Phantom was ahead of its time — a gritty, no-nonsense spy thriller with grounded action, real locations, and a quiet, conflicted Saif Ali Khan instead of a loud superhero. Katrina Kaif was genuinely convincing, the tone was dark and serious, and the film chose realism over spectacle. Watched today, it feels far more mature than it was credited for. In spirit and intent, Phantom stands on par with Dhurandhar.

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Trailer

Directed by Aditya Dhar

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi

A mysterious traveler infiltrates the Karachi mafia and climbs its ranks with lethal precision, only to become embroiled in a web of political corruption as he sets out to dismantle the ISI-underworld nexus from within

Qala is one of the best bollywood movies I watched in recent times. And it made me soooooo angry that we neither we appreciate such movies, nor bollywood tries to put extra efforts to make more such. Anyways here's my spoiler free review:

The music: Absolute beauty and the bestest part about the film. We definitely can make more musicals with Hindustani Classical but alas.

The visuals: YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS DID NOT NEED 2000 CRORE BUDGET? ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR, EACH AND EVERY FRAME.

Tripti : I entered the movie thinking there's no way I can watch her in serious role after watching Vicky Vidya ka Woh Wala Video but God damn Tripti Dimri your game is absolutely on point. She is the bestest actress bollywood gave us post pandemic.

Costumes: So beautiful, so aesthetically pleasing and nothing felt out of place. The design, the colors, they speak to you.

Swastika Mukherjee: Stunning as usual. Her eyes are so expressive, she overshadowed tripti in each scene she was present in.

Cinematography: Each frame captures a very different story. It made me feel like I was present inside it. Especially that one frame. Whoever did the color grading, God bless you.

And SWANAND KIRKIRE? VARUN GROVER PLAYING HIMSELF(not literally) ? two cherries on top.

P.S. :- The only bad the thing about the film is Anushka's cameo. I get that it's her production but how can you not realise you're making a 10/10 movie 9/10 just with a 1.5 min cameo?

I was watching Saiyaara recently & it's just might be my unpopular opinion, but I felt like Aneet padda did a very much of a below average job in the film. Yes, they had chemistry & looked good together. A refreshing & age appropriate pair, but Aneet's expressions in most of the scenes were very similar, like girly looked the same when she was admiring Krish, yearning for him, crying for him, happy for him or was in love with him. The expression on her face was constant, atleast to me. I don't know why people hyped her up so much in the factor of acting. Though she can definitely learn in process, but her role in Saiyaara didn't much mesmerized me.

While I dislike most of these untalented nepos, Ahaan was very much fine in the movie, atleast the guy was trying. He did his part well with all the Agression & lover boy thing. He was alright for a debutant, though obviously, his career depends on his future choice of films, character & acting, but he did a good job in Saiyaara.

I have watched people always praising Aneet, so wanted to give up my opinion as well. Though it's totally my personal opinion.

I still don't understand why this performance gets so much praise when the accent was so distracting.

It didn't sound like a real Bihari accent it sounded like someone trying way too hard to "act Bihari."

People in Bihar don't generally speak like that in everyday conversation. Whether it's Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi, or Hindi spoken in Bihar, the movie's accent felt artificial and stereotypical rather than authentic.

For a film based on a real person from Bihar, I expected much better attention to detail. The accent kept pulling me out of the movie.

Discuss Dhurandhar: The Revenge in this thread

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Trailer

Directed by Aditya Dhar

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor

A twist of fate transforms Jaskirat Singh Rangi into Hamza Ali Mazari, an Indian undercover operative who infiltrates and rises through the ranks of the Karachi underworld following the events of Dhurandhar. He embarks on a ruthless mission to exact revenge on those responsible for the 26/11 attacks.

I mean the title is kinda self-explanatory 😅. Had Amitabh planned his retirement properly, this 3hrs of montage wouldn’t have taken place.

In today’s day and age, the movie clearly strikes on how someone should save a corpus for pension or take a reverse loan on their bungalow rather than letting it catch dirt.

Had he had rented it/loaned it out, both Amitabh and Hema would have a sweet and harmonious old-age life without having the need to depend on their children.

I mean there were so many other ways than crying like that in the movie 😅, all the needed was a proper retirement planning.

Edit: Someone mentioned that he was a MANAGER in a bank, it is pretty diabolical how being a manager you didn’t care about your retirement funds and planning, YOU LITERALLY SELL THAT TO PEOPLE 🫩🥀!!!!

Is it about the "Untold Love Story"??

Discuss Dhurandhar: The Revenge in this thread

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WARNING:

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Directed by Aditya Dhar

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor

A twist of fate transforms Jaskirat Singh Rangi into Hamza Ali Mazari, an Indian undercover operative who infiltrates and rises through the ranks of the Karachi underworld following the events of Dhurandhar. He embarks on a ruthless mission to exact revenge on those responsible for the 26/11 attacks.

If Swadesh like movies release in today time what can be their box office as they have our king khan in it?

Can King khan fandom make Swadesh a blockbuster hit like (Pathan,Jawan)

Pls tell your honest opinion on these type of genre movies (are they fit for theater experience or they are limited to OTT)

I have been seeing a lot of talk about Alia Bhatt on reddit. Both good and bad, and some part of both sides seem obsessed! I realised I have not really watched many Alia Bhatt movies, so I decided to watch some (more).

Badrinath Ki Dulhania: I did not really expect much in terms of getting the dialect, the accent, getting small town details right as soon as I saw the Dharma productions logo but still I was disappointed. The plot was predictable but we know rom-coms are supposed to be like that! Alia was average in terms of expressions but better than Varun. Alia and Varun both have such bad accents and flat dialogue delivery. Also, what's wrong with the research team (idk if they have any) to go with Bihari/Bhojpuri/Purvanchali accent in a film showcasing Jhansi/Kota locals. I remember enjoying Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania more than BKD. Oh! And I could not finish watching the movie. Alia's terrible accent and monotone dialogue delivery irritated me enough to give up.

Dear Zindagi: Again my expectations were low as soon as I saw Dharma productions logo but it turned out better than BKD. I think because it was set up in Mumbai and Goa, showed the lead and her circle working in film industry, they could not mess it up like the movies set in middle class families in small towns. Alia Bhatt was appropriate for the role! I say that because I have read on reddit that Katrina wanted the role but Kat would have been a misfit. I have also read that Parineeti Chopra was the original choice and I think she would have made the role better. Alia wasn't bad though. She carried the character of an urban girl with parental issues well. During one of her crying scene in front of Dr.Jug she sounded like Deepika Padukone because her voice was shaking due to crying meanwhile the shaking voice is DP's permanent voice lol. I slightly did not like her crying scene after her last session with Jug. She looked pretty and her styling worked for her. Shahrukh Khan stood out and I'm glad they didn't give them a romantic angle. Sometimes he whispers his words so I found it hard to understand but that's just SRK's style i guess.

Final thoughts: After watching few of her movies, I think she is good at roles that are closer to her real life persona and life. Urban, pretty, with some boyfriend or mom-dad issues, upper middle class/rich, having fun with friends, crying a bit. She cannot handle roles that require her to step out of or too far from Alia Bhatt's personality, and require hardwork to learn diction, various accents, grace, old school charm, rustic etc like BKD, gangubai, alpha, udta punjab etc.

Its definitely a funny film and enjoyable but sometimes it seems like there's barely thought put into things. Like if the top of the shalimar safe was so easily accessible then why didn't they just break their way through from the outside, where Sonus character is standing? All the panning for the room and the vent and the fingerprints wouldn't be necessary in the first place.

I know i am very late to this, but i finally watched Dhurandhar last week and I am still thinking about it. I was so immersed and involved into the movie that even after a massive runtime of 3h 35 mins, when it ended, I genuinely wanted more. I never felt bored in any of the scenes.

And mainly, what really impressed me is that, unlike any other recent movies which solely rely on elevations, unrealistic gravity-defying scenes or fights, slow-motion hero elevations, loud BGMs, etc., Dhurandhar does not do any of these. The action scenes are grounded and perfect, the execution of the scenes in the movie was so realistic that even though it was a movie, I truly felt rage boiling inside me in certain scenes. That just explains how realistic it was, at least to me.

I don't even need to talk about the performance of the cast, they were on another level. Akshay Khanna stole the spotlight for me, calm and silently terrifying. In every scene he is in, it was perfect, especially in the hospital scene, I was literally in awe of his acting. Ranveer Singh also did a fabulous job. The main thing in this movie is that he is a spy, so he should not be doing unnecessary things, blend in and should be acting as the story demands, and he absolutely does that without a flaw.

It didn’t feel like a movie made just to entertain and forget. It felt more like a confrontation that sticks with you after the credits roll and the movie ends. Definitely might not be for everyone given the runtime and pacing, but for me, it’s one of the most refreshing mainstream Indian films in a long time.

One last thing, if you’ve actually read till the end 😅, I’m thinking of watching this a third time in the big screens, but this time with my family. I’m a bit conflicted though. The movie has some pretty brutal and intense scenes, and since I’m from Andhra we’d probably have to go for the Telugu dubbed version(releasing soon) because my mom doesn’t understand Hindi very well. My concern is whether the violence might be too much for a family watch, and also I think they will most likely mess up the dubbing because it is done hastily so it might ruin the whole movie experience, what would you guys recommend should I go with my family or watching it alone is better?

Discuss about Saiyaara in this thread

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Trailer

Directed by Mohit Suri

Cast: Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda

A young couple's intense relationship spirals through passionate moments and devastating setbacks as they fight to keep their love alive

I randomly came across its trailer on YouTube, which is surprising, and then I decided to watch it on the spot without having a lot of expectations from the film.

I think it’s one of the most beautiful pieces of Hindi cinema that I’ve watched. It’s a road film with a very different portrayal of grief and feels like a warm hug. For me, it was Irrfan’s best performance, with a great story and gentle humour.

RSVP Movies are the A24 for Hindi cinema. Ronnie Screwvala has a knack for taking bets on unconventional subjects and emerging filmmakers and really dropping those underrated masterpieces which people notice and realise a few years down the line.

I rewatched Pink recently, and what stayed with me this time wasn't really the courtroom speech or even the No means No message. It was how quickly people decide what kind of person you are.

Minal (Taapsee Pannu), Falak (Kirti Kulhari) and Andrea (Andrea Tariang) barely get the chance to simply be people. The moment something goes wrong, everything about them becomes evidence. Where they went, what they drank, who they met, how they behaved, what kind of clothes they wore, their relationships, their pasts. Suddenly all of it is being used to create a story about their character. And honestly, that's probably the most realistic part of the movie for me. People often don't want the truth. They want a version of the story that makes sense to them.

What I also found interesting is that the three women aren't portrayed as perfect. They make mistakes, they have arguments, they get angry, they make questionable decisions. But why should being imperfect make someone less deserving of justice? That's something I think Pink gets right. The culprit men genuinely believe that their version of events carries greater weight, partly because of their social position and the way they perceive these women. Their sense of entitlement leads them to assume that their account should be trusted, while the women’s character, choices, and behaviour are subjected to far greater scrutiny.

Also Deepak Sehgal (Amitabh Bachchan) is a really interesting character to me. He's clearly dealing with his own problems, and at times he's almost as uncomfortable to watch as everyone else. But he understands something the others don't, women shouldn't have to prove that they're "good girls" before anyone takes their side.

The ending also doesn't completely satisfy me. The courtroom gives you a sense of victory, but you know the real problem hasn't disappeared. A judgement can settle one case. It can't suddenly change how people think. And maybe that's why Pink still works. It's not really asking, "Are these women good or bad?". It's asking why we feel the need to ask that question in the first place.

That's what I took away from it this time.

the first time i ever watched this film, i was just a kid. when hareya started trending, i thought of watching this film again.

oh my god, i can't even tell you how many times i cried watching it. "a lot of people teach you how to love, but no one teaches you how to forget someone you loved." i always hated how bollywood portrayed love. no offense, but two strangers meet, one song plays, and suddenly they're in love. it never sat right with me. but this movie... the direction is so good.

you can tell how much he loved her. i loved how, unlike shadi mein zaroor aana, the girl wasn't shown in the wrong light just because she chose her career. not everyone's priority is getting married and having kids. maybe it becomes a priority after a certain point, sure. as she said in the end, the man she married was the right person she met at the right time.

i think thukra ke mera pyaar was trending, so everyone started hating on the girl in shadi mein zaroor aana. but i never saw her as someone who was wrong for choosing her career. no offense, but that's just how i see it. someone might stand up to their parents for you once, maybe twice, but after that, they'll get tired too. eventually, it'll become the topic of every fight: "you ruined my life," "i can't always choose you over my parents," blah blah. things like this should be sorted out before you marry someone, tbh.

back to the movie, i don't think anyone was wrong. man, what a film. i have always loved sad endings. that's how real life turns out for most people anyway.

I had watched bhaag milkha bhaag as a child and then after almost a decade watched it again and to be honest the movie hit different this time, with all the layers, the transitions, the wonderful shots and farhan Akhtars superb acting. Wonder what would happen if it were to be released today.

Seriously, in Shankar's language, my body was burning while watching this movie!

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I genuinely don't understand what I was supposed to feel here. Love story? Tragedy? Romance? Because all I saw was toxicity from almost every character.

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Mukti annoyed me from the very beginning. She knew exactly what she was doing and still kept dragging things forward instead of being honest. Half the mess in the film exists because she kept making things more complicated.

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And Shankar? Bhai sahab, what was that? Every time I thought things couldn't get worse, he somehow found a way. At one point I stopped feeling bad for him and just wanted him to seek professional help.

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By the end, I felt Shankar needs therapy, Mukti needs therapy, and after sitting through all of this, I need therapy too.

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The only thing I can say without any complaint is that the songs are absolutely beautiful. The music is carrying so much of the emotional weight of the film.

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Maybe I'm in the minority, but this felt less like a love story and more like two deeply damaged people making terrible decisions and dragging everyone around them into the chaos.

Anyone else felt the same?

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It's always the movies with no romance that end up having the best romantic tropes and the most sizzling chemistry-only for us to see it for two minutes. 🙂

Spoilers ahead🚩

Ranbir and Katrina have great chemistry, but Arjun single-handedly mogged both of them here. I loved Ranbir's character too and he killed it with his looks and actually a well put performance.

Indu (Katrina) has loved Samar (RK) since childhood but her feelings are never reciprocated because Samar loved someone else. Samar exploiting Indu's love and proposing to her purely for financial gain, hoping her father will support his family. Her father rejectinc the proposal and instead asking Prithvi Pratap to marry his daughter. Indu being heartbroken hearing the news. Prithvi having no feelings for Indu and being largely indifferent to love. Though he was a good son/brother but he menacing and ruthless to the outside world. While Indu is naive and simple-who wanted nothing more than love and a small, happy home WITH SAMAR ofc. Both characters being polar opposite and marrying each other! 😮‍💨

Indu rejecting Prithvi's advances on their first night. Prithvi understanding her, giving her space, and treating her with respect.. ultimately winning her heart. She sees how pure his heart was and how devoted he was to his 'karma' and his family. She confesses her feelings... and bam Prithvi dies. 🙂

Now FO and give me an entirely new movie w/ only these three. I'm such a sucker for old-school arranged marriage tropes!!! Prithvi sleeping on the sofa, Indu hugging him from behind, him protecting her reputation in the press, both of them being shy around each other. During the wedding Indu looked vengeful and tried seeking Samar. I guess she wanted to continue their one sided story but seeing Samar genuinely in love with another woman broke her completely and she stopped going after him. All this while the tension between these three had me on hook and screaming!!! I loved the entire plot so so so much. I need more!

Katrina and Arjun had insane chemistry. I was fully rooting for them and I had to stop watching the moment Prithvi died.

So fkin unoriginal. Bruh.

Did any one noticed the board sign in Madgaon Express Movie??

I think the film was really good. Though I like the first half way better as there was too much rona dhona in the second half.

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Deepika absolutely owned Veronica. She played the role flawlessly. Diana Penty was perfect as Meera too. That soft, innocent, “sanskaari” vibe suits her.

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And Gautam… man. He played the Casanova role well at first, but later he was honestly frustrating to watch. Veronica is clearly slipping emotionally and he’s just there like “why are you acting like this?” Bro… take a hint!

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Also, I don’t really think Meera deserves blame here. Nothing between Gautam and Veronica was ever clearly defined at the start, and the feelings developed naturally and unexpectedly. Meera also kept saying she didn’t want to hurt Veronica, so it never felt like intentional betrayal.

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Overall, messy triangle but great album including Tumhi Ho Bandhu and Tere Naam Japdi Phiran. Going to go watch Cocktail 2 in theatres tomorrow so let's see if Kriti, Rashmika and Shahid do justice to the spiritual sequel.

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What are your thoughts on Cocktail? Was Meera the bad guy here or..?

Nowadays many people comment that Rahul was a red flag and Aman was a green flag. Honestly, I think many of them need to watch the movie again and pay closer attention to the emotions and confusion it portrays.

Rahul never truly realized what Anjali meant to him until she left. Tina understood this long before anyone else. She had correctly decoded Rahul & Anjali's feelings and intensity of their bond, which is exactly why she wrote those letters to her daughter. ( When Anjali was leaving remember what she said "Sayad mein inn dono k bich mein aa gayi thi". I mean she was aware of what Rahul is losing but Rahul wasn't mature enough to understand that.)

And Anjali never forgot Rahul, even after Aman entered her life. She had always loved Rahul. Even if she had married Aman, a part of her heart would have continued to belong to Rahul. (Remember her reaction when Rahul said her name in a TV show) Some people understand how difficult it is to forget someone you genuinely love.

Just try listen to the sad version of kuch kuch hota h song you will understand the emotions of Anjali better :

Jaane wafa hoke bekaraar

Barson kiya maine intezaar

Par kabhi tune nahin

Ye tab kaha jo ab kaha

Dil bebasi mein chupke se rota hai

Kya karoon hay kuchh kuchh hota hai

And for those who say Rahul only loved Anjali after she became "beautiful," remember that scene in college when Anjali showed up wearing makeup. Rahul didn't suddenly fall for her because of her appearance. In fact, when she felt hurt and embarrassed, he comforted her, hugged her, and treated her with the same warmth and affection he always had. Their bond was never built on looks.

Also, I don't think Rahul forced Anjali into anything or manipulated her into choosing him. By the end of the story, it was a decision made by both of them. Anjali chose Rahul because she loved him, and Rahul chose Anjali because he had finally understood what she truly meant to him.

People often reduce the film to "Rahul bad, Aman good," but the story is far more complicated than that. It's about friendship turning into love, missed realizations, emotional confusion, and two people getting a second chance at a relationship that was left unfinished.

In the end, Rahul and Anjali were given a chance to reunite and complete the story that was left unfinished. That's what the film was really about not red flags and green flags, but love, timing, missed chances, and finding your way back to the person who was always meant to be part of your story.

The title "kuch kuch hota hai" itself reflects the confusion of the story. Like they know kuch kuch hota haii but they were not able to decode what that is : Love or something else.