Guild Reviews
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Romance, Comedy, Drama (English)
Bridget Jones finally has some luck in her life; she has a great job as a screenwriter, her family and a new boyfriend; the fact that he's over twenty years her junior isn't the only thing causing problems.
Cast:
Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent
Director:
Michael Morris
Writer:
Dan Mazer
A satisfying farewell
Sat, February 15 2025
Author Helen Fielding’s first novel about a single, thirty-something woman living in London was released in 1996. The novel was adapted into a movie in 2001, with the heroine of Bridget Jones’s Diary returning in a movie sequel titled Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2004. American actress Renée Zellweger has starred as Bridget Jones in all four films based on Fielding’s writing, which, in part, is the writer’s homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It’s no coincidence that Bridget’s love interest is called Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, who famously portrayed Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy in the 1995 TV adaptation of Austen’s novel. The latest, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, is the fourth film (the last was Bridget Jones’s Baby, from 2016) about the life and loves of Bridget Jones. Michael Morris directs a screenplay by Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan. The film explores themes of loss, resilience, and self-discovery while still delivering the trademark awkwardness and comedic situations that have defined Bridget’s character.
Its Silly, Goofy And Builds On Old Movies
Sat, February 15 2025
Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy explores a new chapter in the life of Bridget Jones after the death of Mark Dary. The film doesn’t do well for Renee Zellweger’s character as it continues to progressively not age throughout the series. However, the second half of the film focuses on a typical rom-com setting which works well for the film. It also brings more closure to all subplots and concerns that Bridget and her kids have. The film is as goofy and silly as earlier films in the series were and it is the nostalgia and emotional closure for the audience that keeps the film engaging. The film begins with Bridget going to visit Mark’s friends on his death anniversary. When he thinks about bailing her son reminds her, that it is the one day she leaves the house. At the party, it becomes obvious that even four years after his death she has not been able to move on, nor does she plan to do it. However, her friends demand that she return to work to be able to live a normal, healthy life. After recalling her father’s last wish that ‘she lives and not just survives after the death of her husband’, Bridget begins to take an interest in returning to work.
Invincible S03
Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Drama (English)
Mark Grayson is a normal teenager except for the fact that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet. Shortly after his seventeenth birthday, Mark begins to develop powers of his own and enters into his father’s tutelage.
Cast:
Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons
This Superhero Show Doesn't Slow Down, Makes Big Promises For S4
Sat, February 15 2025
Invincible has been a fan-favourite show for years, and season 3 continues on the same track. Despite its popularity, the animated series still seems underrated as it brings a blend of gory but easy superhero genres. The makers struggle to balance the big picture and the street-level subplots, but season 3 ends on a powerful note. Steven Yeun’s voice acting keeps the tension rising throughout the 8-episode season and is expected to get more intense with the next one. The season begins in the middle of Mark’s aka Invincibles’ character development, while for season 2 he struggled with his identity as a hero, the crisis remains in the forefront. After his fight with Amstrong, Mark is more worried about his own mentality and if he is turning into his father, but he keeps up his training with Cecil for months in prep for any Viltrumite attacks. Meanwhile, his responsibility towards his younger brother is keeping him moving forward. He continues to avoid Eve but eventually gives in and confesses his feelings for her.
Dhoom Dhaam
Comedy, Romance, Action (Hindi)
On their wedding night, an oddball couple is thrust into a chaotic chase, dodging goons and cops in a frenzied hunt for the mysterious "Charlie."
Cast:
Yami Gautam, Pratik Gandhi, Eijaz Khan, Mukul Chadda, Pavitra Sarkar
Director:
Rishab Seth
Writer:
Aditya Dhar
Pratik Gandhi, Yami Gautam's Chemistry Is Least Of Their Problems
Sat, February 15 2025
Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi-led film is a Valentine’s Day special release for Netflix. The film directed by Rishab Seth also borderlines on the love connection of a newly married couple. The two only begin to find out about each other after their wedding night is interrupted by goons. The thriller comedy focuses more on the latter in the second half and the performances also shine the best then. It also stars Pavitra Sarkar, Eijaz Khan in pivotal roles which adds most of the fun element in the film and would have been beneficial if also used in the first half. The film begins with Veer and Koyal meeting each other for the first time with their parents. While Koyal’s mother is bragging about her skills and how sanskari she is, Veer’s mother is bragging about how he is the protector and can provide for anything. Neither of the two seems to have any issues with each other and the family agree on their union but is informed that the wedding has to take place in two weeks or they won’t be able to get married for two years. As the festivities begin the two get to know each other a little bit through social media and even less through phone calls.
Despite these shortcomings, Dhoom Dhaam offers a mildly diverting experience, primarily due to the performances of its lead actors.
Sat, February 15 2025
Punches and punchlines fly around in Dhoom Dhaam, but very little sticks.
Sat, February 15 2025
An extroverted heroine with an inclination to cuss with abandon and the ability to talk nineteen (hundred) to the dozen. A docile hero, the exact opposite of her. And the pair caught up in chaos during the course of one night. This could well be the first hour of Jab We Met. But the dark and quiet galiyaan of Ratlam have given way to the cacophonic roads of Mumbai. The pair here — unlike Geet and Aditya in Imtiaz Ali’s romantic comedy for the ages — are married. This is Dhoom Dhaam. The title is a smart play on the festivities associated with a wedding. After all, ‘dhoom dhoom se shaadi karenge’ is as old as Bollywood itself. But in Dhoom Dhoom, now playing on Netflix, ‘dhoom dhaam’ alludes to the fireworks that follow. What can be more deadly than marriage? Well, a bride and groom on the run on their wedding night, pursued by a gang of goons who are convinced that the newly-married couple are in possession of a key piece of incriminating evidence. Except that they aren’t.
Kadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai
Drama, Romance, Family (Tamil)
Samyuktha, a passionate Kathak dancer, shares a deep bond with her mother, Lakshmi—a renowned motivational speaker and documentary filmmaker. Their progressive relationship is tested when Samyuktha reveals her love for another woman. While Lakshmi is initially thrilled, her excitement fades as she struggles to reconcile her traditional Indian values with modern ideas of love and sexuality. Through multiple perspectives, including that of Mary, who explores evolving notions of romance, the story delves into acceptance, identity, and the complexities of family dynamics.
Cast:
Lijomol Jose, Rohini, Vineeth Radhakrishnan, Kalesh Ramanand, Anusha Prabhu
Director:
Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan
Writer:
Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan
Lijomol Jose, Rohini anchor a poignant coming-out tale of allies
Sat, February 15 2025
In Anbe Sivam, Madhavan’s Anbarasu, who coerces his friend Sivam, to become his brother figure of sorts, says, “Idhenna kaadhala, asingama sollitte irukkardhukku… (This isn’t love. Why should we keep on announcing it to the world?)” It was a poignant scene about the importance of understanding love without putting it in words. But it was also a reminder that love for one another has to be expressed repeatedly. Why? It is not to just create a sense of acknowledgement about the relationship. It is also to create an example for many others who might think their love isn’t right, or they are not destined for love, or they are not deserving of love. That is why all kinds of love need to be showcased for all to see. And that is why Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan’s Kadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai is an important film in Tamil cinema.
Lijomol Jose Shoulders A decent Drama About Coming Out
Sat, February 15 2025
Kadhal Enbathu Podhuvudamai is a film about the upper limit of a modern family’s progressiveness. For Sam (Lijomol Jose), it comes as a shocker that her parents aren’t the rational beings they seem to take pride in. Their facade of being a modern couple crumbles down when she reveals that her lover is a woman. Director Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan manages to pack in a lot of questions and answers about acceptance in a matter of 102 minutes, with a gripping tale that doesn’t let you meander much. The success of this character-driven film is due to its focus on the conflict and not pretending to be anything other than what it is. The film follows the events of a day at Lakshmi’s (Rohini) household. Lakshmi is excited as her daughter’s lover is expected for lunch. She is also annoyed by the absence of her maid Mary (Deepa), who we are shown to be dealing with an abusive son-in-law at a police station. Lakshmi’s excitement knows no bounds as she is ready with gifts for her to-be son-in-law. However, Sam is petrified as her lover is Nandini (Anusha Prabhu), a woman. We are kept on the edge for almost all of the first half of the film as the ice doesn’t break. Nandini comes with a male friend and Lakshmi takes him for the lover of her daughter. When the cat finally gets out of the bag, Lakshmi flips, revealing her ugly side. What ensues is an interesting conversational drama that makes a case for queer love.
An Intense Coming-Out Drama About a Not-So-Modern Family
Sat, February 15 2025
The first 30 minutes of Kadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai (Love Is Common Property) is not an easy film to sit through. It’s frothy and hollow and you’d be surprised that you’re watching the work of writer-director Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan, known for intense psychological dramas such as Lens (2016) and Thalaikoothal (2023). It begins with Sam (Lijomol Jose) confessing to her mother (Rohini) that she’s in love and wants her to meet this person. With the flowery set-up you’d find in silly rom-coms, we get scene after painful scene of the mother, preparing to welcome her future son-in-law. We learn that they hail from the upper middle class, and we also learn that Sam’s parents separated years ago. The film uses this time to introduce us to a handful of characters, including Sam’s father (Vineeth), Sam’s bestie Ravi (Kalesh) and Deepa (Deepa Shankar), the cook who is more than family.
Laila
Comedy, Romance (Telugu)
Sonu Model, a renowned beautician from the old city, is forced to disguise himself as Laila, leading to a series of comedic, romantic, and action-packed events. Chaos ensues in this hilarious laugh riot
Cast:
Vishwak Sen, Akanksha Sharma, Vennela Kishore, Ravi Mariya, Nagineedu Vellanki
Director:
Ram Narayan
Writer:
Vasudeva Murthy
An unimaginably unfunny tale with crass comedy and churlish characters
Sat, February 15 2025
The hero of Laila is called Sonu Model (Vishwak Sen). He is a salon owner, and a specialist in women’s makeup. He is said to be the to-go stylist for every woman in that neighbourhood, but the salon is tacky to a fault. And he is unnecessarily confusing his ‘Mass ka Das’ persona with the character of Sonu, and being a walking talking annoyance. We’ll get back to him in a while. The heroine of Laila is called Jenny. She is a physical trainer in a gym. She also takes classes in public parks. She only wears tight-fitting clothes, and it is par for the course considering her profession. The makers want to only feature her in certain frames, and certain close-ups to appeal to us, the common people whose only reason to watch films is to satiate our depravity. What? You never asked for it? And yet, they are doing it in the garb of appealing to mass audience. We’ll get back to her in a while.
A troublesome, crass narrative
Fri, February 14 2025
The Telugu film Laila, directed by Ram Narayan and starring Vishwak Sen, outlined its premise clearly in its promotional material. The story revolves around a man forced to disguise himself as a woman to escape a group of men out for his blood — only to be ogled at by the very same pursuers. The trailer openly hinted at the double entendres and adult humour in store. However, the film’s issues extend far beyond its tasteless comedy. The narrative aggressively doubles down on crass, regressive tropes, making nearly every sequence leading up to and following the disguise an ordeal to sit through. Take, for example, a subplot where a family rejects multiple prospective brides because they are not “beautiful” enough to match the glamour of heroines from Chiranjeevi’s blockbuster films. Their eventual choice — a fair-skinned, stunning bride — shatters their illusions when her makeup wears off, revealing dark skin. The son is devastated, while the father, in apparent shock, is nearly paralysed. It is hard to believe that such tone-deaf sequences, masquerading as comedy, are still being written in 2025.
Brahma Anandam
Comedy, Drama (English)
Brahma Anandam is a Telugu romantic comedy entertainer movie directed by RVS Nikhil. The movie casts Raja Goutham, Priya Vadlamani, and Aishwarya Holakkal in the main lead roles along with Brahmanandam, Vennela Kishore, and many others..
Cast:
Raja Goutham, Brahmanandam, Vennela Kishore, Priya Vadlamani, Sampath Raj
Director:
RVS Nikhil
A half-baked dramedy
Sat, February 15 2025
Brahma Anandam presents an intriguing premise — real-life father and son, Brahmanandam and Raja Goutham, portraying an estranged grandfather-grandson duo named after the legendary comedian. Director RVS Nikhil builds on this quirky concept but overcomplicates it with excessive subplots, ultimately diluting its impact. Brahma is a rare protagonist who can laugh at himself. Once a celebrated child artist, he struggles to evolve into a skilled theatre actor, finding little success. His fractured family dynamics, unresolved grief over losing his father, and his lack of commitment to his girlfriend, Tara, add to his emotional turmoil. His only constants are his cousin Raasi and childhood friend Giri, grounding him in an otherwise chaotic world. When a promising career opportunity knocks, Brahma rekindles his relationship with his estranged grandfather, Ananda Rammurthy. As the story shifts from the city to a sleepy hamlet, hidden agendas unravel, and chaos ensues. The director, however, takes too long to get to the point, stalling with unnecessary detours to conceal a predictable plot twist.
Baby and Baby
(Tamil)
Baby & Baby follows two families eagerly anticipating the arrival of their newborns, only to be caught in an unexpected mix-up. What begins as chaos unravels into a hilarious yet emotional journey, where identities blur and bonds are tested. Amidst the confusion, love and laughter take center stage in this heartwarming tale of family, fate, and unexpected connections.
Cast:
Jai Sampath, Sathyaraj, Yogi Babu, Pragya Nagra, Rajendran
Jai’s film is high on errors, low on comedy
Sat, February 15 2025
When a family matriarch, vexed about not having a grandson after her first two sons produce girl children, is on the verge of giving up, her third son’s wife births a baby girl while the son’s friend becomes a father of a male child. In a minor confusion, the matriarch mistakes the male child of her son’s friend as her grandson and it’s up to the son and his friend to maintain the narrative while external forces decide to kidnap the child. If you, like the reviewer, are a fan of actor Thyagu’s “Adhaan Varghese’u” line from the 1996 Tamil film Enakkoru Magan Pirappan, you would most likely know the above plot is from the same Ramki-Vivek starrer, which itself was a remake of the Malayalam film Aadyathe Kanmani. A tweaked version of this also happens to be the plot of Jai’s Baby and Baby, an uninspiring, insipid ‘comedy’ film.
Apple Cider Vinegar S01
Drama, Crime (English)
Two young women advocate for wellness remedies to cure deadly illnesses, unraveling their lives as they unknowingly — and knowingly — mislead the world.
Cast:
Kaitlyn Dever, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Aisha Dee, Mark Coles Smith, Tilda Cobham-Hervey
What if the shadiest Shark Tank pitcher scored the most lucrative deal in the show’s history?
Fri, February 14 2025
Both Mark Zuckerberg and the movie based on his early life, The Social Network, are referenced in the new Netflix mini-series Apple Cider Vinegar. Named after the snake oil that was being peddled online by seemingly every lifestyle influencer a few years ago, the show is inspired by the rather unbelievable story of Belle Gibson, a young Australian woman who scammed millions into subscribing to her personalised diet plans. Belle claimed that she’d beaten brain cancer by consuming clean food instead of conventional chemotherapy. The truth was that Belle was never diagnosed with cancer at all; it was the neglect that she experienced in childhood that compelled her to con the world. She’s played in the six-episode series by the wonderful Kaitlyn Dever, who rose to fame with the coming-of-age film Booksmart, and the even better Netflix series Unbelievable. In Apple Cider Vinegar, she puts on a convincing Australian accent, and finds a balance between Belle’s delusion and ambition. Abandoned by her troubled mother, Belle supposedly ran away from home at the age of 12. She gave birth to her first child when she was still a teenager, and subsequently embarked on a career as a huckster. Fuelled by a desire to be loved and accepted, she turned to social media to scratch this itch. Belle founded The Whole Pantry mobile app, through which she literally influenced terminally ill men and women into shunning traditional forms of treatment.
Glossy Series About Fake Wellness Guru And Cancer Con Is Engaging But Leaves You Hollow
Thu, February 6 2025
The series Apple Cider Vinegar wastes no time in telling viewers that it is a true story based on a lie. Set in Australia, the limited series is based on the wellness culture that emerged in the 2010s, with pretty young women leading the charge and telling people how to eat and shape their lives. Created by writer Samantha Strauss, the drama looks beyond pretty pictures and nice fonts on social media to look at the real story of what these women were going through. The limited series follows two women, Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever) and Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), both of whom had crafted an inspirational image as survivors who had overcome ill health. The only difference was that one woman was lying about her cancer diagnosis. Apple Cider Vinegar, which is set at the rise of blogging and social media, especially Instagram, is also a time capsule about wellness culture, which rejected science and heralded the benefits of nature. Based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, creator Strauss has written the series with Anya Beyersdorf and Angela Betzien. Apple Cider Vinegar goes pretty deep into the backstories of Belle and Milla and shows why, while their intentions were well-meaning at first, it all snowballed out by the end.
The Gorge
Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller (English)
Two highly trained operatives grow close from a distance after being sent to guard opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. When an evil below emerges, they must work together to survive what lies within.
Cast:
Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, Sope Dirisu, William Houston
Director:
Scott Derrickson
Writer:
Zach Dean
Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy jolt Apple’s plodding sci-fi thriller to life
Fri, February 14 2025
The Gorge is four movies in one. Some might describe this as a value-for-money proposition. But others might find it a bit all over the place. There is no doubt, however, that the film bites off more than it can chew. And in the age of snackable ‘content’, this could be construed as high praise. Directed by Scott Derrickson, a filmmaker who has routinely shown skill at elevating genre movies, The Gorge coasts by for the majority of its two-hour run-time on star-power alone. There are long stretches of plodding nonsense, yes, but the film’s biggest strength lies in its constant determination to be unpredictable — relatively speaking, at least. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy play Levi and Drasa, two snipers who are hand-picked to keep guard at watchtowers on opposite ends of a mysterious gorge. We aren’t told where the gorge is located, or what our heroes are even supposed to be guarding. In time, however, we learn that the facility is strategically located somewhere between America and Russia, and that protecting it from being discovered was one of the biggest objectives during the Cold War. Levi and Drasa have been drafted to keep watch for exactly a year, following which they’ll be replaced by two others.
Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy's Sci-Fi Horror Tale Is An Unusual Love Story
Thu, February 13 2025
The Apple TV+ movie, The Gorge, is an unexpected Valentine’s Day release. This, combined with the ongoing saga on Severance Season 2, has the streamer taking an unconventional approach to the day dedicated to romance. Written by Zach Dean, The Gorge is about the horrors hidden in the aforementioned valley, which has two highly trained operatives assigned to protect it. But the story shifts into a forbidden romance between the duo with unexpected results. The film shows how Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy) are at the top of their games as snipers, even though their approach might be different. They are each chosen for a year-long gig defending a vast gorge, covered by a mysterious fog, in an unknown country. The previous guard, JD (Sope Dirisu), tells Levi as he hands off the post to him that the gorge is the “door to hell, and we’re standing guard at the gate.” So what lies beneath?
La Dolce Villa
Romance, Comedy (English)
When his daughter decides to buy a crumbling Tuscan villa, Eric rushes to Italy to talk her out of it — and instead finds beauty, romance and new purpose.
Cast:
Scott Foley, Violante Placido, Maia Reficco, Giuseppe Futia, Simone Luglio
Director:
Mark Waters
Writer:
Hilary Galanoy
Scott Foley Rom-Com Disguises As Tourism Ad For Italy
Thu, February 13 2025
Every year around Valentine’s Day, the streamers trot out generic romance films that help you pass the time but don’t leave any impact. Director Mark Waters’s latest film La Dolce Villa, starring Scott Foley and Maia Reficco, is no exception. Set in the gorgeous Italian countryside, the breezy romantic comedy on Netflix will have you booking your next ticket to the country. Former chef turned business consultant Eric (Scott Foley) rushes to Italy after he finds his 24-year-old daughter Olivia (Maia Reficco) is buying a run-down villa for one euro. Determined to stop her, he lands in the fictional Montezara and ends up falling for the town’s mayor, Francesca (Violante Placido). As the father and daughter heal their relationship, they become part of the family in the Montezara as well.
Bobby Aur Rishi Ki Love Story
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
Set against the picturesque backdrop of Cambridge, the film follows the journey of Bobby and Rishi as they going through the complexities of love and life. The story revolves around their passionate romance, which faces numerous challenges and misunderstandings. Despite being separated by circumstances, their love remains strong. Years later, fate gives them a second chance to rekindle their relationship and overcome the obstacles that once tore them apart.
Cast:
Vardhan Puri, Kaveri Kapur, Lillete Dubey, Atul Sharma, Sonam Nanwani
Director:
Kunal Kohli
Writer:
Kunal Kohli
The Death of the Hindi Romcom
Thu, February 13 2025
I’m running out of polite ways to say that most Bollywood launch vehicles are vanity vans parading as commercial movies. I’m running out of impolite ways to say that most Hindi rom-coms feature nepotism hires and Gen Z characters who speak like outdated youngsters at a debutante ball imagined by out-of-touch boomers. I’m also running out of ways to say that I’m running out of ways. Kunal Kohli’s Bobby Aur Rishi Ki Love Story looks like it was written in 1995, shot in 2005, scored in 2015, edited in 1985, colour corrected in 1975 and released in 2025. Remember the annoying animated couple from Kohli’s hit, Hum Tum (2005)? Those two were still more realistic and less cringey than the live-action couple in this film, who do the walking-and-talking-in-Europe (or post-Brexit Britain) jig as if Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Before Sunrise were in-flight tourist videos rather than classic landscape changers. They start as enemies, become frenemies and turn into screechy soulmates — all with the artistic spirit of a paid vacation and the emotional awareness of an oblivious meme.
The Mehta Boys
Comedy, Drama, Family (Hindi)
After the loss of his mother, Amay, a struggling young architect is forced to live for 48 hours with the one person he cannot stand, his father. It seems like a recipe for disaster. Wrong! It's much worse. Will the young architect crumble or will this bumpy ride help him rebuild his relationship with his crabby old man?
Cast:
Avinash Tiwary, Boman Irani, Shreya Chaudhary, Puja Sarup, Harssh A. Singh
Director:
Boman Irani
Writer:
Alexander Dinelaris
Despite its structural bumps, The Mehta Boys carries warmth, heart, and a performance-driven intimacy that makes it a poignant watch.
Sun, February 9 2025
Complex Mehtaverse of father & son
Sat, February 8 2025
‘The child is father of the man…’ Whatever William Wordsworth may have meant by that poetic expression, sons and fathers are as inextricably linked as a mother’s umbilical connection binds her to her children. Yet, fathers and sons are always on a tricky terrain, invariably perched on delicate ground, rarely common. “Is he an adult or a child?” — the question pops up from a perplexed son finding it difficult to get a grasp of his father’s whimsical ways. “He is your father, you are the child,” comes the honest reply from his girlfriend. Boman Irani, who has proved his mettle as an actor more than once, now comes with his directorial debut, ‘The Mehta Boys’, where he brings out the tensions immanent in a father-son relationship in the same nuanced manner which has marked his acting. After winning the Best Feature Film award at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, the film is currently streaming on Prime Video, and is as much about the father-son conflict as it is about love and affection.
Soft-edged drama lacks novelty
Sat, February 8 2025
Boman Irani began acting in films in his 40s. From the start, it seemed like he’d always been there. He was a throwback to an earlier era of actors like Charles Laughton and Alex Guiness who were happy to disappear behind a wig, a fake nose, an accent. Irani could, of course, play it straight, like the father in Lakshya. But no one was better at going broad. His Khurana in Khosla Ka Ghosla and Asthana in Munnabhai M.B.B.S. are legend, but there’s a spectacular rogue’s gallery stretching from Darna Mana Hai to Don, Well Done Abba to Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd to Jayeshbhai Jordaar. Irani stars in The Mehta Boys and does a fine, fussy, fretful job. It’s also his first film as director, co-written with Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman) and co-produced by his company, Irani Movietone. It’s a polite little film about a recently bereaved family, emotionally available, a bit shapeless. Not all directors start with a big swing, but this is closer to forward defence.