Most Divergent Takes
- Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019)2.0 vs TRM 5.8-3.8
- Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015)2.0 vs TRM 5.2-3.2
- That Girl in Yellow Boots (2011)9.0 vs TRM 5.9+3.1
- Phata Poster Nikla Hero (2013)2.0 vs TRM 4.9-2.9
- Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum (2012)2.0 vs TRM 4.9-2.9
Border 2
2026 · NDTV
Border 2 has come at a time when Hindi movies embrace jingoism with all their might.
Dhamaal 4
2026 · NDTV
Nothing that Dhamaal 4 throws up stays afloat long enough to give the audience anything to crack up over.
Baby Do Die Do
2026 · NDTV
The film kills much of its own promise, squandering it on superficial trappings. Huma Qureshi is consistent, but the film is not.
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
2026 · NDTV
A vintage David Dhawan comedy stuck in 1990s. This concoction is mindless but ultimately harmless.
The Drama
2026 · NDTV
Zendaya gives a career-best performance in this watchable film.
O'Romeo
2026 · NDTV
O'Romeo employs and mixes genre principles in ways that elevate even a standard vengeance saga to a level that is well above the ordinary.
Cocktail 2
2026 · NDTV
Cocktail 2's appeal is intermittent and fleeting. The film reduces relationships to a joke, failing to deliver meaningful cinema.
Mardaani 3
2026 · NDTV
Rani Mukerji delivers a power-packed, unblemished star turn that should rank among the finest of her 30-year acting career.
Ikkis
2026 · NDTV
Solidly acted and anchored by powerhouse performances, Ikkis rises above the average Hindi war film template. On the acting front, Jaideep Ahlawat dominates but both Agastya Nanda in his sophomore outing and Dharmendra in his swan song leave a deep imprint.
Sitaare Zameen Par
2025 · NDTV
Aamir Khan's uplifting film has its heart in the right place. Aamir Khan effortlessly slips into the character of a temperamental man who is often mocked for his short stature.
120 Bahadur
2025 · NDTV
Farhan Akhtar's film is consistently watchable and the director fleshes out the Param Vir Chakra-recipient without overstretching himself.
Raat Akeli Hai - The Bansal Murders
2025 · NDTV
Star turns from Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte elevate this classic whodunnit with strong performances, while the supporting cast delivers equally impressive work across the board.
Superboys of Malegaon
2025 · NDTV
Fuelled by measured performances that blend energy with restraint, the characters and the film are in reach for the sky, while staying firmly rooted to the ground.
The Diplomat
2025 · NDTV
John Abraham does justice to the role, and Kumud Mishra, as always, and Jagjeet Sandhu, in the role of a shockingly detestable man, are both solid.
Merry Christmas
2024 · NDTV
Merry Christmas bewitches even when it baffles. Katrina Kaif conveys confusion and vulnerability cloaked in occasional flashes of steely determination, and is helped a great deal by the contrast that Vijay Sethupathi represents.
Fighter
2024 · NDTV
Fighter, an aerial action thriller directed and co-produced by Siddharth Anand, struggles to shake off its flat trajectory. However, despite Deepika Padukone adding to the star power quotient, the film feels vacuous and vapid. Hrithik Roshan does his best to lift the film as high as he can, but Fighter could have done with a more fearsome villain.
Jatt & Juliet 3
2024 · NDTV
As for anything else in the film that might seem to fall short, Diljit Dosanjh steps into the breach and leavens it with his charm.
Chandu Champion
2024 · NDTV
A one-man show but trust Vijay Raaz to turn a supporting role into something much more than that. When he is on the screen, Kartik Aaryan has to concede ground to him.
OMG 2
2023 · NDTV
OMG 2 is a simplistic satire that, despite lively performances from Akshay Kumar, fails to deliver meaningful commentary on its subject matter.
Animal
2023 · NDTV
Animal is a sickeningly violent father-son action drama that is off-putting and tiresome, rarely pausing for breath despite Ranbir Kapoor's powerful performance.
Khufiya
2023 · NDTV
With the ever-reliable Tabu leading the way, the performances are right out of the top drawer.
Sam Bahadur
2023 · NDTV
Without the fine balance that Meghna Gulzar strikes between ambition and restraint, neither the spirited central performance nor its emotional (and cinematic) payoff would have been quite as remarkable.
Tanhaji
2020 · NDTV · Jan 2020
Watch Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior for its surface gloss: one attribute that the film has no dearth of.
Dabangg 3
2019 · NDTV · Dec 2019
The drab storyline scrapes the bottom of the genre barrel despite an impressive performance from Kichcha Sudeep.
Panipat
2019 · NDTV · Dec 2019
The burden on Arjun Kapoor is too heavy for him though he rises manfully to the challenge.
The Sky Is Pink
2019 · NDTV · Oct 2019
Aisha is fleshed out with charm and conviction by Zaira. Farhan provides the perfect foil to the poised Priyanka.
Joker
2019 · NDTV · Oct 2019
This Portrait Of A Villain Leans On Joaquin Phoenix's Astounding Brilliance...As a portrait of anxiety and nihilism stemming from poverty and systemic oppression, it is magnificent.
War
2019 · NDTV · Oct 2019
Powered by two loose-limbed and resolutely stone-faced male leads, Hrithik and Tiger, War is all style and no substance.
The Zoya Factor
2019 · NDTV · Sep 2019
The Zoya Factor could have been a thoroughly enjoyable comedy. It ends up being a scrappy, erratic knock where a few crisp strokes are hopelessly outnumbered by a host of ungainly heave-hos. The film does not hit the sweet spot often enough to translate into either a truly rousing cricket film or a memorably moving love story.
Saaho
2019 · NDTV · Aug 2019
Saaho may, like so many other shrill, gory actioners of the recent past, end up make pots of money. But that will not take away from the fact that it is egregiously turgid. A Telugu superstar attempting to break into Hindi cinema should have chosen better.
Batla House
2019 · NDTV · Aug 2019
The film leaves you with a feeling that it had the potential to be an absolute humdinger. But stray flashes apart, the dramatized true story drifts too far from the heart of the matter without delivering the expected drama
Mission Mangal
2019 · NDTV · Aug 2019
This isn't Mission Magnificent. But it isn't Mission Mangled either. Mission Mangal is watchable, if not always exhilarating, if you can get over its excesses.
Jabariya Jodi
2019 · NDTV · Aug 2019
If only there was a conjurer's trick that could turn Jabariya Jodi into a coherent whole. But even if any such sleight exists somewhere in the world, the director clearly isn't aware. Steadfastly puerile, Jabariya Jodi, a film that appears to have been made under duress by a group of people playing blind man's buff, is a big splotch of utter nonsense.
Khandaani Shafakhana
2019 · NDTV · Aug 2019
The character-driven, female-centric film looks erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and low sperm motility in the eye.
Judgementall Hai Kya
2019 · NDTV · Jul 2019
What is commendable is that Judgementall Hai Kya delivers the message without turning preachy or self-conscious. The breezy flow of the narrative, which isn't broken until parts of the second half begin to seem a tad indulgent, ensures that we are invested in the plight of the characters all the way through.
Super 30
2019 · NDTV · Jul 2019
Super 30 has been shot on studio sets rather than on real locations, so do not look for the real sights and smells of Patna. That is one of the key problems with Super 30: it tells a true story but it never rings true. Nothing in the film is less convincing than the lead performance. The idea to bronze up Hrithik Roshan so that he can impersonate Anand Kumar is anything but super: it is a formula that equals zero.
Article 15
2019 · NDTV · Jun 2019
Sinha draws many of its plot elements from newspaper headlines of recent years, the principal one related to the 2014 Badaun gangrape and killing of two girls and the 2016 Una flogging of Dalit men and employs them methodically to probe caste and gender fissures and fault lines. It remains true to the demands of the plot without losing control over its principal purpose - administering a bitter pill with just a hint of a sugar coating. It works wonderfully well. Article 15 is a not to be missed film.
Kabir Singh
2019 · NDTV · Jun 2019
Shahid stretches himself very thin trying to convince us that Kabir Singh is a present-day incarnation of Devdas.
Game Over
2019 · NDTV · Jun 2019
Game Over, which is presented by Anurag Kashyap, is not without its share of failings, but director Saravanan is clearly endowed with an exceptional sense of the potential of the cinematic medium to probe complex aspects of humanity. Taapsee Pannu, as she has been in her recent outings, is never less than convincing. While she may be the primary reason why you must go out a watch this film, it certainly isn't devoid of other intrinsic merits in terms of substance and execution.
Bharat
2019 · NDTV · Jun 2019
Crowd-Pleaser For Salman Khan Fans Seeking Recompense For Tubelight
Student of the Year 2
2019 · NDTV · May 2019
Tiger Shroff leads a fresh bunch of students in film so last decade in its thinking and packaging that sitting through it is like straying into a Bollywood time warp.
Setters
2019 · NDTV · May 2019
The film remains a middling affair because it asks many important questions but answers only a handful with any degree of clarity.
Blank
2019 · NDTV · May 2019
Karanvir, Ishita get their moments in the sun but are not allowed any shots at cornering the limelight. That privilege is reserved for Sunny-Karan.
Avengers: Endgame
2019 · NDTV · Apr 2019
Avengers: Endgame strikes emotional chords more frequently than superhero movies usually do. It is almost as if the passing away of the universe that this remarkable franchise has created and sustained over the past decade is leaving behind a massive void. Mercifully, we know that in endings lie many beginnings. If this is how magnificently one cycle has ended, there is every reason to hope that the ones that are in the works will be worth the wait.
Photograph
2019 · NDTV · Apr 2019
Rafi tells his customers that it is the sunlight in the Photographs that they will remember long after their visit to the tourist spot. That is true of this film as well. The languid grace and unswerving geniality inherent in the making stand out. They enhance the radiance of the overall cinematic composition and make Photograph a film that will stay etched in our memories awhile.
Kalank
2019 · NDTV · Apr 2019
Kalank has unmistakable contemporary resonance because it celebrates the transformative power of love and reconciliation in a time of rampant discord. It is worth a viewing not only for what it says, but also for how it says it.
Romeo Akbar Walter
2019 · NDTV · Apr 2019
This entire final episode is as bizarre and as difficult to digest as the weird name he adopts. The final throw of the dice gives India an edge in the war in the fictional account that the film conjures up, but it does little to rescue Romeo Akbar Walter from its dispiriting somnolence.
Badla
2019 · NDTV · Mar 2019
Badla is a crime thriller that lifts itself out of the limitations of the form by spotlighting questions of guilt and retribution without diluting its edgy quality. The film's multiple twists and turns will work best if you haven't seen Contratiempo. But even if you have, the quality of the acting and the technical finesse on show - Avik Mukhopadhyay's unobtrusive yet effective camerawork is especially noteworthy - make Badla an unmissable film.
Luka Chuppi
2019 · NDTV · Mar 2019
Luka Chuppi isn't without its moments, but its downside overwhelms its strengths by a big margin. It offers shallow entertainment at best. Watch the film only if that is good enough for you.
Total Dhamaal
2019 · NDTV · Feb 2019
In a film like Total Dhamaal, the actors are reduced to such chumps that the animals that they run into in the climax - elephants, chimps, tigers, lions, gorillas and other poor creatures who deserve much better - seem to look as askance at them as the paying audience. If nothing else, Total Dhamaal is a great leveller - it reduces all of us, critics included, to dunces, some willing and some not-so-willing. But that would be only if you go anywhere near it. The choice is yours.
Gully Boy
2019 · NDTV · Feb 2019
In an era of which Bollywood is increasingly passing off pulpy apologies for demagoguery for cinema, Gully Boy could have been a fitting riposte. It just doesn't go far enough to pose discomfiting questions in keeping with the art of the street rapper. But all said and done, Gully Boy can be whole-heartedly commended for its craft, fascinating characters and RANVEER SINGH. He absolutely kills the slow-burning rapper act. What's more, he does with a lot of energy to spare.
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
2019 · NDTV · Feb 2019
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha... goads the audience to think differently without trying to deviate from its primary purpose, which is to deliver entertainment. It does the latter well enough and yet does not overly dilute its off-kilter vision. No mean feat that.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
2019 · NDTV · Jan 2019
Manikarnika is agonizingly soulless. Platitudes piled upon synthetic platitudes do not add up to great cinema, especially when none of the film's war cries delivers any bang for its buck. Save yours and give the film a miss unless you like the sound of misfires.
Thackeray
2019 · NDTV · Jan 2019
Nawazuddin Siddiqui Is Outstanding Performer In A Film Best Left Alone...
The Accidental Prime Minister
2019 · NDTV · Jan 2019
Anupam Kher must be commended for putting in a lot of hard work, but his portrayal simply doesn't work
Uri: The Surgical Strike
2019 · NDTV · Jan 2019
Vicky Kaushal plays a steady hand and delivers the goods to an extent that, at times, seems wasted on it
Simmba
2018 · NDTV · Dec 2018
Simmba is the kind of film that derides toxic masculinity while ill-advisedly celebrating unbridled virility as a necessary component of law enforcement. Instill fear in the hearts of the wrongdoers, Singham advises Simmba. And how, pray, do you do that? Simmba advocates throwing due process out the window and embracing another flagrant form of lawlessness. And that can only be dangerous.
Zero
2018 · NDTV · Dec 2018
Zero, riding on SRK's back, reaches for the stars. But its astral ambitions are thwarted by a lack of imagination and genuine understanding of the minds of people struggling to ward off undeserved ridicule and earn rightful recognition. But whoever expects such niceties from a movie that rarely rises above the level of unalloyed bilge?
Aquaman
2018 · NDTV · Dec 2018
Jason is a potent force, bringing forth the dimensions of the struggle of a hero who is at first reluctant to jump into battle
Kedarnath
2018 · NDTV · Dec 2018
While Sushant Singh Rajput does much of the heavy lifting with a great deal of flair, the biggest asset is Sara
Bohemian Rhapsody
2018 · NDTV · Nov 2018
The film is never less than watchable because the performances are first-rate even when the writing isn't.
Thugs of Hindostan
2018 · NDTV · Nov 2018
Glitzily mounted but caught between solemnity and fluffiness, Thugs of Hindostan might entertain large swathes of the audience, but it is ultimately too tacky and unconvincing to lay legitimate claims to being India's answer to Pirates of the Caribbean. It isn't even a poor copy.
Baazaar
2018 · NDTV · Oct 2018
Saif Ali Khan Is Rock-Solid In A Passable Film...But Rohan Mehra struggles to tide over his limitations while Radhika and Chitrangada make their presence felt
Namaste England
2018 · NDTV · Oct 2018
Parineeti Chopra And Arjun Kapoor Ham Aimlessly Through Infantile Drama...
Badhaai Ho
2018 · NDTV · Oct 2018
Badhaai Ho is a sweet little gem informed with gentle wit and infectious warmth. The slice-of-life storytelling, which is appreciably enhanced by solid performances from a wonderful cast, is marked by control and sensitivity.
First Man
2018 · NDTV · Oct 2018
The overall result, despite being somewhat stodgy and purposefully solemn in parts, is a gritty, real, revelatory tale bracketed within a larger canvas that dovetails into its wide but coherent expanse a decade of US space missions and a multiplicity of narrative strands. Well served by a lead actor who allows the subject to subsume his starry personality, First Man has the craft and the class to be a befitting tribute to one of the most monumental moments in the history of space exploration.
Andhadhun
2018 · NDTV · Oct 2018
Watch Andhadhun with your ears, eyes and minds open. You will come away with your senses heightened.
Pataakha
2018 · NDTV · Sep 2018
With Sanya Malhotra's Full-Throated Performance, It's A Cracker Of A Film...This is a cracker of a film that blends the dynamics of a rustic burlesque with a stylised cinematic sensibility
Manto
2018 · NDTV · Sep 2018
Nawazuddin Siddiqui Is Phenomenally Good As The Anguished Writer...Nandita Das' film can be described as the Garam Hawa of our times
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
2018 · NDTV · Sep 2018
Shraddha Kapoor is occasionally fetching but what unfolds on the screen is precariously low on wattage.
Manmarziyaan
2018 · NDTV · Sep 2018
Abhishek and Vicky give their roles all they have but the screenplay does not give them the bandwidth reserved for Taapsee...
Gali Guleiyan
2018 · NDTV · Sep 2018
Gali Guleiyan is obviously not a conventional entertainer. Just as well. The film stands out because of the balance it attains in depicting a man sinking steadily into incoherence and yet clinging to his humanity. If for nothing else, watch Gali Guleiyan for the joy of witnessing a lead actor in full flight getting into the skin of a completely fettered man. It's a master class of rare resplendence.
Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se
2018 · NDTV · Aug 2018
You do not need to subject yourself to its surfeit of action, comedy and melodrama unless you are an inveterate fan of the Deols, collectively or individually. What Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se offers purely as a cinematic outing isn't worth your time.
Stree
2018 · NDTV · Aug 2018
Stree plays an unwavering hand in demonstrating that dread can be unbridled fun when it serves a larger thematic purpose. Go watch this spine-tingling film. It is completely madcap but there is method in its manic madness.
Satyameva Jayate
2018 · NDTV · Aug 2018
In the 'morality' tussle between a putative saviour and an unflappable defender of justice, it is cinema that takes a major beating. Satyameva Jayate, truth be told, is a film that has no apparent reason to exist. Not a shred of it is original. At best, it makes a silly spectacle of beating a dead, decomposed horse. At worst, it is a product of a tendentious mind. Satyameva Jayate is nonsensical, with nary a nod to logic.
Gold
2018 · NDTV · Aug 2018
Akshay Kumar hogs the footage but it is the other actors who do the fancy dribbling on the acting front.
Vishwaroopam 2
2018 · NDTV · Aug 2018
It repeatedly fires blanks - noisy but of no use. Has a movie sequel ever been so pointless?
Fanney Khan
2018 · NDTV · Aug 2018
But in a film that glides in and out of the make-believe, it is no big deal if the love story, which anyways runs parallel to the main narrative track of the film, flirts with the unreal. Isn't that what cinematic plots hinging on the realization of impossible dreams are supposed to be? Fanney Khan is that - and more. Embrace it. It will do no harm.
Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3
2018 · NDTV · Jul 2018
That statement could well be directed at the makers of Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3. The title has a resonance thanks to the impact that the film's two predecessors had made. Frittering it away on a flimsy Russian roulette-style effort isn't a good idea. So when the team decides to come up with another follow-up - the final moments of this film suggest that the fourth may not be far away - it will have to go all guns blazing. Or not at all.
Soorma
2018 · NDTV · Jul 2018
Soorma is more drag than flick, a hockey film sans genuine impetus. It is nowhere near the league of Chak De India despite telling a story that is no less intense than a wrongly victimized coach's struggle for redemption. Come to think of it, the Shimit Amin film was made over a decade ago. Why hasn't the Mumbai movie industry delivered another sports drama quite that good? The reason is obvious: Bollywood just doesn't do sports well. Its rules militate against the genre. Soorma, a wasted opportunity, demonstrates why and how.
Sanju
2018 · NDTV · Jun 2018
Sanju is the film that it is because of the infectious energy Ranbir Kapoor injects into the film. An absolute must-watch.
Race 3
2018 · NDTV · Jun 2018
Well, the climax of Race 3 does pack some punch - both Salman and Bobby drop their shirts - but it is a case of too little too late...
Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran
2018 · NDTV · May 2018
John Abraham does his best to lend some frisson to his role, but he is weighed down by a ridiculously fanciful screenplay...
Omerta
2018 · NDTV · May 2018
In recounting a widely documented tale, the screenplay hits the right thriller buttons. When violence is perpetrated indiscriminately and without any moral context created with the aid of a detailed back story, it can only be deeply disconcerting. Omerta is just that and therein lies its success.
Blackmail
2018 · NDTV · Apr 2018
Feckless men on the back foot, wily and strong-willed women with transgressive tricks up their sleeves and a set of nondescript lives hurtling towards hell in an irreversible tailspin: Blackmail has them all. Sadly, in the end, they do not add up neatly enough to yield a genuine cinematic corker.
Hichki
2018 · NDTV · Mar 2018
Rani Mukerji's energetic, engaging performance apart, Hichki is a huff-and-puff show marked by too much mush and fuss. But it has just enough to keep tearjerker junkies interested.
Raid
2018 · NDTV · Mar 2018
Raid delivers riveting fare without resorting to too many standard Bollywood tics.
3 Storeys
2018 · NDTV · Mar 2018
For all its flaws, 3 Storeys is still worth watching because it seeks to engage with the audience in a manner that is anything but run of the mill.
Aiyaary
2018 · NDTV · Feb 2018
Aiyaary wants to be a daring thriller that calls out smarmy politicians and arms dealers. But it only fires blanks. It begins with a disclaimer that its storyline is strictly fictional and that it has the utmost respect for the political class and the military establishment. The film lives up to its word. At the end of all the sound and fury, the purported targets are left unscathed. Only one poor cornered ex-soldier puts a bullet through his throat.
Kaalakaandi
2018 · NDTV · Jan 2018
Kaalakaandi may not be for all palates, but the film has enough spice for those in the mood for an off-the-beaten-track Bollywood experience.
Ribbon
2017 · NDTV · Jan 2018
For all that is going for it, Ribbon falls a trifle short of hitting home, but it does provide enough evidence to suggest that Rakhee Sandilya has it in her to be a director to watch.
A Death in the Gunj
2017 · NDTV · Dec 2017
A Death In The Gunj is a chiselled gem of a film - as resplendent as it is sobering.
Chef
2017 · NDTV · Oct 2017
Chef serves up a feast garnished with subtle spices. Its aroma is mild and delicate, but the after-taste lingers on for long. Watch it: Chef is a film that is easy to fall in love with.
Haseena Parkar
2017 · NDTV · Sep 2017
The only actor who stands out a tad amid the ruins is Rajesh Tailang in the role of Haseena's defence lawyer Shyam Keswani although he, like everybody else in the cast, is hopelessly trapped in a stilted script. Nothing, therefore, can salvage this insipid biopic from the morass of mediocrity.
Baadshaho
2017 · NDTV · Sep 2017
One is sure that there will be takers for this piece of cinematic tripe, but the audience deserves better. There can be no two ways about that.
A Gentleman
2017 · NDTV · Aug 2017
The rubble that bust-ups result in resemble the film as a whole. It is pretty while it lasts, but strangely bland overall. A Gentleman is a pileup of little ideas gone haywire. They could have done with more breathing room.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
2017 · NDTV · Aug 2017
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz hurtles towards an insipid, unintelligible climax, which includes a bout of Russian roulette between two adversaries. It is, in the end, much ado about nothing because the outcome of the life-and-death contest is as predictable as everything else in the film.
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
2017 · NDTV · Aug 2017
When a Bollywood filmmaker turns cheerleader for a government drive, especially when the jury is still out on its success rate, you know you've been had. Unless you believe in this kind of propagandist stuff, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is as avoidable as what it rightly rails against - open defecation.
Mubarakan
2017 · NDTV · Jul 2017
in trying to squeeze every ounce of hilarity out of its scrappy screenplay, the film goes overboard with its excessive cheeriness and swerves into the realms of inanity. In the bargain, it loses its way completely after delivering a fairly breezy first half.
Mom
2017 · NDTV · Jul 2017
Not always an easy watch - it isn't meant to be - MOM wields a heavy mallet, but it does so with purpose, precision and panache.
Hindi Medium
2017 · NDTV · May 2017
It isn't possible to completely dislike Hindi Medium. So, ignore its hiccups and watch it for the relevance of the questions it poses and the remarkable quality of the acting.
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
2017 · NDTV · Apr 2017
Rajamouli is an exceptional storyteller and craftsman. It is in excess that the strength of Baahubali 2 lies and it makes no bones about it...
Pinneyum
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2017
Pinneyum is clearly the work of a maestro who has nothing to prove: undemonstrative but staggeringly impactful.
Noor
2017 · NDTV · Apr 2017
Sonakshi's film shows the mundane but essential pursuits of an ambitious but confused middle-class girl...
Maatr
2017 · NDTV · Apr 2017
Subtleties and nuances are obviously beyond Maatr. It deals solely in broad strokes. No matter how much slack you are willing to cut this film, it will still need some more in order to have its glaring gaps glossed over. It's never easy to disguise a garbage dump.
Begum Jaan
2017 · NDTV · Apr 2017
Vidya Balan could count this performance as another feather in her already overflowing cap...
Poorna: Courage Has No Limit
2017 · NDTV · Mar 2017
It is a rare Hindi film that travels to the heart of rural landscape...
Naam Shabana
2017 · NDTV · Mar 2017
Naam Shabana, for all its avowed aspirations, it rarely ventures beyond the trite and tested. Watch it only if standard-fare action dramas do not put you off.
Badrinath Ki Dulhania
2017 · NDTV · Mar 2017
Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan's film is a pulpy, uneven romantic caper that strives to pass itself off as a mellow tale of patriarchy, love, honour and ambition
Commando 2: The Black Money Trail
2017 · NDTV · Mar 2017
Commando Karanvir Singh (Vidyut Jammwal) is a superhero-crusader without the Superman costume. His guiding principle is: Jab tak jaan hai koshish karte rehna hai. He tries too hard. It weighs down the film
Rangoon
2017 · NDTV · Feb 2017
Rangoon is wholeheartedly recommended but with a rider: it isn't a stroll in the park because it demands patience and concentration. It definitely helps that the cinematography (by Pankaj Kumar) is so lustrous that you simply cannot take your eyes off the screen.
Lion
2017 · NDTV · Feb 2017
Lion isn't a thunderous roar. It's more a soulful, reassuring purr that reverberates gently into the recesses of the heart, curls up in a cozy place, and works its subtle magic. In one word, magnificent.
Running Shaadi
2017 · NDTV · Feb 2017
Taapsee Pannu and Amit Sadh's romantic comedy could have been a laugh riot had it been half aware of where it was headed. It is let down by blotchy writing, is a pointless crawl
The Ghazi Attack
2017 · NDTV · Feb 2017
The film delivers many a riveting moment and is bolstered by the talent of a few capable actors. Its plot however, is devoid of any mystery...
Jolly LLB 2
2017 · NDTV · Feb 2017
Jolly LLB 2 does well not to take itself too seriously. It has the feel of a good-natured banter between friends rather than that of an inflated inquest conducted from a pedestal. Scintillating? No. Enjoyable? Absolutely.
Kung Fu Yoga
2017 · NDTV · Feb 2017
Imagine yourself in the place of the lion. If you don't find your innards in a knot by the end of the film, your head will certainly be in a spin. You won't, for sure, be breaking into dance.
Kaabil
2017 · NDTV · Jan 2017
Some of the action seems far-fetched and the way Rohan uses his ability to mimic voices in order to create disarray among the cops and the thugs is near-farcical. Yet, when he gets down to committing the perfect crime, leaving no trace behind of the destructive act, Kaabil acquires some momentum and heft.
Raees
2017 · NDTV · Jan 2017
Shah Rukh Khan Is On Top Of His Game, Nawazuddin Siddiqui Snaps At His Heels...Shah Rukh Khan shrugs off his defining starry mannerisms, embraces physical attributes and accessories designed to convey an air of to-hell-with-the-world insouciance
Ok Jaanu
2017 · NDTV · Jan 2017
OK Jaanu is watchable because it does occasionally touch both the heart and the ear. But it is never able to shrug off the fluff that clings to its body.
Haraamkhor
2017 · NDTV · Jan 2017
Haraamkhor isn't a ground-breaker, but it certainly is worthy of applause for its fearlessness and for the impressive quality of the acting.
Dangal
2016 · NDTV · Dec 2016
Dangal is the kind of sports film that usually eludes Bollywood. It knows the rules inside and out and meticulously plays by them without ever succumbing to dreary predictability. Dangal is an outright winner - a film that will pin you down and keep you in its grip all the way through.
Kahaani 2
2016 · NDTV · Dec 2016
As far as thrillers go, Kahaani 2 isn't the last word. But it certainly isn't the same old story. Its understated style and riveting core make it well worth a watch.
Dear Zindagi
2016 · NDTV · Nov 2016
Dear Zindagi pulls at the heartstrings. It is also loaded with genteel humour. But what works above all is that the pop philosophy/psychology that underlines the drama at the film's core isn't the least bit pulpy. Recommended without reservation.
Force 2
2016 · NDTV · Nov 2016
It's the sheer predictability of this narrative form that drags Force 2 down a few notches. Be that as it may, it is an entertainer that passes muster. And if you are a John Abraham fan, there can be no reason whatever to give Force 2 a miss.
Tum Bin 2
2016 · NDTV · Nov 2016
The audience might not be overly dukhi with Tum Bin 2, especially owing to its commendably sophisticated soundtrack. But this sequel is unlikely to have anybody asking for more.
Rock On 2
2016 · NDTV · Nov 2016
As a musical, Rock On 2 does not hit rock bottom at any point. But for the most part, the film finds itself trapped in rocky terrain. So its flow is staccato.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
2016 · NDTV · Oct 2016
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is by far Karan Johar's best film to date: mature, sure-handed and thoroughly entertaining. It employs the devices of mainstream Bollywood, but does so with an acute awareness of exactly where to draw the line so as not to stray into overt bubblegum territory.
Shivaay
2016 · NDTV · Oct 2016
Visually, there is much going for this film, especially with cinematographer Aseem Bajaj making the most of the striking Balkan canvas and painting breathtakingly pretty pictures on it.
31st October
2016 · NDTV · Oct 2016
Its theme is of pressing relevance. Yet, 31st October doesn't leave a lasting impression. It isn't half the film it could, and should, have been.
Inferno
2016 · NDTV · Oct 2016
Inferno is a must for fans of Hanks. But watch it also for Irrfan. Steady as a rock, he doesn't put a foot wrong despite being in a predictable film that doesn't get everything right.
Saat Uchakkey
2016 · NDTV · Oct 2016
Saat Uchakkey is far too undercooked a broth to pass for what it wants to be - a zany, off-the-beaten-track entertainer. It veers off the rails all too quickly and never returns anywhere close to getting back on course. Stay out of the way.
Mirzya
2016 · NDTV · Oct 2016
Mirzya is a colourful but tepid tableau populated by pretty but comatose marionettes that even Gulzar's poetry cannot stir to life.
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
2016 · NDTV · Sep 2016
The film plays out less like an engaging life story than an in-your-face big-screen advertorial. Only the very gullible or the very generous would be inclined to take M S Dhoni - The Untold Story as anything more than an image management company's attempt to bolster and extend the power of a lucrative brand that is nearing the end of its currency.
Banjo
2016 · NDTV · Sep 2016
Rarely does a film press so much noise into service to achieve so little in the end. Heed this warning: don't get within the earshot of Banjo.
Parched
2016 · NDTV · Sep 2016
Parched isn't a miserablist tale that wallows in despair. It is a tale of a rampaging, rollicking, uninhibited rebellion by women who find allies in a vibrating mobile phone and a decked-up three-wheeler getaway bike.
Akira
2016 · NDTV · Sep 2016
The film certainly has its moments, and Sonakshi does her career no harm by revealing a new facet of herself, but Akira isn't blockbuster material.
Island City
2016 · NDTV · Sep 2016
Laced with sly wit and captivating storytelling feints, Island City touches heights that Hindi films do only once in a blue moon. It is absolutely unmissable.
A Flying Jatt
2016 · NDTV · Aug 2016
The lowbrow comic-strip spirit of A Flying Jatt extends to the film's rough-hewn production design. Nothing that appears on the screen, neither the houses nor the props, looks real.
UNindian
2016 · NDTV · Aug 2016
UNIndian, as a film, has its own share of pitfalls to negotiate. It occasionally resorts to contrived means to get around its loose ends. Yet, in the ultimate analysis, the film never trips irretrievably.
Happy Bhag Jayegi
2016 · NDTV · Aug 2016
Happy Bhag Jayegi isn't the kind of film that will have audiences rolling in the aisles. But it might occasionally induce faint smiles on some faces.
Mohenjo Daro
2016 · NDTV · Aug 2016
Mohenjo Daro is stuck in the past and not just in terms of its substance. What the film clearly says is that both director Gowariker and Hrithik need to move on and reinvent themselves.
Rustom
2016 · NDTV · Aug 2016
Rustom is largely inoffensive, even passable in the main, but could have been infinitely better had the screenplay not been so utterly conventional and unimaginative.
The Legend of Michael Mishra
2016 · NDTV · Aug 2016
The Legend of Michael Mishra is an unmitigated disaster: so ham-fisted that it's all fingers and thumbs pointing in no particular direction.
Budhia Singh – Born to Run
2016 · NDTV · Aug 2016
The film celebrates an improbable dream and mourns its untimely death, both with infectious passion, and ends with a fervent appeal on a behalf of a social media campaign to put Budhia back in his running shoes. Not a bad idea at all. Overall, Budhia Singh - Born to Run is worth running all the way to the nearest multiplex for.
Dishoom
2016 · NDTV · Jul 2016
The audience sits through the cacophony hoping for a genuine knockout blow to be delivered somewhere down the line. It never materialises. Dishoom doesn't land a single half-decent punch.
The BFG
2016 · NDTV · Jul 2016
There can be no denying that The BFG is a captivating family entertainer that delivers bushels of old world enchantment. Don't miss it.
Madaari
2016 · NDTV · Jul 2016
Madaari might be worth the price of a multiplex ticket solely for Irrfan's flawless one-man show.
Kabali
2016 · NDTV · Jul 2016
The problem with Kabali, to put it simply, is that it is a weak film weighed down by a multiplicity of characters and a web of interconnected stories about a dead wife (Radhika Apte), an unknown daughter (Dhanshika), a fidgety young lieutenant always at Kabali's service (Dinesh Ravi), and a whiny girl whose sob stories never end (Riythvika).
Ice Age: Collision Course
2016 · NDTV · Jul 2016
Ice Age: Collision Course is never able to shake off the been-there-done-that feel that envelopes it from start to finish.
Sultan
2016 · NDTV · Jul 2016
Sultan is a Salman Khan film made solely for the superstar's fans. It has everything to please its target audience. It has megahit written all over it.
Shorgul
2016 · NDTV · Jul 2016
Shorgul is so horridly ham-handed that it merits no rating as a film. But for the statement that it strives to make, no matter how feebly and incoherently, it deserves one star. And that is all it's worth.
Raman Raghav 2.0
2016 · NDTV · Jun 2016
Extending Kashyap's continuing probe into the horrors of dehumanisation, Raman Raghav 2.0 dives deeper into the cesspit than any of the director's earlier films - to deliver a dystopian study that is at once fascinating and nauseating.
Udta Punjab
2016 · NDTV · Jun 2016
Udta Punjab is not family entertainment, but it is an undeniably magnificent - and purposeful - commercial Hindi film. Do not miss it.
Dhanak
2016 · NDTV · Jun 2016
The screenplay is the star in Dhanak. With Hetal Gada and Krrish Chhabria drawing the audience effortlessly into the tale, it takes on magical dimensions. And, of course, it is impossible not to mention the ever-dependable Vipin Sharma in the role of the deeply concerned but powerless guardian whose own dreams are no less touched by benign madness. Do yourself a favour: make sure Dhanak is a part of your plans this weekend.
Do Lafzon Ki Kahani
2016 · NDTV · Jun 2016
That actually reflects the state of Do Lafzon Ki Kahani as a whole. It is a cinematic calamity. One question: what is more abominable - the soap opera that the heroine is hooked to or this insipid and lachrymose tale? It is a toss-up. Walk into this storm only if you have the disposition to withstand the ugly gusts.
Te3n
2016 · NDTV · Jun 2016
It isn't an edge-of-the-seat humdinger. The motivations of its key characters are at times rather fuzzy. And it suffers from a pronounced Kahaani hangover (which is not surprising given that director Sujoy Ghosh is the producer). But Te3n is never less than eminently watchable.
Housefull 3
2016 · NDTV · Jun 2016
The onus is eventually on Akshay, Riteish and Abhishek to give the film some direction. But all that they do is flow along with the mindless tale, often hitting dead-ends from where there can be no return to sanity. Housefull 3 is strictly for fans of the franchise. Are there any left?
Veerappan
2016 · NDTV · May 2016
This film is another reminder: it is time to launch a manhunt for the Ram Gopal Varma that Bollywood watchers once knew. Or, else, let us just move on just as Hindi cinema has done from the heydays of the gangster flick.
Phobia
2016 · NDTV · May 2016
Phobia is a canny flick that places known genre conventions in fresh light, the kind that bestows new life on them. Watch this film for the many surprises it springs and, of course, for Radhika Apte in full flow.
Waiting
2016 · NDTV · May 2016
An understated and superbly acted film about loss, grief and the human need to cling on to the physical presence of loved ones, Anu Menon's Waiting is at once heart-wrenching and uplifting.
Sarbjit
2016 · NDTV · May 2016
With the star not shining all that bright and the actors in the mix not allowed to play the game their way, Sarbjit is a well-meaning outing that fails to do justice to its subject. Watch it only if you are an Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan fan no matter what.
One Night Stand
2016 · NDTV · May 2016
No matter how hard the director tries to liven up the proceedings, the absence of genuine substance prevents One Night Stand from rising above the irretrievably banal.
Traffic
2016 · NDTV · May 2016
Traffic, both the original and its Hindi version, will forever bear testimony to the magnitude of the loss that Pillai's untimely death represents for cinema. This is a fitting swan song: an unmissable film.
Baaghi
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
Low on genuine emotion, Baaghi is only as engaging as a badly designed video game.
Santa Banta Pvt Ltd
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
This is a film that has no saving graces at all: not worth wasting time or money on, even if you happen to be a diehard Boman Irani fan.
Nil Battey Sannata
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
Nil Battey Sannata is easy to recommend. It is light-hearted, easy on the eyes and mind, and full of heart. This film says a great deal about a girl-child's struggles, a mother's hopes and the ways of the education system. But, in the end, Nil Battey Sannata is also a good old story about life and its vicissitudes.
Laal Rang
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
A small film whose impact is enhanced manifold by Randeep Hooda's presence, Laal Rang also has other bright spots. But cottoning on to them might call for patience. Spare some, and you might just find Laal Rang worth your while.
Fan
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
Fan works for the most part because it has the fabulous SRK act as a 'young' star-struck boy. His energetic performance is worth the price of the ticket - if not more.
The Jungle Book
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
It is a film for children and adults alike. Not to be missed...
Love Games
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
Love Games is a Vishesh Films offering. So it does not lack surface gloss. But it simply isn't enough to hide its lack of depth. Best avoided.
Ki and Ka
2016 · NDTV · Apr 2016
With its promising premise undermined by erratic execution, Ki And Ka is only intermittently watchable.
Rocky Handsome
2016 · NDTV · Mar 2016
This 'nowhere man' seems intent on a slow, unsteady walk back to where he has come from. Nowhere. That pretty much sums up the film. Rocky Handsome is strictly for fans of ultra-violent action movies.
Kapoor & Sons
2016 · NDTV · Mar 2016
Director Shakun Batra keeps it all on a tight leash and skillfully mines the multiple conflict points as much for the humour inherent in them as for the dramatic frisson that they generate. Kapoor And Sons is intense and incisive in its observation of human inadequacies but is always entertaining.
Teraa Surroor
2016 · NDTV · Mar 2016
Does Teraa Surroor have any redeeming feature at all? Well, the length is a bit of a relief. The film's runtime is 15 minutes under two hours. So, it isn't as patience-trying as it otherwise might have been.
Jai Gangaajal
2016 · NDTV · Mar 2016
Jai Gangaajal is likely to be a letdown for those who expect it to be a worthy follow-up to Gangaajal. But if you go in without too many expectations, you might find parts of its fairly palatable.
Zubaan
2016 · NDTV · Mar 2016
Zubaan stretches itself too thin at times in trying to raise its narrative tempo. In its quieter moments, however, it does manage to get its voice heard. Watch it for the latter bits - and for Vicky Kaushal.
Bollywood Diaries
2016 · NDTV · Feb 2016
If only the disparate elements were better dovetailed into the larger picture it seeks to paint, Bollywood Diaries might have had more to write home about. It is disappointing that it doesn't because the premise did have a great deal of promise.
Aligarh
2016 · NDTV · Feb 2016
Mehta strips the tragic true story of all vestiges of overt sentimentality. Instead, he fills the depths of the understated but intensely moving drama with genuine, unsettling emotion. So, in addition to being a portrayal of the gay experience in an unjust and insensitive society, Aligarh is a human drama with universal resonance. It encapsulates the plight of all dissenters.
Neerja
2016 · NDTV · Feb 2016
It is a powerful story that tugs gently and delicately at the heartstrings. It does not go overboard on attacking the lachrymal glands. But when it does, it is bang on.
Fitoor
2016 · NDTV · Feb 2016
There is so much to admire in Fitoor that it is easy not to be put off by its ponderous pace and lack of contextual detailing. Go for it because there might not be too many better films than Fitoor this year.
Sanam Re
2016 · NDTV · Feb 2016
Sanam Re is a surefire cure for insomnia. Its air of somnolence is so pervasive that a yawn a minute is absolutely guaranteed.
Sanam Teri Kasam
2016 · NDTV · Feb 2016
Sanam Teri Kasam is excruciatingly painful. The torture it inflicts has as much to do with its length as with what transpires between the start and end points. This is an unmitigated disaster, a travesty of the medium that only a miracle can save from sinking without a trace.
Ghayal Once Again
2016 · NDTV · Feb 2016
...watch Ghayal Once Again at your own risk and only if you can withstand the relentless onslaught it unleashes.
Saala Khadoos
2016 · NDTV · Jan 2016
Saala Khadoos, for all the storm that it seeks to whip up in the ring and outside it, does not string together enough points to be declared an outright winner. It has enough heart. It's the heat that is missing.
Jugni
2016 · NDTV · Jan 2016
Looking for a film that delivers more than just superficial entertainment? Jugni is the end of your search.
Airlift
2016 · NDTV · Jan 2016
Airlift is a film that every Indian, and every Bollywood buff despairing for genuinely high quality storytelling, must watch.
Chalk N Duster
2016 · NDTV · Jan 2016
...is the unkindest cut. If you have any respect for your teachers - past present or future - give this film a miss.
Wazir
2016 · NDTV · Jan 2016
Wazir is at best a one-time watch, if only for the academic interest of viewing Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar in the same film.
Chauranga
2016 · NDTV · Jan 2016
Watch Chauranga because it is honest, provocative and piercing. It announces the advent of a promising new voice in Mumbai's independent cinema.
Dilwale
2015 · NDTV · Dec 2015
Watch it for Kajol and, to a lesser extent, for SRK. The rest of the actors on this vehicle, barring Varun Sharma on an occasion or two, are mere passengers.
Bajirao Mastani
2015 · NDTV · Dec 2015
Bajirao Mastani is for those that think history is boring. There isn't a dull moment in this colourful and dramatic film that embraces excess with unabashed abandon.
Kajarya
2015 · NDTV · Dec 2015
Kajarya is a powerful and important film that finds vestiges of genuine humanity in an area of impenetrable darkness. But it offers no false hopes. This film is for discerning audiences who have a stomach for the bitter truth.
Angry Indian Goddesses
2015 · NDTV · Dec 2015
Angry Indian Goddesses is a must-see and not only because it is unlike anything Hindi cinema has produced before. It strikes a fine and rare balance between thematic gravitas and breezy entertainment.
Tamasha
2015 · NDTV · Nov 2015
Tamasha is at best a one-time watch because of the sparkle the leads lend to it. It could have been so much more.
X: Past Is Present
2015 · NDTV · Nov 2015
X: Past Is Present has its share of dull, grey patches, heightened by the hollow philosophy on life and art that K spouts in his weaker moments. But these are few and far between. From the heady to the humdrum, the film drifts much like the protagonist himself, but, like him again, makes it to a reasonably meaningful destination.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo
2015 · NDTV · Nov 2015
The overwrought PRDP might not be that bad, but it is syrupy to the point of being unendurable. Only for Salman Khan fans.
He Named Me Malala
2015 · NDTV · Nov 2015
He Named Me Malala is a must-see for anybody who cares about the world and the cause the protagonist stands for.
Titli
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
In a film in which nobody smiles, Raghuvanshi's character embodies the sole ray of hope and the debutante makes no false moves. The same is true of the film as a whole. Titli is an unflinching, insightful chronicle of our times. Do not miss it.
Main Aur Charles
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
Bollywood biopics usually tend to be horrendously bloated and overwrought. Main Aur Charles is anything but. If that isn't enough of an incentive, watch it for Randeep Hooda's alluring French drawl and Adil Hussain's sturdy presence.
Shaandaar
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
While it does not live up to its title as a package, it fulfils much of the expectations that the audience might have from a film produced jointly by Karan Johar on the one hand and Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap on the other. It brings together two different worlds and succeeds in striking a balance between the two. For that, and for much else, Shaandaar deserves hearty ovation.
Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
About the only relatively likeable performance is delivered by Sunny Singh, who plays the boy who is reduced to running errands for the girl who has him in her thrall. But not all the pyaar in the world can compensate for the pea-brained piffle the film dumps on the audience.
Wedding Pullav
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
Wedding Pullav is badly cooked. Dig into it at your own risk.
Jazbaa
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
Overall, Jazbaa feels like a wasted effort, a clear case of superficial style triumphing over substance by a fair distance. But it has just enough for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan fans to justify a trip to the multiplexes. Jazbaa, however, is just as much, if not more, Irrfan Khan's film.
Singh Is Bling
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
What is irretrievably amiss with the film is that nothing it says manages to drift anywhere near some degree of coherence.
Talvar
2015 · NDTV · Oct 2015
One of the high points of Talvar is a long climactic sequence in which two investigating teams sit across a table and have a go at each other as they strive, with no holds barred, to get their respective points across. Talvar is a must watch.
Kis Kisko Pyaar Karu
2015 · NDTV · Sep 2015
Even if one walks into Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon with zero expectation, the film would still be hard pressed to measure up. Verdict: If you have any pyaar to spare, shower it on better fare.
Calendar Girls
2015 · NDTV · Sep 2015
Calendar Girls is only about sex and sleaze presented on the pretext of unravelling the decaying innards of Bollywood and the cricketing world. It talks incessantly and very loudly about spot-fixers, sex racketeers, cheating husbands, corporate loudmouths and builders seeking a toehold in showbiz but never makes any sense at all.
Welcome Back
2015 · NDTV · Sep 2015
Naseeruddin Shah gives Wanted Bhai his best shot, but this baddie isn't half as flashy or colourful as Feroz Khan's RDX. Welcome Back is stuck in the past. Why go there?
Kaun Kitne Paani Mein
2015 · NDTV · Aug 2015
Kaun Kitney Paani Mein goes where Hindi cinema rarely ever does. For that alone it deserves to be seen.
All Is Well
2015 · NDTV · Aug 2015
For audiences that are disposed towards accepting the kind of climactic twists that All Is Well fabricates - the most ridiculous of which is saved for the very last - the film might pass muster as a one-time watch.
Manjhi: The Mountain Man
2015 · NDTV · Aug 2015
Manjhi - The Mountain Man pays a price for exactly the opposite - it errs on the side of excess. Its makers go overboard with the sturdy but rather stolid pieces available to them. A lighter touch might have made Manjhi - The Mountain Man a markedly more convincing biopic.
Gour Hari Dastaan
2015 · NDTV · Aug 2015
At no point does the film fully convey the deep sense of frustration and helplessness that Gour Hari Das would have felt in the course of his 32-year struggle to prove that he was indeed a freedom fighter. Owing to its undeniably relevant theme, Gour Hari Dastaan does have some archival value. If only it had more to offer, it would have come far closer to being the triumph that it – and its subject – deserved to be.
Brothers
2015 · NDTV · Aug 2015
It makes so much noise that any sensible point about brotherly bonding and filial fidelity that it might be trying to make is completely drowned out by the decibels. Take your earplugs along.
Bangistan
2015 · NDTV · Aug 2015
It careens out of control before you can say bang and hurtles scratchily down a path that hits a dead-end all too quickly. Stay out of the way. If you really desire to visit Krakow, pack your bags and spare yourself a Bangistan detour.
Drishyam
2015 · NDTV · Jul 2015
Drishyam is gripping in parts but is anything but an unblemished humdinger.
I Am Kalam
2011 · NDTV · Jul 2015
I Am Kalam shows how beautiful small can be, especially when the heart is in the right place and the mind is clued in.
Masaan
2015 · NDTV · Jul 2015
Dripping pain and poetry in equal measure, the film presents intertwined stories of repression, rebellion and repentance set against the funeral pyres of a Varanasi cremation ghat. Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi deliver a pair of luminous performances that stay with you long after the film is over. This dazzling debut film is an unmissable gem.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan
2015 · NDTV · Jul 2015
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a supercharged cross-border drama that goes all out – and then some – in delivering its message of subcontinental peace. Watch Bajrangi Bhaijaan even if you aren't an inveterate Salman Khan fan. Harshaali will steal your heart.
Bāhubali: The Beginning
2015 · NDTV · Jul 2015
Scale of ambition: gargantuan. Quality of VFX: out of the ordinary. Content: only occasionally gripping. Final impact: pretty strong.
Guddu Rangeela
2015 · NDTV · Jul 2015
A lighthearted film about a deadly serious subject could have easily gone horribly wrong. Guddu Rangeela doesn't. It is lively, droll and occasionally thought-provoking. Barring the stray rough edges, Guddu Rangeela is eminently watchable.
Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho
2015 · NDTV · Jun 2015
An ensemble cast of seasoned character actors who know their onions inside out but aren't quite sure of their Haryanvi dictions raises Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho a few notches above the median. Recommended with a rider: this certainly isn't time-pass fare.
ABCD 2
2015 · NDTV · Jun 2015
For dance freaks, there is much on offer. For lovers of cinema, ABCD 2 is a hazy blur of a movie.
Dil Dhadakne Do
2015 · NDTV · Jun 2015
Hindi cinema history has seen one big film about "loving your parents". Dil Dhadakne Do is about "hating your parents" and in the process compelling them to change their ways. Yawn! Dil Dhadakne Do is a snoozefest and a surefire cure for insomnia.
Welcome to Karachi
2015 · NDTV · May 2015
Only the foolhardy would underestimate Bollywood's ability to do worse, but it is unlikely that you will see another film this unabashedly daft this year. Resist the itch.
Tanu Weds Manu: Returns
2015 · NDTV · May 2015
...is as entertaining and engaging a film as any that Bollywood has delivered this year. Do not miss it.
Bombay Velvet
2015 · NDTV · May 2015
What you leave the hall with is a sense of disappointment. Bombay Velvet has neither the softness of velvet nor the sweep of the city it is an ode to. Unlike its pugilist protagonist, the film punches well below its weight.
Piku
2015 · NDTV · May 2015
A warm, charming and bittersweet family drama, Piku turns the genre completely on its head. The result is a magnificently original film that delivers a memorably unique movie experience.
Gabbar is Back
2015 · NDTV · Apr 2015
Clearly, nobody put the makers of this film through the paces. They might have then known how to make the best of their limited cinematic resources and craft something less mucky. Watch Gabbar Is Back only if you are a diehard Akshay Kumar fan.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015 · NDTV · Apr 2015
There can be no denying that Avengers: Age of Ultron is expertly mounted and spiced up with a dash of humour. But the quality of the ride, in its totality, is uneven. Watch it for the spectacle, not the substance.
Court
2015 · NDTV · Apr 2015
The multilingual Court (Marathi, Hindi, English and Gujarati, with subtitles) is an exceptional cinematic achievement: a film that no cinema lover can afford to miss.
Margarita, with a Straw
2015 · NDTV · Apr 2015
Do not pass up a sip of Margarita, With A Straw. It could be life-altering. If nothing else, it will soak you with its warmth.
Ek Paheli Leela
2015 · NDTV · Apr 2015
What you choose to focus on - the sexy siren who apes everybody from Zeenat Aman to Aishwarya Rai or the visual compositions that caress the natural beauty of the locales - will determine what impact Ek Paheli Leela will have on you. Feel free to have your pick. But to be honest, spare yourself the trouble. Ek Paheli Leela is simply not worth it.
Dharam Sankat Mein
2015 · NDTV · Apr 2015
Dharam Sankat Mein, an official remake of the 2010 British comedy The Infidel, is certainly not half as horrid as the aforementioned monstrosity. But it is not in the OMG league either although that is quite clearly where it aspires to be. On one count at least, this film should pose no sankat to anybody. It is easy to rate Dharam Sankat Mein: one star for intention, but only half for execution.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy
2015 · NDTV · Apr 2015
...a cinematic delight that deserves a sustained run in the multiplexes.
Yahaan Sabki Lagi Hai
2015 · NDTV · Mar 2015
Yahaan Sabki Lagi Hai is about people screwed up as much by the system as by their own follies, but the final impact of the film is not as gloomy as the title might suggest. Give it a shot.
Hunterrr
2015 · NDTV · Mar 2015
The promising premise at the heart of Hunterrr is marred by a loopy, laidback storytelling style. The film is too long, too languid and eventually too loose to leave a lasting impression.
NH10
2015 · NDTV · Mar 2015
NH10 is an adventurous Bollywood film that breaks the shackles of convention and is none the worse for it. Eminently watchable.
Dirty Politics
2015 · NDTV · Mar 2015
Dirty Politics is just plain bad. Give it a miss and put your Holi weekend to holier use.
Ab Tak Chhappan 2
2015 · NDTV · Feb 2015
Does Ab Tak Chhappan have any redeeming feature at all? Well, it has no songs. But, then, who would feel like singing when trapped in a darkened hall where Ab Tak Chhappan 2 is playing? Stay away unless you are a diehard Nana Patekar fan.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha
2015 · NDTV · Feb 2015
It should to be held up as an example of what a mainstream Bollywood banner can achieve when it lends its clout to an out-of-the-box idea executed by a director who clearly knows his onions better than most in the business today.
Badlapur
2015 · NDTV · Feb 2015
Badlapur might not be in the Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddar league, but it is a happy sign that Sriram Raghavan has left Agent Vinod behind.
Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost
2015 · NDTV · Feb 2015
Qissa is that rare cinematic treat that no genuine film lover should deprive himself/herself of.
MSG: The Messenger of God
2015 · NDTV · Feb 2015
Thank your stars if you manage to survive this ordeal with all your faculties in one piece. But why would you take the risk in the first place?
Roy
2015 · NDTV · Feb 2015
Recommended only if you want to use the auditorium for a relaxing catnap. Roy will not wake you up.
Shamitabh
2015 · NDTV · Feb 2015
Shamitabh is recommended only for its storyline, the quality of the performances and its technical brilliance. While Bachchan is indeed the selling point of the film, Shamitabh might have benefitted had Balki gone a little easier on his obsession with the ageless superstar.
Hawaizaada
2015 · NDTV · Jan 2015
Hawaizaada has a lush texture and the manner in which director of photography Savita Singh uses light, shade and visual depth is outstanding. Much as Hawaizaada is the cinematographer's film, it also gives the production designers much scope to push the boundaries.
Baby
2015 · NDTV · Jan 2015
Baby is a dreary drama that meanders from one action sequence to another without making the audience any wiser.
Dolly Ki Doli
2015 · NDTV · Jan 2015
For all its obvious flaws and failings, Dolly Ki Doli is not completely unworthy of the 100 minutes that it demands from the audience.
Alone
2015 · NDTV · Jan 2015
Alone is strictly for those that have an insatiable appetite for cinematic concoctions that serve up the dual dose of sex and horror. Stay away if you have had enough of Bips and her deadly on-screen dalliances with the nether world.
Crazy Cukkad Family
2015 · NDTV · Jan 2015
Crazy Cukkad Family has no dearth of crazy characters, but they simply aren't zany enough...A wild goose chase is always avoidable, especially when it assumes the form of a full-fledged film.
Tevar
2015 · NDTV · Jan 2015
Tevar is somewhat tolerable only as long as Bajpayee is on the screen, or when Raj Babbar, as the hero's police officer-father, and Subrat Dutta, as the villain's principal henchman, are allowed to do their bit. That apart, the only meaningful attitude (tevar ) that is visible in Tevar is inevitably exuded by the Taj Mahal framed impressively by cinematographer Laxman Utekar.
Ugly
2014 · NDTV · Dec 2014
This may not be Anurag Kashyap's best film, but it is infinitely and indescribably better than all the muck that mainstream Bollywood passed off for entertainment this year.
PK
2014 · NDTV · Dec 2014
PK is a winner all the way, a film that Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy and Guru Dutt would have been proud of had they been alive. Rajkumar Hirani is without a doubt their most worthy standard-bearer
Action Jackson
2014 · NDTV · Dec 2014
Action Jackson, a surefire Golden Kela contender, could give Humshakals a run for its money. Give it a miss.
Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain
2014 · NDTV · Dec 2014
It has its shares of flaws and lows, but Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain is still a must-see film for the courage of its conviction, if for nothing else.
Ungli
2014 · NDTV · Nov 2014
Ungli has a few attributes that you will not usually encounter in a Karan Johar production. It has no big stars, no elaborate song and dance set pieces and no major love story. But when a film is more interesting for what it isn't than for what it is, giving it a miss might be the most prudent option.
Happy Ending
2014 · NDTV · Nov 2014
If you expect Happy Ending to get somewhere, you are watching the wrong film. Do not expect the world from Happy Ending and you might actually find in it enough enjoyable patches to make a trip to the multiplex worth your while.
Kill Dil
2014 · NDTV · Nov 2014
Watch Kill Dil if you have plenty of time to kill. It is unlikely to deliver much joy to your dil, though.
The Shaukeens
2014 · NDTV · Nov 2014
The leading lady of The Shaukeens ditches her boyfriend because, in her words, "he made fun of my creation and called it stupid and obnoxious". That is it: those are the very adjectives that would best describe this unfunny, eminently avoidable film.
Rang Rasiya
2014 · NDTV · Nov 2014
This film has been in the cans for several years, but given the timelessness of the story it tells and the crucial issues it addresses, it has lost none of its relevance. Rang Rasiya is as good a film as any you have, or will, see this year. Strongly recommended.
Super Nani
2014 · NDTV · Oct 2014
Super Nani takes upwards of two hours to articulate something that all those weaned on Bollywood potboilers have known for ages. While doing so, it ratchets the decibel levels up to breaking point. ...To put it simply, Super Nani is a super bore.
Happy New Year
2014 · NDTV · Oct 2014
There is no dearth of gloss in Happy New Year, but everything else in the film, including the content and its treatment, are allowed to go for a toss.
Tamanchey
2014 · NDTV · Oct 2014
This hackneyed tale of a trio of law-breakers who struggle to keep out of harm's way only to discover that crime does not pay has no clear sense of place.
Bang Bang!
2014 · NDTV · Oct 2014
Bang Bang is strictly for Hrithik Roshan fans and for those that do not want an action flick to be anything more than just that.
Khoobsurat
2014 · NDTV · Sep 2014
Khoobsurat is a pretty good show. It is both funny and flashy, but its many flourishes are delivered in measures that religiously avoid excess.
Mary Kom
2014 · NDTV · Sep 2014
The question is: should you watch Mary Kom? You should, the simple reason being that we owe it to the pugilist who has gone where few Indians have ever gone – to the pinnacle of her sport – and stayed there long enough not to be remembered as a flash in the pan.
Raja Natwarlal
2014 · NDTV · Aug 2014
What Raja Natwarlal lacks is authentic humour and genuine sparks of inspiration. As a result, despite the consistently retrained acting all around, it fails to be anything more than desultory.
Mardaani
2014 · NDTV · Aug 2014
Mardaani is obviously Rani Mukerji's film and she dominates the show all the way through. But a few of the other actors, too, are given enough space to make a mark. Because Shivani Shivaji Roy is not your average action 'hero', she might not appeal to Dabangg junkies. But for everyone else, Mardaani could be well worth a trip to the multiplex.
Katiyabaaz
2014 · NDTV · Aug 2014
Katiyabaaz is both entertaining and unflinching in its depiction of an India that lags light years behind the rest of the civilised world but isn't willing to give up without a fight. This powerful little film is a must watch.
Singham Returns
2014 · NDTV · Aug 2014
Singham Returns has a fair sprinkling of angry wisecracks that might draw spontaneous whistles and loud claps from those that love violent fights to the finish. One can only hope that this is indeed the end, and another sequel isn't lurking in the future.
Entertainment
2014 · NDTV · Aug 2014
If this is entertainment, what, pray, is torture? Run for cover. The dog scores over the rest of the cast because the animal does not have any dialogue to deliver nor any song to swing to.
Kick
2014 · NDTV · Jul 2014
Kick provides a kick only sporadically. For Salman Khan fans, that should be good enough.
Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
2014 · NDTV · Jul 2014
To be fair, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania does have some warm passages. But the overall package that it adds up to is about as appetizing as a bottle of beer gone flat. Recommended only for Bollywood junkies that love their froth served in receptacles that have no depth.
Bobby Jasoos
2014 · NDTV · Jul 2014
Bobby Jasoos has no item numbers, no cheap thrills, and none of the usual trappings of a wannabe blockbuster. But it has Vidya Balan in fine fettle, and that should be reason enough for you to go out and watch the film.
Ek Villain
2014 · NDTV · Jun 2014
The biggest of the villains in Mohit Suri's Ek Villain is the screenplay itself. As a whole, this film, besides its surface flair, does not have too much to fall back upon. Watch it only if that is good enough for you.
Humshakals
2014 · NDTV · Jun 2014
Humshakals is consistent in one respect: the only way it goes is down. The gags turn more and more grotesque as the film progresses, ending in such an unseemly heap that it becomes impossible to fathom what the hell is going on. Heed the warning: Humshakals is infinitely more insufferable. Even if you possess plenty of himmat, use it elsewhere.
Fugly
2014 · NDTV · Jun 2014
Like many a Bollywood flick that has gone before, Fugly is about a quartet of well-meaning pals presumably fresh from college and in quest of a meaningful future. One of them is the strong and brooding type (Mohit Marwah) who runs adventure camps for foreign tourists in Leh. For all its pious posturing on the safety of women, Fugly has no qualms about treating the lead actress merely as eye candy.
Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty
2014 · NDTV · Jun 2014
Holiday lacks the sustained intensity and urgency of an edge-of-the-seat spy thriller. The script does not allow Akshay Kumar to be the no-nonsense action hero that would have held the film in better stead. His lover boy act only dilutes the larger-than-life persona of the fearless and single-minded mean machine that he is supposed to be.
CityLights
2014 · NDTV · May 2014
CityLights isn't a feel-good entertainer. It is a film that shocks, provokes and seeks to prick our collective complacency and apathy. That obviously adds up to infinitely more value than the price of a multiplex ticket.
Hawaa Hawaai
2014 · NDTV · May 2014
Don't expect cheap thrills from Hawaa Hawaai. It proffers none. But if it is genuine entertainment that you are looking for, your search ends here.
Revolver Rani
2014 · NDTV · Apr 2014
A Kangana Ranaut film seems to be increasingly acquiring the proportions of a genre unto itself. It needs neither saleable male co-stars nor the tried-and-tested conventions of Bollywood blockbusters. Revolver Rani may lack star power, but it has no dearth of firepower.
2 States
2014 · NDTV · Apr 2014
2 States is good for a one-time watch. The unabashed shallowness of a Chetan Bhagat book meets the inane glitter of a Karan Johar-Sajid Nadiadwala production in 2 States. The result is the creation of a third state – the state of overpowering indolence.
Bhoothnath Returns
2014 · NDTV · Apr 2014
Boman Irani's mean politician caricature isn't menacing enough to give anybody sleepless nights, leave alone a ghost who rocks. Will Bhoothnath Returns be able to bhooth-capture the box office? It might not lose its deposit, but it does not look like it is in with a chance to romp home with a big margin.
Main Tera Hero
2014 · NDTV · Apr 2014
Main Tera Hero, for all its excesses, is held together by its sustained comic energy. The sillier it turns, the better it gets. The film has enough laugh-out-loud situations for the audience not to be overly put off by the screenplay's obvious rough edges. Give Main Tera Hero a shot. Not quite vintage David Dhawan, but it comes pretty close.
Dishkiyaoon
2014 · NDTV · Mar 2014
A gangster flick with a complement of dark, twisted characters and a plot burdened with an overload of twists, Dishkiyaoon is high on style but low on substance.
O Teri
2014 · NDTV · Mar 2014
O Teri is only for those that are of tough disposition or are blessed with the ability to take any load of bunkum in a darkened movie hall.
Ragini MMS 2
2014 · NDTV · Mar 2014
Why are the characters in our horror films so intellectually challenged? Ragini MMS 2 is specially suffused with morons...Ragini MMS 2 is so enamoured by its luscious leading lady's lusty past that it doesn't know what it wants to be. Neither horrifying nor sexy, the film is like a conflicted schizophrenic seeking a closure to his identity crisis blocking out the sunlight from all the windows in his home and running around in circles all over his darkened home.
Lafangey Parindey
2010 · NDTV · Mar 2014
Lafangey Parindey soars just high enough to stand a fair chance of garnering mass applause.
Gang of Ghosts
2014 · NDTV · Mar 2014
It deserves a quick, unceremonious burial. Moral of the story: Never rake up ghosts of the past.
Sixteen
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2014
Sixteen pulls no punches when it matters. But it remains a warm, endearing film even when it gets down to tackling the bitter truths of life. Simple but never simple-minded, this is a must watch.
Bewakoofiyaan
2014 · NDTV · Mar 2014
Bewakoofiyaan scores with its disarming simplicity. Even as it doesn't soar to dizzying heights, it is never less than watchable.
Gulaab Gang
2014 · NDTV · Mar 2014
The film's much-touted feminism seems especially counterfeit when a ruffian is forced by members of the gang to drape a sari and perform an impromptu dance, the implication being that, for a man, there can be no humiliation worse than that. Women who weave their own pink saris and are determined to put all pigs in their place, even if they are in the make-believe world of Gulaab Gang, should be the last people to enforce a stereotype that Hindi films have perpetuated for decades.
Queen
2014 · NDTV · Mar 2014
Don't miss Queen for anything. It is a sparkling little gem. Both the actress and the director use that element of gaucherie in the character to great effect, crafting a believable and adorable heroine who evokes both empathy and enchantment.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects
2014 · NDTV · Feb 2014
Shaadi Ke Side Effects is recommended because, despite its flaws, it is passable fun while it lasts.
Highway
2014 · NDTV · Feb 2014
Highway is a must watch as much for what it is as for what it isn't. It is not a typical romantic drama, nor an average love story. It is a road movie with a difference.
Gunday
2014 · NDTV · Feb 2014
It really is difficult to keep a two-and-a-half-hour film from losing its wheels when its engine room is bereft of the propellant of genuine inspiration. Gunday is like the dusty minefields it is set in. Its loud explosions deliver loads of coal, but no trace of any diamonds. It is certainly not the ideal date film on this Valentine's Day weekend.
Hasee Toh Phasee
2014 · NDTV · Feb 2014
It is an unpretentious little odd-couple romantic comedy. But the plot of Hasee Toh Phasee is a conundrum that takes some doing to crack. The film works primarily because the lead pair is in fine fettle, flowing along with the unstoppable tide of fluffiness while adding their own angularities to the proceedings.
One By Two
2014 · NDTV · Jan 2014
Halfway through One By Two, one minor character, a poetry-spouting police officer, mentions "inspiration ki hawa". This little film certainly could have done with much more of that rare commodity.
Jai Ho
2014 · NDTV · Jan 2014
Jai Ho is a tale that is about as exciting – and just as empty – as the spiel of a politician going to the polls.
Miss Lovely
2014 · NDTV · Jan 2014
For filmgoers who love cinema that pushes and prods them into new directions, no matter how baffling, Miss Lovely is bound to be a memorable treat. Strongly recommended.
Yaariyan
2014 · NDTV · Jan 2014
Yaariyan talks about a whole lot of other things – friendship, trust, patriotism, race attacks and tolerance – but makes no sense at all. It would make perfect sense to give this film a miss.
Dedh Ishqiya
2014 · NDTV · Jan 2014
From dilkashi to junoon, the start and end point respectively of Khalujaan's take on the seven stages of love, the film has them both and everything in between and beyond.
Mr Joe B. Carvalho
2014 · NDTV · Jan 2014
Nobody has clearly told the makers of Mr Joe B Carvalho that it is in extremely bad taste to poke fun at disability. This film should have been denied a censor certificate on that ground alone. Be warned. Jo bhi karlo but stay well clear of Mr Joe B Carvalho if you value your money – and sanity.
Sholay 3D
2014 · NDTV · Jan 2014
The effect of 3D is felt only occasionally, but this is a restored print that should do the rounds in 2D format as well. Sholay was a landmark Hindi film, and a repeat run can only help today's moviegoers appreciate the sheer scale of the ambition and achievement that it represented. Sholay was an event when it hit the screens way back in the mid 1970s. Its reappearance in a new format may not create quite the same ripples, but Sholay, 3D or not, is definitely worth a revisit.
Dhoom 3
2013 · NDTV · Dec 2013
This time around, the bikes, babes and brawls formula is dished out even more liberally than before. So, for the most part, Dhoom: 3 is a high-voltage action flick that relies squarely on known methods of the genre. But watch it all the same for Aamir Khan and the hi-jinks.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
2013 · NDTV · Dec 2013
One can well imagine the huge wave of disappointment that would have assailed the nation when, at the 1960 Rome Olympics, the legendary Milkha Singh missed a medal in a photo-finish. Over half a century later, the overstuffed cinematic re-enactment of that 400 metres race and the historical and biographical events leading up to it is no less of a downer.
R... Rajkumar
2013 · NDTV · Dec 2013
From this critic's point of view, watching this film is like being trapped, for all of two-and-a-half excruciating hours, in a torture chamber with no escape channel in sight. It is a dreadfully painful and numbingly grotesque drama that could put one off Bollywood action flicks for a while.
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela
2013 · NDTV · Nov 2013
If you are drawn by the raw magnificence of the setting and the inevitable excitement of the occasion – after all an SLB offering cannot but be an event film – here's sound advice: your travel agent could do a better job of getting you to Kutch. Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela is all body and no soul.
Satya 2
2013 · NDTV · Nov 2013
Run for cover and give Satya 2 a miss. It is a whimper for there is no bang in the Satya buck anymore.
Krrish 3
2013 · NDTV · Nov 2013
If there is any worthwhile takeaway from Krrish 3, it is simply this: the titular masked messiah is an 'idea' and there is a superhero in each one of us.
Mickey Virus
2013 · NDTV · Oct 2013
Despite the many virus attacks that the screenplay faces, Mickey Virus is a passable film.
Shahid
2013 · NDTV · Oct 2013
Go and watch the film – it is one of the most important films to come out of Mumbai in a long, long time. Shahid deserves more than just a standing ovation. It deserves accolades for standing up to be counted and narrating the kind of story that is usually buried under mainstream media cacophony.
Boss
2013 · NDTV · Oct 2013
Boss, needless to say, is Akshay Kumar's film all the way and there are several moments in it when he comes across as perfectly cut out for such antics.
Besharam
2013 · NDTV · Oct 2013
Besharam, rambunctious and robust, does not offer much by way of narrative novelty. But like Dabangg, it sets a crackling pace and does not flinch from the prospect of going over the edge in its pursuit of cheap thrills. Watch Besharam primarily for Ranbir Kapoor and the zany climax in an old-world warehouse where the ghosts of many Hindi movie heroes of yore are invoked.
Phata Poster Nikla Hero
2013 · NDTV · Sep 2013
Stay away from this film if you value your time and money. And if you still insist on giving it a shot, do remember that there is no refund on the ticket. That is what you will be asking for well before the joke winds up.
Dabba (The Lunchbox)
2013 · NDTV · Sep 2013
Gorge into it and savour its lingering aftertaste. The Lunchbox holds riches that aren't likely to be forgotten in a hurry.
Satyagraha
2013 · NDTV · Aug 2013
Parts of Satyagraha make perfect sense but, on the whole, it never comes close to clicking into top gear. It leaves you more disappointed than angry.
Madras Cafe
2013 · NDTV · Aug 2013
Madras Cafe is not your average Bollywood thriller. It crackles with genuine energy and is marked by true empathy for humanity. It is an unqualified triumph.
Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara
2013 · NDTV · Aug 2013
It has enough going for it – a no-nonsense script, a clipped pace, punchy dialogues and spiffy cinematography – to justify its 160-minure runtime. Yet Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara! falls well short of being quite as engaging as the film that it is a sequel to.
Chennai Express
2013 · NDTV · Aug 2013
Chennai Express is a full-on masala film that is completely unapologetic about its intentions. And that is its USP.
Love in Bombay
2013 · NDTV · Aug 2013
Love in Bombay is loud, over the top, and without the slightest pretension to subtlety, but it is marked by a certain degree of innocence that sometimes makes popular Hindi cinema of the 1970s and 1980s tolerable even when they are risible.
B.A. Pass
2013 · NDTV · Aug 2013
BA Pass combines the bone-dry quality of a chiselled short story and the stark directness of a minimalist tragedy to deliver a taut, gripping film about the hell that a big city can be behind the bright neon lights and the living room glass cabinets stacked with flashy dolls. Not to be missed.
Issaq
2013 · NDTV · Jul 2013
All that Issaq manages to be, despite all the sparkling compositions that the cinematographer strings together, is an unconvincing story of ill-fated love. It is not at all easy to sit through.
Bajatey Raho
2013 · NDTV · Jul 2013
Bajatey Raho does not play it right. Off-key and overly contrived, it is a pretty ordinary effort that is not even mildly engaging.
Ship of Theseus
2013 · NDTV · Jul 2013
Doubtless, Ship Of Theseus is an extraordinary achievement. To miss it would be tantamount to missing one of the finest Indian films of recent times.
Ramaiya Vasta Vaiya
2013 · NDTV · Jul 2013
Watch Ramaiya Vastavaiya only if you have the stomach for unbridled lunacy.
D-Day
2013 · NDTV · Jul 2013
D-Day is replete with such unusual touches. It is another matter that all of them do not eventually come together to make a cohesive whole. Yet, for all its flaws, this is a film good enough to merit a trip to the multiplex.
Policegiri
2013 · NDTV · Jul 2013
For a film that is as spectacularly dumb, Policegiri makes far too much noise. The actors holler at the top of their voices, the action sequences are mind-numbingly silly, the background score can pierce through any cotton-wool shield, and the storyline is all sound and fury, and little else.
Lootera
2013 · NDTV · Jul 2013
Now the big question: will a film like Lootera work at the box office? The question is irrelevant. It wouldn't matter, at least from the critical point of view, even if it were to fail to get its point across to an audience weaned on Dabangg, Rowdy Rathore, Son of Sardar and suchlike. It would still be a magnificent film.
Raanjhanaa
2013 · NDTV · Jun 2013
If you are among those that helped Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani rake in all those crores at the box office, you owe it to yourself (and to the cause of popular Hindi cinema that entertains with more than just song and dance and star power) to vote for Raanjhanaa with your feet.
Ankur Arora Murder Case
2013 · NDTV · Jun 2013
It is a well-meaning, proficiently crafted and competently acted drama about the wages of medical skullduggery. But Ankur Arora Murder Case fails to make a strong enough case for itself.
Yamla Pagla Deewana 2
2013 · NDTV · Jun 2013
Like all Indian films these days, Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 starts with a disclaimer asserting that no animals were hurt during the shoot. Isn't the poor orangutan an animal? It must be terribly 'hurt' at being treated with such disdain by mankind!
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
2013 · NDTV · May 2013
Neither the romance nor the drama that the film seeks to whip up can salvage it from being just another harmless romp aimed at an undemanding audience that is comfortable with swimming at the shallow end of life.
Gippi
2013 · NDTV · May 2013
For all its attempts to look and feel different from the run-of-the-mill, Gippi is pretty obviously not the ultimate film about adolescence.
Go Goa Gone
2013 · NDTV · May 2013
Pretty much the same could be said of the film as a whole – it's crazy but cool. It gives you what you least expect and in ways that you least anticipate. That is a rare attribute for a Hindi film. I am going with three stars for Go Goa Gone.
Aashiqui 2
2013 · NDTV · May 2013
Fluffy and flaky, Aashiqui 2 is simply not peppy enough to paper over its cracks. It does not strike any chords. There aren't too many highs in its hackneyed saga of songs and sighs.
Bombay Talkies
2013 · NDTV · May 2013
Such moments of epiphany are rare in Bombay Talkies. One is left with the feeling that a once-in-a-century cinematic experiment should have had more heart and heft.
Shootout at Wadala
2013 · NDTV · May 2013
The film is generally entertaining without attaining the sort of innate quality that could attract favourable comparisons with Ram Gopal Varma's Satya and Company or Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda. But that could hardly be a reason to write off the film.
Ek Thi Daayan
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
The riveting parts of Ek This Daayan are far outnumbered by the limp moments. Yet it is worth a watch owing to the idiosyncratic treatment of a done-to-death genre.
Commando
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
Despite all the bravura technical effort that has clearly been put into Commando, the end result simply isn't compelling enough to merit more than two stars.
Chashme Baddoor
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
If the original was a soothing and timeless melody, this is a raucous and forgettable item number. Give it a shot if you must, but don't expect the world from it.
Nautanki Saala
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
The film deserves full marks for intention, if not for execution. But give me Nautanki Saala! any day after the merciless assault of Himmatwala and Chashme Baddoor!.
Jolly LLB
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
Barring the off-kilter musical score, which is completely out of sync with the predominantly naturalistic drift of the film, Jolly LLB is a jolly good film.
Aatma
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
Aatma is meant to send shivers down the spine and shock the viewers out of their seats. All it does manage to do is set off a few mild waves of cold bemusement.
Mere Dad Ki Maruti
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
Mere Dad Ki Maruti is a winner, an easy film to like. Go right ahead.
Himmatwala
2013 · NDTV · Apr 2013
To each his own. But you don't really have to subject yourself to this monstrous assault on the senses, even if you are blessed with loads of himmat.
Dabangg 2
2012 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Dabangg 2 is every inch of the way the critic-proof film that it is meant to be. No matter how many holes you might spot in its uncomplicated, wafer-thin narrative edifice, Bollywood's most bankable megastar's onscreen deeds, at a bit of a stretch, would serve to paper over all of them.
Khiladi 786
2012 · NDTV · Mar 2013
All said and done, Khiladi 786 is not half as bad as Joker. But is that saying much?
Talaash
2012 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Talaash is intelligently structured – it goes back and forth in time as the investigating officer struggles to piece together the mystery behind an unexplained fatal road mishap involving a male movie star whose speeding car veers off a sea-facing road and plunges into the water.
I, Me Aur Main
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Chitrangada strikes the right notes for the most part and Prachi Desai lends a bubbly energy to a few of the scenes. Both Zarina Wahab and Mini Mathur bring a touch of warmth to bear upon an otherwise hopelessly soggy film.
Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
As for the film as a whole, there can be no room for any doubt. It is recommended unequivocally.
The Attacks of 26/11
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Ram Gopal Varma is still not back to his best and The Attacks of 26/11 isn't an unqualified triumph. But it is certainly watchable.
Murder 3
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Murder 3, a thriller that vacillates between the taut to the toxic, packs enough punch and panache to keep the audience glued, if not sweep them off their feet.
ABCD: Any Body Can Dance
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Take your pick. There is a whole lot of dancing talent on show here. It is the packaging that lets down the performers -- and the viewers.
Zila Ghaziabad
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Zila Ghaziabad is unalloyed trash. It is headed straight for the dump yard – stay well clear.
Race 2
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
This is a wreck of a movie strictly for action junkies who might be looking for a feverish two-and-a-half-hour ride that is far more giddy than heady.
David
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
David has enough sinew to offset its share of flaws. Strongly recommended.
Vishwaroopam
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
A slew of fine supporting performances by Rahul Bose, Jaideep Ahlawat and Shekhar Kapur, among others, adds weight to an already formidable film. Vishwaroop is a must watch.
Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is marked by an adventurous streak that is commendable: Bhardwaj pushes the goofy storytelling style all the way through to the bitter end. It is another matter that the strategy boomerangs frequently.
Table No. 21
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
The drama is woven around a welter of lies, betrayal and brutality. The lead pair is trapped in a web that is as much of their own making as it is of the man who manipulates them like a master puppeteer. But rarely does this dark thriller hit home with sufficient force.
Inkaar
2013 · NDTV · Mar 2013
Sexual harassment in the workplace isn't the kind of premise that Hindi cinema tackles every other day. In that respect, Sudhir Mishra's Inkaar is anything but an average Mumbai film. For the most part, it steers clear of the convenient certitudes that underpin popular movie narratives.
Life of Pi
2012 · NDTV · Dec 2012
Grab a piece of this Pi. It is a must watch. In terms of both the scale of its ambition and the exquisite perfection of its execution, Life of Pi is pure magic.
Rockstar
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Rockstar has a Sufi soul. If only it had been set free and allowed to go the whole hog!
U R My Jaan
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan not just for the obvious sentimental reason but for the fact that it shows, for one last time, what Bollywood will miss now that the undisputed master of romantic sagas is no more.
Ra.One
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
RA.One is like a colourful Popsicle that looks tantalising, tickles the palate while it lasts, but leaves no particular after-taste. Sound and fury? Loads of it. Significance? Not much.
Mausam
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Mausam could quite easily have ended up being a stodgy, strenuous and self-conscious drama. Writer-director Kapur, the accomplished actor that he is, orchestrates the emotional ups and downs of his tale with a commendable degree of moderation for the most part. Mausam is certainly worth a viewing.
That Girl in Yellow Boots
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
It is well-nigh his most controlled film to date: the style, fluid and unobtrusive, complements the theme rather than overshadow it.
Bodyguard
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Bodyguard is an out-and-out Salman Khan film meant to be taken in the festive spirit of the season. Love it or lump, chances are that its backers will be laughing all the way to that bank while you, if you aren't willing to give its excesses a long rope, will be tearing your hair out in exasperation.
Not a Love Story
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
The lovers are anything but loveable characters. And this tale is a tragedy woven around the ugly face of love. Downbeat? Yes. But it's engaging and watchable – if for nothing else, for the flashes of the RGV of yore.
Chala Mussaddi... Office Office
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Chala Mussaddi doesn't take us anywhere we haven't been before. Worse, it makes awfully rough weather of getting wherever it is headed. Avoid this trip if you value your time and money.
Singham
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Singham is an old-fashioned but rousing Hindi commercial film that pretty much restores one's faith in this often-maligned brand of cinema. It has super-duper hit written all over it. No matter how dismissive you might be of films that have no space for shades of grey, chances are that Singham will disarm you, if only for a bit.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara does exude pronounced traces of the spirit of Dil Chahta Hai, but its essential rhythm is its own, stemming from the dynamics of a full-fledged road movie shot through with intelligence, emotion and, above all, humanism.
Chillar Party
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Is Chillar Party, then, a perfect children's film? Saying that would be a bit of a stretch. The characters are less nuanced individuals than recognisable types, etched out and christened on the basis of their defining traits.
Murder 2
2011 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Even if Murder 2 fails to tide over the bad reviews and gets bogged down at the box office, it seems pretty certain that this is the film that could well be the turning point of Prashant Narayanan's career.
Student of the Year
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
It definitely isn't the film of the year. But if you like your entertainment to be served up with glitzy but pulpy garnishing, pirouette your way to the nearest screen by all means. If you don't, go for it only if your life depends on it.
Son of Sardaar
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Son of Sardaar is a vengeance drama in the garb of a slapstick comedy – a tangled mess that has no way of working its way around the sloppy screenplay, co-written by director Ashwni Dhir himself.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan not just for the obvious sentimental reason but for the fact that it shows, for one last time, what Bollywood will miss now that the undisputed master of romantic sagas is no more.
Kismat Love Paisa Dilli
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
KLPD is a messy jumble that lurches almost blind from one free-for-all situation to another in the fond hope of tickling the funny bone. It ends up trying the patience of the audience. Stay away!
English Vinglish
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
If you don't, you might actually feel a little lump in your throat. That is the kind of film English Vinglish is. It would work strictly for those who can discount the film's oversimplified worldview.
Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
The revenge, filmed with an operatic slo-mo rhythm, is bloodier than anything you would have seen before. But if you liked Gangs Of Wasseypur, there is no reason why won't have another blast watching GOW II. But be warned: be sure that your stomach for blood and gore doesn't give way.
OMG! Oh My God
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
So, despite the high fun quotient inherent in the concept and the steady flow of droll one-liners from the principal players, OMG never rises to particularly great heights either as an entertainer or a social message-oriented drama.
Heroine
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
The film that Bhandarkar has made is indeed disappointingly mechanical. Mercifully, Kareena does demonstrate that she has a feel for the character. But, then, why wouldn't she? After all she plays herself in Heroine.
Joker
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Give Joker a miss if you value your sanity and money. It gives commercial Hindi cinema a bad name.
Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Though a bit on the sluggish side, Shirin Farhad Ki To Nikal Padi is warm-hearted and generally watchable without being exhilarating.
Ek Tha Tiger
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Ek Tha Tiger isn't what one whould rate as great cinema, but it isn't just harmless fun. The pacifist message dovetailed into its core lends the film a far greater degree of relevance than Bollywood spy thrillers generally strive for.
Cocktail
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Cocktail has just the right mix of fizz and flavour to allow the occasional and inevitable crinkles of triteness to flow well below the surface. It is definitely worth a visit to the multiplex.
Jism 2
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
This film is designed to be Sunny Leone's ticket to a place in the Bollywood sun, but it isn't quite love-all in her favour. Yet, Jism 2 has enough soul not be swamped by a curvaceous body. It is more than just another 'booby' trap of a film.
Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
The film is ostensibly targeted at the teen segment and it might even find some takers there. But it barely passes muster as a sex comedy. It's crude, crass and completely clueless.
Bol Bachchan
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Be warned. Bol Bachchan is a comedy so absurd that it could reduce you to tears of despair. Conversely, if you have the stomach for such rampant silliness, it might propel you into paroxysms of delight. The call is entirely yours.
Ishaqzaade
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Sadly, Ishaqzaade isn't quite as pulsating as the plot line might suggest. The script throws up some surprises all right, but the story of inter-religious love does not have legs robust enough to gallop all the way through to the end with sustained energy.After a startling end to the first half, the film's pace drops several notches in the second half as the lovers seek refuge in Chand Bibi's brothel. If only Arjun Kapoor's dialogue delivery had greater punch and Parineeti Chopra could pull off the emotional moments without going shrill, Ishaqzaade would have been a markedly better film.
Maximum
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
But all said and done, Maximum isn't a washout – not by a long chalk. It is well crafted and superbly acted. Sonu Sood in particular leaves a lasting impression as the police officer under fire for excesses committed in the line of duty.
Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
It may not be for the faint-hearted and the prissy. Gangs of Wasseypur is a heavyweight knockout punch. You're down for the count!
Teri Meri Kahaani
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Teri Meri Kahaani is pretty much like the loves of the film's male protagonist – it pours out all it has. But what it has simply isn't enough.
Ferrari Ki Sawaari
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a thank you note to Sachin Tendulkar for inspiring a whole generation of young Indians to pick up the willow and knock the cricket ball around with intent. It would have made its point a lot better had it been as crisp as a Sachin cover drive or as heart-pounding as the thrill of a Ferrari at full throttle. It's neither.
Shanghai
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Here at long last is a Hindi film that dares to defy the conventions of its chosen genre. Shanghai is a no-frills but searing political thriller that is under-wired with intelligence and nerve, both cinematic and ideological.Shanghai draws much of its strength from a taut screenplay (Urmi Juvekar and Dibakar Banerjee) that never overplays its hand and leaves a lot to the imagination of the audience.Shanghai projects the dark, dank, redolent-with-danger innards of small-town India to absolute perfection.The film articulates a simmering rage at the sorry state of affairs in a country that is purportedly poised on the cusp of economic superpower status, but it does so neither through screechy bluster nor by means of preachy sermons.
Dangerous Ishhq
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
At the concept level, Dangerous Ishhq does have something going for it beyond the stereoscopic 3D that it has been filmed in. Hindi movie fans are accustomed to high-pitched reincarnation dramas in which characters are reborn in order to complete unfinished business a la Karan Arjun. But this one isn't only about rebirth.
Rowdy Rathore
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
Riddled with an array of loud, lame and specious contrivances, Rowdy Rathore plays out pretty much like a comic-book fantasy rendered in the form of a live-action film. Go for it if you must, but don't expect the earth from it.
Aiyyaa
2012 · NDTV · Nov 2012
The Deshpandes are no ordinary brood. And Aiyyaa is no ordinary film. Wildly wakda (read twisted) in more ways than one, it is a film that defies definition.It careens from the dreamy to the delirious, the realistic to the raucous, and the perfectly logical to the utterly nonsensical as it turns many a time-honoured convention of Hindi commercial cinema on its head.Many might find its loud, outré storytelling style somewhat difficult to comprehend and digest, especially in the context of the film's slice-of-life love story predicated on a willing suspension of disbelief. Aiyyaa takes time to warm up, slips into dull patches at times and occasionally teeters on the edge of a certain dissonance. But the subversive spirit that drives the absurdist core of Aiyyaa is well worth embracing.