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Samrat & Co. backdrop
25 April 2014Hindi125 min

Samrat & Co.

3.416 reviews
CriticsUnfavorable

Bayesian avg · 16 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

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A young, beautiful and rich girl, Dimpy Singh (Madalsa Sharma), approaches Samrat Tilakdhari (Rajeev Khandelwal), a private investigator, with a strange case. Their garden got ruined for reasons that appear natural but are not known; leading horticulturists have examined the fading plants but they have not been able to identify the probable reason.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Samrat & Co. was overwhelmingly negative, with most reviewers finding the film a failed attempt to transplant the Sherlock Holmes archetype into a Bollywood setting. Critics consistently faulted the screenplay for being dull, implausible, and derivative, drawing unfavorable comparisons to Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films and the BBC series Sherlock. Several reviewers noted the mismatch between Rajshri Productions' family-drama sensibility and the thriller genre they attempted here, calling the transition unconvincing. The film's pace was cited by at least one critic as a marginal positive, though even that concession was heavily qualified.

16 reviews · 3 mixed · 9 negative

Praised: Maintains pace throughoutCriticised: Weak, derivative detective premise

AI-generated summary of 16 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (16)

Anupama ChopraTop Critic· Hindustan Times
2.0
"Samrat & Co. is an intriguingly amateurish murder mystery in which Rajeev Khandelwal plays a Sherlock Holmes style detective. These are puzzles that even Samrat wouldn't be able to solve."
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4.0
"In an attempt to draw at least something positive from the film, one can say that it least it never drops its pace and might even keep you interested in its silliness at all times - you wonder how much harder will the makers of the film try. Hopefully, Samrat & Co will die a death with the film, and future filmmakers will think long and hard before creating such lightweight caricatures of characters who have enthralled so many generations."
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"While it's brave of the conservative Rajshri productions to take the leap - from family dramas to thrillers, the effort should have been more compelling. While Sherlock Holmes was dismissive of mediocrity, Samrat succumbs to it."
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Sachin Chatte· The Navhind Times
4.0
"This desi Holmes is passable; I would rather wait for Byomkesh Bakshi now."
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Bollywood Hungama News Network· Bollywood Hungama
3.0
"SAMRAT AND CO is a major letdown, certain elements notwithstanding."
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Rahul Desai· Mumbai Mirror
3.0
"...displeased that Samrat was part-kickboxer like Robert Downey Jr. and partsociopath like Cumberbatch-a combination most unsatisfactory in a Rajshri setup."
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Martin D'Souza· Glamsham
2.0
"If I had to rephrase a dialogue which would sum up this film, it would be; ''boring picture ek tuti pencil ki tarah hai; there is no point.''"
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Paloma Sharma· Rediff
2.0
"Samrat & Co might be about an extraordinarily observational man's fight against crime but as far as cinema goes, this film is a crime against the genre."
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Mansha Rastogi· NowRunning
2.0
"Rajshri Banner should stick to what best they are known for - family dramas. Their effort to make the shift falls flat on its face. Best avoided."
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2.0
"Neither witty nor funny, Samrat & Co can be avoided."
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Prateek Sur· Bollywood Life
2.0
"Trust me Samrat is no Sherlock Holmes, Feluda, Byomkesh Bakshi or Hercule Poirot. If you love to see Bollywood mystery films and have nothing else to watch this weekend, better get yourself a DVD of Bhool Bhulaiyaa and rewatch rather than going for this squanderous stinker."
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Faheem Ruhani· India Today
1.0
"After seeing this film you miss the Rajeev Khandelwal who debuted in the brilliantly made Aamir (2008). Better to watch the more thrilling CID on TV then suffer Samrat and his company."
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Jyoti Sharma Bawa· Hindustan Times
"You may laugh at the unintenational gaffes during the film but after the climax, you are afraid. STD says he'll be back with a sequel. When that happens, I will be watching the re-runs of Sherlock. I advice you to do the same."
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JPN· Jagran
"The climax of the story has many missing links, which may disappoint the movie goers. Year's first detective film 'Samrat and Co.' is a half-baked attempt!"
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Komal Nahta· Komal Nahta's Blog
"...lacks the thrill needed in a suspense drama and will, therefore, not be able to entertain the audience. Given its poor opening, it will go down in Bollywood history as a non-starter."
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Nandini Ramnath· LiveMint
"The movie feels a few decades old despite moments and ideas stolen from Guy Ritchie's anachronism-packed Sherlock Holmes films and the popular British series Sherlock."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
25 April 2014
Runtime
125 min
Language
Hindi

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