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A Flying Jatt
...is derivative, sloppily structured and, especially in its latter stages, tacky beyond belief. That it might also be the best Indian superhero film ever (barring Mr India, if that qualifies) is an indication of how low the bar is set.
Aug 2016
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Island City
As a tonally tricky, slyly subversive mood piece, it finds itself in a very small group of Hindi films. It’s also an intriguing new entry in the long tradition of films that explore the spiritual heartache of living in Mumbai.
Sep 2016
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Baar Baar Dekho
In her first film as director, Mehra moves everything along briskly but is unable to add her own visual touch to the impossibly bright and beautiful Dharma house style.
Sep 2016
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Sep 2016
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Parched
...it is lively, bright, charged and accessible. Chatterjee, Apte and Chawla are thoroughly enjoyable, and find excellent support in Chandan K.
Sep 2016
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Oct 2016
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Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Instead of confronting its central question—what do you do if the person you love doesn’t love you back?—the film sidesteps it with a shameless deus ex machina.
Oct 2016
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Rock On 2
...the best thing one can say about Rock On 2 is that it’s a professional job.
Nov 2016
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Dear Zindagi
...it’s awkwardly written and exists more as an excuse for Alia to be able to do a big shout-y scene.
Nov 2016
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Befikre
For a film about relationships, there’s little insight offered into why we behave the way we do in love and lust, just a reiteration of that old chestnut: former lovers can’t be friends.
Dec 2016
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Dangal
...bends a little to accommodate its superstar, but has plenty of charm and grit.
Dec 2016
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Haraamkhor
...with its unadorned, unflinching treatment, Haraamkhor is a difficult film to shake off.
Jan 2017
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Raees
...because Khan holds so much in reserve, Raees remains a cipher. To borrow an old theatrical aphorism, he plays the king as if afraid someone else might play the ace.
Jan 2017
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Jolly LLB 2
There’s little doubt about what kind of film Jolly LLB 2 wants to be: broad, accessible and successful.
Feb 2017
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Rangoon
...is a rollicking, messy, somewhat frustrating film—it neither coheres, nor does it let you drift away.
Feb 2017
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Mar 2017
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Trapped
Time games, inventive soundscapes, Rajkummar Rao: there’s lots to love in ‘Trapped’.
Mar 2017
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Apr 2017
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Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
...is undoubtedly a spectacular action film. It’s also a tradition-bound, caste-conscious macho militarist fantasy.
Apr 2017
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Meri Pyaari Bindu
...ends on an intriguing note, at once messy and fitting. But is this enough?
May 2017
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Half Girlfriend
Mohit Suri makes a particular type of film—full of rain, pain and emotional strain— but, from moment to moment, scene to scene, he isn’t the most imaginative of directors. Nor are Shraddha Kapoor or Arjun Kapoor captivating actors...
May 2017
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G Kutta Se
...this is a sharp, pitiless look at a society governed by feudal minds overly concerned with women’s honour while utterly dismissive of their rights. G Kutta Se might seem violent and unsubtle. Then again, so might India.
Jun 2017
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Tubelight
It’s nearly always excruciating when an actor with limited talent plays a character with limited intelligence. Normally, the charge against Salman is that he doesn’t do anything; here, he does so much that you’ll be begging for him to go back to his minimalist ways.
Jun 2017
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Mom
...is a strange brew: audience-appeasing thriller, relationship drama and social commentary all rolled into one. To Udyawar’s credit, he manages to make it look cohesive, even as he struggles to contend with the moral quagmire of revenge and opts instead for the escape of pulp.
Jul 2017
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Jagga Jasoos
The singing stratagem occasionally gets in its own way, with dramatic scenes rendered silly by characters breaking into song. There’s also the baffling decision to cast, opposite Bollywood’s nimblest male star, the slow-reacting, risk-averse Kaif.
Jul 2017
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Lipstick Under My Burkha
...a film that’s sure about what it’s saying, and which says it clearly and loudly at every turn.
Jul 2017