Anuj Kumar
The Hindu
Border 2
2026 · The Hindu
Within the mainstream framework that demands bombast rather than nuance, Anurag imbues the spectacle with soul, pausing to reveal the enduring grief war inflicts on families and the heavy toll it takes on the survivors. However, the narrative structure lacks novelty, as it follows the tested formula of tracking the camaraderie and backstories of the four bravehearts before cutting to action on the battlefront. It's the music that makes you ignore the imperfections and lack of originality.
Do Deewane Seher Mein
2026 · The Hindu
Though shot tastefully, the screenwriting and treatment are bland and overstretched. In the absence of solid material, Siddhant and Mrunal fail to generate any tangible frisson. When the writing doesn't fully trust its premise of introspective character study, it leans on convenient emotional beats or predictable insecurities rather than letting the awkwardness breathe longer. Too quiet, too safe!
Ikkis
2026 · The Hindu
Sriram Raghavan turns to the Battle of Basantar to honour a real-life martyr and take a shot at peace at a time when the world seems to be warming up to war.
Main Vaapas Aaunga
2026 · The Hindu
A sweeping, bittersweet examination of displacement, Main Vaapas Aaunga is a timely, intimate, poetic character study about how geopolitical lines permanently alter the trajectory of human hearts. The creative synergy between Shah and Imtiaz lends the thought a powerful emotional heartbeat, with Shah's performance transforming what could have been a standard framing device into a profound meditation on old age and lingering grief that tears you up.
Mardaani 3
2026 · The Hindu
Soon, the veneer of social empathy and feminist tone gives way, and we can clearly see the product's formula: a fearless protagonist, blended with a hard-hitting social issue, taking on an intense antagonist. The experiment and freshness are limited to the introduction of the villain and their lair. After that, the writers serve Shivani's image and Rani's fans.
Maa Behen
2026 · The Hindu
Unlike Tumhari Sulu, Triveni struggles when he tries to do three things at once: deliver a sharp critique of the idealised Indian mother while also creating the quiet dread of a mystery and loud, rip-roaring comedic moments. The structural tug-of-war doesn't just subvert tropes; it points out that it is doing so. This self-awareness disrupts the story's reality.
Satluj
2026 · The Hindu
Satluj arrives not just as a period drama, but as a fearless, contemporary warning. Despite running over 160 minutes, narrative tension doesn't slacken. The runtime feels earned as the screenplay undergoes mutation from an immersive procedural to a high-stakes thriller with an unexpected layer of dark humour. Diljit delivers a restrained, internalised performance that uncovers the absolute best of his acting craft.
Alpha
2026 · The Hindu
However, intentions aside, the problem is that there is hardly any freshness in the story, and Alia struggles to keep it from feeling like a comic strip spread over two hours. One feels the writing department definitely needs a massive dose of Alpha serum to inject some energy, depth, and originality into the franchise. While the film belongs to its leading ladies, the solid presence of Bobby and Anil cannot be understated, but their commitment and intensity provide enough dramatic weight to keep a shallow, derivative script afloat for those who marvel at spectacle rather than storytelling.
Welcome to the Jungle
2026 · The Hindu
Welcome To The Jungle is yet another invitation to a cinematic universe that assumes a bigger budget and a massive star cast equal bigger laughs, as director Ahmed Khan treats the third installment of the popular franchise like a 164-minute variety show rather than a cohesive experience. However, when Khan pushes his ensemble into absolute overkill and unchecked overacting, the delicate balance of slapstick comedy gives way. As a result, the trailer is excellent, but the theatrical experience crumbles, leaving the actors visibly stranded on screen.
Governor
2026 · The Hindu
Governor falls squarely into the trap of reductionism, flattening a complex structural crisis into a simplistic, black-and-white melodrama, transforming a highly collaborative economic triumph into the legend of a single silent saviour. The film subtly yet distinctively builds a narrative that subordinates democratic dissent and freedom of speech to state survival, emotionally manipulating the audience into accepting secrecy.
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
2026 · The Hindu
When in form, the infectious, chaotic energy of David Dhawan's cinema can make even the most cynical critic melt. He attempts to create a bridge between two distinct eras of his own filmography, using his trademark style. The final act rescues the experience as Dhawan systematically re-energises the theatre through the good old buffoonery that makes us submit to the rhythm of the ridiculous.
Kartavya
2026 · The Hindu
These days, OTT films flirt with hinterland politics but settle for safe social commentary. The volatile social issues get diluted by a cautious approach. The narrative feels distinctly over-vetted, leaving one with the inescapable impression that a legal team sat directly beside the editor, scrubbing away uncomfortable truths.
Bhooth Bangla
2026 · The Hindu
The result is a forced trip down nostalgia lane, packaged as a summer holiday entertainer, where a few wisecracks, a couple of jump scares manage to seep through the ceiling, but even they feel like leaks from outdated plumbing after a point. In the end, Bhooth Bangla leaves one with a feeling that some memories and mansions are better left abandoned. For all its chaotic charm and Akshay's visible effort, it turns out to be a formulaic entertainer that delivers fleeting laughs but leaves you wondering why they bothered reopening the Bangla at all.
Cocktail 2
2026 · The Hindu
Fourteen years after Deepika Padukone danced barefoot on our heartstrings as the chaotic, unforgettable Veronica, Homi Adajania returns to the bar with Cocktail 2 but ends up serving a lukewarm mocktail of ideas and aesthetics. The concoction lacks the intoxicating emotional depth of the original and the sharp, unapologetic punch of a Ranjan comedy. The tragedy of Cocktail 2 is that it treats its audience exactly the same way. It is a messy cupboard of a movie, but instead of feeling comforting, it just feels exhaustingly predictable.
Tu Yaa Main
2026 · The Hindu
Here, he almost finds the sweet spot between form and content. It is not just about the world-building, which he masters; he also infuses it with a beating heart. Nambiar lays out the clichés of survival dramas and makes us like and subscribe to the cheap thrills they generate.
De De Pyaar De 2
2025 · The Hindu
Director Anshul Sharma rekindles the breezy energy of the original, but the fresh spin on 'love vs loved ones' becomes formulaic after a point. In an attempt to replicate the fun, the tone tends to become overly high-pitched. In terms of storytelling, the middle part becomes a little bloated, feels sappy and repetitive, but it signs off strong.
The Diplomat
2025 · The Hindu
As it turns out, it is yet another addition to the trend where filmmakers flaunt the placard of 'based on a true story' but develop cold feet in digging the truth of the story. Recreating the sarkari version of the events, The Diplomat sounds contrived and simplistic. It reminds one of John's last production, Vedaa, where masala diluted the integrity of the story.
Superboys of Malegaon
2025 · The Hindu
Despite an efficient ensemble of actors and honest moments of camaraderie, Reema's Malegaon looks dressed up for a well-meaning fancy dress show sans the cultural context, and the creative team's inability to extricate itself from the source documentary while pretending to take a fresh look results in a sanitised studio sketch that reeks of self-consciousness.
Jolly LLB 3
2025 · The Hindu
Kapoor once again punches above the genre's weight to say that in the social contract there can't be separate clauses for the haves and have not's. Though the franchise comes with pitfalls and the space is no longer a novelty, Jolly LLB 3 delivers a potent message about equitable distribution of wealth through its courtroom narrative.
120 Bahadur
2025 · The Hindu
Unlike the generic chest-thumping, jingoistic celebrations of military milestones that Bollywood churns out, 120 Bahadur is a sincere, technically proficient tribute that gives both heart and mind their due on the battlefield. It may not be a genre-defining epic, but 120 Bahadur deserves your time and attention.
Raat Akeli Hai - The Bansal Murders
2025 · The Hindu
The filmmaker transports us to the heart of Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow-Kanpur axis, spinning a sharp crime thriller with a throbbing conscience. By asking what happens when victims and perpetrators trade places, Honey brings emotional depth to the unraveling of the mystery. A refreshed Nawaz anchors the film with a restrained yet magnetic performance of an investigator navigating corruption, both within and without.
Dhurandhar
2025 · The Hindu
Aditya Dhar's ambitious but overstretched and chest-thumping espionage saga serves political interests, tests endurance. The bigger problem is that Aditya has bitten more than he could chew. Like the popular Hasan Jahangir number of the late 1980s used in the film, there is a lot of 'Hawa Hawa', with a pretence of substance.
Do Patti
2024 · The Hindu
Do Patti reduces the art of storytelling to a mere artifice for meaningful cinema, delivering the message but little else. Marked by an inconsistent tone, it feels patchy and too convenient to evoke deep empathy for characters in this mishmash of genres.
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video
2024 · The Hindu
However, Shandilya tends to reduce storytelling to a joke. He becomes so desperate for wordplay and turn of phrase that the basic emotion of the theme gets compromised... This desperation to tickle becomes the undoing of VVKWWV, eventually reducing it to a long title with a short shelf life.
Mission Majnu
2023 · The Hindu
A generic spy thriller that overtly dramatises true events from our prickly relationship with Pakistan, Mission Majnu doesn't add much to our knowledge and understanding of the universe where undercover agents operate. Half as interesting as the title, this mission evokes more yawns than wows.
Khufiya
2023 · The Hindu
Vishal Bhardwaj once again employs his command over multiple art forms to generate an immersive experience that turns out to be less than the sum of its parts. He beguiles with the mood and melody but fails to sustain the spell till the end.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo
2015 · The Hindu · Nov 2015
Wish the dialogues had a little more punch. Wish Sooraj reflected a little more on the darkness beneath the light but overall it is a family get together that you don't mind attending in festive mood.
Yaara Silly Silly
2015 · The Hindu · Nov 2015
The dialogues are laced with cuss words to make the cosmetic scenarios sound authentic and then songs come in to prove that it is usual Bollywood fare. There is a strong Chameli hangover but while Sudhir Mishra's film had a certain grace and humanness about the murky, morbid world, here the approach oscillates between amateurish and exploitative.
Charlie Ke Chakkar Mein
2015 · The Hindu · Nov 2015
It is like a complex crossword puzzle where the director doesn't want to share the clues and keeps dropping lies to startle you in the end. It is like that child who used to lie that wolf is coming and when one day when the wolf really makes an appearance nobody cares to believe him.
Main Aur Charles
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
There is hardly any intermingling of the black and white. Also, the jail break sequences and the subsequent chase demand more raw intensity than the slickness of the first half. And nothing is more frustrating when a thriller begins to sound like a drama!
Shaandaar
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
Unlike Queen, it doesn't feel like a take-off from a lived reality. There are some honest moments between JJ and Alia and Alia and her father that make you go gooey but for rest of the time it floats between generic and farcical.
Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
Carrying forward the flavour of the original, it is a film that many men make in their minds!
Wedding Pullav
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
Staying hungry is a better idea than trying this cold Pullav...
The Walk
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
...the director does a fairly good balancing act but when you remove the flesh and come down to the wire, you realise that the director is smitten by CGI imagery. No crime, but it makes the work of an artist, who always maintained that he is not a circus clown, a little gimmicky or what you loosely call Hollywoodish. It becomes all the more apparent for those who have watched James Marsh's astonishing Oscar winning documentary on the subject.
Jazbaa
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
The plot has all the ingredients for an entertaining potboiler but the director and the dialogue writer do not create empathy for the characters.
Singh Is Bling
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
More moronic than mahaan, Akshay's comic timing saves the day.
Talvar
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
Its intentions might be blunt but as a piece of cinema Talvar is a sharp procedural.
Calendar Girls
2015 · The Hindu · Sep 2015
It is a glossier, more rounded version of that B-grade entertainment that is increasingly becoming synonymous with Bhandarkar. It will be able to titillate the target audience but as far as reality and expose are concerned, it is as shallow as the television debate that masquerades as badi behas in the film.
MSG-2 The Messenger
2015 · The Hindu · Sep 2015
The film opens with a disclaimer in English which says that it is a piece of fiction and that the lead character doesn't have miraculous powers. It should have been in Hindi and Gurumukhi as well, for most of the followers of the self-styled guru are proficient in these languages. It might still work for the devotees of Singh, but the rest can go by his advice, "Never Ever".
Black Mass
2015 · The Hindu · Sep 2015
The film has nothing that has not been explored in crime dramas. There are issues of loyalty and ratting. There are frictions over the issue of territory and if you cross it there are consequences. But the good thing is Cooper shows restraint. He doesn't go for the overkill and lets the narrative and characters evolve in an ambience that is true to the disco-era of the late 70s and 80s.
Hero
2015 · The Hindu · Sep 2015
Could have been a frothy entertainer for teenagers but the bubble bursts mid-way.
The Path of Zarathustra
2015 · The Hindu · Sep 2015
A must for the Parsis but it doesn't offer a hand to others to come along. The reformist might not like it!
Welcome Back
2015 · The Hindu · Sep 2015
Naseeruddin Shah surrenders himself to the chaos. As the visually impaired don, Bazmee has given Naseer the "Sparsh" of crass. He calls him Wanted bhai as if to remind the actor that he is sought after in Bazmee's bizarre universe as well. Naseer returns the favour. After every punch-line he keeps reminding the cynical critics, mazaaq tha bhai, (it was a joke!) Indeed.
Kaun Kitne Paani Mein
2015 · The Hindu · Aug 2015
...it is a film that needs to be discussed and debated.
Phantom
2015 · The Hindu · Aug 2015
On the surface the way Kabir and his writers build up the narrative is dull and tedious and with no humour to spice up the mood, the spy games fail to spur the imagination. I laughed only when Katrina was introduced as Nawaz. Unfortunately, the name fails to rub on her and she remains as detached from the character as she has been all these years. Saif seems to think that he is doing the sequel of Agent Vinod with a more simplistic script and less budget for costumes.
Brothers
2015 · The Hindu · Aug 2015
The problem is, be it emotion or action, Karan is in no hurry to say cut. At times it works for the emotion to seep in but many times over elaboration dilutes the punch. The music is a let down.
Gour Hari Dastaan
2015 · The Hindu · Aug 2015
At times the comments look adsorbed on the surface particularly the seemingly misogynistic journalist's tirade against feminism. At times it seems Mahadevan is trying to put a halo behind Das which doesn't go with Surendran's writing and Pathak's performance. But most of the times the observations are ingrained in the narrative. The most telling statement of the film comes when Das says that British India was better because at least he knew who the enemy was.
Bangistan
2015 · The Hindu · Aug 2015
...ultimately it is not about performances, it is the uneven writing and ham-fisted treatment that lets this potent idea down.
Drishyam
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
On paper it belongs to Ajay but on screen it is Tabu who walks away with it. And even when she is effortlessly seeking attention, the underrated Rajat Kapoor excels as the husband who retains his sanity amidst the moral chaos. Watch it for them, watch it if you haven't watched the original.
Masaan
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
It has both humour and physical intimacy but unlike most indies it doesn't flaunt metaphors to seek the eyeballs. It celebrates small joys like the value of kheer and what it means to be the youngest in the family. And yes, it doesn't blink when it comes to the crunch.
Ant-Man
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
Part fun, part froth, Ant-man fails to soar beyond its central conceit.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
A sweet gift from Salman this Eid that loudly underlines the acceptance of others.
Terminator Genisys
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
The film smartly plays with the fear of future where given a chance the mother doesn't want to mate again because she knows what her son has become. It is this magic realism that makes a fantasy play with your realistic fears.
Guddu Rangeela
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
It is these characters and performances that keep us engaged when the writing loses its bite. Not as jolly as Kapoor's last outing but has enough meat to last a meal.
Labour of Love
2015 · The Hindu · Jun 2015
Through cross cuts, the cyclical nature of the narrative expresses itself. You don't really need to be physically present to express your love. Here it come through the washing and cooking that one does for the other and in between both of them yearn for that meeting that happens at the end of the day. Or is it at the start of the new one! Sengupta has given those moments a dreamy treatment but even in that reverie the couple doesn't lose touch with the ground. Have the pressures of job turned them mechanical in their romance? Oh! Not quite. It is as tender as the first kiss. Go check!
Insidious: Chapter 3
2015 · The Hindu · Jun 2015
The chapter doesn't teach us anything new but it has serviceable characters and scares to keep the teenagers occupied.
Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho
2015 · The Hindu · Jun 2015
From religious manipulation to gender politics to caste dominance, it reminds of the bizarre forms unbridled power can take. And Arjun's parents and grandmother reflect the helplessness in face of this brute collation of political and money power without getting melodramatic. Its dystopic feel reminds of Manish Jha's "Matrubhumi".
ABCD 2
2015 · The Hindu · Jun 2015
Remo has invested his whole cinematic vocabulary on dance and is left with only ABCD when it comes to the emotional choreography. At one point of time Suresh tells his sweetheart, 'why do you take tension? You know how it is.' This perhaps echoes Remo's advice for the audience.
Jurassic World
2015 · The Hindu · Jun 2015
It has enough for the 13 year-olds in all age groups to embrace the dinos but it suffers from the similar corporate excess that it suggests to guard against.
Hamari Adhuri Kahani
2015 · The Hindu · Jun 2015
The director tries to restore the gravitas, the pathos that we associate with romance and takes on the deep-seated patriarchy along the way.
Dil Dhadakne Do
2015 · The Hindu · Jun 2015
Anil Kapoor is an absolute delight as the self-obsessed and manipulative Kamal Mehra and he is ably supported by Shefali Shah as the ostrich wife, who ignores being getting ignored. But the film belongs to Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh and they excel as siblings who stand for each other. For once Ranveer channelises his energy well and Priyanka goes beyond the pout to embrace a character that every much like the film is a gorgeous cross between stupid and smart.
Welcome to Karachi
2015 · The Hindu · May 2015
Arshad knows this terrain well and in the absence of any challenge he repeats himself. Unlike Kedar's father in the film, Jackky's producer father hasn't lost hope in him and Jackky does try to lift his game as the moronic character but is let down by an inspired writer, a lazy editor and a director who has taken only baby steps since Khiladi 786. It seems like the aeroplane in the climax, Kedar and Shammi have taken the reins of the film!
Surkhaab
2015 · The Hindu · May 2015
The Indo-Canadian co-production promises to be a stirring depiction of the plight of illegal migrants to Canada. It is indeed a tale of survival in the globalised world but the perils and the ensuing threats don't fall in place naturally. They rather seem manufactured by smart editing.
Tanu Weds Manu: Returns
2015 · The Hindu · May 2015
Every dialogue is dipped in the treacle of delicious North Indian dialects and the lovely nuances of the region will stay with you long after the credits roll. But their biggest victory lie in the fact that the coincidences that threaten to spoil the party and the leaps of faith that feel like heading for a dead end don't go beyond the realm of intrinsic logic.
Mad Max: Fury Road
2015 · The Hindu · May 2015
A visceral reboot of a franchise that tries to rise above the fun and frivolity of a summer blockbuster and largely succeeds.
Bombay Velvet
2015 · The Hindu · May 2015
midst all the attention on detailing of the costumes and computer generated imagery, the screenplay loses direction. While the motivations of two rival newspaper barons are clear their actions get just short of ridiculous in the second half. From blackmail to look alikes, the film threatens to become a potboiler of the '70s. Ultimately, the writing affects the performances as well. Balraj's return to the boxing ring after each turmoil in his life is gimmicky.
Jai Ho Democracy
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
What could have sounded a laugh riot on paper ends up as ridiculous on the big screen. Of course the intentions are right and the situations spot on but apart from a few stinging comments on the polity, it fails to grow into a cogent commentary on the state of affairs.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
In the process of packing everything that a generous buffet meal can offer, he doesn't let the narrative breath. It often jumps like Hulk from one point to another. In the age of artificial intelligence, the emotion also feels artificial. Like the heart of Ultron, it thumps but the nuts and bolts don't generate the same impact as muscles and veins.
Margarita, with a Straw
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
Stirred well, Maragarita leaves a heady feeling...
Court
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
An accomplished piece of work whose natural tone is surreal...
Ek Paheli Leela
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
Every plot point leads to either a song or a love making sequence with all the leading men in the film getting their turn leaving little for imagination. Enough fodder to keep the target audience swooning. And yes, here CBFC shows how liberal it is.
Dharam Sankat Mein
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
Humorous in parts, the film tries too hard to strike home the point.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
A stylish noir adventure soaked in surprise and substance in equal measure.
Barkhaa
2015 · The Hindu · Mar 2015
Director Shadaab Mirza reinvents the premise in the dance bars, giving us an insight as how these bars were maligned by politicians with vested interests. Mirza seems to be confident that he is making an epic romance but actually he is picking nuts and bolts from classics to create a unit of clichés with lots of wood work.
Barkhaa
2015 · The Hindu · Mar 2015
Overwrought and laboured, the idea to reignite a good old flame fails lacks both passion and pain.
Run All Night
2015 · The Hindu · Mar 2015
The destination is clear from a distance but running along Neeson is not a waste of time.
Dragon Blade
2015 · The Hindu · Mar 2015
A smart spectacle where action choreography delivers the goods.
Hunterrr
2015 · The Hindu · Mar 2015
Provocative and pungent, it rises above the daftness that we associate with a sex comedy.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha
2015 · The Hindu · Feb 2015
A welcome reminder of simple joys and sorrows of life, watch it with somebody you love.
MSG: The Messenger of God
2015 · The Hindu · Feb 2015
It might still work for the devotees of Singh, but the rest can go by his advice, "Never Ever". Bottomline: Nothing more than a tacky promotional feature for a spiritual organisation.
Roy
2015 · The Hindu · Feb 2015
More style than substance, here the songs have more depth than the script.
Shamitabh
2015 · The Hindu · Feb 2015
Using graveyard as a metaphor, Balki is trying to say life is too short to squabble over ego. But he seems to have forgotten that 153 minutes is too long to stretch an ad length idea to a feature film, particularly when it is not consistently speaking from the gut.
Dolly Ki Doli
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
Rajkumar Rao and Zeeshan Ayyub show how to do it even in a comedy. Thankfully, the climax is not a cop out but by then one had lost interest in Dolly's escapades.
Baby
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
The best part is the film doesn't romanticise the job that these daredevils do nor does Neeraj turn it into a dry procedural. He does talk about the nameless nature of the job and the sacrifices these agents have to make but all of it is portrayed through the course of action with wry wit. Akshay Kumar nails the part. Restrained without being monotonous, Akshay keeps the heart throbbing.
American Sniper
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
Based on Kyle's autobiography, much like Hurt Locker, Eastwood's drama plays to the conservative gallery sidestepping the politics of war. Almost forgetting that Kyle died not on the war front but at a Texas shooting range. It is silent on the effect of his celebrity status on the society around him.
Alone
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
More than the creaking doors it is the screenplay that needs some urgent oiling.
Crazy Cukkad Family
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
After showing signs of digging into the innards of middle class family values by putting a gay couple and an item girl from a rural background in the mix, Ritesh resorts to the safety of slapstick and happy ending, and when one begins to see the Priyadarshan-like family hungama from a distance, the craziness begins to wane.
Big Eyes
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
Margaret is tailor made for Amy Adams. She brings alive the complicated character who takes a long time to see through the manipulative nature of her husband. It is a kind of performance that juries of film awards love to reward.
Tevar
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
Of course there are loopholes and creative licence is exploited but it is good fun on the run till it enters its final lap. After experimenting with the template, Amit suddenly runs out of ideas and decides to sum it up in conventional fashion.
2 States
2014 · The Hindu · Dec 2014
Try it if you have the patience! ...It is their natural charm, particularly Alia's effortless approach that makes you invest in their relationship despite the fact that the narrative unfolds in a soap operatic tone.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
2014 · The Hindu · Dec 2014
However, a decade later, in its third edition, the museum has lost not just its novelty but the commitment of its watchdog, Ben Stiller, as well.
Ugly
2014 · The Hindu · Dec 2014
Anurag is so miserly with information that at one point you like to beseech him to part with more details but he is no mood to take a please-all route. Still all threads come together when they need to. Still it is Anurag's least indulgent yet most visceral film. There is no escape from the ugliness that we and our films like to keep under wraps. Last week Hirani had hung a mirror in theatres, this week Anurag has put together few shards of glass. That was easier to face; this one will test the nerve.
Action Jackson
2014 · The Hindu · Dec 2014
When it seems somebody is drawing sadistic pleasure when a woman is punched in the face, one doubts the sensibility of the filmmaker. Even those who whistled for his Rowdy Rathore would find this hard to swallow.
Sulemani Keeda
2014 · The Hindu · Dec 2014
...after the effortless setup, the screenplay starts meandering. Some of the camera angles are amateurish. At times Masurkar gets carried away and brings in comedy-show kind of situations in an organic structure. But Naveen and Aditi ensure that the performances tide over the flaws in writing.
Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain
2014 · The Hindu · Dec 2014
There is an attempt to whip up melodrama by intercutting the gas leak with a wedding and there could have been many other angles to the story but the camera doesn't linger on the desperation to cash the poignancy. Kumar's approach is neutral as he recreates the sensory experience of that ill-fated night. Unlike Carbide he doesn't devalue death.
Zed Plus
2014 · The Hindu · Nov 2014
Cut from the same cloth from which films like Well Done Abba and Welcome To Sajjanpur were stitched, Zed Plus warms the cockles of the heart with its simplicity and integrity, ingredients that are fast disappearing from our cinescape. Far from the gloss and fakery of larger-than-life stories which rely on flying kicks and superheroes living next door, director Chandraprakash Diwvedi creates a scenario rooted in socio-political reality and gives it a satirical treatment.
Beauty and the Beast
2014 · The Hindu · Nov 2014
No doubt, one gets absorbed in the scenery. The jungle indeed sucks you in but everything is postcard fresh. A wilting red rose against a dark background, it seems somebody has imbued life into those children's picture books published in glossy paper. But when in the process the emotions also become too lustrous to be human, it hurts. The back story of the Beast and his sudden humanising seldom makes you grasp the armrest.
Super Nani
2014 · The Hindu · Nov 2014
A shrill family melodrama whose essence is lost in execution...
Gone Girl
2014 · The Hindu · Nov 2014
A curious take on the mystery of marriage that is entertaining and exploratory at the same time...
Khoobsurat
2014 · The Hindu · Sep 2014
If you fancy fluff this one is designed for you!
Daawat-e-Ishq
2014 · The Hindu · Sep 2014
A relevant social message delivered in an entertaining fashion...
Finding Fanny
2014 · The Hindu · Sep 2014
Things get untangled rather easily towards the end making one feel that Homi hasn't paid heed to don Podro's advice – 'In art there is no compromise.' Still there are many reasons to get lost!
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
2014 · The Hindu · Sep 2014
The narrative has familiar misanthropic overtones but one has to keep the original in mind to make sense of the characters as the makers have no intentions to indulge the latecomers.
Mary Kom
2014 · The Hindu · Sep 2014
If the ring side view is all you want, there is enough to keep you engaged. The moments between Mary and her father and the unsaid chemistry between Onler and Mary are moving largely due to Priyanka, who is the tour de force of this loosely assembled vehicle.
Identity Card
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
Promises a mature debate on a vexed issue but is let down by the callow craft of the director.
Raja Natwarlal
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
The conman's conviction is captivating but his tricks fail to deceive.
Katiyabaaz
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
The good, bad and ugly side of power politics in Kanpur that reflects the dark underbelly of shining India.
The Expendables 3
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
...with minimal dialogues and primal posturing, The Expendables can still expand in less mature territories in their dubbed avatars for here Stallone is no less than Singham.
The Giver
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
A relevant tale let down by uneven treatment and performances...
Singham Returns
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
Singham returns with more shine than substance ...
Into the Storm
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
Nature's fury dished out for the sake of satiating guilty pleasures
22 Jump Street
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
A street smart comedy that manages to regenerate the raucous atmosphere of the original.
Hercules
2014 · The Hindu · Aug 2014
A laboured attempt at redefining Hercules for the new generation.
Kick
2014 · The Hindu · Jul 2014
Despite some high octane chase sequences on the streets of Warsaw, the film appears a wannabe. Kabir Khan did a better job with Salman in a similar space in "Ek Tha Tiger".
Pizza
2014 · The Hindu · Jul 2014
Oven fresh, "Pizza" revitalises a genre losing its bite in Hindi cinema. Often horror stories end up becoming claustrophobic in the haunted house but here it keeps breathing as Akshay doesn't give up on intrinsic logic and sense of humour.
Amit Sahni Ki List
2014 · The Hindu · Jul 2014
The message that like jewellery, love also demands some imperfection to be lasting, is more spoon-fed than heart felt. The soapy treatment makes it worth a wait for the film's television premiere.
Hate Story 2
2014 · The Hindu · Jul 2014
An unabashed adult flick that fails to address both the corporeal and emotional needs! It is a predictable story that pans out in a predictable fashion with the galleries treated to tastefully shot skin show.
Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
2014 · The Hindu · Jul 2014
DDLJ redux for a more practical and fun loving generation...
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
2014 · The Hindu · Jul 2014
A big studio franchise that shuns cosmetic thrills for substance.
Bobby Jasoos
2014 · The Hindu · Jul 2014
A feel good entertainer that chips a few clichés off the Bollywood rock.
Transformers: Age of Extinction
2014 · The Hindu · Jun 2014
By the end you do feel as if you are on the edge of extinction!
Ek Villain
2014 · The Hindu · Jun 2014
This contrived battle of psychopaths is going to test your patience.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
2014 · The Hindu · Jun 2014
The animation is immersive with a flurry of colourful dragons flying through the screen but the best moments are still reserved for Toothless with retractable teeth, very much like the narrative! The Dragon has got more teeth as it soars again without any real hiccup!
Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai
2014 · The Hindu · Jun 2014
Waiting in the cans for some time, the fish is finally out in the water but lacks the gills to survive the swell at the box office
Fugly
2014 · The Hindu · Jun 2014
In trying to be candid, the language becomes crass. In trying to be funny, the emotions feel manufactured. And the fresh cast seems to have been chosen only on the basis of look test.
CityLights
2014 · The Hindu · May 2014
If you have watched the original try it to see how Manila could easily be Mumbai and if you haven't, go get illuminated about the ground realities beneath your feet.
Bhoothnath Returns
2014 · The Hindu · Apr 2014
A feel good family entertainer that deserves a chance.
Ankhon Dekhi
2014 · The Hindu · Mar 2014
For a change here is a film that shows a part of Old Delhi without the overriding Punjabi flavour. Shot in an Old Delhi haveli, Bauji's house is a character in itself. There is so much going around him that you wonder how Rajat, Resul Pookutty (sound) and Rafey Mohammed (cinematography) managed to capture this chaos with such clarity and how these endearing snapshots of life were put together in an order by editor Suresh Pai. Every character is well etched... But it is Sanjay Mishra who is the tour de force of the film and could well be the second Queen this March.
Ya Rab
2014 · The Hindu · Feb 2014
Go with ear plugs. Don't worry the message will still seep through!
Gori Tere Pyaar Mein
2013 · The Hindu · Nov 2013
A love story that hardly tugs at your heartstrings.
Singh Saab the Great
2013 · The Hindu · Nov 2013
Not great by any stretch of imagination.