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Radhe
Any Prabhudheva movie is a challenge to rote plot summaries; even then, Radhe takes the cake. There’s no logic between, under, over or in the middle of scenes.
May 2021
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Mar 2021
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Roohi
Just a few years into its revival, the Hindi horror-comedy has upped and died. The biggest blow was Laxmii (2020), with Akshay Kumar in a red saree, and now another is dealt by Roohi, starring Janhvi Kapoor as a human-witch hybrid.
Mar 2021
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Kaagaz
Satish Kaushik is one of our steadiest actor-directors, thriving especially in mainstream fare. But the social realism of Kaagaz largely eludes him.
Jan 2021
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Jan 2021
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AK vs AK
That’s the thing about the mockumentary format: unless you really dial it up, the fakeness starts to show.
Dec 2020
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Dec 2020
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Mar 2020
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Mar 2020
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Kaamyaab
Modestly made, it’s a gentle, light-hearted stroll through Bollywood, a tribute to the numerous nameless faces surrounding its hallowed stars...
Mar 2020
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Thappad
Taapsee is at her best fusing fortitude with doubt. She unfurls the timidity of her character without making her sympathetic.
Feb 2020
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Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
Audiences going for Hindi cinema’s first queer romance will be disappointed. Yes, you get a kiss between the male leads (two, in fact), but no real insight into their relationship.
Feb 2020
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Love Aaj Kal
It’s the unholiest of cash-grabs — and an all-time low for its writer-director.
Feb 2020
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Shikara
...is tentative in its politics, earnest in its design, and ultimately moving in its human scope.
Feb 2020
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Jawaani Jaaneman
...is, like I said, a hangout film. It trims conflict for humour and chill vibes.
Feb 2020
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Jan 2020
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Jan 2020
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Jan 2020
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Good Newwz
It’s a silly move, ditching a laugh track and filling it up with beat drops and stings. In case the Indian TV industry hadn’t made it clear, noise isn’t news.
Dec 2019
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Mardaani 2
...a sharply-plotted script with some gasp-inducing mini twists. But the moment lead actor Rani Mukerji takes centre stage, it all feels too easy.
Dec 2019
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Pati Patni Aur Woh
Its humour doesn’t stem from escalating confusion or clever lines, but plain sleaze. It takes the fantasy world of old Govinda movies and grafts it onto a real milieu — a scary combination by all means, as hinted at by Bhumi’s ‘single-screen/multiplex’ line.
Dec 2019
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Dec 2019
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Pagalpanti
There’s nothing lazier than a film pleading insanity at the get-go, barely bothering to make sense of the chaos. Madness, more often than not, leads to intriguing art. It rarely shelters imposters.
Nov 2019
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Marjaavaan
...an 80s masala template, dance bars and remixes, infuriating rhyme schemes, and a pyro-maniacal obsession.
Nov 2019
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Ujda Chaman
The result is a tone that’s constantly wobbly, from jokey to insensitivity.
Nov 2019
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Oct 2019
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Laal Kaptaan
...crucial balance between gravitas and fun is woefully amiss in Navdeep’s latest work, a galloping period western, weighed down by its broad historical sweep and dreary philosophizing.
Oct 2019
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The Sky Is Pink
With The Sky Is Pink, Shonali Bose has crafted a happy dream. And she is more than willing to admit it.
Oct 2019
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War
Despite the toughness of its leading men, the film tires them out with its convoluted writing — which, I am afraid, is the only villain in this skirmish. The rest are just in it for the money.
Oct 2019