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Aarakshan
Mainstream cinema has a way of simplifying the most complex of issues, but in that simplicity, it also manages to touch a chord, reach out and even initiate debate. Prakash Jha fails to do any of that with Aarakshan.
Aug 2011
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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
There is a compelling biopic hidden somewhere in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, about an athlete with a traumatic childhood facing up to and conquering the ghosts of his past. But the overwritten film meanders aimlessly.
Jul 2013
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Happy New Year
It held the promise of making fine art out of stupidity, yet went back on it.
Nov 2014
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Junglee
There is a sweet stray dog and magnificent tuskers and an unintended nostalgia unleashed for Haathi Mere Saathi. I came out raving about Kulkarni's fitness and agility and Jammwal’s voice and jawline. But that wasn’t quite the point of the film, was it?
Mar 2019
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Dabangg 3
...has a wisp of a story told in a tawdry, slipshod way. It depends entirely on the goodwill and popularity of the original and the star power of Salman Khan to sail through.
Dec 2019
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Krrish 3
The film tries to raise the bar for Bollywood superhero films with its better-than-the-rest SFX and cinematography, but remains thoroughly clunky at heart. The content and characters, the story-telling and dialogue are tacky.
Nov 2013
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Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
...it all eventually boils down to yet another bloody revenge drama, in perpetuity at that. In the midst of several characters and strands the film loses an essential sense of cohesion.
Aug 2017
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Pyaar Ka Punchnama
The first half is quite a laugh riot, but the narrative gets too scattered in the second.
May 2011
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Rowdy Rathore
Follows Dabangg’s footsteps in offering us a mix of action and comedy but falls way short of gaining the latter’s iconic stature.
Jun 2012
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Murder 3
Every member of the cast hams much too much and tries hard at seeming mysterious.
Feb 2013
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Made In China
...is an utterly confused film. It is unsure about what it wants to focus on and achieve.
Oct 2019
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Bodyguard
This Id, it is Salman Mubarak. However, fans be warned that Bodyguard does not offer them the familiar Sallu bhaigiri.
Sep 2011
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Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi
If you have a taste for such supreme silliness (honest confession, at times my balmy head certainly does) then you’ll be be smiling, if not laughing out loud. The problem is the lack of consistency, with the sharp lines and quick wit often lapsing into the puerile.
Aug 2018
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Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Way too old-fashioned for comfort, riddled with absurd twists: it's abrupt, hurried and awkward.
Nov 2012
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Mohenjo Daro
Gowariker puts in all the hard work and sincerity in the canvas and the mounting, in the seals and the statues but refuses to take the necessary leap of imagination to give us something fresh, something worth taking note of.
Aug 2016
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The Ghazi Attack
It’s a straightforward, chronological, well-acted and intermittently engaging watch...
Feb 2017
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Super 30
A salutary cause and an inspirational story about the triumph of the underdog doesn’t necessarily make an engaging film.
Jul 2019
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Main Tera Hero
Gets way too random and hit and miss. Doesn’t feel fresh enough and lacks the vital spark.
Apr 2014
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Veere Di Wedding
...at a time when the gender question is in such a serious churn and feminism debate at its sharpest, Veere’s light-hearted and giddy take would seem entirely out of depth.
Jun 2018
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Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
...might be bringing a “new story” to Bollywood but plays out too flat, lightweight and facile to be of any consequence. Tell us another love story, please.
Feb 2019
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Jhootha Hi Sahi
Startlingly flaccid and boring. Instead of making you feel for the characters, it leaves you disengaged and disinterested.
Oct 2010
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Raaz 3
Bad music, corny lines and some unintentionally funny moments come together rather well. It is unrelentingly creepy.
Sep 2012
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Pari
The oppressive fear built at the start collapses when the filmmaker explains it all.
Mar 2018
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Bol Bachchan
Seeks inspiration from the classic but suffers from tacky sets, over-the-top acting and loud jokes and gags.
Jul 2012
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I Me Aur Main
Things remain utterly dull, uninspiring and don’t get engaging. It’s badly cast - the actors just don’t measure up.
Mar 2013
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Hawaa Hawaai
Despite all the good intentions, the film wallows in its goodness and left me cold by its sheer virtue.
May 2014
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Noor
Patronising as it may sound the film should have remained about Noor and her relationships alone. It’s when Noor’s professional side comes to fore that things start to crumble.
Apr 2017