balyan-rahul

Highly entertaining, and has many layers to the story. There is a spiritual depth to it, and the visualization of eastern mysticism is extraordinary. It has just the right amount of humour and cynicism to make it palatable to the uninitiated without losing the core message.

The weakest link is the forced fitment of the other marvel heroes. Even though it is a small integration, it takes away from the core story-line. It felt like the film makers were themselves taken over by the dark side giving-in to their fears and greed, not something Dr strange would recommend himself.

Barring that, go for it... two thumbs up.

Go watch the film. Pardon the makers for the bit of confusion in the 2nd half, but it is worth the time you give this film. It is uplifting, fun, charming, a bit absurd in parts, sad, heartbreaking - all of what makes us human, and it celebrates life in all its shades. You might come back with enough wisdom from the dog to sort some of your own personal issues.

This is not a slapstick, there are no heroes here, and there are no villains... just one big voyage of life where the story unfolds - the slice of life. The acting is top notch by all. Ranbir is amazing as always. Anil kapoor probably gives his best performance of his life i think - or at least one of the few performance of his i have ever liked.

Grab a bucket of pop-corns and switch out into the world that Zoya Akhtar has created - two thumbs up.

I am coming late to this film – after it got 8 Oscar nominations (with all 4 acting category nominations), and after a 22 year old Jennifer Lawrence winning the best actress award. I found it to be heart-warming story which approaches love and life with disarming honesty and directness.

The setup is unconventional – a guy chasing his illusion of love in a confused state of mind, and a woman struggling to overcome her sexual addiction while surrounded by men who are preying on her weakness. They both are trying to come to grips with their lives while living with imperfect families, imperfect friends, having imperfect relationships – and soon one forgets who has the mental disorder here. The film doesn't try hard to fit any particular genre; it is more serious than a rom-com or a chick-flick, but does not make heavy weather of the struggles of its characters battling their mental illness. The soundtrack really stands out and lifts many key moments to the music ranging from from Led Zepplin, to Bob Dylan, to Stevie Wonder.

The acting by Jennifer Lawrence is deserving of the Oscar and her skills are far ahead of her young age. I was a bit disappointed by Robet De Niro, he seems to have lost the edge totally and is falling back on the sort of roles he has done in the past. Anupam Kher plays a convincing part and its great to see him get his due for his talent.

In a boringly sane world, a bit of madness is something to celebrate. Must watch – 8.5/10 (from www.rahulbalyan.com )