Gaurav Malani
Times Of India·Economic Times·The Economic Times
Most Divergent Takes
- Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum (2012)8.0 vs TRM 4.9+3.1
- Bhindi Baazaar Inc. (2011)7.0 vs TRM 4.7+2.3
- Agent Vinod (2012)8.0 vs TRM 5.7+2.3
- Joker (2012)6.0 vs TRM 3.8+2.2
- Ferrari Ki Sawaari (2012)8.0 vs TRM 5.8+2.2
I Am Kalam
2011 · Times Of India · Jul 2015
With a child protagonist, I Am Kalam gives an important message particularly to the adult audience on how every child has a basic right for education and to live his dream.
Kurbaan
2009 · The Economic Times · Nov 2014
Rensil D'Silva makes a confident debut with his taut grip on the subject and confident direction. Of the few loose ends, Riyaaz's quest to deal with the terrorists without any help from the cops looks both, needlessly heroic and unpersuasive. Also it seems quite improbable that the terrorists do not learn his identity till the climax though he is a popular television reporter. Though the lovemaking song between Saif and Kareena is sensually shot, it is employed to corny effect.
Bullett Raja
2013 · Times Of India · Dec 2013
To sum up, Bullett Raja is Tigmanshu Dhulia's Dabangg.
R... Rajkumar
2013 · Times Of India · Dec 2013
Shahid Kapoor gives his heart and soul to the role, though the converse of it is not true.
Agneepath
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2013
With Bollywood being obsessed with remakes in recent times, Agneepath is an important lesson on how to pay proper tribute to the original. Despite the original being his home production, Karan Johar attempts playing with fire (treading uncharted territory) with Agneepath and emerges victorious. Agneepath has the fire for a lustrous entertainer!
Boss
2013 · Times Of India · Oct 2013
So when almost everything about the film is wrong, you are still not supposed to question anything. A general viewer reaction to the mediocrity of this film was 'what else do you expect from a film like this?' So with the frequent flow of such unapologetically self-proclaimed mindless action films, our basic expectations are so downsized that even distasteful dishes have turned easily edible.
Policegiri
2013 · Economic Times · Jul 2013
Policegiri meets with the prerequisites of the 'tired' and tested genre. Remake a South film. Overdo the action. Have a police protagonist. But for a genre that demands a topless torso, a paunchy protagonist is visibly misfit.
Ankur Arora Murder Case
2013 · Jun 2013
Ankur Arora Murder Case is a film that will scare you and make you squirm in your seats. It makes a significant statement that no life is less significant!
Aurangzeb
2013 · Times Of India · May 2013
Aurangzeb had the potential to be a much better film. Alas it only comes across as a TV serial sans the melodrama!
Ghost
2012 · Times Of India · Mar 2013
The scares in GHOST are inadequate and ineffectual. One expected so much more from the scary movie.
Ladies vs Ricky Bahl
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
While Ladies vs Ricky Bahl doesn't exceed expectations (like Band Baaja Baaraat), it doesn't con you in the name of entertainment either.
The Dirty Picture
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Vidya Balan makes the dirty picture a beautiful experience. Picture mein dum hain!
Desi Boyz
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
So make some way for the Desi Boyz. And be sure, they won't disappoint you!
Shakal Pe Mat Ja
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
The film essentially had in it to be a humble entertainer but it's unfortunate that the potential couldn't be tapped appropriately. So Shakal Pe Mat Ja... apni akal lagaa.
Rockstar
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Rockstar rocks you but only partially thanks to the star called Ranbir Kapoor.
Don 2
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Don 2 ends with the promise of Don 3 (that's what the number-plate of Don's bike reads) and the trademark dialogue 'Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkim hai' (It's not just difficult to catch don, it's impossible). But we would surely want to 'catch' up with a more worthy sequel to this. It's not impossible Farhan. Is it?
Khap
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
You can't have an issue-based film which invests more runtime on a campus song, a love ballad, a honeymoon song, a separation song, a hogwash love story and what not. Khap certainly doesn't leave any chaap (mark) on your mind. Pardon me if that sounds corny, the film's been an inspiration!
Bhindi Baazaar Inc.
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Bhindi Baazaar incorporates strong performances and smart storytelling to make a regular story riveting. Worth a watch!
Haunted – 3D
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
This certainly is one of those old 'spirits' in new bottle!
Turning 30!!!
2011 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Turning 30 is more of a monotonous look on midlife-crisis than a coming-of-age cinema.
Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2 might not be as perfect as its prequel. Yet its two steps ahead of any revenge-drama, the most exploited genre and sentiment in Bollywood.
Joker
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Like a joker, the film makes a complete fool of itself. However it fails to make you laugh. The circus clown is funnier!
Ek Tha Tiger
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Ek Tha Tiger, by far, is Salman Khan's most entertaining and accomplished works in recent times. Hope he takes the correct cues from this film and stays away from mediocrity henceforth.
Cocktail
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
So the story is about a compulsive flirt Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) who gets into a no-strings-attached relationship with the hot-n-happening Veronica (Deepika Padukone). Girl-next-door Meera (Diana Penty) is literally the girl Gautam takes home to his mother (Dimple Kapadia) to cover-up his live-in with Veronica. Until by interval point his heart starts fluttering for Meera. And the rest as they say is 'history'.
Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum might not be the best sex-comedy ever. But then how many of the rare species do we have in Bollywood? So support the cause and enjoy as long as it lasts.
Mere Dost Picture Abhi Baki Hai
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
In the end, the idealistic Amar Joshi does get manipulated by the big bad world of Bollywood and thrives in mediocrity. We just hope the audience doesn't fall for such tackiness!
Bol Bachchan
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
The basic narrative of Bol Bachchan, more or less, follows that of the 1979 Golmaal and thereby Rohit Shetty's film has a defined flow, which saves it from wandering aimlessly. Bettering the original would be an impractical idea that, perhaps, even Shetty is aware of. So he simply attempts to stay true to the original and keeps the cult scenes and characters untouched. So Archana Puran Singh reprises Dina Pathak's role and poses as the mother (and also her twin sister) and makes the same backdoor entry when the scene demands it.
Ferrari Ki Sawaari
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Rajesh Mapuskar does succeed in extracting decent performances from the entire cast. Sharman Joshi, as an uncertain and shy guy with a constant smirk on his face that tries to hide his inner sorrows, skillfully underplays his part. Occasionally he seems too passive but is still likeable.
Rowdy Rathore
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Rowdy Rathore lives up to its name in creating too much noise for no reason. It also marks the end of a sensibility called Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
In a smart conversational excerpt from the film, the hero downplays himself as an ordinary guy who doesn't excel in any particular domain. But the heroine finds uniqueness in his commonplace conduct since he never overindulges into anything. She tags him with the paradox - 'perfectly average'. That precisely defines the film as well. It's perfect in whatever it offers. But what it offers is quite average in volume.
Agent Vinod
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
The film starts with an interesting prologue in Afghanistan and ends with a witty epilogue in London. How we wish the globetrotting in between was as much compelling. The film is entertaining but not in entirety. Agent Vinod gets the nod though not whole-heartedly!
Valentine's Night
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
The direction by the duo of Kirshan Baadal is consistently awful and so are the performances. Payal Rohatgi (the only identifiable face in the cast) seems on a hugging spree and only bores. Sangram Singh can't act for nuts and bears a constant lost expression throughout. Rahul Minz is extremely irritating. Jameel Khan hams. And who cares for Rakhi Sawant's yawn-inducing item song in the era of Chikni Chamelis.
Love You To Death
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
Love you to Death is supposedly a comedy film. And it makes you laugh too. But most of the times for the wrong reasons (anglicized accents, ludicrous scenes, ham acts). And even they are far and few between. The story keeps beating around the bush and by the time the narrative actually comes to point, the film bores you to death.
Gali Gali Chor Hai
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
The common man might have upgraded from newspapers to television and cinema. But his chronicle continues to remain common. In a country governed by corruption, the common man is still ruled by red-tapism. The maximum that he can do is hurl a shoe at bureaucracy or slap the system. And that's precisely what the hero of the film does. Beyond that he and his story are as powerless as the common man.
Players
2012 · Times Of India · Nov 2012
After making a career out of surreptitiously remaking foreign films forever, director-duo Abbas Mustan have proved their recycling capabilities credibly enough to win the opportunity of directing an 'official' remake of a Hollywood flick. They have stars, budget, virgin locations and also a readymade film (rather two of them) for reference. But that know-all impudence of the directors to Indianize The Italian Job is like having a pizza with Punjabi tadka topping.