An archive of Hindi movie reviews and ratings from 2010 to 2020.

critic

Kunal Guha

Highest rating for
Lowest rating for
Number of reviews
378
Average rating
47

Order by

Date

Title

Rating

  • Andhadhun

    The trouble with a compelling build-up is that it’s accompanied by unrealistic expectations — which when unmet, can lead to disappointment. Here, it almost seems as if the filmmaker decided to adopt the film’s title as his approach to stitch this one together.

    59

    Oct 2018
  • Manto

    ...in carving this supposedly objective portrait, she ends up with a colourless figure, and her clinical approach and lack of relevant anecdotes, takes away from what could’ve been an engaging tribute.

    39

    Sep 2018
  • Mitron

    ...this comedy-of-errors had the potential to snowball into a surprise hit. But a predictable plot and clichéd turns and twists reduce this two-hour watch into one that can be either skipped and caught later — when it airs on the telly or that digital streaming provider which hunts for such weekend afternoon comedies.

    39

    Sep 2018
  • Love Sonia

    In his directorial debut, Tabrez Noorani is so consumed in narrating the dangerous reality of survivors of sex trafficking that he ignores the fact that he has to also engage audiences with his characters — for them to actually feel their plight.

    49

    Sep 2018
  • Manmarziyaan

    Love triangles are as old as cinema itself. But this one marks an evolution of the genre that most reduce to “who gets the girl?” and comprehensively concludes that often, love is not all it takes.

    79

    Sep 2018
  • Paltan

    A dialogue in this film goes ‘heroes don’t choose their destiny, destiny chooses them’. But if you were to pick Paltan, be rest assured, your destiny is doomed.

    39

    Sep 2018
  • Halkaa

    Director Nila Madhab Panda has made a career of drafting films (I am Kalam, Kadvi Hawa) which pack in a social message or three. If only these mass vehicles of public betterment could’ve been peppered with some cinematic flourish, they would’ve been a bit more bearable.

    19

    Sep 2018
  • Gali Guleiyan

    Writer-director Dipesh Jain invests in his characters and encourages audiences to experience their lives and speculate about the circumstances they find themselves in. The film, for a large part, manages to effectively convey the discomfort the characters endure.

    59

    Sep 2018
  • Stree

    A film like this required a steady hand to carefully balance the chills and thrills along with the outlandish one-liners, ensuring neither is watered-down by the other.

    49

    Aug 2018
  • Gold

    Director Reema Kagti ticks all the boxes here but seems a bit afraid that the proceedings could spill over into forced patriotism.

    59

    Aug 2018
  • Mulk

    Director Anubhav Sinha touches a relevant nerve with Mulk, and this fictional story seems believable as marginalised groups continue to be routinely targeted in this country.

    59

    Aug 2018
  • Vishwaroop II

    The first part of this film had shocking twists such as the drastic transformation of an effeminate Kathak teacher who was a closet Bond tailing terrorists. This one is a watered-down version that barely draws on the veteran actor’s many talents and scripts its own demise.

    39

    Aug 2018
  • Karwaan

    This one can be summarised with a dialogue from the film which rings true for the overall mood it manages to evoke — “Aaj ke zamaane mein ‘not bad’ bhi badi baat hain.”

    49

    Aug 2018
  • Fanney Khan

    ...is only mildly inspirational, and lacks the intensity and thrill that would force audiences to imagine the worst when the story takes an unexpected turn.

    49

    Aug 2018
  • Mulk

    The first half of Mulk is crisp. Events unravel swiftly and unexpected turns manage to translate the tension, frustration and anxiety across the screen. But the second half is largely restricted to a courtroom procedural which is reduced to a tedious theatrical drama where every punchline is followed by a laughter track or so it seems.

    59

    Aug 2018
  • Nawabzaade

    What passes for comedy these days is a broad spectrum of average writing. This one doesn’t have a single line that even meets that basic minimum.

    19

    Jul 2018
  • Dhadak

    Director Shashank Khaitan, who previously helmed Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania, plays it safe with this Rajasthani runaway bride. Sticking to tested tropes, he barely reinvents the premise of the original.

    49

    Jul 2018
  • Soorma

    Ali intensifies the falls and amplifies the sufferings to an extent that the inevitable win has a bittersweet tinge. If he could’ve cut down some of the bhangra and a bit of melodrama, this could’ve been a much crisper watch.

    69

    Jul 2018
  • Sanju

    Unsurprisingly, this one effectively carves him as a victim of circumstance, an addict of compulsion and as someone who was wronged by media reports and the public at large. But it also evens it out by presenting the actor as an unreliable boyfriend, a failure-of-a-son and a washed up actor who was notoriously unprofessional.

    69

    Jun 2018
  • Veere Di Wedding

    While this one works as a breezy film on girl bonding, it gets a bit tedious while taking a stab at patriarchy. In fact, a message it hopes to convey on the societal pressures endured by women is lazily tucked into a dialogue. “Pehle shaadi karo, phir bachcha, phir bachcha hua toh doosre bachche ka pressure.” It almost seems like old whine in a new bottle.

    59

    Jun 2018
  • Bioscopewala

    ...claims to be “inspired by the characters” of the timeless classic hopes to retain the elements of the original story — of love, loss and redemption. In this pursuit, however, it drags the story in various directions — loosely packs in mystery but keeps it from turning into a procedural investigation.

    49

    May 2018
  • Parmanu

    Director Abhishek Sharma had a compelling story which could’ve rendered a thrilling watch, if only he could’ve focussed on telling it with some conviction. Perhaps throwing in a few more turns in the script and cumulatively making the inevitable seem bleak may have been the answer.

    49

    May 2018