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Hunterrr backdrop

Hunterrr

20 March 2015Hindi2h 9m
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 28 scored reviews · 4 not rated

Devaiah shines, but Hunterrr's adult comedy wears out its welcome fast.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Gulshan Devaiah's central performance
  • Criticised: Overlong, meandering narrative structure

Audience

User score 4.8 out of 10 from 4 ratings, not enough ratings for a verdict yet
Read 3 audience reviews ↓

Not streaming in India

Critic consensus

What 29 critics are saying

Critical reception for Hunterrr is mixed to negative, with most reviewers acknowledging its novelty as a relatively frank adult comedy in Bollywood but finding significant fault with its execution. Gulshan Devaiah's performance is the most consistently praised element across reviews, with several critics noting he elevates material that does not fully deserve him. The most common criticisms center on an overlong, meandering narrative built around excessive flashbacks, a predictable and thin redemption arc, and the film's regressive treatment of female characters as one-dimensional stereotypes. A handful of reviewers found it entertaining enough for a single watch, but few considered it a successful realization of its premise.

How the 28 scores spread

4 not-rated reviews aren't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 29 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (32)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    Hunterrr runs for 141 minutes and feels even longer. That's just way too much time to spend on the life and emotions of a lech.
  2. Top critic

    IBNLive

    Film review ·

    ...the film rests largely on the able shoulders of Gulshan Devaiah, who succeeds in making you care for a character that's not always likeable. Devaiah brings an everyman earnestness to Mandar, which protects him from coming off as a deviant. Too bad the film itself is promising but ultimately disappointing. A film, that in the end, delivers little else but cheap laughs.
  3. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review ·

    'Hunterrr' is about a guy who can't keep it in his pants...And what does it say about Indian society that men can be out-there hunters, and women have to be content to be under-the-radar prey? When will Bollywood give us a film in which men and women are equal opportunity offenders? Can it ever?
  4. Top critic

    NDTV

    Film review ·

    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.
  5. Top critic

    Rediff

    Film review ·

    Hunterrr is a deeply problematic film, and fails rather miserably...
  6. Top critic

    Firstpost

    Film review ·

    A funny sex comedy with a terribly botched up ending...The biggest takeaway from Hunterrr is that Deviah is far greater than this film, and he certainly deserves better stories. As do we.
  7. Bollywood Life

    Film review ·

    Leave everything and go watch this film. Bollywood hardly has such classy comedies and this one is definitely going in history as one of the bests. A MUST WATCH!
  8. Glamsham

    Film review ·

    HUNTERRR is Gulshan Devaiah and Gulshan Devaiah is HUNTERRR! He gets excellent support from the entire cast, especially the girls who play a prominent part. Sai Tamhankar as the frustrated housewife sizzles in the truest sense of the word, Veera Saxena's act borders on the real and Radhika Apte delivers another fine act after BADLAPUR.
  9. IndianNerve

    Film review ·

    To catch up on the school-level immaturish talks on girls, love and sex, and to see how the talks have advanced from our transition from boys to men, Hunterrr is a good case study. An entertaining one at that.
  10. SKJBollywoodNews

    Film review ·

    A disarmingly frank sex comedy that knocks the pants off all moral policing and strips the holier-than-thou brigade to the bare essentials.Gulshan Devaiah is delightful as the guy who just cant keep it in his pants.
  11. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    ...an adult comedy should rely on a crackerjack style. All said and done, if you're up for something naughty, try Hunterrr.
  12. Wogma

    Film review ·

    Sure, we do need films that talk about sexuality – both male and female. There is a lot of talk about representing the sexual needs of women in films. But, the sexual needs of men too aren't addressed other than in the context of rape. Hunterrr is fresh in that context. Beyond that though, it is a regular coming-of-age plus love story. Not very interesting once you get past the "different" part of the background.
  13. BookMyShow

    Film review ·

    It's very rare that Bollywood treats us with adult comedies. And here, we are talking about good comedy and not trash like Grand Masti. Hunterrr is the perfect film for a weekend watch. Packed with comedy and drama, this Hunterrr will make you roarrr with laughter!
  14. Deccan Chronicle

    Film review ·

    Barring a few brief peccadilloes, the film is now homage to the redeeming powers of love and the institution of marriage. It's all about how love, like the Hindus' Ganga shanan, Muslims' wuzoo, Christians' baptism, washes away our sins, birthing a new, pure, righteous marriageable one. This morality play, dragging us down since the Elizabethan times, is, well, again, fun interrupts.
  15. Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    However, for all its good intentions and cinematic beauty, Hunterrr fails to become the milestone for its genre. The film is stretched, especially in the second half. Harshvardhan Kulkarni defies the chronological way of story-telling, and the tool that could have added intrigue to the narrative, actually brings confusion. There is a clear attempt to validate Mandar's actions relating them to incidents in his earlier life, but most of the times, the connection is not clear to the audience.
  16. KoiMoi

    Film review ·

    Well, it is strictly for adults and only those who can look at the film beyond the mere premise of sex. It is certainly not meant for people who are a little orthodox when it comes to sexual content. It is a never seen before journey of adulthood and hell no it will not preach you 'how to score'.
  17. Mid-Day

    Film review ·

    Watch it if brazen in your face is enough to titillate you. If not, let's wait for a more mature film dealing with sex.
  18. The Navhind Times

    Film review ·

    Hunterrr belongs to that very rare genre in Bollywood of sex comedies and we are not talking of the ones with cheap jokes and double entendres. Hunterrr in many ways goes for the jugular and succeeds to some extent. While it is a novel effort of sorts, it fails in getting the basic right – such films have to be crisp, to the point and should not overstay their welcome, the final stretch of this debut film by Harshvardhan Kulkarni drags on.

From our readers

Audience reviews (3)

4 ratings · user score 4.8

  1. 6/10

    Hunterrr, a Hindi comedy film written and directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni. It talks about one of a taboo and forbidden topic i.e. sex. The movie depicts the story of the lead protagonist's sex-addiction, lust. Scenes are merged in present and past so as to tell the story. The best part of this movie is that storytelling is done in an absolutely non-vulgar manner. Vaasu aka Mandar Ponkshe (Gulshan Devaiah)'s growing up phase is shown along with his cousin and a friend. They three hang out together. As a teenager, once, Mandar gets caught by the police man when he watches an adults film. He is left free after half-shaving hair on his head. As he grows up, he starts understanding the 'wants of a woman' and fulfills his lust. He has his own logic for not getting emotionally entangled in the relationships and also for not getting married: he is marriage-phobic; he doesn't believe in the concept of falling in 'love' and he feels that marriage will curb all his 'vaasugiri'. Amidst all his hunted relationships, he comes across a very carefree Trupti (Radhia Apte). How do their relationship move further? Does Mandar able to confess his vaasugiri stories? How Trupti handles the transparency part of the relationship? Hunterrr is being handled in a non-vulgar manner.

  2. ReemaMar 2015
    2/10

    I guess two simple lines should sum it up. Nothing extraordinary. Cheap sleazy comedy that would make ordinary women cringe.

  3. Tejas NairApr 2015
    6/10

    It is the story of a man Mandar (Gulshan) seeking sexual liberation in a world (or country, shall I say?) where showing affection in public is forbidden. Since he reached puberty, Mandar has always been a curious lad who takes fancy in women and sex and masturbation. His flings switch ON and OFF as he seeks carnal knowledge every day like if it is a necessity like emptying one's bowels. He is just like an ordinary kid who wants to know things. But these escapades are not without its dangers as Mandar learns the hard way. The premise is brilliant and for Bollywood, a big step in the genre. It is in all ways superior to another film that comes to mind - Mastram (2014), a candid film about porn writing. The non-linear screenplay is fun; chronicling the protagonist's life from his childhood days when a naughty Mandar starts responding to his "other basic needs" to the days when he visits the video parlor shops to the college days when flings and scoring are all the rage. These sequences are shot beautifully with montages that streamline the story marvelously. It throws light about the perils of two distinct features: one, the danger of indulging in an extra-marital affair, and two, the complexities of pre-matrimony when dealing with an eventful past becomes a problem amongst the to-be-bride-groom. It amazes one to learn that the writers have sampled original references in their fiction which makes it look like it is a real deal. One can easily relate to the character if he's being true to himself. Let me clarify, the film doesn't break the taboo; instead it tries to permit and attach it to a normal life. Of course, adults are not very present in this mission, otherwise the case would've been different. Sex will always be a taboo in India, but it is out of the scope of this review. Although, there's a paradigm shift in the story when the joys of sex comedy turns into a drama about relationships. Maybe it was intended, but there is a chance that the audience, divided into two, may receive it rather critically. It will appeal the niche audience, the type that will be able to relate with the characters, but unfortunately even the drama may not entice the majority rest of the audience, for the screenplay doesn't offer what it may have promised. Nudity and actual sex are only suggestive and people expecting these may not be able to appreciate the psychology. Retro music and songs, great camera work, and amazing dialogs are the highlights of this comic venture that is not as sleazy as it advocates to be. Gulshan Devaiah is excellent and totally into the character. I can hardly see anybody else portraying this role so purely as he does. Supporters Radhika Apte and Sai Tamhankar are very good. In fact, the whole cast do a very good job. Because they are directed well, the film will never bore you. BOTTOM LINE: Hunterrr helps Bollywood transcend into a new level, and could even be called the pioneer of this genre which must be watched to be appreciated.

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