Sonam Nair’s “Gippi” is the coming-of-age tale of a teenage girl who stumbles through life dealing with the typical crises of adolescence. Boys, parents, body image, acne and Shammi Kapoor come together to form the crux of this story, one that was probably written with the help of a handbook on how to script a teen movie.

Nair’s film is predictable and devoid of any surprises but also charming in parts. Gippi’s relationship with her mother (Divya Dutta) and brother are where the charm kicks in and Nair deals with these moments well.

But, like a bad driver, she also careens into clichés, using them in plenty while telling her story. There is the bad boy who spells trouble, the good boy who appears meek but turns out to be a hero, the unglamorous but loyal best friend and the mean but pretty rich girls who exist just so the heroine can make them feel small in the climax.

Gippi (played charmingly by debutante Riya Vij) lives in a hill town with her brother and single mother. She goes from fretting about her weight to being her mother’s sounding board quite effortlessly.

Nair maps her protagonists’ life issues with a healthy dose of humour, but it doesn’t always work. While Gippi’s conversations with her mother are heart-warming as is her rapport with her brother, the teen romance portions fall flat.

Also, Gippi’s epiphany, which comes at the end, is completely out the blue and hard to digest – it’s as if the director realised the film was ending and it had to be inserted hurriedly.

A film about the pains and pleasures of growing up is always welcome, but “Gippi” isn’t as charming and likeable as it could have been.

(Follow Shilpa on Twitter @shilpajay)

To enjoy Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK‘s “Go Goa Gone“, you have to ignore the tacky effects and the bad make-up and concentrate on the wisecracks and repartee between the main characters. Once you’ve done that successfully, get ready to buckle in for what is an unexpectedly fun ride.

One of India’s first zombie films, “Go Goa Gone” relies heavily on excellent dialogue and some great chemistry between the main leads to make a comedy that will leave you laughing for quite a while.

Replete with plenty of cuss words and the kind of snarky conversation you are likely to hear among friends, the zombies seem just a device to move the story forward, rather than the centre of the story, which is a good thing.

Kunal Khemu, Vir Das and Anand Tiwari play Hardik, Luv and Bunny, three friends who go to sun-kissed Goa but find themselves on a remote island infested by zombies. For help, they have to rely on Boris (played by Saif Ali Khan), a half-Indian, half-Russian mafioso with acid blond hair and an equally acid tongue, who has the guns to kill the zombies.

The story is entirely predictable and the production values leave much to be desired, but the witty exchanges between the friends and the overall acting make up for it.

Khan sheds his romantic playboy image to show his penchant for comedy and gets some of the best lines. Tiwari, as the bumbling “friend of the hero” as he calls himself, is immensely likeable and effective. But the real hero of “Go Goa Gone” is Kunal Khemu, who plays the smart-talking, smooth Hardik with panache and is also credited with writing the dialogue for this film.

Expect to have much fun and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Just ignore the Ramsay film extras that walk around as zombies in this film and you are guaranteed a rollicking time at the movies this weekend.

(Follow Shilpa on Twitter @shilpajay)

Fashion designer Ritu Kumar was closest to the brief, naming just two personal favourites. Her choices: "Umrao Jaan" and "Mughal-E-Azam". Both films were in her words “classical for music, costumes and ethos.”

For writer Amish Tripathi, "Mughal-E-Azam", "Guide" and "Sholay" reigned supreme in Bollywood. Pressed to reveal his all-time favourite, the author of the Shiva trilogy reluctantly chose the Dev Anand film based on R.K. Narayan’s novel.

"If I have to, have to, have to pick, ideally it's all three but if I am forced to pick, perhaps Guide would be a step ahead, a very small step ahead," said Tripathi. "Of course, it's a great story and it's entertaining and it's very well made but it has some nice philosophical messages as well, which I like … it's such a brilliant mix of entertainment and philosophy."

Former TV actress and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani sent in four favourites, including two films that starred Amitabh Bachchan.

"Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Agneepath, Chupke Chupke, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak ... because they each told a good story with great actors who displayed a variety of emotions with such finesse," said Irani.

For image management guru Dilip Cherian, Anurag Kashyap’s crime epic "Gangs of Wasseypur" is his choice from recent times.

“The story is riveting, the characters continually interesting and the execution is definitely world-class … I was also very impressed with the cast - none of them known actors. But they were brilliant in rather demanding roles,” he said.

Kiran Bedi, India's first woman police officer and now anti-corruption activist, picked "Lagaan", "Chak De India!", "3 Idiots" and "Peepli Live" among her favourite films.

"Lagaan" also featured in Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s shortlist for being "innovative and engaging - a belief in one's self and team" and "Aamir (Khan) was great".

Mazumdar-Shaw, who says she's not the typical Bollywood movie buff, also chose nine other films as her favourites. "Guide" (for being offbeat and avant-garde and featuring Waheeda Rehman as the unconventional woman); "Anand" and "Safar" (two great stories around the brave fight against cancer beautifully portrayed and acted); "English Vinglish" (most thoughtful and sensitive film about women and their untapped potential); "Swades" (a great Shah Rukh Khan film on changing rural India with technology) and others such as "Sholay", "Aradhana", "Ankur" and "Sangam".

Karan Johar, the director of Bollywood hits such as "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" and "My Name Is Khan", listed "Pyaasa" and "Kabhie Kabhi" among his favourites.

"I think there is just something about tragic films - something strangely satisfying about them," said Johar. "You know what they say, nothing like having a good cry during a film - that's what it is."

"For me Pyaasa is that film. Kabhie Kabhie is just what romance means to me - that for me will always be the ultimate romantic film," he added.

What about you? Which Indian films would be your choice for the greatest film ever? If you need help, here's a list of 100 films which we thought had a chance to win that honour. Don't forget to comment.

(With input from Shashank Chouhan, Sankalp Phartiyal and Shilpa Jamkhandikar)

A five-minute scene, sans dialogue, just before the interval. A shot of a man elated, reliving his magical day as the rest of the world goes about its own business – these five minutes alone make “Bombay Talkies” worth a watch.

Dibakar Banerjee’s segment, based on a Satyajit Ray short story, is evocative, sensitive, subtle and gets to the heart of why cinema brings magic into the most mundane of lives. And his film, dare I say it, is leagues ahead of the other three shorts in this portmanteau film.

Which is not to say the other three films aren’t gripping enough. Karan Johar surprises with his short film, avoiding clichés and extracting some great performances from his cast. Rani Mukerji plays the editor of a gossip magazine, in an arid marriage with her newscaster husband (Randeep Hooda, remarkably restrained). The presence of an intern (Saqib Saleem) in their lives alters it completely and brings to the fore uncomfortable truths.

In Zoya Akhtar’s segment, a little boy who wants to dress up and dance is berated by his tyrannical father, who says boys should be tough and strong. But inspiration comes in the form of Katrina Kaif when she appears fairylike and tells the boy (Naman Jain) to follow his dreams. That off-key note apart, the film is commendable for the last sequence and Jain’s poignant performance.

In Anurag Kashyap‘s film, a star-struck youth makes the journey from Allahabad to Mumbai, hoping for a glimpse of Amitabh Bachchan and a chance to fulfil his dying father’s wish. He stalks Bachchan, waiting outside the actor’s home, Prateeksha, for days but to no avail. Kashyap tries to capture the allure of a big star and his effect on an ordinary man, but ironically, the film slips with the scene where Bachchan appears on screen.

The plus point of “Bombay Talkies” is that there are moments in almost each segment that will stay with you and remind you of the kind of power cinema wields in India. Two of the films capture what star power is, while the others tap into the intangible – the presence of cinema in our lives. It may not always be at the fore, but it plays out, like background music in our real lives.

The segments do tend to romanticise the filmdom industry, preferring not to show us the darker side of things, but perhaps it is fitting, given that this is about the celebration of 100 years of Indian cinema.

Of the cast, Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Purandar stands head and shoulders above the rest – Siddiqui and Banerjee’s short film stay with you long after you have left the theatre. Sadashiv Amrapurkar in a surprise role is also brilliant, as is Saqib Saleem in Johar’s film.

You might tend to forget all this though, if you watch the grating “item song” that someone obviously thought was a bright idea to put in the end credits – it shows you all that is wrong with Indian cinema – too much glamour, no content and the false assurance that this is what it’s all about.

(Follow Shilpa on Twitter @shilpajay)

Tell us the movie that you feel is Bollywood's best. To help you make that choice, we have compiled a list of 100 films we have seen and loved, films that are sensitive and sensible in their own way and films that brought ‘larger than life’ into our living rooms.

Of course, lists like this are always subjective and biased and we're sure many impressive films have been missed. In case we have not included the movie that you treasure the most, do share your views in the comments below.

(With inputs from the India Online team)

Rahul Jaykar (Aditya Roy Kapoor), a rock star who is slowly slipping away into oblivion thanks to his alcoholism, spots Aarohi (Shraddha Kapoor) singing in a Goan bar. One look and he is smitten, convinced of her talent and ready to take her to Mumbai to make her a star.

Aarohi is equally smitten and follows Rahul back to Mumbai. A couple of misunderstandings later, she predictably becomes a huge star — releasing albums, singing songs and performing on stage.

But Rahul is drinking his way to destruction despite Aarohi’s attempts to pull him back. Her success and his depression mean that their relationship teeters on the edge.

The director has no regard for attention to detail or any kind of authenticity. He seems to have sleepwalked through “Aashiqui 2” – characters go vegetable shopping in the middle of the night in Goa (believe me, you won’t find a vendor after 7 p.m. anywhere in the state), rock stars get famous overnight, reporters heckle them for seemingly no reason, while singers who haven’t been in the business for a year can afford to buy palatial houses in Mumbai’s pricey real estate market.

All this could be ignored but Shagufta Rafique’s screenplay is an example of lazy writing. As for the cast, Aditya Roy Kapoor is cringeworthy. Shraddha Kapoor does put in an effort but is hindered by a run-of-the-mill story that goes nowhere.

The music is hummable but certainly not comparable to the lilting melodies of the first “Aashiqui”. Suri tries to lend a “timeless love story” feel to his film, but ends up making a love story with no soul, no substance and certainly no sense.

At the end of the first half of Kannan Iyer’s “Ek Thi Daayan”, you may be forgiven for harbouring an unnatural dread of elevators or old abandoned buildings. Except for a few scenes, director Iyer keeps you on the edge of your seat with the spectre of a witch seen through the eyes of a child.

Emraan Hashmi plays Bobo, a magician who is so haunted by his past that it hampers his future with girlfriend Tamara (Huma Qureshi) and comes in the way of his profession. He seeks help from his shrink, who hypnotises him so that he can go back to his childhood and put those demons to rest. The flashback, where we see the 11-year-old Bobo dealing with a woman he’s convinced is a witch, is the most effective part of “Ek Thi Daayan”.

Konkona Sen Sharma is deliciously good as Diana – the mysterious neighbour who terrifies Bobo and his younger sister Misha but enthrals their father (Pavan Malhotra). Bobo is convinced Diana isn’t what she seems to be, and his quest to find the truth leads to some of the film’s scariest moments. There are the usual creaking doors and abandoned buildings, staples of the horror genre, but Iyer does make you jump out of your seat a couple of times.

In the second half though, the story quickly unravels. The plot falters, the scary moments seem repetitive (how often can a lizard on a wall scare you?) and the climax is especially tacky and unintentionally funny.

Resorting to cliches about witches and the devil may work sometimes but not the way it is executed in “Ek Thi Daayan”. There is hardly any explanation for the character’s behaviour, the motives seem flimsy and the film gives you the feeling it was wrapped up rather clumsily, without tying up loose ends or even attempting to craft a satisfying ending. This seems like a cop-out.

Of the cast, Emraan Hashmi is restrained and quite effective, while Konkona Sen Sharma is scarily good.

“Ek Thi Daayan” has some eerie moments, but on the whole, it is not a scary film. Nor is it effective horror. Watch it only if you must.

An Indian Army officer crashes his helicopter into Chinese territory and is subjected to third degree torture. But Karanvir Dogra aka Commando doesn’t let slip any secrets.

A year later, Karanvir is shown hale and hearty, crisp linen shirt in place and still refusing to admit he’s an Indian spy. The Chinese decide to try him in a court of law and escort our hero in an open jeep with just two guards for company on a lonely mountain road. Easy to guess what happens next.

Karanvir escapes, and turns up in a small town in Punjab, where he rescues a girl from the clutches of a gang. Their leader AK 74 (Jaideep Ahlawat), who is also into politics, has creepy eyes and a maniacal laugh. The damsel in distress is Simrit (Pooja Chopra) who follows Karanvir like a lost puppy and enters a remote forest without asking any questions.

AK 74 chases the duo with a swarm of sniffer dogs, forest officials and gun-toting musclemen, but little do they know our hero and heroine have ceased to care. Instead, they are busy imagining themselves in fancy designer togs, dancing in arid deserts and falling in love.

Chopra is shrill and irritating but Vidyut Jamwal as Karanvir is surprisingly effective with his brooding silence. He’s a good choice for the lead role in Dilip Ghosh‘s “Commando”, pulling off the action sequences with panache.

In his role as the tyrannical and egomaniacal villain, Jaideep Ahlawat is chilling – and is likely to give you the creeps. The action sequences are executed well.

Watch “Commando” only if you like action films and are a diehard fan of the genre.

The best scenes in Rohan Sippy‘s “Nautanki Saala” (adapted from French comedy Apres Vous) are the ones where there is no woman or romance involved. Male leads Ayushmann Khurrana and Kunaal Roy Kapoor have a good chemistry going and their humour is quirky and whacky, but funny all the same. The problem in their lives, and in the film, starts when the woman arrives on the scene.

Ram Parmar (Khurrana) a theatre director and actor saves Mandar Lele (Kapoor) from a suicide attempt and brings him home, hoping to shake him out of his depression. Mandar is a diffident, depressed man who wallows in self-pity after being dumped by his girlfriend Nandini (Pooja Salvi). Ram, desperate to bring a ray of hope into Mandar’s life, recruits him in the lead role in a contemporary version of the Ramayana, and seeks out Nandini, hoping to convince her to take Mandar back.

Matters come to a head when Ram falls in love with Nandini. The film’s breezy pace is interrupted by the clunky romance track between Khurrana and Salvi, which weighs it down.

While the director makes great use of the romance and drama of the stage as a backdrop for his story, he fails to bring that same charm to the love story within the film. Given that this love story plays out for almost the entire second half, this is a flaw.

Sippy does succeed at genteel humour – one that is situational and doesn’t rely on gags to make it funny. Mandar’s audition is hilarious as are several exchanges between the two men. Sanjeev Bhatt, playing Chandra, the high-strung producer of the play is one of the highlights as is the film’s dialogue, written by Sippy, Nipun Dharmadikari and Charudutt Acharya.

The real star of “Nautanki Saala” though is Ayushmann Khurrana, who displays impeccable comic timing in his second Bollywood outing. He is ably supported by Kapoor, whose body language clearly depicts the change in his character’s confidence as the film progresses.

“Nautanki Saala” could have been a great film, but it stops short of crossing that benchmark. But it’s worth a watch, especially if you are one of those people who do not enjoy the loud comedies our film industry dishes out with alarming regularity.

Himmatwala seemed to be the clear contender for the worst film of the year so far. Who’d have imagined it would have such strong competition so soon? David Dhawan seems determined not to let Sajid Khan get away with the honour of the worst botch-up of a remake.

So he takes what was a genuinely funny and memorable film and “remakes” it into a crass, unfunny and offensive film that serves just one purpose — it speaks volumes about the sharp decline in our sense of humour in the last three decades.

To be fair, “Chashme Baddoor” is barely a remake of Sai Paranjpe’s classic. Taking one iconic scene and the hint of the storyline doesn’t mean that Dhawan has ripped off a classic film.

Barring skeletal details such as three friends who fall for the same girl and the “Miss Chamko” scene, Dhawan’s comedy has no story to speak of and hinges on a flimsy plotline to keep the film going.

Ali Zafar is Sid, a bookish nerd who is the voice of reason to his two friends Omi (Divyendu Sharma) and Jai (Siddharth), both of whom spend their waking hours pawing at girls and making lewd remarks at college gatherings. When they spot Seema (Taapsee Pannu), they both decide to try their luck — only to be spurned.

Sid, unknowingly falls for Seema as well, but the two friends decide what they can’t have, their friend can’t have either and set about creating problems between Sid and Seema. Rishi Kapoor as a portly Goan restaurant owner and Lillette Dubey as their landlady play the supporting roles in furthering this romance, but to be honest, they are the ones with more chemistry than Zafar and Pannu.

Pannu has the personality of a plank of wood, and Zafar seems too conscious and intent on making sure not a hair is out of place, to put in any serious effort into acting. Of the cast, only Siddharth seems to be enjoying himself, but even then, is too loud and shrill to be any good.

This film could have be another of those puerile comedies that we are subjected to day in and day out. But calling it a remake of a classic film seems like a crime. Pick the old over the new this weekend.

(Follow Shilpa on Twitter @shilpajay)