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May 2021
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Pagglait
Sad, sweet and funny by turns, it is a special film about a woman redefining happily-ever-after and about a death breathing life into the one left behind.
Mar 2021
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Saina
Even with its flaws, Saina does provoke some thought, is moving in places and has some fun to offer.
Mar 2021
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Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar
The film is a mixed bag but I found myself drawn to its quietude and heartening conviction that kindness may be found in the most unexpected places and the most unexpected persons could turn out to be allies, sometimes without the expectation of anything in return.
Mar 2021
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Roohi
...what we get are sporadic bursts of comedy, interspersed with unfunniness, extended passages of nothing much, a spot of ageism, too many extraneous elements...
Mar 2021
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Kaagaz
...is an enjoyable and important film, held together by its largely assured direction and by Tripathi, one of contemporary Bollywood’s finest actors.
Jan 2021
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Tribhanga
...is an entertaining, thoughtful, well-acted female bonding flick, as unconventional as the three women whose stories it tells.
Jan 2021
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The Power
...is engaging to begin with, but as it rolls along it becomes clear that it falls in the ‘if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all’ category of underworld dramas.
Jan 2021
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Nail Polish
...is a smartly handled, intriguing, well-acted psychological thriller that comes as a pleasant surprise.
Jan 2021
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Dec 2020
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AK vs AK
...is unusual, fun although it dips, breezy despite the grimness that takes over as it rolls along, and such an unexpected Christmas gift from Bollywood.
Dec 2020
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Baaghi 3
You can imagine how uninspiring the script is that despite all this high-adrenaline action, Baaghi 3 lacks fire.
Mar 2020
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Thappad
...is designed to make us uncomfortable about our milieu and compel us to introspect about our own complicity in patriarchy. It also shines a light on patriarchy and gender-based violence across class divides.
Mar 2020
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Feb 2020
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Feb 2020
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Jai Mummy Di
It is so poorly conceived and so so ordinary, that you have to wonder why this plain film was ever made. Seriously, why?
Jan 2020
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Chhapaak
...means well, no doubt, but the screenplay is surprisingly thin – surprising because of Meghna’s brilliance with Raazi and Talvar. Combine that with plotline weaknesses, an excessive effort to stay low key and the unexpected shot at being a conformist fairytale in the end, and the result is a film that seems curiously detached from its heroine, despite the devastating true story that inspired it.
Jan 2020
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Dec 2019
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Panipat
...is shorn of Padmaavat and Kesari's insidious intent, but it is not exactly an innocent, truthful chronicler of Indian history. Add to that its lack of polish and spark, and for all its occasional positives, it ends up as just an average affair.
Dec 2019
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Commando 3
...is technically glossy and the fight choreography is slick. The writing though is contrived.
Nov 2019
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Pagalpanti
...is sporadically entertaining, but for the most part it feels stale and ordinary.
Nov 2019
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Bala
...inconsistent characterisation and the team's lack of awareness of their own prejudice robs Bala of much of its value.
Nov 2019
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Made In China
...fails to hit the bull's eye because it sorely needed an evening out of pace and tone, depth of characterisation and detailing in the plotline.
Oct 2019
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The Sky Is Pink
Without seeming to try too hard, it is funny, believable and heartwrenching all rolled into one.
Oct 2019
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War
...could have been a suspenseful, eyecatching, entertaining ride. But for its politics.
Oct 2019
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Dream Girl
Just when you think Dream Girl has succumbed to what critics have in the past called The Curse of the Second Half though, it picks up once again thanks to certain cast members with unfailing comic timing.
Sep 2019
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Chhichhore
The writing of Chhichhore (by Tiwari himself with Nikhil Mehrotra and Piyush Gupta) is so lacking in depth, and the direction so passionless that it is hard to believe it is brought to us by the same person who made Dangal. Despite its sporadic bursts of humour, Chhichhore comes across as a half-hearted enterprise.
Sep 2019