Raja Shivaji sets the mood instantly. From the very start, Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh shows the villains as backstabbers and inhumane. Hence, viewers immediately feel a lot of anger towards them and would root for their downfall. Watching the film is like going through your school history textbook. Several events we have studied come alive on screen. A few scenes are massy and emotional and will be greeted with claps and whistles. The intermission point is dramatic, while the climax is the best part of the enterprise. On the flipside, this 195-minute-long film should have been shorter by at least 15 minutes. The interest dips in the middle portions of both first as well as second half. Moreover, the VFX is tacky in some scenes and the action could have been a bit more realistic. Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh gives his 100% to the role. However, despite his best efforts, he falls short to some extent when compared to other portrayals of Shivaji Maharaj by actors like Sharad Kelkar, Chinmay Mandlekar and Mahesh Manjrekar. Sanjay Dutt is aptly cast as the villain. Abhishek A Bachchan delivers his massiest performance in a long time. Genelia Deshmukh and Bhagyashree get into the skin of their characters and contribute immensely. Vidya Balan is quite arresting, while Amole Gupte raises laughs in a crucial scene. Fardeen Khan is horribly wasted. Sachin Khedekar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Boman Irani, and Jitendra Joshi (Pant Gopinaath Bokil) do well in small roles. Salman Khan (Jiva Mahala) is superb in a cameo. All in all, Raja Shivaji is worth watching for its mass-appealing scenes, climax and of course, its ode to a great warrior.

My rating - *** out of 5!

Ek Din tells a sweet and rather complicated story. However, director Sunil Pandey handles it with simplicity, ensuring viewers don't get confused. The circumstances under which the protagonists spend 'Ek Din' together during the snowfall season in Japan make for a lovely watch. The songs complement the proceedings. Both characters are very relatable and will be appreciated by viewers. However, some developments are difficult to digest, especially the whole memory angle. This happens mainly in the second half. In this part of the film, a few scenes are unintentionally funny as well. Moreover, revealing most of the story in the film's second trailer was a very bad move. I wonder why someone like Aamir Khan, known for perfectionism, would do that. Junaid Khan seems much better in control here than in Loveyapa and proves yet again, after Maharaj, that he's a worthy actor. Sai Pallavi makes a smashing debut in Bollywood and, as expected, is terrific to say the least. Kunal Kapoor, Jenifer Emmanuel (Ritu), Samta Sagar (Dino's mother) and Kavin Dave (Sam) do well in small roles. Reshma Shetty is fine; however, her Gujarati accent seems forced. All in all, despite the minuses, Ek Din makes for a nice, comforting watch (P.S.: Do NOT check out Trailer 2 of the film as it gives away important plot points).

My rating - *** out of 5!

TRADE, INDUSTRY AND VIEWERS GEAR UP FOR A HEAVILY CROWDED WEEKEND

It’s an extremely heavily crowded week as a significant film is releasing in nearly every film industry of the country. Hence, it became a challenge for the exhibitors to program and schedule releases.

The biggest film in the Northern market is Raja Shivaji. It stars Riteish Deshmukh as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj; he's also the director and one of the producers. The other actors in the film are Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan, Bhagyashree, Sachin Khedekar, Amole Gupte, Mahesh Manjrekar and others. It’ll have a release in both Hindi and Marathi.

The Marathi version is all set for a flying start in Maharashtra. It’ll be the biggest opener in the home state and could go beyond Rs. 10 crores if all goes well. However, in Hindi, the excitement is limited and hence, it’ll open at around Rs. 5 crores. Hence, the total opening in both languages will be very high.

Ek Din stars Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi and is produced by Aamir Khan. The songs of the film have caught attention, while the trailer promises a sweet love story.

However, the buzz is very limited. Viewers will mostly opt for wait-and-watch, that is, they’ll wait for initial response to trickle in and then decide on whether they’d want to watch it. Also, it appeals to audiences in metros and this segment is more keen on watching The Devil Wears Prada 2. Ek Din will open around Rs. 50-75 lakhs, with an outside chance of hitting Rs. 1 crore mark. Ideally, Ek Din should have been released last week, when the competition was limited.

As for The Devil Wears Prada 2, it has sprung a surprise. The first part was released 20 years ago, but it seems like not just the OG fans but even the younger population has consumed and loved it. The Devil Wears Prada 2 had paid previews from 7:00 pm on April 30, and the response has been superb. At the rate at which its going, the paid previews and first day collection would be around Rs. 7 crores.

The other major releases this week are Patriot in Malayalam and KD - The Devil in Kannada.

Meanwhile, Michael continues to remain strong while Bhooth Bangla also did great in its first two weeks, earning around Rs. 117 crores. Both these films will have to make do with fewer shows. However, they’ll surely find some audience and it would further add to their earnings.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 organically takes the story forward 20 years after the events of the first part. After a lovely introduction, the interest dips a bit in the middle of the first half. One wonders where the film is heading and whether it’ll be a worthy sequel. Also, things happen rather conveniently in the third act. On the positive side, this is a film of today and one will be able to relate to the goings-on, especially the sharp take on the present-day realities of journalism. The humour and ode to fashion are on point while this time, a couple of scenes will make viewers teary-eyed too. Meryl Streep is outstanding, as expected. This time, her devilish behaviour has slightly changed, an aspect the seasoned performer beautifully brings to the fore. Anne Hathaway's presence and performance are arresting and she proves yet again why she's one of the finest actresses we have today. Emily Blunt displays the required bossy attitude with panache. Stanley Tucci is adorable. Lucy Liu (Sasha Barnes), Justin Theroux (Benji Barnes), Patrick Brammall (Peter, Andy’s love interest), Tibor Feldman (Irv Ritviz) and Tracie Thoms (Lily, Andy’s friend) do well in supporting parts. B J Novak (Jay Ravitz) is okay and is let down a bit by the writing. All in all, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a justified sequel and worth watching, especially for the fans of the first part.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!