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.
Christmas Karma narrowly misses being a highway pile up, mainly because its heart is in the right place, believes 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.
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.
'The war scenes in which Indian soldiers fight fearlessly and the powerful dialogues are meant to make the audience proud of the loyalty and valour of Indian soldiers,' observes Deepa Gahlot.
From the swag displayed in the King teaser, there is no dimming of the klieg light of his superstardom... yet, notes 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.
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.
Thamma is mostly entertaining and not grotesquely horror-inducing, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Some of the most vicious killers are on the loose on streaming channels.
All this time the Great Indian Family was a refuge, when did it become a toxic dump, wonders Deepa Gahlot.
In the midst of crime and cop shows all over, a family comedy comes as a relief, notes Deepa Gahlot.
It's been a while since Hindi cinema had a zany, well-written comedy, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
Dhurandhar may not have the dark realism of a spy story which a web show can manage. But it does not have the flamboyance either, that has come to be associated with espionage movies, 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.
Lord Curzon Ki Haveli lacks the wit and the wickedness to go anywhere with the mildly intriguing setup, observes Deepa Gahlot.
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.
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.
It's good to see Huma Qureshi help create a film which is as charming as it is empowering, without taking on the stridency that so many women-oriented films invariably adopt, notes Deepa Gahlot.
The hope is that the film raises significant issues about the rights of women, and does not become a diatribe against a minority community that has happened with some recent films, points out Deepa Gahlot.
Pankaj Kapur, who visibly enjoys playing the ringmaster to this family circus, is the glue that holds Thode Door Thode Paas together, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The trailer of Jolly LLB 3 shows the two Jollys pitted against each other, which is a very clever idea, because both stars are terrific with comedy, notes Deepa Gahlot.
The power of Santosh hinges on the script, enhanced by Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar's performances, observes Deepa Gahlot.
This Delhi Crime series belongs to Huma Qureshi, who plays Badi Didi as a hateful woman. She also commands some admiration for the way she negotiates with venal men and even some degree of sympathy for making the best of whatever life throws at her, observes Deepa Gahlot.
A glimpse of the film, via the trailer, indicates a sincerity of purpose and the shining of a light into those corners of India that remain dark amidst progress and prosperity, notes Deepa Gahlot.
Dharmendra remained one of the most loved stars of all time, even when his movies tapered off, and age caught up with him.
Silent it may aim to be, but Ufff Yeh Siyapaa is as headache-inducing as an out-of-tune brass band, sigh Deepa Gahlot.
Because the four -- Kajol, Twinkle, Aamir and Salman -- have worked together in the past, their banter has the high spirits of a college reunion, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is one of those mindless fluff kind of date movies, where there is no real conflict, lots of singing and dancing in fancy outfits (as brief as possible for the ladies), observes Deepa Gahlot.
Made at a time when an insidious agenda can be read into it, Haq is an important film that deals with a contentious subject with maturity, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Jugnuma has the unhurried pace of a stroll at dusk through the hills and the quiet delight in coming across jugnus (fireflies) twinkling in the trees, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The comedy is unfunny, the emotional bits are dubious and the music forgettable in Heer Express, observes Deepa Gahlot.
If it wasn't so violent, there would have been a few unintended laughs in Baaghi 4, but this one has not a shred of humour amidst the nonstop mayhem, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Tokyo -- the songs Japan, Love In Tokyo and Sayonara from the 1966 Hindi film automatically pop up in the mind -- is buzzing and crowded like any other metropolis, discovers Deepa Gahlot. The modern apartment blocks are built cheek by jowl, so close together that one can open the window and borrow sugar from the neighbour in the next building. One of the fears of the Indian traveller is the unavailability of vegetarian food. Every city and town in Japan has an array of Indian restaurants that serve every variety of cuisine, right from Gujarati to Punjabi to Andhra and Kerala meals.
The lead pair looks good on screen. But each time they look lovingly into each other's eyes, the viewer's eye wanders over to the gorgeous landscape, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Songs Of Paradise is the story of a female achiever that needed to be told, just as her songs of love and longing deserve to be rediscovered and shared with music aficionados, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ram, Laxmi, stories from the Hindu epics are seen in carvings, paintings and murals, as well as recognisable figures from mythology, like Garuda, Sheshnag, Nandi and Apsaras, notes Deepa Gahlot, savouring the beauty of Cambodia.
Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla are in top form in Jolly LLB 3, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
Aryan Khan has made The Ba***ds of Bollywood entertaining and wicked, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
Unlike the TVF shows that manage to mine humour and nostalgia for family bonds that are seen to be fraying in real life, the ordinariness of Bakaiti becomes its stumbling block, observes Deepa Gahlot.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances