. Jacqueline Fernandes might stay in memory a little longer than usual because her character owns how dim she is made out to be. Once you give in to the quirks written for Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar's characters, you appreciate their performance. Also, we know Jackie Shroff is barely changing expression between films. Is he not changing makeup either? Having said that, I am not sure how much we can judge the acts, when the dubbing is off so often.

Other than that, the writing has at least one self-referential element for many actors. As usual, this feels like lazy writing though I guess forcing it in the story requires some skill too. Given that then, it is surprising to have a "Fate versus Choice" debate thrown in.

Equally commendable was the self-aware pre-end-credit-item-number item-number. Yes, as much as I complained about it. But more importantly, they wear the answer to "Why they got involved with this film?" on their sleeve. "Money." Either they get a tax write-off, or they earn money selling a film that they know is terrible. Win-win for them. Lose-lose for us, isn't it?

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Supposedly funny gun shots and fist fights.
Language: Some curse words are used.
Nudity & Sexual content: None.
Concept: A businessman wants tax write-offs, so he decides to make a film destined to flop.
General Look and Feel: Loud, caricaturish.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 0
Story: 0
Lead Actors: 0.5
Character Artists: 1

Dialogues: 1
Screenplay: 0
Music Director: 1
Lyrics: 1

Welcome To The Jungle - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Cape of Good Films, Base Industries Group, Seeta Films, Star Studio
Producer: Firoz Nadiadwala, Rakesh Dang, Vedant Vikaas Baali
Lead Cast: Arshad Warsi , Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Akshay Kumar Parija
Supporting Cast: Shreyas Talpade , Jackie Shroff, Farida Jalal, Lara Dutta , Paresh Rawal , Zakir Hussain, Aftab Shivdasani , Tusshar Kapoor , Rajpal Yadav, Mika Singh, Daler Mehndi , Rahul Dev, Sayaji Shinde, Jacqueline Fernandez , Kiran Kumar, Raveena Tandon , Pankaj Dheer, Kiku Sharda, Johny Lever, Krushna Abhishek
Story: Neeraj Vora, Farhad Samji
Background Score: Hanif Shaikh
Choreography: Ganesh Acharya, Aadil Shaikh, Rahul Shetty, Prince Gupta
Costume Designer: Kunal Rawal, Anna Singh, Ami Patel, Shakil Prakash Shetty, Namita Alexandar, Sunakshi Rathod
Running time: 165 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Slapstick

Cocktail 2 - Review

meeta — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:35:29 +0000

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list ^(?)

quick review:

Philosophy and non-trivial conversations are the ends. A love triangle and non-funny jokes are the means. Hardly a shocker that the ends don't justify the time and energy spent on the means, despite some good performances and better ambience. Streaming Platform: Netflix

Review

Boy meets immature girl. Boy meets another immature girl. Does that make the boy mature? The tone of the film makes you feel that that's what the makers are implying. But intentionally or not, they touch upon a trait that the boy has that puts a question mark on the whole premise. If he knows what he wants so clearly, why is he stalling? But that is not why Cocktail 2 was made. The movie wanted to bring some profound conversations to screen. Pretty much everything else comes across as fillers.

That the movie wanted to have conversations at all is the biggest takeaway for me. It is not the norm, right? Stories set in beautiful locations showcasing the urban and/or bohemian lifestyle don't usually have their heart in any part of the writing. Here at least there was life in these dialogues between characters. Even though you know that the good lines from the first half are all foreshadowing for a comeback post-interval. And hey, what do you know, there is some meat even in the final monologue.

Other than that, there is a spark in the montage that goes with the titles. It is not just moments stuck together but marks the age and situates the time-frame of the story. The writing also uses loudness well to bring the catastrophisation experienced by a character to the viewers.

The film's attempts at humour, though, fall flat. Except for one short, fun scene with Ally (Kriti Sanon) making fun of good boys with film names, the rest are slapsticky, out of place with the tone of the rest of the film, or lame innuendoes. That Shahid Kapoor is being taught to dance is funny though!

Other than that, the broader writing is easy to oversimplify as yet-another-love-triangle. I've never found the concept of a love triangle itself appealing—one of those things that I don't 'get' like horror or sexual slapstick. Or maybe I haven't yet encountered a story that explores the potential of the central character truly being at the centre of the two choices. If, from the word go, you know who they are going to pick, what is even the point? No? Is it even a triangle if one side doesn't exist?

Especially when you don't really know the real reason for that choice. Almost always, the person who the protagonist decides to go with is the most superficially written. At least, Cocktail 2 unlike most others in the genre that take it as a given, has Kunal (Shahid Kapoor) "tell" us why he likes who he likes. Maybe, the next one will also "show" us. Then there is this whole business of owning a life-partner with the "yours" and "mine" language. Always brings cringe.

Anyway, given that the film has been made, I am thankful that it sinks its teeth a little deeper into relationships. Actually, in these times when three out of four films seem to be driven by propaganda or messaging, I am just happy to watch something else.

And Cocktail 2 is good for the other senses. You are looking at beautiful people in exquisite settings. The camerawork with its gorgeous framing beautifully enhances the natural light. The music is peppy and almost a constant. The lyrics of most of the songs are above the ordinary.

Also, even if we question why Kunal is the way he is, Shahid Kapoor plays the quiet and "mature" Kunal well enough to make you want to shake him so that he starts speaking. And unless the scenes in which he is shown as a college student are from historic footage, boy, can this 40+-year-old surely pass off as a late-teen!

I would mark this as one of Kriti Sanon's better performances. For one, she is asked to be more than a doll and she is up to the task. Rashmika Mandanna's act, on the other hand, is a downer. It feels like she is going through the motions. It doesn't help that there is something off with her dubbing.

Cocktail 2 ends with making us dislike both women, but at least they stay in character as they do so. Why does the man wait for the pimple to grow into an abscess that is waiting to burst? Maybe there is some resemblance to real life, after all.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: None
Language: Some abusive language
Nudity & Sexual content: Conversations about sex and nudity, a lip-to-lip peck, a scene that alludes to making out.
Concept: A love triangle
General Look and Feel: Gorgeously shot. Crisp, modern.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 2.5
Story: 2
Lead Actors: 3.5
Character Artists: 3.5

Dialogues: 3
Screenplay: 2
Music Director: 2.5
Lyrics: 3

Cocktail 2 - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube
Banner: Maddock Films
Producer: Dinesh Vijan, Luv Ranjan, Ankur Garg
Director: Homi Adajania
Lead Cast: Shahid Kapoor , Kriti Sanon , Rashmika Mandanna
Supporting Cast: Tiku Talsania
Story: Luv Ranjan, Tarun Jain
Cinematography: Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran
Choreography: Vijay Ganguly
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Costume Designer: Anaita Shroff Adajania
Running time: 150 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Relationships, Romance

Main Vaapas Aaunga - Review

meeta — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:41:04 +0000

wogma rating: Watch but no rush ^(?)

quick review:

At 2.5 hours, you're rooting for a 95-year-old to get answers so he can die in peace. And then you witness one of the most brilliantly done end credit scenes. I call that a movie well-made even if it doesn't engage through its runtime.

Review

Yes, it is long. And it is slow. And yes, it could have been crisper and snappier, which is why it feels a tad self-indulgent. Some side stories come out of nowhere and disappear just the same. They are abrupt and jerky. Other tracks could have been shortened or cut out without much damage. In fact, the absence might have added value. Yet other plots felt over-written and some were difficult to grasp. Also, the first half breaks into song way too often. The second half though, especially the last hour, tethers you to your seat and holds you there right till the last of the end credits has rolled.

Main Vaapas Aaunga's old-world romance brews on a slow flame. The pace might have been okay if it didn't last the whole length of the first half and a little more. That aside, you begin to see glimpses of what the makers are trying to get at. It is more than a simple love story. It is more than even a regular ol' romance set during the India-Pakistan Partition. It is an allegory. Of every displacement in the modern global history and that continues to this day. That was the hook for me at interval. Are they going to make something more of it? Or is it just a fleeting metaphor?

I was not left with any of those questions by the end. I won't say which way it went at the risk of giving away any more of the plot. But their intention was clear, and they put it across beautifully.

Take this in. A whole community decided to not look back at their lived experiences. It collectively suppressed combined and individual trauma—to keep the peace. This is underlined with as much rawness as one scene of sacrifice and helplessness that will stay with every viewer forever. Why? Because the generation that did not actually suffer will just use the brutality endured during the partition to propagate hatred. This hits a nerve. Decisions about the partition were made by people who had no skin in the game. This notion uses a brilliant metaphor. This is thought-provoking and heart-wrenching.

And all of this is done without melodrama or glamourising any one side. That balance is maintained delicately. Another spark in writing shows through with the deft use of non-linearity. This is laced with philosophy about love—a profound take on passion whether it be for work, a person or a hobby.

The performances take the writing a notch higher. Naseeruddin Shah's portrayal of the onset of dementia is as mind-boggling as the writing that weaves the illness with reality. Diljit Dosanjh has a reassuring presence throughout. Vedang Raina and Sharvari are young and earnest, just like their characters.

Given all that the move has going for it proves that it is a well-made one. It is a shame then that it feels unjustifiably stretched with a sluggish first half. :(

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Lots of mental and physical brutality during partition
Language: Clean
Nudity & Sexual content: The beginning of a rape.
Concept: Search for a closure by a person who had to leave his loved ones in Pakistan during the India-Pakistan Partition.
General Look and Feel: Sober and crisp.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 3
Story: 3
Lead Actors: 4
Character Artists: 4

Dialogues: 3
Screenplay: 3
Music Director: 3
Lyrics: 3.5

Main Vaapas Aaunga - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Window Seat Films, Applause Entertainment
Producer: Sameer Nair, Deepak Segal, Mohit Choudhary
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Lead Cast: Naseeruddin Shah , Diljit Dosanjh , Vedang Raina, Sharvari
Supporting Cast: Kumud Mishra, Rajat Kapoor , Anjana Sukhani, Sahil Mehta, Vinod Nagpal, Nikhat Khan, Banita Sandhu, Rasika Agashe, Kashmira Irani, Jashn Kohli, Jaipreet Singh, Krishna Kotian, Debasree Ghosh, Nikki Narula, Naresh Asija, Shruti Sodhi
Story: Imtiaz Ali, Nayanika Mahtani
Cinematography: Sylvester Fonseca, SR Kathir I.S.C
Editor: Aarti Bajaj
Background Score: Suresh Permal
Music Director: A R Rahman
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Costume Designer: Sheetal Iqbal Sharma
Running time: 165 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Romance, Social

Pati Patni Aur Woh Do - Review

meeta — Fri, 15 May 2026 12:55:20 +0000

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do ^(?)

quick review:

Just because we have seen worse, doesn’t make a borderline slapstick attempt at rom-com entertaining. Yes, despite its whacky, hilarious premise.

Review

Girl asks boy to play fake boyfriend. The reasons are irrelevant, for now. Everything that can go wrong, does. And more. Now, add the reason—a politician is after the girl's life. More things to go wrong. Oh boy is married and happily so, by the way. Need I say anything at all? And I haven't given away anything that you wouldn't know in the first 10 or so minutes of the movie.

It is actually quite funny, the situation that our boy, Prajapati Pandey (Ayushmann Khurana), finds himself in. But the choice to make it loud and tacky doesn't serve the story. And that's about sums up what it made me feel.

I guess that means I wanted to watch a different movie. One with a similar story but which tones down the exaggerated reactions and expressions, the intrusive aunt, the caricatured police officer, and so on. So, I am pretty much asking for this potential for a decent comedy film to take a Hrishikesh Mukherjee/Basu Chatterjee route. And that's unlikely to happen, isn't it?

Or maybe it will, some day. Until then, I can complain about the misuse of Ayushmann Khurana's talent even as I appreciate the promise of comic timing shown by Wamiqa Gabbi, Rakul Preet and Sara Ali Khan. Of course, the writing doesn't have too many situations for them to explore that potential, but the half moments they grab on to are noticeable.

If only they spent some time on fleshing out the lines and situations instead of using up the energy to conjure up some random Hindu-Muslim situations. I get that it is satire full of social commentary. But it doesn't land. Firstly, because it comes out of the blue. And secondly, well, it is just not funny.

It actually hurts to see a potentially comic situations making you cringe rather than giggle or even smile. Not that, that hasn't happened before. But, I still feel bad and sad and everything that goes with it, when I know I could have watched something better, they could have certainly made something better. I guess that also means the hope still lives. Until the next time, then.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: People being tied to trees and threat of gunshots.
Language: Clean but loud. Feels like people are yelling at each other all the time.
Nudity & Sexual content: Some sensual dance sequences and a married couple romancing each other.
Concept: A man trying to be a good friend to a woman and all goes wrong.
General Look and Feel: Bright and loud.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 2
Story: 2.5
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 2

Dialogues: 1.5
Screenplay: 2.5
Music Director: 1
Lyrics: 1

Pati Patni Aur Woh Do - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: T-Series Super Cassettes Industries Ltd., Zee Studios, B.R. Studios
Producer: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Renu Ravi Chopra, Juno Chopra
Director: Muddassar Aziz
Lead Cast: Ayushman Khurana , Wamiqa Gabbi, Rakul Preet, Sara Ali Khan
Supporting Cast: Vijay Raaz, Shireesh Sharma, Tigmanshu Dhulia , Deepika Amin, Ayesha Raza, Shashie Verma, Aaditya Gupta, Vishal Vashishtha, Durgesh Kumar, Guneet Singh Sodhi, Manoj Singh ‘Tiger’, Santanu Kumar Panda, Rahul Chawla, Ishaan Kesarwani, Anmol, Sabrina, Shanaya Gupta, Urja Gupta, Ashutosh Pandey, Sadaam Hussain, Lal Mohd, Muskaan Khan, Akshay Aggarwal, Rajveer Singh, Akash Jaiswal, Ram Mani Tripathi, Neeraj Sharma, Abhishek Sonpaliya
Story: Muddassar Aziz
Screenplay: Muddassar Aziz , Ravi Kumar
Dialogues: Muddassar Aziz
Cinematography: Jishnu Bhattacharjee, Piyush-Shazia
Editor: Ninad Khanolkar
Background Score: Ketan Sodha
Action Choreography: Amar Shetty
Choreography: Bosco Martis
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty , Himesh Reshammiya, Rajesh Roshan, Tony Kakkar, Rochak Kohli, Badshah, Anand Milind, Tanishk Bagchi, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Lijo George, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami, Dev Sadana, Neelkamal Singh
Lyrics: Mayur Puri , Javed Akhtar , Sameer, Kumaar, Ayushman Khurana , Badshah, Kunaal Vermaa, Indeevar, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami, Neelkamal Singh
Costume Designer: Manish Malhotra , Aki Narula, Ipshita Bhatnagar
Running time: 115 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Slapstick

Bhooth Bangla - Review

meeta — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:32:37 +0000

wogma rating: Don't bother ^(?)

quick review:

In which Akshay Kumar competes with himself to yell his lines louder than he did in the previous scene. Yes, that's the only takeaway.

Review

"Do I really want to spend more time writing about this one? Isn't it enough that I've already spent 4+ hours and hundreds of rupees on the trip to the theatre?" These are questions I find asking myself often. And it's hardly a surprise that they came to me for Bhooth Bangla. But I have managed to resist giving into the "No." so far. And I will try again today. Meanwhile, you can skip spending time on reading this one because "Yes, it's that insufferable."

Akshay Kumar is excruciatingly over-the-top—in volume, in expression, in body language. So much so that the other overbearingly shrill actors are drowned in his presence. And it's not as if anything meaningful or entertaining is being said or seen.

Slapstick is of course staple nutrition for any Priyadarshan film that claims to be a comedy. You name it and you will see it—people tripping and falling, people slapping each other such that the slapped goes around in circles, toilet humour, innuendoes—all under the guise of being a laugh riot. I fail to understand, though. Why does characters scoffing and disapproving objectification of women need you to objectify women? With the objective of making you chuckle and giggle, that too!

But then, that would require the writing team to be imaginative. And the creativity began and ended with naming a film centred around a haunted palace, "Bhooth Bangla". And just in case you were wondering, no, the larger story is no more than people disbelieving the haunted-ness of the house and coming around to drop that notion. What with all the jump scares, you see.

The nested story of why spirits have taken to this specific house is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that needn't have been so. There was so much meat in that story and such lovely complexity. But half of it is just narrated by one character to the other instead of being shown. And the half that is shown feels like a comic strip with caricatures.

With that then, I am left with little interest to ask questions like, "Why did the "reverse" option exist?" It is one thing to accept the fantasticness of a fantasy world. But quite another to give into the axiom that intelligent black magicians don't follow simple logic.

Speaking of logic, I am grappling with the truth that the Priyadarshan-Akshay-Kumar-"comedy" genre exists and continues to do so. Hmmm…

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Angry ghosts lashing out, a severed head, people slapping each other in the name of comedy.
Language: Clean
Nudity & Sexual content: Some sexualisation and innuendoes.
Concept: A haunted house. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
General Look and Feel: Tacky attempt at comic horror

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: .5
Story: 1
Lead Actors: .5
Character Artists: .5

Dialogues: .5
Screenplay: .5
Music Director: 1.5
Lyrics: 1.5

Bhooth Bangla - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Cape of Good Films, Balaji Motion Pictures
Producer: Akshay Kumar , Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor
Director: Priyadarshan
Lead Cast: Akshay Kumar
Supporting Cast: Paresh Rawal , Zakir Hussain, Tabu , Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, Manoj Joshi, Jisshu Sengupta, Rajesh Sharma, Wamiqa Gabbi, Mithila Palkar , Perin Malde, Bhavna Pani
Story: Aakash Kaushik
Screenplay: Priyadarshan, Rohan Shankar, Abilash Nair
Dialogues: Rohan Shankar
Cinematography: Divakar Manikyam, Divakar Mani
Editor: M.S. Aiyyappan Nair
Background Score: Ronnie Raphael
Choreography: Ganesh Acharya, Pony Varma
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Kumaar, Jitendra Mishra
Costume Designer: V. Sai, Veera Kapur, Harpreet Narula, Rimple Narula, Dhanya Balakrishnan
Running time: 165 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Horror, Slapstick

Dhurandhar The Revenge - Review

meeta — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:57:57 +0000

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do ^(?)

quick review:

What I disliked in Dhurandhar, I disliked even more in this one. None of what I liked was carried forward here. And the propaganda that was subtle and annoying, is now blatant and amusing.

Streaming Partner: JioHotstar

Review

The success of an action film is to wow you with its choreographed moves. That of a violent film is to get you to gasp with every act of brutality. That of a film attempting to make a political statement is to engage you with its argument. Dhurandhar The Revenge has a handful sequences that feel creative. It has so much barbaric chopping and smashing of body parts that you grow immune to the savagery—I was able to stay completely relaxed and take deep breaths in the last sequence, which is quite gory in absolute terms. Last but hardly the least, Dhurandhar's idea of being political is to plaster one politician's face across the screen often enough for it to stay one of the lasting memories of the film. Not the Indian government, not a political party, one person.

This last bit is done to glamourise some of the most known political actions such as the impact of demonetisation. It is repeated often enough that it is outright funny—the impact has to be shown through a fictional movie rather than news channels which are supposed to report facts. It has to be shoved down through fantasy, 10 years later.

Now, once we accept that this is a fairytale, even if a gory one, we can take in stride a lot of what is going on. Like tens of terrorists being shot within 15-20 minutes of run time and maybe a week or two in the story? This is even more ridiculous considering the movie is well over 3.5 hours! Less than 10% of run-time on such an important part of the story?

The pacing of the film generally to isn't anywhere close to that of the first installment of Dhurandhar. That one was a thoroughly engaging watch even if you weren't enjoying what you saw. The writing here doesn't have the agenda of telling you a good story, let alone telling it well.
That Ranveer Singh still manages to put his heart, soul and more to this performance feels like more credit to him than the director. The rest of the cast exists to make the violence and propaganda possible.

Sometimes it is arduous to write about movies that I haven't enjoyed watching. This one doubly so, because I have already spent 3.5 hours plus about 40 minutes of advertisements on it. Especially, when the end product in mind isn't a good film, but a political rally, one that I hadn't signed up to attend.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: In more scenes than not. Most of it gory.
Language: Lots of abuses.
Nudity & Sexual content: Gang rapes that happened in the story are talked about. Bare chested men.
Concept: "The Revenge"? For family, for country.
General Look and Feel: Dark, gory.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 1
Story: 0.5
Lead Actors: 4.5
Character Artists: 4

Dialogues: 2
Screenplay: 0.5
Music Director: 2
Lyrics: 1

Dhurandhar The Revenge - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Jio Studios, B62 Studios
Producer: Aditya Dhar , Jyoti Deshpande, Lokesh Dhar
Director: Aditya Dhar
Lead Cast: Ranveer Singh
Supporting Cast: Arjun Rampal , R Madhavan , Raj Zutshi, Gaurav Gera, Yami Gautam , Rakesh Bedi, Madhurjeet Sarghi, Manav Gohil, Udaybir Sandhu, Danish Pandor, Bhasha Sumbli, Saumya Tandon, Bimal Oberoi, Asif Ali Haider Khan, Mashhoor Amrohi
Story: Aditya Dhar
Screenplay: Shivkumar V. Panicker, Ojas Gautam
Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha
Editor: Shivkumar V. Panicker
Background Score: Shashwat Sachdev
Choreography: Vijay Ganguly
Music Director: Shashwat Sachdev
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil, Bombay Rockers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jasmine Sandlas, Satinder Sartaaj, Token, Reble
Costume Designer: Smriti Chauhan
Running time: 225 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Action

Assi - Review

meeta — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:24:09 +0000

wogma rating: Beg or borrow, but do watch ^(?)

quick review:

The tone is one of frustration, not preachiness. It is not, "We know better than you." It is, "How have we collectively reached here?" This philosophical take alone makes Assi a meaningful experience. And there's a lot more.

Streaming Partner: Zee5

Review

Disclaimer: My family is acquainted with a member of the crew.

The gut doesn't wrench. You are watching a rape on screen. Even if not explicit, it is in quite some detail and relatively long. And yet, it doesn't chill the spine. No, it's not because the film isn't well-made. To the contrary. It's because how normal it has become to read/watch news items about the film's topic, rape. That is exactly the point of the film…rape is being normalised and being called a culture. And this point, the movie makes repeatedly and yet, effectively.

Rape is common. Our blood boils at the thought. But when it comes down to us and our systems, are we doing enough? Are we even asking the right questions? Assi wants to make this point. That too, without lecturing us too much. It engages well and prods us to introspect as a society with philosophical questions. It also goes ahead and craftily breaks the concepts into chewable bite size thoughts without necessarily over-simplifying it.
Some of its understated statements are remarkable. The one that treats a rape like a funeral will stick with me for a long while. And then there were the very enjoyable death stares between Raavi (Taapsee Pannu) and Judge Vasudha (Revathy), some even in the background.

Another power move was to not offer solutions. It points out what it thinks is the wrong direction to go. The arguments to and for some solutions have a living-room-debate quality about them. But, they work because they are short. They make the point and get out of the way.

Surprisingly then, the one thing that bothered me in its final take is that it was too subtle about the core problem. It never directly points out the real problem. It doesn't clearly state why it thinks we are where we are. It surprised me that I wanted it to tell a little more after all it showed. I recognise that that is me requiring that of the makers as a part of society. To be a well-made, well-written film though, they have done their bit to bring out what they want to say. The rest they want us to answer for ourselves. And this maybe where me being a woman comes into play. I don't want the message to be left to the audience "getting" it. Maybe that's why I liked the movie as much as I did—I am okay with it being my voice and speaking louder.

Otherwise, the movie is strewn with mature lines. And it is "just right." Anything more, quantitatively or qualitatively, and it would have felt overwritten. Many of the characters are perfect shades of grey too. That is true of the ones always trying to do the right thing having a believable violent and/or corrupt streak. Sames goes for some villainous characters who have a human vein, even if slight.

Of course, this is thanks to A-Z great performances. To name even the leads without naming the entire acting crew seems unfair.

In fact, but for the first half hour or so of the film, the film's writing delivers on all counts. Sequences are well-paced and flow smoothly. It is only the context setting in the beginning that felt a tad rushed as if they wanted to get to the main point of the film with the least amount of detail. For instance, it bothered me till the end that these seemingly one-time offenders and their support system knew way too well about how a cover-up can be managed. Assi doesn't even spend too much time on the chase. And these seem like deliberate calls. Some might not have worked for me, but others did. And how.

Very rarely does a film make you want to pick a favourite directorial moment. Here, I am oscillating between the regular reminder—a genius way to break the fourth wall; and the delivery of the expected monologue—the decision to lay bare the hapless frustration instead of taking the usual "holier than thou" approach.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Murders, rapes.
Language: A couple of curse words.
Nudity & Sexual content: No nudity, but rape is shown and discussed at length.
Concept: Elusive justice in society.
General Look and Feel: Intense.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 4
Story: 4
Lead Actors: 5
Character Artists: 5

Dialogues: 4
Screenplay: 3.5
Music Director: 3
Lyrics: 3

Assi - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: T-Series Super Cassettes Industries Ltd., A Benaras Mediaworks Production
Producer: Anubhav Sinha , Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Lead Cast: Taapsee Pannu , Kani Kusruti
Supporting Cast: Naseeruddin Shah , Revathy, Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Seema Pahwa, Devendra Chauhan, Advik Jaiswal, Sahil Sethi, Abhishek Kaushal, Tejender Singh, Sudhana Sankar, Pahal Samyani, Tripti Thakur, Akshara Padwal, Neelam Gehlot, Gauri Dhawal, Anaya Goyal, Divyansh Mohan, Akanksha Choudhary, Yogesh Parihar
Story: Anubhav Sinha , Gaurav Solanki
Editor: Ewan Mulligan, Amarjit Singh
Background Score: Ranjit Barot
Music Director: Ranjit Barot , Rochak Kohli
Lyrics: Kumaar
Costume Designer: Vishakha Kullarwar, Joe Mansoori
Running time: 135 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Social

O’ Romeo - Review

meeta — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:29:02 +0000

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do ^(?)

quick review:

Constantly tries too hard to be cool, clever, and pulpy making the 3-hour run tiresome.

Review

Bombay of the 90s, more specifically, Bollywood of the 90s.

Western.

Spanish influence.

Pulpy.

Quirky.
This seems like the checklist the makers wanted to include in O' Romeo.

And, of course, violence. Lots of it and the gorier, the better.

We get it. They are ruthless—antagonist, protagonist and everyone in between. But the onslaught knows no end. That too, when they are taking the shortcut. Most of the fights don't show the mechanics, the process of the kill. You see only the end result.

No, I am not asking for more goriness, I am just saying, "So much gore, so little effect." You see one throat slit after an eye is poked into after a knee is shot on. Or many. But you don't see too much of the run-up. I am grateful for the reduction in dread, but it also reduces the impact.
Despite that, individually, the fight sequences are cool to watch, even if there is rarely anything unique. As a whole though, it doesn't work. There are way too many styles sewn together. And that goes beyond the fights and violence. The background music is thoroughly enjoyable all through the film. But does one piece blend with the other, other than overlapping riffs? Jarringly not.

This isn't surprising. After all, the aim isn't to explore characters or build them. It is to show off. Show all the brutality that was imagined. Show all the cool kind of music that was thought of. That we come to know the two dimensions that the characters have is a by-product. This becomes even more stark when the animosity amongst various characters is told to you and not shown. It is unconvincing given how powerful and intense the individual characters are meant to be. Similarly, the love-hate relationship between Shahid Kapoor and Nana Patekar is feels shallow too.

In fact, almost all characters seem to be cut out of the same wood, just given different motives. They are all quirky with supposedly powerful emotions. Shahid Kapoor carries it forward from Kabir Singh. Nana Patekar and Avinash Tiwary's passion is perfunctory too. Too much shoo-shaa, very little depth.

Same goes for the other parts of the writing too. The dialogue for instance shuttles between over-written and lame. The focus is so hard on being quirky and pulpy and cool that it ends up becoming the opposite—whether it is the twins who speak together or the scores of minions having the same body-type. The latter so much so that it looks almost AI generated like one of the fight sequences in the beginning.

I wish Bharadwaj didn't feel the need to become a Tarantino and/or Wachowski. I understand tipping hats to influences, but I wish there were some ingenuity beyond the couple of standout sequences—the Bombay local one and the one of a series of throat-slits.

There are these sparks in the second half. Else, the little spunk from the first half—like reading out headlines to humour the audience and set the timeline—disappears post-interval.

Then, the story takes over. This is usually a good thing. But here it is episodic, jerky, and worst-of-all cheap. So, you enjoyed making Farida Jalal swear on screen? slow clap You throw in an appeasing India-Pakistan angle? even slower clap Is unacceptable to show national integration without a throwaway, "We don't like ISI either!"
It is absolutely mind-boggling then that you still feel scared for Afsha (Triptii Dimri). I think it has a lot to do with her performance. She is equally believable as a timid but strong village girl as she is as a ferocious lady scorned. While we are at things to appreciate, I quite enjoyed the substitute for the end credit item number. Thank you.

Unfortunately, there is very little else that demands compliments or one can be grateful about.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: ummm…loads. And most of it gory.
Language: Lots of curse words, even if a few are muted.
Nudity & Sexual content: Sex for money, talk about sex, innuendoes, a couple of lip-to-lips, a couple of short making out scenes.
Concept: Revenge drama.
General Look and Feel: Dark, gory.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 2
Story: 1
Lead Actors: 3
Character Artists: 2.5

Dialogues: 2
Screenplay: 0.5
Music Director: 4
Lyrics: 3

O’ Romeo - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lead Cast: Shahid Kapoor , Triptii Dimri
Supporting Cast: Farida Jalal, Nana Patekar , Aruna Irani, Tamannaah Bhatia, Hussain Dalal, Vikrant Massey , Disha Patani, Alok Jain, Avinash Tiwary, Resh Lamba, Rahul Deshpande, Shaurya Shah, Karunakar Dubey, Allauddin Khan, Gourav Sharma, Shiv Kanungo, Sarthak Khurana, Goutam Sharma, Satyaranjan Sahoo
Story: S. Hussain Zaidi
Screenplay: Vishal Bharadwaj , Rohan Narula
Dialogues: Vishal Bharadwaj
Cinematography: Ben Bernhard
Editor: Aarif Shaikh
Background Score: Meghdeep Bose
Choreography: Jani Master, Sumeet Nagdev, Kunal Omprakash Tavri
Music Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Gulzar
Costume Designer: Maxima Basu
Running time: 180 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Action

Mardaani 3 - Review

meeta — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:58:18 +0000

wogma rating: Watch but no rush ^(?)

quick review:

An intense issue. A gripping telling. A tad dramatized. A slump in the climax. But a worthy watch, even if on OTT.

Review

Human life is invaluable or human life has no value—depending on where and to whom you are born. This is the nasty truth that Mardaani 3 takes a stab at. Of course, there are other systemic issues it battles through its righteous cop protagonist, Shivani Shivaji Roy. It attacks the rot that is the beggar mafia and the police force's role in fostering it. It even comments on capitalism. Yes, it bites slightly more than it can chew. But only slightly, not enough to cause indigestion. But also, enough to take the edge off its impact.

Mardaani 3 revolves around the kidnapping of two 8–10-year-old girls. We quickly find out that they are sold to a dreaded group. We are kept in the lurch about what is to happen with the girls. The wait is brutal. Always fearing how much worse must reality be. However, the wait for the real deal is so long and unnerving, that it slightly blunts the villain's gross and despicable purpose. Strangely, it is not what we expect. And yet, despite its ruthlessness and unpredictability, the blow lands softer than anticipated.

Interestingly, it is neither the performances nor the scene-by-scene or sub-plot by sub-plot writing to blame. Rani Mukerji has matured as Shivani has grown to own her space. Mallika Prasad instils fear much like her predecessors in the Mardaani series but it becomes overdone and a tad unbelievable as her character's weaknesses are exposed. I will leave the rest of the cast out to avoid giving away spoilers. But, despite the twists, none of them leave a mark. I doubt we will remember them in episode 4.

Also, some of the situations and their flow keep you engaged and at times, even at the edge of your seats. This is despite loopholes such as smart people who are in the business because they cannot be tracked, not realising they are being followed. Otherwise vigilant people, on both sides, suddenly trusting other people. And so on. However, the other things in the movie are gripping enough to make you let go of these quibbles.

The problem is that the overall story loses steam after the biggest reveal. Not to mention that the characters become less and less believable. I sense that the makers knew this, which is why it comes so late in the movie. They want you keep imagining the grotesque things that happen in such rackets. Unfortunately, it works against the plot.

Also, the over-dramatisation of some scenes is jarring. So, is Shivani's know-it-all behaviour in the beginning which settles down as the movie progresses. In the big picture though, I will take a decently made film about a serious social issue over none at all. That it does so without breaking into song and dance is treating me with respect. That it serves as a break from the war films on circuit is a welcome relief. That it raises a philosophical question, even if in passing, is a bonus.

The question of human life as collateral damage for a better cause is one of debate for some and absolutely crazy to others. It is human life; any damage is damage enough. Versus, if "sacrificing" a few does greater good, then it is ok. The latter proposition is easy to test by putting the believer's dear ones at stake, amongst the few to be sacrificed. Nevertheless, Mardaani 3 puts up its own version of the Trolley problem. But we know its stand from very early on. So, there is no room for the audience to mull over their opinion.

Which also means the pacing of the big reveals is a bit of a question mark. One comes a little too early and the other a little too late. If I were allowed to think a bit in this film, and series even, that is putting all its heart in trying to make meaningful cinema, I would feel a little more invested. That I felt my heart pound earlier in the film and not so much towards the climax is also a sign. But considering the films made these days, that my heart pounded at all means the film got a lot right. And that is enough. That this subject is getting attention, even if in films, is something better than nothing.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Loads, some of it disturbing.
Language: Clean
Nudity & Sexual content: Talk of rape.
Concept: Human trafficking.
General Look and Feel: Gruelling, gruesome.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 3
Story: 3
Lead Actors: 3.5
Character Artists: 2.5

Dialogues: 3
Screenplay: 3
Music Director:
Lyrics:

Mardaani 3 - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Abhiraj Minawala
Lead Cast: Rani Mukerji, Mallika Prasad Sinha, Prajesh Kashyap
Supporting Cast: Indraneel Bhattacharya, Janki Bodiwala, Mikhail Yawalkar, Jimpa Sangpo Bhutia
Story: Deepak Kingrani, Aayush Gupta, Baljeet Singh Marwah
Screenplay: Aayush Gupta
Dialogues: Aayush Gupta
Cinematography: Artur Zurawski
Editor: Yasha Ramchandani
Background Score: John Stewart Eduri
Music Director: Sarthak Kalyani
Lyrics: Shruti Shukla
Costume Designer: Eka Lakhani, Gunpreet Kaur Mann, Deepali Singh Raseen
Running time: 130 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Social, Thriller

Border 2 - Review

meeta — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 19:37:49 +0000

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do ^(?)

quick review:

What you expect is what you get in Border 2. Border (1) again. The warfare seems unending, just like the film. The same laboured lines with forced energy and brief, cursory, and measured attempts at balance.

Streaming Partner: Netflix

Review

Border 2 is an ode to its brand. Not even war films, in general, it is an homage to the first episode. What's more, it is set in the same war too—the 1971 war between India and Pakistan. There is hardly any attempt to be different, let alone be more. So, if you liked the first film and feel like seeing it on the big screen, then you are in the right place.

I must say though, the first sequence raised my hopes a bit. The action choreography in that sequence, the tense situation seemed like we are in for a good ride—technically, writing and telling all felt promising. But, nope. Soon enough the usual war drama, overtly hopeful dialogue, cringe-worthy domineering, empty jingoism, and enemy bashing begin.

I found it amusing that most of the times, Indians refer to Pakistan as "enemy" but Pakistanis refer to India as "Hindustan". To me having the enemy name us is an indication of wanting to foster the hatred. Then, the attempts at balance and empathy seem hollow and perfunctory. In contrast, more than once, they had soldiers doing seemingly stupid things like charge and open fire in a bare and plain landscape without any apparent strategy.

Speaking of strategy, a dark dusky palette is used for the war scenes, especially in the last hour or so. As a commentary on the futility of war, where soldiers are dying on either side of the border, the colour tone worked. But as an audience, it was a distraction because I kept wanting to adjust the brightness.

Just like I wanted to adjust the patchy and uneven story telling. The film didn't quite stand up to the challenge it set for itself, that of balancing the contributions made by army, navy, air force. Neither the story, nor the screenplay flowed smoothly. Also, the emotional arcs were like pop-outs rather than blending with the milieu.

I understand why the scenes had to stand separately. But from a writing point of view, the 3x6 matrix of the three limbs of the military with the emotional and war angles, felt like a jigsaw puzzle with square pieces taped together.

Even the background music felt like a mismatch to what was going on in the scene. The build up to crescendos would abruptly end with nothing very dramatic on screen. That made the film a tad different, but it took attention away from the story. So, was the riff from "I've come from Alabama…" It sounded nice, but mind kept wandering to the possibility of plagiarism. I quite enjoyed the choreography and picturisation for that song though.

It was the opposite for the performances. There was nothing standout about them. The regular forgettable fare with weird timing and pauses in line delivery failing at the aim to be impactful, forceful, etc. It didn't help that the dubbing seemed off too.

It is a shame though. Because using stories of everyday soldiers to exemplify the vainness of war is so promising. But they use stories that are pretty similar to each other. When they are slightly different, there is a strain. So, even if the film has mothers who are not all about birthing sons to serve the nation. That sentiment is held with an arms distance, almost as if the makers are afraid to take that potentially unpopular stand. And then the moments of empathy, balance, and tenderness are few and far between. These glimpses are not really enough to engage for 200 minutes.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Usual war film bombing and gunfire. Not too gory, except for a couple of scenes.
Language: Clean.
Nudity & Sexual content: None.
Concept: Based on the India-Pakistan war of 1971.
General Look and Feel: Dusty and gun-powdery war fare.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 1.5
Story: 1
Lead Actors: 1
Character Artists: 1

Dialogues: 1
Screenplay: 0.5
Music Director: 2
Lyrics: 1.5

Border 2 - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: T-Series Super Cassettes Industries Ltd., J P Films
Producer: J P Dutta, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Nidhi Dutta
Director: Anurag Singh
Lead Cast: Sunny Deol , Varun Dhawan , Diljit Dosanjh , Ahan Shetty
Supporting Cast: Mona Singh, Anya Singh , Sonam Bajwa, Paramvir Singh Cheema, Medha Rana
Music Director: Mithoon, Anu Malik, Vishal Mishra, Sachet Tandon, Parampara Tandon, Gurmoh
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar , Manoj Muntashir, Kumaar, Kausar Munir
Running time: 200 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Patriotism, War

Ikkis - Review

meeta — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:37:33 +0000

wogma rating: Watch but no rush ^(?)

quick review:

A Hindi war film that points to the futility of war and doesn’t spend all its time glamorising it is a win, even if this one isn’t among the best war films out there.

Streaming partner: Amazon Prime

Review

I have become wary of Hindi war films because of the chest-thumping and the full-throated endorsement of war. Of course, it is valiant, what our defence forces do for us. But that we ought to seek violence and be proud of how many we've killed makes me uncomfortable. And most Hindi war films commend the "josh" and see jingoistic fervour as a top virtue in one's value system. It was refreshing then, to have an officer in Ikkis ask a new soldier to temper that enthusiasm. That, and other nudges to curb the sensationalism, are wins for me.

Does that mean Ikkis is a well-made film? Not entirely. First of all, of course, it takes a shot at expressing "necessity of war vs its futility," "we are all humans," and "land is land." This shouldn't need extra applause, but it is a brave stance in the nationalistic environment the world is going through.

It also has some witty, insightful and moving dialogue with great delivery by the supporting cast. I quite enjoyed Kiran Kochar's (Simar Bhatia) character too, a woman expressing her agency, and calling out a man's lack of sensitivity, especially a soldier, is quite deep for a Hindi film, let alone a war film. That Ikkis even shows the soldier's dilemma and him not being the perfect person itself spark interest in the character. But…

Yes, there is a but. Many, in fact. Simar Bhatia isn't the greatest actor on the block. Many a time it felt as if she's reading out the lines instead of owning them. Also, her scenes with her boyfriend, Lt Arun Khetarpal (Agastya Nanda) are perfunctory and lack zing.

Agastya Nanda too doesn't have much variation in his expression or body language as he moves from disappointment to happiness to fervour. Maybe they are yet to grow as actors. Then again, the veteran also, struggles through his lines. It is admirable that Dharmendra continued to work well into his eighties. But that doesn't keep his act from being jarring.

What they lack, though, is made up by Jaideep Ahlawat's presence through his character, Brigadier Jaan Mohammad Nisar's sincerity and Sikander Kher's timing in expressing Risaldar Sagat Singh's casual yet firm demeanour.

Other than that, there is nothing too spectacular about the war scenes. There is nothing to complain about either. In fact, the telling is done by the true-life story itself. And towards that end, Ikkis is a film one ought to watch, even if it is on OTT.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Loads. It is a war film. Some of it is gory too.
Language: Clean.
Nudity & Sexual content: None.
Concept: The bravery of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal during the 1971 India-Pakistan war
General Look and Feel: A war film.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 3
Story: 4
Lead Actors: 3
Character Artists: 3

Dialogues: 4
Screenplay: 3
Music Director: 2.5
Lyrics: 2.5

Ikkis - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Maddock Films
Producer: Dinesh Vijan
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Lead Cast: Jaideep Ahlawat , Agastya Nanda, Simar Bhatia
Supporting Cast: Dharmendra , Asrani, Rahul Dev, Vivaan Shah , Ekavali Khanna, Sikandar Kher, Aadyanshi Kapoor, Pragati Anand, Guneet Sandhu
Story: Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti, Arijit Biswas
Cinematography: Anil Mehta
Editor: Monisha R Baldawa
Background Score: Sachin Sanghvi , Jigar Saraiya
Choreography: Vijay Ganguly
Music Director: Sachin Sanghvi , Jigar Saraiya , White Noise Collectives
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil, Amitabh Bhattacharya
Costume Designer: Rohit Chaturvedi
Running time: 150 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Based on true life story, War

Dhurandhar - Review

meeta — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:34:31 +0000

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list ^(?)

quick review:

Carries a disconcerting undercurrent of provocation, propaganda and victimhood, even though it is a well-made film that engages through its 3.5-hour-long runtime.

Streaming partner: Netflix

Review

This wannabe Gangs of Wasseypur might not match up to its aspirations, but it has enough meat in its story to keep you engaged for one watch. Yet it reeks of performative nationalism channelled through characters who think their government has been soft on terror. Because it is reasonably well-made, both story-wise and technically, it was especially disturbing for me.

Because violence can be justified. Because revenge is glorified. Because peace is described as too high a price to pay.

If we peel away the layer of bashing an entire country for what its mafia and politicians do, we have a decent story. Of course, we have to ignore its primary premise too—that a spy of one country can uncover terrorist attacks by infiltrating the mafia gangs in one area of one city in the other country. Once we take related leaps of faith, we have a decent film on our hands.

The story works because of the number of characters, even if no individual character is more than an outline, and all of them are unidimensional. The interplay and double-crossing between the characters keep you engaged, even if not engrossed.

I can imagine, however, that the film would be an absorbing experience for those who are entertained by brutal, gory violence on screen. There is no dearth of that. Every 15-20 minutes, there is one scene with slaughtering or some such.

Of course, the cast carries out the butchery with vigour—be it Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, or the rest of the supporting cast. In that sense, the film is full of all-around superlative performances because of the energy on screen. But, outside of violence, the acting is meek. Even people who were part of a terrifying bloodbath in the previous scene come across as limp in the next. It's almost as if the violence and action choreography did the job for the actors.

And yeah, this is a "man" film. In the story, the women exist either to provoke or to be used as a pawn, with no intrinsic role in the direction the story takes. The dates of the real-life terrorist acts around which the story is stitched together have a larger role to play than the women. The mentions of prime ministers over the years and of a state government seem to have made their way into the film to please the powers that be.

Having said all of that, I am not averse to the next episode that is due soon. It is likely to be more of the same, but the deceit amongst characters hasn't worn me out yet. I am also intrigued by the political commentary the film is likely to offer. It is as disturbing as it is amusing. Amusing because for all the glorification of revenge, the makers didn't even bother to translate the chapter titles to Hindi! Also, why the "patriotism" feels insincere.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Loads. Showing gore and brutality seems to be one of its main objectives.
Language: Lots of expletives can be made out even if they are muted.
Nudity & Sexual content: None really.
Concept: Gangs of Lyari are infiltrated by an Indian spy.
General Look and Feel: Ruthless mafia's den.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 3
Story: 3
Lead Actors: 3
Character Artists: 3

Dialogues: 2.5
Screenplay: 3.5
Music Director: 3
Lyrics: 2

Dhurandhar - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Jio Studios, B62 Studios
Producer: Aditya Dhar , Jyoti Deshpande, Lokesh Dhar
Director: Aditya Dhar
Lead Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Ranveer Singh , Sara Arjun
Supporting Cast: Sanjay Dutt , Arjun Rampal , R Madhavan , Naveen Kaushik, Keith Sequeira, Rakesh Bedi, Manav Gohil, Krystle D'Souza, Vikash Rai
Story: Aditya Dhar
Screenplay: Shivkumar V. Panicker
Dialogues: Aditya Dhar
Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha
Editor: Shivkumar V. Panicker
Background Score: Shashwat Sachdev
Choreography: Vijay Ganguly
Music Director: R.D.Burman, Shashwat Sachdev, Charanjit Ahuja
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil, Kumaar, Sahir Ludhianvi, Jasmine Sandlas, Raj Ranjodh, Babu Singh Maan, Hanumankind
Costume Designer: Smriti Chauhan
Running time: 215 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Action

De De Pyaar De 2 - Review

meeta — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 18:11:50 +0000

wogma rating: Watch but no rush ^(?)

quick review:

An unexpectedly mature take on a difficult dilemma faced by parents. It'd have been nice, though, if the makers were as secure about their story as its protagonist is about himself. Yes, the silly humour is arguably unnecessary.

Streaming Partner: Netflix

Review

As an educated, progressive, modern parent, I have always wondered what curveball my kids would throw at me. Where would I draw the line? And this one comes very close—my 25-year-old wanting to commit to a 50-year-old, gender irrespective—will make me question their judgement. Not because their partner is the same age as mine. But the practicality of my child having to worry about yet another elderly person when they are my age. And this is where De De Pyaar De 2's premise has everything going for it. At least some part of the audience might be rooting against the protagonists. What a lovely concept to play with, writing-wise.

To a large extent, De De Pyaar De 2 comes through for its subject. The conflict is real. More importantly, the when and how it is resolved seems real too. There is no one-line transition. There is an inner struggle, and it is resolved with a solid, meaningful argument. It answers, "What does being there for your child truly mean?" with rare insight.

The characters' emotional maturity, when it exists, adds a unique elegance to the film. Yeah…"when it exists." The film shuttles between maturity and silliness, which makes the tone inconsistent. The same goes for the humour. The movie/TV show/advertisement self-referencing for the actors doesn't flow organically, making it jarring.

Is that enough to overpower the film's earnest feminist take? Yes and no. Mainly because of the pacing. There is a sudden shift in one of the protagonist's attitude, which feels out of place, and it is a little too late when you find out the reason. This shift in the screenplay is rather meta—the audience is manipulated just like the characters in the film manoeuvre each other.

For a change, though, the plotting and scheming, the emotional blackmail, the rationalisations, the stories we tell ourselves, the making the right noises at the right times—are not at all far-fetched. It wouldn't be surprising if we all know someone who has done that in our families to get their way.

So even if the telling gets loud, the dialogue is often powerful without being film-y. It is an exchange that could very well happen in our drawing rooms with our parents or children. And yet it is meaningful and succinct without being preachy. I actually even enjoyed the subtitles and was amused by an HTML tag that found its way to the screen in one of the songs. That is to say, the effort in the writing shows, even if it is uneven.

Interestingly, there are a couple of situations in which you can't really predict which way it will go, even though you know what's coming next from the trailer. You don't know how they will get there. I also admired that the other suitor for the lead lady is not a red flag, which is usually the case in such stories. Perhaps the character could have used a different actor. But then again, that might be because of how he was directed and his character's personality.

Speaking of which, this role perfectly suits the secure, sure Ashish that Ajay Devgn has to play. It is a cakewalk for R Madhavan playing Ayesha's (Rakul Preet's) father. Preet is a tad loud and thus irksome. The supporting cast is hit and miss, but no one stands out or stays in memory for too long.

So, when it is not brash and cringe, which it isn't for the most part, De De Pyaar De 2 is engaging. Sadly, though, the former keeps it from being a "must-watch."

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: None
Language: A couple of curse words. The rest muted out.
Nudity & Sexual content: A lip-to-lip.
Concept: A 25-year-old and a 50+-year-old are in love with each other. They are out to convince the girl's family.
General Look and Feel: Peppy and loud.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 2
Story: 3
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 2.5

Dialogues: 3.5
Screenplay: 2
Music Director: 2
Lyrics: 2.5

De De Pyaar De 2 - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: T-Series Super Cassettes Industries Ltd., Luv Films
Producer: Bhushan Kumar, Luv Ranjan, Kishan Kumar, Ankur Garg
Director: Anshul Sharma
Lead Cast: Ajay Devgan , Rakul Preet
Supporting Cast: R Madhavan , Jaaved Jaaferi , Yo YO Honey Singh, Gautami Kapoor, Ishita Dutta, Meezaan Jafri
Story: Luv Ranjan, Tarun Jain
Cinematography: Sudhir K. Chaudhary
Editor: Chetan M Solanki
Choreography: Ganesh Acharya, Raju Khan
Music Director: Hitesh Sonik, Yo YO Honey Singh, Jaani, Payal Dev, Aditya Dev, Sagar Bhatia, Avvy Sra
Lyrics: Kumaar, Yo YO Honey Singh, Jaani, Sagar Bhatia, Karan Aujla
Running time: 150 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Family, Relationships

Thamma - Review

meeta — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:00:37 +0000

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do ^(?)

quick review:

No effort to create anything of substance. Some attempt at world-building. But why would a hollow universe interest anyone? Streaming Partner: Amazon Prime

Review

It was really nice to watch a fantasy world created with consistent rules and some thought. Unfortunately, the world doesn't really hook. It didn't capture my interest as I found myself drifting out of its realm a little too often. Indeed, it was an effort to stay connected and invested in the characters and their well-being.

This is mostly because neither the story nor the telling takes itself very seriously. For instance, it ignores the fact that comedy is serious business. Attempts to make you laugh are way too casually and carelessly inserted. They don't flow within the context of the film and therefore end up making the film's pace uneven and its execution jagged.

The performances are all earnest and energetic—of the loud, monotonous kind. Ultimately, it makes the film annoying. Yes, despite Ayushmann Khurrana and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Everyone is yelling their lungs out with little effect.

I'd say it's not their fault, though. The material is as flimsy as it is forgettable. And it is a shame because Hindi cinema is truly lacking a well-made supernatural fantastical movie, let alone a world. One that can take advantage of the latest technologies with creativity that goes beyond whooshes of dust flying through the screen and apparitions appearing and going missing.

This film, though, isn't that. And the world needs a lot more work in terms of purpose and focus. The characters are cardboard cutouts of generic Hindi film characters. The situations more or less fall into a similar category.

Thamma falls squarely in the "something is better than nothing" category. Not nearly good enough.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 1.5
Story: 2
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 1.5

Dialogues: 2.5
Screenplay: 1
Music Director: 2
Lyrics: 2

Thamma - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Maddock Films , Jio Studios
Producer: Dinesh Vijan, Amar Kaushik
Director: Aditya Ajay Sarpotdar
Lead Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui , Ayushman Khurana , Rashmika Mandanna
Supporting Cast: Paresh Rawal , Malaika Arora Khan, Sathyaraj, Varun Dhawan , Nora Fatehi, Faisal Malik, Abhishek Banerjee , Alexander O’Neal
Story: Niren Bhatt , Suresh Mathew, Arun Fulara
Screenplay: Niren Bhatt , Suresh Mathew, Arun Fulara
Dialogues: Niren Bhatt , Suresh Mathew, Arun Fulara
Cinematography: Saurabh Goswami
Editor: Hemanti Sarkar
Background Score: Sachin Sanghvi , Jigar Saraiya
Choreography: Ranju Verghese, Vijay Ganguly
Music Director: Sachin Sanghvi , Jigar Saraiya
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Costume Designer: Sheetal Iqbal Sharma
Running time: 150 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Action, Thriller

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari - Review

meeta — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:01:49 +0000

wogma rating: Don't bother ^(?)

quick review:

Love is fickle—that's my takeaway from this boring romance. The only highlights are some song and dance sequences.

Streaming Partner: Netflix

Review

I admire how quickly and easily this film's characters fall in and out of love. Of course, story-wise, we all know that their initial "true love" existed only so that it could fall apart. Which also means to begin with, we don't believe that Sunny Sanskari (Varun Dhawan) is in love with Ananya (Sanya Malhotra) or Tulsi Kumari (Janhvi Kapoor) with Vikram (Rohit Saraf). The problem, then, is that given that knowledge, the very premise of the film falls apart. So, we have given up on any hope from the story at the very outset.

The next onus of engaging us falls on the situations and the dialogue. The situations reek of lazy writing. For instance, none of the characters question the logic of some very questionable actions and reactions. It is almost as if the makers wanted to make a film that had loads of wedding-y songs and dances. The rest is just padding for that to happen.

After a while, they even gave up on naming which wedding function was on. Thankfully, the music is peppy, and some of the songs are memorable too. And they have been picturised and executed well too. But they are just sewn together haphazardly. And why-o-why do we have a sleazy end-credit item number which is utterly disconnected with texture of the film?

Also, there is hardly any support from any of the other departments. If you are wondering whether the dialogue carries any weight, you are wasting energy. Are the actors able to bring life to the lines? Just about. The film is on the edge of being a full-fledged slapstick one.

Varun Dhawan and some of the actors playing smaller roles are loud and insufferable. The women, Sanya Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, bring some semblance of calm and composure. But only occasionally. Rohit Saraf and Akshay Oberoi don't have enough screen presence for you to remember them. And so it goes with the rest of the character artists.

In this mess, then, it was surprising to see a comment on patriarchy and feminism. And just when I was willing to take that as the one thing that made the film worth being made. But I let my hopes rise a bit too soon. In the last scene, a woman who had found her self-worth through the film was asked to quit her job. Just like that. That hurt.

And with that, this supposedly romantic film leaves nothing warm to remember. A few of the songs, sure. But those you can watch stand-alone and continue to listen to online, right? Right.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Some people are being slapped.
Language: A couple of curse words slipped through.
Nudity & Sexual content: A lip-to-lip. An end-credit item number.
Concept: Boy meets girl because their exes are getting married. And they want to stop that from happening.
General Look and Feel: Bright, loud, peppy.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 1
Story: 0.5
Lead Actors: 1.5
Character Artists: 1.5

Dialogues: 1
Screenplay: 0.5
Music Director: 3
Lyrics: 2.5

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Dharma Productions , Mentor Disciple Film
Producer: Karan Johar , Shashank Khaitan, Apoorva Mehta , Adar Poonawalla
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Lead Cast: Varun Dhawan , Sanya Malhotra , Rohit Saraf, Janhvi Kapoor
Supporting Cast: Akshay Oberoi, Manini Chadha, Maniesh Paul, Prajakta Koli, Kavita Pais, Nazneen Madan, Monika Kohli, Rohitashv Gour, Dharna Durga, Gaurav Sikri, Mallika Chhabra, Neel Salekar, Karan Sudhakar Sonawane, Salim Arif, Seema Singh
Story: Shashank Khaitan
Screenplay: Shashank Khaitan
Cinematography: Manush Nandan
Editor: Manan Sagar, Charu Shree Roy
Background Score: John Stewart Eduri
Choreography: Ganesh Acharya, Bosco Martis, Piyush-Shazia
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty , Ravi Pawar, Tanishk Bagchi, Krishna Kishor
Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Ajay Jhingran, Sonu Nigam, Tanishk Bagchi
Costume Designer: Manish Malhotra , Kunal Rawal, Shilpa Makhija, Varsha Chandanani
Running time: 135 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Romance

Homebound - Review

meeta — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:21:19 +0000

wogma rating: Add to 'must watch' list ^(?)

quick review:

Homebound touches you because it's intentionally unsettling. A no-frills look at society, with simple-AND-powerful storytelling and grounded, heartfelt performances.

Streaming Partner: Netflix

Review

We are in a world where a family can own smartphones, yet live under a kutcha roof. And the irony is that we, the audience in air-conditioned theatres, know that world is real. Throughout Homebound, this stark contrast—between the viewer and the viewed, and within the film's world itself—is haunting, daunting, touching, upsetting, heartbreaking and a little warm too.

How can the suffocating circumstances of Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) as a Muslim in India and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa) as a person from a scheduled caste be warm, you ask? Because the filmmakers make you feel for them without making you feel sorry for them or their situation.

This could also be because the characters are all representatives of the groups they belong to, making them, especially Shoaib and Chandan, two-dimensional placeholders. The situations too are dictated by the single identities—a Muslim man and a man belonging to a scheduled caste. Each scene is charged with the looming implication of how other characters are going to respond to their identities.
That makes the film a tad predictable. It doesn't help that the film is quiet but not subtle about laying out the facts as they are. I wouldn’t fault the makers for refusing subtlety, given what we’ve become as a society.

Indeed, the predictability made me very aware of my privilege, the dire situation of these groups, and the sorry state of society that we live in. Why can I tell that some of the characters are likely to react to Shoaib and Chandan?

While I can take refuge under the protection offered by some deeply affecting performances by Vishal Jethwa, Ishaan Khatter and the entire ensemble, the truth is that these societal issues are glaring us in the face day in and day out. Making me, as a part of the audience, constantly aware of them is the film's win—taking nothing away from how lived-in and rooted the entire cast looked and felt. I wish Janhvi Kapoor had a bigger role she could dig her teeth into. Though from the trailers, it looks like some of her scenes with Jethwa and Khatter didn't make the final cut.

Once you get over the "representative" nature of the characters, which results in the broad predictability of the storyline—and even if you don't get over it completely—you care for the boys. You don't want them to constantly have to temper their aspirations, which would be truly humble goals in an ideal society. But real life has it otherwise. You want them to make it.

Other than that, the film is gracefully and elegantly framed and shot with a couple of beautifully heartbreaking aerial shots. Some of the dialogue might be slightly overwritten, but it stops right in time to not become jarring.

Homebound is a reminder of how films don't need to get into histrionics to be engaging and thought-provoking. Just a matter-of-fact narration and execution is enough. More power to the makers—directors, producers, and writers.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: A fist fight, police beating up a mob.
Language: Clean.
Nudity & Sexual content: None.
Concept: Two childhood friends growing up in poverty try to balance their aspirations in a world that is staged against them from the word go.
General Look and Feel: Earthy, real.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 4
Story: 4
Lead Actors: 5
Character Artists: 5

Dialogues: 3.5
Screenplay: 4
Music Director: 3.5
Lyrics: 3.5

Homebound - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Dharma Productions
Producer: Karan Johar , Apoorva Mehta , Somen Mishra, Adar Poonawalla
Director: Neeraj Ghaywan
Lead Cast: Ishaan Khatter , Vishal Jethwa
Supporting Cast: Chandan Anand, Shalini Vatsa, Janhvi Kapoor, Shreedhar Dubey, Harshika Parmar, Vijay Vikram Singh, Yogendra Vikram Singh, Pankaj Dubey
Story: Neeraj Ghaywan , Sumit Roy, Basharat Peer
Screenplay: Neeraj Ghaywan
Dialogues: Varun Grover , Neeraj Ghaywan , Shreedhar Dubey
Cinematography: Pratik Shah
Background Score: Naren Chandavarkar, Benedict Taylor
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Varun Grover
Costume Designer: Rohit Chaturvedi
Running time: 120 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Based on true life story, Social

Jolly LLB 3 - Review

meeta — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:01:35 +0000

wogma rating: Watch but no rush ^(?)

quick review:

A topic that should be part of every living room conversation plays out as a predictable yet meaningful courtroom drama. The strongest film in the series so far, but still weighed down by unnecessary, slapstick flab.

(Streaming Partner: Netflix)

Review

Jolly LLB must be one of those rare series that is getting better with every episode. Not by a lot, though. And considering the first one was barely memorable, that is not saying much now, is it? Yet, this one will stick mainly because of the premise of the plot and the arguments on both sides. But it won't stick a lot better in memory because it is padded up with way too many side-tracks.

Jolly LLB 3 is, certainly helped by the topic—development, farmer suicides, inequality, and how the rich and powerful manipulate to marginalise the already marginalised. It is a burning current issue that is talked about way too flippantly in middle- and upper-class societies. Jolly LLB does well by giving the generic "farmer" a face and a story, even if it is as predictable as any such courtroom drama.

It is not just that you know what the general outcome of the case and the film will be. You even know which defence arguments are going to be picked up by the plaintiff's lawyer—line-for-line. And that would still be okay. It is an important enough conversation that I was willing to sacrifice my need to be surprised or blown away.

The fluff around this solid storyline is problematic, though. Of course, there is the passing derogatory language-tone combination used about gender and skin tone. But there is also the trans person prelude, the lawyers' personal life, and most of all, the judge's personal life—all extraneous, doing little to add context, and adding unnecessary minutes to the runtime.

Unnecessary because the film has so much going for it. There are lovely background-music-free conversations that allow you to soak in the vibe. The one stand-off between Khaitan (Gajraj Rao) and Janki (Seema Biswas) leaves a much more powerful impact compared to all the arguments in the courtroom.

It does help that a couple of the actors do justice to their characters. For instance, you do feel like slapping Ram Kapoor's Advocate Vikram for thinking poor people ought to feel obligated to his client for buying their land. And you feel infuriated on behalf of the villagers led by Seema Biswas. Shilpa Shukla's role might be the most inconsequential one, but she takes it on earnestly. She blushes so well!

The other actors such as Arshad Warsi, Akshay Kumar, and Gajraj Rao might not inspire any strong feelings, but they don't turn you off either. Huma Qureshi and Amrita Rao, though, are mere props. And, of course, there is Saurabh Shukla, who does what he is told to do so well. But, should he really be made to say or do all the inanities his role demands? Shouldn't he be treated better?

Despite all of that, I did walk out of the theatre feeling grateful to all these people for taking on this all-important and controversial social commentary. Maybe one day, real life will match reel life.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Police beating protestors. A fist fight.
Language: Clean
Nudity & Sexual content: None
Concept: David vs Goliath. Marginal farmers vs business tycoon.
General Look and Feel: Crisp, no-frills.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 2.5
Story: 3
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 2.5

Dialogues: 2.5
Screenplay: 1.5
Music Director: 2
Lyrics: 2.5

Jolly LLB 3 - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Star Studio
Producer: Ajit Andhare, Alok Jain
Director: Subhash Kapoor
Lead Cast: Arshad Warsi , Akshay Kumar
Supporting Cast: Amrita Rao , Seema Biswas, Saurabh Shukhla , Shilpa Shukla , Vibha Chibber, Ram Kapoor , Avijit Dutt, Huma Qureshi , Sameer Khurana, Robin Das, Gajraj Rao , Srikant Verma, Kharaj Mukherjee, Mahender Singh Bisht, Rajshree Sawant, Vinod Suryavanshi, Mahesh Sharma, Raman Atre, Sukumar Tudu, Vandana Rao Pianist, Ankur Rastogi, Aadarsh Giri, Deepak Gurjar, Sajid Akhtar, Rajendra Mathur
Story: Subhash Kapoor
Dialogues: Subhash Kapoor
Cinematography: Rangarajan Ramabadran
Editor: Chandrashekhar Prajapati
Background Score: Mangesh Dhadke
Music Director: Vikram Montrose, Anurag Saikia , Aman Panth
Lyrics: Puneet Sharma, Ram Kumar Singh, Pardhaan, Megha Bali, Akhil Tiwari
Costume Designer: Veera Kapur
Running time: 140 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Social

Baaghi 4 - Review

meeta — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:09:13 +0000

wogma rating: Don't bother ^(?)

quick review:

It's so bloated that every thump in the music, each fight sequence, nearly every song, every attempt at comic relief seems like a huge, stinky burp.

Review

Usually, for sequels, I don't go back and read the reviews I wrote of the earlier instalments. But, this time, I couldn't resist the temptation because the fourth edition felt way too much like more-of-the-same. I had to double-check if I was remembering correctly. Baaghi 4 surpasses the other three in being incoherent even though it might be slightly less problematic.

For instance, the plot just goes from bad to worse and even worse scene after scene after scene. The absurdity goes so out of hand that I laughed out loud when I should have been crying at the tragic state of the writing.

Sure, the women have slightly more agency here. Not nearly enough, though, to give Baaghi 4 points for making at least some women characters have shape that goes beyond their bodies' forms.

Then there is the '80s-'90s brand of pointless comic relief. Unless the point of the entire film was to somehow go past the 2.5-hour mark. And it would be believable if it were that. Even the fight sequences in this action film feel like they are "extra". They are also half-hearted because the editing and sound leaves the gore to your imagination rather than going all out and showing it on screen. There's nothing else that can explain the ridiculous placement of songs in the narrative.

Then again, nothing explains so many other weird things happening in the film. And can we really, truly expect a sober explanation? After all, this film's idea of creativity is its protagonist lighting cigarettes and human bodies with live electric wires.

If that were not enough, the actors feel like they were in different rooms when the scene was shot and sewn together using some artificial technology. While Tiger Shroff has been able to emote better than in his previous films, the story and his arc are so lacklustre that he can't be expected to carry that burden.

Yes, that is despite the generally interesting opening premise of the film. The build-up is so long, so flat and at the same time so full of gas that you lose interest in knowing what is going on with this vulnerable man! Even if the brain's involuntary response to almost every event in the film is, "What the #3!! is going on!?"
Then you have Harnaaz Sandhu putting up a show that you want to admire, but it is so weird in the context of the film that you want to shut your eyes. The rest of the crew is loud, over-the-top, intolerable, cringe-inducing…all at once.

And the last (or first) weird thing, of course, like all the films in this series, is that this film too has no reason to call itself Baaghi. Who's rebelling? Against what?

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Loads. Attempt at being gory, but bad edits leave a lot to your imagination.
Language: Clean.
Nudity & Sexual content: The usual item-number type song and show of Tiger Shroff's 2,594 abs.
Concept: A man mourns the death of the love of his life? ;)
General Look and Feel: Attempt at gory action.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 0.5
Story: 0
Lead Actors: 1
Character Artists: 0

Dialogues: 0.5
Screenplay: 0
Music Director: 1
Lyrics: 1

Baaghi 4 - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala
Director: A. Harsha
Lead Cast: Tiger Shroff , Harnaaz Sandhu
Supporting Cast: Sanjay Dutt , Shreyas Talpade , Upendra Limaye, Sonam Bajwa
Screenplay: Rajat Arora , Sajid Nadiadwala
Dialogues: Rajat Arora
Cinematography: Swamy J Gowda
Editor: Kiran Gowda, Nitin FCP
Choreography: Ganesh Acharya, Farah Khan , Raju Khan, Bosco Martis, Aadil Shaikh
Music Director: Gourav Dasgupta, Badshah, Tanishk Bagchi, Payal Dev, Aditya Dev, Suyyash Rai, Aagaaz Virk, Ganesh Waghela, Siddhaant Miishhraa, Mani Moudgill, Salamat Ali Matoi, Josh Brar
Lyrics: Kumaar, Sameer (2), Danish Sabri, Badshah, Mani Moudgill, Josh Brar, Farhan Memon, Gopi Sidhu, Paradox, Starboy Loc, Diljan, Jagdeep Warring
Costume Designer: Manish Malhotra , Aki Narula, Navin Shetty, Rushi Sharma, Manoshi Nath, Ashish Sharma, Chetna Rawat
Running time: 155 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Action

Param Sundari - Review

meeta — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:48:54 +0000

wogma rating: Don't bother ^(?)

quick review:

Using 2020s' slang can't hide the jadedness of the girl-meets-boy plot. Dropping Shah Rukh Khan and Sri Devi references only highlight the story's age-old, simplistic "What if?" Even these icons, four decades ago, knew they had to reimagine the genre.

Streaming Partner: Amazon Prime

Review

The saving grace is…yes, there is so much to gripe about that I will begin with the sort-a kind-a redeeming qualities.

The unabashed racism via the problematic alter-ego friend is countered. It is called out, it is not normalised, and it is reversed using the character's arc. In that sense, Param Sundari offers a social commentary.

Then, the third point of the love triangle is actually a likeable character instead of the usual despicable one in such films.

But, aren't these aspects the bare minimum in any kind of responsible writing? And anyway, the rest of the writing and narration is as lazy as it gets. It feels like yet another film that worked its way backwards. They either wanted to make an Onam film or highlight the North-South contrast through a film. In either case, everything else is retro-fitted to serve that purpose.

Within that too, the details are rather shabbily written. The lead lady character is quite inconsistent. She is conveniently sickle-wielding, no nonsense bold or loses all agency depending on the part of the story we are at. One might argue that she is vulnerable to certain characters in her life, but it just isn't convincing.

Other than that, save for one honest moment, the film is loud. It skirts around being slapsticky, but doesn't want to own that label. There's loads of objectification. I guess they want us to be grateful that it is equal opportunity objectification as far as gender goes.

Towards that end, both Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor look absolutely stunning. Their act is constrained by the material given to them making it slightly unfair to judge their performances. Inayat Verma is the most engaging of all the characters who have been decidedly told to go over-the-top but be under control.

This last bit convinces me that the makers were very aware of the plot's plainness. Only that can explain the weird #ificiation of the dialogue. The new-age language pops out for you to notice it rather than blending in with the film. And that doesn't quite "slap". See what I mean?

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: An arena fight.
Language: Clean
Nudity & Sexual content: A lip-to-lip. Lots of eeky male and female objectification.
Concept: Girl meets boy
General Look and Feel: Bright and chirpy. Loud and jumpy.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 2
Story: 1
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 1.5

Dialogues: 1.5
Screenplay: 0.5
Music Director: 2.5
Lyrics: 2.5

Param Sundari - Movie Details

Official Sites: YouTube Wikipedia IMDB
Banner: Maddock Films
Producer: Dinesh Vijan
Director: Tushar Jalota
Lead Cast: Sidharth Malhotra , Janhvi Kapoor
Supporting Cast: Sanjay Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Renji Panikkar, Inayat Verma, Siddhartha Shankar
Story: Aarsh Vora, Tushar Jalota, Gaurav Mishra
Screenplay: Aarsh Vora, Tushar Jalota
Dialogues: Aarsh Vora, Tushar Jalota, Gaurav Mishra
Cinematography: Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran, Jani Master
Editor: Manish Pradhan
Background Score: Sachin Sanghvi , Jigar Saraiya
Choreography: Brinda Gopal
Music Director: Sachin Sanghvi , Jigar Saraiya
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Costume Designer: Sheetal Iqbal Sharma
Running time: 135 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Comedy, Romance

War 2 - Review

meeta — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 19:08:03 +0000

wogma rating: Don't bother ^(?)

quick review:

Reasonably decent conceptualisation of fight sequences with tacky execution. The rest—patriotism, plot, etc—is anyway only padding around the cool-on-paper action.

Review

For starters, it is not about war. And no, that is not giving the movie away. At best, it is giving the title away. The good news then is, if you are looking for aggrandisation of war, you won't find it here. What is it about then? It is the wish and vision to show a lot of action around something that will sell. And, of course, that something is patriotism.

Which might have still worked, if only, the fight sequences weren't mostly shabby CGI and edits taking over actual action choreography. It is borderline annoying because you see all the money spent on awesome, non-standard locations, but zero creativity in the execution.

It is a given that almost anything cool is clearly a rip-off from something we have seen in Hollywood. But that's not my complaint about the creativity. It's frustrating that it is not copied well despite the resources.

And if they are at this stage in their main aim—action—it would be silly to expect creativity in the writing, right? Like even simple things, such as having loftier aims. Why are spies from the YRF Spy Universe only saving India and not the world, not even the sub-continent? What is the endgame? As in what are they expecting to achieve by doing what they are doing?

Given the lack of logic, it is decent that there is some sense of flow and logic in the details. And the actors together—Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, Kiara Advani—are able to give some weight to the goings-on, not necessarily through their performance but their earnestness.

Yep, too little for the three-hour do. Except for the five-minute dance when Hrithik Roshan does his thing. I, for one, might not get over how well he can move his feet. Alas, not nearly enough.

- meeta, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Loads of action
Language: Clean
Nudity & Sexual content: A few lip-on-lips.
Concept: Patriotism, war, soldiers, loyalty.
General Look and Feel: Tacky execution of lots of fight sequences, almost throughout the film.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction: 0.5
Story: 1
Lead Actors: 2
Character Artists: 2

Dialogues: 1
Screenplay: 0.5
Music Director: 1.5
Lyrics: 1.5

War 2 - Movie Details

Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Lead Cast: Hrithik Roshan , Kiara Advani, Jr NTR
Supporting Cast: Anil Kapoor , Bobby Deol, Varun Badola, Gautam Gulati
Story: Aditya Chopra
Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan
Dialogues: Abbas Tyrewala
Cinematography: Benjamin Jasper
Editor: Aarif Shaikh
Background Score: Sanchit Balhara, Ankit Balhara
Choreography: Bosco Martis
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Costume Designer: Anaita Shroff Adajania, Niharika Jolly
Running time: 170 minutes
Reviewer: meeta
Language: Hindi
Country: India
Genres: Thriller

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