Karan Anshuman
Mumbai Mirror
Most Divergent Takes
- Baat Bann Gayi (2013)2.0 vs TRM 4.4-2.4
- Dabba (The Lunchbox) (2013)10.0 vs TRM 7.9+2.1
- Policegiri (2013)2.0 vs TRM 4.0-2.0
- Lootera (2013)5.0 vs TRM 6.9-1.9
- Jackpot (2013)2.0 vs TRM 3.7-1.7
Aurangzeb
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Nov 2015
While the ambition of Aurangzeb is to be lauded, there just isn't enough steam to see it through till the end. And at well over two hours, that end seems very far off. Try it then, for its complexity and Kapoor and Shroff.
Sixteen
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Mar 2014
Perhaps Sixteen tries to appease to one audience too many. Teens of course, who will seek empathy in the story and its characters, but also adults. Here the filmmakers try to interpret teenage thoughts for those who once when through it themselves but only have a few selective memories to latch on and laugh off. The times have changed too of course but despite the modus operandi turning to technology, the basic principles of teen angst hasn't altered much. Hormones still rage, vices are still cool, but all teenagers eventually come of age.
Dedh Ishqiya
2014 · Mumbai Mirror · Jan 2014
...it's texture, dialogue, and performances - make it good enough to hold up in a repeat viewing. And that's a lot more than you can say about the majority of other films.
Mr Joe B. Carvalho
2014 · Mumbai Mirror · Jan 2014
JBC is an over-the-top and loud slapstick comedy that you have to be in a large group and a really giggly mood to enjoy. It's often - by design - occasionally so crass and silly that it knowingly goes for the "it's so bad it's good" brand of humour.
Mahabharat 3D
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
The dogged attempt by Indian filmmakers and studios to bravely continue and dabble with animation has to be saluted. At a time when their core audience - kids - is used to watching multiple 24/7 international animation channels and picture perfect Pixar movies, every few months there will be at least one ambitious Indian effort. The makers know there's no competition at a technical level. They must then, make the most with their story. And writer/director Amaan Khan turns to the oldest book in this trick: Mahabharat.
Dhoom 3
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
I thought it looked spectacular! The cinematography, costume, art, stunts... I've never seen anything like it in a local film.
What The Fish
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
What the Fish's wacky brand of humor works half the time but confounds in equal measure. It touches no chords and remains consciously superficial but it does have an ensemble that has clicked in a story oddly fresh in these times.
Jackpot
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
To use a poker metaphor (like the writers have done in the film unabated), this is like being dealt 2-7 unsuited in a game of Texas Hold 'em.
R... Rajkumar
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
As a businessman, Prabhu Dheva has mastered the formula. But how long will the audience want to watch the same content - the same old fight and dance - repackaged over and over with different actors? Ask yourself.
Club 60
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
A coming-of-age movie with senior folk. How refreshing! Club 60's heart lies in its writing - specifically dialogue - and the stellar show by its cast. The screenplay breaks many contemporary conventions in its construction. Scenes take their time and meander; there is a barrage of innocuous interactions reflecting lives without frills. The smallest doses of happiness and sorrow found in routine banter and plot rendered meaningless. But all of this contributes in measures big and small to the fabric of the film, much like a Mike Leigh movie.
Ship of Theseus
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
Ship Of Theseus' great victory is that it got made at all. It is content that you've seldom experienced on a big screen. Celebrity backing, studio support, and a proper release gives hope to the next generation of storytellers who want to express themselves and reach the world.
D-Day
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
Following up on his exceptional Delhi Safari, Director Nikhil Advani continues to reinvent himself with D-Day, a well-crafted, violent drama balanced with an introspective mood that can loosely be indexed under historical fiction.
Lootera
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
As much as I'd like to reward Lootera for it's craft I firmly believe that films can only win you over with the ability to tell a story. And this is where Lootera falters. It allows you to drift away. And this is why Udaan, despite struggling on the technical front with its 16 mm camera and stark walls, will always be an exceptional and better film.
Bombay Talkies
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Dec 2013
It is genuinely not possible for me to pick a favorite or rank them in any order as tempting an idea it might sound. Each film has something to say, and their authors get it across effectively and without fuss. Sure they have their blips and flaws, but Bombay Talkies made me want to stand up and break out into spontaneous applause on multiple occasion. The best film of 2013 so far.
Singh Saab the Great
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Nov 2013
...not to be taken seriously. But certainly for lessons in how to charm the ladies less than half your age, give it a shot.
Gori Tere Pyaar Mein
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Nov 2013
Alas, nothing portrayed in the film is too deep for anyone - not the characters in the film, not the audience. And here's the plight of GTPM - without a doubt every single person associated with the film is smarter than the film itself. It's a classic Bollywood vice: talking down to the audience, not giving them enough credit, assuming you're the intelligent one.
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Nov 2013
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is back. Taking a break from producing uncharacteristic bilge like Rowdy Rathore, he storms the helm again to have a go at what he knows best - using Bollywood elements like song, dance, larger-than life heroes and their epic love affairs -and attempting to redefine the form of Hindi movies and telling them in his own auteur style.
Rajjo
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Nov 2013
The only reason you'd want to watch Rajjo is if you're an obsessive Kangana Ranaut fan. She's like an elf amidst a sea of unflattering faces, and - almost literally -lights up every dingy frame. Otherwise rent yourself a copy of Salman Khan's Baaghi, a superior movie with a similar theme.
Satya 2
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Nov 2013
Satya 2 didn't need to be called Satya 2. There's no connection to the original Satya whatsoever. If anything, christening this film Satya 2 is a sign of Ram Gopal Verma's despair; trying to cash in on the film that made him a true force, a distinctive voice in Bollywood that heralded change in the mainstream, indeed created a genre.
Mickey Virus
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Oct 2013
The problem lies in execution. Mickey Virus tries too hard to straddle the two worlds of cutting edge tech and laid-back teeny Delhi in a Bollywood film. This results in "hacking" that looks as if Andy Warhol designed the VFX.
Ishk Actually
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Oct 2013
If only Khanna had not taken a populist script and tried to put his non-commercial spin on it, Ishk Actually might've still been saved. Now he should try taking out the songs, the score, the poetry-ridden dialogue, and re-edit it down to 75 minutes complicating the logic further and start sending it to film festivals for instant success.
Shahid
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Oct 2013
Unlike lead actors in Hindi films who attempt to shine through their sheer energy, or by underplaying, or simply carrying off a certain look; Raj Kumar Yadav bares his soul like few others have in the past.
Boss
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Oct 2013
I've had my fill with these South Indian action-comedy remakes and I suspect you have too. But it is said the customer is the boss and it is ultimately your decision to buy a ticket or not. If Akki slapping around a few people makes you feel any better, go for it.
Baat Bann Gayi
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Oct 2013
Baat Bann Gayi tries hard to create a world that requires some serious suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience. But fails miserably and the characters of the film come out looking foolish.
War Chhod Na Yaar
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Oct 2013
Technically, the film scores high marks. A lot of it is shot in the dark, always tricky. ...War Chhod Na Yaar would've been a considerably better film if it were more balanced.
Besharam
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Oct 2013
Besharam is just one more in the pile of masala excess. There's nothing new here. Filmmakers and stars should realise that a formula done fifty times over is not a similar golden egg-laying goose. The only motivation behind Besharam is to devise a hit-- to work a spreadsheet and spit out receipts worth Rs 100 cr at the box office.
Phata Poster Nikla Hero
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Sep 2013
Phata Poster Nikhla Hero is a caper comedy that rides on pop culture and, in full awareness, cliches... Essentially a gimmicky two-star film that entertains in bits, a half star extra for Salman Khan's epic, self-deprecating cameo.
Dabba (The Lunchbox)
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Sep 2013
Could a simple lunchbox and its contents change lives? One of the best films to come out of India in a long time, director Ritesh Batra answers the question in his little masterpiece, The Lunchbox.
Grand Masti
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Sep 2013
Grand Masti is unabashedly gross, vulgar, crass, shameless and fearlessly adult. But for a moment one has to step back from the noise of dissent - from the guardians of Indian culture and their histrionic fatwas - and ask yourself one simple question: Who are we to choose for others?
John Day
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Sep 2013
Inspired by Box 507 (Spain, 2002), John Day is a slow, cumbersome watch that takes too much time to tell too little.
Horror Story
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Sep 2013
ikram Bhatt has finally nailed it. Horror Story is a confident film. So confident, in fact, that early into the movie one of the characters asks another if this is just one more "ghisi piti kahani" that they're getting into.
Zanjeer
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Sep 2013
In this distressing time of remakes and hand-me-down inspirations, let's remember Herman Melville, "It is better to fail at originality than to succeed in imitation." Zanjeer manages neither.
Shuddh Desi Romance
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Sep 2013
Should you watch Shuddh Desi Romance? Yes. It's light, it's unconventional, it's still Bollywood, and it breaks the fourth wall in more ways than one. Ignore the hiccups, and there's no reason you won't enjoy it.
Satyagraha
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Aug 2013
Satyagraha solely documents and offers fleeting wisdom. It succeeds at highlighting the problem but fails at achieving poignancy.
Madras Cafe
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Aug 2013
This charged political thriller, despite its flaws, is a leap in the right direction - away from that other "Madras"-titled film and its ilk - that deserves our support. If nothing else, it'll give you an acute insight and a timely reminder of the turmoil our neighbors went through and our country's confounding contribution to the matter.
Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Aug 2013
To sum up, Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara is a better crafted film than it's predecessor but unfortunately considerably shallower. It's style keeps you reasonably occupied but for a runtime of 160 minutes, it needed a lot more substance.
Chennai Express
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Aug 2013
An individual opinion in such critic-proof films is like a smashed up secondary car in a Rohit Shetty convoy: it amuses momentarily. Deepika Padukone is perhaps the best reason to watch this movie and her absurd accent only adds to her charm. Of course it only works when the dialogue is comical. Imagine how everything derails when she talks like that in emotional scenes. As for Shah Rukh Khan, one hopes he smashes all box office records so that he may take a moment and consider doing a film along the lines of a Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Naa, Swades, or a Chak De. Films that were not about the math.
B.A. Pass
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Aug 2013
BA Pass is dark, even for a noir. Scenes in the sunshine come as a relief from the murky depths of a landscape that's Mukesh's hell. There's almost no positivity in the film. Nothing to cling on to when you're done. This is a rare experience in a Hindi film.
Rabba Main Kya Karoon
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Aug 2013
Set in the days leading up to the wedding, RMKK has all the buzzwords that could describe quintessential Bollywood: meaningless songs, misogynist themes, homophobic sequences ('normal'=straight), lack of drama, predictable plot, contrived (and misguided) redemption ... it's all there.
Chor Chor Super Chor
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Aug 2013
When the plot comes to a cul-de-sac three-fourths the way in, it's almost as if some other film starts and needlessly stretches a secondary track to a primary climax and closes the romantic angle as if it were an afterthought.
Nasha
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jul 2013
Nasha unselfishly makes an attempt to stay away from unnecessary sex and tell a story, but ultimately, like school in summer, it's not got class.
Issaq
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jul 2013
Issaq requires tremendous effort and patience to get through (let alone like), and in the end, it is simply not worth it.
Bajatey Raho
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jul 2013
...it ends up as an unconvincing, unfunny, and yet another movie looking to cash in on the Delhi-milieu wave.
Ramaiya Vasta Vaiya
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jul 2013
It's a dam burst of cliches.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jul 2013
BMB deserves every ounce of praise for the filmmakers' conviction on display. When you're done watching Rakyesh Omprakash's epic effort, you'll come out of the theater wanting to run. And be a better person. This, right here, is the film's ultimate victory.
Policegiri
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jul 2013
Dabangg is now officially a genre. Overall the objective of the genre is to show a common, "honest" policeman as a superhero. If with one stomp of the boot, Baba can make cars fly, can Krrish do anything more impressive?
Ghanchakkar
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jun 2013
Ghanchakkar is all very well as it flags off, but it's mostly downhill after it hits its high point in the first fifteen minutes.
Raanjhanaa
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jun 2013
Raanjhanaa flows like good poetry. It is arguably the best love story of the year so far, the kind of film others in the genre should aspire.
Enemmy
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jun 2013
Enemmy had somme potential as a thriller of with a Rashommon-esque touch as it entirely revolves a single key incident and has three parties trying to figure it out. But it fails, ultimmately, to showcase its strengths.
Shortcut Romeo
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jun 2013
Shortcut Romeo has it all - racism, classism, and every other ism you can think of. The Maasai tribal people are made to sound and look like hyena-howling kung fu fighters as they're bashed up single-handedly by Sooraj for no fault of their own. At one point - midway in the first half - when they're about to get the better of him and drive a dagger through his chest you can't help but hope they succeed and put an end to our collective misery.
Ankur Arora Murder Case
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jun 2013
Ankur Arora has an important point to make and a scary reality to represent. Often we equate doctors with god-like reverence, but occasionally they might mistakenly believe that they are, indeed, god
Fukrey
2013 · Mumbai Mirror · Jun 2013
The writing often jumps time, leaving the audience lagging and playing catch-up. This isn't always a bad thing in times of spoon-feeding viewers. Some of the film's transitions are outstanding, the mark of a good director.