Ultimately, Aakhri Sawal serves as an accessible entry point for viewers less familiar with these debates and the 100-year journey of a major ideological force in modern India. Its ensemble cast, led by Dutt’s impactful turn and Chakraborty’s committed intensity, ensures it remains watchable. With tighter pacing, more restrained scoring, and less caricatured portrayals, it could have sparked richer post-screening conversations. As it stands, the film’s soul – the call for Samvaad amid Vivaad – shines through in flashes but gets somewhat lost in dramatic amplification. It is a film of earnest ambition that partially succeeds in illuminating hidden aspects of national discourse while revealing the challenges of balancing legacy, controversy, and cinematic engagement.
Directed by Anubhuti Kashyap and backed by Dharmatic Entertainments, Accused builds patiently and sets up its moral questions well, but its biggest weakness lies in the payoff. The second half promises a deeper psychological dive, yet resolves too abruptly, without the emotional or narrative impact the setup demands. It feels like a slow climb that forgets to deliver a satisfying descent. For viewers looking for a fresh take on workplace thrillers, Accused offers a new perspective, if not a new destination. It’s thoughtfully written, decently acted in parts, and rooted in relevant themes, but for seasoned thriller fans, it may feel like a familiar story told with slightly dulled edges. Not a misfire, but not quite the knockout it wants to be either.
Babita Singh Reporting eventually leaves you angry and uncomfortable, making you question the people around Babita and, occasionally, even the society that has taught her to question herself. But it doesn't quite haunt you; and for a film with this much to say, that is perhaps its biggest missed opportunity.
What Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! Fun on the Run does right is keep things simple. Expanding a sitcom into a feature film is tricky, but the makers manage to preserve the essence without overstretching the premise. That said, this is not a film that necessarily demands a big-screen experience. There is nothing particularly cinematic about it, and it would work just as comfortably on television. Still, as a breezy, no-pressure comedy meant purely for laughs, it does its job. If you are in the mood to switch off, recognise familiar faces and chuckle at familiar jokes, this film delivers exactly that — nothing more, nothing less.
While Chiraiya is powerful in intent, it does feel stretched. What could have been a tighter, more gripping narrative ends up looping in parts, revisiting the same emotional beats. While this may reflect the slow, exhausting reality of such struggles, cinematically, it dilutes the impact and could have benefited from sharper editing. Performance-wise, the cast largely delivers. Divya Dutta stands out as Kamlesh, portraying the journey of a woman conditioned by years of internalised patriarchy who slowly begins to unlearn and evolve. Her arc is subtle but powerful. Prasanna brings a raw vulnerability to Pooja, making you feel every bit of her trauma as you see her spirit gradually dimming under the weight of her circumstances.
The music is quite forgettable, though visually, the film is pleasing to look at. The hills of Shimla bring softness and serenity to the otherwise chaotic family drama. Overall, Daadi Ki Shaadi has a few genuinely funny moments and heartfelt emotions, but it ultimately becomes a drag because it cannot decide what it truly wants to say. In trying to become a social commentary on modern families, the film overloads itself with messaging, and somewhere in all that noise, its emotional core gets lost.
That said, Drishyam 3 is not a bad film. It goes for the low-hanging fruit and relies on one certainty: Mohanlal's Georgekutty will always be one step ahead of the cops. And Mohanlal's brilliant performance, despite the script's shortcomings, keeps us glued to the screen for two hours and 39 minutes. His wife, played by Meena, and daughters, played by Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil, get roles that require them to simply agree with what Georgekutty says. Esther Anil has several dialogues that bring in some welcome comic relief.
The film, directed by Rajat Kapoor, has a strong premise with the ingredients of a classic whodunnit: a closed setting, complex character dynamics, and a murder disrupting a celebratory evening. Yet, the execution does not fully live up to this potential. The problem is the film seems more interested in the cracks than the murder itself. That's not entirely a bad thing. The best parts of the film are the quieter, messier moments, the awkward party chatter, the passive-aggressive digs, a game of Dumb Charades that somehow carries more tension than the actual investigation. Kapoor understands how people behave around each other when they'd rather not be in the same room, and that instinct works in the film’s favour in patches.
G.D.N. encapsulates all this and more. But it recounts one event after another, almost like checking off milestones, instead of weaving them into a cohesive narrative. In fact, G.D.N. often feels like a Wikipedia page stretched into a feature-length screenplay.
