Sukanya reviews Bollywood’s first quarter of 2025, which delivered a vibrant mix—patriotism, politics, love, and fear—all films packed into unforgettable cinematic flavours, exclusively for Different Truths.
I’ll be honest—between research deadlines and an overloaded academic calendar, I couldn’t carve out time to write individual reviews for everything I watched this year. So instead, here’s one big, heartfelt (and mildly chaotic) roundup of the films I managed to catch from Bollywood in the first quarter of 2025. Most of them, at least—apologies if a few slipped through the cracks!
From high-octane patriotic thrillers and haunted comedies to dating app dramas and quiet small-town stories, Q1 2025 served up a full plate of cinematic flavours. Think of this piece as a masaledar thali (spicy platter) of Indian cinema—each film with its spice, texture, and aftertaste.
January 2025 In-Depth Film Roundup: Deva vs Sky Force vs Emergency
Power, Patriotism, and Politics: A Triumvirate of Storytelling
“You have weaponry, and we have courage.”
As the curtain rose on 2025, Indian cinema delivered a triple punch—Deva, Sky Force, and Emergency—each wrestling with what it means to serve or challenge the nation. The stories couldn’t be more different, yet all converged on the theme of duty—be it moral, military, or democratic.
Deva throws us into the backstreets of Mumbai, where a disillusioned everyman (Shahid Kapoor) transforms into a modern-day vigilante. Sky Force, anchored by Akshay Kumar’s measured presence, dramatises a classified military mission that blends Top Gun spectacle with Border-style nationalism. And then there’s Emergency, Kangana Ranaut’s audacious dive into Indian political trauma—an interpretive biopic not just about Indira Gandhi but about the cost of democracy when fear takes the wheel.
Thematically, the films weave a tapestry of nationalism, fear, and resistance. Where Deva explores lawlessness born from a justice vacuum, Sky Force exalts structured valour. Emergency, however, critiques the very institutions meant to uphold liberty, making it the most politically daring of the three.
In terms of performance, Shahid Kapoor walks a tightrope between rage and restraint, sometimes veering too close to caricature. Akshay Kumar, though restrained, plays safe, evoking command but never baring vulnerability. Kangana Ranaut, however, delivers a career-defining act. Her portrayal is layered with icy charm and moral ambiguity, evoking both dread and empathy.
Direction and craft offer rich contrasts. Deva is glossy, with John Wick-style set pieces and moody Mumbai lanes. Sky Force soars on technical excellence—especially its flight choreography—but lacks risk in storytelling. Emergency, meanwhile, takes aesthetic risks, using archival-style footage, claustrophobic newsroom sequences, and a vintage palette to create emotional unease.
Dialogues range from pulpy punchlines in Deva to procedural brevity in Sky Force, but it’s Emergency that gives us lines steeped in ideology, quotable and sharp.
Sound and visuals bolster these differences. Deva’s heavy drums contrast with Sky Force’s military brass and solemn silences. Emergency uses radio static, old vinyl tunes, and eerie silences to amplify its descent into historical darkness.
Culturally, all three reflect how Indian cinema continues its love affair with nationalism, but each defines it differently. Deva personalises it. Sky Force militarises it. Emergency questions it.
Verdicts?
- Deva: 3.5/5 – “Well-crafted but familiar.”
- Sky Force: 4/5 – “A visual high-flyer with feet firmly on formula.”
- Emergency: 4.5/5 – “A chilling reminder of how silence can be the loudest scream.”
February 2025 Review: Loveyapa
Love in the Age of Algorithms
Loveyapa, a rom-com tailor-made for the Reels generation, stars Ishaan Khatter and Sanya Malhotra as two imperfect matches trying to decode love in a world run by dating apps and dopamine hits.
Set in Mumbai’s cafes, co-working spaces, and Tinder interfaces, the film captures what it means to be vulnerable while constantly performing intimacy. Directed by Shazia Iqbal with flair and freshness, Loveyapa mixes cheeky wit with deep pathos.
At its heart, the film questions the modern quest for compatibility. Do we fall for people or their profiles? And can love truly bloom when self-worth is measured in swipe counts?
Performances anchor this social exploration. Ishaan is neurotic and loveable, a boy-next-door riddled with anxieties. Sanya’s emotional tightrope walk—guarded yet yearning—is painfully relatable. Their chemistry is built not on flirtation but friction, and that’s where the magic lies.
Technically, the film uses clever visual metaphors: split screens to show digital disconnect, glitch edits for emotional confusion, and warm-neon tones to mimic our filtered online selves. The soundtrack is indie and bittersweet, peaking with the lo-fi heartbreak anthem, “Typing… Deleted”.
What makes Loveyapa stand out in Indian rom-coms is its willingness to sit with discomfort. It doesn’t wrap things in syrupy resolution. Instead, it shows us how romance today is messy, anxious, and still full of hope.
Final verdict: 4.2/5 – “A charming, app-age love story that gets ghosted by its cleverness but still lingers like a good memory.”
March 2025 Roundup: Sikandar, Nadaaniyan, The Diplomat, Bhulchook Maaf, Kapkapii
Five Films, Five Flavours, One Country in Flux
March was a buffet of genre-defying Indian cinema, each film tackling identity, guilt, or paranoia in its language.
- Sikandar is a sweeping political biopic on a Kashmiri leader whose ideals fracture under state surveillance and public scrutiny. Fahadh Faasil delivers a powerhouse performance—angry, restrained, and tragically human.
- Nadaaniyan looks inward. A nostalgic coming-of-age about teenage mistakes, first love, and small-town shame. It’s tender and observational, like early Rajat Kapoor.
- The Diplomat is sharp-edged. A spy thriller set between Geneva’s icy corridors and Delhi’s bureaucratic labyrinth; it reveals geopolitical deception with stoic brilliance. Rasika Dugal is quietly magnetic.
- Bhulchook Maaf is a deliciously bizarre dark comedy. Rajkummar Rao confesses to crimes he didn’t commit—just to feel something. Think Fleabag meets Peepli Live.
- Kapkapii leans into rural horror but flips it. Superstition is the monster, but the villagers, flawed and hilarious, carry the narrative. Visually inventive and thematically urgent.
Thematic overlaps?
- Sikandar and Diplomat are mirrors—where one bleeds emotion, the other manipulates stoicism.
- Nadaaniyan and Bhulchook play with memory and regret, each in opposite tonal directions.
- Kapkapii stands apart but also reminds us how fear—be it ghosts or Godmen—binds rural India.
Directorial tones range from epic to experimental:
- Sikandar: Poetic gravitas.
- Nadaaniyan: Intimate and unhurried.
- Diplomat: Coldly calculated.
- Bhulchook Maaf: Quirky chaos.
- Kapkapii: Subversively spooky.
Final Scores
- Sikandar: 4.3/5 – “Fierce and flawed.”
- Nadaaniyan: 4/5 – “Nostalgic and nourishing.”
- The Diplomat: 4.5/5 – “Quiet thunder.”
- Bhulchook Maaf: 3.8/5 – “Bizarre brilliance.”
- Kapkapii: 4.2/5 – “Horror with humour and heart.”
Final Thought: If January asked what it means to serve the nation, and February asked how we love in its shadow, March asked what haunts us—past, politics, or the self.
Poster collage sourced by the reviewer
Sukanya Basu Mallik is a renowned Indian writer, known for her works in various publications and for winning Best Manuscript Awards for fiction & non-fiction categories (Mumbai Litofest, 2018). She is currently pursuing a PhD at IIT Madras, focusing on organisational behaviour and art-based therapies for enhancing teaching-learning effectiveness using immersive technologies. She was recognised for her short story ‘Healing of Wounds’ at NCLF, led by Ruskin Bond.
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