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Notebook
...with so much solo heavy lifting and a wobbly screenplay in tow, Kakkar delivers far short of what he is capable of.
Mar 2019
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Junglee
With a runtime of 115 minutes, this thriller feels longer than it should. You will miss the deft direction that Russell displayed in his previous outings, The Mask and The Scorpion King.
Mar 2019
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Kesari
Maybe there's more to the battle. Or maybe this in-your-face, goose-bumpy ride—heartwarming, because its history; and hysterical, because it's that kinda movie—is just the best one can do. Well, either way, this works alright.
Mar 2019
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Milan Talkies
...one suspects, much of this movie pretty much remains in the filmmaker's imagination/head. Rest of it, quite honestly, gave me a bit of a headache.
Mar 2019
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Mere Pyare Prime Minister
That you don't feel for anyone in this film (let alone, the issue), with the camera hovering around a bunch of parallel songs/story-lines, aimed to extend a simple short film into a full-length feature, is perhaps worse.
Mar 2019
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Photograph
...is the emblematic representation of that connection we seek in these disconnected times. It speaks to us, but not as much in words as in the moments that warm our hearts.
Mar 2019
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Badla
I was sold to the ride that Badla took me on; but, does it live it up to the thrill of Ghosh's Kahaani? Nah, that will need cleverer writing. Yet, this is worth a watch.
Mar 2019
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Luka Chuppi
...dumbfounded, fumbling all over the frickin' place - much like his film.
Mar 2019
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Total Dhamaal
...this is the sort of deliberately-sasta, kaam chalau comedy that works on simplest set-ups, and pay-offs - or punch-lines - that you ought to be in sync with. Some jokes work - at a pure comic timing level. Several don't.
Feb 2019
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Gully Boy
This is a new kind of 'Angry Young Man' movie, in effect - seamlessly merging sub-culture with pop mainstream.
Feb 2019
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Amavas
The incoherence is baffling, and one is only compelled to wonder why a team of qualified artistes would create this kind of cinema.
Feb 2019
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Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
Despite the faltering and the flaws, this one is a hit for every romantic. It’s never too late to celebrate love without labels, right?
Feb 2019
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Thackeray
Produced by Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut, the film barely goes beyond being the audio-visual version of Sena's official newspaper.
Jan 2019
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Manikarnika
Dainty but fierce, Ranaut plays Rani Lakshmibai with the ferocity that suits her character best. She leads the charge not just as an actor, but also as director, the baton she took over midway through the making of this film. One can't help but conjecture if there are really two separate movies here, given that two directors were helming it at different times.
Jan 2019
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Why Cheat India
...it eventually starts descending to such levels of random, thoughtless spinning of the yarn that by the end of it you're not even too sure it's the same film that you had started with in the first place.
Jan 2019
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The Accidental Prime Minister
If at all the idea was to shame and embarrass the Congress party, the writing here lacks the desired punch. The onus of shaping the material lies in the hands of the director, and Vijay Gutte is visibly inept.
Jan 2019
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Uri
Supremely competent first-time director Aditya Dhar uses these weapons—sophisticated machine guns, grenades, rocket launchers, top-grade fighter aircraft—to hit home with a winning plot, over two hours, 10 minutes of stunningly shot (Mitesh Mirchandani), non-stop, military-action drama, packed with pyrotechnics that appear authentic, world-class, technically kickass.
Jan 2019
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Simmba
This only brings back strong memories of large single-screen cinemas - on the verge of extinction - with people on both cheap and super-expensive seats, sharing entertainment as a common, tribal experience. That's where you should go for this.
Dec 2018
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Kedarnath
Practically all top stars from the '90s have at some point owed their stardom to a similar super-hit. Maybe that's the intention here. Wonder if this stuff still works in the front benches; forget the few highfalutin film-buffs.
Dec 2018
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2.0
The star is the director Shankar still. As a story-teller, you can tell, he could do with simplicity, and a better sense of proportion. As a filmmaker, he's sheer genius. Need better proof? Yes, you could catch 2.0.
Dec 2018
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Thugs Of Hindostan
Undeniably, majestic movie experiences are created by filmmakers and in this one, Acharya makes a fatal mistake- he takes his audience for granted. No wonder, Thugs doesn't rise above being an absolute snoozefest.
Nov 2018
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Badhaai Ho
...is just as funny, and as much fun; even as the point of the picture might seem progressively belaboured.
Oct 2018
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Helicopter Eela
...the narrative has its share of powerful moments, but they are so few that you can count them on your fingers.
Oct 2018
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Tumbbad
...an artsy, gutsy mix of mythology, history, horror, and moral science. Do these elements seamlessly add up for you to naturally feel for the characters in the story? Honestly, no. Does the incredibly strong visual craftsmanship (rare for an Indian indie) satisfyingly guide you into a world hitherto unseen/unknown? Oh, absolutely.
Oct 2018
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Sui Dhaaga
The unimpressive climax is disjointed, a far cry from the tone the film carried up until then. Despite its rousing moments, the film leaves you feeling unfulfilled.
Oct 2018
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Pataakha
...can essentially be described as masterful storytelling feeding off an average story.
Sep 2018
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
...the film is too peripheral to serve as a social drama. Neither does it entertain as a courtroom drama nor leave you feeling empowered.
Sep 2018
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Manmarziyaan
Together the three actors add incredible zest, flesh, and energy to roles that compel you look at the world through each perspective, and probably even find oneself in it in some form.
Sep 2018
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Sep 2018
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Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi
...is a classic example of a film that was made for the wrong reasons. It banks on a half-baked ridiculous plot that plays on regionalism without wit or spark. It's particularly a shame, because the prequel was charming and delightful.
Sep 2018