-
Daas Dev
The film’s plot seems unnecessarily layered and often forces one to recount the various permutations to keep up with where the story is possibly headed.
Apr 2018
-
Love Sonia
In his directorial debut, Tabrez Noorani is so consumed in narrating the dangerous reality of survivors of sex trafficking that he ignores the fact that he has to also engage audiences with his characters — for them to actually feel their plight.
Sep 2018
-
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
-
Jul 2019
-
Ok Jaanu
Retelling a story in another language means being sensitive to the nuances of the recipient language as not everything will translate precisely, something that wasn't taken into account here.
Jan 2017
-
Dear Maya
Director Sunaina Bhatnagar had a noble vision: to capture the drama and debiliation of negotiating the teenage years. And while she manages to a certain extent, her naive, one-dimmensional characters fail to engage and subsequently interest one in the proceedings which seem to drag on endlessly.
Jun 2017
-
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
-
Student Of The Year 2
...Malhotra plays it on the back-foot, hoping to crack it with a formulaic plot and clichéd characters that barely go beyond the call of duty. Perhaps, it’s time for the makers to return to film school?
May 2019
-
Omerta
...barely digs below the surface and merely ticks the significant events in the British national’s life.
May 2018
-
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Extending the boundaries of his pet theme of love and friendship, Johar attempts to be Imtiaz Ali here. But in this regard, he fails miserably in drafting his character's journey.
Oct 2016
-
Dream Girl
While it packs in some sharp one-liners and furnishes bizarre situations, it doesn’t go beyond that. It’s almost as if the makers were so excited with the very premise that they didn’t bother to figure out where they wanted to take this story.
Sep 2019
-
Bhoomi
Inevitably, a cheerful opening sequence is followed by the heinous act that leads to much shared trauma. And once all else fails, the victims devise a way to seek justice on their own terms. Bhoomi is no different.
Sep 2017
-
Bhoot – Part One
...manages to intermittently hold one’s attention and engineers terrifying situations, but fails to keep up throughout its runtime.
Feb 2020
-
Raaz Reboot
If Vikram Bhatt fancies himself as a weaver of stories, he's gone over the hemline of logic here. Leaning on tested techniques of evoking fear, the eventual jolt never lives up to the build-up.
Sep 2016
-
Munna Michael
Despite a wafer-thin story, Khan leans on the tropes of masala films by leaning on silly humour, neck-wrenching action sequences and dance moves that defy gravity, to make the two hours twenty minutes you spend watching this film, not entirely unbearable.
Jul 2017
-
Manto
...in carving this supposedly objective portrait, she ends up with a colourless figure, and her clinical approach and lack of relevant anecdotes, takes away from what could’ve been an engaging tribute.
Sep 2018
-
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
-
Jhootha Kahin Ka
The film’s grammatically-challenged tagline — “Liars need to have good memories” — is hopefully, inversely proportional to what the audience retains from this one — for the sake of their sanity.
Jul 2019
-
Mahayoddha Rama
For those who've watched the televised version in the '80s on Doordarshan, this would hardly be nostalgic. If anything, it will ruin your childhood memories forever.
Nov 2016
-
Qaidi Band
That director Habib Faisal has helmed this one is not apparent through the film. But the filmmaker tucks in quintessential emotional nuggets that remind one of the filmmaker's signature cinematic flourishes.
Aug 2017
-
My Birthday Song
While the objective of psychological thrillers may vary, a reliable yardstick would be its ability to leave one unsettled. My Birthday Song hopes to achieve this by leaving the audience dazed and confused. But incessant reliance on tropes and lack of focus, leaves one disinterested and bored — even before the big reveal.
Jan 2018
-
Dil Juunglee
Taapsee Pannu extends dignity to average writing and conveys her character’s evolution well. Saqib Saleem consistently manages the accent of an average Delhi munda but barely digs any deeper...
Mar 2018
-
Housefull 4
The spurt in comedies crowding the multiplexes could be pinned on the economic slump, but the writing here points at a more graver concern — the creative recession gripping the Hindi film industry.
Oct 2019
-
Jazbaa
The film saves a major twist for the end, but that is, if you can survive it till then.
Oct 2015
-
Family Of Thakurganj
While a bit late in the day, filmmakers are waking up to the prospect of producing their own version of Gangs of Wasseypur. Sadly, their ambitions aren’t backed by compelling writing, a commendable cast or even a maker who could assemble a narrative.
Jul 2019
-
May 2019
-
Banjo
Riteish's signature line, which his character mumbles throughout the film, has a consistent prefix, "Life tumhe do choices deti hain..." For the audience, there's an option to skip this film or perish in a multiplex near you.
Sep 2016
-
Firangi
There are films that seem bearable when you go in with zero expectations and there are those that disappoint even when you're prepared to have your brains grilled. No prize for guessing which category this one falls in.
Dec 2017