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What Highway is all about?
Imtiaz Ali’s Highway, is about finding those birds, so to speak. It’s about the virtue of wildness and the hypocrisy of civilized society, about breaking free and rewriting the rules. Veera Tripathi (Alia Bhatt) is a rich, cossetted bride-to-be. And Mahabir Bhatti (Randeep Hooda) is a criminalised, uncouth truck driver. This unlikely couple is thrown together, first reluctantly then companionably, for days at a stretch, as they rattle down the highway. They progress from fear to dislike to like to a kind of love, but it’s more a meander, and believability is a casualty.

What’s good in the Movie?

Veera and Mahabir, played by Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda are strong and sound characters, both with an intense background story.

Imtiaz Ali also manages to address the issue of rape of minors by their own family members without it sounding preachy or overpowering the entire essence of the film. The music by A. R. Rahman compliments the movie well without being invasive as is the case with many Bollywood movies.

To summarize, Highway is an unorthodox spin on a story we’ve all heard before. Watch it for:

1. Great performances by both the actors
2. Visual treats from Rajasthan to Punjab to Kashmir
3. The virtue of not being a run- of- the- mill romantic movie

My Verdict and Rating of Highway

Highway is a really good movie that you must watch in theaters. I am giving Highway 7 out of 10 for its balanced plot.

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What Andhadhun is all about?
Akash (Ayushmann) is a Pune-based, visually-challenged pianist whose only dream is to fly to London and hone his music skills further. He’s ready to experiment with anything so that he can achieve his goal. However, he gets caught in a web and actually ‘witnesses’ a crime. In his attempt to leave the mess behind, he makes an escape bid. But it is not easy. Especially, because the restaurant owner’s daughter, Sophie (Radhika; Akash plays music at her father’s restaurant), is romantically drawn to him. Then, there is Simi (Tabu), the femme fatale wife of an ex-superstar Pramod Sinha (Anil Dhawan), who also has him ensnared in her net. Will the blind pianist make his way out or will he fail?

What’s good in the Movie?
AndhaDhun has so many twists that it would be almost impossible to say too much here without giving away the spoilers. So, suffice it to say, the film packs in enough mystery and thriller tone from the start. A hunter chasing a partially-blind rabbit through a forest is used as a metaphor for a visually-impaired man who is scampering around blindly. By now we all know Ayushmann Khurrana, is a blind man and his passion is to be a better pianist. The ray of sunshine with one liners of perfect timing is Radhika Apte. The surprise element is Tabu as a sensual, wannabe actress married to a star. The crimes have been planned and plotted well. Shot with no faults and scenes flow from one to next beautiful scene leaving you literally gasping. You go in and out of shots seeing what the blind man can’t see but knowing the actor is acting and yet wonder at the poker face. You are constantly breaking out in a sweat or laughing.

My Verdict and Rating of Andhadhun

AndhaDhun is a really good movie that you must watch in theaters. If you have grown up reading mystery/crime novels, don’t miss AndhaDhun. You will simply love it.

I am giving AndhaDhun 9 out of 10 for its wonderfully executed plot and an impressive climax.

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What Bala is all about?

Set in Kanpur and Lucknow, the film tells the story of Balmukund Shukla aka Bala who is facing an identity crisis (in his own words). Bala has become bald at a young age that has dented his confidence. He is not ready to accept this truth and blames it on his father and genes. Fortunately for him, a model (Tiktok sensation of Lucknow) falls in love with him. But for her, looks are everything especially hair. Oblivious to his baldness, Pari proposes for marriage. Will Bala tell her his secret or he will cheat on her? This forms the crux of Bala’s plot. Other than baldness the movie also portrays the issue of color bias in our country especially in the case of girls. Overall, it’s a great movie that honestly shows the ugly and very true side of body shaming in Indian society.

What’s good in the Movie?

Well, I loved the way all the characters have developed during the movie. Amar Kaushik has done full justice in portraying the deep-rooted mentality of body-shaming in India. The premise is very authentic and gives you a real feel of Kanpuri culture. All the nitty-gritty’s have been taken care of by the production team as well as artists. No character feels superficial. All of them have gravity and depth. I would like to specially mention a scene where Pari realizes that her husband is bald, that piece of expressions on her face is priceless. It’s painful at the same time hilarious. Hats off to Yami Gautam for pulling it off wonderfully. Many other notable scenes will make you burst out with laughter throughout the film.Last but not least, Bala effectively puts across the social message. The monologue at the end by Balmukund is impressive, practical, and heartwarming. I am also impressed by the fact that Amar Kaushik has effectively portrayed the color bias issue too in this film through the character of Latika. At no point, you feel that the two issues are going in opposite directions. However, they go with the flow of the movie and  get their due.

My Verdict and Rating of Bala

Bala is a really good movie that you must watch in theaters. It’s a movie that you can watch more than once and enjoy every bit of it like it is the first time.

I am giving Bala 9 out of 10 for its wonderfully executed plot and an impressive climax, Bala’s excellence lies in having layered characters, excellent performances, and never-ending subtle humor.