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Sep 2016
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Madaari
This Khan makes Madaari a film worth watching. And his presence in contemporary cinema, makes this world a better place to live in.
Jul 2016
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Rangoon
The Bhardwaj who made Maqbool, Omkara and Haider is a man perfectly suited to a film like Rangoon. Sadly, without the writing brilliance of the director’s Shakespeare trilogy, Rangoon gets many things right, but fails to come together as an involving, engaging whole.
Feb 2017
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Phantom
...is what we Indians call “timepass”. Considering the subject matter, it should have been more, but as it is, it’s what we Indians additionally call a “one-time watch”.
Aug 2015
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Karwaan
There can be no more appropriate a description of Karwaan: it is not earth shattering, but it is not bad at all. Which is another way of saying it is an intelligent, funny, thoughtful film and a pleasant experience.
Aug 2018
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Aug 2014
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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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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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Badlapur
...boasts of many memorable scenes peopled with brilliant actors. The overall feeling though is one of a sporadically, episodically effective film that doesn’t quite add up.
Feb 2015
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Pad Man
For a film that is about self-sustenance among women, there is also some needless patriarchal dialoguebaazi about a mard being one who can provide raksha (protection) to the women in his life. That said, there is so much in Padman that is enjoyable and meaningful.
Feb 2018
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Happy New Year
Team Farah-Shah Rukh are capable of much better in the over-the-top genre that they favour together. Happy New Year is a step down from Om Shanti Om, but if you enjoy boisterous entertainment that is still not entirely mindless, it’s worth a visit.
Oct 2014
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Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Despite its jumbled story and this undercurrent of misogyny, it’s hard to write off the film. Because when the going gets good the dialogues are killers and because of the immaculate acting.
May 2015
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Rocky Handsome
...high on style and visual gratification, but low on substance and passion.
Mar 2016
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Notebook
...is not perfect, but like the sterling Kashmir waterscapes in the film camouflaging so much turmoil, and captured here so beautifully by cinematographer Manoj Kumar Khatoi, it too is worth a visit.
Mar 2019
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Cocktail
...bubbly in the first half, boring in the second, pretending to be free-thinking but actually narrow-minded and stereotypical to the core.
Jul 2012
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Holiday
The problem with Holiday is that the formulaic comedy and romance end up diluting the thriller that it is intended to be, while the entire film is weighed down by its senselessness.
Jun 2014
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Jannat 2
...despite its many flaws, it’s only fair to say that Jannat 2 is a mildly entertaining even if unmemorable film.
May 2012
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Apr 2016
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Saat Uchhakkey
...stands out for its excellent casting, excellent acting and – when it is not self-conscious – excellent humour. Now if only that had been enough...
Oct 2016
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Raees
The first half of Raees is supremely interesting and filled with promise. Besides, Shah Rukh Khan is a joy to watch in this new, exploratory innings of his career. The second half lets him down though. Style trumping substance is rarely a good thing for a film.
Jan 2017
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Fitoor
The pain, the rejection, the searing desire for revenge, the all-conquering power of love – none of it is adequately conveyed in this film which, by the time its final scene rolled around, left me as cold and detached as Estella’s heart was when she first met Pip.
Feb 2016
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Happy Bhag Jayegi
Aziz obviously has a flair for comedy but he needs to work on it. What he desperately needed here was either more time and thought, or a co-writer to help him build on the starting blocks he set up.
Aug 2016
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Ishaqzaade
Discussing the music, cinematography and other technical aspects of Ishaqzaade seems superfluous considering the way the film’s fun and seemingly feminist first half is marred by its anti-women second half.
May 2012
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Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara
The lasting impression though is of a sliver of a project, not a fully fleshed out film.
Aug 2013
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ABCD - Any Body Can Dance - 2
If only a teeny bit more attention had been paid to the writing of ABCD 2, this could have been a great film. Well, even with its blemishes, it is remarkably entertaining.
Jun 2015
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Traffic
Drama is intrinsic to these situations and to the larger, multi-cultural Indian reality, without the crutch of high-decibel songs or explicit moralising. If Team Traffic had understood that, this could have been a great film. As things stand, it is an uneven, unsatisfying ride.
May 2016
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Tiger Zinda Hai
If you can see Tiger Zinda Hai for what it is, you too may not mind its unabashed blend of swag, silliness and schmaltz.
Dec 2017
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Udta Punjab
It is a mystery why this film was allowed to come undone despite the tremendously gifted individuals involved and the extreme poignancy plus conviction of the first half.
Jun 2016
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Judgemental Hai Kya
...is based on an interesting concept, it is often funny and fascinating, but in the ultimate analysis, it does not make the grade.
Jul 2019
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Phillauri
Too many Hindi films are lost to the curse of the second half. Fortunately for Phillauri, its affliction is the exact opposite.
Mar 2017