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Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
In an interview, Ayushmann described Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan as an introduction to homosexuality for an average Indian homophobe. The film might work as that. But for those of us who aren’t in this target group, it doesn’t connect enough. Though it’s heartening that with this film and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga last year, Bollywood has at least begun the conversation.
Feb 2020
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Satyameva Jayate
...the sort of film that bludgeons you and leaves you drained and entirely cheerless.
Aug 2018
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Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar
Dibakar and Varun orchestrate a masterful takedown of Indian masculinity and capitalist greed and corruption.
Mar 2021
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Saina
Eventually, authenticity isn’t as important as capturing the essence of a person and evoking emotion. Saina, shining with sincerity and hard work, also misses this crucial point.
Mar 2021
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Saaho
I know that a popcorn entertainer like Saaho isn’t driven by logic or coherence. And I would have made my peace with it if the film delivered a good time. My biggest complaint is that it’s a crashing bore.
Aug 2019
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Roohi
...a film that wants to juggle many balls – horror, comedy, feminist messaging, a love triangle, a bromance – but ends up dropping almost all of them.
Mar 2021
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Romeo Akbar Walter
This material had the potential to be a suspenseful espionage drama. But the film is too drab to soar.
Apr 2019
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Ribbon
The problem with Ribbon is that debutante director Rakhee Sandilya doesn’t provide any new insights.
Nov 2017
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Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi
I know the idea of starting new year with a film about death doesn’t seem very appealing but Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi leaves you with hope and a smile.
Jan 2021
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Raid
...aims for a gritty realism but the characters are painted in broad strokes. Eventually the punch is predictable but after a few stumbles, it does land.
Mar 2018
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Radhe
...yet another loud, numbing, pointless paean to the cult of Salman Khan. Radhe is so free of coherence and craft that it hurts.
May 2021
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Race 3
Remo fetishizes the cars, helicopters, looming towers, gilded rooms and bars where these characters hang out but he doesn’t extend the same love to the narrative. Storytelling is sacrificed at the altar of Superstar Salman Khan.
Jun 2018
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Jun 2018
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Raabta
This film veers from flat-out silly to unintentionally funny to tear-your-hair-out tedious.
Jun 2017
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Nov 2018
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Photograph
...doesn’t come together as beautifully as The Lunchbox did. The screenplay isn’t as sharp or insightful. In places the film is so quiet that it feels inert. I’m not going to lie – I did get impatient. And yet the next morning, I found myself thinking about Rafi and Miloni. There is a tenderness that stays with you.
Mar 2019
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Pati Patni Aur Woh
...Mudassar Aziz attempts to deliver a remake that is lively, funny and at least superficially, progressive – he doesn’t always succeed but there is fun to be had here.
Dec 2019
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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
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Panipat
This is writing by committee and it shows on screen – instead of an organic story, we get a fractured, leaden structure that moves from one scene to another with the help of a voice-over and animated maps.
Dec 2019
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Panga
Some will argue that Panga is too sanitized and optimistic. The actual struggle of a mother picking up a career again is much harder. Of course it is. But for now, I’ll take the warmth and hope that this film offers. I think you should too.
Jan 2020
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Pagalpanti
...is so soul-sucking and brain-dead that it makes Bazmee’s last film Mubarakan look like high art.
Nov 2019
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Padmaavat
I’m an admirer of Sanjay’s passion and rigour, of his operatic sensibility and his commitment to creating epics. He isn’t subtle but he always plays for broke. To steal a line from the poet Robert Browning – Sanjay’s reach always exceeds his grasp. That’s what a heaven’s for. This time he doesn’t quite get there.
Jan 2018
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Pad Man
...a superman without the cape, is a memorable character. Like the real Pad Man, Lakshmi is self-deprecating and very funny – especially in the climactic speech at the United Nations. I wish the film matched his sparkle.
Feb 2018
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Munna Michael
But director Sabbir Khan and writer Vimmi Datta pin his talents on a brain dead narrative. Despite ample support from Nawaz, Tiger's granite biceps can’t lift the load.
Jul 2017
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Mumbai Saga
...slick editing, green-toned filters and the painfully loud sound design (there isn’t a car in this film that doesn’t screech to a halt) are too limited to fill the hole that is the story.
Mar 2021