Impressed

This is the best Indian film I have seen, by a long way. I'm by no means an aficionado of the output of that country, but I've seen a fair few, choosing the ones to watch by good reviews, and good ratings. This was a recommendation on @Wittertainment's TV Movie of the Week, otherwise I might have passed it by.

I'm not always very much taken by the other Indian films I've seen - the acting, dialogue, story ... so often seems to weak, that I just have to chalk up the film's popularity to being a cultural difference. I'm actually really pleased when an Indian film riles some people on the boards here, who start calling for a separate Indian IMDb, to stop the interlopers pushing the latest Marvel dross down the ratings. Its hilarious to watch the rivers of bile from the parochialists. And I'm a staunch defender of the films being on these lists and doing well here, even if I personally don't like them that much.

No such worries this time though - this was a great film, much more 'professional' in all the areas that are often so weak in Bollywood (Does this even count as Bollywood? Didn't really hit the style I would associate with that). Even the song and dance sections (of which there were fewer, I'm pleased to say) were done to a much better standard.

Maybe I compare what I saw against my admittedly lower expectations, based on previous experience. But no, I rather think that just on it's own terms it stands up and deserves a decent rating here (though apparently slipped from 8.2 previously, now at 7.3)

From people who know more - is this typical of this director? Is the film this is a sequal of as good as this? Any other films you can recommend?