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Court
It is unyielding, funny, mundane, occasionally boring and thought provoking, if only in hindsight.
Apr 2015
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Highway
...makes for the kind of cinema we need, perhaps not something we entirely deserve.
Feb 2014
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Finding Fanny
This film is exactly the kind of brave clutter-breaking effort that most critics wish for while lamenting the rigidness of mainstream stars. That it left me grinning long after the credit-roll is a testament to its ability to amuse, without resorting to gimmicky slapstick or toilet humour.
Sep 2014
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Badlapur
Badlapur is as uncomfortable as it gets, but it's also as good as it gets. Exemplary craft apart, this film also reiterates the importance of challenging convention—an art long abandoned for the haze of commerce.
Feb 2015
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Katiyabaaz
It leaves you with enduring images of a calamitous environment navigated by two antivillains whose thoughts and souls form a storied documentary that could well be a game-changer.
Aug 2014
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PK
The two smartest screenwriters of our generation, Mr. Hirani and Abhijat Joshi, have gone one better and crafted not so much as a movie as a relevant argument—with the usual ebbs and flows, dramatic flourishes, pauses and lapses in concentration (bloated second half) that characterize fierce debates.
Dec 2014
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Qissa
Anup Singh goes where few Indian filmmakers have gone before, forcing us to dive face-first into an uncomfortable 20-year tale of social, moral and ethnic disintegration.
Feb 2015
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Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Director Sharad Katariya takes more than a leaf out of this slice-of-life book, and gently constructs—with a remarkable eye for detail—one of the sweetest little fairytales in recent times.
Feb 2015
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Sulemani Keeda
We've lately seen so many shiny self-referential movies about movies, but none as self-aware and poker-faced as this charming little effort.
Dec 2014
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Queen
Director Vikas Bahl has crafted one of the better coming-of-age tales in recent times.
Mar 2014
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Citylights
Mehta and writer-editor Asrani pull off a rare feat here. They not only choose the right film to adapt-based solely on its theme and universal topicality-but build upon the original, without being overambitious.
May 2014
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I
...three throbbing hours of an operatic musical--with a unique style that refuses to find firm footing between Victor Hugo and Michael Bay.
Jan 2015
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Children Of War
...there is rarely any cause for hope or joy and sadness is only succeeded by further despair. I recommend its power to feel alive, but this isn't for the faint-hearted.
May 2014
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Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain
This isn't an easy event to storify, because it is even harder to watch. While much of it merely lends grainy well-cut images to pages we've been hesitant to read about, this is a film that shouldn't be escaped.
Dec 2014
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Bhoothnath Returns
This is a film that could have fallen apart into cliched pieces if not for its painstakingly appropriate casting.
Apr 2014
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Dekh Tamasha Dekh
The power of this bizarre premise lies in its' unyielding narrative style— peppered with a bunch of motley characters that add little by way of pace, but offer great scope for priceless set pieces.
Apr 2014
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Action Jackson
There's suspension of disbelief, and there's Action Jackson—where suspension climbs to the top of Everest, moonwalks and floats into the stratosphere strapped with eardrum-shattering jetpacks. Not usually my cuppa, but perhaps this one time, it is. With a shot of rum.
Dec 2014
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Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
It's good, but I'd much rather enjoy this director's cheeky experiments with characters and convention, over pulp and form. Banerjee is the truth, but must he prove his versatility?
Apr 2015
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A Decent Arrangement
It's hardly surprising that NRI filmmakers manage to capture the essence and eccentricity of our ways with greater restraint. As evident here, theirs is essentially an outsider's inside perspective, an honest union of craft and storytelling uncluttered by commercial aspirations.
Nov 2014
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Hasee Toh Phasee
...a well-mounted film which, for most of its 141 minutes, is a timely shot in the arm for a traditionally mishandled genre.
Feb 2014
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Lakshmi
It makes you cringe for important reasons though, and must be watched for its relentless pursuit of relevance and authenticity.
Mar 2014
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Ugly
I disliked what I saw, and I dislike thinking or even writing about its familiar environment. And this vile aftertaste is perhaps Mr. Kashyap's most significant achievement.
Dec 2014
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Haider
While this is far from his weakest effort, and better than most directors' strongest, Vishal Bhardwaj's Haider is only his third best Shakespeare adaptation.
Oct 2014
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Happy Ending
Seen before, done before. Narrative styles, conflicts, background scores and supporting characters have begun to overlap. All that differ are the littler details—professions, environments, guest appearances.
Nov 2014
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NH10
On its own, NH10 is atmospheric, well acted, moody and crafted with a definite vision. A little more writing and less 'inspiration' would have made this its own distinct film.
Mar 2015
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Nanak Shah Fakir
...this movie partially works for being just that-an ambitious biblical moving picture, for the diehard faithful as well as young adults.
Apr 2015
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Roy
That the graph remains unhurried, almost meditative in its approach to storytelling, is down to the director's striking sense of imagery and framing (supported by stylish camerawork), his atmospheric and well-planned use of string-heavy background themes, and his extensive treatment of their chatty chemistry.
Feb 2015
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Zed Plus
...a good, intelligent film-one that needs to be watched, if only to recognise the value of solid writing.
Nov 2014
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Hawaa Hawaai
Gupte works hard to imbibe collections of moments into his storytelling; the love and conviction for his subject is indisputable. Hawaa Hawaai isn't as compelling as his previous efforts, but still merits a watch for the gratifying culture he has constructed.
May 2014