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Sonchiriya
There’s a question that recurs through Sonchiriya: what is a dacoit’s dharma? At one point an answer is given: to protect one’s people and caste, to live and pass away in the ravines, to die from a bullet. A fatalistic response, and a bracingly nihilistic film.
Mar 2019
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Sonali Cable
The title is the only original and catchy element of this debut film by Charudutt Acharya...
Oct 2014
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Nov 2012
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Singham Returns
The delusion of an incorruptible police force dedicated to upholding law and order at all costs and impervious to any manner of inducement pushes Singham Returns onto the same shelf as science fiction.
Aug 2014
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Singh Is Bliing
...had a few classic comic scenes. With its lame script and tiresome gags, you’ll forget Singh Is Bliing within seconds of leaving the cinema.
Oct 2015
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Simran
After all the drama of the last month, it’s nice to be reminded that offscreen Ranaut, no matter how entertaining or scandalous, cannot hold a candle to onscreen Ranaut.
Sep 2017
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Simmba
Even for Hindi cinema, where rape-revenge is a thriving subgenre (there were four films on the subject last year), this is pretty dire.
Dec 2018
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Shuttlecock Boys
...will not induce happy sighs or tears, but the simple, spirited storytelling makes it worth a watch.
Aug 2012
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Shuddh Desi Romance
The big disappointment of Shuddh Desi Romance is writer Jaideep Sahni. Known for scripts and screenplays that retain efficacy of storytelling with commercially viable Bollywood elements, here is non-committal to making his characters fleshy or believable. The director and actors don’t rescue the fragile boat.
Sep 2013
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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
...a funny, hopeful film, with enough dry wit and generosity of spirit to allow it to circumvent the farcical pitfalls of its subject matter.
Sep 2017
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Shorts
Despite the realism, grittiness and seriousness on display, four of the five stories aim for poignant and uplifting conclusions that undermine their impact.
Jul 2013
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Shootout At Wadala
A loose, directionless script and insipid dialogues take their toll half an hour into the film.
May 2013
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Shivaay
Devgn has clearly put time and effort into his direction,but appears to have put less into his performance. Neither makes the grade. And let’s face it, there can only be one Liam Neeson.
Oct 2016
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Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
...is an awkward film, interspersed with some heartwarming scenes.
Aug 2012
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Ship Of Theseus
...a passionate and clever film, brimming with sharp and original interpretations of age-old philosophy.
Jul 2013
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Shikara
Given his personal connection with the story, Chopra captures emotion and upheaval, loss and fear, hope and hopelessness. However, as a chapter in Indian history, the film required a great deal more context and deference to the complexity of politics in the Valley.
Feb 2020
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Shanghai
An immensely enjoyable thriller, helmed by a brilliant cast of actors and a master storyteller in Dibakar Banerjee.
Jun 2012
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Oct 2013
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Shaandaar
A film of consistent, determined frivolity. And the fun starts dimming soon.
Oct 2015
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Shaadi Ke Side Effects
...has gained gloss and glamourous leads but at the expense of variety of tonal consistency.
Feb 2014
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Satyagraha
...a missed opportunity. By translating a phenomenon that captured the national imagination even fleetingly, it could have humanized the Anna brigade. Jha dumbs down, and does it artlessly.
Aug 2013
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Satya 2
...does have academic value, as a study of a director’s systematic attempts to demolish his legacy and bury one of his most enduring creations...
Nov 2013
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Sarkar 3
The movie doesn’t feel as much an organic follow-up to Sarkar Raj—probably the last time the Varma tasted some success—as much a lazy attempt by a creatively bankrupt director to revive his career.
May 2017
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May 2016
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Sanju
It’s a warts-and-all film that hedges its bets: Sanju baba is rarely kept apart from the viewer’s sympathy.
Jul 2018
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Sanam Teri Kasam
....it’s very difficult to take the film as seriously as they do—especially after it becomes clear that they’re unwilling to grant their female lead the slightest bit of agency.
Feb 2016
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Samrat & Co.
The ending promises a sequel, which might be better suited to television, given the basic production values, sheer scantiness of the plot, and the staccato screenplay.
Apr 2014
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Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3
The weakest of the trilogy, this story takes exceedingly long to set up the key players and their motivations.
Jul 2018
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Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns
...far more densely plotted than the first movie and has many more characters, but there’s no change in the theme—the struggle of feudals possessed by an immense sense of entitlement to remain relevant in a democracy.
Mar 2013