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Queen
...is a good entertainer, sure, but, more critically, it is a showcase for an actress poised to reign. This is one of those monumental moments when you feel the movies shift, and nothing remains the same. I've seen the future, baby, and it's Kangana.
Mar 2014
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PK
...it is a rollicking mainstream entertainer with ambition to evoke some introspection, one with compelling moments and some genuine surprises.
Dec 2014
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Main Aur Charles
...tells its tale with calculated intent -- coolly, cleverly, taking its time -- mirroring the dry panache of its self-assured protagonist.
Oct 2015
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Dear Zindagi
...is a lovely picture, made with finesse and heart, and one that not only takes some stigma off the idea of seeking therapy, but -- in the most natural of ways -- goes a long way in making a viewer think of the people who matter most.
Nov 2016
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Pataakha
The short story Do Behnein is six pages long, and starts only as Pataakha enters its second half. Bhardwaj takes these hysterical sisters at each other’s throats and turns them into a metaphor for India and Pakistan, locked in an endless cycle of sniping. It is an unsubtle analogy but effective in its crude directness, like a street-play.
Sep 2018
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Finding Fanny
It gives us much, much to smile pleasantly at, to guffaw at, and one moment that will make the theatre gasp -- before it brings the house down.
Sep 2014
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Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola
And no matter the slight niggles: this is a film that goes far out on a limb, and gives us both bedlam and nuances, enough to warrant repeated viewings. And more than enough to love.
Jan 2013
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Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns
...a theatrically indulgent entertainer, one that makes no bones about its pulpiness and stays well and truly juicy.
Mar 2013
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Rangoon
...haunts in unlikely fashion and, while the director's most straightforward picture, holds enough of its own marvels to justify multiple viewings.
Feb 2017
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Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota
...is an ode to joy, an ebullient celebration of the cassette-tapes its maker has been brought up on. It is an action film, about fights and villains and the importance of pain, and Bala serves up chopsocky goodness not only with directorial flair, but with the benevolence of a friendly neighbourhood ‘Chinese-van’ cook, drowning chowmein in soya sauce and vinegar.
Mar 2019
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Veere Di Wedding
...lands several blows to the patriarchy while never giving up its masala entertainer roots. It is the kind of film that needs to work because of what it says.
Jun 2018
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Mere Dad Ki Maruti
It’s a ride, a goofy, forgettable ride. One that throws up a debutant director with promise and actors who deserve to be in more films.
Mar 2013
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M.S. Dhoni
Rajput steps forward and tonks it out of the park, but it would matter much more if this wasn't an exhibition match on a conveniently doctored pitch.
Sep 2016
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Trapped
The film is compelling but it could have been more cleverly plotted, though, having said that, I wonder if that would have gotten in the way of how audiences relate to the everyman aspect of the horror.
Mar 2017
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Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
Honestly, it's just good to watch a film with memorable comedy again. Heaven knows its been a while.
Nov 2009
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Barfi!
And yet so impressive and earnest are most parts of Barfi! that one is inclined even to forgive its flawed centre; we want badly to overlook the film's peach-seed heart, and concentrate on the rest of its juicy joys.
Sep 2012
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Bajrangi Bhaijaan
...an overearnest, oversimplified, preposterously sweet and frequently schlocky film, which shouldn’t work because of how predictable and soppy it is. Yet, because of a finely picked supporting cast, some sharp lines of dialogue and, most crucially, because of its overall heart, it works, and works well.
Jul 2015
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The Dirty Picture
...forsakes much potential nuance in its urge to please crowds but is still far more engaging than most Bollywood produce.
Dec 2011
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Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
This could have been a bolder and more explicit film, but sometimes cinema should work like a street play. Sometimes we need to preach beyond the choir.
Feb 2019
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Laila Majnu
...is a thoughtfully written film, where the escalation of feelings appears as natural as it can, and characters stay credible even as the intensity becomes unbearable.
Sep 2018
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Rocket Singh
It's not a film that grips you from the word go, or one that leaves you rolling in the aisles, but it's an impassioned effort that tosses skepticism out the window.
Dec 2009
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Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
This is a lark, a goofy film where you know what's going to happen but where you enjoy watching it unfold.
Jul 2014
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Jul 2015
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2.0
It could have been a smarter film, but it is a mostly fun Rajinikanth ride, with solid 3D and great Atmos sound...
Nov 2018
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Court
...a singularly strong directorial debut -- gives us stunning snapshots which should work sensationally well for a festival audience, but, to the Indian viewer, are not truly new or holding any strikingly original thought.
Apr 2015
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Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
This is the rare sequel that is better than the first. Rajamouli's original Baahubali was engaging and effective but significantly overstuffed, with waterfalls and a weird romantic track and far too many songs for the genre, while this film is a lot more assured about both narrative and tone.
Apr 2017
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Manto
The Bombay portions feel like clips of a highlight reel, but these scenes are buoyed by lyricism and spirit, even though the editing is choppy and some moments flash by too hurriedly. The Lahore half, more conventionally linear, feels eventually tedious, with hoary scenes of tormented creators and sick children.
Sep 2018
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Newton
...a film that, while striving to be admirably dry, proves at times to be achingly dull. The film's go-nowhere pace seems to be a conscious decision but its highest, most telling moments come through scintillating lines of dialogue (take a bow, Mayank Tewari) and actorly flourishes from a great ensemble.
Sep 2017
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Zero
Bauaa Singh is a severely flawed character made irresistible by his pluck, and it’s remarkable how much Khan brings to the part. And he remains the best lover in the business.
Dec 2018
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Ishqiya
Rarely are grace and profanity cited in the same breath. Debutant filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey's Ishqiya, however, is a privileged exception.
Jan 2010