In this special episode of The Watchlist with Jyotika, we remember the legendary Dharmendra, the hero who taught us that strength can be gentle, and style can be soulful.

Among his many classics, Jyotika chooses Johnny Gaddar not because it’s his biggest film, but because it’s the one where she met Dharam ji, the man behind the legend. A sharp, stylish thriller by Sriram Raghavan that explores greed, guilt, and betrayal. Johnny Gaddar also gave us one of Dharmendra’s most quietly powerful performances.

This is a tribute to the warmth, grace, and depth he brought to every frame and to the line that still echoes:
“Main ne zindagi mein sirf ek galti ki thi kisi par zyada bharosa kar liya.”

This week on “Watchlist with Jyotika”

This week, we revisit Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Sriram Raghavan’s dark, stylish neo-noir where a seemingly sweet romance spirals into betrayal and cold-blooded revenge. Urmila Matondkar shines as Sarika, an ordinary woman whose life is upended by the charming yet dangerous Karan, played by Saif Ali Khan.
In this episode, I break down what makes the film gripping: its sharp writing, bold performances, and the way it transforms a love story into a chilling game of manipulation and payback.
Perfect for anyone who loves thrillers that go beyond the obvious. Tune in for a quick, punchy deep dive into one of Bollywood’s most underrated revenge dramas.

In this episode of The Watchlist with Jyotika, we rewind to 7 ½ Phere — a smart, satirical look at how reality TV blurs the lines between truth and tamasha.
Starring the birthday girl Juhi Chawla and Irrfan Khan, the film follows a TV director who turns a family wedding into a secretly filmed spectacle — only to discover that every family hides its own script.

Funny, emotional, and way ahead of its time, 7 ½ Phere reminds us that the most dramatic stories are the ones we don’t intend to tell.

In this special birthday episode of The Watchlist with Jyotika, we’re celebrating Shah Rukh Khan, the superstar who’s redefined charm, emotion, and energy for over three decades. 

And what better way to do that than by revisiting one of his early, often-forgotten gems — King Uncle.
Directed by Rakesh Roshan, the film stars Jackie Shroff as the cold, no-nonsense industrialist Ashok Bansal, whose life changes when a mischievous orphan, Munna, enters his mansion and his heart.

Along the way, we see a young Shah Rukh Khan in one of his sweetest supporting roles full of warmth, innocence, and that spark that hinted at the megastar he was about to become.

It’s a story about family, forgiveness, and how love can melt even the toughest exterior.
Tune in as Jyotika looks back at King Uncle, a film that reminds us that before the “King Khan” we know today, there was a young dreamer already winning hearts in his own quiet way.

In this special birthday episode of The Watchlist with Jyotika, we celebrate Amitabh Bachchan, the legend whose every role has redefined Hindi cinema.
This week, we revisit Main Azaad Hoon, one of his most powerful yet underrated performances.
Directed by Tinnu Anand, the film follows a down-and-out man who becomes the face of a fake revolution only to truly embody it.
It’s political, poetic, and painfully relevant even today, a story about media manipulation, mass hysteria, and one man’s awakening.
Tune in as Jyotika breaks down how Amitabh turned fiction into faith, and why Main Azaad Hoon is the perfect reminder, on his birthday, of why he’ll always be the voice of the people.

What happens when a bank manager, pushed to the edge, decides he is going to rob his own bank using blind men as the thieves? Aankhen (2002) is exactly that kind of twisted, clever thriller.

In this episode of The Watchlist with Jyotika, we dig into how Amitabh Bachchan, an obsessive, short-tempered manager, Vijay Singh Rajput, turns from keeper of order to mastermind of a heist.
We’ll explore the unlikely team he assembles, three blind men trained to carry off the impossible and the moral chaos that follows. Add Sushmita Sen’s teacher torn between duty & desperation, and twists that lead to open vs. closed endings depending on where you watched the film.

Based on the Gujarati play Andhalo Pato, Aankhen pushed boundaries in Bollywood’s heist genre. It’s suspense, betrayal, sympathy, and shock all rolled into one. Loved by many, debated by more, it’s a story that stays with you.

Tune in as we unspool Aankhen’s secrets, the brilliant, the messy, and the moments you probably missed.  

Before Marvel, there was Ajooba!

This week on The Watchlist with Jyotika, we’re diving into one of Amitabh Bachchan’s most ambitious and underrated roles, a fantasy adventure straight out of a desi fairy tale. Directed by Shashi Kapoor, Ajooba takes you to the mythical kingdom of Baharistan, where a masked hero fights evil, saves his people, and redefines what it means to be a legend.

With capes, genies, magic carpets, and underwater kingdoms, Ajooba was Bollywood’s bold attempt to dream big, way before special effects caught up. And while it didn’t strike gold at the box office, it remains a cult gem for fans who love their cinema grand, experimental, and a little bit wild.

So tune in as Jyotika unpacks the charm, chaos, and pure imagination of Ajooba, a reminder that even legends like Amitabh Bachchan have a few forgotten adventures worth rediscovering.

Bhoothnath (2008) – ek aisi film jisme dosti, comedy aur emotion sab kuch tha! Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, iss film ne Amitabh Bachchan ke Bhoothnath aur chhote Banku ki sweet friendship se sabke dil jeet liye

A vision that won’t leave her mind. A murder she sees before it happens. 100 Days is the gripping story of Devi, a woman with psychic powers whose premonition draws her into a chilling mystery. Madhuri Dixit delivers one of her most underrated performances as Devi, while Jackie Shroff and Javed Jaffrey add layers of suspense and intrigue to this psychological thriller.
In this episode of The Watchlist with Jyotika, we dive into Partho Ghosh’s cult classic — a film that blended supernatural elements with edge-of-the-seat suspense. Expect eerie trivia, unforgettable music by Raamlaxman, and why 100 Days remains one of Bollywood’s most haunting thrillers of the 90s.