Detailing is Bombay Velvet’s real deal and that makes it a watchable movie. Also, don‘t expect it to be another film on the line of Gangs Of Wasseypur 1 and 2. This time, it’s more about the masses.

The plot also wobbles between love story, crime saga, urban legend and corruption drama. Between lovers’ fights, gun-battles and newspaper wars, you’re thinking The. Godfather, Casablanca, Chicago – but you want to feel Bombay Velvet more.

Its cinematography and performances, particularly Ranbir’s edgy ‘big shot’, merit an extra half-star. But while Bombay Velvet is stylish, this fabric could have been smoother.

…doesn’t match up to the expectations one had from it. Despite all the grandiosity, one needs to be well-equipped in patience in order to savour the film. The external embellishments render the film quite heavy. It teeters on the edge, but ultimately manages to sail through. Bombay Velvet is grand, exquisite, elaborate … and deserves a watch for Kashyap’s style.

…a visually enjoyable period drama. The love story is taut, chemistry is sizzling but thanks to an overstretched plot and a cliched second half, the film disappoints a little.

…a visual masterpiece that is rich in form. If you want to be wowed by the detailing of the 1960s, superb performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar and Anushka Sharma, then go ahead and watch this film.

The film uses many real life references right from the prohibition which closed down many clubs in Bombay to mill workers agitation and the land grab that happened to form the famous Nariman Point are all part of the story, which is fabulous.

What doesn’t particularly work well is the love story which is more or less like any another love story but the city angle that Kashyap has explored is unique in many ways.

Kashyap made films from the heart and it struck a chord and here, he dilutes his style, attempting cosmetic precision – and the film remains just that – a superficial story with superfluous characters.

This film is more like a roller coaster ride, as it takes you on a dizzy high with its charming ambience and music that is bound to stay with you for long, but later you are brought down not so gently with the underwhelming plot and lack of punches. Watch it for the experience.

Bombay Velvet for all its sins of excesses, is the gangster epic that Bollywood was waiting to unleash. Tactile, smokey, powerful, passionate and pulsating with periodicity…this movie is an experience that’s more remarkable for what it attempts than what it actually achieves.

Apart from Ranbir’s conviction as a suave goon, a fierce lover – don’t go expecting too much from it.

I left the theater with a question. I enjoyed the film while watching it, found it slightly long but it didn’t test patience at point. I liked the characters, the dialogue, the flow of the narrative, the plot till it gets carried away much like the lead character, Balraj. But, the film doesn’t leave a mark that will remind you of what you felt while watching the film, like most good films do, certainly like all Anurag Kashyap films. It doesn’t stay with you.

… makes for a good one-time watch primarily due to good performances from its lead actors and a reminder of a forgotten era.

The movie is quite high on violence quotient and those with weak hearts would find certain sequences to be quite disturbing. Nonetheless, as a mere exercise in style, Bombay Velvet a commendable attempt but its prospects at the box office look a bit bleak.

…a definite watch for fans of love stories, high voltage drama, retro flicks & RK- Anushka. Watch it for a solid dose of retro romance, glamour & past glory.