The best films are not necessarily the most successful -- that would be another list altogether -- although sometimes quality and commerce do converge.
Stories of rural India, campus capers, realistic family dramas and urban romance that are no longer picked up by film-makers, find their way to the Web, and the viewing experience is richer for the variety available.
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.
Every lead character is nuts in Psycho Saiyaan, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The last scene in Hamnet will be seared in movie memory, notes Deepa Gahlot.
The film uses the romcom template, but hampers itself with a plodding pace, flimsy conflicts and an almost absent sense of humour.
Panchayat Season 5 is officially confirmed for 2026 on Amazon Prime Video with the beloved cast returning, fresh twists, and new plot developments.
Though it revisits a terrifying period of Brazilian history, The Secret Agent just skims over the surface of the darkness, not losing its pace, colour, music and a sense of optimism, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Train Dreams refuses to pander to an attention-deficit audience and is not afraid of the silence of emotional depth, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The visitor returns not just with the jewel-like beauty of the country imprinted on the mind, the body rejuvenated by hot stone massages, but also with the captivating stories and myths that are built into every important structure -- whether a tourist magnet or an off-the-beaten track spot.
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.
The visuals in Mayasabha are overwhelming, the treatment is heavy-handed, and the performances overdone, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo delivers his best performance yet in The Lincoln Lawyer 4, applauds 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.
Deepa Gahlot picks 10 must-watch movies about singles and the consciously uncoupled.
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.
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.
There were quite a few female-led shows in 2025, and actresses got to play some interesting, non-cliched parts.
Deepa Gahlot picks 10 Bollywood horror flicks to mark Friday the 13th.
Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos is not supposed to make sense, and doesn't even pretend to, observes Deepa Gahlot.
As Assi gets ready for release this week, Deepa Gahlot lists 10 films that deal with rape in different ways.
The Night Manager Season 2 is a comfortably paced, tension holding series, with a couple of solid twists, observes Deepa Gahlot.
10 great movie choices for that date night on February 14.
2025 had some interesting performances on OTT series and films. Deepa Gahlot picks the Top 10 Male OTT Performances.
You can watch some of the Oscar nominated films on OTT.
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.
Sean Baker's indie film, Anora, hits a streaming channel soon after the Oscar triumph. For the cinema aficionado, gems of world cinema are available on OTT-- some free, some to rent or buy-- it just needs an eye out for films worth watching, and the patience to search across platforms. A pick of 10 recent films that currently streaming.
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.
Saali Mohabbat escalates the hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned theme, and fashions a dark domestic thriller, discovers 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you're staying home this Valentine's Day weekend, and need a good movie to watch with your date, Deepa Gahlot gives you many options to choose from.
In 2025, OTT series were entertaining enough, even though most were in the crime genre.
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