Star Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh

Director: Chinmay D Mandlekar

Inspector Zende Movie Review Synopsis:
INSPECTOR ZENDE is the story of a cop trying to catch a dreaded gangster. On March 16, 1986, Carl Bhojraj (Jim Sarbh), who has committed 32 murders, escapes from Delhi’s Tihar Jail along with his accomplices – David Jones (Peter Delight), Lalit Khatana (Devaang Bagga), Ratan Tomar (Ajeet Singh Pahlawat) and Subhash Tyagi (Sukumar Tudu). An honest cop from Mumbai Police, Madhukar Zende (Manoj Bajpayee), is summoned by Maharashtra’s DGP, Chandrakant Purandare (Sachin Khedekar) to catch Carl. Zende is assigned this mission for a reason. He’s the one who caught Carl red-handed way back in 1971. At that time, Carl was a small-time thief and now he has become a dangerous murderer. Hence, the risk is a lot, but Zende takes up the challenge. He’s joined by brave officers like Patil (Bhalchandra Kadam), Jacob (Harish Dudhade), Deshmane (Nitin Bhajan), Naik (Bharat Savale) and Patekar (Onkar Raut). These five officers, however, are on an unofficial, secret mission. In other words, they not only have to catch Carl but also can’t take official help from police officers of other regions. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Inspector Zende Movie Story Review:
Chinmay D Mandlekar’s story is inspired by true events. Chinmay D Mandlekar’s screenplay is entertaining and peppered with a lot of humour and quirk. Chinmay D Mandlekar’s dialogues add to the fun and madness.

Chinmay D Mandlekar’s direction is exemplary. Usually, films sourced from real-life episodes tend to be serious, especially when dealing with a ruthless criminal. But INSPECTOR ZENDE is filled with funny moments that keep the mood light, despite the subject. The characters are well fleshed out and moreover, the makers keep the duration in check. In just 112 minutes, they manage to tell the story without rushing through the narrative. A few scenes stand out – Carl’s arrest in 1971, the madness in the hotel in Panvel, the meeting of the cops in Zende’s house and Zende mocking Delhi’s ACP, Vyas. The finale is very amusing and the film ends on a justified note.

On the flipside, the romantic track of Manoj Bajpayee and Girija Oak (Vijaya) doesn’t work as intended, though it has its moments. In the attempt to give a vintage colour tone, the team goes overboard and it looks awkward in the beginning scenes. The VFX is also tacky. Lastly, to keep the narrative light, one sometimes tends to forget that Carl is a dangerous killer who has committed more than 30 murders. As a result, Carl doesn’t seem very menacing. This affects the impact of a crucial scene where Patil (Bhalchandra Kadam) comes face-to-face with Carl and yet doesn’t nab him.

Inspector Zende | Official Trailer | Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh | Netflix India

Inspector Zende Movie Review Performances:
Manoj Bajpayee, as expected, gets his act right and enhances the humour quotient of the film, at times just through his mere expressions. Jim Sarbh is tailor-made for the part and delivers a suave performance. Sachin Khedekar lends able support, while Girija Oak is lovely. From the cops, Bhalchandra Kadam leaves the maximum mark. Harish Dudhade stands out because of a quirk in his character. Nitin Bhajan, Bharat Savale and Onkar Raut are decent. Vaibhav Mangale (Fonseca) is funny. Peter Delight and Ashwath Bhatt (ACP Vyas) manage to register, but Sukumar Tudu, Devaang Bagga and Ajeet Singh Pahlawat get a limited scope.

Inspector Zende movie music and other technical aspects:
Sanket Sane’s music is well-woven into the narrative. But the two songs, ‘Majhi Baygo’ and ‘Charlie Baby’, are not memorable. Ketan Sodha’s background score has a retro charm.

Vishal Sinha’s cinematography is satisfactory. Riyaz Shaikh and Habib Sayyed’s action is not gory at all. Phantom Digital Effects’ VFX, as mentioned above, is not up to the mark. Manish Sherla’s costumes (styling by Priyanka Castelino) are authentic. The same goes for Rajesh Choudhary’s production design. Meghna Manchanda Sen’s editing is slick. 

Inspector Zende Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, INSPECTOR ZENDE is a refreshing blend of real-life inspiration and quirky storytelling, and stands out for its humor, crisp runtime, and stellar performances, especially Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh.

Star Cast: Tiger Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Harnaaz Sandhu, Sonam Bajwa

Director: A Harsha

Baaghi 4 Movie Review Synopsis:
BAAGHI 4 is the story of a man with a haunted past. Navy officer Ranveer Pratap Singh aka Ronnie (Tiger Shroff) meets with a terrible car accident. After being in coma for 7 months, he finally recovers. His brother Jeetu (Shreyas Talpade) takes care of him and realizes that he has started hallucinating. Ronnie claims that he is in love with a girl called Alisha (Harnaaz Sandhu) and that she died before his accident. Jeetu and others in his life don’t believe him; they feel that Alisha is a figment of his imagination. Ronnie tries his best to convince them otherwise but his efforts prove futile. One day, he comes across a shocking truth that shakes him to the core. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Baaghi 4 Movie Story Review:
Sajid Nadiadwala’s story has a lot of promise. Sajid Nadiadwala’s screenplay (additional screenplay by Rajat Aroraa) is engaging but loses steam after a point. Rajat Aroraa’s dialogues are a highlight.

A Harsha’s direction is okay. To give credit where it’s due, the first half is very engaging. The manner in which everyone around Ronnie make him believe that he has gone crazy makes for a fine watch. The humour adds to the fun. The intermission point is exhilarating and sets the mood for the second half.

However, once things become clearer about the intentions of the villain, the film goes downhill. Sure, the makers try their best to ensure that the goings on are unpredictable, but the writing gets messy big time. The finale is bizarre and doesn’t give viewers a high. The other major problem is that the film borrows from various films like ANIMAL, PUSHPA, PATHAAN and even KGF. Lastly, there are many too songs.

Baaghi 4 Movie Review Performances:
Tiger Shroff delivers a very challenging performance and comes out with flying colours. He shines in action, as always, but he also does well in the emotional sequences. Sanjay Dutt has late entry and even limited screen time. He makes up for it with his act. Harnaaz Sandhu makes a confident debut. Sonam Bajwa (Pratishtha) is a big surprise. Shreyas Talpade lends able support. Upendra Limaye is the scene stealer yet again. Saurabh Sachdeva (Paulo) is dependable.

Baaghi 4 Trailer | Tiger Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Harnaaz Sandhu, Sonam Bajwa | Sajid Nadiadwala | A.Harsha | In Cinemas 5th Sept

Baaghi 4 movie music and other technical aspects:

Songs are okay. ‘Marjaana’ is the best of the lot followed by ‘Get Ready to Fight – Khauf Hai’, ‘Maar Maar’, ‘Rona Sikha Diya’ and ‘Tera Khayal’. ‘Akeli Laila’ and ‘Yeh Mera Husn’ add to the glamour quotient but give a deja vu of ‘Ooo Antava’ and ‘Besharam Rang’ respectively. Ankit-Sachet and Shrey’s background score is energetic.

Swamy J Gowda’s cinematography is neat. Vvenkat, Kecha Khamphakdee, Kevin Kumar and Stun Silva’s action is excessively gory. Tanvi Leena Patil’s production design is rich. Aki Narula, Rushi Sharma, Manoshi Nath, Navin Shetty, Chetna Rawat, Manish Malhotra and Ashish Sharma’s costumes are glamorous. Kiran Gowda and Nitin FCP’s editing is appropriate but the film could have been shorter by 10-15 minutes.

Baaghi 4 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, BAAGHI 4 impresses in its first half with gripping action and engaging drama. The second half takes a more commercial route with an emphasis on songs and heightened emotions, catering largely to mass audiences. At the box office, the film is well-positioned to take a strong start at the box office, driven by its franchise value and star appeal. Its long-term performance, however, will hinge on word of mouth and repeat audience pull.

Star Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy

Director: Michael Chaves

The Conjuring: Last Rites Movie Review Synopsis:
THE CONJURING: LAST RITES is the story of a family in trouble. The year is 1986. The Smurl family resides in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. They bring a gift for their daughter, Heather (Kíla Lord Cassidy), a mirror. The moment the mirror arrives in their home, strange things start occurring. They realize that the mirror is haunted and they decide to get rid of it. Yet, the eerie experiences continue. Meanwhile, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) have retired as demonologists. But they realize that they have a connection with the strange experiences of the Smurl family. That’s not all. The daughter of the Warrens, Judy (Mia Tomlinson), is also connected with this case. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The Conjuring: Last Rites Movie Story Review:
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and James Wan’s story is inspired by true events and is eerie. Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick’s screenplay is captivating but also stretched, especially in the first half. The dialogues are appropriate.

Michael Chaves’ direction is splendid. He creates an eerie atmosphere authentically and moreover, also focuses on the family life of the Warrens and the Smurls. The trademark CONJURING stamp is also visible, especially with the rolling disclaimer at the beginning, as well as the depiction of videos and images from real life, which adds to the impact. The opening scene is chilling and so are the sequences in the trial room and the day after the sisters throw away the mirror. The non-frightening scenes are also memorable, particularly the one where Tony (Ben Hardy) proposes to Judy. The second half is much better, with the climax taking the cake.

On the flipside, the narrative takes a while to build up and go all out in terms of scare. This might disappoint fans as THE CONJURING 2 didn’t waste much time on this front. That was a major reason why it also worked big time. Secondly, a few questions remain unanswered. A few developments are bewildering. Ideally, Lorraine should have realized that the mirror in the house of the Smurls is the same one that she had encountered before. Though she doesn’t get a chance to see it, her abilities should have made her realize. Also, after what happens to Father Gordon, the Church should have thoroughly investigated the cause of death and his association with the Smurls. But they don’t do so. Lastly, a crucial character disappears midway in the film; no explanation given!

The Conjuring: Last Rites Movie Review Performances:
Both Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson deliver equally commendable performances. Their characters undergo a change as this time, the attack on them is more personal. Their performances are also tweaked accordingly. Mia Tomlinson is first-rate, especially in the second half. Ben Hardy essays the role of the awkward yet lovable character with panache. Kíla Lord Cassidy and Beau Gadsdon (Dawn Smurl) lend able support. Rebecca Calder (Janet Smurl) and Elliot Cowan (Jack Smurl) are decent. Steve Coulter (Father Gordon) leaves a huge mark.

The Conjuring: Last Rites movie music and other technical aspects:
Benjamin Wallfisch’s music is top-notch. Eli Born’s cinematography is appropriate. John Frankish’s production design and Graham Churchyard’s costumes are realistic, while VFX adds to the terror quotient. Elliot Greenberg and Gregory Plotkin’s editing could have been slicker.

The Conjuring: Last Rites Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE CONJURING: LAST RITES has a slow first half but makes up for it with a gripping second post-interval portion and powerful climax. Backed by strong performances and the popularity of the franchise, this final chapter is poised to attract audiences and deliver a fitting farewell at the box office.

Star cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor

Param Sundari Movie Review Synopsis:
PARAM SUNDARI is the story of a man in search of a perfect business idea and love. Param (Sidharth Malhotra) is the son of a wealthy businessman (Sanjay Kapoor) in Delhi. Param has tried his hands in various businesses and start-ups but has never achieved success. He once gets a proposal from a guy named Shekhar (Abhishek Banerjee) who has developed a dating app. He wants Param to invest in his app as he is sure it will do wonders in helping youngsters find their match. When Param tries the app on himself, he is matched with Sundari (Janhvi Kapoor) from a village in Kerala. In order to check whether the app works, he decides to stay in the home stay offered by Sundari. Param’s father gives him one month to find a match, post which he agrees to invest in the app. Param lands up in Kerala with his best friend Jaggi (Manjot Singh). He and Sundari don’t get along well initially but soon get fond of each other. However, a twist in the tale becomes a thorn in the path for Param and Sundari’s love story.

Param Sundari Movie Story Review:
Tushar Jalota, Gaurav Mishra and Aarsh Arora’s story is not novel. But Tushar Jalota’s screenplay is fresh. The story is presented in a new age manner with some interesting and funny situations thrown as the couple gradually falls in love. The twist at the interval, again, isn’t something new in this genre of films. But it surprises you because the makers have refrained from showing any of this in the trailer. The dialogues are conversational with natural humour but some cheezy lines could have been avoided.

Tushar Jalota’s direction is simple as well as fresh. He has kept things light hearted. He has ensured that things don’t get too heavy even when a serious twist is thrown. In. Two sequences stand out in the all-important second half. The boat race sequence and the climax. The latter deserves more mention as it’s simple and uncomplicated. In such genre of stories, the ending tends to become emotionally heavy or melodramatic. But that isn’t the case here.

On the flipside, as mentioned above, the story is tried and tested. You will find plenty of films with this storyline. Therefore, the climax is also anybody’s guess. Before the release, there was a chatter on social media about the film being similar to CHENNAI EXPRESS and 2 STATES. But it actually reminds you of DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE. More so, also because of the hero’s father’s angle and what all he does in the second half.

Param Sundari – Official Trailer | Sidharth Malhotra | Janhvi Kapoor

Param Sundari Movie Review Performances:
Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor suit as a pair. Sidharth scores well in a typical lover boy role. His antics and way of speaking suit this genre of films. Janhvi Kapoor looks ravishing and suits the image of a half Malayalam-half Tamilian girl. She scores in emotions and dialogue delivery, except for few occasions where her Malayalam accent appears forced. Sanjay Kapoor is a surprise package in an energetic performance. Majot Singh is like a typical friend of the hero you find in such genre of films. Renji, who plays Venu in the film, does well too.

Param Sundari Music and other technical aspects:
Composer duo Sachin-Jigar’s music goes with the nature of the film. ‘Pardesiya’ is a brilliant love ballad and it becomes a theme of the film. ‘Danger’ is a fun track and it encourages you to tap your feet. The rest of the songs are functional. Sachin-Jigar’s background score is effective. They have generously used ‘Pardesiya’ theme and it works well.

Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran’s cinematography is impressive. He has made the beautiful locales of Kerala appear even prettier. Etisha Jain and Priyanka Ghosh Riya’s art direction is top-notch and realistic. Neha Gurbuxani’s costumes suit the characters well.

Param Sundari Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, PARAM SUNDARI makes for a pleasant Bollywood rom-com. The story may follow a familiar template, yet the treatment ensures a breezy, light-hearted watch that connects well with the youth through its mix of emotions, romance, music, and drama. At the box office, the film is likely to open decently and has the potential for a healthy theatrical run.

Star Cast: John Abraham, Manushi Chhillar, Hadi Khanjanpour, Madhurima Tuli

Tehran Movie Review Synopsis:
TEHRAN is the story of a Special Cell officer’s quest for revenge. The story is based in 2012. Iran and Israel are at loggerheads and carrying out operations against each other. In response to Israel’s action, Iran kills Israeli nuclear scientists in Georgia and Bangkok. But things heat up in India when an Israeli diplomat is killed in Delhi in his car through a bomb blast. A poor little girl selling flowers gets killed in collateral damage. Afshar Hosseini (Hadi Khanjanpour) is the man responsible for the attack. Special Cell officer Rajeev Kumar aka RK (John Abraham) takes over the case. There is pressure on him to hand over the case to RA&W since it’s an international matter. However, Rajiv won’t let that happen since the attack happened on Indian soil and, more importantly, an Indian kid got killed for no fault of hers, which affects him. In fact, Rajeev decides to go all the way to Iran, with his junior Divya Rana (Manushi Chhillar) and another officer, to eliminate Afshar Hosseini against the orders of his own department.

Tehran Movie Story Review:
Bindi Karia’s story is inspired from a real event of 2012. The story is interesting enough to gain your attention. Bindni Karia and Ashish Prakash Verma’s screenplay is fast-paced and it keeps you glued during majority of the film’s duration. Bindni Karia and Ritesh Shah’s dialogues are conversational and realistic.

Arun Gopalan’s direction goes with the realistic nature of the film. However, it fails in establishing an important point in the narrative. Rajeev doesn’t appear affected enough by the girl’s death. Hence, it becomes difficult to digest when he takes the major step of taking a dangerous journey all the way to Iran to kill Afshar Hosseini. Also, a lot of things happen conveniently for the protagonist. For example, he easily finds people to risk their lives to help him in his mission in different countries.

Although the finale is routine, the texts that appear in the end brings in some appeal.

Tehran | Official Trailer | John Abraham, Manushi Chhillar, Neeru Bajwa | Premieres 14th Aug 2025

Tehran Movie Review Performances:
This is a tailor-made role for John Abraham. He excels in action scenes, which is expected from him. But his performance falls in the average range when it comes to emoting. Hadi Khanjanpour excels as Afshar Hosseini. He is the best performer from the lot. Manushi Chhillar is wasted. She has limited screen time and, more surprisingly, hardly any dialogues. Alyy Khan comes up with a good performance as a RA&W officer. Neeru Bajwa as Rajeev’s colleague Sheilaja is decent. Madhirima Tuli, who plays Rajeev’s wife, is hardly there.

Tehran Music and other technical aspects:
The film has only one song ‘Hasraton Ke Baazar’, which is composed by Dhruv Ghanekar. It is ordinary and not memorable. Ketan Sodha’s background score succeeds in generating the effect in various sequences.

Ievgen Gubrenko and Andre Menezes’ cinematography falls in the positive category. Doug Coleman and Amritpal Singh’s action is raw, brutal and more in the realistic zone. It falls more in the international category. Meghna Gandhi’s production design is first rate as it makes various locations in India and outside believable. Ayesha Dasgupta’s costumes are straight out of reality. Visual effects by Redefine are impressive. Akshara Prabhakar’s editing is sleek.

Tehran Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, TEHRAN is a decent espionage drama that could have been more. The film scores more in the technical arena. It should find its audience amongst those who prefer realistic action dramas instead of the masala fare.

Star Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, Kiara Advani

Director: Ayan Mukerji

War 2 Movie Review Synopsis:
WAR 2 is the story of a fight between two warriors. Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) is now a mercenary who kills for money. He is compelled to be a part of a global secret society called ‘Kali’ and is asked to kill Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana). Luthra’s daughter Kavya (Kiara Advani) is devastated and swears revenge. Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor) takes Luthra’s place and he asks Vikram (Jr NTR) to join the mission. He’s the most ruthless spy of RAW and he is determined to go to any lengths to eliminate Kabir. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

War 2 Movie Story Review:
Aditya Chopra’s story must have sounded promising on paper. Shridhar Raghavan’s screenplay is clichéd and unexciting. Abbas Tyrewala’s dialogues are okay.

Ayan Mukerji’s direction is not upto the mark. To give credit where it’s due, he manages to handle the scale and grandeur well. He also holds interest in the first half. The chase sequence in Salamanca, Spain is exciting. The twist during the interval point is unexpected.

But the film goes downhill as soon as the second half begins. The childhood track is interesting but is stretched. In fact, this is a major issue of the film – every sequence goes on and on. The entire idea of ‘Kali’ will go above the heads of the masses. Things also get silly and one can feel this in the yacht sequence. Lastly, the romantic track also doesn’t work as intended.

War 2 Movie Review Performances:
Hrithik Roshan constantly rises above the script and delivers a dashing performance. Jr NTR has lesser screen time but makes up for it with his performance and star power. Kiara Advani looks stunning and delivers a sincere performance. She shines in the action scenes. Anil Kapoor is decent and is let down by the writing. Ashutosh Rana, K C Shankar (Gautam Gulati) and Varun Badola (Vilas Sarang) lend able support. Bobby Deol is fine in a cameo.

War 2 | Official Trailer | Hrithik Roshan | Jr NTR | Kiara Advani

War 2 movie music and other technical aspects:
Pritam Chakraborty’s music is just okay. ‘Janaab-e-Aali’ works chiefly due to the picturization. ‘Aavan Jaavan’ doesn’t entice. Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara’s background score is exhilarating.

Benjamin Jasper’s cinematography is first-rate. Spiro Razatos, Franz Spilhaus, Anl Arasu, Oh Sea Young, Craig Macrae and Sunil Rodrigues’s action is entertaining. Rajat Poddar and Amrita Mahal Nakai’s production design is top class while Anaita Shroff Adajania and Niharika Jolly’s costumes are glamorous. yFX’s VFX is decent but in many scenes, it doesn’t give a realistic feel. Aarif Sheikh’s editing is dragging. The film should have been shorter by 15-20 minutes.

War 2 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, WAR 2 emerges as the weakest film of the YRF Spy Universe. At the box office, it may ride the advantage of the long weekend initially, but sustaining momentum beyond that will be an uphill task.

Star Cast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Aamir Khan

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Coolie Movie Review Synopsis:
COOLIE is the story of a man fighting a dangerous gangster. Deva (Rajinikanth) runs a hostel like facility in Chennai. One day, he learns that his old friend, Rajasekhar (Sathyaraj) has passed away. As per autopsy report, he died due to cardiac arrest. But Deva learns that Rajasekhar has been murdered. Further enquiries reveal that he used to work for the dreaded businessman, Simon (Nagarjuna). Rajasekhar had created a device that helped Simon big time. Deva takes Rajasekhar’s place and thus, smartly becomes a part of Simon’s gang. Helping Deva is Rajasekhar’s daughter Preethi (Shruti Haasan). What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Coolie Movie Story Review:
Lokesh Kanagaraj’s story is entertaining but also gets messy. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s screenplay (additional screenplay by Chandhru Anbazhagan) is a bit weak but at the same time, it is peppered with several dramatic and mass moments. The characters are well fleshed out. Lokesh Kanagaraj and Chandhru Anbazhagan’s dialogues are heroic.

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s direction is mass appealing as expected. There’s no doubt that Lokesh is a master when it comes to elevation and showing heroes in all their glory. In that regard, he doesn’t disappoint. There are a few interesting twists that will surprise the audience. The action scenes in the mansion and the way it is interspersed with the madness in the train is arresting. The finale will be loved by fans.

On the flipside, barring the twists, the plot lacks a pinch. The goings on also get confusing in many places and even unconvincing. The track of Dayal makes for a great watch but also gets tedious after a point.

Coolie – Official Hindi Trailer | Superstar Rajinikanth | Sun Pictures | Lokesh | Anirudh

Coolie Movie Review Performances:
Rajinikanth is in a terrific form. It’s commendable how he manages to put up such a fine act and excite the audience even at this age. His younger avatar scenes will create a frenzy in theaters. Nagarjuna rocks the show with his rare antagonist act. Soubin Shahir (Dayal) shines and is a surprise of the film. Shruti Haasan lends able support and manages to maintain a strong position. Sathyaraj has limited screen time. Nevertheless, he leaves a mark. Upendra (Kaleesha) makes an impression in a cameo. Aamir Khan (Dahaa), meanwhile, is too good. Pooja Hegde adds to the glam quotient.

Coolie movie music and other technical aspects:
Anirudh Ravichander’s music is peppy. ‘Coolie Disco’, ‘Chikitu’, ‘I Am The Danger’, ‘Mobsta’ and ‘Powerhouse’ stand out. ‘Monica’ is peppy but also forced into the narrative. Anirudh Ravichander’s background score is in sync with the film’s theme.

Girish Gangadharan’s cinematography is spectacular. Anbariv’s action is very gory. Sathees Kumar’s production design and Praveen Raja’s costumes are realistic. Philomin Raj’s editing could have been crisper.

Coolie Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, COOLIE has ample mass moments and swag of Rajinikanth. However, the unexciting writing in places act as impediment. Nevertheless, it has chances to score in the Hindi speaking markets due to the hype and long weekend.

Star Cast: Aayush Kumar, Aakaisha, Natasha Fernandez

Director: Suneel Darshan

Andaaz 2 Movie Review Synopsis:
ANDAAZ 2 is the story of two women in love with a man. Aarav (Aayush Kumar) is a struggling musician who barely earns by performing in small time restaurants and clubs. His father Vikas (Sanjay Mehandiratta) admonishes him constantly for not taking up a stable job. Aarav and his colleagues Tony (Srikant Maski) and Ehsaan (Parmarth Singh) are called to perform last minute with a popular performer, Priyanka (Natasha Fernandez), after the band, that was originally signed up for a show, fails to make it in time. Priyanka gets attracted to Aarav and decides to sign him, Tony and Ehsaan for an exclusive contract with her company. Priyanka hopes that this would give her a chance to be close to Aarav and start a relationship with him. However, Priyanka is unaware that Aarav is already in a relationship with Alisha (Aakaisha). What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Andaaz 2 Movie Story Review:
Suneel Darshan’s story is okay. Suneel Darshan’s screenplay is peppered with certain interesting emotional and dramatic moments. But overall, it’s unexciting and obsolete. The dialogues are also nothing great.

Suneel Darshan’s direction doesn’t entice. It is clear that his intention is to deliver a wholesome entertainer. Hence, the focus is not just on the love triangle but also on Aarav’s family and friends. There’s a villain angle as well. The first half is breezy as Suneel concentrates majorly on the romantic portions with the family track playing second fiddle. The twist about Alisha and Priyanka before the intermission is unexpected and adds to the drama.

Things go downhill in the second half when the family track takes centrestage. For a good 20-25 minutes, the romantic angle is completely forgotten. Secondly, there are several issues in the script. Aarav never informs his father that he has landed such a lucrative deal. Ideally, he should have done that as soon as he signed the contract since his father leaves no opportunity to troll him. The love triangle also loses sheen in the post interval portions. Lastly, the action packed villain track is needlessly forced. The goon, Yeda Anna (Jeetu Verma), has already exacted revenge when he badly assaulted Aarav in the first half. Yet, he returns to harm him in the climax and it makes no sense.

Andaaz 2 | Official Trailer | Aayush Kumar | Aakaisha | Natasha Fernandez | Suneel Darshan

Andaaz 2 Movie Review Performances:
Aayush Kumar looks dashing and delivers a sincere performance. He looks convincing as someone that can make two women fall in love with him. Aakaisha is cute and gives a fine performance. Natasha Fernandez has a strong screen presence and does well. However, she is hardly there in the second half. Sanjay Mehandiratta is laughable in the first half but gets better later on. Srikant Maski is funny while Parmarth Singh is fair. Bharat Bhatia (Bansal) leaves a mark. Jeetu Verma hams. The same goes for Dolly Bindra (Dolly). Neetu Pandey (Sulekha), Puja Sharma (Seema), Raj Dobariya (Somesh), Krishan Tandon (Doctor) and Manpreet Kaur (Receptionist) are okay.

Andaaz 2 movie music and other technical aspects:
Nadeem’s music is melodious. ‘Rabba Ishq Na Hove 2.0’ is the best of the lot followed by ‘You’re Beautiful’, ‘Hum Jaise Jee Rahe Hain’, ‘Tere Bin Kahin Dil Na Lagey’ and ‘Waqt Ne Kiya Iss Qadar Sitam’. ‘Ishq Junooni’ is okay whike ‘Shammak’ is catchy. Chander Harilal Makwana’s background score is passable.

Chetan Dholi’s cinematography is appropriate. The production design is realistic. The costumes are glamorous. The action has a cinematic feel. Kaushik Chakraborty’s editing could have been crisper.

Andaaz 2 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, ANDAAZ 2 is embellished with great music but it suffers on account of a weak script and poor direction.

Star Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons

Director: Nisha Ganatra

Freakier Friday Movie Review Synopsis:
FREAKIER FRIDAY is the story of four women facing an extraordinary weekend. Nearly two decades after the events of the first part [FREAKY FRIDAY; 2003], Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) is now a single mother of Harper (Julia Butters). Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis), Anna’s mother, dotes on her daughter and granddaughter. Harper gets into a fight with her classmate Lily (Sophia Hammons). The school summons Anna and Lily’s father, Eric (Manny Jacinto). Sparks fly between Anna and Eric and they fall in love. They decide to get married, much to the dismay of Harper and Lily as they can’t stand each other. At their pre-wedding celebration, they bump into a psychic, Madame Jen (Vanessa Bayer). The next day, they realize that they have switched bodies. Anna has turned into Harper while Harper has turned into Anna. Meanwhile, Tess and Lily have turned into one another. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Freakier Friday Movie Story Review:
Elyse Hollander and Jordan Weiss’ story is maddening. Jordan Weiss’s screenplay is a bit messy but is peppered with enough funny and touching moments. The dialogues are on point and enhance the craze quotient. The one-liners about the generational gap, especially those related to Facebook, are expected to receive a great response in cinemas.

Nisha Ganatra’s direction is breezy. She positions the film in the same zone as its predecessor. In fact, the makers allow the audience to draw parallels with life’s coming full-circle moments, like Anna being subjected to the same treatment from her daughter that she had meted out to Tess. The fact that the body swapping yet again occurs before the marriage of a character also brings out the nostalgia. This time, the madness is much higher as not just two but four bodies have been interchanged. Last time, the mission was to switch back ASAP, but this time there are ulterior motives which keep the interest going.

On the flipside, it takes a while to get a hang of who has switched into who. A few scenes like that of school detention don’t work. The manner in which Anna and Tess run away from the school without any consequence is unconvincing. Ella’s (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) track is also not fully digestible. Moreover, FREAKY FRIDAY was a bit in the nail-biting zone; in some scenes, tension levels went up. Nothing of that sort happens here. The makers could have added some tension in the pickleball scene but alas, it is quick and hardly funny. Lastly, the buzz is very limited in India.

Freakier Friday Movie Review Performances:
Both Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis once again impress as Anna and Tess. This time, the dynamic is different as life of two decades have happened to them and also, they are not themselves due to the body swap. As expected, both light up the screen with their performances. However, there was a lot of potential for Jamie Lee Curtis’ character to get very funny, especially when she turns into Lily, but the humour quotient in this regard is limited. Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons have important parts and perform ably. Manny Jacinto looks dashing and delivers a lovely performance, especially in the climax. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is fair. Vanessa Bayer and Chad Michael Murray (Jake) are entertaining in small roles. Mark Harmon (Ryan) doesn’t get much scope. Stephen Tobolowsky (Elton Bates) is okay.

Freakier Friday movie music and other technical aspects:
Amie Doherty’s music is in sync with the film’s mood. The new version of ‘Take Me Away’ is foot-tapping.

Matthew Clark’s cinematography is neat. Kay Lee’s production design is classy. Natalie O’Brien’s costumes are glamorous and also wild. Eleanor Infante’s editing is slick.

Freakier Friday Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, FREAKIER FRIDAY rides high on its zany premise, nostalgic callbacks and strong performances. However, at the box office, it’ll face a tough time due to limited popularity of the franchise in India and competition from other releases.

Star Cast: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Cary Christopher

Director: Rajiv Rai

Zora Movie Review Synopsis:
ZORA is the story of a mysterious killer. The year is 2003. Viraat Singh (Vikas Goswami) is an honest inspector of the Jaipur Police who exposes a gang publishing fake stamp paper. Before he could arrest them, a dangerous female killer, Zora, kills them and also a few cops. Viraat runs away with the cash that he confiscated from the scene of the crime. He goes to his house, takes away his son Ranjit (Jay Kishan Mangwani) and escapes to a faraway safehouse. Sadly, Zora manages to reach there and she kills Viraat by hanging him. Zora is covered from head to toe and Ranjit, who’s in hiding, sees her appearance and not her face. Zora and her boyfriend, John Lobo (Niloy Banergee), cleverly make it seem like it was Viraat who killed the gang members and the cops, as he wanted the money for himself. They further cook up a story that Viraat was overcome by guilt and thus, he ended his life. The court declares Viraat guilty. Twenty years pass. In the present day, Ranjit (Ravinder Kaur) has followed his father’s footsteps and entered the police force. He reports to Iqbal Sheikh (Karan Vir). Ranjit is seen as a timid and frightened cop. But in reality, Ranjit is fearless. Without the knowledge of Iqbal or the Commissioner (Tarun Kumar Chauhan), he has taken the law into his own hands and killed many dreaded gangsters in Rajasthan. Iqbal is suspicious that Ranjit is the one who is doing it, but he’s unable to prove so. Meanwhile, during one such ‘clean-up’ operation, Ranjit meets those who were involved in the 2003 stamp paper case. Ranjit delves into it so that his father can get justice. But all of a sudden, Zora makes a comeback and is determined to stop Ranjit in his tracks. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Zora Movie Story Review:
Rajiv Rai’s story is outdated but still could have made for a decent entertainer. Rajiv Rai’s screenplay, however, is lacklustre and has no modern touch at all. Raashid Rangrez’s dialogues are okay and too filmy.

Rajiv Rai’s direction is not up to the mark and nowhere close to the expert direction that we witnessed in films like VISHWATMA, TRIDEV, MOHRA, GUPT etc. It seems like he’s still stuck in the 90s. One might argue that old-school style films are working. However, these films have a balance of yesteryear sensibilities and modern-day touch. The latter is completely missing in the film. He surely gets a few aspects right like Iqbal getting frustrated over not being able to nail Ranjit, the use of perfume, confusing the audience into believing that certain characters could be Zora, etc. He also uses the background score to his advantage. But the minuses outweigh the minuses heavily. The goings-on are silly and also the execution style is not just like a vintage film but also in the zone of crime TV shows. The finale might have been unexpected; however, it’s also a bit predictable.

Zora Movie Review Performances:
Ravinder Kaur looks dashing but hams in scenes where he’s playing to the gallery. Karan Vir is better as the second hero of the film. Vikas Goswami does well in a cameo. Niloy Banergee leaves a mark with his act and look, though he has a cameo. Nikhil Dewan (Kamal Nath) plays a difficult role with ease, but he also goes overboard. Sofia Parveen (Bindu Solanki) looks charming and gives a fair performance. Dilraj Kaur (Kaur) is passable and her character is bewildering. She’s shown as someone who was present even in the 2003 track but she doesn’t look that old. Meena Vaibhav (Seema) is average. The makers fail to convincingly establish why she was so scared of Zora. Neetu Bhatt (Freida Lobo) hams and the same goes for Gajendra Rathi (lawyer Narayan Solanki). Jay Kishan Mangwani, Tarun Kumar Chauhan, Leena Sharma (Dr Vandana), Sohani Kumar (Deepa; rescued girl), Nishant Verma (Gullu Gujjar), Vikram Singh (Khabri), Altaf Husain (Kishori Lal), Sharad Sharma (Dhannu Gujjar), Manish Vashisht (Badru) and Rony Kaula (Luka) are fine.

Zora movie music and other technical aspects:
Viju Shah’s music is energetic. The title song is stylish and catchy. However, it’s disappointing to know that there’s only one track in the whole film. There’s no romantic angle and hence, probably there was no scope for more tracks. But when Rajiv Rai and Viju Shah collaborate after so many years, one would have expected a couple of songs, if not more. Viju Shah’s background score is the best part of the film.

Lalit Sahoo’s cinematography is neat. Raashid Rangrez’s production design gives the film a TV show look. Shabana Khanam’s costumes are decent. Kinder W Singh’s action seems rehearsed. Rajiv Rai’s editing works.

Zora Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, ZORA is an outdated and poorly made film. At the box office, it’ll sink without a trace.