All Reviews

Baaghi 32020

For what it's worth, Baaghi 3 (Rebel) does give some form of entertainment with its ultra-high-octane action that is based on an illogical and borderline slapstick story line and setting that is perhaps the hallmark of the trilogy if you manage to ignore the obvious issues that were apparent even before you began to consider watching it. TN.

Malang2020

Kunal Khemu shines in Malang (Loco), a revenge drama lined with cheesy romance and philosophy that takes itself far too seriously for its own mistakes, one of which is the terrible performance of Disha Patani and an overall loose screenplay. TN.

Split2017

I was impressed by James McAvoy's ultra performance as a person with dissociative identity disorder and his ability to quickly change from one personality to another at a click of two fingers but I was largely unimpressed by director Shyamalan's slow-paced first 90 minutes in Split where nothing really happens. TN.

Pati Patni Aur Woh2019

It looks like the only reason to rehash this old wine and present it in a new and sexier bottle was to add the preachy and superficial didacticism that you will find in the second half of this romance drama that is high on comedy and punchy one-liners but fails to pass the muster because of the double standards it has that was evident in the final dialogue. TN.

Jawaani Jaaneman2020

The problem with Jawaani Jaaneman (Love My Youth) is that it plays safe with the notion of a solo life where a womanizer bachelor (Saif Ali Khan) well past his prime is forced to experience the family life when a mysterious young woman approaches him with a startling question, making me classify it as just another drama that carries a few genuine laughs for your entertainment. TN.

Bala2019

Amar Kaushik's second venture, Bala (given Hindi pet name; hair connotation), is a solidly made comedy drama that commentates about the critical social stigmas currently plaguing the country (and the world) and uses the perfect possible container to deliver it, by centralizing itself around a young balding self-conscious bachelor (Ayushmann Khurrana) from a city in Uttar Paradesh, and providing enough entertainment to sit back and relax but still uses a formulaic approach that dampens the enjoyment and which is, however, second only to the horrendous, unbearable makeup work (on Bhumi Pednekar) involved in it. TN.

Chhichhore2019

Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore (Loafers), although looks and is like old wine in a new bottle, is like a breath of fresh air in Hindi cinema not because it makes you laugh and takes you back to the good old college days but because it has been written with the social responsibility of teaching today's generation that life goes on. TN.

Dream Girl2019

Dream Girl takes a formulaic approach at storytelling (of a man forced to use his feminine voice for employment) climaxing as a comedy of errors that is borderline sexist and discriminating at one point and liberal and pathbreaking at others, I was confused where the interests of director Raaj Shaandilyaa lay, but the one thing that I'm sure is about the comedy that he and his writers manage to generate. TN.

The Zoya Factor2019

The Zoya Factor has a small list of positives, one of which is that it samples the superstitious beliefs that (Indian) cricketers have, and it is interesting to see how deep it is in the core, but then the lacklustre, cliched plot aggravated by Sonam Kapoor's buffoon-like performance (and only saved by Dulquer Salmaan) takes all the fun out of the film making you cringe with despair. TN.

Judgementall Hai Kya2019

Judgementall Hai Kya (Are You Judgemental?) has been made in a way a five-year-old kid would play with water colours when his parents are not looking and what has indeed resulted in a fancy, colourful, and intriguing painting but is bereft of structure, logic, and element of pity that are so central to it being received well and liked by an audience. TN.

Joker2019

Despite the hardcore and jumpscare violence, the so-so portrayal of mental illness and its consequences when it goes untreated, the eerie score played on repeat, great dialogues 90% of which are polished as punchlines, the brilliant backstory of the DC universe, and a charming performance (of a life time) by Joaquin Phoenix, Joker was an underwhelming crime drama for me. TN.

War2019

For a film titled War and which was released in India on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who advocated non-violence throughout his adult life, when you look closely into the plot, there's not even a modicum of war element in the film. Everything that you see is what can be described as a precursor of a war (presumably between two differing nations), unless the makers want to heighten the stature of the hostility between the two soldiers and project it as war when it is merely an advanced form of paintball battle with disloyal teammates. Maybe that is it. TN.<br /> <br /> (Review originally appeared in the Little India Directory (Singapore).)

A Death in the Gunj2017

I don't remember the last time I gave a film a full rating but I'm just positive about why A Death in the Gunj (A Death in the Echo) demands it from me. It's simply a a fabulous film that takes its sweet time to unfold through its atmospheric appeal, set in remote Bihar and with a stellar cast you wonder how the director got them together, narrating the depressing story of a young, taciturn man with demons in his mind and loneliness on his face. More than anything - and this drama is about many things - the film highlights the influence people have on other people. The final five minutes took my breath away and I'm confident it will make you think about depression, extroversion, sex, and longing. Konkona Sensharma's debut feature A Death in the Gunj is a masterpiece and easily one of my top 3 Hindi films of the 2010 decade. It's crisp, it's exotic, it's fantastic. TN.

Khandaani Shafakhana2019

Khandaani Shafakhana (Family-Owned Sex Clinic) aspires to convey a good message (that of sex education to the masses (interior India)) but fails to do so because of its uninspiring screenplay, crass jokes (mainly by Varun Sharma), and a snail-paced narrative that takes the formulaic approach of a good-intentioned woman (Sonakshi Sinha) being assumed evil by the society for being 'obscene'. For anyone who has been closely following Bollywood, this social dramedy will be reminiscent of other films in recent times chafing the same topic and it is just amazing how much you can predict what's going to happen with the same prejudiced family members, the good Samaritan protagonist, his well-wishing stranger-turned-friend, and the evil corporations. Even Sinha acts like the way she has been acting since after her Dabangg (2010) days. There's no novelty in Khaandaani Shafakhana save for its catchy name, and with that preachy undertone and mocking courtroom sequence at the end, it just adds to it being just below average. The content is good but just falls short of being handled with finesse and imagination. Badshah should probably stick to rapping. TN.

Blank2019

Blank is the type of movie that shows why a decent story needs a slightly more decent filmmaking (direction, writing, and performances) to come out as something that is remotely watchable for even the average audience, regardless of its theme and the X-factor. TN.

Hamid2018

It will take a little extra patience from you but Hamid (given Urdu name) delivers as a heartwarming film about looking for closure in your personal life when things become difficult as does for this young school-going kid in this social drama who decides to take it up with god to find answers. TN.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum2019

In an attempt to take the story of the immortal assassin Baba Yaga ahead, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum unleashes a flurry of tedious actions sequences that just do not end and makes the viewer go numb which is still not as worse as the lack of heroism available here to relish, the very heroism that made the first two films likable. TN.

The Fakir of Venice2019

There's some real wisdom thrown around in Fakir of Venice (Monk of Venice), a story of a downtrodden building painter (Annu Kapoor) who is hired by an unscrupulous and opportunistic young man (Farhan Akhtar) to fake act as a religious ascetic from India as part of an art exhibition in Venice. The narrative introduction from the point of view of the man cements his character as snobbish as you are taken into the journey from India to Italy where the exhibitionists and connoisseurs fall for the grace of this monk who can stay trapped underground for hours at a time. Kapoor and his character steal the show as they shine light into the world of petty jobs in India and elsewhere in the world. "The world doesn't let us work and live peacefully, does it?" quips a character when asked about why anyone would sleep under mud for a living and why there has to be a vigilant second person when someone does a stunt like that. A bit of self-reflection is also a part of Fakir of Venice as one of the character says, "I didn't know dying would be so difficult," but then the good points of the film comes to an end as the narrator goes on and on about why he did what he does, making you anxious with boredom. Looking at the Venetian locales is a treat but the lack of fluidity and coherence makes Fakir of Venice a film that should have stayed maybe even 10 more years back in time, in 1999. TN.

Batla House2019

Nikkhil Advani's Batla House gets repetitive as you move ahead following John Abraham's gritty yet helpless cop character (bound by red tape) who uses his gut feelings and little investigation to go behind a bunch of students who might be terrorists. The problem with this film based on true events is that despite not wanting to it takes a stand at the end and that's not the best way to produce a film based on true events especially when those events are still rife with debates. Nonetheless, the little bit of police procedural and action sequences are enough to keep you occupied in the first hour if you are a fan of Abraham, cop films, or the sound of gun shots ringing in your hear. Ravi Kisan steals the show with his 10 minutes of screen time, no doubt. TN.

Mission Mangal2019

There is an overlying sense of artificiality in the way Mission Mangal (Mars Mission) has been made, with abundant textbook techniques to mix comedy and drama into the proceedings of a vastly technical subject such as an organization's attempt to send a satellite on the Martian orbit. It ends up as a series of cringe-worthy sequences. For a film that demands realism as the only single factor, Mission Mangal strays away from it right from the word go! as we see the actors fooling around in office and wherever they go. It's a good idea by writer R Balki to refer home science as the solution to issues hampering space travel but the way they have been dramatized makes the discerning viewer coil in anger and disgust. Melodrama takes the limelight in the film that can be best characterized as a lackluster take on a historic feat, that only gets worse as you proceed watching it, eventually leading you to a specific scene where a gang of inebriated Isro scientists brawl in a metro car all of which reeks of self-righteousness. Mission Mangal is a mockery of the very subject that it pays homage to. There's no reason to spend any money on this and I would instead recommend going through the Wikipedia page of the actual mission instead. TN.

Dil Juunglee2018

Maybe it's the London setting in the second half of Dil Juunglee (Heart Wild) that makes the romance appealing but there's no way one call this ordinary tale of young love fresh or which lacks cliches. TN.

Super 302019

Hrithik Roshan shines in Super 30 despite his overtly off transformation into a mathematician from a poor family in Patna who goes on to develop an ingenious coaching program for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) aspirants who are from the most marginal walks of life in the state of Bihar and which then takes a virulent turn (on its way making you emotionally weak and maybe even cry due to the sultry supply of motivational jump scenes) into a critique of one's right to education in India and how good education is only possible for the rich, while not once attempting to focus on the basic theme of the film: teaching mathematics.

Helicopter Eela2018

The artificial nature of Helicopter Eela which further translates into oversmart takes on college/teen life, single-mother-son relationship, and one's quest a assuming a creative career makes you want to hate it. TN.

5 Weddings2018

5 Weddings is the perfect example of how bad filmmaking, bad concept, and an overall bad execution can eventually result in a messy, half-baked romantic drama about a PIO American landing in India to cover a bunch of weddings. TN.

Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi2018

As silly as it looks and really is, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi (Happy Will Run Away Again) manages to make you laugh thanks to inputs from Jimmy Shergill and Piyush Mishra, which is only second to the brilliant production design of its setting in China. TN.

Bharat2019

There are a lot of things to watch and ponder about in Bharat yet none of them outsmart the final emotional message, which would have been delivered faster had Zafar not taken too long to get to the point. If you have the patience and some tissues for the tears that are bound to come even though artificially, Bharat will not just be a jingoistic, tear-jerking recipe. TN.

Satyameva Jayate2018

Satyameva Jayate (Truth Alone Triumphs) is a rehash of that old story about police loyalty and self-righteous fight against corruption that we have seen countless times in Bollywood itself, this time with a bit of extra family melodrama. TN.

De De Pyaar De2019

Apart from the ounces of good comedy, what De De Pyaar De (Give Me Some Love) does is bust the tabooed topic of sex in India. It reduces it to an activity involving physical contact, which is how it should be, regardless of its attachment to a relationship or matrimony. I personally did not think I would find so much depth in a film presented by Luv Ranjan and I need to hand it to director Akiv Ali for really taking the comic film in that route. The plot is as insane as it sounds and has a convoluted structure but you get that idea even from its poster, so can't blame anyone. Just looking at Devgn is funny enough for me, and I found Rakul Preet Singh a bit amateurish as the unruly character but I guess the script needed her to be. Overall, De De Pyaar De really gives you a lot of comedy to sit back at the end of a busy day and laugh at. TN.

Toy Story 42019

There are a few scenes in Toy Story 4 that reminded me why I was so hyped when they released the first poster and why I now took the pains and spent the resources to grab an IMAX 3D ticket, but then it played out like an ordinary toy story (without the caps) that just lacks the panache and heart that the prequels had and which I dug. You know what is going to happen in Toy Story 4 and with a cliched plot line about a villain doll trying to earn the love of a human kid is all but unenterprising, it just reduces the faith I have in Pixar. Apart from a few funny scenes and the magnificent animation, this was a sheer disappointment. TN.

Kabir Singh2019

Kabir Singh is a movie that gives you adrenaline rush every time Shahid Kapoor's arrogant and sexist and patriarchal character charges himself up because of a constant external stimuli in the film - anything and everything related to his love interest (Kiara Advani) whom he singlehandedly and forcibly makes fall in love with him, giving us one of those rare cinematic products in Bollywood that show how certain abusive relationships are born and extended without any influence of the barking society at large or the silent participants themselves. TN.

Game Over2019

Game Over is definitely a welcome approach to Bollywood where the talented yet single-faced Taapsee Pannu plays an anxious video game designer in a thriller plot that is arrestingly fun to watch - keeping you at the edge of your seat - but does not make a bit sense, what with its hedonistic take on literal video gaming of the 1980s. TN.

Avengers: Infinity War2018

I have always wanted superhero films to go beyond the usual tactics of heroes saving the world (and not just the USA) and make a little sense while at it, which is exactly what Marvel's Avengers: Infinity Wars manages to do, albeit with some sudden melodrama. TN.

Black Panther2018

Other than the cultural significance, the excellent cast, and a truly resplendent production setup, Marvel's Black Panther is just one of the averagely scripted and poorly action-directed superhero films in the MCU, the type of lowbrow story that existed before its genre-bending Phase 3. TN.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout2018

A lot is going on in Christopher McQuarrie's Mission Impossible: Fallout as Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team go around in circles to keep you hooked till the last second before doing what you already know they will. TN.

John Wick: Chapter 22017

John Wick: Chapter 2 is a great customization of the John Wick template that they used in 2014 plus some more high-octane action, an even stronger and powerful Keanu Reeves, and a bit more words from his mouth. TN.

John Wick2014

There is more than a neat and rich gentlemanly dressing up in Chad Stahelski's John Wick than I could handle, making it almost impossible for me to avoid another viewing. TN.

Thor: Ragnarok2017

Taika Waititi's indie style is all over the place in Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok but I still cannot fathom the point of forced, untimely humor that all these MCU films are feeding their scripts with and then boasting about it even as the whole story takes on a little sensible turn after a dozen or so textbook plotlines. TN.

Student of the Year 22019

Save for the 5-second performance of Will Smith that you may miss if you don't pay attention to the half a dozen opposite-of-glee songs in Student of the Year 2 and a few one-liner jokes by the breakout star Harsh Beniwal (whom I would like to see as the lead if they ever make Student of the Year 3), this one here will tickle your fantasies that are best left untickled. Do something better with you time if you don't want to go window cloth shopping. TN.

Baazaar2018

Saif Ali Khan is absolutely earth shattering in Baazaar (Stock Market) where he plays an unscrupulous businessmen who gambles in the stock markets along with newbie Rohan Vinod Mehra who is absolutely incompetent as his protege stockbroker looking to make it big in the millennium city. TN.

Spider-Man: Homecoming2017

Spider-Man: Homecoming is an enjoyable flick to watch with enough humor (sometimes with a wrong timing), good context in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and some great visuals, save for the commonplace storyline that was last seen in all Spider-Man movies and comics. TN.

Doctor Strange2016

Other than being turned off by the poor humor timing, Doctor Strange presents ample entertainment as its arrogant protagonist quickly transforms into a likeable human being with superpowers and even more quickly learns the skills that he aspires to learn. TN.

Luka Chuppi2019

Director Laxman Utekar gets a lot of things right in Luka Chuppi (Hide and Seek), a comedy drama that only gets better as you consume the narrative of a young couple as they try out the infamous life-in lifestyle for a few weeks before deciding to exchange vows. The conflict in the film, which is set in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, strikes a severe resemblance with real-life happenings in the state and elsewhere in India where live-in relationships are considered against the Hindu nationalist culture, Muslims are not shook hands with because they do not support the construction of Ram Mandir, and romance is generally seen as a sin. I enjoyed watching the narrative where writer Rohan Shankar referenced these real-life issues all too often to make the slightly exaggerated plot interesting. Of course, there are a few unrealistic threads sewn into this drama, but for a film that promises to keep you entertained with abundant humor, Luka Chuppi scores big. Everyone in the cast, notably Kriti Sanon, Karthik Aryan, and Pankaj Tripathi, do a wonderful job and bring out the best in the good writing that has gone into making this film. I sincerely recommend Luka Chuppi as a cool afternoon watch. TN.

Lupt2018

Everyone in Lupt (Vanish) seems to be competing with each other for the worst performance award even as the audience recoil watching this slipshod treatment of a commonplace story that reeks of low production value, unintentionally funny sequences, and plain poor writing. TN.

FryDay2018

Abhishek Dogra's FryDay is a rehash of all those Govinda films that you have seen in the past as well as those comedy skits that used to air in TV along with oodles of canned laughter that never made you - the real audience - laugh. TN.

Junglee2019

Vidyut Jammwal flexes his muscles and does a bunch of entertaining stunts at the start and the end of Junglee (Wild), a crime drama with a social message about animal (tuskers) and nature conservation that is extremely similar to most films and documentaries about animal and nature conservation. TN.

Total Dhamaal2019

Indra Kumar's Total Dhamaal (Total Festivity) is an exaggerated comedy skit - with startling disappointing tomfoolery by veterans like Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, and Madhuri Dixit - that is so horrendously unbearable to the modern audience that it should be used as a test to detect intelligence in extraterrestrial beings if they ever come visiting. TN.

Badla2019

Sujoy Ghosh's Badla is a smart crime thriller that depends heavily on its top two characters' ability to make poker face, a quality that if you manage to decode will spoil the mood of the film as well as prevent you from enjoying the chilling revelation and the even more chilling actions of these monstrous characters. TN.

Kesari2019

There's a scene at around the 40th minute in Kesari (Saffron) where a character cracks a joke so awful that it tells you something about the tepid writing that has gone behind the film. A superficial description of a real-life story of bravery and valour set in pre-Independent India, Anurag Singh's epic historical drama is mediocre in a lot of departments, most notably the production setup. I am also not satisfied with the turn of events in Kesari until it comes to one or two points about war and religious and territorial rivalry, nor was I thrilled to watch Akshay Kumar don the role of a maverick Sikh soldier. However, it did impress me when it subtly referred to the menace of the youth turning into terrorism in the present day world, which is why I regard the film as an average watch. Might be a notch or three better for people from the Sikh community both because of the sporadic language use and history. TN.

Simmba2018

Rohit Shetty's Simmba is made to appeal to the masses - with an overacting, highly energetic, and corrupt cop (Ranveer Singh) who comes to his senses after a tragedy and pulls up his socks to right his wrongs - using the most absurd narrative for a film you have seen since Golmaal Again (2017) but you already knew that. TN.

Zero2018

Anand Rai's Zero is a film - with one of the most ridiculous plot for a Hindi film in whole of 2018 - that brings out the worst in all the people involved in it which further emphasizes the fall of mainstream Bollywood. TN.

Kedarnath2018

Abhishek Kapoor's Kedarnath takes a virulent turn from a blooming, soothing romantic story between two people from different religions to a description of a natural calamity but it still manages to keep one hooked and rooting for these characters that are written with genuine compassion. TN.

Sonchiriya2019

Abhishek Chaubhey's Sonchiriya (Golden Bird) is a deeply distressing chronicle of the rebels of Chambal, Madhya Pradesh and their activities that defy local law enforcement in the most bloodiest way possible that brings various issues involving caste, politics, personal vendetta, and gender discrimination with much rawness albeit with a tiring frame that can put you off countless times in its 150-minute running time.

Photograph2019

Photograph is a film that almost feels like (a follow-up to) Batra's critically acclaimed The Lunchbox (2013). Two strangers meeting unconventionally in a fast city trying to criticize the fastness of the same city. The comparison may not be fair because no two films are same. But then again Batra's latest feature attempts to break that notion. TN.

Gully Boy2019

Director Zoya Akhtar somehow always manages to make even the most humdrum of stories into ravishing pieces of art. Gully Boy is no different even if you look at it from the perspective of a person who hopes to see social issues being addressed through cinema. For it also marvelously hints at issues such as social status and inequality and wealth and even (Islamic) polygamy to an extent. The excellent camera work by Jay Oza will make you want to watch it for the second time on the big screen despite of this review. And that is the kind of movies that Akhtar makes, only to find them being watched and rewatched by cinephiles years from now.<br /> <br /> Gully Boy gets everything right and pumps up your mood regardless of what position you are in in your own life, but just thinking about it a few hours after you have seen it will make you realize that it just falls short of becoming something that can be dubbed as extraordinary.<br />

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga2019

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga could have been revolutionary for its basic idea definitely is, but in its current form, owing to an amateur handling by director Dhar and her co-writer Dhaliwal, it "just feels okay" to watch and get it done with. TN.

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi2019

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi definitely has some kinks in it as an epic, packed with some amazing war choreography, resplendent production value, and some good supportive music. But it still qualifies only as an average show thanks to the formulaic approach, tepid storytelling, and some miscasting. TN.

Uri: The Surgical Strike2019

Even though I am still wondering the point of Uri, a self-boasting, anti-cantankerous film based on actual events, it did not cross my mind till before the second half when I was honestly enjoying Aditya Dhar's superior craft of war and its storytelling as he gives into the dreamy requirements of every patriotic cinema enthusiast in an action film where Pakistan again plays the bad element for the nth time and Vicky Kaushal moves to the next level of stardom. TN.

Why Cheat India2019

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.

The Accidental Prime Minister2019

There is nothing extraordinary in The Accidental Prime Minister except for how it has been narrated, but I would still recommend it to you because it is at least slightly better than the countless hagiographic biopics we have seen in Bollywood in the past two years alone. This one here is at least honest and occasionally funny. TN.<br /> <br /> Originally reviewed for the Little India Directory.

Ralph Breaks the Internet2018

Ralph Breaks the Internet starts off really, really well with some very good animation about how the Internet looks as well as picking up from where the outstanding prequel ended in a decent way but it soon becomes a snoozefest consisting mainly of a Disney-themed musical montage involving one of the lead characters as well as a cliched (melodramatic) turn midway in the story that makes it look like an animated film of the early 2000s. TN.