Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012)

Not a sequel to the similarly titled Talaash: The Hunt Begins... (2003), The Answer Lies Within is a search for a different truth. Namely, why popular film star Armaan Kapoor (Vivan Bhatena) was seen speeding in a car through a shady part of town, before veering off the road and into the ocean depths.
Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan), a man with a crippling tragedy in his past, leads the case. The tone of the film reflects Surjan's feelings mostly, with moody lighting and music to match. The investigation becomes two-tiered, professional and personal, affecting the inspector's life and that of his wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji), who deals with the past in her own way.
One crappy train station scene aside, I feel that Dir. Reema Kagti respected both the psychological and unnatural threads of the story equally.

4 white petals out of 5

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

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

Bollywood Temptation 2004 Live Concert (2006)

Half a dozen of Bollywood's biggest stars act out dance routines on a stage in Westfalenhalle Dortmund (Germany) while miming to other people’s songs. Yes, that’s similar to what happens in films, but for some reason I don't feel cheated there. Do I call it a concert or is it musical theatre?
I would comment further on the legitimacy of Temptation 2004 if the actual film wasn't so unbearable. The audience are so damn loud; their screeching is painful to the ear. It’s like Beatlemania. The only let-up is during the backstage sections.
In short, it's a potentially enjoyable façade ruined by a paying audience who could've stayed at home and screamed for free.

1 high-pitched housewife out of 5

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007)

The eldest daughter of a poor family with no sons goes to the City to earn money the only way she can. There's tears, romance and songs.
A secondary story that seems forced fills time after the intermission, but by the end the two threads come nicely together as one.
My major gripe with the drama was that we’re supposed to believe the well-dressed family at the heart of it is close to poverty. The reality of poverty in India is a lot less rosy than that. It made me less sympathetic to everything that followed. It was interesting seeing a woman fill the traditional male role, but it’s predictable and drags its heels for a long time.

2½ blue skies 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

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

There’s a hugely enjoyable and impassioned story in Kal Ho Naa Ho, about three people who affect each other's lives in meaningful ways, but it takes approx 80 minutes to be effective and that’s just too damn long.
Prior to that it’s a face-palming bad rom-com with paint by numbers acting and possibly the worst song and dance numbers I've ever sat through. I’m deducting points for all of that.
If you do stick around until after the intermission, the change is staggering. SRK and PZ decide it’s time to actually do some acting, while the director takes off the blindfold and delivers some truly unforgettable scenes.

3 beats skipped out of 5