Dance films have been a rage in the West and in Bollywood, this genre got an establishment thanks to ABCD – ANY BODY CAN DANCE [2013]. Directed by Remo Dsouza, it starred unknown faces and yet fetched a decent opening and did good business at the box office. The series got a boost as the second part, ABCD – ANY BODY CAN DANCE – 2 [2015] starred Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor and was a Rs. 100 crore grosser and the first such film for both the actors. Now Varun, Shraddha and Remo join hands once again for STREET DANCER 3D, which is also in the same zone as the ABCD films. This time, they promise to take the dance and madness many notches higher. So does STREET DANCER 3D manage to fulfil the expectations? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1066172" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Street-Dancer-3D.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Street Dancer 3D" width="720" height="450" /> STREET DANCER 3D is the story of two warring groups uniting for a larger cause with the backdrop of dance. Sahej (Varun Dhawan) is an Indian origin British resident based in London with his family. He and his brother Inder (Punit J Pathak) are a part of a dance group called Street Dancers. Inder had participated in a globally reputed dance performance called Ground Zero. Sadly, in the final act of his dance performance, he gets injured and breaks his knee. Two years later, Sahej travels to Punjab, India for a wedding. He returns with lot of money which he uses to buy a dance studio. He tells Inder that he got this money by performing back home. Sahej reunites the Street Dancers gang and they begin their street dance performances. In the same locality, another dance group resides called Rule Breakers. They are of Pakistani origin and comprise of Inayat (Shraddha Kapoor), Zayn (Salman Yusuff Khan) among others. Their dance is quite superior and both groups often get into tussles. Sahej realizes that Street Dancer group has to get their dance moves right. He takes the help of Nora (Nora Fatehi), a dancer in a British dance group called The Royals and also his girlfriend. She improves the dance of the group. Street Dancers and Rule Breakers often assemble at a restaurant run by Prabhu Anna (Prabhudheva) to watch the India vs Pakistan cricket match. One such time, they get into a fight and attack each other with food. They stop only when a cop (Murli Sharma) intervenes. While leaving from there, Inayat notices suspicious looking men entering from the back door of the restaurant. During her next visit, she again witnesses it and this time, she enters the same entrance and confronts Prabhu. At this, Prabhu reveals that these men are illegal immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and that he gives them leftover food. Not just that, he packs all the leftover dishes and distributes them to a colony housing illegal immigrants. Inayat is moved with this gesture. Meanwhile, the Ground Zero competition is announced again and the prize money is staggering. Inayat informs the Rule Breakers about the plight of the immigrants. They all decide that if they win Ground Zero, they’ll use the prize money to help these people return back to their country. Street Dancers too decide to participate in Ground Zero. Prabhu Anna advises both the groups to unite as that’ll help them win. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Remo Dsouza's story is not novel. A few developments are fine but predictable. However, Tushar Hiranandani's screenplay (additional screenplay by Jagdeep Sidhu) is quite entertaining and very simple. It’s easy to comprehend what’s going on despite so many characters and so much of dance happening. A few dramatic sequences especially are well scripted. Farhad Samji's dialogues (addtional dialogues by Jagdeep Sidhu) work well but one expects a lot from this talented writer especially some witty one-liners. Remo Dsouza's direction works for most parts. The dance sequences, obviously, are handled well. He excels especially in the confrontational sequences be it Mac (Francis Roughly) assaulting Poddy, Poddy-Sahej’s fallout, Sahej’s emotional moment with his brother Inder in the second half and Sahej’s speech in front of Inayat’s family. On the flipside, the film is a bit too long at 143 minutes. The first half, particularly, could have been shorter. Also, one wishes if some of the developments were backed by logic. It is bewildering why Amrinder (Aparshakti Khurana) and his friends blame Sahej for their bad experience in London. It was Amrinder and his pals who were behind Sahej in Punjab and they literally forced him to take them to London. So Sahej should not have felt responsible and guilty for their miserable condition. A similar illogical development can be seen in the climax. Thankfully, the film has many other plusses that compensate for these minuses. STREET DANCER 3D begins on a visually stunning note. The introduction piece is well shot and thought of and instantly sets the mood. The introduction of Inayat is quite fun while Nora’s entry will surely soar the temperatures in this cold weather. Nothing much then happens till a point. It’s only when Sahej narrates his Punjab experience to Poddy (Raghav Juyal) that the interest lifts again. The intermission comes at a fine juncture. Post-interval, the film drops again but a nice plot point is added here when Sahej breaks off from Street Dancers. This track works well. The immigration bit is touching but logically flawed and that affects some impact. But the film has lot more to impress. The semi-final sequence is sure to be greeted with claps and whistles. The climax has enough drama and entertainment to keep viewers hooked. The film ends on a touching note with a montage of the SWAT (Sikh Welfare &amp; Awareness Team) and their noble work in London. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Street Dancer 3D | Public Review | Varun Dhawan | Shraddha Kapoor | Nora Fatehi | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/street-dancer-3d-public-review-varun-dhawan-shraddha-kapoor-nora-fatehi-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Varun Dhawan as always is quite entertaining and has a terrific screen presence. And he looks dashing. Shockingly, in comparison to Shraddha Kapoor and Nora Fatehi, he pales when it comes to dance. Shraddha Kapoor looks like a million bucks and is a treat to watch. Her screen time is a bit limited however in the second half. Also, one wished to see some sort of romance between the two as that would have made their fans happy. Nora Fatehi has a very small role but it’s very crucial and it’s bigger than her part in BATLA HOUSE. She is smoking hot and her entry scene is the best out of all actors! Aparshakti Khurana is great and makes sure that he doesn’t go overboard. Prabhudheva is effortless. His dance part appears late but once it does, it takes the film to a high! Punit J Pathak is memorable. The rest of the actors playing the dancers like Salman Yusuff Khan, Raghav Juyal, Dharmesh Yelonde (D), Sushant Pujari (Shushi), Caroline Wilde (Alisha) etc do well. The rest of them are also quite good and dance well but don’t get registered much. Francis Roughly is fine in a sort of villainous role. Zarina Wahab (Amarinder’s mother), Murli Sharma and Manoj Pahwa (Chabda) are passable. Others are good. There are almost 10-11 songs in the film and most of them thankfully are well choreographed and make an impact. <em>'Muqabla'</em> is the best of the lot and single-screen cinemas especially will go in a frenzy! <em>'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara'</em> comes next best followed <em>by 'Bezubaan Kab Se', 'Pind'</em> and <em>'Garmi'. 'Gann Deva'</em> seemed forced while <em>'Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walo'</em> is missing in the film. <em>'Dua Karo' </em>is moving and is well shot. <em>'Illegal Weapon 2.0', 'Lagdi Lahore Di'</em> and <em>'Nachi Nachi'</em> are okay.  Sachin-Jigar's background score is a bit loud but is in sync with the film’s mood. Kruti Mahesh, Rahul Shetty and Tashan Muir's choreography is one of the highpoints. Each and every dance piece is novel and visual treat. Vijay Kumar Arora's cinematography (Punjab schedule shot by Tushar Kanti Ray) is sans complaints and the dance scenes especially are beautifully captured. Tanvi Leena Patil's production design is appealing. Costumes are quite sexy especially the ones worn by Varun (Aki Narula), Shraddha (Tanya Ghavri) and Nora Fatehi (Jerry Dsouza). Post House Studios' VFX has played a major role here. The slow motion and light effects especially enhance the impact. Even the 3D is a treat to the eyes. Manan Ajay Sagar's editing is good for most parts but could have been more tighter. On the whole, STREET DANCER 3D is a terrific combination of rich visuals, amazing choreography and strong emotions. At the box office, it will appeal to its target audience - the youth and is most likely to enter the 100 crore club.

A small track in Priyanka Chopra-starrer MARY KOM [2014] dealt with the protagonist returning back to boxing after motherhood. It gave a nice insight of what women go through when they make a comeback in sports after giving birth and how it’s tough for them not just physically but more so, mentally. Now Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, of NIL BATTEY SANNATA [2016] and BAREILLY KI BARFI [2017] fame, takes this aspect as a central idea for her next film, PANGA, starring Kangana Ranaut in the leading role. So does PANGA manage to touch as well as entertain? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1066622 size-full" title="Movie Review: Panga" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Panga-2.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Panga" width="720" height="450" /> PANGA is the story of a mother trying to fulfil her dreams. Jaya Nigam (Kangana Ranaut) is a pro at Kabaddi. She slowly rises and also becomes the captain of the Indian Kabaddi team. She is meanwhile married to Prashant (Jassie Gill) and gets pregnant just before she is to go for a major tournament. She still assures her seniors that she’ll be back soon. However, her son is born prematurely and with a very weak immune system. The doctor informs that they’ll have to take care of the baby tremendously and only then will he have a normal growth. Jaya hence gives up her dream. She takes up a job in the railways and divides her time between her work and raising her son Adi (Yagya Bhasin). 7 years pass. Jaya is finding it difficult to fulfil the responsibilities expected from her. Moreover, she meets Meenu (Richa Chadha), who was in Jaya's team and still plays Kabaddi. One day, Adi suggests that his mother should make a comeback in Kabaddi. He persuades Prashant and both begin nag Jaya. Jaya is unsure as she feels she has grown old and is not that fit. Prashant suggests that Jaya should pretend to make comeback and a month later, she can claim that she didn’t get selected. Jaya hence begins her practice. At first, it’s difficult for her but soon, she gets enthusiastic about the whole process. After a long time, she realises she is finally living her life. Two months pass and one day, she tells Prashant that she wants to continue practicing and try to get into the Indian team. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Divya Rao's research and concept is fairly nice and simple. The story has a lot of potential and also it’s a bit unique. We have had sports films in the past but a film on a mother making a comeback hasn’t been tackled as a main plot. Nikhil Mehrotra and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's screenplay (additional screenplay by Nitesh Tiwari) also retains the simplicity and relatability. The writing is peppered with some entertaining moments that keep the interest going. On the flipside, it could have been tighter, especially towards the second half. Also, the film gives a heavy déjà vu of DANGAL [2016]. Nikhil Mehrotra and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's dialogues (additional dialogues by Nitesh Tiwari) are one of the highpoints. Some of the one-liners, especially the ones uttered by the child actor, will bring the house down. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's direction is good. It’s evident that her own personal experiences have also seeped in the film. A few sequences are very deftly handled. The finale especially is too good and would be greeted with claps and whistles. The beauty of it is that you know what’s going to happen and yet, you can’t help but feel exhilarated when it unfolds. Also, to see the way Jaya gets the support of her husband, her son, her mother, her bestie and even her neighbour is quite heartwarming and would be loved by female audiences especially. On the flipside, except for the ending, the predictability of the script does affect the impact along with the long length. Jaya’s flashback doesn’t really make it clear that she had achieved such heights of stardom. Also, Prashant seemed sad when Jaya announces her plan to do a comeback but it wasn’t the case, as revealed later on. This bit was bewildering and could have been done away with or handled better. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1066623" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Panga-1.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> PANGA has a fine commencement showing the small town life with the focus on Jaya's family and their day to day activities. A lot happens in the first half – Meenu coming back into her life, Jaya missing the sports day, Jaya getting reprimanded by Adi, Jaya's flashback and Jaya’s practise session. The first half surprisingly is just 51 minutes long. The post interval portion, however, is almost 1 hour 18 minutes in duration and could have been shorter. It’s touching to see how Jaya balances between her passion and her family and also the politics that happens over the selection of the team. But the pace of the film is slow here and also, the training session is stretched. Jaya not getting to play for most of the matches also gets a bit repetitive. Thankfully, the climax is powerful which helps the film end on a high note. PANGA rests on Kangana Ranaut majorly, though others also do well. The actress, as always, delivers a smashing performance and not even for a single second, does she go off character. As Jaya the mother, she’s quite adorable and convincing. And even as Jaya the player, she is effortless. Jassie Gill lends able support and his character will be loved. But he grins a bit too much, especially in the flashback portions, and it makes him look a bit of a caricature. Yagya Bhasin is a rockstar. He gets to play a great part and he uplifts the mood of the film in many places. Richa Chadha is credited as a special appearance part but she has a major role to play. She too contributes a lot to the film, not just in terms of comedy, but also in terms of much-needed moral support to Jaya. Megha Burman (Nisha Das) has a late entry but leaves a huge mark. Neena Gupta (Jaya’s mother) is passable. Rajesh Tailang (Indian national coach) is good and is an actor to watch out for. Smita Dwivedi (Smita Tambe, team captain), Kusum Shastri (Jaya’s neighbour), Sudhanva Deshpande (Indian Railway coach) and Shantanu Das (Eastern Railway coach) are decent. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is soulful but is not memorable at all. <em>'Bibby Song'</em>, the title track and <em>'Jugnu'</em> are okay while <em>'Dil Ne Kaha'</em> and <em>'Wahi Hain Raste'</em> are forgettable. Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara's background score is subtle but rightfully loud in the scene where Adi tells Prashant that Jaya should make a comeback. Jai I Patel's cinematography is fine in the crucial Kabaddi scenes but in a few scenes, its quite in-the-face. Sandeep Meher's production design is straight out of life. Rushi Sharma, Manoshi Nath and Bhagyashree Rajurkar's costumes also add to the authenticity. Special mention should also go to Sunita Vishwas Rao (Kabaddi co-ordinator), Gauri Wadekar (Kabaddi Coach and choreographer) and Abdul Salam Ansari (Kabaddi action director) for making the Kabaddi scenes look so rich and real. Ballu Saluja's editing should have been slick. On the whole, PANGA is a progressive and touching sports drama that works thanks to its plot, execution, some fine moments and of course the superlative performance of Kangana Ranaut. At the box office, it faces tough competition from STREET DANCER 3D and also the holdover release TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR and hence it’ll need a strong word of mouth to succeed.

Saif Ali Khan excels in all kinds of roles but his role of a cool dude in light-themed films has been a favourite for many moviegoers. He played such characters in several memorable films like HUM TUM [2004], SALAAM NAMASTE [2005], LOVE AAJ KAL [2009] and got immense praise. Now the actor is back in this space after a hiatus with JAWAANI JAANEMAN. It’s a special flick as it’s the first production under his new banner, Black Knight Films. So does JAWAANI JAANEMAN emerge as a fine piece of entertainer? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1069154 size-full" title="Movie Review: Jawaani Jaaneman" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Jawaani-Jaaneman.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Jawaani Jaaneman" width="720" height="450" /> JAWAANI JAANEMAN is the story of a 40-year-old playboy whose life suddenly turns upside down. Jassi aka Jazz (Saif Ali Khan) is in his 40s and is based in London. He's single and in no mood to commit. By profession, he's a real estate broker and works with his brother Dimpu (Kumud Mishra). But he spends most of his time partying and getting involved with girls. He is also about to seal a redevelopment deal that will make him the biggest broker in London. Life is going great for him until one day he meets Tiya (Alaya F). At first he flirts with her, with the ultimate aim to take her to bed. However, she drops the bomb that she might be his daughter! To make matters worse, the DNA test confirms that they are related. And that's not all. It also comes to light that Tiya is pregnant! So Jazz finds out that he's not just someone's father but also to-be grandfather! What happens next forms the rest of the film. JAWAANI JAANEMAN is a remake of an Italian film. The plot is promising and could have made for a hilarious and touching entertainer. The screenplay however is inconsistent and weak at many places. Only some scenes work and provide laughs. Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal's dialogues are witty and try their best to enhance the impact. Nitin Kakkar's direction is average. He doesn’t keep the flow of the film organic. Some developments happen suddenly, be it Jazz developing feelings for Rhea (Kubbra Sait) or Jazz asking Tiya to shift in his house. These scenes are still digestible. But a scene in the second half where a local randomly accuses Jazz of cheating him in a property deal comes out of nowhere. Till now, viewers knew Jazz as a lazy worker but not someone who is deceitful. Hence, this revelation seems bizarre. On the positive side, he gets the emotion and humour right in some scenes. Also, he keeps the duration in check (119 minutes). JAWAANI JAANEMAN starts off on an okay note as the viewers get introduced to Jazz and his playboy lifestyle. The film gets interesting once he gets Tiya home and she reveals the truth. It makes for a hilarious watch. Another memorable scene in the first half is when Jazz and Tiya meet Dr. Kriplani (Kiku Sharda). One expects lot more to happen but story just doesn’t move then. The intermission point is a bit awkward. Post interval thankfully there’s some movement in the story. But now the film drags. Also, the impact is weakened by property deal track. What brings some respite is the track of Ananya (Tabu) but even that loses fizz soon. The final scene of the film is heartwarming. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Jawaani Jaaneman | Public Review | Saif Ali Khan | Alaya Furniturewalla | Tabu | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/jawaani-jaaneman-public-review-saif-ali-khan-alaya-furniturewalla-tabu-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Saif Ali Khan is completely in his element and entertains thoroughly. Such kind of a role suits him to the T and he constantly tries to rise above the script. Alaya F makes an excellent debut and puts up a confident act. She looks gorgeous and is the only actor who moves viewers to an extent. She has a promising career ahead. Tabu has a late entry but raises loads of laughs. But her character has no emotional arc. Chunky Panday (Rocky) doesn’t have much to do initially. He has a crucial scene in the second half in the hospital but it doesn’t work. Kubbra Sait is adorable and one wishes to see more of her. Kumud Mishra is dependable. Kiku Sharda is funny. Dante Alexander (Rohan) is over the top, as per the character’s requirement. Rameet Sandhu (Tanvi) leaves a mark. Farida Jalal (Jazz’s mother), Shivendra Singh Mahal (Jazz’s father) and Diljohn Singh (Grover) are okay. Songs are all forgettable. <em>'Ole Ole 2.0'</em> gets registered a bit as it’s a popular tune. <em>'Gallan Kardi'</em>, <em>'Bandhu Tu Mera'</em> and <em>'Mere Baabula'</em> don’t work. <em>‘Jinhe Mera Dil Luteya’</em> is played in the end credits.  Ketan Sodha's background score is sans complaints. Manoj Kumar Khatoi's cinematography is pleasing. The locales of London are well captured. Urvi Ashar Kakkar and Shipra Rawal's production design is superior. Sanam Ratansi's costumes are quite glamorous and all the actors in the film look great. Sachinder Vats's editing (additional editing by Chandan Arora) jumps at places. On the whole, JAWAANI JAANEMAN boasts of fine performances by Saif Ali Khan and newcomer Alaya F. But the direction is weak and emotionally, the film doesn’t work. At the box office, it will be a tough ride for the flick considering the lack of buzz.

The tiny state of Goa has been a great destination for our filmmakers over the years. Rohit Shetty has shot and based most of his films there. Besides, there have been films where Goa played an indispensable part like HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD [2007], DIL CHAHTA HAI [2001], KABHI HAAN KABHI NAA [1994], GO GOA GONE [2013], FINDING FANNY [2014] etc. Then there was DUM MAARO DUM [2011] which talked about the dark side and the drug mafia of this beach state. Now Mohit Suri futher explores this idea with loads of madness and romance in his style in his latest flick, MALANG. So does MALANG manage to entertain and appeal to its target youth audience? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1071329" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Movie-Review-Malang.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> MALANG is the story of love and revenge. Two tracks run simultaneously in the film. The flashback track shows Advait (Aditya Roy Kapur), with a disturbing family history, going to Goa for some fun. Here he bumps into Sara (Disha Patani) who has come to Goa from abroad to conquer her fears. Over drugs and running away from the police, they fall for each other. At first they decide to keep their relationship casual but things get serious. In the present day track, five years later, Advait has just got released from the jail. He's now a killing machine with rage in his eyes. As soon as he's out, he calls Inspector Anjaane Agashe (Anil Kapoor) and informs him that he's about to commit a murder. Agashe takes it lightly at first but in no time, Advait kills a person, that too a police inspector named Victor (Vatsal Seth). Few hours later, he kills two more cops – Nitin Salgaonkar (Keith Sequeira) and Deven Jadhav (Prasad Jawade). All three work under Inspector Michael (Kunal Kemmu). He's married to Teresa (Amruta Khanvilkar) and his marriage is on the rocks. He believes in following the law and faces trouble in solving the case with Agashe, who relies on committing encounters on the spot. Both get to work before Advait can kill anyone else. In the course of his investigation, Michael begins to follow Jessie (Elli AvrRam) who he believes is connected with the case. Meanwhile, Agashe comes face to face with Advait. The latter had the opportunity to escape but he doesn't. He wilfully surrenders. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Aseem Arrora's story is decent. But it is a <em>bhel puri</em> of various films like EK VILLAIN [2014], MURDER 2 [2011], MARJAAVAAN [2019], RACE [2008] etc. Aniruddha Guha's screenplay ensures most scenes don’t give a strong déjà vu of any film. There’s a lot happening in the film and the script is written in such a way that it does not bore the audience. Aseem Arrora's dialogues are subtle but sharp and don’t go over the top in most places. Mohit Suri's direction is good. There’s a marked improvement from his previous films. There’s a lot of style in his execution that gives the film a fresh and a nice touch. There are lot of characters and subplots but he joins them seamlessly. Also, often, filmmakers go the psychedelic way while showing the effects of drugs on protagonists. This has become quite clichéd now and surprisingly, Mohit doesn’t go that route at all. A few scenes are very well handled, especially the present-day scenes. But on the flipside, some developments don’t work as intended whether it’s the love story or Michael’s dilemma. Even the backstory of Advait and Sara seems half-baked. MALANG begins on a massy note. The one-take action scene is quite entertaining. The film then goes on a flashback mode showcasing Advait and Sara’s romance. It is interspersed with the present-day thrilling portions. A few portions here stand out like Agashe interrogating the African drug dealer (this is sure to raise tons of laughs), Agashe finding Nitin Salgaonkar and of course the intermission point. Post-interval, the flashback slows down the film a bit as one is more curious to see what happens once Advait is in the clutches of the cops. There’s a solid twist in the tale and though it comes as a shocker, it is also a bit convenient. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Malang | Public Review | Aditya Roy Kapur | Disha Patani | Anil Kapoor | Kunal Khemu | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/malang-public-review-aditya-roy-kapur-disha-patani-anil-kapoor-kunal-khemu-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Speaking of performances, each and every actor does fine. Aditya Roy Kapur is in great form. He looks very convincing as a fearless man with a vengeance who can take on dozens of goons. His acting in some crucial scenes could have been better but he manages. Disha Patani probably gets the most screen time ever. She looks gorgeous and delivers a heartwarming performance. Anil Kapoor provides the humour quotient. But his character is a lot more than just a funny man and the talented actor gets it just right. And he looks dashing! Kunal Kemmu’s character too has a lot of shades and he rocks the show. Elli AvrRam is decent at best. Her dialogue delivery could have been a bit better. Vatsal Seth, Keith Sequeira and Prasad Jawade are okay. Devika Vatsa (Vani Agashe) leaves a huge mark in a cameo. The music of the film weak and a film like this ought to have super-hit music. The title track and <em>'Hui Malang'</em> are the best of the lot and are well shot. <em>'Chal Ghar Chalen', 'Bande Elahi', 'Humraah'</em> and <em>'Phir Na Milen Kabhi'</em> lack repeat value. Raju Singh's background score is dramatic. Vikas Sivaraman's cinematography is stunning and one of the best in recent times. Notice how the first scene (the long one-take shot) is captured and how sufficient care is taken not to show Aditya Roy Kapur’s face until the right time. Even the scenes of Goa and Mauritius are captured with perfection. Vintee Bansal and Sidhant Malhotra's production design is a bit theatrical but works. Ayesha Dasgupta's costumes are super stylish, especially the ones worn by Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani and Anil Kapoor. The manner in which Anil wears his police shirt on a T-shirt and keeps it unbuttoned makes a unique style statement. Aejaz Gulab's action is not too gory and seems realistic. NY VFXwaala's VFX is fine. Devendra Murdeshwar's editing is simplistic. On the whole, MALANG is high on style with good performances and thrilling moments but has an average storyline. At the box office, it only has the advantage of a clear one-week window and will therefore do average business.

11 years ago, Imtiaz Ali, fresh out of the super-success of JAB WE MET [2007], presented his next, LOVE AAJ KAL [2009]. It was a unique film for that time as it focused on not one, but two love stories, set in different eras. Also, lead actor Saif Ali Khan played the lover boy in both the tracks and that also ensured the film stood out. Director Imtiaz Ali now uses this idea once again in a film, which is also titled LOVE AAJ KAL. It features Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan and their chemistry has already become a talking point. So does LOVE AAJ KAL manage to be as excellent as its predecessor? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1074192" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Love-Aaj-Kal-Review.jpeg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> LOVE AAJ KAL is the story that tackles the ever-changing dynamic of being in and finding love. Veer (Kartik Aaryan) and Zoe (Sara Ali Khan) are based in Delhi and they meet one night at a nightclub. Both attempt to get intimate but Veer backs off at the last minute. Veer however realises Zoe is special to him. He finds out that she works from a co-working space. He also lands up there. Zoe is at first irritated with him but she’s interested in him. Meanwhile, Raj (Randeep Hooda), the owner of the co-working space, witnesses their love blossoming in front of his eyes. Zoe shares her views with Raj that she wants to have a casual relationship and doesn’t want to get into a serious relationship so soon. At this, Raj begins to narrate his own story. This is a time when he was Raghu (Kartik Aaryan) and was a school kid in Udaipur. He is crazily in love with Leena (Arushi Sharma). She too falls for him and one day, both get caught. Her family asks her to move to Delhi. Raghu, madly in love, follows her to the capital city. He starts to work as a waiter. Zoe is enchanted to hear about Raj's story. She decides to give love a chance. She gets a job offer from Dubai and she deletes the mail as she doesn’t want to be away from Veer. However, this is when Raj drops the bomb. He reveals to Zoe that Raghu breaks up with Leena as he turns into a playboy. This and her mother’s (Simone Singh) constant reminder that she shouldn’t sacrifice career for love gives her a jolt. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Imtiaz Ali's story is decent. The basic plot makes an interesting comment and if handled well, it could have made for a great romantic film. Imtiaz Ali's screenplay however doesn’t do complete justice. A few scenes are very relatable as it talks about the complexities of today’s times. But on the flipside, it’s also quite unconvincing. Dialogues are a bit philosophical and could have been simpler yet meaningful. Imtiaz Ali's direction is not upto the mark. He gets a few things right. The use of graffiti on the walls and parallels being drawn between the two stories does impress. A few scenes are very well handled and bear his stamp. But there are times when one does wonder where the film is going. Some scenes don’t have the desired impact and even end up being unintentionally funny. He also leaves loose ends and a few subplots don’t get the logical conclusion. Imtiaz also doesn’t focus on backstories of his characters. This was something seen even with Shah Rukh Khan’s character in JAB HARRY MET SEJAL [2017]. In the case of LOVE AAJ KAL, Veer seems socially awkward and one doesn’t understand why that’s so. LOVE AAJ KAL begins on a fine note as the characters of both eras get established. Yes, things do seem a bit off especially some dialogues and Veer's behaviour and his body language. However the 90s track has a charm and keeps the interest going. One of the best scenes here is when Raghu and Leena have a romantic moment in the train. The twist in Raghu's tale comes as a bolt from the blue. This bit particularly works because till now, it looks like a clone of Rishi Kapoor's track from the old LOVE AAJ KAL. As a result, audience won’t see it coming. Trouble however starts from the interval point. Zoe's outburst is weird. Post interval, the film does pick up when Veer comes to pick up Zoe. Also, the culmination of Raghu's story is poignant. However, Zoe’s actions take the film down. The final scene is just okay. <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Love Aaj Kal | Public Review | Kartik Aaryan | Sara Ali Khan | First Day First Show</span></strong> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/love-aaj-kal-public-review-kartik-aaryan-sara-ali-khan-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, both Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan give their best shot. Kartik gets to do something different and excels. In a few scenes, he ups the humour quotient as well. His intense look is watchable. Sara too follows her director’s instructions to the T and in a few scenes, you do see her brilliance. However, her character is so weird that despite her best efforts, it comes across as a caricature. Randeep Hooda is dependable. But few of his scenes get repetitive after a point. Arushi Sharma is sweet and has a fine screen presence. Simone Singh is fair. Others do well. Pritam Chakraborty's music won’t stand the test of time like the previous LOVE AAJ KAL. <em>'Haan Main Galat'</em> is catchy but played in the end credits. <em>'Parmeswara</em>' is wacky but audiences won’t be able to connect. <em>'Dhak Dhak', 'Aur Tanha'</em> and <em>'Shayad'</em> are fine. Ishaan Chhabra's background score gels well with the film. Amit Roy's cinematography is quite great in some sequences. But in some close up shots, it is not upto the mark. Suman Roy Mahapatra's production design is quite stylish, especially in present day portions. Aki Narula's costumes are quite appealing, especially the ones worn by Sara and by Kartik in present day track. Aarti Bajaj's editing is sans complaints. On the whole, LOVE AAJ KAL is strictly for the youth and romantic at heart. At the box office, it will start on a positive note on the account of its novel cast and the festive (Valentine’s Day) period. The business will be decent across urban multiplexes while business at single screens may remain average.

The horror genre has taken giant strides in the West and newer concepts have been experimented with to keep the interest going in the genre. Bollywood, however, has lagged behind. Most horror films still follow the template set by the game-changer RAAZ [2002]. But now, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions is all set to present BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP, and it promises to be a one-of-its-kind horror flick. Moreover, it stars Vicky Kaushal who has become extremely popular following the blockbuster success of his last film, URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE [2019]. So does BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP manage to scare the daylights of the viewers? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1076932" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BHOOT-Review.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP is the story of a man facing a scary situation while fighting the horrors of his past. The year is 2012. Prithvi (Vicky Kaushal) is a widower who has lost his wife Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar) and daughter Megha in a freak accident. He is depressed and is avoiding medication. In the midst of all this, an abandoned ship named Sea Bird gets stranded at Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. Prithvi works for a shipping company that is asked to take this ship back to the sea at the earliest. On his first visit to the ship, strange things occur and it makes him feel that the ship is inhabited. However he passes it off as his hallucinations and side effect of his state of mind. The subsequent visits however makes him sure that all this is not a figment of his imagination. During the third visit, he spots a girl at the hull of the ship. He also comes across log books and some video tapes dating back to the year 2001. As he sees the tapes, he realises that the captain’s wife (Meher Vij) and daughter Meera were also present on the ship. Gradually, Prithvi realises that the girl he encountered on the ship is Meera. He goes again to the ship and this time he comes face to face with Meera. But this time, she’s in a ghostly avatar. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Bhanu Pratap Singh's story is decent and could have made for a gripping scarefest. Bhanu Pratap Singh's screenplay however is unimpressive overall. He gets the scare quotient right only in few scenes. Even in the main story, things are barely convincing. Bhanu Pratap Singh's dialogues are passable. Bhanu Pratap Singh's direction is nothing great. He makes good use of his knowledge in creating a scary atmosphere. A few scenes are well executed. But most of the scenes fail to impress. Trouble begins in the first 15 minutes itself when a random couple is shown venturing into the massive ship undetected and playing hide and seek. The ship is ten storeys tall and this information is given by the makers themselves just few minutes before this scene. But no explanation is given how the lovers manage to climb atop the deck which is at such a height. This scene actually gave a clear indication that logic and common sense are not going to be the strong points of this film. And sure enough, the absurdities continue in the second half, especially the climax. Many questions are left unanswered and it is sure to baffle viewers when they come out of theatres. BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP begins on a fair note as Prithvi's past and glimpses of the happenings on the ship in 2001 is depicted. The first half doesn’t have much of a story as such but it keeps you intrigued as the scary atmosphere is well created. A few jump scares also serve the purpose. The interval comes at a great point. Post interval, there’s some movement in the story and you actually get to know where the film is headed. Still, a few unwanted scenes are there, like Prithvi imagining that he’s talking to his dead daughter at the bank of a river. On the positive side, the scene in the church is excellent and one expects the film to go on a high from here. Sadly the climax is riddled with clichés and flawed developments that kill the joy completely. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>BHOOT – Part One The Haunted Ship | Public Review | Vicky Kaushal | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/bhoot-part-one-the-haunted-ship-public-review-vicky-kaushal-bhumi-pednekar-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Vicky Kaushal is in good form. He looks very dashing and gets his act right, without going overboard in any scene. Bhumi Pednekar is decent in a cameo. Ashutosh Rana (Professor Joshi) is fine and gives one a déjà vu of his earlier performance in RAAZ. His character sadly gets a raw deal in the end. Akash Dhar (Riyaz) plays Prithvi's best friend and has an important role. He is decent but again, he doesn’t have much to do later. Meher Vij has a superb screen presence but her performance suffers on account of bad writing. Sanjay Gurbaxani (Agnihotri) is average. The actor playing Amar looks a bit creepy which works well. The actors playing Meera and Megha do very well. Akhil Sachdeva's music has no scope. <em>'Channa Ve'</em> is played in the opening credits. Ketan Sodha's background score is horrifying and works. Pushkar Singh's cinematography captures the mood very well. Aditya Kanwar's production design is top-notch. The abandoned ship especially is well designed. Natashcha Charak and Nikita Raheja Mohanty's costumes are realistic. Vikram Dahiya's action is filmy and takes away the authenticity. Redefine's VFX is first rate and adds to the horror factor. Bodhaditya Banerjee's editing is dragging and could have been crisper. Ideally, this film shouldn’t have been more than 90 minutes long. On the whole, BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP suffers from a half-baked plot and a flawed narrative which leaves viewers confused. The end result is completely unconvincing, barring a few scenes that provide some chills. At the box office, it will be rejected by the audience. Disappointing!

Over the last three decades, Bollywood has come up with quite a few films on homosexuality like FIRE [1996], MY BROTHER NIKHIL [2005], EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA [2019], ALIGARH [2016], MARGARITA WITH A STRAW [2015] etc. Aanand L Rai and T-Series are now all set to bring SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN and unlike other gay-themed films, this one is light-hearted and looks quite commercial. Moreover, it stars Ayushmann Khurrana, who has become a brand in himself. So does SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN manage to entertain? Will it succeed in becoming the first legitimate LGBT-themed hit film of Bollywood? Or does it fail to succeed? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1077035" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Shubh-Mangal-Zyada-Saavdhan-1-26.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN is the story of two men in love in Section 377 era. Aman Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) is the son of Shankar Tripathi (Gajraj Rao) and Sunaina (Neena Gupta), who are based in Allahabad. Aman works in Delhi and unknown to his family, he's a gay and is living in with Kartik (Ayushmann Khurrana). Jitendra's cousin sister Goggle (Maanvi Gagroo) is getting married and Neena calls Aman to come back to attend her marriage. Aman at first refuses but then gives in. Kartik also joins him and they meet the entire Tripathi family in a marriage special train called Vivah Express. In the train, Aman and Kartik kiss when they assume that no one is looking. Sadly for them, Shankar sees them and he gets the shock of his life. He doesn't tell anyone about it out of shame. At Goggle's marriage, Aman, in front of everyone, kisses Kartik, thus astonishing the Tripathi family. Thanks to this development, Goggle's to be husband refuses to get married. In anger, Goggle runs away. Kartik is asked to leave and Shankar's brother and Goggle's father Chaman (Manurishi Chadha) drops him off to Allahabad station. At the railway station, Kartik bumps into Goggle and stops her from ending her life. She tells Kartik that he shouldn't run away and that he should fight for his love. This motivates Kartik and he decides to return to win over not just Jitendra but the entire Tripathi family. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Hitesh Kewalya's story is decent and had the potential to be a game-changer. Hitesh Kewalya's screenplay however is a big culprit. Under the pretext of making situations funny, he resorts to too many difficult-to-digest situations. This was prevalent in SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAN as well but there, they kept a nice balance. Here, the balance is just not there. The first half is still decent. But in the second half, it all goes downhill. Hitesh Kewalya's dialogues are witty but some of them are just over the top. It won’t be wrong to say that even the one-liners, which are supposed to be funny, take away the realism from the film. Hitesh Kewalya's direction is weak. The film has lot of subplots but he doesn’t put it together well. A major chunk of the film is about rift within the family and during such times, the principle homosexuality angle takes a backseat. Also, he should have succeeded completely in two aspects – comedy and messaging. Sadly in both these areas, he doesn’t do justice. Even the black cauliflower angle that provided laughs initially proved to be the biggest downer of the film in the climax. It gave a bad déjà vu of the ‘kala bandar’ angle of DELHI-6 [2009]. On the positive side, he handles few scenes with élan and some scenes genuinely raise laughs. SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN’s starts off on a funny note and the subplot of black cauliflower appears hilarious. Devika's (Bhumi Pednekar) scene too adds to the fun. The scene where Shankar Tripathi catches the lovers kissing brings the house down. Scenes like Aman kissing Kartik in full public view and Aman talking to his parents about dopamine and other such stuff keep the interest going. Post interval however, the film drops. The scenes are supposed to be funny but don't make you laugh. Also it becomes too preachy and unconvincing. The makers try their best to make things interesting but it doesn't work. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan | Public Review | Ayushmann Khurrana | Jitendra Kumar | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/shubh-mangal-zyada-saavdhan-public-review-ayushmann-khurrana-jitendra-kumar-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Ayushmann Khurrana shockingly is not in his usual form. He has always played the victim but here, he plays the instigator and an actor of his calibre should have hit the ball out of park. Shockingly, he goes overboard. The other bigger shocker is that his screen time is very limited. Believe it or not, Gajraj Rao has the maximum screen time followed by Jitendra and then comes Ayushmann! Gajraj Rao however is too good as always and performs as per the script. Jitendra Kumar fits the role to the T and few of his scenes in the first half are great. Neena Gupta is average. Manurishi Chadha and Sunita Rajwar (Champa) do justice to their respective parts. Pankhuri Awasthy (Kusum) is quite funny. Maanvi Gagroo raises few laughs. Neeraj Singh (Keshav) is decent. Bhumi Pednekar is passable while Gopal Dutt (Doctor in the train) is okay. Music is peppy and gels with the film. <em>'Pyaar Tenu Karda Gabru'</em> is the best followed by <em>'Arey Pyaar Kar Le'</em>, which is played in the end credits. <em>'Ooh La La'</em> comes at a great point while <em>'Mere Liye Tum Kaafi Ho'</em> is forgettable. The recreated version of <em>'Kya Karte The Saajna'</em> sounds great but is not utilised well. Karan Kulkarni's background score adds to the quirkiness of the film. Chirantan Das's cinematography is appropriate. Ravi Srivastava's production design is in sync with the film’s setting. Ankita Jha's costumes are realistic and special mention should go to Ayushmann’s look. Ninad Khanolkar's editing is sans complaints. On the whole, SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN is a decent attempt and makes an interesting comment on homophobia which exists in our country. At the box office, it has the chance to work with the urban audiences, especially the youth. However, it will be a challenge to bring in family audiences and the audiences from small towns and cities. The presence of Ayushmann Khurrana may give a boost to its collections.

We are in the year 2020 but still, a lot of objectionable trends are sadly quite common. Violence against women, especially, continues despite progress of our country and growth in education and standard of living. Anubhav Sinha, whose 2.0 avatar has given us films on Hindu-Muslim unity [MULK; 2018] and caste discrimination [ARTICLE 15; 2019] now takes up this topic for his latest hard-hitting flick, THAPPAD. The trailer has already intrigued viewers because of its storyline and the association of Taapsee Pannu and Anubhav with this project. So does THAPPAD manage to be as impactful as Anubhav’s last two films? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1078610" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Thapped-5.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> THAPPAD is the story of a woman fighting a tough battle. Amrita (Taapsee Pannu) is a housewife and is happily married to Vikram (Pavail Gulati) in Delhi. Vikram works in a reputed company and is desperately looking forward to an opportunity which will take him to London for work purposes. Amrita knows how much this means to Vikram. She loves him with all her heart and her entire life revolves around him and in attending to his mother, Sulochana (Tanvi Azmi). Thankfully for Vikram, he’s selected for the London stint. The same night, he throws a party in his house. All is going well until he gets a call from his superior, Thapar. He informs Vikram that he won’t be getting the desired profile that he’s looking for in London and that he’ll have to report to an authority there. This is not something that Vikram was initially assured. He confronts Rajhans, another superior of Vikram and who is present in the party. Things heat up between them and Amrita tries to pacify him. In the process, Vikram slaps Amrita. Her whole world comes crashing down. She tries to move on but is just not able to. Vikram shows regret when he realizes that Amrita has been hurt by his actions. He tries to console her but it doesn’t work for her. Amrita hence shifts to the house of her parents (Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah). Vikram stops her and later even comes to take her back. But she doesn’t budge. Vikram then sends a legal notice to her. Swati (Naila Grewal), the girlfriend of Amrita’s brother Karan (Ankur Rathee), suggests that Amrita should show this letter to Nethra (Maya Sarao), a reputed lawyer and Swati’s boss. Nethra suggests that Amrita should solve this issue amicably. Amrita however doesn’t want to and she insists on a divorce. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's story is superb and applause-worthy. In a society where repeated acts of violence committed by husbands on their wives is fairly common, it requires guts to pull off a film where the woman has been hit just once by the husband and yet make it seem convincing. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's screenplay (script consultant: Anjum Rajabali) helps a lot in ensuring that the audiences get persuaded to agree with the vision of the team. They very well put out the situation and how patriarchy is deeply ingrained in our psyche, not just in case of men but also women. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's dialogues are acidic and sharp and add to the impact. Some of them simplify the proceedings but that goes in favour of the film. There are lot of one-liners that will surely hit viewers and make them reflect on their own wrongdoings. Anubhav Sushila Sinha's direction is superlative. He has not just penned a great script but he has even executed it very well. The world and mood is drastically different when compared to MULK and ARTICLE 15 but he understands it and does justice. Amrita’s predicament is well established and one is bound to get moved by her struggle, especially when even her family members fail to support her. There are also several subplots and most of them are well helmed and add to the principle plot nicely. There are a few scenes where he does a fine job like Shivani (Dia Mirza) hugging Amrita, Sulochana ignoring the slap and insisting that Amrita should attend to the guests, Amrita’s father scolding his son for misbehaving with Swati, Amrita’s mother Sandhya chiding for not getting support to continue her singing career, the confrontation between the lawyers etc. On the flipside, the second half seems dragging. The makers could have done away with the track of Sulochana living separately as it just added to the subplots needlessly. Additionally, they could have fine-tuned the track of the lawyer cheating on her husband. A section of audience might find the entire bit of Vikram not apologizing to Amrita difficult to digest. It’s strange that no one from his circle suggested that he should say sorry. It’s only in the pre-climax that this issue is raised in front of him. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thappad | Public Review | Taapsee Pannu | Anubhav Sinha | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/thappad-public-review-taapsee-pannu-anubhav-sinha-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span></iframe> THAPPAD has an impressive beginning where all the supporting characters are introduced and the commonality is them having an ice-cream. Amrita’s introduction is superbly down. It does give one a déjà vu of Nishikant Kamat’s classic Marathi film DOMBIVALI FAST [2004] but it works very well here to depict what her day looks like. The highpoint is definitely the party sequence and the slap. After this scene, it might feel that the film is stagnating but those scenes are important to explain how Amrita’s life has changed drastically post the slap. The intermission point is great. Post-interval, the interest is maintained but this is where the film drags. One expects <em>dhamaka</em> when the parties come face-to-face but nothing of that sort happens. The confrontation is there and though it is sync with the film’s plot and mood, it might seem mild, especially those expecting some entertainment here. The film ends on a justified note. THAPPAD has several excellent actors but it belongs to Taapsee Pannu without a shred of doubt. She has delivered several memorable performances and this one will surely be one of her most accomplished acts! She gets completely into the skin of character, making viewers forget of her earlier performances. You forget its Taapsee when you see her dutifully performing her housewife duties. Pavail Gulati makes a fantastic debut. He looks dashing and completely suits the part. Kumud Mishra is terrific. Anubhav Sinha always extracts a fine performance from him and THAPPAD is no exception. Ratna Pathak Shah is quite subtle and makes an impact. Same with Tanvi Azmi – her dialogue in the finale sums up the film in a way. Maya Sarao is a powerhouse of talent and is an actor to watch out for. She gets her act totally right, especially her body language. Geetika Vidya (Sunita) gets to play a memorable part and she kills it. Dia Mirza has limited screen time but it works. Gracy Goswami (Sania; Shivani’s daughter) has a fine screen presence and she dances nicely. Naila Grewal, Manav Kaul (Rohit Jaisingh), Ram Kapoor (Advocate Gujral) and Ankur Rathee are fair. Harssh A Singh (Thapar), Santanu Ghatak (Vikram’s colleague Subodh), Rohan Khurana (Nethra's love interest), Sushil Dahiya (Vikram's father), Siddhant Karnick (Vikram's brother), Nidhi Uttam (Vikram's sister-in-law) and the actor playing Rajhans also do a good job. Anurag Dipali Saikia's music doesn’t have much scope. <em>'Ek Tukda Dhoop'</em> however has a nice, lingering effect. Mangesh Urmila Dhakde's background score is magnificent. The initial sequences have a jazz style music that gives a nice touch. Soumik Sarmila Mukherjee's cinematography is top-class. Vishakha Vidya Kullarwar's costumes are appealing, especially the saree worn by Taapsee in the party. Jyotika Mirpuri Aroura's make-up and hair is appropriate. Nikhil Kshipra Kovale's production design is rich. Yashpa Pushpa Ramchandani's editing could have been a tighter, but overall he has done a commendable job. On the whole, THAPPAD makes a strong statement on patriarchy and violence against women and is laced with a powerful performance by Taapsee Pannu. At the box office, it will be loved and adored by its target audience – the womenfolk.

Tiger Shroff has been in the industry since just six years but he has already become a force to reckon with thanks to his stylised and risky action stunts and a cool style. His fans have particularly loved him in the BAAGHI franchise. The first part, released in 2016, was a runaway success from day 1. BAAGHI 2 [2018] was an even bigger success, embarking upon a terrific opening [Rs. 25.10 crore] and lifetime total [Rs. 164.38 crore]. Hence, the expectations are tremendous from BAAGHI 3 where the action and scale has gone many notches higher. Interestingly, this time, Tiger’s character Ronnie is all set to battle an entire country! So does BAAGHI 3 manage to entertain and give the audiences a gala time? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1081397" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Movie-Review-Baaghi-3.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> BAAGHI 3 is the story of a man against a terrorist organization. Ronnie (Tiger Shroff) is the younger brother of Vikram (Riteish Deshmukh). Their father was a cop, Charan Chaturvedi (Jackie Shroff), who had died when both were young. Charan knew that Ronnie is braver out of the two and hence he made Ronnie promise that he'll take care of Vikram. When they grow up, Vikram joins the police force at Lohamandi Police Station, Agra. On his first day of joining, a goon named Bajwa sets a person on fire inside Lohamandi Police Station premises. Bajwa's senior IPL (Jaideep Ahlawat) comes to the rescue and the cops don't press any charges. This is because IPL is a feared criminal by locals as well as the police. IPL's main business is into kidnapping the entire families but he never asks for ransom. This has always baffled the cops. What the police doesn't know is that IPL works for Abu Jalal Gaza, the leader of Jaish-E-Lashkar, the biggest terrorist organisation of the world. They operate out of Syria and have almost taken over the country. Back in Agra, the Lohamandi Police Station gets a kidnapping complaint. Knowing that it's committed by IPL, they fear taking action. Hence, they decide to send Vikram as scapegoat. Vikram is terrified and he asks Ronnie for help. Ronnie accompanies Vikram at IPL's factory, where the kidnapped people are held. Ronnie bashes up IPL's goons by shutting off the lights. Everyone assumes that Vikram is the one responsible for beating them and for rescuing the hostages. He becomes an overnight hero. Vikram meanwhile gets married to Ruchi (Ankita Lokhande). Her sister is Siya (Shraddha Kapoor) and she starts dating Ronnie. Life is going good until the Ministry Of External Affairs sends Vikram to Syria. He's given the responsibility of getting IPL arrested and facilitate his extradition process. It seems like a fairly easy task. Vikram reaches there and this is when he gets abducted by Abu's men. With no other option, Ronnie now decides to go to Syria to rescue Ronnie. What happens next forms the rest of the film. BAAGHI 3 is partly inspired from the 2012 Tamil hit film, VETTAI. Sajid Nadiadwala's story adaptation is entertaining but stands on a weak plot. Farhad Samji's screenplay (additional screenplay by Sparsh Khetarpal, Tasha Bhambra, Madhur Sharma) is only effective in the first half. There's also a bit of novelty in terms of action and situations and that keeps the interest going. Farhad Samji's dialogues are very entertaining and witty. Ahmed Khan's direction is average. He handles the scale and grandeur with panache. BAAGHI 2 focused more on nationalism but that isn't the case here. There’s also a nice comment made on India-Pakistan brotherhood instead. Khan keeps the pace in control to ensure the film never drags. His direction is passable in the first half but in the second half, he slips. The biggest problem is that it doesn't seem like Ronnie is against a country. Also, it wasn't really a country that he is against. It is a township at best which the makers want audiences to believe is a 'country'. BAAGHI 3 begins on a bit awkward note. To show a kid Ronnie bashing up older kids violently, in a heroic style, doesn't seem convincing. However, Chaturvedi's death scene makes for a nice emotional moment. The entry of Siya is hilarious while that of adult Ronnie is too good and would be lapped up by fans. The scenes of Abu Jalal Gaza seem superficial but thankfully, the focus in the first half is on madness happening in Agra. And this makes for an entertaining watch especially how Ronnie is doing the bashing while Vikram taking the credit. The humour quotient is also nicely maintained. The scene where IPL's men abduct Ronnie and the way the latter pretends to be scared is hilarious. And then there's also an emotionally fulfilling scene involving Vikram and Tripathi (Virendra Saxena). The intermission point is when Vikram is taken away. One expects the film to go many notches higher especially with Ronnie reaches Syria. The introduction of Akhtar Lahori (Vijay Varma) also adds to the film. But from here, things get quite unconvincing especially the way Ronnie easily defeats the whole army of Abu Jalal. Zaidi seems tough but gets eliminated so easily and also foolishly. The climax has a twist that might be enjoyed by viewers. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Baaghi 3 | Public Review | Tiger Shroff | Shraddha Kapoor | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/baaghi-3-public-review-tiger-shroff-shraddha-kapoor-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, BAAGHI 3 rests on the tough shoulders of Tiger Shroff and he pulls it off like a pro, as expected. The same also goes for his comic timing. And of course, his action is simply out of the world and in that regards, his fans will surely get their money’s worth. Shraddha Kapoor looks gorgeous and gives a decent performance. She goes a bit overboard in a scene or two but overall, she seems convincing as a foul-mouthed person. However, her screen time is very limited. Also, she plays an aggressive character and ideally, she should have been given a chance to indulge in action. Riteish Deshmukh plays his part well and also adds to the fun and madness. He would be loved in the climax. Interestingly, he did a similar role in his Marathi production MAULI [2018] as well which was also a partial remake of VETTAI. Ankita Lokhande gets limited scope but has a fine screen presence. Vijay Varma is highly entertaining. Jaideep Ahlawat suits the part and has a crucial role in the pre-climax. Jameel Khoury is okay as the villain but could have been more menacing. Shifuji Shaurya Bharadwaj (Mishra) is wasted. Virendra Saxena is dependable as always. Satish Kaushik (Commissioner Chatora) and Farhad Samji (Man in toilet) raise laughs. Manav Gohil (Asif), Shriswara (Hafeeza), Danish Bhat (Bilal), Ivan Kostadinov (Abu’s henchman), Sunit Morarjee (Sharad Kute), Amit Sharma (Bajwa) and Karan Singh (Zaidi) are fair. Jackie Shroff’s cameo contributes well to the film. Disha Patani is sizzling. The music of BAAGHI 3 is decent. <em>'Dus Bahane 2.0'</em> is a great remix and is played in the end credits. <em>'Bhankas'</em> is well picturised. <em>'Do You Love Me'</em> is passable; the situation demanded a fast-paced dance song. <em>'Get Ready To Fight - Reloaded'</em> is played during action scenes. <em>'Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahaan'</em> doesn’t work. Julius Packiam's background score however elevates impact. Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran's cinematography is stunning not just in capturing Syria but also the action scenes.  Ahmed Khan's action design and Ram Chella, Laxman Chella, Kecha Khamphakdee's action choreography is splendid and keeps viewers engaged. The action gets a bit gory but a limit is maintained and visually looks great. Manini Mishra's production design is topnotch. One can see that a lot of money has been spent in ensuring that the film looks like a top-class product. Aki Narula, Karishma Gulati and Ashish Sharma's costumes (with styling by Tanya Ghavri) is appealing. Redefine, NY VFXWaala, Resonance Digital and Red Chillies.VFX's VFX is more or less fine. Rameshwar S Bhagat's editing is slick but in some places, it is needlessly jerky. On the whole, BAAGHI 3 has a terrific combination of Tiger Shroff’s powerful performance, superlative action and stunning visuals. At the box office, it will surely appeal to its target audience - the Tiger Shroff fans and the audience in smaller town and cities who relish action entertainers.

Education-based films might not seem like profitable ventures but over the past few years, several such films have tasted enormous success like SUPER 30 [2019], CHHICHHORE [2019] and HICHKI [2018]. And the film that started this trend in recent times was HINDI MEDIUM [2017]. The film was a runaway success thanks to its message, realism, humour and performances. And now producer Dinesh Vijan is back with a second part of this franchise, titled ANGREZI MEDIUM. The film has been awaited keenly mainly because it’s a comeback of sorts for Irrfan Khan, after he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour. So does ANGREZI MEDIUM manage to entertain and impress as much as HINDI MEDIUM? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1082858" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Angrezi-Medium-Review-1.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> ANGREZI MEDIUM is the story of unconditional love between a father and daughter. Champak (Irrfan Khan) is a single parent of Tarika (Radhika Madan) and is based in Udaipur. His brother is Gopi (Deepak Dobriyal) and though both have lot of love for each other, they are also involved in a legal tussle. Both run a shop named Ghasiteram Sweets and both claim to be the original shop running since generations. The matter reaches court where Justice Chheda (Zakir Hussain) gives a verdict in favour of Gopi. In a drunken state, Gopi later reveals that he bribed the judge which is why he won the case. Gajju (Kiku Sharda), a friend of the brothers, records this statement. Tarika, meanwhile, is an average student and wishes to win the scholarship offered by her school that will take her to London. She works quite hard and manages to get 85% and it makes her eligible for UK scholarship. A felicitation ceremony is held for this occasion. The chief guest here is none other than Justice Chheda. Champak, in anger, informs the crowd of the nefarious activities of Chheda, not realising that Chheda is the husband of the Principal of the school (Meghna Malik). The Principal, in anger, cancels Tarika's scholarship. Champak promises Tarika that come what may, he’ll get her admission done, that too in the college of her choice in London. Sadly, Tarika fails to get the admission from other quotas. Gopi suggests Champak that they contact Bablu (Ranvir Shorey), their childhood friend who is settled in London. Bablu comes to Udaipur on a plane ticket sponsored by Champak. He tells Champak that he can help him get British citizenship after which Tarika can get admission easily. Champak, Gopi and Tarika reach London airport. Here, Champak and Gopi are mistaken for drug dealers. They are deported back to India while Tarika is stranded in London. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Bhavesh Mandalia, Gaurav Shukla, Vinay Chhawall and Sara Bodinar's story sounds interesting on paper. Their screenplay, however, doesn’t live up to the expectations. While the writers get the father-daughter bond right, the other tracks aren’t convincing and arguably, not even necessary. Bhavesh Mandalia, Gaurav Shukla, Vinay Chhawall and Sara Bodinar's dialogues are decent and a few one-liners are witty. Homi Adajania's direction is decent. He gets brownie points for the scenes involving Champak and Gopi as these scenes and their performances elevate the impact. Also the scenes of Champak and Tarika at some places will be loved. The Indian audiences, especially the middle aged and senior citizens, would connect with the message of children often leaving them after turning adults. On the flipside, the film has too many subplots that are difficult to digest. Audiences will find it strange that Champak and Gopi are business rivals and even fighting it out in the court. But at the same time, they even drink and hang out together like best of buddies. Not just that, Gopi doesn’t even mind when Champak leaks his video where the latter brags that he bribed the judge! The manner in which Champak and Gopi get deported over a misunderstanding seems stupid. Tarika, meanwhile, gets settled in London and finds a job and house, even before her admission is done. She doesn’t ask Champak even once how they’ll manage to procure funds. Also the track of Naina and her mother Mrs. Kohli (Dimple Kapadia) seem totally unwanted. Audiences never come to know why they are at loggerheads. ANGREZI MEDIUM starts on an average note, depicting the life of Champak and Tarika, and also the feud between Champak and Gopi. The latter part seems bewildering though as their love-hate relationship. A few scenes here stand out like a drunken Tarika accusing Champak of being intoxicated, the madness at the court and at the school ceremony. The father-daughter bond touches viewers. The intermission point is unconvincing. Post-interval, the film drops at places thanks to too many confusing developments and too many subplots. Thankfully, a few genuinely novel moments stand out here like Tarika turning her T-shirt into a crop top to fit in among her new London friends, Gopi tying Champak to his bed and Champak and Gopi rescuing Mrs. Kohli and later singing Happy Birthday song for her. Also the finale might leave viewers teary eyed. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Angrezi Medium | Public Review | Irrfan Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Madan | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/angrezi-medium-public-review-irrfan-khan-kareena-kapoor-khan-radhika-madan-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Irrfan Khan delivers a top-notch performance. He seems completely in form and ensures that he makes audiences laugh and moist eyed. Deepak Dobriyal too is superb and his chemistry with Irrfan saves the film to a huge extent. Radhika Madan has a fine screen presence and gives a fine performance. Her dialogue delivery, however, is difficult to comprehend at few places. Kareena Kapoor Khan looks great but is underutilised and same goes for Dimple Kapadia. Ranvir Shorey gets some scope in the second half and excels. Pankaj Tripathi (Tony) tries too hard but manages to raise laughs. Kiku Sharda is dependable. Zakir Hussain, Meghna Malik, Manu Rishi (Bheluram), Ankit Bisht (Anmol) and Manish Gandhi (Advait) are fine. Tillotama Shome (Counsellor) leaves a mark and deserved more screen time. Sachin-Jigar's music is disappointing. <em>'Ek</em> <em>Zindagi'</em> works well as per the situation. The rest of the songs are forgettable. Sachin-Jigar's background score is however quite better. Anil Mehta's cinematography is appropriate. Smriti Chauhan's costumes are real and the transformation of Radhika once she moves to London is effective. Bindiya Chhabria's production design is quite good. A Sreekar Prasad's editing is nothing great and suffers because of loopholes in the script. On the whole, ANGREZI MEDIUM works only because of Irrfan Khan and Deepak Dobriyal's chemistry and also due to some touching moments. At the box office, HINDI MEDIUM’s goodwill and Irrfan's comeback will ensure decent footfalls for the movie over the weekend.

मौत दुनिया का सबसे बड़ा सच है, लेकिन इस सच को स्‍वीकार करना और उसे समझते हुए जीना बेहद मुश्किल और 'द स्‍काई इज पिंक' (The Sky Is Pink) इसी मुश्किल को पर्दे पर काफी खूबसूरती और सलीके से उतारती है.

लाल कप्तान फिल्म रिव्यू (Laal Kaptaan Review), हटकर कहानी के साथ पर्दे पर न्याय नहीं कर पाए मेकर्स.

'बाला' (Bala) जैसी फिल्‍मों ने 'कंटेंट ड्रिवन सिनेमा' और 'मसाला फिल्‍मों' के बीच की लकीर पूरी तरह मिटा दी है. बाला एक मजेदार एंटरटेनिंग फिल्‍म है, जिसमें खूब मसाला है, खूब कॉमेडी है और खूब सारा कंटेंट भी. निर्देशक अमर कौशिक (Amar Kaushik) ने 'कान्‍हेपुर' (कानपुर) का सुर शानदार तरीके से पकड़ा है.

मरजावां (Marjaavaan) रिव्यू: दिल को बेहद मजबूत करके ये फिल्म झेलनी होगी. हम मरजावां को देते हैं आधा स्टार.

मैं निर्देशक अनीस बज्‍मी (Anees Bazmee) को पूरे 100 में से 100 नंबर इस बात के लिए देती हूं कि उन्‍होंने इस फिल्‍म की पूरी सच्‍चाई इसके टाइटल में ही बता दी है. सिर्फ और सिर्फ पागलपंती (Pagalpanti) में ही कोई ऐसी फिल्‍म बना सकता है.

कमांडो-3 (Commando 3) में विद्युत जामवाल (Vidyut Jamwal) के हैरतअंगेज़ एक्शन सीन (Action Scene) हैं. वैसे भी हमारे जेहन में कमांडो 1 के स्टंट्स ताज़ा हैं और इसीलिए विद्युत से उम्‍मीदें और भी बढ़ जाती हैं.

निर्देशक आशुतोष गोवारिकर (Ashutosh Gowariker) की 'पानीपत' (Panipat) में अर्जुन कपूर (Arjun Kapoor) और कृति सेनन (Kriti Senon) दोनों ही अपने-अपने किरदार में काफी दमदार नजर आए हैं.

अक्षय कुमार (Akshay Kumar) इस फिल्‍म में वरुण बने हैं और करीना कपूर खान (Kareena Kapoor Khan) दीप्‍ती बत्रा, जो शादी के 7 साल बाद अब बच्‍चा चाहते हैं. लेकिन फिर एंट्री होती है हनी बत्रा यानी दिलजीत दोसांझ (Diljit Dosanjh) और मोनिका बत्रा यानी कियारा आडवाणी (Kiara Advani) की...

1993 में शुरु हुई जुरासिक फिल्मों की ये चौथी किस्त है और भले ही कहानी पिछली फिल्मों से मिलती जुलती है, समीक्षकों के अनुसार जुरासिक पार्क : फॉलेन किंगडम बेस्ट जुरासिक फिल्म है

अगर आप हैरी पॉटर की दुनिया से अनजान हैं तो इस फिल्म से पहले आप थोड़ा हैरी पॉटर के बारे में पढ़ लें या फिर अपने किसी ऐसे साथी को साथ ले जाएं जो हैरी पॉटर मामलों का विशेषज्ञ है.

नेटफ्लिक्स ने मोगली को कहानी को फिर से बनाया है और इस फिल्म से हॉलीवुड और बॉलीवुड के बड़े नाम जुड़े हैं. फिल्म की सूत्रधार करीना कपूर बनी हैं.

जब इस फिल्म की रिलीज डेट सामने आई तो शाहरुख़ खान के फैन्स काफी घबरा सा गए थे. दरअसल ये फिल्म शाहरुख़ की फिल्म 'जीरो' की रिलीज डेट पर ही भारत में रिलीज होनी थी लेकिन अब इसे तय तारीख से पहले ही रिलीज कर दिया गया है.

विज़ुअल इफेक्ट्स ठीक ठाक हैं लेकिन बीते दिनों VFX का स्तर इतना बेहतर हो चुका है कि गॉडज़िला के कारनामे किसी कॉमिक्स का हिस्सा लगते हैं.

'Murder Mystery' is an underwhelming time at comedy and an excruciating and limited attempt at storytelling.

Game Over has elements of a psychological thriller, and nods to films like Edge of Tomorrow in which characters get multiple lives to move up levels in stories that are structured like video games.

Those who have grown up on a staple Bollywood diet may not be very charmed with The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir but it might be a fun ride for hopeless romantics.

The storytelling style is warm and appealing with the right amount of humour, anecdotes and lessons for life.

Reddy’s direction is impressive. He knows his material well and keeps it on a tight leash, never skipping a beat.

Kabir Singh is an unmistakably misogynistic film, but the sad part is that it’s exactly these troubling portions that the filmmakers peddle as intense love.

Even in its fourth outing, never once does Toy Story 4 feel like a cash-grab sequel; like it was made by profit-hungry executives focused on milking a successful brand.

Despite being the origin story, Annabelle Comes Home lacks the innovation. It’s a pretty straight forward tale of werewolves coming out of thin air and screaming their lungs out up close.

There are moments in Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 that are so disturbing they feel like a punch to the gut.

Apart from the really stretched action sequence in the end, there isn’t a lot to complain about in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Shoplifters is a great effort, and is narrated without any intrusive music – a horrible feature that mars most Indian films. Not to be missed this weekend.

The movie could have done with more fleshed-out characters and a psychological density that is sorely absent in the haphazard handling of the plot's crisis line.

Mangesh Hadawale’s direction, unfortunately, lacks the finesse that we saw in his award-winning Marathi film Tingya.

Connecting the dots of this feel-good story and filling in the colours is actor Hrithik Roshan along with a talented ensemble of actors.

Hrithik Roshan-starrer Super 30 is about Patna-based mathematician Anand Kumar who succeeds against all odds.

The Lion King’s newest version without a shadow of a doubt is a marvel of creative technology. It is the sort of film that parents would like to take their kids to watch over the weekend.

The film seems like a grim gangland saga that inadvertently becomes funny, and an attempted spoof of a gangland saga that is far from funny.

Kangana Ranaut once again turns in a bravura performance- sincere, believable and watchable all the time.

Diljit Dosanjh is affable but profoundly bland as Arjun Patiala. Varun Sharma as Arjun's side-kick Onida and Kriti Sanon as Ritu Randhawa are tolerable.

In 'Judgementall Hai Kya,' Kangana Ranaut is solid, and Rajkummar Rao brings a real element of mystery to his character, never allowing us to feel like we’ve entirely figured the guy out.

Hobbs and Shaw delivers more than what it promises. It’s a solid adrenaline-pumping film with an unwavering focus.

The movie makers stay true to their promise of, “The Only Sex Film for the Whole Family” and the film ends up being a straitjacketed one for it.

AndhaDhun's most noticeable performance comes from Tabu. She is delightful to watch.

Director Prashant Singh’s Jabariya Jodi is a film that props up a love story by the aforementioned premise.

Planning to watch Uri: The Surgical Strike this weekend? Read our review of the film first.

Based on Nickelodeon's wildly popular Dora The Explorer series, this live-action adaptation is engaging and entertaining, but silly at times.