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Shanghai
...brings to fore the immense originality of thought and perspective of the director, who in one sweep, gives us a political thriller, a snarky comment on our contemporary times yet informing it with the argument of the complexity of our times.
Jun 2012
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Gangs Of Wasseypur 2
...is first-rate, crowd-pleasing, unadulterated entertainment that comes without the disclaimer to leave one’s brains home.
Aug 2012
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Barfi!
For mainstream Bollywood, a film like this is nothing short of a miracle in all its manifestations.
Sep 2012
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ABCD - Any Body Can Dance
The film is a hearty celebration of all the vibrancy of dance.
Feb 2013
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Vicky Donor
The film that has so much going for it that includes a director (Shoojit Sircar, who made the sensitive Yahaan) with an evolved understanding of storytelling, lilting music, quirky script and characters ultimately goes askew in the end with its choice to play to the gallery.
Apr 2012
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Hansa
This slice of life tone and an almost deceptive simplicity is perhaps the most likeable aspect of Hansa.
Dec 2012
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Ferrari Ki Sawaari
The length of the film, the many, tiring twists (although nerve-wracking), a lot of emotional drama, warranted and otherwise leaves the film as a mixed bag. But just for old-world sentimentality and humour that is ticklish without being nonsensical, Ferrari ki Sawaari makes for an engaging watch.
Jun 2012
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Gangs Of Wasseypur
...suitably pays its tribute to the entire genre it belongs to. Leave alone the referencing, direct and indirect, it takes the masala genre of revenge and turns it around to give us as much masala as we are used to but as a dish differently spiced.
Jun 2012
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Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola
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.
Jan 2013
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Bittoo Boss
...the small-town Punjab he serves up with its dialect, slang, mannerisms and minor characters that are stereotyped and unmemorable yet real, coupled with the performance he gets out of his lead makes it a film well-worth it at all.
Apr 2012
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Gattu
It is a tad stagey at times, and even ponderous, but the heart and sensibility it exhibits is in the right place, striking the right chords with us.
Jul 2012
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OMG Oh My God!
...there is a certain tackiness to the film that undermines its class. However, its commitment to its subject and the means it takes to drive down simple truths of our religious habits are non-facile and convincing.
Sep 2012
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Talaash
Director and co-writer Reema Kagti carves an engaging and tight thriller that is a box of contradictions. It is well-written and stereotypical. Well-directed and unfinished. It mixes genres a little differently than the Bollywood norm without creating anything new.
Dec 2012
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Arjun
...the film isn’t dumbed down because it is animation but is a package that aims at authenticity and telling its story well, which it succeeds in doing.
May 2012
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Myoho
...the low production values and the under-written nature of the dialogues lends a certain unfinished, even amateurish feel to an otherwise genuine film.
Dec 2012
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Ek Tha Tiger
Salman Khan films come with a certain type of expectations, a set that for once, the viewer isn’t really responsible for having. In the race to grab maximum whistles, the Salman Khan brigade has sought and cultivated it carefully. And then comes a film that’s off-the-Salman-radar. Almost.
Aug 2012
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Special 26
...is far from a satisfying thriller but is a consistently engaging. It just isn’t as smart as it wished to be.
Feb 2013
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Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
It’s all very cute (maybe a bit loud) but far from being memorable while one just ends up wishing it was.
Aug 2012
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Kai Po Che!
The film despite a refreshing aesthetic and energetic world is strung together with a loose screenplay.
Feb 2013
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Delhi Safari
...falls short of a larger vision and canvas but within its constraints it remains watchable, simply for the loyalty it shows to good, old story-telling.
Oct 2012
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Jannat 2
...a drama full of action, emotion, love and music like every other Vishesh Films product that is cosmetic and even with a strong story represents a commercial sensibility of ‘masala’. For that benchmark, Jannat – 2 does its job. And that is well too.
May 2012
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AkaashVani
Premise-wise, is a rather black and white situation the film sets itself within. As much as it delves into love’s confusions it makes the enemy a decidedly criminal situation, giving the film a clichéd outcome.
Jan 2013
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Heroine
...can be quite a guilty pleasure if one isn’t too overwhelmed with the cliches and doesn’t find the entire sleight of hand typically over the top.
Sep 2012
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The Forest
...it’s a film that’s commendable for more things it gets right than wrong.
May 2012
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Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana
For Punjabis and non-natives, the authentic charm of the setting is delectable and so are several heart-warming moments. Just that the film fails to rise beyond those moments to make it a memorably enjoyable trip to cinema halls.
Nov 2012
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Jolly L.L.B.
...isn’t a great film, unfortunately not even as smart as Subhash Kapoor’s brilliant debut ‘Phas Gaye Re Obama’. But it is earnest in its tone and bright in its detailing.
Mar 2013
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Ishaqzaade
The film explores some pretty dark themes, blurring the lines between protagonist and antagonist many times. But it does this with shifting intensity and a mere focus on plot than its characters.
May 2012
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Vishwaroop
Vishwaroopam, unlike Kamal Hassan’s earlier epic ‘Dashavtharam’ isn’t flaky. But it is equally stilted and quite myopic in its approach. Yet, there is sombre tone and a seriousness within all the action-packed drama that makes it a film we could take seriously.
Feb 2013