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Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
The extent to which this film will influence minds or shape opinion on our queer brethren is debatable, but it’s surely a breezy watch. And in this era of iron-fisted rule, it might just be a good idea.
Feb 2020
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Parched
She (Leena Yadav) layers her characters with a delicious mix of pain and pleasure but tries a bit too hard to seek empathy for them.
Sep 2016
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Panipat
Ashutosh Gowariker has Sanjay Leela Bhansali to blame for elevating the scale and cinematic impact of battle sequences. Gowariker ticks all the boxes but struggles to conceptualise out-of-the-box stunts or sequences that could potentially throw us off.
Dec 2019
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Maatr
This may not be as edgy or dark as NH10, but packs in the same amount of trauma.
Apr 2017
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Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota
Some of the fight sequences in the film are reminiscent of Stephan Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle — magnifying the aesthetic and theatrics of every blow for maximum impact. The two films also share a common agenda — to tickle you where it hurts.
Mar 2019
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Phantom
A politically incorrect fantasy, this one will help many Indians feel blissful for most of the 147 minutes of its runtime.
Aug 2015
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Tu Hai Mera Sunday
Director Milind Dhaimade balances the parallel stories in the film evenly and with an underlying vulnerability. He allows his characters to demonstrate their traits and only occasionally, becomes a little too preachy.
Oct 2017
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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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Made In China
Given the premise, Mikhil Musale had a potential rib-tickler here. But while he manages to keep one interested and attentive through a large part of the film, his inability to hold the story together, particularly towards the end, takes the wind out of this one.
Oct 2019
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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.
Oct 2018
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Pati Patni Aur Woh
...while it manages to update the betrayed spouse as vengeful partner keen on getting even, the other woman continues to be a dispensable accessory to the equation.
Dec 2019
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Bajrangi Bhaijaan
...there is so little of the Salman Khan that his fans have grown to love and worship that in a way, BBis his Swades. Whether his performance deserves analysis and applause is debatable, but the effort to ditch his characteristic cliches is commendable.
Jul 2015
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Happy Bhag Jayegi
...if you're in for a mild entertainer which won't make or ruin your mood, bhaag to a multiplex near you.
Aug 2016
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Raid
It doesn’t entirely capture your imagination but doesn’t rob you of your better sense either.
Mar 2018
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Titli
Titli seems to be made with the single-minded objective of leaving audiences with an unsettling feeling...
Oct 2015
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M.S. Dhoni
While this would qualify as an average watch, in a cricket-crazed nation like ours, this hagiographic tribute serves as the highlights of an iconic match — packed with best shots, wickets and commentary to match.
Sep 2016
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Mardaani 2
The decision to not have any songs eliminates the scope for distractions and the approximately 105 minutes that one invests in this watch is largely focussed and tense.
Dec 2019
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Gone Kesh
Debutant director Qasim Khallow should be lauded for managing to contain this story within two hours. He also ensures the proceedings aren’t hurried and keeps one hooked even when the inevitable climax is predictable.
Mar 2019
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The Ghazi Attack
The film packs in enough near-collisions, engine failures and torpedo evasions to keep you excited through most of the 125 minutes that make up its runtime.
Feb 2017
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Hichki
Essaying a disability onscreen challenges an actor’s potential and process and Rani conveys her character’s condition sensitively without overdramatising it.
Mar 2018
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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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Gurgaon
Films have often typecast the original inhabitants of Gurugram like Hollywood films paint Texans: trigger-happy, bigoted millionaires who're as easily amused as they are irked. But this story takes the creative liberty to stretch this perception to amount to exaggeration.
Aug 2017
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Fukrey Returns
If one approaches this one as a comedy, it would be mildly satisfying as it sporadically strays into the thriller space and the strategically-planted comic elements seem forced and constructed. But hope for nothing, and you won't be bitterly disappointed.
Dec 2017
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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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Dear Zindagi
This one is a mood film. No surprises, no revelations mid-way, but if you have a mushy-minded mate, this would make for quite a date.
Nov 2016
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Poster Boys
This one's tricky as it has to sensitively portray the plight of the characters while ensuring the screwball humour doesn't take away from the proceedings. On that count, the maker (Shreyas Talpade helming a film for the first time) does fairly well.
Sep 2017
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Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz
The film’s story has barely much to offer but Onir carefully crafts emotionally-charged sequences that keep you interested and curious about the proceedings — even while the end is predictable.
Feb 2018
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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.
Aug 2018
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The Sky Is Pink
Director Shonali Bose is certain of what she wants to achieve through this story — depict a crushing yet inspiring story of a girl who has accepted that the odds aren’t in her favour and yet, hopes to get even with life.
Oct 2019
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A Flying Jatt
...repetitive gags, animated flashbacks and a misplaced sense of patriotism numb you to their impact.
Aug 2016