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Sonchiriya
Having found his space in stories emerging from mofussil towns and the deep hinterlands, Chaubey may be in his comfort zone here. But he tries to keep the proceedings from seeping into tropes and weaves in a range of emotions that humanise — if not immortalise — his characters.
Mar 2019
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Total Dhamaal
...is a one-time watch but only when it airs on TV on a Sunday afternoon when you can’t seem to find the remote to turn it off.
Feb 2019
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Gully Boy
The biggest challenge for director Zoya Akhtar was to ensure her eponymous slum rapper’s journey doesn’t exaggerate his sufferings and stereotype his marginalised existence for impact. On that front, she scores and even nails the emotional peaks and crushing lows.
Feb 2019
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Amavas
...each and every scene — from approaching a door with dread to bending over to reveal a dark apparition standing right behind, has been borrowed from some film or the other. That the makeup and prosthetics here seem dated and sourced from a Halloween party store also dilutes the overall effect.
Feb 2019
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The Fakir Of Venice
...surely has an intriguing title that may trigger questions such as how precisely did the ascetic find himself in the city of canals, to begin with. But once these doubts are clarified, there’s little to inspire one to stay glued to one’s seat.
Feb 2019
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Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
Director Shelly Chopra Dhar takes an anodyne approach in her narrative. It’s almost as if the pressure of how a lesbian love story would be received curbed her creativity and she picked the safer alternative at every turn.
Feb 2019
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Thackeray
There’s a thin yet distinct line between mimicking and articulating an impression. Siddiqui manages to capture the cartoonist-turned-politician’s tone and spirit but retains his own interpretation of Thackeray.
Jan 2019
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Manikarnika
Most know of Jhansi ki Rani from the poem that aptly described the fearless queen. This biopic goes beyond heroics to reveal a resolute yet vulnerable figure. And even while the authenticity of all the events detailed here is debatable, it makes for a decent watch.
Jan 2019
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Fraud Saiyaan
It’s the kind of watch that makes you squirm till you shrink into your seat.
Jan 2019
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72 Hours
Director and lead Dhyani had the unique advantage of placing himself in the centre of the action and allowing the rest of the cast to fade to the background. But even then, his highlighted performance barely hits the spot and fails to interest or engage audiences with this story.
Jan 2019
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Why Cheat India
From the very first frame, this one has its audience figured. It knows that someone who’s drawn to a Hashmi caper has specific expectations — glib dialogue baazi, a lip-lock or three, and a surreal conman who can charm the pants off his partner.
Jan 2019
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Bombairiya
...odd and impractical lapses in writing are meant to pass for hilarity in this supposed comedy of errors which can surely culminate in a headache.
Jan 2019
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Evening Shadows
...the welcome turn that Indian society has taken towards its view on the queer community in recent years will have a direct impact on how the same content will now be viewed and assimilated. In such a light, Sridhar Rangayan’s Evening Shadows seems a bit dated.
Jan 2019
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The Accidental Prime Minister
As political biopics go, this one straddles somewhere between deliberate hagiography and pointed propaganda.
Jan 2019
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Uri
...if the film delved a little more into strategy and emotions, it could’ve been more inclusive, if not a more intense watch. Not the chest-beating JP Dutta-type jingoism, but just a dash on what drives these brave men would’ve gone a long way.
Jan 2019
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Simmba
Shetty navigates a familiar ground here in this formula film mounted on a franchise that has proven its worth in box office gains. It’s not a film that will encourage one to rethink fundamental theories or alter societal thought, even though it aspires to be at one point. But it’s surely a masala entertainer that packs in laughs, drama, dishooms and a lot more
Dec 2018
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Zero
Director Anand L Rai has forever backed stories that explore a range of human emotions in its most basic manifestations. Here, he deviates from his natural style and even basic constructs such as Bauaa’s change of heart or his initial courtship lack the soul one expects from his work.
Dec 2018
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Kedarnath
The jaded construct of throwing two people from diametrically different worlds and hoping they’d be drawn if not fascinated by the other’s niceties may have worked from Jab Jab Phool Khile to Raja Hindustani but in 2018, it doesn’t cut it.
Dec 2018
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The Dark Side Of Life: Mumbai City
...the Madhur Bhandarkar-style of dumbing down the proceedings and the trivial issues that result in catastrophic reactions render this one as an unbearable watch.
Nov 2018
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Bhaiaji Superhittt
While this one hopes to pass for a comedy, sitting through it could trigger every other emotion.
Nov 2018
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Hotel Milan
If Roy Kapur doesn’t get a kick out of self-harm, it’s difficult to imagine why he would agree to be a part of Hotel Milan. It’s the kind of project you’d not wish on your worst enemy.
Nov 2018
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Mohalla Assi
...Mohalla Assi’s trivial issues and laboured execution only manage to leave you feeling sedated and groggy — its 120-minute runtime doesn’t even allow one to complete a single sleep cycle.
Nov 2018
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Pihu
...hopes to give you a taste of how it would be if your minor was left at home alone without adult supervision for an entire day. But given the low voltage jolts in this one, your chances of suddenly dropping dead in a screen near you are less likely.
Nov 2018
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Thugs Of Hindostan
For a film that leans so heavily on action, the stunts barely offer anything you’ve not seen before, and given that this falls in the fantasy genre, elevated expectations are met with mediocre execution. But then again, this one is helmed by director Vijay Krishna Acharya whose filmography includes visually compelling-yet-hollow films such as Tashan and Dhoom 3.
Nov 2018
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Ekkees Tareekh Shubh Muhurat
...Hindi films have become obsessed with weaving stories that convey the life, labour and laughs of small-town India. While some closely-depicted accounts that lend themselves to situational hilarity have been remarkable successes, others feel that merely furnishing a socially-awkward premise is enough. This one, unsurprisingly, falls in the latter.
Nov 2018
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Lupt
Hindi films featuring aatmas and pretaatmas have forever stuck to a clichéd construct — creaky chairs, flickering bulbs, plastic dolls that bleed from their frozen eyes and a symphonic crescendo that culminates in a chalk-faced apparition appearing with a jolt. Lupt is hardly any different...
Nov 2018
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Jack And Dil
...confirms that we are in the midst of one of the greatest creative recessions in Hindi cinema.
Nov 2018
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Badhaai Ho
This socially-awkward construct lends itself to such compelling material that even a compilation of reaction shots would suffice. But writers Shantanu Srivastava and Akshat Ghildial capitalise on the uneasiness of being in this pickle to script hilarious sequences that would leave you in splits.
Oct 2018
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Namaste England
Lack of conflict or chemistry between the lead couple, tedious dialogue and a mumbling monologue on how being an Indian is a matter of well-deserved pride (similar to the one in Namaste London (2007), minus the impact) restrict this story from taking any definitive direction.
Oct 2018