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Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Runs on an unmistakable, foolproof formula: story is secondary; song, dance, costumes, and stars are supreme.
May 2013
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Yamla Pagla Deewana 2
The farcical humour has a few stray sparks, but this film, at 150 minutes, is a bellicose assault on the senses.
Jun 2013
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Ungli
The film has the distinct stamp of a brand of exaggerated, schmaltzy activism far from reality but in the garb of realism—the consummate example of this is Rang De Basanti, also D’Silva’s script.
Nov 2014
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Ugly
Ultimately Ugly rests on an irony, and although there are some masterfully-crafted scenes to build up suspense, none of it can hide the writer-director’s moral gaze—how depraved are you, he seems to ask, leaving his audience uneasy.
Dec 2014
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Tumbbad
...is the personal exploration of one man’s demons and the inevitability of him living with them forever no matter what he achieves. Rigorously detailed as a period film, Tumbbad has resonance with class structures that exist today.
Oct 2018
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The Lunchbox
While being an immensely enjoyable and competent film, the universality of The Lunchbox tends to exclude its setting’s all-important provinciality.
Sep 2013
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The Attacks Of 26/11
The way the story is told restricts what the film can say about the larger tragedy of human loss.
Mar 2013
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Student Of The Year
...is not as entertaining as it is aspirational for teenagers. Its fake world is not convincing.
Oct 2012
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Special 26
An insipid lead character and unnecessary digressions derail a good heist story.
Feb 2013
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Shuttlecock Boys
...will not induce happy sighs or tears, but the simple, spirited storytelling makes it worth a watch.
Aug 2012
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Shuddh Desi Romance
The big disappointment of Shuddh Desi Romance is writer Jaideep Sahni. Known for scripts and screenplays that retain efficacy of storytelling with commercially viable Bollywood elements, here is non-committal to making his characters fleshy or believable. The director and actors don’t rescue the fragile boat.
Sep 2013
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Shootout At Wadala
A loose, directionless script and insipid dialogues take their toll half an hour into the film.
May 2013
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Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
...is an awkward film, interspersed with some heartwarming scenes.
Aug 2012
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Ship Of Theseus
...a passionate and clever film, brimming with sharp and original interpretations of age-old philosophy.
Jul 2013
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Shanghai
An immensely enjoyable thriller, helmed by a brilliant cast of actors and a master storyteller in Dibakar Banerjee.
Jun 2012
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Oct 2013
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Satyagraha
...a missed opportunity. By translating a phenomenon that captured the national imagination even fleetingly, it could have humanized the Anna brigade. Jha dumbs down, and does it artlessly.
Aug 2013
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Satya 2
...does have academic value, as a study of a director’s systematic attempts to demolish his legacy and bury one of his most enduring creations...
Nov 2013
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Rowdy Rathore
...is an assault on every sense; it never reaches close to any mental faculty.
Jun 2012
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Nov 2013
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Aug 2014
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Race 2
The big budget is on display, and in boring, plastic ways. A lover of pulp action thrillers has many sharper, and far more entertaining options.
Jan 2013
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Raanjhanaa
...the lead performance shines, the writing complementing it. Rahman’s music set to the tragicomic beats of this man’s life makes Raanjhanaa a film to watch.
Jun 2013
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Queen
...an ebullient, enjoyable film, its feminist points squirelled into the film’s margins. It’s the breeziest film you can imagine about a person’s transformation in a short span, and Ranuat is winningly responsible for it.
Mar 2014
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PK
...the director’s biggest feat is the idea, its effortless translation and its politics.
Dec 2014
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Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara
...is the worst I have seen of Luthria. All his previous films are a celebration and relish of stylish pulp. This is a misfire in style as well as story.
Aug 2013
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OMG Oh My God!
...could have been a taut, edgy take on organized religion. But it stops short, almost scared to really question religion, and turns into a verbose and silly film.
Sep 2012