What it's about:

The sequel to the super successful Singham sees the return of Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) as a cop in another city. The setting is Mumbai this time. But the action and drama is on a much larger scale. This time around, Singham fights with all that's wrong with our country. The story draws inspiration from real life, whether it is corrupt politicians, cons masquerading as Babas, the helplessness of the system or the people's party.

Cast :  Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Amole Gupte, Anupam Kher and Dayanand Shetty

Director :  Rohit Shetty

Rating :  ***1/2

The heroes of the film are the cops, not just a cop. The story begins when one of Bajirao's team members is found dead with an ambulance full of money. To protect the sanctity of the force, Bajirao decades to investigate the matter. Soon enough, he finds out the two men responsible for the act - an evil Godman (Amile Gupte) and his wily associate (Zakir Hussain). How Bajirao then uses the system to fight the bad guys is what the film is about. And Avni (Kareena Kapoor) plays his love interest.  

What's good:

You know what you have signed up for when you go for a Rohit Shetty film. Rohit knows how to entertain and he does that in parts. The story is predictable no doubt but Rohit packs it up with an interesting screenplay. The film is over-the-top; it's even unreal at times. But Rohit gets the emotions right. If you understand the tone of the film and what it's meant to deliver, you'll enjoy it better. The idea is simple - Bajirao Singham is a people's hero so don't slow down on the awe-inspiring moments; the ceetees and taalis will come for sure. And that's where 'Singham Returns' delivers big time. Everytime the screenplay slows down the pace, Rohit adds yet another high-speed highlight sequence that grabs your attention. The film is full of such clap worthy moments. Ajay Devgan is good as usual and keeps his Bajirao act intact. Amole Gupte as the Godman succeeds in annoying, Dayanand Shetty repeats his Daya act from the popular serial CID and makes a good impact. His 'darwaza tod do Daya' moment is sure to bring the house down.

What's not: 

The story seems a little 80s and overdone. Haven't we seen enough of corrupt politicians and babas in too many films before? The film could've also been twenty minutes shorter. The many scenes at the mosque may have had good intention but it does seem like they were aimed to woo a particular section of fans. The dialogue baazi in the action scenes just slow down the pace, when all you want to do is see the baddies' skulls being bashed. Kareena Kapoor bubbly act is a less appealing version of her character in 'Jab We Met'.  

What to do:

If you are a Singham fan, you'll enjoy this one too.

What It's About:

Salman Khan plays the role of the fun-loving Devilal whose only aim in life is to get a 'kick' in whatever he does. A chance encounter with the Poland-based Shaina (Jacqueline) leaves him besotted. But the love story is short-lived because she cannot handle Devi's lack of commitment.

Cast : Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Randeep Hooda and Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Director : Sajid Nadiadwala
Rating : **** / 4

A year later, her family fixes her match with the no-nonsense cop Himanshu (Randeep Hooda) who has come to Poland to catch the one heist-master who has evaded him so far - Devil. Himanshu is convinced that Devil would be pulling off his biggest robbery soon. What happens when both Shaina and he realise that Devi and Devil are indeed the same person forms the rest of the story - with baddie Aslam (Nawaz) adding more thrills to the proceedings.

What's Hot:

Sajid Nadiadwala chose an ambitious subject as his first directorial venture. Once you look past the minor hiccups, he delivers a knockout punch. The scale and grandeur of the film is on par with the Dhoom series. The action scenes are brilliantly choreographed - be it the chase sequences in Warsaw or the bike chasing in Delhi. Sajid manages to get Salman in his elements - we can see him enjoying himself thoroughly on screen. The love story between Devi and Shaina has its funny and endearing moments. Sajid's biggest triumph is not letting the film's pace drop at any point. He holds the reigns tight just like an experienced maker would. The climax elevates the film to a different level and that's what you take back home. Among the performances, Jacqueline sizzles and has great chemistry with Salman. Her solo dance act in Jumme Ki Raat is on Beyonce level. Randeep Hooda is almost like the film's second hero and does a brilliant job. Nawazuddin is menacing and also brings in the laughs. You actually miss him when he's not on screen. The soul of Kick is Salman Khan - it's like a one man show. He towers above everything else with his persona, style and attitude.

What's Not:

The idea of a man doing things just for a 'kick' had a bigger potential. Sadly, that part gets sidelined in the screenplay though being repeatedly mentioned. The first half is slow. Khan's introduction scene is never ending.

What To Do:

Kick is non-stop entertainment and Salman Khan at his best. Don't miss it.

Watch the trailer below:

What it's about:

When you have a reigning superstar, a spectacular ensemble cast and a canvas as vivid as your imagination, it’s indeed clever thinking to adapt the most successful plot of Bollywood and turn it into a colorful visual spectacle. Director Farah Khan does just that in one of the most awaited films of the year, and in style! It’s the tried-and-tested (and also seldom gone wrong) idea – the lead protagonist putting together a team of underdogs to achieve the unthinkable. In HNY, it’s Charlie (Shah Rukh Khan) who has waited eight years to seek revenge on Charan Grover (Jackie Shroff), the man responsible for the death of his father.

Film : Happy New Year
Rating : ****/ 4
Directed by : Farah Khan
Starring : Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani and Vivaan Shah

To make it possible, he would require the help of four unusual partners-in-crime – Nandu (Abhishek Bachchan), Mohini (Deepika Padukone), Tammy (Boman Irani) and Rohan (Vivaan Shah). As if that’s not tough enough, the road to Grover’s destruction would need them all to win a world dancing championship! HNY is a heist film topped with a generous garnishing of dance and laced with revenge as its backdrop – entertainment doesn’t get more mainstream than this.

What's Good:

This is Farah Khan’s return to form – quite easily, this is her most complex script to date but she handles effortlessly. There are stereotypes (more on that later) but what’s commendable is the manner in which she springs a surprise everytime the screenplay becomes a tad tiresome. The mounting is jaw-dropping – from the colorful chawls of Mumbai to the elaborate sets to the pristine skyline of Dubai. HNY is dripping with extravagance and flamboyance – in a good way. The film has the quintessential Farah Khan moments -- the lavish introductions of all characters, grand songs, the camaraderie between the actors and a touch of patriotism. And not to miss quirky Farah moments – Malaika Arora Khan’s flirtatious gestures towards Sonu; the hilarious Anurag Kashyap-Vishal Dadlani track; Sajid Khan’s cameo; Abhishek’s stripping scene (the funniest scene in the film) and many more. Farah handles her actors brilliantly too. Shah Rukh Khan is restrained, subtle and dignified – the result is outstanding. Deepika is brave enough to play another accented character (after Chennai Express) and scores this time too. Newcomer Vivaan Shah is endearing. Abhishek Bachchan has all the highlights and the punch lines – he brings the house down every time he is on screen. Totally uninhibited and true to his character, Bachchan Junior is at his best. HNY’s scene-stealer, for me (and the pack theatres I watched it in) was Abram Khan who makes his debut in the film’s end credits – he got maximum applause!

What's not:

Despite having everything going for it, you wonder why they didn’t fine-tune the screenplay a bit more. There are logic issues; there are sensibility issues and in a heist film, you can’t have that. Fortunately for Farah, she pulls out a trick every time you begin to look at your phone screen. I wish Boman Irani would stop playing the lonesome Parsi guy – he’s better than that.

What to do:

Make this Diwali even more special with Happy New Year. One of the best entertainers of 2014.

What's it about: The Shaukeens is the story of three lecherous old men Pinky (Piyush Mishra) Lali (Anupam Kher) and KD (Annu Kapoor) wanting to revisit their youth and figure out a way to get laid without being labelled as tharki buddhas. Of course the deed isn’t that easy and when getting access to a girl in India becomes tough they take their hunt to the exotic shores of Mauritius where they meet Ahana (Lisa Haydon).

Film : The Shaukeens

Cast : Anupam Kher, Piyush Mishra, Annu Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Lisa Haydon

Director : Abhishek Sharma

Rating :  ***1/2 

Ahana is heartbroken over her boyfriend leaving her for another woman and is on the verge of committing suicide until she happens to accidentally witness movie star Akshay Kumar shooting a song in a local mall.  From there the story takes a funny turn and we watch how these three old men in an attempt to impress Ahana try to use the Akshay Kumar card to promise her photo and dinner ops with him.

What's hot: Performances don’t seem forced with Anupam Kher and Annu Kapoor leading the way and making their characters stand out. Lisa looks pretty and provides the glamor quotient. Her scene towards the end credits where she’s trying to be a typical Indian actress is quite funny. But the highlight of the film is Akshay Kumar who does a fantastic job of playing to the gallery and letting the audience laugh at his expense.The best portions are the ones that have industry inside jokes about a director celebrating the tanking of another actor's film or an art house Bengali director wanting to make a film with Akshay. These are the moments that make the film likeable. The soundtracks Manali Trance and Alcoholic are addictive.

What's not: We wish the first half was as entertaining as the second. Also among the three old men Piyush Mishra's character seemed the weakest. His mannerism and dialogue delivery falls flat in many scenes. So does the scene where a fat lady is made to dance to the tune of a Bhojpuri track.

What to do: Watch The Shaukeens if you want to see a different side of Akshay Kumar and enjoy a few chuckles along the way. Also watch out for funny cameos by Suniel Shetty, Dimple Kapadia, Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor.

Story: A contract killer wants to reform for love; but wait, will the ones who order him to kill, allow him to listen to his dil?

Critic's Rating : 2.4
Cast : Govinda, Ranveer Singh, Parineeti Chopra, Ali Zafar
Direction : Shaad Ali
Genre : Action
Duration : 2 hours 8 minutes
Avg Readers Rating  : 2.4

Review: Shaad Ali's Kill Dil is inspired by countless Hollywood movies that showcase the protagonists romancing the gun. Here too, the two heroes Dev (Ranveer Singh) and Tutu (Ali Zafar) are orphans who are raised by a local Delhi don, Bhaiyyaji (Govinda). Brought up against the backdrop of bullets instead of lullabies, the chaddi-buddies drop out of primary school and grow up to become contract killers. With mafia killings being a regular feature of the Indian city underbelly, the trigger-happy twosome goes about their work without remorse.

That is, until Dev bumps into Disha (Parineeti Chopra), an heiress who reforms criminals in her spare time. They find themselves drawn to one another, but she doesn't know what he does for a living. That having been said, the more Dev falls for Disha, the more he starts distancing himself from his mentor. The boy, who once buried his books, now wishes to bury his gun and turn over a new leaf for love. His friend Tutu agrees to cover for him in their moonlighting operations. However, Bhaiyyaji plays a spoilsport in the game of love. Possessive about his ward, he wants to destroy Dev's bliss.

So there you go. There is enough pizzazz to divert you from the cliched plot. It is certainly a step up from Shaad's last disastrous outing, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007). And what makes this film watchable is the effortless chemistry between Ranveer and Ali. Their poker-faced humour, jibes at one another and ability to break into a song are impressive. Supported by some corny dialogues — like pigs must always eat shit and never attempt to taste gulkand (a sweet preserve of rose petals used in paan) - they draw laughs as quickly as they draw out their weapons.

Govinda's on-screen entry and trademark dance step had the matinee crowd in a tizzy. Parineeti and Ali are good, but the film belongs to Ranveer. He's as keyed up as an Energiser bunny, exuding charm and competence in equal measure.

Story: Yudi loves girls but hates commitment - what happens when he meets commitment-averse Aanchal?

Critic's Rating : 3.3
Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D'Cruz, Kalki Koechlin, Govinda
Direction : Raj and DK
Genre : Romantic Comedy
Duration : 2 hours 16 minutes
Avg Readers Rating : 3.3

Review: Happy Ending stylishly remixes Saif Ali Khan's trademark avatar as a brat who won't grow up. Saif plays Yudi, author in LA, high on sex and success. Yudi avoids new work and commitment - which his ex (Preity Zinta in cameo, channeling the pair's Salaam Namaste chemistry) underlines. His married buddy Montu (Ranvir Shorey) is Yudi's party partner while his inner voice is a chubby Yogi (Saif) warning him not to ring his 'axe'. Suddenly, Yudi's money runs out. His publishers switch to hot-shot novelist Aanchal (Ileana) who brushes off Yudi's charms. Pushy Bollywood superstar Armaan (Govinda) demands Yudi write a DVD-inspired rom-com while dentist Vishakha (Kalki) pursues him obsessively. How does Yudi complete this tale?

Happy Ending has happy ingredients like sparkling dialogues, certain lines - "Tumhari reading pe kuch log so gaye - kuch mar bhi gaye the" - laugh-out-loud hilarious. Key performances stand out. Saif stylishly pulls off his charmer plus bummer inner voice, fat, hairy, spouting philosophy. Laughing at himself, Saif's terrific when he mumbles at Aanchal, "Mageoudwivme?"

The other scene-stealer is Govinda as Armaan-ji, a sharply written character, seeking tailor-made abs plus a story with "comedy, chumma-chaati and kick-aas". Ranvir Shorey displays deadpan ease while Kalki's uninhibited as sweetly suffocating Vishakha. Ileana's breezy as Aanchal who isn't seeking love - but loves the occasional romp.

However, the film is about 30 minutes too long. A rom-com should stay feather-light but multiple cars and stars stretch this one. The editing sometimes flags, making the plot feel like a string of sit-com situations, while the lead pair's chemistry eventually wanes, the ending a tad tame.

But mostly, Happy Ending's a fun film with a melodious, modern take on individuals and pyaar. It's an NRI movie that side-steps dilemmas and pain. And it's probably the first Hindi film where the heroine cheekily tells the hero, "Show your boobs!", performed with polished elan. Wrapping Hollywood ribbons on a Bollywood heart, this is a nice ending - and a good start.