Koyla (1997)

SRK plays a mute slave that doubles as a kind of loyal pet to a powerful, jealous and oft-times cruel King, not unlike the kind of antagonist ruler you find in fairy-tales. There are a few other fantastical elements that bring that same storytelling device to mind, but a number of other genres taking turns fighting it for dominance means it never takes a complete hold. Watching Koyla is like watching half a dozen different films all at once.
When it turns into an action movie there's some very nifty helicopter work, and a ton of First Blood (1982) moments that were ludicrous but just what I needed to take my mind off real life. It's a prime example of the magical coin that has 'ridiculous' on one side and 'amazing' on the other and when flipped lands on its edge every time. The coin buys escapism.

3½ burning coals out of 5

Devdas (2002)

Devdas is a man hopelessly lost in the grip of love, both in the favourable aspects of it and the unfavourable ones. He's torn between a childhood love and a courtesan while trying to hold onto his own sense of right and wrong and obey the familial concerns that India places on its sons.
It’s an explosion of theatrical colour and emotion that left me wondering why anyone other than India bothers making tragic love stories. They will never come close to the Bollywood bar.
Seek out the full 184 minute version if you can. That ending!

5 chalices overflowing with metaphor out of 5

Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)

The usual fare: love triangle, heartache, comedy, fifty people dancing in perfect unison in the rain, and Shah Rukh Khan putting the rest of the male population to shame with his awesomeness.
My only problem with this one is that it features a woman so perfect she can’t ever exist in reality; it’s too much of a fairytale to be believable, too floaty and dreamy to settle heavily into my heart.
During the occasional moments when it did manage to hit home it felt like an undiscovered Shakespearean romance. Less Disney Princess and more real drama would have made it three hours of greatness.

3 la la la la laahs out of 5