Blog Posts by Kunal Guha

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kajal Agarwal, Prakash Raj, Ashok Saraf, Sachin Khedekar, Sonali Kulkarni

Directed by Rohit Shetty

Rating: **

Many will be quick to point out the similarities between 'Singham' and the numerous air-headed Salman Khan blockbusters. But low-gravity action, punches that propel bodies into mid-air ballets and cars walking on two feet, make it obvious: 'Singham' is a remake of a Tamil film (Singam) and is directed by Rohit Shetty (who is obsessed with blowing up cars in his films). And one has to be a bit lenient with remakes as they are like miniature models of famous monuments. If your little 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' is chiseled too acute, live with it, it's just a souvenir, right?

The film is about a humble village cop, Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) who enforces law like a preschool moral science teacher. All accused and convicts are let off with a warning, as they're usually his friends and/or belong to the good ol' gaaon ki mitti, which is later distinguished from

Directed by Zoya Akhtar

Rating: ***

Films dealing with life-altering epiphanies are always shot in stunning locations. And Hindi films dealing with the same, need a stunning cast as well. A possible rationale: beautiful places relieve stress and bring things into perspective. And beautiful people experiencing divine realizations can hold your perspective on the screen, often resulting in a 'ka-ching' sound at the box office. 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (ZNMD) is one such film.

In true 'Hangover' meets Vikas-Krishna-Barcelona spirit, the film deals with a bachelor adventure marinated with stories of finding, losing and forgetting love. Kabir (Abhay Deol), an affluent construction tycoon is about to take the marital plunge. But not before he completes a much-postponed trip with school buddies, investment banker (and constantly grumpy) Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and freestyle flirt Imraan (Farhan Akhtar).

So, the

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Sanath Menon, Rohan Grover, Naman Jain, Chinmai Chandranshuh, Sherya Sharma

Directed by Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari

Rating: **

If you're here to read this review, you're either a minor or you're still stuck in your childhood, mentally. If not, you better be because this film, featuring an adolescent army, is by, for and of the kids (and may be the parents, who have to endure this film with them). And thankfully, the kids in question are remarkably unlike Bollywood kids. They're not pathetically dull, yet not over-smart like kids in TV soaps.

The movie begins with an innocent and rather grammatically challenged acknowledgment, 'For the love of dog'. While you try to imagine if the editing studio has a spell-check, we cut into a detergent commercial. Yes, a commercial after the opening acknowledgment (is still better than in-film?). Since the commercial features kids, some people in the audience will actually applaud it, assuming that the movie has begun. Sigh.