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The Dirty Picture
...forsakes much potential nuance in its urge to please crowds but is still far more engaging than most Bollywood produce.
Dec 2011
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Special 26
what’s truly Special about this Chabbis is to see two such different actors, one reliably awesome and the other getting out of his comfort zone of mindless money-spinners to collaborate and credit a script that gives them something concrete and equivalent to work on.
Feb 2013
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Phobia
...is easily one of the best psychological thrillers to have come out of Bollywood.
May 2016
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Ragini MMS
...is terrifyingly real, and immensely watchable for the cold fright it inspires.
May 2011
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Madras Cafe
After experiencing back-to-back idiocy on big screen, it’s refreshing to return to the theatres for a film that expects you to be educated, informed and attentive. Give it a chance, Madras Cafe deserves an audience.
Aug 2013
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Bajrangi Bhaijaan
...an overearnest, oversimplified, preposterously sweet and frequently schlocky film, which shouldn’t work because of how predictable and soppy it is. Yet, because of a finely picked supporting cast, some sharp lines of dialogue and, most crucially, because of its overall heart, it works, and works well.
Jul 2015
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Jun 2012
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Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana
Sumit Batheja's writing and Sameer Sharma's direction is a brilliant combination. The detailing in the setting of the film and focus on each of the characters is well crafted.
Nov 2012
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Mere Dad Ki Maruti
It’s a ride, a goofy, forgettable ride. One that throws up a debutant director with promise and actors who deserve to be in more films.
Mar 2013
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Miss Lovely
...the film has achingly pleasurable performances from the cast and the brilliant sound design.
Jan 2014
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Aligarh
...the portrayal Aligarh offers is refreshing and respectful. But it’s much too multifaceted, at times for its own good, to be acknowledged for just that.
Feb 2016
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Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz
But the cake, as well as its icing, is Onir's deft direction. The man has got what it needs to make films that are sensible, thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time.
Feb 2018
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Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
...amasses a clutter of complicated issues and sometimes comes across as more messy than meaningful. But the delightful cast, utterly natural in their confusion as well as revolt, compelled me to cheer for its easily resolved conflicts even if deep down I wondered at the possibility of such extraordinarily ideal understanding.
Feb 2020
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Island City
...is quite unlike any recent Hindi film. The complex narratives, laced with humour and satire, keep us enthralled while also presenting the deeper issues of life.
Sep 2016
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Main Tera Hero
...a total seeti-maar, paisa vasool film and refreshingly unpretentious.
Apr 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
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Bombay Talkies
...an absorbing ode to the language of cinema that is part of our collective system.
May 2013
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Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
There are times Baahubali shows the strain of expectation, especially in the second half's doddering pace and excessive, unconvincing VFX, but when it communicates from a place of heart, it moves and enthralls.
Apr 2017
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Aug 2012
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Jul 2015
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Manto
If Manto, the film, falls short of being a masterpiece, it's ironically because Nandita Das the filmmaker does not quite crack the Manto code herself: she doesn't quite see her subject with the same wholeness that Manto saw his people. This imperfection in the film, in a way, becomes the greatest tribute to Manto.
Sep 2018
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Badhaai Ho
...is a well-written, wholesome, entertaining film, simple and unpretentious, that tackles a serious subject comically, without losing out on entertainment or your attention.
Oct 2018
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Dream Girl
...goes in several exciting directions and comes out making light of it. It may not always be the best way to go about things but you’ll come out laughing till your sides hurt.
Sep 2019
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Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
Honestly, it's just good to watch a film with memorable comedy again. Heaven knows its been a while.
Nov 2009
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May 2011
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Shuddh Desi Romance
...there's never a dull moment in Sahni's penetrating jibes and whimsical trifling, which strives to convey a simple but underrated philosophy in the most fun way possible -- marry because you want to, not because you must.
Sep 2013
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Aakrosh
It's dark, it's violent, it's informative and it's packed with a load of shock value which keeps you at the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Oct 2010
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Jolly LLB 2
The story is more or less the same except around sharper wit seasoned in authentic local flavours that scorns at the intense rot eating up a noble profession without whitewashing the rascality of its titular character.
Feb 2017