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Mantostaan
The effort of actor-writer-director Rahat Kazmi is, therefore, irrefutably pertinent and praiseworthy. The result, alas, is uneven. Mantostaan is devoid of the gut-wrenching punch that Manto's seething pen could deliver at will.
May 2017
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Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
...Rajamouli is an exceptional storyteller and craftsman. He packs just enough into this magnum opus for it not be dismissed merely as a hollow extravaganza. It is in excess that the strength of Baahubali 2 lies and it makes no bones about it, take it or lump it.
Apr 2017
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Noor
...is as appetizing as a flat beer. Whatever little effervescence it has is only window dressing.
Apr 2017
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Maatr
Subtleties and nuances are obviously beyond Maatr. It deals solely in broad strokes. No matter how much slack you are willing to cut this film, it will still need some more in order to have its glaring gaps glossed over.
Apr 2017
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Begum Jaan
She (Vidya Balan) is phenomenally riveting no doubt, but the film that rests awkwardly on her shoulders is passable at best.
Apr 2017
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Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana
...is a tedious rom-com that fails to shrug off its loopy quality despite a few entertaining performances
Apr 2017
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Apr 2017
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Mukti Bhawan
...is a small, spry, sublimely beguiling essay that bears the weight of its solemn theme without the faintest hint of a stumble. If there is only one film that you want to see this week, this month, this year - or this lifetime - let it be this one.
Apr 2017
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Poorna
...is a large-hearted film: more a heartfelt portrait of courage than just another routine underdog film. Small gripes shouldn't offset its overall impact. It is considerable.
Mar 2017
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Naam Shabana
...for all its avowed aspirations, it rarely ventures beyond the trite and tested. Watch it only if standard-fare action dramas do not put you off.
Mar 2017
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Phillauri
...is an unconventional Bollywood entertainer that is watchable all the way. It does not rely on star power. It draws its strength instead from an off-kilter screenplay
Mar 2017
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Anaarkali Of Aarah
..is the kind of film that you want to applaud, especially on account of the concerns that it articulates. But it leaves you deeply dissatisfied. It could have done with much more passion and flair. It is worse than a misfire. It doesn't fire at all despite the magnificently full-blooded pivotal performance from Swara Bhaskar.
Mar 2017
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Badrinath Ki Dulhania
... a pulpy, uneven romantic caper that strives to pass itself off as a mellow tale of patriarchy, love, honour and ambition set in small-town India and couched in doses of humour. Neither the mush nor the air of mirth can pull it out of the trough it digs for itself.
Mar 2017
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Commando 2
It's a lot of sound and fury that's not worth your money, hard-earned or otherwise.
Mar 2017
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Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai
... is this a film? Not by a long shot. Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai is more an endurance test, a lumbering mess that wanders all over the place both literally and figuratively, hobbling along in no particular direction.
Mar 2017
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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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Running Shaadi
...a film that never finds its feet. So let alone break into a steady trot, it can barely get out of its cramped crouch.
Feb 2017
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Feb 2017
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The Ghazi Attack
Much water has flown down the Bay of Bengal since the 1971 Indo-Pak war changed the face of the subcontinent, but the PNS Ghazi mystery, at best a 1971 footnote, persists. This film does not do much to increase our desire to dive deeper and learn more about that obscure chapter.
Feb 2017
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Jolly LLB 2
...does well not to take itself too seriously. It has the feel of a good-natured banter between friends rather than that of an inflated inquest conducted from a pedestal. Scintillating? No. Enjoyable? Absolutely.
Feb 2017
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Kaabil
Hrithik Roshan delivers a convincing enough performance as a man who cannot see. Kaabil is paisa vasool fare, if not more.
Jan 2017
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Ok Jaanu
A breezy, feel-good romance with its share of highs, OK Jaanu floats along through some interesting thematic territory without managing to soar to the altitude one expects it to.
Jan 2017
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Haraamkhor
...isn't a ground-breaker, but it certainly is worthy of applause for its fearlessness and for the impressive quality of the acting.
Jan 2017
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Dangal
...is the kind of sports film that usually eludes Bollywood. It knows the rules inside and out and meticulously plays by them without ever succumbing to dreary predictability.
Dec 2016
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Befikre
The film goes much further afield in search of true love and loses its way. If you dig that feeling, Befikre might be right up your boulevard.
Dec 2016
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Dear Zindagi
...pulls at the heartstrings. It is also loaded with genteel humour. But what works above all is that the pop philosophy/psychology that underlines the drama at the film's core isn't the least bit pulpy.
Nov 2016
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Tum Bin 2
The audience might not be overly dukhi with Tum Bin 2, especially owing to its commendably sophisticated soundtrack. But this sequel is unlikely to have anybody asking for more.
Nov 2016