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Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola
Critic reviews and ratings
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And no matter the slight niggles: this is a film that goes far out on a limb, and gives us both bedlam and nuances, enough to warrant repeated viewings. And more than enough to love.
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Vishal Bhardwaj gives us a film that's enjoyable and relevant in equal measure.
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Fans of Bhardwaj, meanwhile, will be happy he’s back filling the screen with life and colour after the strangely acrid 7 Khoon Maaf last year.
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...this movie could have been so much more. Like champagne gone flat, the film's left lying about for too late, its plot meandering everywhere, the director so determined to have fun that often, the viewer doesn't.
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...is the typical political satire drill. The only difference is an ace act by Pankaj Kapur, 2-3 wonderfully insightful dialogues, and some feisty, witty lines.
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Few filmmakers in Mumbai engage with ideas and issues of contemporary relevance as felicitously as Bhardwaj. He might have fallen short this time around, but even when he is not at his best, he is infinitely better than most in the business. A director who does not fear failure merits our support.
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You ought to watch it for Vishal Bhardwaj's storytelling wizardry, for the beauty in absurdity, for the compelling story, for the stellar performances by Shabana Azmi, Anushka Sharma and Imran Khan.
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A cocktail of madness, random humour and good writing that’ll make you go hic hic hurrah!
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The end is one that bars Vishal's latest from becoming an exceptional effort. For everything else it is worth, this is the first real whopper coming out of Bollywood this year.
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There are several moments of sheer banality and indulgence that take away more than they contribute. But its brilliance lies in its rhetoric, symbolism and fanciful flights of imagination that makes it an extremely exciting film.
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Fun for cineastes, lost on the public. However, the intersection of Bhardwaj’s extravagance, a business end catering to a perceived public palate, and the ineffective delivery of a social message is off centre and misses the bulls eye.
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The irreverence, the impertinence, the subversion! Left my head in a delectable whirl.
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Its ambition to reach out to the big picture derails Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola. In overreaching, Bhardwaj ends up underplaying his characters.
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...didn’t stir up any keen emotions in me. Parts of the film soar but many are saggy and ultimately I was just underwhelmed.
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MKBKM’s effort to be joyously absurd is too obvious and the usually assured Bhardwaj seems to be playing fast and loose with the reins in his hands.
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...Bhardwaj tells the story in a style that comes close to burlesque – wacky, entertaining, and over-the-top. However, something is missing – the storytelling doesn’t bolster the concerns in the movie the way it should, and it goes downhill after the interval.
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...holds your attention in parts, but that's not enough. The first half is lackluster, while the post-interval part catches some steam. However, the excessive length plays a spoilsport.
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This is the simple plot, but Bharadwaj confuses you. He serves you a delectable dish and wants you to eat it with your hand going behind your head and the fingers trying to push the food in. It can be quite taxing!
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...fails to leave an impact and ends up disappointing you. Pankaj Kapur's hilarious histrionics can be the only reason the watch the film.
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The film passed me by in the first hour. It enticed me back again in the second half. But not enough to make me forget the inert prologue, which is minus drama, which is Bhardawaj’s true forte.
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...does opt for the satirical and faintly surrealistic mode which is commendable. But the outcome doesn’t amount to a satisfying stretch of entertainment.
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Neither the satire nor the suspense works for the audience. The only mainstay in the film is the infectious histrionics of Pankaj Kapur.
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If only good intentions made a good film, Matru is a masterpiece. The story has warm, real characters, it arms the honest against the dishonest and although simplistic, it has much social relevance, especially in today’s corrupt times. But even though the film has panjo, it seriously lacks punch.
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At the end of it, even though they had worthy intentions, I doubt the filmmakers knew what exactly they wanted to portray through their various characters. This is exactly what works against the film and proves to be disengaging.
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Bhardwaj gives the feeling of having worked hard – really, really hard – on these scenarios and we are torn between admiring the thought and effort that’s gone in and being exasperated by how it all comes together on screen.
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...a film that’s clearly having fun, spouting philosophy for a bit, revelling in its energetic singing and uninhibited dancing, sometimes brooding and sometimes talking gibberish. While it’s fun, can’t say it’s consistently funny. Because this is a moody drunkard of a film.
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The talented Mr Bhardwaj has lost his mojo.
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