TheReviewMonk is back — critic reviews for Indian cinema, aggregated. Read our story →

TheReviewMonk
Pihu backdrop

Pihu

16 November 2018Hindi1h 31m

What critics are saying

Critical reception for Pihu is mixed, with most reviewers acknowledging the film's unusual premise and the remarkable performance of toddler Myra Vishwakarma as its chief assets.

Read all 11 reviews →

Not streaming in India

Top Cast

The social thriller starring the two year baby girl. She is living in a home where the adults are going through a complicated phase. Being a toddler, she is occasionally trapped in the accidental situations.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Pihu is mixed, with most reviewers acknowledging the film's unusual premise and the remarkable performance of toddler Myra Vishwakarma as its chief assets. Several critics found it capable of generating genuine tension and praised its emotional engagement, while a notable dissenting voice called it outright silly and sadistic. The most common criticisms center on inconsistent and repetitive writing, a manipulative script, and ethical discomfort over putting a two-year-old through distressing scenarios for dramatic effect. A loose, overlong second half was also flagged by multiple reviewers as undermining the film's overall impact.

9 rated reviews · 5 positive · 4 negative

Praised: toddler lead's solo performanceCriticised: manipulative repetitive script and direction

AI-generated summary of 11 critic reviews · may contain errors

Report inaccuracy

Critic Reviews (11)

Updated
Anupama ChopraTop Critic· Film Companion
4.0
A Script So Visibly Manipulative That It's Difficult To Stay Invested...The film is basically every parent's nightmare, but attempts to up the emotional stakes fall flat because they are repetitive and obvious
Read full review ↗
Raja SenTop Critic· Hindustan Times
3.0
Director Vinod Kapri's film is a silly, sadistic and torturous experience
Read full review ↗
IANS· Indian Express
8.0
Director Vinod Kapri never runs out of ways to engage our senses in the most heightened state of emotional vulnerability.
Read full review ↗
Anna MM Vetticad· Firstpost
6.0
A two-year-old's incredible solo act keeps this survival saga riveting even through its missteps
Read full review ↗
Rohit Vats· IBNLive
6.0
At 96-minutes, Pihu grips you by the neck and doesn't let your bat an eyelid. However, it could have helped a whole lot if it had a tighter second half.
Read full review ↗
Pallabi Dey Purkayastha· Times Of India
6.0
This unusual thriller has all the elements you'd expect from a film that can attain cult status. In all fairness, the story does throw up a few nail-biting moments, too. But the inconsistent writing and direction by Vinod Kapri robs the movie of its desired impact. With a little more attention to detail and conviction, this one could have been a terrific experience.
Read full review ↗
Sukanya Verma· Rediff
6.0
Pihu may not be flawless, but it has something valid to say about lousy parents...
Read full review ↗
Arnab Banerjee· Deccan Chronicle
4.0
Time and again, it has been proved that mere ideation of a great film doesn't make an engaging narrative.  Director Kapri has claimed that the story is based on a real life incident that he knows of. There are reports that a New York based report could be the trigger for its basic premise. Whatever be the source, you don't find the idea bizarre or something that is unlikely to take place. All you wish that despite having one of the most endearing and loveable child actors, Pihu doesn't move forward.
Read full review ↗
Suhani Singh· India Today
4.0
A two-year-old actress rules this exploitative horror...Vinod Kapri's Pihu, which is inpsired by a true story, is not for the faint-hearted
Read full review ↗
Not rated
Myra Vishwakarma is adorable, but it is unsettling to think that she had to enact all these horrifying scenes. That a child should have to go through such traumatic scenarios for the sake of a few scares seem wrong.
Read full review ↗
Namrata Joshi· The Hindu
Not rated
...the filmmaker indulges in with the child, despite getting enraged at her cuteness being exploited to send the adults on a guilt trip, you ultimately know how it will pan out. But 90 odd minutes of it is way too much of a torture, as much for Pihu, as for us.
Read full review ↗

Cast & Crew

Details

Release Date
16 November 2018
Runtime
1h 31m
Language
Hindi

User Ratings & Reviews

No ratings or reviews yet — be the first to share your take.

TMDB

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.