A treat of recent Indian films

The themes of these films are novel and bold. Take for instance, Elaan, directed by Vikram Bhatt. The film sees the return of Mithun Chakraborty as a terrorist. This racy cinematic work was shot in France, Germany and Italy on a hefty budget of Rs 20 crore. In The Week magazine, Amisha Patel, who plays a television journalist in the film, is quoted as saying that: "It can be compared to any Hollywood film. It is very stylish and the action sequences are similar to those in American blockbusters." Jurm, another Bhatt film, is to be released this month.

The audiences have also wowed Subhash Ghai's period film, Kisna-The Warrior Poet. Ghai was apparently inspired to write the story after meeting up with British friends in the past two decades. These Britishers were either born in India or had served the empire in the country before 1947.

Kisna is in competition with Madhur Bhandarkar's Page 3. With stars such as Konkona Sen and Atul Kulkarni, the film derives its title from the controversial Page 3 of The Times of India which homes in on the glitterati of Delhi.

The other attraction is likely to be Shabd, the first directorial venture of Leena Yadav. The theme has a universal flavour and delves into relationships, love and friendship.

For those with a taste for chilling films, there's My Wife's Murder and Naam Gum Jayega. The former, made at the cost of Rs 5 crore explores the psychology of a person after he commits a crime. The second film, with a budget of Rs 2 crore, stars Dia Mirza, Rakesh Bapat and Aryan Vaid.

Then there is Dansh, the first venture of Kanika Varma, slated for a release in March. "I have tried to explore whether people can forgive their past enmities," asserts Varma. Other films to watch for are Main Meri Patni Aur Woh and One Dollar Curry.

All in all, there are busy times ahead for those with a penchant for movies.

Compiled by Cultural Correspondent