India, Oct. 21 -- It took me a long time to figure out the point of a film like Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. And then, amid one of the endlessly meaningless dialogues disguised as poetry, it hit me: the whole point was for a line, a scene, to end up as an Instagram reel for jilted lovers to clip and plaster across their feeds.

Diwali this year promised a box office clash, with a horror-comedy like Thamma and the romantic drama Deewaniyat. After sitting through both, it's clear which one really delivers the screams. Hint: not Thamma.

Directed by Milap Milan Zaveri, the story revolves around Vikramaditya Bhonsle, a politician (Harshvardhan Rane) who sees Adaa (Sonam Bajwa), a popular actor, and immediately falls in love. He wants her to marr...