Katiyabaaz

"Riveting as it is, there is a tinge of sadness attached to the film. You don't want to miss it; it's a slice of life that will resonate with you."

"Overall the film, overlaid by a peppy Indian Ocean number that lays out the connection between the `aadhe bujhe chiraag' that power `poora Kanpoora', does what it sets out to do : present us with a vivid portrait of a once vibrant city in the throes of decay and darkness."

"Katiyabaaz is as riveting and gritty as it is wildly funny at times; a must watch. I strongly recommend Katiyabaaz."

"Katiyabaaz covers all bases and cause-and-effect repercussions riots and elections, mills, tanneries and hospitals cut with an engaging rhythm that brings to light one of the greatest failures of fifthworld India. It leaves you with enduring images of a calamitous environment navigated by two antivillains whose thoughts and souls form a storied documentary that could well be a game-changer."

"This picture is unique not so much for its subject as for the manner and choice of the story being told. The film effectively employs techniques of narrative fiction to spin a hugely engaging, entertaining drama. The chief protaganist is an appealing anti-hero (Loha Singh)."

"KATIYABAAZ is not for those who like their item songs and 'ceeti-eliciting' dialogues. It is for those who love their cinema shaken and stirred!"

"Hitting the sweet spot with documentaries: 'Katiyabaaz' has some truly incredible footage and moments..."

"Katiyabaaz is a funny, moving and very well-researched documentary that's definitely worth watch. It's also deeply reassuring. As the wires of bureaucracy cross with political live-wires, a bulb goes off — Ritu Maheshwari. But that we have such officers gives us some hope."

"Extremely well-researched, Katiyabaaz is all that a good documentary should be. The camera follows Loha Singh relentlessly even as he goes about his duties and soon Maheshwari is getting increasingly despondent with the situation. Ironically, in a situation which seems hopeless, you find hope and the story of survival. Please go and watch this one, as doing so would encourage many such documentaries to see the light of the day."

"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."

"No winners here-except the audience who get a thrill-a-minute front seat view on some of the most disheartening developments that take place in a small city. It took over two years to film this documentary and a lot of it was snipped at the editing table- yet there's no denying the fact that the completed vision is completely engrossing. More power to the directorial team of Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa."

"A bold and honest attempt to expose the dire state of the people of Kanpur, Katiyabaaz will make you count your blessings for having access to the luxuries of having something as basic as electricity."

"The film is exceedingly well shot, kept tight and flows lucidly. Even if the problems playing might seem alien to you, the film draws your attention and engages you with its intelligent workings. Given that Deepti and Fahad have spent a good deal of time working on the film, the scale on which they were able to mount the film was spectacular. The violent shots of angry mobs were all possible because of the same."

"Sensitively directed, realistically shot,* Katiyabaaz* will make you value the most basic thing your city provides you with, that you often take for granted - *bijli.*"

"It is a honest capture of a world that we might not know about. An honest point of view. In the end, we are left wondering how in the world are we still going through this. That is the beauty of the film, you will be left wondering some very pointed questions. Such documentaries must be appreciated and encouraged. An en-'light'ening film about the literal quest for power."

""Katiyabaaz" takes an objective look at an enormous problem, and transforms the mundane, all-too-familiar reality of India's power crisis into a gripping tale of Indian ingenuity and battle for survival. Watch it if stark reality on celluloid does not leave you feeling bored, short-changed or overwhelmed."

"Katiyabaaz is a beautifully-shot documentary that tells Kanpur's story with great sensitivity and wit. The years spent on the project have allowed the directors to film some fantastic sequences, like the violence that erupts on the streets one night when a large part of the city loses electricity. Small-town India at its electric, despairing best..."

"Kanpur's power crisis in a film that awkwardly straddles fiction and documentary. It is heartening to see documentaries release on the big screen, and Katiyabaaz is the clever new avatar of this genre that turns the mundane and the extraordinary in reality into marketable and watchable cinema."

"Shot like a feature by filmmakers Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar, Katiyabaaz is a fine documentary. However, there are moments in which the film's cinematic quality works against it."

"The good, bad and ugly side of power politics in Kanpur that reflects the dark underbelly of shining India."

"This human interest documentary chronicling the power play about power is a real live wire"