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Response: Guzaarish, a Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed film, registered an average response at the box office on its debut (some multiplexes have even reported a below average response. To put it in figures, the average occupancy was reportedly around 30%).

But multiplexes in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai saw higher occupancy of around 40%. Though this movie is unlikely to taste the success of Golmaal 3, occupancy at single-screen halls and multiplexes are set to pick up.

Film type: Drama

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapur, Suhel Seth, Shernaz Patel, Nafisa Ali, Monikangana Dutta and Rajit Kapoor

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Time of movie: 2 hours 15 minutes

Story: Ethan Mascaranhas (Hrithik) was a famous magician in Goa, but has been confined to his bed after he became paralysed by an almost fatal accident engineered by his buddy and a fellow magician. He is looked after well by Sophia, his devoted nurse (Aishwarya) and is supported by a few friends – his doctor (Suhel), lawyer friend (Shernaz) and a young man (Aditya Roy Kapur), who comes to learn magic from him. Even after remaining paralysed, Ethan is a radio jockey who advises his fans to live life to their fullest. But ironically, he pleads with the court to grant him permission for euthanasia (mercy killing). The court trashes his plea. So, even after getting married to Sophia, can Ethan find a way to execute his plan?

Review: If your’re just out of the Golmaal 3 show, don’t expect Guzaarish to be another entertainer. This Sanjay Leela Bhansali film falls in a different category altogether. Bollywood has developed the belly to explore some rare illnesses. In Paa, Amitabh Bachchan was a child afflicted with Progeria, in My Name is Khan, Shah Rukh was suffering from something known as Asperger Syndrome and Tare Zamin Par portrays the problems of Dyslexic children. Bhansali also lucidly delves into Paraplegia, paralysis of the lower body.

Aishwarya is graceful like never before. With dignity, she brushes Hrithik Roshan’s teeth, combs his hair, scratches his nose and even baffles Hrithik with an impromptu dance at a restaurant. She is more than a friend lover or even a wife to Ethan.

Hrithik Roshan’s performance has been stunning. Just with the help of expressions, he brings to life the feelings of a quadriplegic seeking a mercy killing. Shernaz Patel and Suhel Seth also play perfect supporting roles. And not to forget the somewhat sweet role played by Aditya.

To sum it up, all we can say is that Guzaarish may not be a box office hit but would definitely be a strong contender for this year’s best film award.

Rating: 3.5/5

Response: Vipul Shah’s Action Replayy has been completely overshadowed by Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal 3. While the Golmaal sequel is believed to have recorded an average of over 70 per cent occupancy, the figure for Akki-starrer Action Replayy was a dismal 30 per cent on the first two days.

So, if Rohit manages to gross Rs 6-7 crore in the opening weekend, it would be commendable if Action Replayy manages even one fifth of the earnings.

Film type: Romance

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai, Om Puri, Kirron Kher, Rannvijay Singh and Aditya Roy Kapoor

Director: Vipul Shah

Time of movie: About two hours

Story: Bunty (played by Aditya Roy Kapoor) is not keen to wed his girlfriend because his mother Mala (Aishwarya) and father (Akshay) are constantly on the war path. On the occasion of their 35th wedding anniversary, when thing go out of control at an impromptu party thrown by Bunty, he travels back in time to set things right. Will Bunty, after with his time travel, make his parents fall in love, so that they have a happy married life?

Review: Action Replayy is on the lines of the 1980s hit Back to the Future by Robert Zememkis where the son (Micheal Fox) had to go back to the past to see his parents get married. Action Replayy is a similar story but Vipul Shah gets the feel of the 1970s right, and brilliantly so. The retro wardrobe is superb. The film seamlessly manages to integrate science fiction with the masala of Indian films.

But the movie falls short on several counts. It is a total mix up so far as the story goes and you really have to tickle yourself to laugh at the insipid humour. Moreover, even the stars – Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar fail to impress. And, the brilliance of Pritam’s music is simply missing. Also, Om Puri and Kirron Kher have little role to play. Well, all we can say is that you can give it a try… just in case it’s your type.

Rating: 2.5/5

Response: A Robot like never before, it can only happen in a Rajnikanth film. Fans in Chennai were so elated about the movie’s release that they queued up from 3 am to get a glimpse of their favourite superstar Rajnikanth at the early morning show of Robot (Endhiran in Tamil).

Robot ran to packed houses at Rakki Cinemas in Chennai at 4 am. The swirling demand saw tickets for the Rajnikanth blockbuster being sold near single-screen theatres for as much as Rs 5,000 black.

Cinema halls have added early morning shows to cater to the mounting demand. In many single-screen theatres, the bookings for the whole week were full for Robot. Even in Mumbai, cinema halls and multiplexes ran to packed houses. Rajnikanth’s fans in Chennai, who say it’s their superstar’s best film, performed aarti and bathed Rajnikanth’s posters with milk before the first show of Robot.

The Chennai trend is likely to be replicated elsewhere and analysts feel Robot could turn out to be the highest grosser among any Indian film. The film is believed to have been made on a budget of Rs 160 crore.

Film type: Action thriller

Cast: Rajnikanth, Aishwarya Rai  and Danny

Director: S Shankar

Time of movie: Nearly three hours

Story: Rajnikanth is Dr Vasi, a scientist who wishes to create a robot that not only takes it master’s orders but also has feeling. He successfully creates Chitti, a human robot who is his look-alike and is obedient to him. Dr Vasi then goes a step further – he teaches the machine to feel. This is when the problem starts. Chitti falls in love with Dr Vasi’s girlfriend (Aishwarya Rai) and becomes his rival in love, owing to a red chip injected by rogue scientist Danny. The film deliberates on whether the original creator is able to tame the robot: a Rajni vs Rajni, isn’t that interesting!

Review: Robot is a typical Rajnikanth film that will not only meet the expectations of his euphoric fans but also film buffs in general. The film not only has a super plot but a litany of special effects, thrilling plot spiced up by the presence of the superstar. Rajnikanth is surely at his best in the film. Robot adds a new dimension to Rajni-style action. It cooks, fights, converses with a mosquito and falls in love. There is more that Rajnikanth fans cannot afford to miss: his moving horizontally on a railway line, firing at people with his fingers and his ability to swallow helicopters. Rajnikanth is truly at his best in Robot!

Rating: 4/5