The Dhurandhar 2 teaser shows shootouts and and explosions, which just means that there's no let up in the violence that Dhurandhar had been criticised for, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The film uses the romcom template, but hampers itself with a plodding pace, flimsy conflicts and an almost absent sense of humour.
Train Dreams refuses to pander to an attention-deficit audience and is not afraid of the silence of emotional depth, observes Deepa Gahlot.
O'Romeo is an ordinary plot about a man's obsession, but Vishal Bhardwaj lays it out like a lavish spread, with stylish and very violent action set pieces, effectively used music (Bhardwaj composes Gulzar's delectable lyrics), and a romance that has moments that are tender as well as bitter, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Panchayat Season 5 is officially confirmed for 2026 on Amazon Prime Video with the beloved cast returning, fresh twists, and new plot developments.
Deepa Gahlot picks 10 must-watch movies about singles and the consciously uncoupled.
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo delivers his best performance yet in The Lincoln Lawyer 4, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
As Assi gets ready for release this week, Deepa Gahlot lists 10 films that deal with rape in different ways.
The visuals in Mayasabha are overwhelming, the treatment is heavy-handed, and the performances overdone, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Deepa Gahlot picks 10 Bollywood horror flicks to mark Friday the 13th.
10 great movie choices for that date night on February 14.
You can watch some of the Oscar nominated films on OTT.
Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos is not supposed to make sense, and doesn't even pretend to, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Talented actresses are still struggling to get challenging parts, but the advantage of OTT is that age or star status are not insurmountable hurdles.
Because it treats soldiers as human, and concentrates on their emotions as much as their bravery, Border 2, probably without meaning to, speaks out against war, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The Night Manager Season 2 is a comfortably paced, tension holding series, with a couple of solid twists, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Since there is no box office pressure on OTT, actors are willing to experiment with roles, as well as open to performing with greater sincerity.
In the year gone by, quite a few of the younger actors flexed their acting muscle. Whether the films were blockbusters or not is immaterial, what matters is the effort put in.
There were quite a few female-led shows in 2025, and actresses got to play some interesting, non-cliched parts.
It is difficult to make conveyor belt and baggage-scanning scenes thrilling -- which is how most people trying to sneak out through the Green Channel are caught -- but Neeraj Pandey and co-director Raghav M Jairath and co-writer Vipul K Rawal make sure there is enough going on to make the series watchable, raves Deepa Gahlot.
2025 had some interesting performances on OTT series and films. Deepa Gahlot picks the Top 10 Male OTT Performances.
Whether Freedom At Midnight 2 has a political agenda, a bias or two will be read into it, depending on the affiliation of who is watching, notes Deepa Gahlot.
In 2025, the top actresses remained absent, the ones who could have commanded strong roles. In any case, great roles for women are not even written in mainstream cinema, but when they get a role worth working for, they did their best.
While some of them were excellent, most were passable. But many were far superior to the theatrical releases.
Ranveer has shown the right instincts in his choice of roles, which he has played with seeming effortlessness, backed with preparation and understanding.
Big films like Dhurandhar, Chhava and Kantara: Chapter 1 hit box office gold in 2025, and its directors, Aditya Dhar, Laxman Utekar and Rishab Shetty, have proved their worth. But many other directors made an impact with their 2025 releases, in various languages.
Saali Mohabbat escalates the hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned theme, and fashions a dark domestic thriller, discovers Deepa Gahlot.
Large chunks of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2 are exhausting and boring, despite the efforts of the likeable cast, with the '80s outfits and big hairstyles that were trendy then, looking earnest and hassled because the fate of the world depends on them, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The Great Shamsuddin Family is a seemingly light chamber piece that hides its claws of social commentary under the chirpy banter of an apartment full of women, observes Deepa Gahlot.
In 2025, OTT series were entertaining enough, even though most were in the crime genre.
By not turning Mrs Deshpande into a monster like the notorious Hannibal Lecter, the show may have reduced the chills. Still, it's an efficiently made crime show, which depends on the stardom of Madhuri Dixit, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Dharmendra got his He Man image with Phool Aur Patthar, which was so strong that he never managed to fully shrug it off.
Christmas Karma narrowly misses being a highway pile up, mainly because its heart is in the right place, believes Deepa Gahlot.
Four More Shots Please 4 seems to have been made to show off trendy outfits because more than the script, attention was paid to the costumes, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Over 25 years, societies evolve and tastes change. Cinema absorbs and reflects this transformation. Picking only 25 films from the first quarter of the century is tough.
On the basis of his rogueish Veeru in Sholay and Parimal in Chupke Chupke, Dharmendra softened his He-Man image and went on to do a series of charming comedies.
In the midst of crime and cop shows all over, a family comedy comes as a relief, notes Deepa Gahlot.
Those who have not watched earlier seasons of Stranger Things would be baffled by it, but then the finale is meant for fans who understand the themes and remember its mythology, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The year had a variety of films to choose from. Not all of them were successful at the box office, but had merit.
In half a century, actors have aged or passed away, the shape of the city has altered, the film industry has changed beyond recognition, most single screens have made way for multiplexes, audiences tastes have changed, rural life is very different now, and inflation has devalued the rupee. But a great film is forever. Deepa Gahlot salutes Sholay, as it re-releases in theatres.
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