Rishabh Suri
Hindustan Times
Most Divergent Takes
- Param Sundari (2025)2.0 vs TRM 4.9-2.9
- Tera Yaar Hoon Main (2026)1.0 vs TRM 3.6-2.6
- Dhamaal 4 (2026)2.0 vs TRM 4.5-2.5
- Bhai Tera Star Hai (2026)1.0 vs TRM 3.4-2.4
- Dhadak 2 (2025)4.0 vs TRM 6.4-2.4
Bhai Tera Star Hai
2026 · Hindustan Times
And then there's Bhai Tera Star Hai, a film which only makes one think: Why?
Mahaprabhu Jagannath
2026 · Hindustan Times
Content for children, designed to be experienced on the big screen, is anyway made so less. So it is always worthy of appreciation when films made for younger audiences get a proper theatrical release.
Batwara 1947
2026 · Hindustan Times
Batwara 1947 reminds you that history is often best understood through the people who were forced to live through it. The film's biggest strength is the emotional conflict at its heart, and Shabana Azmi's performance is the star. Yet, when it gets the balance right, Batwara 1947 is thought-provoking.
Insidious: Out of the Further
2026 · Hindustan Times
The sound design, especially, is crafted without leaning too heavily on conventional horror cues, and that makes it all the more interesting, and effective.
Mirzapur: The Movie
2026 · Hindustan Times
Mirzapur: The Movie knows its audience, and more importantly, it knows what that audience wants. There are enough callbacks to make fans grin and enough new twists to prevent the whole thing from feeling like a recycled season. At least this time, the investment comes with a big-screen payoff.
Assi
2026 · Hindustan Times
A subject that remains painfully relevant. A cast that breathes life into every frame. Some on screen moments that grip you by the collar, refusing to let go. The problem lies not in what the film wants to say, but in how consistently it manages to say it, with clarity.
Awarapan 2
2026 · Hindustan Times
It's been 19 years since the first Awarapan, a film that bombed at the box office upon release. But there's no business like film business. Today, thanks to the cult following the original developed organically over the years, Awarapan 2 has opened to packed houses, and my show was no different.
Raja Shivaji
2026 · Hindustan Times
This epic drama starring Riteish Deshmukh is more admirable than riveting.
Aryabhatt Ka Zero
2026 · Hindustan Times
And then there are films like Aryabhatt Ka Zero, which are as aimless as their lead character. On my personal list of 'Films That Have No Reason To Exist', this one surely ranks somewhere.
7 Dogs
2026 · Hindustan Times
Get Smart knew it was a joke. 7 Dogs seems blissfully unaware and is not even as funny.
Babita Singh Reporting
2026 · Hindustan Times
Babita Singh Reporting enters the same crowded space. But when the template is this familiar, the question is whether there is anything new to investigate.
Gandhari
2026 · Hindustan Times
Gandhari takes a slightly different route, giving the familiar cat-and-mouse chase a twist. But does this mother's fight actually tug at the heartstrings? The thriller has the action but not enough emotion to truly land.
Haiwaan
2026 · Hindustan Times
The film leading up to the climax is riddled with plot holes, and Saif Ali Khan is not convincing as a visually impaired man from the very beginning. The first half, weighed down by Saif's unconvincing performance and a mishmash of characters, is a dull affair. But when the payoff lasts barely 20 minutes in a film that runs for two hours and 44 minutes, the imbalance is hard to overlook.
Last Man in Tower
2026 · Hindustan Times
Last Man In Tower is a chilling exploration of greed and human nature that asks unsettling questions about what we're willing to sacrifice for material gain. Manoj Bajpayee and Divya Dutta deliver compelling performances that anchor this morally complex narrative.
Daayra
2026 · Hindustan Times
Overall, Daayra raises a question far more uncomfortable than the one it begins with: when the system itself becomes part of the story, where does justice really begin? The film has enough moral complexity to make that question linger, even if its trajectory and pace blunt some of its impact.
Vibe
2026 · Hindustan Times
The first half is a laugh riot with terrific dialogues and spot-on pace, but after the interval, the film suddenly changes gears and the laughs begin to dry up, with an unnecessarily convoluted plot involving gangster identities and a super strength serum that takes away from the cool vibe that worked so well initially.
Vadh 2
2026 · Hindustan Times
Overall, even with its predictable turns, Vadh 2 manages to hold your attention through strong casting, and a sombre mood that stays consistent throughout. It doesn't expand the universe in dramatic ways, but it reinforces the themes that made the first film resonate.
Accused
2026 · Hindustan Times
Accused deserves credit for daring to step into morally complex terrain. Yet, bold intent alone does not guarantee a satisfying experience. Uneven chemistry and a finale that lacks the sting it promises dilute the impact of what could have been a far more provocative film.
Toaster
2026 · Hindustan Times
At one point in Toaster, Ramakant (Rajkummar Rao) goads Inspector Balagode (Upendra Limaye) to "awaken the animal inside you" and that, for me, is the film's smartest, most tongue-in-cheek moment. It cheekily nods to Limaye's presence in the hit Animal (2023), but also makes you wonder if there's enough of that crackling energy here to truly power Toaster.
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata
2026 · Hindustan Times
A nail-biting tribute to courage under fire by Kangana Ranaut and her coactors.
O'Romeo
2026 · Hindustan Times
When an emotional, high-voltage scene on screen makes you titter instead of tearing up, you know something is not right. Somewhere between the filmmaker's intent and the audience's reception, the emotion gets lost in translation. That is the central tragedy of Vishal Bhardwaj's most massy film yet, O'Romeo.
Ikka
2026 · Hindustan Times
Ikka squanders a promising courtroom thriller with weak writing and an overreliance on star power. Instead, it leaves you wondering how a film with Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna ended up feeling this ordinary.
The Odyssey
2026 · Hindustan Times
Overall, The Odyssey is easier to admire than to love. Its scale is staggering, craft unquestionable. But its emotional pull isn't always as immediate as its visual grandeur. Even so, Nolan delivers a thoughtful and rewarding adaptation that embraces the spirit of Homer's epic without reducing it to mere spectacle.
Ohh My Dog
2026 · Hindustan Times
On paper, Ohh My Dog had already won me over before the opening scene had even played. What unfolded over the next two and a half hours, however, was a different story.
Maa Behen
2026 · Hindustan Times
Three women and a body in the house. On paper, Maa Behen sounds like a recipe tailor-made for outrageous fun. But the film is far from being just another comic thriller, and that's where it earns a few brownie points.
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
2026 · Hindustan Times
Varun Dhawan and co deliver laughs in this flawed and at times fun entertainer.
Cocktail 2
2026 · Hindustan Times
The original Cocktail was messy too, but it had heart and characters you cared about. This spiritual successor has the gloss, the glamour, but not the emotional punch. Some drinks are best served once.
Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past
2026 · Hindustan Times
Somehow, films as painstakingly assembled as Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga and Kangana Ranaut's Bharat Bhaagya Viddhaata have opened below Vikram Bhatt's latest horror flick. At this point, the supernatural isn't on screen; it's at the ticket window.
Bhooth Bangla
2026 · Hindustan Times
What we get, though, is a reunion that feels a little... bittersweet. Akshay Kumar keeps the laughs coming in Priyadarshan's horror comedy, but it feels a tad too familiar.
Kartavya
2026 · Hindustan Times
The film reaches it's destination, but leaves you thinking- and feeling- nothing.
Main Vaapas Aaunga
2026 · Hindustan Times
At this point, too many Hindi films look like they were run through the same Instagram filter: so ultra-smooth and polished, it barely resembles the real world. It leaves the film without any personality. The question arises: has Imtiaz Ali succumbed to it too?
Governor
2026 · Hindustan Times
At one point while watching Governor, it began to feel less like cinema and more like an economics class. There is simply too much information being packed in, without enough dramatic variation to keep the narrative engaging.
Mardaani 3
2026 · Hindustan Times
Mardaani 3 arrives with quiet confidence, fronted by Rani Mukerji, who has turned Shivani Shivaji Roy into less of a character and more of a moral force.
Border 2
2026 · Hindustan Times
In an era dominated by CGI and green screens, nostalgia remains the only special effect money cannot buy. Border 2 takes it several notches higher, not just through its soundtrack, but by bringing back the original force of nature, Sunny Deol.
Tu Yaa Main
2026 · Hindustan Times
Watching Tu Yaa Main almost became an embarrassing experience in the climax. One particular sequence had me on the edge of my seat, and I actually gasped.
Welcome to the Jungle
2026 · Hindustan Times
It is an exciting time at the movies. A Partition romance, a romantic comedy, and a horror flick are all playing in theatres simultaneously- and more importantly, all are working. Add a madcap comedy to the lineup, and audiences are genuinely spoilt for choice.
Minions & Monsters
2026 · Hindustan Times
Brainrot is probably the internet's favourite word right now. Anything that defies logic or common sense is instantly labelled as such. And then comes a film like Minions & Monsters. Where do you even begin? How do you review something that's designed to be completely senseless, chaotic, yet somehow entertaining in the silliest way imaginable?
Alpha
2026 · Hindustan Times
Alpha proves two things. First, social media's habit of writing a film's fate months before release helps nobody. Second, not every film that survives online negativity necessarily warrants the benefit of the doubt. Alpha is neither the disaster naysayers had predicted nor the reinvention the SpyVerse needed after the disappointing War 2. It is a competently mounted but emotionally underwhelming film that delivers very few highs, largely courtesy Hrithik Roshan, but never finds a compelling pulse of its own.
Baby Do Die Do
2026 · Hindustan Times
Unfortunately, thrillers live and die by the suspense they create, and this one repeatedly undercuts itself by revealing too much, too soon. Add to that convenient plotting that rarely serves the narrative, and what could have been a gripping thriller ends up as a watchable one that never fully realises its potential.
Pati Patni Aur Woh Do
2026 · Hindustan Times
Pati, Patni Aur Woh Do is the kind of film that knows exactly what it wants to be and rarely loses sight of it. Packed with misunderstandings and energetic performances, it delivers enough laughs to justify the ride, even if some stretches work better than others.
Tera Yaar Hoon Main
2026 · Hindustan Times
It desperately wants to be a charming romantic comedy but delivers the cinematic equivalent of someone refusing to take a hint.
Jolly LLB 3
2025 · Hindustan Times
This is a franchise that has never leaned on song and dance routines, macho swagger, or cameos. Its strength lies in compelling plots and strong performances.
Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri
2025 · Hindustan Times
By contrast, Rumi and Ray are granted a ten-day Croatian holiday in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, but the film fails to build any convincing emotional connection between the leads despite the picturesque setting.
De De Pyaar De 2
2025 · Hindustan Times
De De Pyaar De 2 works not because it surprises you, but because it stays honest about what it is: a breezy, mildly chaotic take on modern relationships. With Madhavan and Ajay at the centre and a cast that never slacks, it makes for an easy watch.
120 Bahadur
2025 · Hindustan Times
What 120 Bahadur needed was a stronger emotional spine throughout to bind its technical strengths together. The craft is certainly there, the intention is unwavering, but the film stops short of delivering the kind of lingering impact a story of this magnitude deserves.
Superboys of Malegaon
2025 · Hindustan Times
Superboys of Malegaon is a delightful ride—a rare one without any boring moments. Reema Kagti's film is an ode to cinema peppered with nuanced performances and brilliant technical work. It's a declaration to our industry, which is struggling to find what makes theatre viewing tick with audiences.
Maalik
2025 · Hindustan Times
Guns, blood, violence, gore— don't these all already bore? Not really, when in the hands of talented actors. If there's one thing that Maalik gets right from the start, it's casting Rajkummar Rao, an unlikely action hero.
Dhurandhar
2025 · Hindustan Times
Dhurandhar's three-and-a-half-hour length works against it, but Aditya Dhar's direction, aided by the performances - chiefly Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna - elevate the film. Trim thirty minutes and this would have been a knockout. As it stands, it is a sturdy watch.
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video
2024 · Hindustan Times
Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri can't save this disaster ruined by weak script. The film fails to deliver on its premise, with the philosophical irony being that what seemed promising turns out to be disappointingly hollow.
Bangarraju
2022 · Hindustan Times
There's a scene in Bandar where Sanya Malhotra's character, sister to Samar (Bobby Deol), breaks down during a jail visit to him. The rawness of her frustration, coupled with Sanya's convincing performance, makes the moment land with force and draws you in completely. It is one of those scenes where the emotions feel so authentic that you stop watching actors and start seeing people.
Dhamaal 4
2026 · Hindustan Times · Jul 2026
If this is what Dhamaal 4 considers comic gold, the bar has sunk alarmingly low. I laughed a grand total of five times throughout the film. I began counting midway because keeping track of the laughs was far more engaging.
Ikkis
2026 · Hindustan Times · Jan 2026
I exited the theatre after watching Ikkis with a heavy lump in my throat. Was it the bittersweet realisation that we were witnessing the final bow of the legendary Dharmendra? Certainly. Was it the film itself? To some extent. But above all, it was the weight of the truth.
Raat Akeli Hai - The Bansal Murders
2025 · Hindustan Times · Dec 2025
It's taken only five years for the makers of the acclaimed thriller Raat Akeli Hai to come up with a sequel, now with the added tagline 'The Bansal Murders'. This establishes two things immediately: one, the team was in no hurry for the sake of eyeballs. Two, it gave them ample time to work on a genuinely interesting thriller.
Baramulla
2025 · Hindustan Times · Nov 2025
Despite its uneven moments, Baramulla remains a gripping watch, powered by Manav Kaul's composed performance and Aditya's confident direction. It's not without its imperfections, but it's atmospheric cinema done with intent... a reminder that sometimes, the real horror lies not in ghosts, but in the world we inhabit.
Haq
2025 · Hindustan Times · Nov 2025
This Yami Gautam-Emraan Hashmi starrer is a powerful, timely reminder that justice is not just a legal word.
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat
2025 · Hindustan Times · Oct 2025
It took me a long time to figure out the point of a film like Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. And then, amid one of the endlessly meaningless dialogues disguised as poetry, it hit me: the whole point was for a line, a scene, to end up as an Instagram reel for jilted lovers to clip and plaster across their feeds.
Thamma
2025 · Hindustan Times · Oct 2025
Overall, Thamma feels less like another franchise instalment and more like the moment the MHCU truly finds its rhythm. It blends humour, and heart with surprising confidence, leaving you curious about what's next...and for once, that curiosity feels well-earned.
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari
2025 · Hindustan Times · Oct 2025
Watching Varun and Janhvi try to make the story work is fun but frustrating. In every frame featuring Janhvi Kapoor, I couldn't help but picture Alia Bhatt instead, whose chemistry with Varun Dhawan in Shashank Khaitan's earlier films made them crackle onscreen in ways this film fails to replicate.
Inspector Zende
2025 · Hindustan Times · Sep 2025
Manoj Bajpayee's conviction makes this sluggish yet funny film on Charles Sobhraj's arrest work. Give him a script and he'll have you convinced that aliens are running the local paan shop, and you would still be first in line to try it.
Param Sundari
2025 · Hindustan Times · Aug 2025
Ironically, the only seekh I carried home was that romantic comedies are hard to make and even harder to perform with conviction.
War 2
2025 · Hindustan Times · Aug 2025
Directed by Ayan Mukerji, it features Hrithik Roshan and NTR Jr in a spy drama that struggles with a convoluted plot.
Son of Sardaar 2
2025 · Hindustan Times · Aug 2025
We didn't ask for this Ajay Devgn sequel, but it's here and it's silly, harmless fun. The film doesn't try to be anything more than a straightforward masala entertainer with over-the-top action sequences and predictable plot points.
Dhadak 2
2025 · Hindustan Times · Aug 2025
Dhadak 2 reminded me of 3 Idiots in two instances... That same feeling pops up more than once while watching this film. I'll explain why.
Saiyaara
2025 · Hindustan Times · Jul 2025
When was the last time shows went houseful for a film starring rank newcomers? I went in with a fair amount of doubt and came out impressed with what I saw.
Sitaare Zameen Par
2025 · Hindustan Times · Jun 2025
Sitaare Zameen Par is a heartwarming film that stumbles in places but ultimately soars, particularly in its second half where it scores a basket with its emotional resonance and uplifting message.
Housefull 5
2025 · Hindustan Times · Jun 2025
The film manages to entertain in patches, but the cruise setting and comedic setups feel repetitive compared to earlier installments. The climax makes up for some of the flaws, though the overall experience relies heavily on the charm of its lead actors.
Bhool Chuk Maaf
2025 · Hindustan Times · May 2025
Bhool Chuk Maaf, a time-loop comedy, ends up stuck in a loop of its own clichés. It tries to be a comedy, flirts with a social message, and ends up being the cinematic equivalent of a WhatsApp forward — familiar, repetitive, and mildly amusing at best.
Jaat
2025 · Hindustan Times · Apr 2025
Sunny Deol, at 67, continues to shoulder that responsibility with ease—defying age and expectations, reminding us why he became a mass favourite with Gadar and Ghayal.
Be Happy
2025 · Hindustan Times · Mar 2025
Abhishek Bachchan keeps you hooked with this sweet-as-sugar movie designed to make you cry. While the film follows a predictable storyline, Abhishek's performance adds depth. Despite its flaws, Be Happy leaves you with a smile.
Nadaaniyan
2025 · Hindustan Times · Mar 2025
Nadaaniyan is a yawn fest with a bland screenplay that fails to engage. The film is so bland it makes you nostalgic for the silly, frothy fun of Student Of The Year, and it's astonishing that the same production house which bankrolled decent romances could produce this misstep.
Dhoom Dhaam
2025 · Hindustan Times · Feb 2025
Unfortunately, Dhoom Dhaam isn't able to pull any of it off. What can then be done to make your film stand out is to make it entertaining, but the film lacks the freshness needed to deliver either as a complete thriller or comedy.
Deva
2025 · Hindustan Times · Jan 2025
Underwhelming. That's the one word review of Deva. Overall, Deva had so much potential to give us a massy character, who is always on the edge, truly unpredictable. What we get is a predictable story with an in-form Shahid.
Fateh
2025 · Hindustan Times · Jan 2025
Sonu Sood's directorial debut is a blood and gore-fuelled fest, disguised as a film highlighting cyber crime. Which it does not do well. After a point, the slick action stops evoking shock as well. And the digital scam gets amateur treatment.
Baby John
2024 · Hindustan Times · Dec 2024
The film starts off on a very choppy note, and there's no soul for about 40 minutes. There's no sense of direction, and the cute girl bossing around her dad has no effect. Overall, there's nothing much that makes Baby John stand out apart from the action.
Singham Again
2024 · Hindustan Times · Nov 2024
The second half of Singham Again races along with energy, while the first half feels like a slow grind. Watch it for the second half. And Ranveer Singh.
Sector 36
2024 · Hindustan Times · Sep 2024
Truth is stranger than fiction. And OTT platforms (of course) realise that very well. Which explains the plethora of dark, hard-hitting content churned out today. Add Sector 36 to that ever growing list.
Stree 2
2024 · Hindustan Times · Aug 2024
Rajkummar Rao is terrific as the cowardly romantic 'Bicky' in Amar Kaushik's hilarious sequel. The film is better than the original, with Abhishek Banerjee emerging as the highlight of the movie.
Khel Khel Mein
2024 · Hindustan Times · Aug 2024
Infidelity, infertility, inclusivity- when was the last time that a film, err, a comedy film handled all these themes well? It's always a tricky territory when making a comedy film.
Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba
2024 · Hindustan Times · Aug 2024
The spectacular fall in coherence which follows however, will become iconic too. I am still reeling from the ludicrous storyline of this film which takes the words 'artistic liberty' to a new level.