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Shanghai
...a no-frills but searing political thriller that is under-wired with intelligence and nerve, both cinematic and ideological.
Jun 2012
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Vishwaroop
...trust producer-director-actor Kamal Haasan to serve up the good old filmic formula in a well-mounted cinematic package that lends the largely predictable material an impressive veneer.
Feb 2013
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Madras Cafe
...a sinewy and riveting espionage thriller that entertains without having to play to the gallery.
Aug 2013
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Newton
It is only rarely that wit and wisdom come together in a Hindi film as felicitously as it does here.
Sep 2017
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Special 26
...is an intelligently scripted, superbly acted, enthralling and believable heist film that is more than just that.
Feb 2013
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Manto
...is a highly watchable, immediately thought-provoking cinematic work that does not have to deliver sledgehammer blows quite in the manner of Manto's more confrontational stories.
Sep 2018
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Island City
Laced with sly wit and captivating storytelling feints, Island City touches heights that Hindi films do only once in a blue moon. It is absolutely unmissable.
Sep 2016
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Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
...goads the audience to think differently without trying to deviate from its primary purpose, which is to deliver entertainment. It does the latter well enough and yet does not overly dilute its off-kilter vision. No mean feat that.
Feb 2019
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The Lunchbox
Gorge into it and savour its lingering aftertaste. The Lunchbox holds riches that aren’t likely to be forgotten in a hurry.
Sep 2013
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Airlift
Menon steers clear of the traps in his way while delivering a sharply written, gripping thriller that rarely, if ever, flags.
Jan 2016
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Ship Of Theseus
...is so universal in scope and appeal that the human, artistic and ethical issues it raises would be valid anywhere in the world.
Jul 2013
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Hawaa Hawaai
...if it is genuine entertainment that you are looking for, your search ends here.
May 2014
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Gurgaon
...is a felicitous first film that bears the stamp of cinematic craftsmen who know their art inside out.
Aug 2017
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Singham
...an old-fashioned but rousing Hindi commercial film that pretty much restores one's faith in this often-maligned brand of cinema.
Jul 2011
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Angry Indian Goddesses
...a must-see and not only because it is unlike anything Hindi cinema has produced before. It strikes a fine and rare balance between thematic gravitas and breezy entertainment.
Dec 2015
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Citylights
It is a film that shocks, provokes and seeks to prick our collective complacency and apathy. That obviously adds up to infinitely more value than the price of a multiplex ticket.
May 2014
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Rangoon
...is wholeheartedly recommended but with a rider: it isn't a stroll in the park because it demands patience and concentration.
Feb 2017
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Dedh Ishqiya
Dedh Ishqiya entertains, but does so in a manner that does not trifle with the intelligence of the audience.
Jan 2014
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Parched
The sheer verve that the writer-director packs into her compelling tale of three women and a child bride battling rural India's gender gridlock gives the film a distinctive texture and quality.
Sep 2016
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Kajarya
...a powerful and important film that finds vestiges of genuine humanity in an area of impenetrable darkness. But it offers no false hopes.
Dec 2015
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Budhia Singh
...is by no means a perfect film, but it is an honest, heartfelt and highly effective tribute to a coach and his ward who were bafflingly stopped in their tracks.
Aug 2016
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No Fathers In Kashmir
...places the various facets of the unrest on the table and does not overplay its hand. The impact of the quality writing, the steady cinematography and the sharp editing is enhanced significantly by a cast of actors who strike the right notes all the way.
Apr 2019
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Tu Hai Mera Sunday
It sets itself a modest target and achieves it without breaking a sweat.
Oct 2017
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Sonchiriya
...a fabulous fable of a flawed land that eschews easy options and sticks to its guns all the way through.
Mar 2019
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Fitoor
...succeeds in turning a literary classic into a contemporary cinematic feast for the eyes and the senses.
Feb 2016
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Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar
...isn't a fast-paced drama designed for easy comprehension and cheap thrills. It demands that you abandon the lexicon you usually employ to decipher a genre film and embrace the joy of responding to unusual, often cryptic modes.
Mar 2021
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Chef
...serves up a feast garnished with subtle spices. Its aroma is mild and delicate, but the after-taste lingers on for long.
Oct 2017