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London Dreams
An “Amadeus”-inspired saga has wonderful musical segments, but a woeful dramatic heart. Plus, a feeble fantasy.
Nov 2009
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Kites
A cross-culture romance cum road movie is very easy on the eye, and very difficult to endure.
May 2010
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Jab Tak Hai Jaan
It is perhaps a testament to Yash Chopra that he shepherds us past this material without making it look entirely ludicrous. Jab Tak Hai Jaan is a sturdy instruction manual on how to handle melodrama in the classiest possible fashion.
Nov 2012
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Apr 2014
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Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aaata Hai?
This “conceptual remake” could have used less concept, more thought on why they were remaking the earlier film in the first place.
Apr 2019
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Bullett Raja
With so much that’s so fascinating at a conceptual level, it’s surprising how dull Bullett Raja is – and that’s because Dhulia, in his attempts to imbue his material with layers and texture, forgets what made those masala movies work in the first place.
Dec 2013
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Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
A sluggish pace. This wouldn’t be a problem if the characters were well-drawn, interesting, or if the plot was gripping. But no and no.
Apr 2015
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Well Done Abba
With no one to particularly invest in, Well Done Abba turns dull very quickly – and it doesn’t help that complex issues are raised and redressed with insulting simple-mindedness.
Mar 2010
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Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
This sort of material, to be pulled off, needs a certain kind of director – Bela Bhansali Sehgal isn’t that director.
Aug 2012
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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
There’s always something happening, but very little perspective on why this man’s life demanded to be made into a movie.
Jul 2013
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Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho
The other thing that makes us uneasy is the persistent doubt that these villagers are being paraded about for our amusement, that they’re being made a little too colourful just so we can sit back in our multiplexes and laugh at them.
Jul 2015
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2 States
This material, based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel 2 States: The Story of My Marriage, might have worked if treated with slapstick energy. Instead, Varman tries to class it up.
Apr 2014
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Dolly Ki Doli
...Abhishek Dogra, tries desperately to convince us that it’s a comedy, but the jokes are essentially one-note, the same setup warmed up and served over and over.
Jan 2015
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Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey
The problem with Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey isn't its simple-minded straightforwardness. The problem is that not a single character in this story is brought to three-dimensional life - we get a parade of names and faces, and we could be staring into an illustrated history book.
Dec 2010
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Tum Milo Toh Sahi
...a crisscross of lives converging on a depressingly drawn-out courtroom proceeding.
Apr 2010
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Tanu Weds Manu
A generally underwhelming love story cannot make up its mind whether it wants to be a romantic comedy or a romantic melodrama.
Feb 2011
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Guddu Rangeela
Some films that don’t quite work, you dismiss outright. Guddu Rangeela is the kind of film you grapple with. You wish it were better.
Jul 2015
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I Hate Luv Storys
Extremely winning leads do their best to add freshness to a film that feels a decade old (and about as long).
Jul 2010
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The Dirty Picture
Like most of The Dirty Picture, these supposedly stinging observations are little more than storms in a D cup.
Dec 2011
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Hawaizaada
Puri has toiled hard to make his film look outré, but that isn’t enough – you wish he’d expended an equal amount of energy to infuse a similar eccentricity into the plot and the characters as well.
Feb 2015
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Dear Dad
The film is anchored by Arvind Swamy’s performance – though it’s really his presence, that quiet way he weathers the worst of storms.
May 2016
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Jolly LLB 2
Merely okay as courtroom drama, but a vivid look at Hindu-Muslim dynamics.
Feb 2017
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Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb, which should have been much better, plays like a mashup of Hindi cinema before it became Bollywood.
May 2013
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Dilwale
Every decision in Dilwale screams: I have Shah Rukh and Kajol in my film, so why bother?
Jan 2016
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Gold
Unlike Talaash, which was incendiary material that could be handled in Reema Kagti’s tasteful style, Gold needs a director who’s a shameless hustler.
Aug 2018
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Zubaan
...it’s a problem when what’s meant to be an edgy coming-of-age story is hijacked by a campy, entertainingly nutty family soap.
Mar 2016
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Thackeray
A celebratory epic that’s less about a leader’s psyche than his penchant for punch lines.
Jan 2019