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Gully Boy
It’s ambitious but accessible, mainstream yet not machine-made. The mix is overpowering — the sound of the movies, the voice of the streets.
Feb 2019
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Sonchiriya
Devious and unforgiving, Abhishek Chaubey’s filmmaking lugs Sonchiriya into uncharted mainstream territory. Its reflective pace might puzzle a few, especially audiences unaccustomed to revisionist cinema, but I’m hoping for the humour to sell.
Mar 2019
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Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota
...director Vasan Bala retreats to that primal feeling of fantasy, and performs a touching reversal: he stacks up the imaginary outtakes of his own childhood and returns them to where they belong — in a movie.
Mar 2019
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Andhadhun
The trailer had promised intrigue and duplicity, and the film delivers profusely on both fronts.
Oct 2018
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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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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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Stree
The subtext is heavy, but not heavy-handed. The film swings intently between humour and exposition: there’s depth to be explored, but also fun to be had.
Aug 2018
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Photograph
Ritesh Batra has crafted a sweet homage to the movies that complete our dreams. It takes a while but finds its heart. Don’t let the festival olives tell you otherwise. 'Photograph' is a Hindi film that’s happy to be one.
Mar 2019
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Manto
It makes brave pronouncements on artistic freedom, religious violence and abject nationalism without losing sight of its investigative rigour— the film illustrates; it does not preach. Such mindfulness is often absent in our cinema, a medium so susceptible to rage, but Manto stands apart as a poignant exception.
Sep 2018
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Jan 2020
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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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Love Sonia
What could have easily slipped into the trenches of reductive cinema is rescued by a dogged upscaling of drama.
Sep 2018
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Jan 2020
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Judgemental Hai Kya
Prakash Kovelamudi has made a punchy Hindi debut. Seductive and snarly, it urges us to look beyond the obvious — to do a double-take on things.
Jul 2019
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Jan 2021
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Oct 2019
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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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Why Cheat India
...is a neatly-observed film that needed more tonal clarity to be taken seriously. It features a refreshingly amoral protagonist, portrayed by a talented male lead — but the faux-thriller-like posturings of what is essentially a dark social satire gives him little elbow room to play with.
Jan 2019
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Nakkash
...is a well-intentioned film that does not overstate its bravery, but suffers on account of length and lack of dramatic drive.
Jun 2019
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Jun 2019
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Gone Kesh
...goes slack with the drama at crucial junctures, which makes the second half predictable. Still, this film is enough of a joy.
Mar 2019
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Tumbbad
It is not easy for a subversive horror film to trim away its genre tentacles and still land an 800-screen release. Tumbbad has pulled off a rare trade-off, but its authenticity has taken some beating. It is the closest we have come to breaking new ground, but is it really the way forward?
Oct 2018
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Article 15
Cynicism and hope strike a precarious balance in Mulk director Anubhav Sinha’s new film. The procedural drama paints a grim picture of caste-based violence in rural India.
Jun 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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Simmba
...is a decent enough commercial film when not angling for resonance — with some of the funnier lines really popping on screen — but its self-serious orations on the topical issue of rape make a parody of the whole situation.
Dec 2018
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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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Jawaani Jaaneman
...is, like I said, a hangout film. It trims conflict for humour and chill vibes.
Feb 2020
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Khandaani Shafakhana
Shilpi’s debut effort is well-intentioned but suffers from the same hypocrisies that afflict Indian drawing rooms. Not a line of dialogue sticks and there are very few talking points in this film on sex talk...
Aug 2019
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Pataakha
...has enough combustion to light up a night sky, but it fizzles out like a moist rocket. The crackers, like they say, needed more sunning.
Sep 2018