-
Nakkash
...is a well-intentioned film that does not overstate its bravery, but suffers on account of length and lack of dramatic drive.
Jun 2019
-
India‘s Most Wanted
We don’t know who these officers were, and how many lives were saved because of their bravado. But, what’s the probability that despite Indian cinema churning out such films regularly, we won’t quite remember these sacrifices? High, sir.
May 2019
-
May 2019
-
De De Pyaar De
...is the sort of nightmare you want to unleash on a disgruntled gender studies professor; the film is bookended by two women rationalizing male infidelity as a mild derision.
May 2019
-
Student Of The Year 2
...in trying to tell a rags-to-riches story in a franchise that solely celebrates the latter, he belittles the spirit of genuine sports films worth their salt. As a love story, too, the film is bereft of spark, with tired tricks and predictable arcs promptly giving away who will go with whom.
May 2019
-
Setters
...is a Neeraj Pandey movie directed by someone else (Ashwini Chaudhary), one that features Shreyas Talpade and Aftab Shivdasani in place of Akshay Kumar and Manoj Bajpayee.
May 2019
-
May 2019
-
Kalank
...is a sincerely-crafted, visually-robust film pulled apart by mediocre performances.
Apr 2019
-
The Tashkent Files
...becomes increasingly weird as it goes along. A chaos of quotes, citations, claims and counterclaims grab you by the throat.
Apr 2019
-
Romeo Akbar Walter
Purportedly based on a real man, the film has little interest in truthfully engaging with its subject, clearly driven by the singular ambition of cashing in on patriot season.
Apr 2019
-
Gone Kesh
...goes slack with the drama at crucial junctures, which makes the second half predictable. Still, this film is enough of a joy.
Mar 2019
-
Notebook
It soon becomes clear that Notebook — for all its postcard framings and poetic peg — is still very much about one thing: introducing two new faces to the world, and serving as their showreel.
Mar 2019
-
Junglee
While it is undoubtedly a decent watch, Junglee needed more madness, more unadulterated fun, and... obviously, more of those cute elephants, making themselves comfortable around a high-flying Vidyut.
Mar 2019
-
Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota
...director Vasan Bala retreats to that primal feeling of fantasy, and performs a touching reversal: he stacks up the imaginary outtakes of his own childhood and returns them to where they belong — in a movie.
Mar 2019
-
Mar 2019
-
Photograph
Ritesh Batra has crafted a sweet homage to the movies that complete our dreams. It takes a while but finds its heart. Don’t let the festival olives tell you otherwise. 'Photograph' is a Hindi film that’s happy to be one.
Mar 2019
-
Badla
Both Taapsee and Amitabh are in top form, and the oscillating power dynamics between the two makes for an engaging watch.
Mar 2019
-
Luka Chuppi
...is a half-baked attempt at a fun-filled take on how politicians use religion and culture as election propaganda.
Mar 2019
-
Sonchiriya
Devious and unforgiving, Abhishek Chaubey’s filmmaking lugs Sonchiriya into uncharted mainstream territory. Its reflective pace might puzzle a few, especially audiences unaccustomed to revisionist cinema, but I’m hoping for the humour to sell.
Mar 2019
-
Total Dhamaal
Shall we blame a slapstick comedy for sticking to the slaps? There’s little that’s freshly funny about Total Dhamaal...
Feb 2019
-
Feb 2019
-
Gully Boy
It’s ambitious but accessible, mainstream yet not machine-made. The mix is overpowering — the sound of the movies, the voice of the streets.
Feb 2019
-
Amavas
...the film refurbishes old creeps just for the sake of it, with no added ambition or intent attached...
Feb 2019
-
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
The hush-hush handling doled out to homosexuality in this film is bound to do more damage than good. Here’s a story that is more concerned about the squeamishness of the Indian viewer than the emotional journey of its characters.
Feb 2019
-
Manikarnika
The film begins as a biopic, but derails quickly into a surreal showdown of unbridled carnage. The facts, if any, get chewed up in the mess.
Jan 2019
-
Why Cheat India
...is a neatly-observed film that needed more tonal clarity to be taken seriously. It features a refreshingly amoral protagonist, portrayed by a talented male lead — but the faux-thriller-like posturings of what is essentially a dark social satire gives him little elbow room to play with.
Jan 2019
-
Bombairiya
And though Bombairiya is far from perfect, it is an ideal example of how that statement rings true. Sukanya and her team deserve to be commended on a decent effort all round.
Jan 2019
-
The Accidental Prime Minister
Films like The Accidental Prime Minister make a strong case against the politicisation of Indian cinema. They embarrass both sides with their shoddiness, and expose strange limitations of the medium...
Jan 2019
-
Uri
...plays out in the precarious sub-genre of the 'well-made' propaganda. The ambitious production design and consistent visual flair come scarily close to masking out the timely histrionics. The film is well-executed, if not well-intended.
Jan 2019