-
Thappad
This film compels us to question our complicity. Which is the first step to change. I strongly recommend that you see Thappad.
Feb 2020
-
Gully Boy
...the beauty of Gully Boy is that even if you are entirely unfamiliar with this world, like I was, the film will still stir your soul.
Feb 2019
-
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
There’s none of that ‘leave your brains at the door, just go have fun’ condescension, and there’s no star-pandering. Rajamouli takes the genre seriously – he doesn’t pander to the audience either.
Apr 2017
-
Stree
Director Amar Kaushik and writers Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru create a horror-comedy, which turns out to be subversive commentary on the position and treatment of women in India. It’s clever and very funny.
Aug 2018
-
Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar
Dibakar and Varun orchestrate a masterful takedown of Indian masculinity and capitalist greed and corruption.
Mar 2021
-
War
...is a defining action movie of our time. It’s Hollywood enough to rock the multiplexes, but it doesn’t forget its roots.
Oct 2019
-
Gali Guleiyan
...there is enough to admire in this ambitious first film – especially the unstinting talent of Manoj Bajpayee.
Sep 2018
-
Manmarziyaan
Like love, this film is messy and flawed and glorious. You have to sign up for all of it.
Sep 2018
-
Lipstick Under My Burkha
...has clumsy spots and contradictions. But there are moments here that you’ve probably never seen in a Hindi film.
Jul 2017
-
Andhadhun
With precision and control, Sriram constructs a theatre of the absurd. The surroundings – high-rises, leafy streets and old houses in Pune – seem perfectly normal but what’s happening inside is deliciously twisted. There’s murder, betrayal, sex and a mountain of lies. In short, you can’t look away.
Oct 2018
-
Kaalakaandi
But the psychedelic, anything-goes vibe is hard to sustain and energy levels take a definite dip in the second half. I felt like Akshat has bunged in twists so he can wrap up the narrative strands.
Jan 2018
-
Chhichhore
...allows us to revisit that first flush of youth. The film never matches the the inspired grunge vibe of In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones (1989) or the magic of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. But it’s a satisfying journey back to woh din!
Sep 2019
-
Mukkabaaz
...is also a scathing critique of corruption in Indian sport, of the caste system, which keeps worthy men in chains and of extremists who spread mayhem under the cloak of religion. It’s a love story and a sports underdog story, which in the second half transforms into a suspenseful revenge drama. It’s a lot to weave together and ultimately Mukkabaaz becomes as exhausting as it is energizing.
Jan 2018
-
Beyond The Clouds
...is a mixed bag. It is likely to be a footnote in Majidi’s rich filmography. But the film is worth seeing as an intriguing experiment.
Apr 2018
-
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
...revisits the themes of honor, duty, goodness and courage. It doesn’t always succeed but the sheer ambition and scale deserves applause.
Apr 2017
-
Article 15
Article 15 of the Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth but in much of India, caste continues to constitute identity. Article 15 is that rare thing – a mainstream Hindi film that confronts this horror. For that alone, it deserves applause.
Jun 2019
-
Manikarnika
...Kangana has said that 70 percent of it is her work. If yes, then she is an effective storyteller but the actor in her undermines the director. Because the actor becomes larger than the narrative. But despite these flaws, Manikarnika reveals Kangana as an artist with boundless ambition and I’m excited to see what she creates next.
Jan 2019
-
War
...is very much a bromance which sparkles because Hrithik and Tiger are combative without being competitive. I had a good time. I think you will too.
Oct 2019
-
Chef
...the film is too bumpy to leave you satiated. But it is a pleasant enough diversion.
Oct 2017
-
Bareilly Ki Barfi
There is little here that will stay with you but while it lasts, you’ll have a smile on your face. And that’s exactly what this amiable film is designed to do.
Aug 2017
-
102 Not Out
Despite the flaws, the emotions connect. And if like me, you are of a certain vintage, you will get a nostalgic head-rush when you see Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan in the same frame.
May 2018
-
Ittefaq
The best thrillers are those that can stand up to scrutiny. In these films, when you go back, post-reveal, and question what you saw, the premise still holds. Ittefaq doesn’t manage that. But it has enough verve and smarts to keep you hooked.
Nov 2017
-
Parmanu
Sharma unashamedly plays the patriotic card. Without apology, he yanks our heartstrings and evokes a rush of pride when the bombs finally explode. Larger questions about megaton killing machines go unasked. You might question the authenticity and plausibility of what you see in Parmanu but it does deliver on drama.
May 2018
-
Gully Boy
If you’re looking for a good time, Gully Boy is everything you can ask for. It’s just that I wanted it to be more. I wanted it to be the film its lyrics deserved.
Feb 2019
-
Good Newwz
It wants to make you laugh a lot, weep a little, and walk home with a grin. The good newwz is that it checks all these boxes.
Dec 2019
-
Judgemental Hai Kya
The ambition of the story – both in content and style – is very exciting. But Kanika’s screenplays seem to suffer from the soft belly syndrome.
Jul 2019