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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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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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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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Jan 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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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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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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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
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Mission Mangal
...is respectful and clear of heart, but struggles at times to pick out its heroes. If the answer is no one in particular, that signal is lost in space.
Aug 2019
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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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Batla House
All Nikkhil had to do was slow-bleed the suspense, and extend the moral tossup. But Batla House is not that kind of film.
Aug 2019