Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)

KKKG is about family. It explores a mother's love, unconditional and all-encompassing, and a father's love, which is tied-up with notions of tradition and approbation. The beginning lays the groundwork, showing where some of the main characters are in their life, before jumping back ten years to explain how a situation that seemed full of promise got turned around.
In addition to the parental side of things, it's about brothers, lovers, and acceptance. It could've been amazing - the assembled cast certainly qualify as such, and the soundtrack is also pretty damn good - but too many unwise decisions with regards characterisation sour the resultant milk.
The scenes designed to pack an emotional wallop hit home for the most part, but the ending didn't work for me; it felt a little too by-the-numbers.

3 elder paths out of 5

Khakee (2004)

A politically-charged Bollywood drama in which five Mumbai police officers, led by India's finest Bachchan, travel to Maharashtra to ensure that a well-known terrorist (Atul Kulkarni) is safely brought to trial, but an additional, intelligent threat (Ajay Devgan) violently attempts to derail the process.
The comedy scenes aren't much good, the action is rarely smooth, and the small number of songs feel forced, but there's enough quality drama stitching it all together to ensure that the whole is better than the sum of its parts.
This one's about the men, meaning Aishwarya doesn't get to do very much.

3½ accusations out of 5

Kaante (2002)

A set in L.A. Hindi language rip-off of The Usual Suspects (1995), Heat (1995) and Reservoir Dogs (1992), mostly in that order.
Bachchan gets to play the best roles in each case, which is fitting. Also, the only worthwhile subplot outside of the core 'six men' scenario is given to him; it's as brief as the others but has some actual resonance outside of itself.
The addition of a club dancer (Malaika Arora) to the production is superfluous to the stitched together plots. In fact, ninety percent of the US pop video-esque dance scenes could be cut in their entirety and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference, they're there solely to add sex appeal.
I'm forced to score it well because the truth is it does a good job, all things considered, but there's no overlooking that HUGE plot error.

3 watch parts out of 5

Veer-Zaara (2004)

From its poetic beginnings to its powerful ending the film tells of how a Hindustani prisoner came to be in a Pakistani jail and why he remains there for a very long time. To an onlooker his spirit may appear to have retreated, but deep down his heart is steadfast, strengthened by memories of a love that brings an unseen colour to the gray surroundings.
Each of the three main characters (the prisoner, the woman he loves, and the lawyer) carries a duty that's bigger than any single person can comfortably shoulder. The balance by which each one is measured against the other is well-maintained, enabling a situation whereby a victory for one can potentially be a victory for all, including the viewer.

4½ borders of the heart out of 5

Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin (2002)

A ‘comedy’ about a Mumbai gangster, a generous doctor, a beautiful dance teacher and some other guy that likes to make prank phone calls that aren't funny in the slightest. Sanjay Dutt was entertaining and the film enabled Amitabh Bachchan to be less serious than he's often asked to be, but the plot dragged its heels once the central gag wore thin.
There was no dancing in the rain. I felt cheated. That’s like a Hollywood action movie without a car chase, or a French movie without tits.

2 pink turbans out of 5

Bhoothnath (2008)

An adaptation of Oscar Wilde's story, The Canterville Ghost, transposed to a ‘bungalow’ in Goa. It’ll keep the kids happy with its light-hearted humour and simplistic ideals that offer nothing Hollywood couldn't do just as badly.
Throwing in some dancers in fishnets seemed like a desperate attempt to keep the dads happy, but the film turns things around in the last third. The story shifts from the kid’s concerns to the adults', the emotional content hits the roof, and Amitabh Bachchan finally gets something real to do.

2½ leaves leave out of 5

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

It seems to be that the further away from India Bollywood movies are set, the less I enjoy them. KANK is set in New York. Two marriages, in which both couples married for love, not through arrangement, begin to break down. The plot follows a path that can be seen from a mile away, but it deals with some themes that I’d not seen handled that way before and it deals with them in a mature manner. A lot of the comedy was hit and miss, though, but that wasn't why I was there, so it was forgiveable. I was there because of the cast, all of whom got their moment to shine.

3 uninvited circumstances out of 5

Mohabbatein (2000)

Three male students, three women (one for each guy), one hard-nosed school principal determined to keep his kind of order no matter what and Shah Rukh Khan being awesome. Wow! It's a hell of a good film that many people will overlook because its running time is more than twice that of a typical English language movie. It promises ‘Mohabbatein’ and that’s exactly what it delivers.
If I'd been viewing it in a theatre I’d have given it a standing ovation. But I was at home, so I grabbed a tissue instead and dried my appreciative eyes.

5 personification storms out of 5