Bareilly Ki Barfi

In Bareilly, Bitti recognises herself in a novel by an anonymous author and goes looking for him. Chirag, who printed the book, cannot admit he wrote it, so he props up a shy acquaintance as the author. The lie grows and tangles all three. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari directed. Kriti Sanon plays Bitti, Ayushmann Khurrana plays Chirag, Rajkummar Rao plays the fake author Pritam. The source is unexpected: a French novel by Nicolas Barreau, published in English as The Ingredients of Love. A Paris story relocated to a small city in Uttar Pradesh. The film lives on Rao's double performance. His character shuttles between the toughness he is performing and his real timidity, and Rao separates the two down to the level of gesture. The role won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Who it is for: fans of small-town Hindi comedy and character acting. Who it is not for: viewers tired of plots built on mistaken identity.