Hashmi shines, but the writing can't keep up with its own premise.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Why Cheat India is largely negative to mixed, with most reviewers finding the film an underwhelming treatment of an otherwise compelling subject. Emraan Hashmi's performance is the most commonly cited strength, with several critics noting his confident and flair-driven portrayal of the central character. The most consistent criticism targets the screenplay and second half, with reviewers describing a loss of narrative momentum, tonal inconsistency, and a tendency to stay on the surface rather than engage meaningfully with the complexities of India's exam fraud problem. A few critics acknowledged the film's relevant subject matter and entertaining stretches, but the overall consensus is that the writing fails to match the potential of the premise.
2 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 15 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Why Cheat India can't decide if Rocky is a hero or villain. I don't have a problem with that. What's harder to take is the inconsistent tonality and the convoluted second act. Every time you think the film has reached a climax, Soumik tacks on another end. Because Why Cheat India wants to both celebrate and punish Rocky. But that, like the hybrid of fact and fiction, needed far more imagination and audacity.
Top critic
Film review ·
The eternally amoral Emraan Hashmi plays a man helping students cheat in a film that never finds momentum.
Top critic
Film review ·
The material is slender and too stretched over two hours, as it goes from engineering-medicine into management, the holy grail.
Film review ·
Why Cheat India ticks off most of the boxes and Emraan Hashmi's confident performance keeps you entertained. If only Soumik Sen's writing and direction had a little more sharpness to it!
Film review ·
The producers, clearly have a knack of picking on interesting and intriguing subjects –their last venture Neerja and Tumhari Sulu were outstanding films but this one- alas, just about makes the grade. However, because the film's heart is in the right place and its observations astute, Why Cheat India is worth a watch.
Film review ·
...is informatively entertaining and Emraan Hashmi makes sure to maintain this throughout. Yet another, honest attempt by Emraan to prove why he can do a lot more. Skipping the preachy route, the movie just delves into a fun zone and that's where it wins some brownie points.
Film review ·
An entertaining but flawed look at the mafia that promotes cheating during college exams.
Film review ·
This one leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Film review ·
Emraan Hashmi plays conman with flair but is bogged down by convoluted screenplay
Film review ·
A jumbo mess of warped notions and random ambition, Why Cheat India trivialises education and shows sympathy for deceit
Film review ·
The film starts off well but loses track before it can reach halftime...
Film review ·
The movie shifts from one scam to another without much thought and relevance, presumably for shock-value. And it shows in its treatment.
Film review ·
The 'curse of the second half' in Hindi pictures is simply so severe, especially when it comes to films with well-known faces, that even as I find myself really enjoying a movie, there's a radar at the back of the brain constantly cautioning one to only hope that the post-interval portions even live up to the first half — by half. If so, then as an audience, you're pretty much through.
Film review ·
"Why Cheat India" might not be the definitive film on the flaws of the Indian education system, but it is effective enough to give audiences a jolt.
Film review ·
The moral position of the film as well as the central protagonist feels unconvincing in its carefully cultivated ambiguity. Emraan Hashmi's Rocky is neither a hero nor a villain but a player. Fine! But blaming the system for an individual's duplicitous ways and then finding a convenient awakening of conscience don't manage to hold sway. Complex problems need complex cinema. Why Cheat India prefers to stay on the surface than dig deeper.
From our readers
1 rating · user score 3.0
Why Cheat India could have been a lot better had it focused one or two real-life episodes and really delved into its deepest point rather than just summarizing how the anti-education industry looks like. As it is now, there's no reason for you to waste your time on this. TN.
Credits
Emraan HashmiRakesh Singh
Soumik Sen
Bhushan Kumar
Krishan Kumar
Atul Kasbekar
Rochak Kohli
Guru Randhawa
Kunaal-Rangon
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