…don’t remember the last time I watched a full-on, no-nonsense, whodunit Hindi mainstream murder mystery in a theatre, with no way to talk about it but to urge you to see it, because that’s the only way we can discuss it any further. I think you should check it out, just so we can take this conversation offline, to start with!

To me, the big and mysterious crime this film brings to light is the way Sidharth Malhotra now finds himself typecast as a novelist. It happened in Kapoor And Sons, and it happened here again, in this film that describes him as a “mashoor novelist” and where cops chase a murder suspect down the street yelling “Ei, writer!” as if it were an expletive. Then again, to those who make Hindi cinema these days, perhaps it is.

Ittefaq is not a taut thriller that you expect it to be. But if patience is your asset, this unhurried suspense drama can be watched for Akshaye Khanna’s crackling screen presence, acting prowess and sublime charm. Why he doesn’t do films more often is the bigger mystery here.

Ittefaq is crisp at 107 minutes, but not particularly brisk. It’s well shot and skillfully executed, but the big climactic twist is entirely unconvincing.

We would have liked to give such a film (on the basis of its plot and its smart connection to the original film) a higher rating, but the plodding and uninteresting narration and flawed treatment make us remove one star and only acknowledge the effort made.

Ittefaq is a well made thriller in a long time. Watch it for some edge of the seat suspense, drama and mind boggling twists and turns.

Do yourself a favour. Don’t watch this pale inert uninvolving remake. Watch the original.And see why Rajesh Khanna was the greatest star-actor ever.

If the lead actors: Sidharth Malhotra and Sonakshi Sinha weren’t so passionless in trying hard to be mysterious, this film could have been less painful to watch.

To give its due, the film is song less, doesn’t resort to the usual Bollywood nonsense of item numbers and is relatively tighter. A seamless smarter integration of its sub plots and a reasoned out story would have made Ittefaq far slicker!! 

Want to live 100 minutes of suspense? Go for it before the spoilsports come in to ruin everyone’s experience. By the interval, you’ll feel you know what’s going on, but sit back and see yourself getting proved wrong.

A formulaic whodunit sans intrigue…The non-linear narrative appears confusing and repetitive for the viewer.

In order to be curious, fascinated, intrigued about these deaths, one needs to care about the characters, believe in their stories. The look and feel is in place and so is the big twist. These two factors make Ittefaq a serviceable thriller, but not a genre-defining experience.

Ittefaq may not be perfect, but it is clever enough. Bollywood rarely does thrillers well. This one is not brilliant, but it is fun while it lasts.

There is a slight touch of humour at the expense of the Mumbai police, that is quite enjoyable. But it is the mystery at the centre of the story that is the true winner of the film.

As far as its final twist goes, Ittefaq is a whocareswhodunit but what it does have, as compensation, is the shock and suggestiveness of pulp served hot.

…if you’re a die-hard fan of murder mysteries this one may hold some magic for you.

n his debut film, Chopra seems to have enough control of his craft to never drift too far away from the core; and even though the twist in the tale doesn’t entirely come as a surprise, “Ittefaq” still manages to keep you hooked enough to want to know what happens in the end.

Ittefaq entrusts all its cracking scenes and lines to an efficient ensemble of actors.

The film manages to sustain itself post that dreaded interval, the one thing that can sink mysteries. In fact, there’s more briskness and confidence in the way the all the characters come across, and very little time is wasted as we go along.

The plot is not absolutely water-tight (the movie would have blown you away with its twists, if that was the case), but Chopra does put his resources to good use. Ittefaq tries its best to create intrigue, and doesn’t give the audience a lot of time to think twice about a single event. That is its biggest achievement.

Ittefaq is a decent crime story that will keep you hooked, and guessing.