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Bareilly Ki Barfi backdrop
18 August 2017Hindi123 min

Bareilly Ki Barfi

5.925 reviews
CriticsMixed

Bayesian avg · 25 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

5.98 ratings
UsersMixed

User Score · avg of 8 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari DirectorNitesh Tiwari WriterGavemic U Ary Cinematography

Set in the small-town of Bareilly, Bitti is a free-spirited young girl who lives life on her own terms and refuses to be pressured into getting married. Her life takes a shift when she meets Chirag Dubey and Pritam Vidrohi.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Bareilly Ki Barfi was largely positive, with most reviewers finding it an entertaining, light-hearted romantic comedy that succeeds as a breezy watch. Performances from Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Kriti Sanon were consistently singled out for praise, with Rao in particular drawing special mention for elevating the material. The most common criticism was aimed at the screenplay, which several critics found wafer-thin, contrived, and reliant on plot machinations that undermined character logic. The film was broadly seen as one that works despite its script rather than because of it.

25 reviews · 14 positive · 8 mixed

Praised: lead performances, especially Rajkummar RaoCriticised: thin, contrived screenplay

AI-generated summary of 25 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (25)

Rajeev MasandTop Critic· IBNLive
6.0
"There is a lot to enjoy here but the script contrivances rankle. This is a movie that works on account of the trimmings: the acting, the clap-trap dialogues, and the authentic texture of the world that it's set in. If only there was more meat to the main dish. Nevertheless, Bareilly Ki Barfi is appropriately sweet and not a bad way at all to spend two hours."
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Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
5.0
"Rajkummar Rao blows away the weaknesses of this film with his consummate act, playing the timid 'chota shehari' on the one hand, and the loud 'rangbaaz' on the other. He sweetens the pot, and makes up for the rest of it."
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Meena Iyer· Times Of India
8.0
"Quite like the money-spinner Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel, this film too keeps you invested in its rain and shine moments. As a bonus you get the peppy Sweety Tera Drama and Twist Kamariya tracks, both of which will get you grooving. Bite into this barfi for sure; it is bound to lift your spirits."
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8.0
"Bareilly Ki Barfi is a delicious film brilliantly narrated in Javed Akhtar's voice. If you are not doing anything this weekend, go watch it. If you are already engaged, please cancel your engagements and go and watch it."
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R.M. Vijayakar· IndiaWest
8.0
"Watch this film for a heartwarming experience in the movie-hall. You will not wean off the lovable 'Bareillyians' easily. You might even yearn for a second watch."
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Sreehari Nair· Rediff
8.0
"There were moments in the movie when a loud laugh escaped my throat. But it didn't seem to matter. Because they were all laughing and my laughter was getting drowned in the laughter of those around me."
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IANS· Sify
7.0
"Barielly ki Barfi is a tasty sweet treat to rev up your weekend."
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Vishal Verma· Glamsham
7.0
"...is the one to be missed. Ashwini Iyer Tiwari has fulfilled the desires of a feel good mainstream rom-com in BAREILLY KI BARFI. It is delightfully sweet, delicious, comes with a twist and is powered by top notch performance from Kirti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao."
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6.0
"While it takes time for Bareilly Ki Barfi to warm up to you, the crackling second half and the arrival of Rao signals for good things to come. Watch this if you are in the mood to unwind with a romantic comedy filled with an endearing set of flawed, but sweet individuals."
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6.0
"Bareilly Ki Barfi is laced with some beautiful performances. It's a sweet love story with an ending that'll leave a smile on your face."
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Harshada Rege· DNA India
6.0
"This is an entertaining, romantic film laced with humour and feel-good moments. Watch it, you won't be disappointed."
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Rohit Vats· Hindustan Times
6.0
"Bareilly Ki Barfi is sweet and delightful. Its hilarious one-liners like, "Ye toh aastin ka anaconda nikla" and "Ye Bitti raat bhar kahan ghumti rehti hai, ladki hai koi chudail thode na hai," totally work. This light-hearted comedy refrains from being slapstick and slowly weaves its charm. Worth a watch."
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Samrudhi Gosh· India Today
6.0
"After Nil Battey Sannata, director Ashwini Iyer Tiwari brings us another engaging watch. There is no dull moment in the film. Light and fluffy, Bareilly Ki Barfi is no heavy seven-course meal, but it is quite the delicious dessert."
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Sreeju Sudhakaran· Bollywood Life
6.0
"Bareilly ki Barfi boasts of a delightful first half, but a weak second half. But some really funny writing and terrific performances by Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana, along with a brilliant supporting cast, add sweetness to the narrative. While it may not get high marks in its screenplay, it definitely is one of the better rom-coms of the year."
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6.0
"If you look at the film without these elements, it is a wafer-thin plot. But the actors and the quick humour that the narrative is laced with make the film engaging and entertaining. It might not have the vivacity and spark of Anand L Rai's films but comes quite close to replicating the charm of small-town romances from the North Indian heartland with its various nuances."
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Koimoi Team· KoiMoi
5.0
"Despite the film being extremely simple in its content, the film will pick up only through word of mouth. Rajkummar Rao forms one of the major reasons for the cinegoers to go and see the film."
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IANS· Mid-Day
5.0
"Too much sugar in this barfi..."
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Meeta Kabra· Wogma
5.0
"...turns out to be as underwhelming as the trailer. Neither does it have the sparks of a romance, nor the laughs of a comedy. What it does have is some fine performances, lovely details and nuances that are not usually found in Hindi films. But, these actors have given finer performances. So, put together that makes Barielly Ki Barfi a "maybe watch if it happens to be playing" kind of a film."
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FullyHyd Team· Fully Hyderabad
5.0
"Through all these pitfalls, the film works as the perfect cure for a lazy weekend afternoon. A walk to your nearest multiplex with a few people you enjoy watching films with could give you a few laughs and a feeling of your paisa being vasooled. As a work of art, however, this one struggles to get anywhere lower than its dry crust."
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Manisha Lakhe· NowRunning
5.0
"Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari beautifully captures the small town flavour in Bareilly Ki Barfi but the problem with this film, is that the hero fails to endear us to him. We have no logical reason to want to root for him."
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Rohit Bhatnagar· Deccan Chronicle
5.0
"Bareilly Ki Barfi is purely a one time watch which has a few odd hilarious dialogues and some great performances but no storyline to it. It is certainly a light hearted film which is not as good as it promised to be."
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Bollywood Hungama News Network· Bollywood Hungama
4.0
"has its moments and boasts of great performances but it's too unconvincing. Also, lack of face value and low-key promotions coupled with insipid music as well as domination by TOILET – EK PREM KATHA will spell doom for the film at the box office."
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Uday Bhatia· LiveMint
"Without giving away much more, I'll say that ambitious plot machinations late in the film mean that neither Pritam's nor Bitti's behavior makes much sense—until it finally does and it's too late. Perhaps some viewers will appreciate this trickery. To me it felt like a sacrificing of character at the altar of cleverness."
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"The film might have been an attempt to create a good old-fashioned love triangle, but the events leading up to it feel unnecessarily contrived, and the plot (by Nitesh Tiwari and Shreyas Jain) wafer-thin and stretched. The so-called conflict could have been resolved if the leads had an honest two-minute conversation."
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Devansh Sharma· Firstpost
"Bareilly Ki Barfi is a character-driven as all the characters are pivotal to the plot and backed by substantial writing. The three lead actors drive most of the narrative - Ayushmann's endearing expressions, Kriti's livewire presence and Rajkummar's unpredictable dialogue delivery provide the perfect ingrediendts for a sweet rom com that has its share of masala."
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Cast & Crew

Details

Release Date
18 August 2017
Runtime
123 min
Language
Hindi
Genre
Comedy

User Ratings & Reviews

Users5.98 ratings

8 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (3)

ANAug 2017

Javed Akhter's narrating is loveable, Director-script writer both tried their best, Ayushmann, Kriti provide good performances. But Rajkumar Rao's contribution is top, excellent. He is the real winner in this film. BKB is a soft refreshing rom-rom, but there are some flaws, unexpected situations , a weak first half. But it's not a bad one.

Last couple of days has been rather eventful with the Supreme Court passing the judgement that triple talaq is illegal, the Solar eclipse over the US & Nadal back to World No.1. Even I was quite busy with work commitments that I didnt quite find the time to pen down my thoughts about 'Bareilly ki Barfi". In normal circumstances, I wouldnt have bothered to write the review since it's been in the theatres for more than half a week. But I would have to admit, I was pretty entertained by it & as it doesnt have huge stars there is a good chance that many of my friends would have skipped or even be unaware about it. Hence I felt I should give you my opinion as to why it is worth a try. As the title indicates, the story unfolds in the bustling small town of Bareilly where Bitti Sharma (Kriti Sanon), a strong opinionated free spirited girl lived who was quite unlike other girls in the area. So much so, her mother (Seema Bhargava) constantly worried about the prospects of her daughter getting married off in the traditional manner. On the other hand, her father (Pankaj Tripathi), who ran a sweet shop gave his approval to all her crazy antics. None of the prospective grooms gave her the impression that they were ready to embrace her for the person that she was, until she stumbled across a novel called "Bareilly ki Barfi". Incidentally, the girl mentioned in the book had her same traits which made her decide to meet the author Pritam Vidrohi (Rajkkumar Rao). But all her efforts to locate him drew blank & therefore she sought the help of Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurana), the publisher of the book who was said to know about his whereabouts. However, she was oblivious of the fact that Chirag was indeed the author. So why was Pritam being credited as the author??? The creator of this hilarious rom com is Aswiny Iyer Tiwari, who had made an impressive debut with "Nil Battey Sannata" that was critically acclaimed far & wide. She was aided in her task by her husband Nitesh Tiwari (of "Dangal" fame) who along with Shreyas Jain & Rajat Nonia had penned the script. It was sprinkled with humorous dialogues & situational comedy which was both realistic and in sync with the region where the story is based.Personally speaking, I absolutely loved the speech in the climax which kinda reminded me of Aamir in "Dil Chahta Hai". There are hardly much twists & turns making it fairly predictable.All the personnel involved in the technical aspects have done their jobs well. Frankly, I never thought Kriti Sanon would be able to do justice to the feisty character of Bitti as it seemed like a role which was up Kangana's alley. But she aced it in style along with Ayushmann who portrayed the forlorn lover as well as the grey shades in Chirag convincingly. But the star of the show is undoubtedly Rajkkumar Rao who was brilliant in the two avatars that he appeared. Equal praise needs to be vested upon Pankaj Tripahi, Seema Bhargava & Rohit Choudhary who have done utmost justice to their roles & also to Javed Akhtar's narration which made the viewing experience all the more enjoyable. Verdict: Undoubtedly one of the finest rom coms to have come out from Bollywood. Many a time, good movies do get overlooked due to the lack of star power. Hopefully this doesnt turn out to be one & therefore in case, you guys havent watched it; it wont hurt to give a try!!! Rating: 3.25/5 Regards...Ben

SHSept 2019

Ashwini Iyer Tiwari tells a woman's story and merges it up with a love triangle only to provide us with loads of cinematic sense of satisfaction. It is about Bitti (played by a terrific Kriti Sanon) who smokes, breaks into dance in family weddings and is always an 'unconventionally dysfunctional' Bharatiya ladki, who is not sanskaari. It's about the coming of two people- Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana) and Pritam Vidrohi (Rajkummar Rao) in her life because of a confusion created by a chapbook called Bareli Ki Burfi and it turns out to be a pretending-to-be-a-love-triangle story, which, actually, is a genuinely heartfelt love story of two companions. This film works even after, like, decades? Because it has a fresh approach amd it isn't same old, same old. It is same old, same gold. It has the right punch to a coming-of-age romantic comedy. I'm going with 3 stars. Absolutely recommended.

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