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The Sky Is Pink
It seems like an emotion that the filmmaker's probably been through, and so wants the world to know. And ponder over. It just stops being just a movie then.
Oct 2019
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Rockstar
Director Imitiaz Ali manages to retain a personal, auteur's touch in a genre vastly commercial, mainstream. This is a rare feat.
Nov 2011
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Soorma
With Soorma, Ali confidently gets to the centre, keeps his impulses under check, and plays it totally narrow, and fully straight. And, yes, he hits home, alright. This is possibly his best work yet.
Jul 2018
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Ishqiya
This road film is in parts, an Yi Tu Mama Tambien sort of bizarre romance, an El Mariachi type curry-western, and a City Of God kind of grimy thriller. Yet, the pungent odour is entirely original. Oh smell it - for sure.
Jan 2010
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Shor In The City
What you do notice about this quintessentially metropolis movie is its sheer spunk, verve and adorably absurd humour.
Apr 2011
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Sep 2011
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Bala
It's almost as if the film has been designed to clear every headspace and leg/elbow room for the leading man Ayushmann to spread his wings and soar. And boy, does he shine—perhaps outshining anything he's done in the mainstream space so far.
Nov 2019
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No One Killed Jessica
The narrative is gripping, the music score (Amit Trivedi) uplifting, the screenplay tight enough to allow for very few slippages (only towards the end).
Jan 2011
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NH10
The number of coincidences in a plot is obviously inversely proportional to how credible the story seems. There are quite a few coincidences here, and an equal number of moments where some suspension of disbelief is a must.
Mar 2015
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The Ghazi Attack
The captain of this sturdy ship, or director (Sankalp Reddy), as it were, I'm told, is a young first-time filmmaker from Hyderabad. Now that's the guy to watch out for.
Feb 2017
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Hindi Medium
...the picture very passionately makes a point that could well be a polished mirror to the audience before it. I'm glad I caught it.
May 2017
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Qarib Qarib Singlle
This is the sort of script that world champions of the desi rom-com genre would've taken to an altogether level. To be fair, director Tanuja Chandra (in fine form) makes it more than a 'qarib qarib' lovely, and surely worth your while in the theatre.
Nov 2017
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AK vs AK
Outside of casual voyeurism boxed into a genre flick, what are you supposed to make of this spoof of a spoof (showbiz/celebrity lives)? That's thing about stuff that's meta—you gotta look beyond what you see.
Dec 2020
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Rangoon
...too many things have been mixed into one film. But attempted with eye-popping chutzpah. Over years, it's another matter if you've liked all his movies or not, what you have to credit Bhardwaj for is sheer audacity, and flight of imagination. He takes a chance.
Feb 2017
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Mission Mangal
This is actually a pretty sweet, syrupy film, in a schmaltzy sort of way, full of Hallmark card type quotable quotes, on success and life, and all that jazz. To a point that you may even forget sometimes that it's entirely a space-mission movie to begin with.
Aug 2019
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Ladies VS Ricky Bahl
At worst, the film remains then a yawn inducing, half explained romance; at best, it's an effortless watch all the way.
Dec 2011
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Tubelight
...contrary to likely audience expectations, this is a film rather subdued on drama, hysteria, and action, although it remains coherent, entertaining, and sincere throughout. More importantly it does not preach to the choir.
Jun 2017
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Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
This is very much "Bollywood", a style of storytelling that few if anyone understands better than director Karan Johar, whose EQ (emotional quotient) borders on genius levels, if you ask me.
Oct 2016
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Tumhari Sulu
This film, where Vidya shows up as a vivacious, fat Virar aunty, embodying all the compassions and contradictions within a modern desi woman, is not an exception, by any means. It is really as good as it gets.
Nov 2017
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Well Done Abba
This is Boman’s finest work yet. Truly, well done, both Benegal, and Boman then!
Mar 2010
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Dharam Sankat Mein
Popular entertainment, or a lively, mass-oriented film such as this, is perhaps our most potent counter to a frightening intolerance. That fact alone makes this a very important and brave film.
Apr 2015