#GoGirl

RAAZI

Released on: May 11

Backstory: Alia Bhatt frontlined this real-life story of a young Indian woman working undercover as a spy in Pakistan in the run-up to the India-Pakistan war of 1971. Powered by good reviews and strong word-of-mouth, the Meghna Gulzar directorial has turned out to be one of the big hits of 2018.

Thumbs up: An A+ act from Alia, an endearing Vicky Kaushal as Iqbal, the edge-of-the-seat thrills and chills, restrained drama, the music led by Ae watan and Dilbaro.

Thumbs down: Defies logic in parts.

What they told t2: “Meghna has accomplished the feat of showing patriotism without demeaning the other country. And when people appreciate that, we feel that we have achieved a small victory” — Vicky Kaushal.
At the BO: Has fetched Rs 140-crore on a Rs 40-crore budget. 

VEERE DI WEDDING

Released on: June 1

Backstory: This desi Sex and The City had four childhood pals navigating through love and heartbreak, misunderstandings and sticky relationships, while one of them was prepping to get married. A rare Bollywood film which said what women want — and let them have it too — Veere Di Wedding made a statement, though not all of it was in good taste, notching up a neat profit. 

Thumbs up: The easy chemistry between the four leads — Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania, many #WeToo moments, the uninhibited and irreverent theme, treatment and tone, the chartbuster Tareefan. 

Thumbs down: Too formulaic, slips when it enters serious territory, the jarring product placements. 

What they told t2: “Our film explores some themes that have been explored with the point of view of men in other films” — Sonam Kapoor.

At the BO: Rs 140-crore. Its budget: Rs 42-crore.

#QuirkyCool

BLACKMAIL

Released on: April 6

Backstory: Delhi Belly man Abhinay Deo came up with this quirky, slice-of-life film featuring Irrfan Khan as a husband who starts blackmailing his wife — of course, anonymously — when he discovers she’s having an affair. Irrfan was diagnosed with cancer just weeks before this black comedy hit theatres, impacting the pre-release promotions and subsequently, its box-office performance.

Thumbs up: Irrfan at the top of his game, the deliciously dark premise, a pitch-perfect turn from Arunoday Singh, a strong first hour.

Thumbs down: A sluggish second half, some silly subplots, overstays its welcome. 

What they told t2: “The humour in the film is very understated and I feel Irrfan is one of the best when it comes to understated performances” — director Abhinay Deo.
At the BO: Earned close to Rs 30-crore on a Rs 20-crore budget.

#FilmOfTheQuarter

OCTOBER

Released on: April 13

Backstory: Shoojit Sircar scripted poetry on celluloid with this heartwarming — and heart-rending — tale of a directionless young man who discovers his place and purpose in life when a colleague slips into a coma after an accident. October spoke about empathy and grief, emphasised on the fragility of life and redefined love, making it one of the best films of the year so far.  

Thumbs up: A career-defining performance from Varun Dhawan as Dan, a brave debut by Banita Sandhu in the role of Shiuli, the side players, sensitive storytelling, Avik Mukhopadhyay’s camera work, the music, especially Armaan Malik’s Theher jaa.

Thumbs down: Depressing in parts.

What they told t2: “This is the most vulnerable I have been on the set of any film. There is nothing heroic about Dan... my superpower in this film is my vulnerability” — Varun Dhawan.

At the BO: Made Rs 55-crore on a Rs 20-crore budget. 

#OldIsGold

102 not out

Released on: May 4

Backstory: Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor — co-stars in many a blockbuster through the decades — teamed up for this father-son film, with Bachchan playing a jovial 102-year-old dad to Rishi’s grumpy 75-year-old. 

Thumbs up: The premise that packed in both laughs and tears, the fun chemistry between AB and RK. 

Thumbs down: Sluggish in parts, a tad repetitive. 
At the BO: Earned Rs 79-crore on a Rs 10-crore budget to be certified a hit.

KAALA

Released on: June 8

Backstory: Superstar Rajinikanth is an ageing don tasked with protecting his people when a corrupt politician (Nana Patekar) seeks to displace them. Led by Thalaiva Rajini in top form, Kaala opened big and remained big. 

Thumbs up: The face-off scenes between Rajinikanth and Nana Patekar, the action moments, some laugh-out-loud lines, the spectacularly shot climax. 

Thumbs down: Too long, doesn’t have too many ceetee-taali scenes.

At the BO: Not one of Rajinikanth’s biggest hits, Kaala notched Rs 230-crore on a budget of Rs 140-crore. 

#Flops

OMERTA

Released on: May 4

Backstory: The rise and fall of real-life terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh — the mastermind of 9/11 and 26/11 — was the subject of this Hansal Mehta film. 

Thumbs up: An exceptional act from Rajkummar Rao as Omar Saeed Sheikh, some goosebump-inducing scenes, Anuj Dhawan’s cinematography.
Thumbs down: A mechanical look at the machinations of a killer without delving into his mind, felt too random in parts.

DAAS DEV

Released on: April 27

Backstory: Sudhir Mishra’s subversion of the Saratchandra Chattopadhyay classic Devdas, tempered with William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, was ambitious but fell flat in execution.

Thumbs up: A competent turn from Rahul Bhat as Dev, some hard-hitting moments.

Thumbs down: Too many threads, lacklustre acts from Richa Chadha as Paro and Aditi Rao Hydari as Chandni.

BHAVESH JOSHI SUPERHERO

Released on: June 1

Backstory: Lootera man Vikramaditya Motwane’s vigilante superhero film was many years in the making, brought on by a change of protagonist — Imran Khan to Sidharth Malhotra to finally Harshvardhan Kapoor. Released without much hoopla and on the same Friday as Harsh’s sister Sonam Kapoor’s hit Veere Di Wedding, Bhavesh Joshi was a watchable film that sadly sank without a trace.

Thumbs up: The relevant theme, the action sequences, a strong supporting act from debutant Priyanshu  Painyuli.

Thumbs down: An unconvincing Harshvardhan, too many plot loopholes, a flat villain (actor-director Nishikant Kamat). 

#Howlers

MISSING

Released on: April 6

A child goes missing and everyone’s a suspect in this wannabe edge-of-the-seat mystery which, despite stellar acts from Manoj Bajpayee and Tabu, had one important ingredient missing: thrill. 

NANU KI JAANU

Released on: April 20

This horror-comedy was more comedy than horror with an out-of-sync Abhay Deol and a miscast Patralekhaa. Poor jokes, tepid songs, lack of scares — there was nothing going for Nanu Ki Jaanu. 

#BlockbusterFail

RACE 3

Released on: June 15 

Backstory: Salman Khan’s big Id release of the year was the third film in the Race franchise. Despite the packed houses in the first weekend, Race 3 turned out to be one of the superstar’s lowest earners in recent times. 

Thumbs up: An earnest Anil Kapoor.

Thumbs down: Poor plot, lack of genuine thrills, Salman sleepwalking through his role, laughable dialogues, weak acts from the supporting cast — Jacqueline Fernandez to Daisy Shah, Bobby Deol to Saqib Saleem. 
At the BO: Rs 180-crore so far on a Rs 150-crore budget. 

#BehindTheScenes

PARMANU

Released on: May 25

Backstory: John Abraham produced and starred in this part-fact, part-fiction account of the landmark 1998 nuclear tests in Pokhran. A pre-release tussle between the producers made Parmanu languish in the cans for months, but releasing to above average reviews, the film had long legs at the box office.  

Thumbs up: The urgent pace, the well-cast supporting players.

Thumbs down: A wooden act from John, amateurish in parts.

What they told t2: “I didn’t want to tell a jingoistic, patriotic story; I wanted to tell the story the way Argo was told” — John Abraham.
At the BO: A hit; earned Rs 90-crore on a Rs 50-crore budget.

#BOSmasher

SANJU

Released on: June 29

Backstory: Powered by Ranbir Kapoor, Rajkumar Hirani’s biopic on Bolly bad boy Sanjay Dutt’s highs and lows — drug addiction to prison stint to being branded a terrorist — has become one of the biggest hits of the year within the first weekend. 

Thumbs up: An award-worthy performance from Ranbir, strong supporting acts from Paresh Rawal and Vicky Kaushal, some heart-tugging moments. 

Thumbs down: Skewed in Dutt’s favour, leaves out crucial aspects of his life, sluggish in parts.
What they told t2: “It’s got so much of drama, so many emotions, so much laughter; it’s a role any actor would give their life for” — Ranbir Kapoor.

At the BO: Is already a smash-hit, scoring the third-highest first weekend figures ever at Rs 120.06-crore. 

Which was the best/ worst film you watched between April and June? Tell t2@abp.in 

FAST FORWARD TO Q3

DHADAK

Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor makes her debut opposite Shahid Kapoor’s brother Ishaan Khatter in this teen romance directed by Badrinath Ki Dulhania man Shashank Khaitan. A remake of Marathi hit Sairat, the trailer and the songs — particularly the peppy Zingaat — are a hit already. Release date: July 20.  

FANNEY KHAN

Anil Kapoor, striking in salt ’n’ pepper hair, is Fanney Khan in this official remake of the Belgian comedy-musical Everybody’s Famous! The film, about a teenager who is pressurised into getting into music, also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao. 
Release date: August 3.

KARWAAN

Irrfan Khan promises a paisa-vasool ride in this comedy of errors resulting from two dead bodies being switched. Irrfan’s fun one-liners in the trailer are a #win, and we are looking forward to seeing him share screen space with Bolly debutants Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar. Release date: August 3 

GOLD

Akshay Kumar is set to deliver another consummate performance in this Reema Kagti film that has him playing an eccentric coach to a hockey team that eventually won independent India’s first Olympic gold medal. The trailer — with Akshay holding centre stage — has made us want to queue up already. Release date: August 15.

STREE

Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor come together for a horror comedy that’s already given us the shivers with its teaser. Stree also stars Pankaj Tripathi and Aparshakti Khurana. 
Release date: August 31.

BATTI GUL METER CHALU

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha maker Shree Narayan Singh directs Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam in this slice-of-life film that revolves around power theft. 
Release date: August 31

ANDHADHUN

Ayushmann Khurrana plays a blind piano player in Sriram Raghavan’s thriller Andhadhun, earlier titled Shoot The Piano Player. Radhika Apte is his co-star.  
Release date: August 31

MANMARZIYAAN

Anurag Kashyap ventures into love story territory with this film starring Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee Pannu. Abhishek Bachchan returns to the big screen after a gap of two years. 
Release date: September 7

SUI DHAAGA

‘Make in India’ is the theme of this Yash Raj Films production that brings together Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma for the first time. Dum Laga Ke Haisha man Sharat Katariya is the director. 
Release date: September 28

MANIKARNIKA

Kangana Ranaut slips into the skin of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi in this ambitious project that also stars Tolly man Jisshu Sengupta in a pivotal role. 
Release date: September 28

Which of these films is on your must-watch list? Tell t2@abp.in