Acceptance of well scripted and unexplored genres from low to medium budget movies and back to back rejection of ‘super star ‘ movies at the box office marks 2018 as the year of ‘evolution’ in Cinema.

Here are the 10 movies of 2018 that make it to the ‘paisa wasool’ list.

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A rebellious army of so called ‘thugs’ fighting against the East India Company with a mission to take revenge for their destroyed monarchy years ago. The story begins with a dumb to death backstory of this single objective of the ‘Thugs’. These group of interestingly dressed warriors, is led by a  guardian, Khudabaksh (Amitabh Bachchan) and his ally, a former princess Zafira (Sana Shaikh).

What follows thereafter is a tedious narrative  so predictable that not a single drop of water gets you by surprise.

The only person having a ball in this 2 hour 45 mins hour long stretch is Firangi Mallah (Aamir Khan) himself.  Placed at the center of attention but not entertainment , Khan’s energy is straight out of AAA. His eye rolling can make a non die hard fan almost dizzy. Everyone else is misplaced in this saga, picked up from their own original pieces and put awkwardly together. Katrina for one is in her Chameli and Sheila hangover but punished with some unfitting music and dance moves(let’s call them that). Try as you may to approve of all this in the name of her drop dead gorgeousness but nah! Watching a 76 year old Amitabh fence swords is a quite a sight, sadly even that doesn’t land the punch it is expected to. Fatima’s role is missed in a blink.

The music and choreography is bizzare to say the least. The action sequences, the CGI, dialogues, twists, nothing is worth your buck.  Ambitious big-ticket entertainer but dull as a dishwater, yes we feel truly thugged!

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Gripping pace, gritty visuals and graded background score. All this unveiling the stories of two men in parallel timelines, intertwined in the undercurrents of Mumbai’s dark corners.

The opening scene is a disclaimer of the brazen recital that is to follow. The first few minutes set the premise for the best use of a censor free medium. You now know this is for the brave-hearted content hungry audience all set to binge.

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The last time we saw Ranbir Kapoor (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) he was still in his never-ending phase of playing Man-child roles and lip-synching heartbreak songs that top lists. His talent remains unquestionable despite his choices. So when Rajkumar Hirani announced a biopic of his most favourite actor with RK, it was the best of both worlds. The first look of Sanju had the fans, critics, and media going berserk with praises.

The three men of Sanju are outstanding – Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Paresh Rawal. If it was called a father-son drama or a friendship story, it would be fine. But here’s what has led to my disappointment.

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For all Madhuri fans, we need no review, the trailer had us excited enough to head straight to the theatres. For others, here is some reassurance, Madhuri’s comeback and Marathi debut is apt. Warm, feel good, a family drama with enough doses of that charming smile.

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