Interstellar... 3D was never enough...Nolan introduces 5D

 "We'll find a way...we always have"

"Those arent mountains....they are waves!"

"We'r still pioneers, we barely begun. Our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, cause our destiny lies above us"

At a Glance:

Complicated beyond comprehension but intriguing enough to arouse curiosity! Time Space relativity never could have been more enjoyable! Einstein and Thorne must be happy with ‪#‎Nolan‬'s genius work...once again! Not a moment of boredom...the 180+ minutes will leave you baffled....but totally engaged and entertained!

Visually grand and beautiful! Whether the science was accurate or not, it made me come back home and read and research about time and space! Like his previous movies, Nolan proves that not only can he think of the most complicated ideas, but is also talented enough to translate those ideas into a visual experience! Hans Zimmer's soulful soundtrack puts in a whole new "dimension" to the movie...wow!

While most of us study about our 3 dimensions all our lives...and some of us struggle comprehending the 4th dimension... Nolan comes along...and gives a movie which is based on 5 dimensional physics! 

Been-O-pinion:

I rate is 4.5 out of 5.... I am gonna watch it a second time...!

Ek Villain ...Performances that make a difference!

The real people

Directed by Mohit Suri

Produced by Balaji Telefilms (Ekta & Shobha Kapoor)

Dialogues by Milap Zaveri

Music by Ankit Tiwari (Galiyan), Mithoon (Banjaare, Zaroorat, Humdard), Soch - The Band (Awari)

Lyrics by Mithoon (Banjaare, Zaroorat, Humdard), Manoj Muntashir (Galiyan), Rabbi Ahmed & Adnan Dhool (Awari)

Ritesh Deshmukh as Rakesh

Siddharth Malhotra as Guru

Amna Sharif as Sulochna

Shraddha Kapoor as Aisha

At a glance

A movie which is difficult not to like despite its short comings! The music, the performances, the dialogues and Mohit's exceptional handling of certain scenes make Ek Villain a movie worth your while. The script is very inconsistent at times and makes you wonder if you are watching the same movie throughout? All the same...for me...Shraddha and the Music department are the true heroes of this movie!

The people on screen

Let me start a with a name who plays the supporting role and yet is so important to the story...

Amna Sharif as Sulo. So nagging, so materialistic and so very annoying....she plays her part to perfection. She looks pretty and yet at the same time you can't help but feel like slapping her! I guess thats her true victory!

Ritesh Deshmukh as Rakesh. Who would have known! The perfect comedian, the guy who loves dressing up as a drag in every other role, the guy who makes you laugh everytime he's on screen...how could he play the role of Rakesh! Nevertheless...Ritesh proves with full conviction that he is worth a lot more than just comedy! He portrays the psyche through his body language and his perfect dialogue delivery. Full marks!


Siddharth Malhotra as Guru. From SOTY to the intense Guru! Wow...now thats a transition. It may not be a very unique character to play in bollywood, but to be able to show the intensity of pain and bitterness through mere facial expressions is a challenge. A challenge which Siddharth accepts and delivers! He is able to make the audience feel what goes on in his mind and heart and is excellent in the emotional scenes.

Lastly, Shraddha Kapoor as Aisha. Cuteness, freshness, positivity...all come together in one character - Aisha. Shraddha Kapoor was learning in Ashiqui 2...and whats surprising is that she seems to have already learnt how to act by Ek Villain! She looks innocent and she acts the same. If there is one actor who delivers big time in this movie...it is her! No doubt the others have done a great job...but when you leave the movie theatre....its Shraddha who remains on your mind completely! 

The tunes
Wow! I was already in love with the songs before ever going for the movie...but when you watch the songs come into context while watching the movie...thats when you truly know how much the music director, the lyricist and the movie's director know what they want to express! And in this case, they are in perfect sync! From Banjarey...to Zaroorat...to Galiyaan...to Humdard...to Awari! One after the other...the music and the wordings add so much more meaning to the movie. Hats off to Ankit, Mithoon and Mohit Suri!

Prachi Desai makes a surprising entry for the song Awari...a very different number for an item song...but another decent number to add to the album!

Been-O-pinion
I rate it 3 out of 5 and an additional extra 0.5 for the music and dialogues! Like I stated before, the movie is nowhere close to being perfect and in fact is severely flawed in some parts! And yet...there are few scenes which make your heart heavy, some where you see the cuteness that you would expect in any romantic movie and so many scenes where you just can totally connect with what the director is trying to express! To me, this was a movie which stays on your mind a long time after you leave and it slowly grows on you later. 

The Amazing Spider Man 2....Be sure to go and catch this Spider!

The real people

Directed by Marc Webb

Produced by Marvel

Music by Hans Zimmer & The Magnificent Six

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Emma Stone as Gwen Staci

Jamie Foxx as Electro/Max 

Dane DeHaan as Green Goblin/Harry Osborn

Run time: 142 minutes

At a glance

Visuals that will blow your mind and a chemistry between the male and female lead as good as any engaging romantic movie - Marc Webb creates yet another Spidey instalment which has a soul behind all the crazy action! It has a lot of spectacular special effects, some superbly choreographed action sequences, plenty of one liner humor, dangerously crazy bad guys and a love story running constantly in the backdrop. 

The people on screen

Spidey, Peter Parker, Gwen, Electro and Harry....are the characters who make this movie work.

Dane DeHaan stars as the Green Goblin/Harry Osborn, the son of the creator of the notorious Oscorp. He plays his part effectively looking smart and elegant as Harry and hideous as the green goblin. Eventhough I did feel that he did not get sufficient importance in the screenplay, he makes most of the limited air time he has.

Jamie Foxx as Max/Electro, an employee at Oscorp and a nobody. Jamie depicts the manic inferiority complex throughout the movie...first as Max and then as Electro. Its exceptionally fun to watch the few scenes when he expresses his obsession for Spider-Man while he is still max. As Electro he is mainly grunting and frowning, but nevertheless is fun to watch.

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Peters irresistibly cute girl friend whose always more than willing to help her boyfriends superhero version. One of the key things that is different in this spiderman from the previous series is the amazing chemistry between Gwen and Peter. Emma plays the character with full conviction and emotes just right to make Gwen look emotional yet strong. If she ever leaves this series....we will definitely miss her a lot!! 

Andrew Garfield as Peter and of course.....Spider-Man! Definitely a great pick for playing the role of spidey....he looks and sounds apt. Andrew definitely has his strength in doing emotional scenes because otherwise...he is really hidden behind the mask and those parts could be done by anyone! Again...he contributes equally to the chemistry between Peter and Gwen and u feel genuinely sorry for him in scenes where his promise from the past keeps coming back to haunt him. His dialogue delivery is great and he gives an honest performance which is really what is needed.

The tunes

Hans Zimmer once again...goes totally loud and bassy! Superb bckground compositions....they make the movie that much more exciting and that much more engaging. There is definitely a reason why is the only guy making music for all blockbusters!! Great job!

Been-O-pinion

I rate the movie 4.5 out of 5. If there was a super-hero movie that was made for Imax and the 3D experience...this has to be at the top of that list! The opening sequence where Spidey is swinging through the streets, the first showdown with Electro in times square and all the scenes where Spidey is jumping off rooftops....BRILLIANT! The humor is simple yet hilarious...some elements added into the story to make Spider-Man look more regular...like his getting mobile calls, or getting a cold...great touches to make a technically superb movie into a realistic one too! And of course...the magical romance in the movie makes it not only a crazy action flick for guys to enjoy but an emotionally balanced movie that everyone can enjoy together! Good job Webb and Spidey!

2 States ...a Rom Com done right!

The real people
Directed and screenplay Adapted by Abhishek Varman
Produced by Karan Johatr & Sajid Nadiadwala
Based on novel by Chetan Bhagat
Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Arjun Kapoor as Krish Malhotra
Alia Bhatt as Ananya Swaminathan
Ronit Roy and Amrita Singh as Krish's Father & Mother
Shiv Kumar and Revathy as Ananya's Father & Mother

At a glance

Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali...apparently you wanted to capture amazing chemistry in Ram Leela between the leads. Piece of advice....please watch 2 States. This is how chemistry is captured on screen. A complete movie with romance, drama, humor and awesome performances. 

At 2 hours 30 minutes, there is some amount of trimming that could have been done post interval, but nevertheless, Arjun and especially Alia, keep you engaged and entertained along with the amazing supporting roles of the parents. 

The people on screen

6 superbly cast actors give superb and honest performances. 

Shiv Kumar and Revathy play the "Tamilian" parents of Ananya Swaminathan. They depict the stereotypical south indian attitude along with the typical concerned parents behavior with perfection. Shiv Kumar especially plays a cute and stern role simultaneously. Revathy too does a great job, and when she sings "Saathiya Tune Kya Kiya", its only then when you realize how long her journey has been as an actress! 

Ronit Roy & Amrita Singh play the "Punjabi" parents of Krish Malhotra. Once again, the typical punjabi family, where the father is a retired military officer and the mother is materialistic, yet loving mom. Now....I have to say...that Ronit and Amrita give a performance beyond awesome! Ronit Roy with zero smile and zero laughter seems like the father straight out of the movie Udaan, yet his expressions and screen presence is phenomenal. Amrita is brilliant....you admire the loving mother in her and you hate the materialistic punjaban! She is plain brilliant!

Arjun Kapoor as Krish. One of his best performances so far. Although I must add that his character and his acting both seem to be inspired completely by Sushant Singh from Shudd Desi. Watch out for his superb scene when he confronts his dad the first time....the fear, anger and uncertainty he faces in that situation...and the way he conveys it...Kudos! 

Lastly, Alia Bhatt as Ananya. What can I say....I have become her fan! With Highway it was her acting that bowled me over...and with 2 States its her acting and her cuteness! She has definitely established herself above all the other actresses currently in bollywood with just two movies this year!! She is pure talent...and I bet she has as bright a future ahead of her as her bright and colourful sarees and kurtis in the movie! She steals the show despite all the amazing performances that I mentioned above! 

The tunes

Shankar Ehsaan Loy...compose a melodious and peppy soundtrack for the movie. Mast Magan needs a special mention for its sweet romantic feel and magic! Despite their commendable efforts, I for one, for some reason felt that this was a movie that shouldve belonged to Amit Trivedi. The soundtrack is definitely good...but not as satisfying as I would have liked it to be. The background music however is perfect! I think right from the Dil Chaahta Hai days, the trio have proved that they sure as hell know how to compose great background music! 

Been-O-pinion

I rate the movie 4 out of 5. 

Feb gave us Highway, March gave us Queen and April has gifted us audience with 2 States! Chetan Bhagat's interesting life story combined with Abhishek Verman's superb screenplay and direction combined further with the great performances make this movie a wonderful and engaging watch. A slight trimming in the second half and a bit more innovative writing is some parts would have made this movie the best...nevertheless...get your tickets and get going... you shouldnt miss this movie...cause this is one more step from bollywood in the right direction...towards making great cinema! 

All Rise....The Queen has arrived!

The Real People

Directed by Vikas Bahl

Produced by Anurag Kashyap & Vikramaditya

Music by Amit Trivedi & Rupesh Kumar Ram ("Raanjhana")

Kangana Ranaut as Rani

Rajkumar Yadav as Vijay

Lisa Hayden as Vijay Lakshmi

At a Glance

The queen has arrived! Kangana may have been stereotyped into certain roles until now, she might have been ignored by the audience and the industry so far, but she has arrived! The movie is her and only her! Kudos to her performance! You are sure to enjoy the movie and there is no doubt, that here is yet another amazing movie of 2014, nevertheless with its own share of minor problems. 

The people on screen

I could spend this entire space only talking about Rani, cause she is present in every frame, but to be fair...the others need a mention. 

Lisa Hayden as Vijay Lakshmi. Not only is this Australian Indian model extremely good looking, but she can act as well. She plays a small role, but suffice to say that you do miss her once Rani bids farewell to her just before the interval.

Rajkumar Yadav as Vijay. One of the pleasant surprises of 2013, continues to deliver consistently. As is the case in such movies, he situationaly ends up being treated by the story and the audience as the antagonist. A good job done!

Kangana as Rani/Queen. Its only two weeks ago that Alia shocked us with a performance par excellence....and now Kangana does the same! Her expressions are so vivid that you can't help but feel every thought and emotion her character thinks and experiences. The character's innocence and simplicity is so brilliantly portrayed - Wow! Her amzing scenes as she interacts with the friends she makes in her journey of self-discovery....her drunk scene....her moments of realization - All Wow! Kangana makes you forget all her previous performances and re-introduces herself as an acctress! The movie belongs wholly and solely to her!

The tunes

Amit Trivedi, this time teaming up with Anvita Dutt for lyrics, spills out yet another winner of a soundtrack! Although there seems to be a bit too many songs for a movie of this type, yet the music and the lyrics make you feel that they are helping you comprehend the emotions and progress the story as required. My favorite picks...tough...but I would go with "Harjaiya", "Badra Bahar" and "O Gujariya".

Been-O-pinion

I would rate this movie 3.5, however, Kangana forces me to rate it 4 out of 5. The movie opens brilliantly with the wedding preparation scenes with Kangana's narrative and the movie progresses to the interval confidently and perfectly. The second half seems to struggle quite a bit with the story, but nevertheless it does have its high moments too! In any case, the movie is constant fun and Vikas Bahl comes across as a fine storyteller. Besides, how important is a story when your lead character can mesmerize the audience and keep them captivated for 146 minutes without complaining once! Go for it!

Highway - A journey that is Beautiful and Captivating!

The Real People:

Directed and Written by Imtiyaz Ali

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala & Imtiyaz Ali

Cinematography by Anil Mehta

Music & Background Score by A.R. Rahman

Alia Bhatt as Veera Tripathy

Randeep Hooda as Mahabir Bhati

At A Glance:

The movie cannot be summed up in a glance! From the aesthetics of the visuals to the depths of the characters to the sound details captured in the silence....an experience. There is simplicity in this story and there is depth; There are moments and scenes in the movie that touch you and completely captivate you! Imtiyaz sums up the movie in the following lines: (more or less)

Mai Jahaan se Aayee hoon,

Mujhe Wahaan waapis nahi jaana.

Hum kahaan jaa rahe hain,

Mujhe Nahi Pata...

Par Yeh Raasta...Yeh Raasta bass chalta rahe!

The people on screen:

There were only two....

Randeep Hooda as Mahabir. If you thought Hooda is an underrated actor...well, this movie will confirm that! Hooda gives a performance like never before and not as much through his dialogues as he does via his expressions! 

Alia Bhatt as Veera. Wow! Who would have known that there is so much talent and brilliance residing behind that cute and innocent face? Who else but Imtiyaz Ali. Alia Bhatt not only proves herself but she effectively sets an unachievable benchmark in performance for the rest of the year for the rest of the actresses! Its very uncommon and unexpected that you get to see such a wonderful performance from an actress who is only one formulaic-college-romance-movie old! She is simple and honest and makes you wanna fall in love with her character just as "Preet" does in Jab We Met! Wow Alia Wow!! 

The Tunes:

When Rahman is composing the entire music of a movie, there is hardly any room for a review! The music of the movie is simply fabulous, especially "Patakha Guddi, "Kahaan Hoon Mai" and "Maahi Ve". Alia Bhatt's voice in "Sooha Saaha" sounds as innocent as she looks in the entire movie. Irshad Kaamil of course writes the perfect lyrics and adds so much more meaning to the scenes on the screen! The single theme score composed and used through the movie is "Implosive Silence" and it is moving and haunting at the same time! 

This movie requires a special mention on the Sound Design. There are so many moments of total silence, so many moments where the natural sounds are used to create the ambience. If the cinematography completely enables you to visualize, the sound makes you feel the wind and the water as if you are right there! Resul Pukkutty proves his brilliance in this movie yet again!

Been-O-pinion:

I rate the movie 4.5 out of 5

Its only February and I think one of the best movies that one could expect of Bollywood is already out! No doubt that this movie's awesomeness can be attributed to the excellence of many departments like, cinematography, sound design, music, etc. but the real reasons are Imtiyaz Ali and the performance he extracts out of Alia Bhatt! Imtiyaz, as always, shows how his protagonist achieves a feeling of freedom when she breaks free from her life of comforts and luxury and ends the movie, as always, by showing us that lost love does not equal to pain and despair, but in fact it empowers you and helps you break-free from all your chains in order to live a life of happiness and of your choice!

Not only was I in love with what I was seeing but in fact, I did not want what I was seeing to get over. This Highway should have never come to an end!

Gunday Review: All fun no regrets!

The Real People:
Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar (also directed Mere Brother Ki Dulhan)
Produced by Aditya Chopra
Music by Sohail Sen (also composed for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Ek Tha Tiger)
Background Score by Julius Packiam (also gave the score for Dhoom 3, Badmash Company, Kabul Express)
Ranvir Singh & Darshan Gunjar as Bikram & young Bikram
Arjun Kapoor & Jayesh Kardak as Bala & young Bala
Irrfan Khan as ACP Satyajeet Sarkar and also the Narrator
Priyanka Chopra as Nandita

At a Glance:
Paisa Vasool! Thats what you call a movie like this one! Oversimplified, full of flaws, and yet loads of fun! The movie is a typical bollywood style entertainer and so much so, that like most movies of this type, it has a pathetic climax too! I would not say it is a must watch...but I can tell you that if you do watch it, you will like it!

The People of Screen:
Bikram & Bala jr. 
The two kiddos play their part with extreme confidence and although very brief, they establish the characters very well right at the onset of the movie! The minute they both walk out after their first coal adventure, you know that you should expect a lot typical bollywood punch lines and slow motion walkings scenes and "yaari-dosti" cliches in this movie!


Bikram & Bala
Ranvir and Arjun are the terrific duo and they seem to be having a lot of fun doing this 80s style masala drama. They both are extremely likeable and even though their affection for each other reaches the dangerous heights of being qualified as "Dostana"they portray the old school filmy dosti very nicely! They both get powerful punches to deliver, literally and figuratively (rather verbally). The best part about their performance in my opinion is that even though they play the roles of the notorious "Gunday" very nicely, yet they perfectly depict the characters' innocence and the purity of hearts at the same time!


ACP Satyajeet Sarkar
As usual, you cant help but luv the way this guy acts! Irrfan...from the middle aged government officer in The Lunchbox to this cunning ACP who not only orchestrates all the twists and plot surprises but also narrates the story with some great dialogues in Gunday! My favorite pick of the lot..... "Jis tarah har aag ke saath paani hota hai, iss kahani ka Sailaab....Mai Hoon!"


Nandita

No surprises here, Priyanka plays the role of the troublemaking, love inducing, morality changing, woman! She looks great, is always decked up wearing the best of sarees and why she plays the role of a Cabaret dancer? Beats me completely! I meant she could have done "Asalam-u-Ishqum" anyway! Her acting however is strictly average and could have been done by anyone, even Katrina! ;)

The tunes:
Sohail Sen churns out, once again, some  good music! Jashn-e-Ishqa is the most crucial track here as it is almost the theme of the entire movies background score. Mankunto Maula is a great track as well with both, the classical and the contemporary tracks being used effectively in the movie. Jiya is a very "Saiyyara tu Saiyyara" type of composition, but nevertheless as impressive and with Arijit at th vocals, it sounds magical. Tune Maari Entriyaan but of course is a total chart buster.
The background score is loud, filmy and yet very apt and catchy! Good job Julius!

Been-O-pinion:
I rate the movie 3.5 out of 5.
The movie is completely flawed, has no feeling of it being set in the 1980s (except from Bala's and Bikram's weird sense of dressing), uses every cliche in the books of bollywood of friend-turning-foe-and-back-again-to-friend, and yet....the movie is paced in a way that you get no time to think, you get engrossed in the twists and punchlines only to realize 130 minutes later (about when the 20 minute climax starts) that "damn! This is such an old school thriller-drama and I am having a good time!". The climax should have been edited out completely however! Watch it if you have nothing else to do, watch it if you want to have a good time at the movies. You will not regret it! 

Bollywood 2013 Roudtable

Last year we did our first roundtable, inspired by our favorite film critic Rajeev Masand. While I had Megha Kumar over at my blog as a guest author, this year she hosted the roundtable on her very own blog - Mk Livin & Lovin.

For the convenience of my blog readers as well as my interest in increasing my own blog hits :) here is a link to the roundtable that has views from a common man's point of view. None of us are technical or claim to know everything about movies, yet, as any movie goer, we have our opinions...this is what we bring to you!

Bollywood Roundtable 2013

Recap 2013 Movies - A Month-wise Reflection

And so the year is over...there will be lots of talks, lots of discussions and lots of awards for the rest of the year to recognize and criticize the movies that made it to the theaters in 2013. While 2014 looks like another promising year at the cinema, I would like to reflect, myself, upon the movies that I loved or hated this past year. 

In stead of taking the conventional route of picking one good, one bad...I have decided to take a walk down memory lane so that it would also help you catching up on what you may have missed or feel happy about having missed some.

Please note that this is not a complete listing of all releases, but just the ones that made it to my list of movies that I watched, or at least wanted to watch!

January:
1) Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola was intended to deliver subtle humor and lots of satire, it did neither and turned out to be a bore. Apart from Pankaj Kapoor's brilliant performance, the script, the execution and characters of all other cast fell flat.
2) Race 2 had a lot of expectations around it - what with the first Race being the definition of Abbas-Mastan's twists and thrills - nothing less than 100% masala was expected. In stead, the movie turned out to be a collection of predictable twists, glamorous girls and zero intelligence plot. 

Not a good beginning.

February:
The graph of satisfaction suddenly took a twist in Feb with 

1) Kai Po Che and 2) Special 26 being released. Both the movies demonstrated that Bollywood is capable of good cinema, mature execution and amazing performances. 
3) Listen Amaya...as well proved that smaller releases are capable of delivering brilliant cinema. A must watch. 
4) Murder 3, while it may not have been a great movie, it did take the Murder series to a higher notch in terms of storytelling. To its merit, this was probably the first movie in the Bhatt camp that actually credited the original movie and script off which it was based.
5) David, coming from the director of the amazing Shaitan this was a big disappointment and a pointless movie. 

Overall a satisfying month.

March:
A terrible month. The only movies that are worth mentioning are also the ones that should be skipped. 
1) I, Me aur Mai is one of those movie at the end of which you wonder why did the makers make this movie? What was the point. A decent premise of a self-centered protagonist but extremely poor narrative. 

2) Attacks of 26/11, while a lot better product in comparison to what Ramu has been giving to his fans and audience it still lacked the maturity that a sensitive subject like 26/11 deserved. If just watching a documentary on how did the events unfold is your objective, then the movie does not disappoint, but then is that all that you are looking for?
3) Himmatwala was a movie yet again created only to prove that Sajid Khan should quit making movies and to reiterate the fact that Ajay Devgan, despite being a great actor, lacks the sensibilities of one. 
4) Jolly LLB and 5) Mere Dad Ki Maruti were the only bearable movies this month, however if you missed them, you haven't missed much.

A month worth forgetting.

April:
1) Ek Thi Daayan, despite having an interesting concept and one which is not explored much in Bollywood  the movie was just a notch above average. A movie which can be watched once but also can be forgotten.
2) Ashiqui 2, Director Mohit Suri took on the feat of creating a sequel for one of Bollywood's biggest romantic hits Ashiqui. The movie came with very low expectations for me and yet delivered much much more. With newcomers as the protagonist and unconventional music directors, Mohit created a Romantic movie which has not been experienced for a long time and a magical soundtrack that will remain with us for many years.

A good month considering what March was.

May:
This could be declared as the month with the most diverse releases. 
1) Shootout at Wadala, not a great action movie but it boasted of some good performances and is definitely watchable.
2) Go Goa Gone, the first Zom-Com from Bollywood and while it might not have been everyone's cup of tea, it does deserve a watch for its novelty and average humor.
3) Aurangzeb, an unexpectedly good movie. Although tainted with Bollywood's old problem of prolonging its movies, the movie had some good acting and a mature take on crime drama.
4) Bombay Talkies, although not a movie in conventional terms, but it was more of a creative expression from Hindi cinema's 4 storytellers. Comprising of 4 short films, it is worth a watch.
5) Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, a truly entertaining movie, Bollywood style! Some good dialogues, loads of humor, some lovable moments and Ranbir and Deepika's consistently good performance. Although predictable yet a must watch.

A very good month.

June:
1) Ghanchakkar, an over the top movie with nothing to offer but some good names associated with it.
2) Raanjhana, an odd movie which falls neither in the good nor bad category. I would best describe it as "Not Bad". Watch it if you don't have anything better to do.
3) Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, avoid. The father and sons should feel horrible about doing such movies.
4) Ankur Arora Ka Murder Case, the only movie worth watching. Based on a true story, it is a filmy take on medical malpractice and a mother's fight to get justice.

A bad month.

July:
Another twist in the satisfaction levels. 
1) D Day, a classic example of how Hindi movies and script writers focus well until the interval and then just prolong a movie into the second half without any substance. Watch this movie half way and then move on.
2) Lootera, a brilliant movie with execution par excellence. Ranvir and Sonakshi establish themselves as actors and Vikramaditya proves his consistency after the magical Udaan.
3) Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, another awesome movie with Farhan entering into the league of best actors with certainty. Rakesh shows how well a biopic can be made and how research should be conducted. He however, does go a little overboard with the length of his movie.
4) Ship of Theseus, a movie which I have not seen, but with the amount of praise and critical acclaim this movie received, I am guessing that it is a must watch.

An awesome month.

August:
A month that delivered highest on the entertainment quotient! 
1) Chennai Express, a complete Rohit Shetty masala flick sans logic. SRK and Deepika seemed to be on a mission to entertain the audience and that they delivered truly! 
2) Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobara, as is the case with most sequels, this one too failed miserably in matching the expectations of the audience. Not only was the script very weak, the entire focus which made the first movie so engrossing was missing, i.e. underworld! Imran failed to diversify his portfolio.
3) Madras Cafe, undoubtedly one of the best movies of 2013, being out done only by the amazing Kai Po Che. John and Shoojit deliver on point and first time give Indian audience an espionage/political thriller worth remembering and praising.
4) Satyagrah, a typical Prakash Jha product. Mostly satisfying and powerful and yet very flawed in many aspects. Nevertheless, it keeps you engaged throughout. 

An entertainingly satisfying month.

September:
I will completely skip talking about 1) John Day. It was horrible.
2) Phata Poster Nikla Hero, seemed like Rajkumar Santoshi is still in search of that script which will be able to match the humor and awesomeness of Andaz Apna Apna. He manages to pull off a hilarious first half, but the sudden change in second half makes it look like they are two different movies, one very funny and second horribly dramatic.
3) Shuddh Desi Romance, a movie which is mostly good and a very interesting take on relationships, especially in Bollywood  The movie is stretched due to which it ends up becoming a little boring towards the end.
4) The Lunchbox, hats off to the creators and actors of this unbelievably well-made movie. The dialogues, the performance and execution...full marks! A must watch.

A month saved by one amazing movie!

October:
1) Besharam, eventhough I have not watched this movie, the amount of criticism out there for Abhinav and Ranbir really renders this movie as unwatchable. It is indeed sad to see that even consistent actors go wrong and veterans like Rishi and Neetu still affiliate themselves with such projects.
2) Boss, Akshay Kumar, its enough now. We want you to do more Special 26 and absolutely no more of these Boss type movies.
3) Shahid, Rajkumar Yadav makes his mark once again in this movie after Kai Po Che. Another brilliant biopic of 2013 based on the life of Shahid Azmi. A movie which should not be missed.

A below average month.

November:
1) Krisshh 3, despite its box office records and its never-seen-before-VFX, I have no words to express my disappointment in Rakesh Roshan and Hrithik. If you have this kind of a budget, why would you not hire a decent writer to write you an original script in stead of taking X-Men and Spiderman and Batman DVDs and blending them to create this cocktail of a movie!
2) Bullet-Raja, Sad and disappointing  After giving us Pan Singh Tomaar last year, why would Tigmanshu have created this pathetic movie, it remains a mystery. Saif despite being such a great actor, why would you act as a Russian in one movie and a crappy gangster in another, I fail to understand.
3) Gori Tere Pyar Mein, a typical Imran Khan Rom-Com that does you no harm in watching. Kareena looks ravishing. The movie is definitely watchable. 
4) Ram-Leela, a movie which I have not watched but heard a lot of positive things about. Although I would still like Bhansali to stop making larger than life sets and colors brighter than bright, I will definitely watch the movie on DVD once it is released.  

As long as you get to see at least one good movie :) 

December:
Not a great ending but nevertheless.

1) R...Rajkumar, coming from the now uncrowned King of Masala - Prabhudeva, this one turned out to be an over-the-top flick and was not appreciated by the audience. Maybe these are first signs that the audience are actually becoming selective about their masala!
2) Dhoom 3, Amir Khan, Katrina, Yash Raj and Pritam...all came together to create this massive box-office hit and yet...it disappointed all the Amir Khan fans. Sure I understand that Amir's performance was great in the movie, but is that all that an actor focuses on? I think with Aamir, people associate a good product and unfortunately with Dhoom, Aamir let down a lot of people!

A disappointing ending to the year! 

And so we come to an end of 2013. Here's wishing Bollywood all the best for 2014. Here's hoping our filmy lives are filled with more of Lunchboxes, Madras Cafes, Kai Po Ches, Shahids, Bhaag Mikhas, Looteras and even some Yeh Jawaanis and Aashiquis!