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Badlapur
...is all fury and fog, a revenge saga that plays out with such eyebrow-singeing intensity that I could imagine a gravel-voiced narrator filling us in on dames and dreams and dark, stormy nights.
Feb 2015
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Bahubali
The first part of the epic leaves behind dollops of rip-roaring entertainment to relish till it’s back to finish what it started in perhaps even more jaw-dropping manner.
Jul 2015
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Margarita With A Straw
...a refreshingly, brutally honest film which ends up making the tiny mistake of adding an emotional, clichéd ending.
Apr 2015
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Rangoon
...haunts in unlikely fashion and, while the director's most straightforward picture, holds enough of its own marvels to justify multiple viewings.
Feb 2017
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Kadvi Hawa
...don't let anybody tell you that Kadvi Hawa is a manifesto for the fight against climate change or that it's an austere, unforgiving, movie. This is an intensely felt, beautifully expressed, sustained piece of cinema.
Nov 2017
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Raazi
...is a rarity. It is intense, riveting, clever, dark, sad, lyrical, heartfelt, relevant and understated.
May 2018
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Sonchiriya
Chaubey and Sharma recreate a bygone era's lore and legends, groom it like a Western, pace it like a thriller, infuse it with surprises and social relevance around lyrical visuals and impactful writing, even its booming dishkyaons hit harder than all the empty pooh-pahing we hear around us all the time.
Mar 2019
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Chhapaak
Meghna Gulzar documents Chhapaak's grim reality barefacedly without losing sight of its character's quiet determination to fight the reasons that make such heinous crimes possible in the first place.
Jan 2020
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Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns
...a theatrically indulgent entertainer, one that makes no bones about its pulpiness and stays well and truly juicy.
Mar 2013
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Neerja
Madhvani paces the film masterfully, making for a highstrung but justifiably emotional narrative.
Feb 2016
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Game Over
...is a nifty piece of work that recognises the durability of meaningful entertainment. Its feminist breakthroughs may not always seem practical, but its 'fight back' gusto had my vote.
Jun 2019
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Mubarakan
The Bazmee-Chahal-Janjua-Chawla quartet prove very convincingly that comedies need not always be about slapstick; that there is more to comedy films than vulgar gestures and crass jokes. That clean dialogues, written sensibly, entertain and charm the movie-goers.
Jul 2017
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Katiyabaaz
The dark humour, infused by way of Loha Singh makes this often gritty and riveting documentary exceedingly entertaining.
Aug 2014
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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Every single scene of this freewheeling entertainer is peppered with witticism that deserves to be savoured and parroted. But it's not always an uproarious one-liner -- and rest assured they are there in abundance -- highlighting the broader picture of this wholeheartedly frolicsome rom-com.
Sep 2017
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Manmarziyaan
...explores the depths of Anurag Kashyap's versatility. And the indulgence he is often accused of shows up only towards the end to provide answers of what should have ended at a request.
Sep 2018
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Jan 2019
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Pagglait
...witty, moving and mild-mannered movie about self-realisation, the end of one journey becomes the beginning of another against the backdrop of a family's disquiet and disputes.
Mar 2021
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Love Sonia
When I walked out of Love Sonia this Monday night, I walked out with a hushed audience that seemed too overcome by the raw power of the film to even pause for applause -- and so they made their way to the exit very slowly, very silently.
Sep 2018
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Raavan
...an overwhelming film. At times a tad bit overproduced, the film is an onslaught of brilliant use of technology on the viewer's senses -- stunning cinematography, the fluidity of the camera, quick edits, loud soaring music, with the actors thrown into wild nature.
Jun 2010
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ABCD - Any Body Can Dance
The dance numbers are brilliantly executed and the thrill quotient is highly enhanced as you watch the movie in three dimensions.
Feb 2013
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Peepli [Live]
...well-researched, brilliantly-written and effectively documented creation that hasn't negotiated its wry vision for big screen. I'd go to the extent of saying it's the best Hindi film I've seen this year.
Aug 2010
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Robot
...if there is just one Rajni movie you will ever watch, this is it, this is it, this is it.
Oct 2010
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Citylights
A hard, unrelenting film that doesn’t give in to over sentimentality, City Lights is just like the city of Mumbai.
May 2014
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Waiting
Menon’s true triumph lies in how she doesn’t vilify a profession or its uncomfortable reality to gather empathy for her characters.
May 2016
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Chhichhore
It’s the writing where Chhichhore shows solid talent.
At all times, its feel-good optimism is much too entertaining to resist.
Sep 2019