-
Sui Dhaaga
A surprise-free drama that’s well-acted, sweet-natured, and quite satisfying.
Oct 2018
-
Laila Majnu
An idiosyncratic take on the legend takes a while to soar, but it’s worth the wait.
Sep 2018
-
Sep 2018
-
Gold
Unlike Talaash, which was incendiary material that could be handled in Reema Kagti’s tasteful style, Gold needs a director who’s a shameless hustler.
Aug 2018
-
Aug 2018
-
Aug 2018
-
Vishwaroop II
A not-exactly-needed sequel, but a solid delivery mechanism for Kamal-isms.
Aug 2018
-
Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3
...is a bit of an underwhelmer, but not unwatchable — and the reason goes back to what the Randeep Hooda character said in Part 1: “Is haveli ke sab log pagal hain.” Everyone’s bonkers — even the filmmaker.
Jul 2018
-
Soorma
An affecting biopic that, refreshingly, stays grounded and alert to its human beats.
Jul 2018
-
Sanju
Hirani is more interested in event and entertainment. He transforms a feel-bad life into a feel-good story.
Jul 2018
-
Bhavesh Joshi Superhero
A sombre not-quite-superhero tale whose flaws don’t make it any less fascinating.
Jun 2018
-
Veere Di Wedding
...is a lazy film, too content with easy zingers. Issues are raised and resolved in so little time, it looks like a new scripting technique: premature elucidation. But whenever the film doesn’t try too hard to show you how hip it is, it’s not entirely unlikeable.
Jun 2018
-
May 2018
-
Raazi
I’m happy Raazi is a hit. We need more heroine-driven films to work broadly — and not just in a few metro pockets. But the film is broad, too, as is Alia Bhatt’s performance, though she is a victim of the writing and filmmaking.
May 2018
-
Daas Dev
The film is darkly funny, and a refreshing change from the staid classicism that undermined some of Mishra’s recent work.
May 2018
-
Hichki
...isn’t a bad film — it’s a mild, pleasant diversion, something that’s going to make a lot of people think they saw something “good” and “worthwhile.”
Mar 2018
-
Mar 2018
-
Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety
Another Luv Ranjan film, aka some mild laughs buried in a mountain of misogyny.
Mar 2018
-
Pari
A rewarding slow-burn story that’s not a ‘horror movie’ so much as a horror-inflected drama about misfits.
Mar 2018
-
Pad Man
...Balki never loses sight of the fact that what he’s making isn’t an Oscar-bait biopic but a rousing audience-pleaser.
Feb 2018
-
Padmaavat
All of which is to say that people who don’t care for this filmmaker should stay far, far away — but even for fans, Padmaavat is an underwhelming oddity.
Jan 2018
-
Kaalakaandi
...made me wonder if Delhi Belly might be another instance of the famed “Aamir Khan touch,” where people who make good-to-great films under his aegis end up bombing outside.
Jan 2018
-
Mukkabaaz
I loved Mukkabaaz, but it took me a while to put a frame on it, to decide how to look at it. Kashyap’s reputation is so festooned with international art-house hosannas – screenings at Cannes! reviews in Variety! – that it’s easy to forget how rooted in Hindi cinema he is.
Jan 2018
-
Dec 2017
-
Monsoon Shootout
...was a little too low-key for my taste — it isn’t quite as existential as I’d have liked, and the butter-smooth filmmaking could have used more rough edges. But there’s still a lot of skill on display, not least from Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Dec 2017
-
Sep 2017
-
Bhoomi
The problem with Bhoomi isn’t the loud, old-fashioned storytelling. It’s that it finds nothing interesting to tell.
Sep 2017
-
Sep 2017