When great expectations came crashing down

Mirror film critic Kunal Guha picks out the films you shouldn't have suffered this year.

DILWALE

Universally panned, this most-awaited film of the year surely deserves a golden kela. Hoping to recreate the magic, the iconic DDLJ duo, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol left fans shattered by what played out on the big screen. Most will discount this criticism with "what else do you expect from a Rohit Shetty movie?" But that argument can be countered with: One does expect Shetty's films to be filled with slapstick gags, some cars attempting midair ballets and hopefully a hero who can hammer the bad guys to pulp. Dilwale packs in every B'wood cliche and tries to blend Hum, Golmaal and Don but cumulatively doesn't even qualify as a 'one-time-watch'. So, if you're an SRK/ Kajol fan, skip this, as it will scar your fond memories of the onscreen jodi for good.

KATTI BATTI

Nikhil Advani's second film to make it on this list is a take off on Hindi cinema's much-romanticised brooding lover. Only difference, his hero is also an emotionally scattered stalker. Films about heartbreak and the subsequent ache have always found audience empathy. But an obvious flaw here is the maker's inability to tell an endearing love story in a remotely relatable fashion. The fact that the lead pair share zero chemistry doesn't help either. Disappointing for Imran Khan who resurfaced after two years, hoping this role would suit him better than the lanky bhai of Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara! A disaster for Kangana Ranaut who won hearts in last year's Queen.

SHAANDAAR

Packaged and marketed as India's very own fairytale, this one claimed a lot more than it delivered. The props are in place, the location resembles an English countryside but what the characters do on screen isn't enough to evoke sufficient interest. For Shahid Kapoor (who picked up multiple trophies for his performance in last year's Haider), this role was a blip on his career-graph. What's also unbelievable is that this film is directed by the same man, Vikas Bahl, who made last year's femme celebration Queen. The film also includes a track on misplaced feminism when a character (played by Sanah Kapoor) breaks into a monologue on how she's indifferent about societal perceptions. Even Alia goes from Highway to a dirt path. Overall, a fairy stale this one.

JAZBAA

This one is a remake of Shin-yeon Won's Seven Days, the Korean thriller that failed to mark Lost star Yunjin Kim's comeback. As you'd expect, the Indian avatar chops off the gory bits and stocks up on enough glycerine to film a sequel of Rudaali. For being Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's much-hyped comeback, it was singularly disappointing. Her character swayed between being a melodramatic mess of a maa from the '80s (perennially worldweary and inconsolably wailing) to a steely and sorted lawyer. Even the seasoned Irrfan Khan seemed a bit off-form. Simply put, it was 'just blah'.

HERO

A launch vehicle for star kids Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty, this one crashes and burns on the big screen. A remake of Subhash Ghai's three-decadeold classic by the same name, the sappy love story fails to impress for reasons beyond relevance. Lazy characterisation and drab dialogues delivered with illdeserved conviction are just a few nails on its coffin. Even getting co-producer Salman Khan to croon the title track wasn't enough to market it beyond a point. Pancholi shows occasional streaks of conviction, but this clearly wasn't enough to sail this film through.

HUMARI ADHURI KAHANI

It could have been a sensitive debate on whether battered wives can challenge societal norms to seek extramarital comfort. But it ends up as a regressive film that puts women down and suggests that they're weaker beings who constantly seek support. What's most baffling is why actors like Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi would agree to doing a kahani like this. Unless, they only read the 'adhuri' script before signing on the dotted line. Director Mohit Suri's next is the screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's Half Girlfriend. Let's hope it's not as half-hearted an attempt as this one.