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Mubarakan
Fortunately, the humour does not degenerate to crass double entendres. Family entertainment is clearly at the core and Mubarakan manages to deliver enough laughs.
Jul 2017
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The Body
Unfortunately, and not unlike the original, The Body places more emphasis on answering the question of why rather than how.
Dec 2019
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X: Past is Present
...is like a hybrid rose plant. You have to ignore the thorns to appreciate a budding rose.
Nov 2015
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Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi
To treat a film like a play, despite all the good intentions and conditioning, comes across as a disservice to both the mediums.
Jan 2021
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Shamitabh
...despite the flawed writing, Dhanush and Bachchan make Shamitabh a pleasant enough outing to the movies.
Feb 2015
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Ribbon
Not all ideas translate well to film and though are some moments of note, if Ribbon works at all, it is credit to Koechlin’s and Vyas’ committed and convincing performances.
Nov 2017
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
The trailer of this film tells you almost all there is to know. Take that three minutes and add another 172: The main feature is a bloated narrative that skirts almost three hours.
Sep 2018
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Margarita With A Straw
...has many sweet and heartwarming moments, the film feels clumsy on the whole. Bose has packed too many issues into her script: being differently-abled, figuring out one's sexuality, queer relationships, sexual frustration, death.
Apr 2015
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Gurgaon
...Raman’s film is not about the comfortable. It’s very much about unearthing and facing the ugly truth, and that’s a rather bitter pill.
Aug 2017
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Race 3
...is a funny, kitschy and audacious film. In between the action shots (clearly where most of the money has been spent, after bhai), the film tends to make you go 'what the hell just happened' more times than you can count.
Jun 2018
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Nov 2017
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Behen Hogi Teri
Had Rao had a more skilled co-star, the chemistry might have been more believable rather than appearing ‘staged’. In fact the pitching of the performances is the second issue with the narrative (besides the wandering script).
Jun 2017
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Judgemental Hai Kya
...is based on an interesting concept, it is often funny and fascinating, but in the ultimate analysis, it does not make the grade.
Jul 2019
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Sanju
...is an entertaining film, and has all the elements of a blockbuster — but one wishes the honesty and nuance went beyond just the performances.
Jun 2018
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Jan 2016
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Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana
...is one romantic drama that even Rajkummar Rao’s reliable performance cannot rescue.
Nov 2017
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Chhapaak
...means well, no doubt, but the screenplay is surprisingly thin – surprising because of Meghna’s brilliance with Raazi and Talvar. Combine that with plotline weaknesses, an excessive effort to stay low key and the unexpected shot at being a conformist fairytale in the end, and the result is a film that seems curiously detached from its heroine, despite the devastating true story that inspired it.
Jan 2020
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Calendar Girls
The script despite all its crassness, unimaginative situations, clichés and easy flights of fancy, does keep one hooked with constant drama and is far better than Bhandarkar’s last film, Heroine.
Sep 2015
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Raabta
The idea is there in Raabta. It's all you see. It's an interesting idea, one that has worked in Bollywood for decades. Karmic connections, past life conflicts, love, loyalty and passion. But there's something missing. Some questions are left unanswered. Some plot points, unexplored.
Jun 2017
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Hichki
The vibe of the film is inconsistent, and this glaring 'hichki' can be felt throughout the film. In parts, it is funny and in parts it gets very dramatic.
Mar 2018
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Kajarya
...is not quite the long-legged social statement that the film’s well-researched plot would suggest. But it has its heart in the right place.
Dec 2015
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Bala
...inconsistent characterisation and the team's lack of awareness of their own prejudice robs Bala of much of its value.
Nov 2019
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Jai Ho! Democracy
...the satire is not particularly nuanced, profound or even consistently funny, but it’s still impressive because the film is just wicked enough.
Apr 2015
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Baaghi 2
It's not a well-structured film, and the story has many loopholes; the performances are over-the-top and the plot points convenient. However, some credit must be given to Baaghi 2 for staying true to its genre. If you're a fan of high-action dramas, you may just (gasp!) enjoy this film.
Mar 2018
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Why Cheat India
...perhaps too attached to his script, Sen is unable to skillfully pull it all together. Some scenes are particularly untidy – in their design, execution and casting.
Jan 2019
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Manjhi
...the movie falls into the trap of being overawed by its subject. It is a tad too reverential and overwritten, which dilutes the impact of an otherwise powerful story of the human will.
Aug 2015
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Beyond The Clouds
Together (Khattar and Mohanan) their effort might be sincere but the effect of a lack of cohesion eschews the very emotional gravitas Beyond the Clouds works so hard to achieve.
Apr 2018
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Satyameva Jayate
It may not be the most intelligent thriller, but its lack of pretence is its greatest asset. It’s entertaining for some of the right reasons, and plenty of unintended ones.
Aug 2018
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Notebook
...is not perfect, but like the sterling Kashmir waterscapes in the film camouflaging so much turmoil, and captured here so beautifully by cinematographer Manoj Kumar Khatoi, it too is worth a visit.
Mar 2019
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Tanhaji
The real meat of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior is the climactic strike and ensuing battle. The rest of the narrative falls weak in relation on grounds of both engagement and significance.
Jan 2020