Category - Reviews

Karan Johar’s Ae DIl Hai Mushkil has received good reviews from critics. The film has scored an average of ‘3 stars’ from 22 reviews so far. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ Review – 3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] ADHM Review by Indicine Rating: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil feels like a Bollywood romantic drama movie, if we have ever had one in recent years. Karan Johar does well to highlight the moments of bonding and friendship between his two young leads and then uses the lightness of those moments to trap the viewer into feeling for the characters. He is skilled at extracting emotions from every line of dialogue and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is no exception. The gripe that people can have with the movie, however, are the decisions taken by the characters, which border on stupidity. Still, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is an entertaining movie which keeps things interesting till the climax. ADHM Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Karan Johar’s films have always centred around relationships and emotions, which are woven together with larger than life opulence with music playing an integral role. AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL also falls in the same space. Ever since the time the promos of AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL were out, it had only upped the curiosity of the viewers about the film. The film, in totality, is worth the audiences’ expectations. The film’s taut screenplay (Karan Johar) makes its very realistic and extremely relatable to today’s relationships. The film’s dialogues (Niranjan Iyengar, Karan Johar) are really vibrant and its situational one liners will surely find resonance with the audiences (esp. the youth). Even though there is nothing new in the basic story premise of AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL as the audiences have seen this several times in the past, what sets the movie apart from others is its screenplay and utmost maturity with which Karan Johar has treated the film. AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL, which has all the required ingredients of a typical ‘Karan Johar’ film, oozes universal appeal in abundance. The film will surely be liked by all the age groups (majorly by youth), despite its mature storyline. ADHM Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: It thrills, it inspires, it heals, it hurts and it’s always dramatic. To love is to experience a constant state of flux. It’s not possible to calculate or contain this sentiment, but an inherent need to control everything we feel compels us to define it constantly. Uphill as it is, there’s something soothing about the exercise given how ill equipped and fragile we become under it grip, reciprocated or otherwise. As evident by his body of work, filmmaker Karan Johar has a sweet spot for this attribute — the rapture and anguish it prompts around individuals, how it dictates their impulses. But he accomplishes it maturely and memorably in a passionate ode to matters of the heart, as he knows it, in the splendidly romantic and richly satisfying Ae Dil Hai Mushkil . In his dazzling world, often so easy to inhabit on silver screen, love is, truly, a many splendored thing. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: There’s always something new to expect from every Karan Johar film. This time, he questions the definition of love. There is also the emphasis on one-sided love and to Johar’s credit, he handles it with maturity. He captures the friendship between Ayan and Alizeh brilliantly – without letting Ayan’s attraction for her spoil the relationship. The moments are real and the setting (London, Vienna and Paris) is filled with romance. The winter look adds to the beauty of the film. ADHM is conversational, intimate, complex and fierce in terms of its approach towards love. Ranbir Kapoor is a delight on screen, no matter what he does. From dancing to Jeetendra’s songs to doing Sunny Leone’s steps from ‘Babydoll’, he is magic on screen. When he cries in ‘Channa Mereya’, you cry with him. But ADHM belongs to Anushka Sharma who delivers her most nuanced performance. As Alizeh, her sincerity is so severe that she steals every frame she is a part of. This performance clearly establishes her as the finest actor of her generation. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks stunning and is excellent despite not having much to do. Lisa Haydon is absolutely adorable as bimbette, making you wonder why we don’t see more of her. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: The film is shot well. London and Paris both look gorgeous on the big screen. As do the lead actors. Karan Johar has moved out of his comfort zone for this story but this is no Bombay Talkies. He proclaims out loud that ‘Love tedha hai’, and throws in a handful of other pyaar-dosti cliches in the process. The screenplay is knit well, but you can’t invest yourself in the characters. The runtime also doesn’t help much. All the songs of the film have been on people’s lips ever since they were released, all plagiarism allegations apart. Channa Mereya and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil are both pleasant numbers. In all, watch Ae Dil Hai Mushkil for the performances. And Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Fawad Khan. Review by Suparna Sharma on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film is, of course, pretty. And it has pretty people — Aishwarya looks gorgeous. Fawad Khan hardly had a role. In total he is probably on screen for all of three minutes. But man, he really does light up the screen — he is drop-dead gorgeous.Anushka and Ranbir have nice, boisterous chemistry, but that’s courtesy mostly him. She’s good, of course. But he is powerful and can make your eyes well up in seconds. He carries the pain of one-sided love in his eyes, and it’s powerful. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: The laughter comes from genuine chemistry between the leads. The sadness comes from real consequences of heartbreak that Johar has always shied away from, but not this time. Karan, the writer, overpowers Karan, the director here. Anushka Sharma plays the most well-rounded character with abandon; she’s remarkable. Ranbir’s portrayal of the clumsy, turned-down one-sided lover is heartbreaking; his honesty comes through yet again. Seeing Aishwarya in the role of a confident seductress is a welcome change. On the downside, there’s a bizarre twist in the last 15 minutes that could have been replaced with a scene or two of good conversation, but if you have an appetite for melodrama, you might just like it. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Of the actors, Sharma comes off most familiar even when she is the one who is given a clear departure. Rai Bachchan is eye-catching as the older, experienced woman but I wish she was given more time to channel hurt. Poor Fawad Khan, over whom so much controversy broke out, is dishy but doesn’t really have much to do. Lisa Haydon comes on in a walk-on part as a ditsy girl and is a hoot. But the one who lifts this film, or as much as he can, is Ranbir. As the fellow who crumbles and cries and shoves his aching heart on his sleeve even when letting a pretty thing wipe his eyes, he is terrific. There’s a nice bro-moment between Fawad and Ranbir when the film sparks to life. And you wonder if this pair shared more screen space, would the se ‘dils’ have been in a little less ‘mushkil’ ? I’m going to think more on that, and listen to some weepy old songs, and hope that Johar will come up with something newer and sharper the next time around. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The principal characters in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil are not governed by established Bollywood rom-com rules. They thrive in open, undemanding relationships, in which neither the man nor the woman calls the shots. It is the heart – and occasionally the mind – that does. The film dwells upon the many shades and purposes of amour. If one girl rues the fact that her boyfriend was her zaroorat (need) while she became only his aadat (habit), another, a more mellowed woman, is not content to be a man’s zaroorat. She aspires to be his khwaish (desire). Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: The key to engaging with the film, however, is investing in its characters. Sporting a straight-off-the-runway look Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, although saddled with clunky lines in the role of an Urdu poet, leaves a lasting impression in her limited screen time. In one particular scene, a teary confrontation, she conveys volumes with minimal lines. Anushka Sharma, playing a tricky part that could easily come off as selfish, grounds the character in sheer practicality, and does some of her best work here. It’s Ranbir Kapoor, though, who walks away with top honors, delivering a performance that doesn’t miss a beat. From comical to heartbroken to confused, his face is a canvas of complex emotions, and he makes his every moment on screen count. It’s an excellent return to form for the actor who’d been all but written off after a spate of failures recently. Despite the occasionally mawkish undertones and the blatant attempt at emotional manipulation in its final act, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil gives you a hero that makes you care. I suspect you’ll be a slobbering mess at the end of the film, a puddle of tears when the lights come back on. Johar knows how to do that. It’s a skill that’s stayed with him even if his grammar has changed. Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’s biggest flaw is the lack of chemistry between its lead pair. For a film whose protagonist experiences love and loss multiple times with different people the execution of the narrative gets lost in translation. Ayan and Alizeh start off as friends only to get caught in a web of mutually unresolved feelings. When we revisit them in the second half their track is still stuck on an endless loop. Dialogues are too heavy and sound off when used in every day conversation. Sabah being a poet can speak in that dialect but when Alizeh and Ayan start their banter it just gets repetitive. Shah Rukh’s much hyped cameo fizzles out before you take that collective sigh. The plot goes downhill once Alizeh’s terminal illness track sets in. The scenes gets heavy and that cloud of ‘been there seen that’ looms till the very end. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has some really nice moments, but they are few and suffer the curse of a weak second half. Nevertheless watch it for Ranbir and Karan’s interpretation of love, loss and longing. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: To be fair, at heart (and there is enough heart for you to go mental), this is still a movie about real issues — whether you think they’re trivial or not is another matter. It questions the point of a relationship, when a break-up is inevitable anyway, and it hits you in the same way as a close one’s death. Why go through it, when one can be friends: “Pyar mein junoon hai. Dosti mein sukoon hai.” Corny, but true. It also makes this the sort of picture where the reactions will necessarily swing to extremes. There is already a gender like divide among audiences for this genre. I’m a sucker for good, soppy romantic comedies (there I said it!). They depend so much on the lead pair. As I said, the ones here deliver, like how. As do the other hotties on screen. Shah Rukh Khan makes a cameo by the way. As does Fawad Khan — it’s an extended cameo at best. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Ranbir Kapoor, as an actor, has always delivered, regardless of his character’s demands, inadequacies in the script or a cat-napping director. Playing a jilted lover yet again (Rockstar, Saawariya), he tempers his character’s emotional graph with decided fervour. Anushka Sharma can’t be blamed for her Alizeh, whose character graph swings like a pendulum from overenthusiastic to subdued. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, whose svelte frame and sharp features garnered much curiosity and whistles in the trailer, makes for much more than a pretty picture. She lends a charismatic flair to her Saba and packs her Urdu one-liners with much shiddhat. Fawad Khan, who has created quite a stir recently, barely gets enough screen space to justify the storm that loomed over this release. If you’re an Arijit Singh fan, there are a lot of earworms here, the title track being the best. Extending the boundaries of his pet theme of love and friendship, Johar attempts to be Imtiaz Ali here. But in this regard, he fails miserably in drafting his character’s journey. Clearly, the most-awaited release of this year, KJo deserves no ladoos this Diwali for letting down his ardent fans. Hopefully, he will soon learn that like the heart, showbiz is also quite mushkil. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Starting with Ranbir Kapoor who is in his comfort zone and gives a charmingly entertaining performance playing to the gallery as and when required. Anushka Sharma is outstandingly brilliant. She is absolutely riveting as Alizeh who has an opinion and is strong. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan fascinates with her beauty and delivers a mature act. SRK in a cameo is pleasing. Lisa Haydon leaves her mark. The actress seem to have the knack in standing out in brief cameos – who can forget QUEEN. Music is a major highlight and Pritam Chakraborty has winners in the title track, Bulleya, Channa Mereya, and the break up song. A true chart buster. Anil Mehta’s cinematography is a treat to the eye. And production values are top notch. Costumes in Karan Johar productions hardly go wrong. ADHM is all-good feel-good candy-floss and a nicely packaged new outing from Karan Johar but the big argument is why is Karan Johar still grappled with the temptations of repeating himself instead of forging a fresh path even after delivering the goods in MY NAME IS KHAN six years ago. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: By the time ADHM gets into a full-on Devdas mode, we are in no mood for tragedy. But what to do? Karan Johar won’t let his characters enjoy their self-inflicted pain without a pay-off. These people love the good life and must pay a price for it. Ranbir is adept at exhibiting designer-angst. But his feelings for the ‘heartless’ woman never rises beyond youthful desire. At heart, he remains a philistine who thinks Mohammed Rafi cried rather than sang. “Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan…”. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The first half is totally interesting as well as highly entertaining. The whole Ranbir – Anushka bonding track is amusing.There are some enjoyable scenes which go perfectly with the flow and mood of the film. It’s only the songs and some enjoyable moments that keep you glued to the silver screen. Dialogues are captivating, especially in case of Anushka and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The cinematography by Anil Mehta is of top notch and matches up to the brand image of the Karan Johar style of films. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The second half of the movie rapidly goes the Katti Batti way and you want to run out and ask the projectionist to rewind the film to the guest appearance of Aishwarya’s husband (the man who has made outstretched arms into a love trope). Alas, the film becomes more of a mushkil than a tale of dils. Suffering from a case of ‘One-sided love’? Then rest assured, you will be cured of the affliction. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ puts forward friendship before anything else. It will also make you realise the power of one-sided love. A classic Karan Johar film, ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ is the outing that your family deserves this Diwali. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and, most importantly, it will make you celebrate life. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: The two outbursts, one each by Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, hit target – they are brilliantly worded, well-timed and enacted with conviction. One expresses the helplessness of having failed after trying everything to get over, to move on, to find a moment of peace. The other is a frustrated expression of a different perspective on love. And then there is a scene with wonderfully written lines for a cameo. If only the actor had played a character and not a charismatic personality which reminds us of the real-life star who wants to pass on the “romantic hero” baton. Aishwarya Rai does femme fatale beautifully. Ranbir Kapoor holds the screen well, especially in close-ups. Something, I’ve admired Amitabh Bachchan do. Even though his pain-ridden eyes are all too familiar, they leave their impact. Again. Though there are times he goes over-the-top, something we rarely see him do. So, I’d blame the director. I absolutely love the way Anushka Sharma has grown into the roles she takes on – bringing an uncanny reality about them. Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma together too, make every bit of their relationship relatable. The ladies do goof up their diction every once in a while. And Fawad Khan’s character is almost inconsequential to convince me about the hullabaloo caused by his presence in the film. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil offers little in terms of story and fails to get the audience empathise or feel for the characters and events in the movie. What it does offer is brilliance in the name of Ranbir and Anushka, some awe-inspiring shots of Aishwarya and Fawad and a very beautiful canvas as it is shot at exotic locales of London and Paris. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who plays an alluring poetess, does what’s asked of her. Saba, her character, pouts and purrs. But her role doesn’t go beyond what you see in the trailer. Also, loving Alizeh and Ayaan wasn’t instantaneous. It takes time to warm up to them. By the time you connect to them, Johar inserts an emotionally-manipulative, tragic twist to the entire farce. Fawad Khan, who is written on the credit rolls as “special appearance” isn’t given much heft to make his role special. His love story with Alizeh, which showed immense promise, seems to have been killed unceremoniously. What went wrong between Alizeh and his character is skimmed over and leaves you wanting more. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Johar has delivered a beautifully written film with some touching lines, melodious music and a relatable story. All those who have undergone a heartbreak or have been friendzoned by the love of their lives, will surely connect with the film. If that was not all, the film has been shot at beautiful locations with an expert eye, which makes the film a visually appealing fare too. On the flip side, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil seems to be influenced by many past films-Rockstar, Tamasha, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Katti Batti, which may make you feel that Johar was serving the same old wine in a sparkling new glass. Granted that Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is more mature than Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, but the mere fact that some scenes of this film reminded us of Johar’s debut, might adulterate your joy. Review by Caitlin E. O’Conner on Bollyspice Rating: What looks like the start of a bit cliché one-of-them-doesn’t-want-to-love Gen Y romance quickly gets a whole lot more complicated and less relatable, albeit set to an excellent soundtrack. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Fuddu – 2.3 stars Saat Uchakkey – 2.3 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tutak Tutak Tutiya – 2.1 stars 31st October – 2 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars Beiimaan Love – 1.1 stars

Ajay Devgn has been known for his acting talent, but his productions and directorials don’t always work out. ‘Raju Chacha’ and ‘U Me Aur Hum’ are the two big failures that come to mind. Now he’s back directing and starring in ‘Shivaay’, a mega-budget film on which he has invested 2 years of his life. The clash with ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ has been the mainstay of entertainment news. But at the end of the day, the two movies will work based on their content. Does ‘Shivaay’ live upto expectations? Let’s find out.

Karan Johar is inarguably the biggest brand when it comes to directors in India. He is more well recognized and more...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ’31st October’ Review – 2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] 31st October Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: You want to root for 31st October. That is the kind of film it is. You want to will it on to punch above its weight. Sadly, it is too feeble in the legs to run the distance with its heavy burden. The dawdling pace reduces the narrative to a crawl. 31st October has its heart in the right place. What it lacks is genuine firepower. Despite the anger and anguish that drives it, it is unable to whip up urgency and force. A series of title cards at the end of the film fills the audience in with broad details of what happened on that fateful day and its aftermath. It is as if the horrors that it depicts in the previous 100 minutes or so aren’t enough to get the point across. 31st October Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: There isn’t just one narrator or a central character. That shifts focus to some extent because sub-stories become a bit preachy about the riots. It’s all there in front of our eyes. Do we still need somebody to hammer it through our heads? If we do, then we are only going to take it as just another film about riots and not as a strictly non-repeatable crime. 31st October is an important film, especially when many have gone scot-free in the anti-Sikh riots cases even after so many years. It’s going to be 32 years in 10 days. As they say, justice delayed is justice denied. 31st October Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The fires on the riot affected streets seem very organised and carefully placed on the side. When Soha is pushed out of the bus that is set on fire, she takes forever to run away from the bus, turning around to look at it. When there are rioters on streets, no one will ask their sister and her family to leave their home and drive across the city to come to where you have found shelter! The whole premise seems to be too flimsy, and does not do justice to such a horrendous part of our recent history. Movies like Amu (directed by Shonali Bose, and starring Konkona Sen Sharma in 2005) have handled this subject with so much more sensitivity and manage to make the events shocking even to those too young to remember. The final nail in the coffin is watching Vir Das (who could not be more than 30 years old in the film) in a full white beard, old man’s shakes and all and Soha Ali Khan with white powder in her hair and an Arthritic knee tell us that justice will never be given to the victims… Such a waste of a great opportunity. 31st October Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Though the film takes its time to come to the point and focuses on the families of various Sikhs in Delhi instead of offering some background about Operation Blue Star, which had provoked the assassination, 31st October packs a powerful punch from the interval point onwards to the end credits. The sequences involving the rescue mission will surely make you sit on the edge of your seats as you find yourself silently rooting for the Singh family while chewing your fingernails. Director Shivaji Lotan Patil succeeds in weaving a thrilling story of heroism and survival with an emotional connect, though we feel that the film should have offered some background about the Blue Star issue, if only in passing. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: 31st OCTOBER could have been the opportunity by the national award winning helmer Shivaji Lotan Patil to make a strong and powerful statement on screen. Unfortunately the movie ends up as a sensationally forced recall of the 1984 horror that has a feeling in its heart but fails to convincingly put it on screen. Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: 31st October, however, is a maudlin, meaningless two-hour long film where Delhi is overflowing with anti-Sikh sentiment following Indira Gandhi’s assassination. The rioters are one-dimensional to the point of being funny. Shivaji Lolan Patil should understand that this is 2016 and the audience is quite capable of ‘getting’ subtlety, complexity and depth, things that are totally absent in this film. In fact, if you have actors like Vir Das and Soha Ali Khan as your protagonists, a certain kind of audience will invariably walk into the theatre; you do not to dilute the material to make it accessible. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: Entirely too much time is spent on the set-up, the first half is dialogue-heavy but characters seem to ramble and the sound is terrible. When actors speak, you feel them dubbing the lines right there, next to you. Producer-writer Harry Sachdeva’s heart must have been in the right place, but a lot else wasn’t. In parts, the movie ends up looking like a dramatic reenactment of riots from a crime show. Soha Ali Khan and Vir Das try to be sincere but don’t have much to do. Das’s Devinder practically spends the whole second half sitting, sleeping, huffing and puffing to combat his low blood pressure. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: There has been almost nothing in mainstream Bollywood about those dark days. 31st October had the chance to re-construct that ghastly day and show just how an event can spiral out of control, and just how easily hatred can be fanned and spread when the law and order machinery has been told to look the other way. But the film has nothing – neither narrative nor engaging characters—on offer. Das is hopelessly miscast. The others fare no better. Khan at least tries hard to look the part, but cannot rise above the sheer ineptness of this enterprise, which neither tells nor shows us anything we do not know. Review by Prasanna D Zore on Rediff Rating: The first half of the film moves at a languid pace as the National Award-winning director showcases the bonhomie between the two communities before the assassination. The second half equally lacks the pace that should accompany a rescue mission. Khan, as an actor, doesn’t have much to do as a mother whose mental toughness and the belief in God is put to the test. Vir Das does touch an emotional chord or two as the father of Sikh boys, who has to make a decision between staking their lives at the cost of their religious identities. Given these limitations, 31st October could be a one-time watch. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: Such characters and incidents belong more to a long-running Doordarshan serial than a feature film. Much of the drama is theatrical and the acting is plainly amateurish. But 31 October is a film that must be seen more for what it tells us rather than how it says it, about a shameful chapter from Indian history. At the end we see the now-old Sikh couple, trapped in a web of frustration and rage, still waiting for justice. Review by Johnson Thomas on Mid-Day India Rating: The plot is extremely flimsy, the characterizations limited by casting and imagination and the pace is too slow to be effective. The performances also lack grit. Neither a simpering Vir Das nor a seriously sincere Soha Ali Khan can do enough to make this effort memorable or haunting. The statistical data on the killings and the appeal for contributions and support at the end credits come across as opportunistic given that the filmed experience itself does grave injustice to a cause that almost seems like a lost one now. ‘31st October’ is why fledgling inept filmmakers should stay away from history-invoking true stories, else such heinous acts might well be wiped out from the collective conscience for want of a skilled and able raconteur! Review by Bryan Durham on DNA India Rating: The lead pair make you yawn. They’ve got negligible chemistry as a married couple. Their children are annoying. Their neighbors are annoying. The supporting cast looks like it was put together by someone not serious about their job. The actors can’t decide on what accent to keep, what emotions to portray, the characters weakly written, you wonder why they even bothered with a screenplay. Review by Arnab Banerjee on Deccan Chronicle Rating: As a film, 31st October should have served to encourage a sobering sense of responsibility, a more truthful perspective on our identities — both individual and national — and a stronger tendency toward restraint in those who might find violence appealing. And justifying. There was a goldmine of rich material here, but there is nothing explored of the dark subject matter in this story. Neither is any attempt made to go beyond what is already in public domain, and so, the film fatally lacks in focus or momentum. In terms of the background to such an unfortunate incident, the director doesn’t furnish us with any more insights, whatsoever, to give us a peep into the cause for such an attack. This could have been a revelatory work on the nature and consequences of physical, emotional, psychological and sexual violence too. Instead, all that the narrative focuses on are gory killings that make viewers bruised by depictions of gross violence. Even after so much bloodshed shown, the discomforting exploration of human misbehaviour fails to strike a chord among the viewers: so devoid of any emotional connect the film remains. Review by Divya Pal on News18 Rating: While the film manages to capture the unabated violence convincingly, and the efforts that stranded Sikh families to save their lives and a few Hindu families extending help, the impact doesn’t come across too strongly. So you might find the sequences of violence and barbarity leaving you a bit disturbed, but it gets forgotten with the next sequence that follows. As far as acting is concerned, Soha Ali Khan and Vir Das are average. Both Khan and Das were doing a project that gave them the opportunity to display every ounce and nuance of emotion. They could have easily delivered a range of emotions and proved their mettle. But they fail. Their eyes might swell with tears but it won’t affect you much. Since the film clearly lacks emotional depth, it might not strike a chord with those who witnessed the horror. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Vir Das portrays pain like a man with acid reflux. But given the Flanders-esque (The Simpsons) character written for him, there’s barely much he could offer. Soha Ali Khan pulls off her Sikhni convincingly and faintly resembles a young Amrita Singh, despite her petite frame. The blood-spattered font in the opening credits is telling of the violence this film packs in. Families being burnt inside their cars, victims being dragged out of their homes and their limbs severed on the streets and so on. Even if you have the appetite for so much gore — you’d still rather watch a slasher — it would at least not be as sappy. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Fuddu – 2.3 stars Saat Uchakkey – 2.3 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tutak Tutak Tutiya – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars Beiimaan Love – 1.1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Beiimaan Love’ Review – 1.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Beiimaan Love Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: The promo of BEIIMAAN LOVE was in itself a big giveaway about the film’s plot and premise. The film, in totality, turns out to be an extended and an elaborated version of the promo, with no novelty factor attached to it. The film’s screenplay (Rajeev Chaudhari) offers absolutely nothing new that Bollywood has not seen. It is very poorly written and every scene seems disjointed from the earlier one. The film’s story is extremely similar to HATE STORY in many ways and features all possible clichés from the 90’s. The film’s dialogues (Vibhanshu Vaibhav, Rajeev Chaudhari) are terrible. After having dabbled in film journalism and PR, Rajeev Chaudhary made his debut as a director with the non-starter titled GUNAAH. Even though BEIIMAAN LOVE happens to be his second film, it looks like an extremely amateur attempt at filmmaking, with no technical finesse or expertise to boast of. Rajeev Chaudhary fails miserably in extracting the required performance (read ‘emotions’) from his lead cast, which adds to the film’s sorrows and miseries. While the film’s first half is all about establishing its characters, its second half starts beating around the bush without any reason. The film’s second half drags endlessly, thus, testing the patience of the viewers to the fullest. Rajeev Chaudhary seems to have no clue as to what exactly he wanted to make out of BEIIMAAN LOVE. If the terrible screenplay wasn’t tortuous enough, even the actors in the film look totally confused and awkward when performing the badly-etched scenes. There are several moments in the film that evoke unintentional laughter. One simply starts wondering in disbelief while looking at the proceedings in the film. Don’t miss the scene between Avatar Gill and the actress who plays his daughter. It’s hilarious to the core, totally unintented of course. Beiimaan Love Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Beiimaan Love is utterly stupid, and involves absolutely no filmmaking. It’s made to provide some voyeuristic pleasure, but fails to do even that. Just how much can you stare at high heels and women in neon bikinis? There has to be a limit. If you still keep watching it in anticipation of a story, then I will judge you. The only highlight in the film is a scene where Sunaina dances with her domestic help in the kitchen. The kind of dance people do when they’re in love. The help looks scarred for life. The pain on her face is remarkable. She might have doubled her fees after that scene. Beiimaan Love Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: you won’t waste your time trying to figure out why such movies are made. The song ‘Mere peeche, mere peeche, mere peeche Hindustaan hai’ is quintessentially Sunny, and she has a twinkle in her eye when she dances which is one star worthy. But you can watch that online. The rest of the movie, as you can see, is forgettable. Beiimaan Love Review by Rajat Tripathi on Bollywood Life Rating: The script is as unimaginative and non creative as it gets. Sunny’s character to extract revenge sleeps with Rajniesh’s character again, which was ONLY required to make space for another love making song. Beiimaan Love is like, two erotic songs were shot in the beginning and then a story was weaved around those. The supporting cast is as bad as any B-Grade movie. The climax is the shoddiest part of the film. Beiimaan Love ends so abruptly that you might take a minute to realise that it was indeed ‘The End’. Skip it. Go watch anything else but Beiimaan Love over the weekend. Beiimaan Love Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The director comes up with a one liner plot which is stretched to its fullest. He tries to camouflage the movie by giving us Rajshri type of family drama, but ends up encashing over Sunny Leone’s know qualities. The mismanaged story narrative followed by lack of connecting factor makes the movie bad to worse. Sunny Leone looks great in some scenes while in others fails to impress. She tries her hard to look and act like a sanskari girl, but ends up coming back to her known reality. Rajniesh Duggal looks good, but fails to act. Yuvraj Singh hams to the fullest. Daniel Weber is wasted. Rajiv Verma and Avtar Gill overacts in every scene. Beiimaan Love Review by The Times Of India Rating: The characters are inconsistent, the lines are handpicked from a Dialogue For Dummies guide and there’s a general lack of attention to detail. Props from one scene show up everywhere; the same location is used as different places, and the film opens with a promotional song (!) which plays by itself without titles. Are we watching a movie, or a music channel? Sunny Leone gets A for effort, because her struggle to rise above the content is evident. Rajneesh and the other members of the cast (also from the 90s) are jaywalking around her. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The movie is juvenilely shot and casually edited. On a positive note, as the torture of BEIIMAAN LOVE got over in two hrs and few minutes, I ‘honestly’ had a feeling that the world outside BEIIMAAN LOVE is not that bad and much better than this crap. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: This is where the plot caves in completely. Unable to handle the complexities of a drama where the disgruntled become the perpetrators of wrongdoing, “Beiimaan Love” is like a tune written over lyrics that never made sense to anyone, not even the ‘poet’ who wrote it. The film, if we may call it that for the want of a better description, is filled with ridiculous dialogues and situations that desire to make the heroine look sympathetic. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tutak Tutak Tutiya – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Fuddu’ Review – 2.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Fuddu Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: Fuddu marks the directorial debut of Sunil Subramani, who has chosen a poignant subject that will resonate with the blue-collared residents of Mumbai. However, the film is special only in moments — the rest of the time; it’s a montage of cliches. Fuddu Review by Namrata Thakker on The Rediff Rating: Fuddu’s story isn’t void of loopholes but the makers have tried to play around a new concept and that’s commendable. How middle class people in Mumbai adjust and live in their small houses is quite a relevant topic. The end is silly but overall, the film was fine. It would have been better if the makers hadn’t added songs, including the special number with Sunny Leone and Sharman Joshi at the end. Fuddu may not be a great film but it’s better than all those Bollywood movies which make oodles of money but have no story. Fuddu Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Shubham is about as committed as that mouse who walked out of a bowl of milk, having curdled it. Unfortunately, the script is sufficiently spiked to ensure dimaag ki dahi happens. Swati Kapoor is confined to appearing teary-eyed in most of her screen time and her character barely manages to find her own feet. The supporting cast does little to influence the mood of the film and director Sunil Subramani, who has assisted Anurag Basu for almost two decades, fails to make up for the inadequacies in the story by Pawan Kumar Sharma. Fuddu is a dummies’ guide to sexist, misogynistic cinema. And if you so desperately crave moving images, stare into a microwave instead. Fuddu Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The story is highly inspired and also has many frame to frame scenes similar to the scenes from Jaya Bhaduri’s film ‘Piya Ka Ghar’. It’s just that the writers have presented it in today’s times and have focused more on the physical intimacy issues. If only there were few more emotionally strong scenes in the film, the impact would have been more hard-hitting and memorable.Sunny Leone and Sharman Joshi’s cameo song in the end credits is wasted. ‘Fuddu’ is a light hearted fun film. The message attached to it might be wrong but on entertainment level the movie makes its right mark. Fuddu Review by Kunal Guha on Nowrunning Rating: A young man comes to Bombay with dreams and even though he manages to find himself a job, and gets married, he is unhappy. Living in a room with his two brothers and their wives and kids, he is unable to make love to his wife, who ups and leaves him. Is he the ‘fuddu’ people label him o will his parrot fly out of the cage? You come away wanting to shower after watching this… This swamp thing. Fuddu Review by IANS on Indian Express Rating: The dialogues are colloquial, witty and laced with the right amount of humour that is relatable. The film is Shubham’s canvas and he is convincing as Manoj. He brings the right amount of energy and realism to his character, playing his role with convivial ease and flourish. He has a pleasant screen presence and has the audience one with him in empathy. Swati Kapoor as Mohan’s wife Shalini is equally convincing. She matches Shubham in histrionics, but unfortunately, she does not have much screen time. Vicky Ahuja as his older brother Shyam, and the others, in supporting roles perfectly complement Mohan on screen. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tutak Tutak Tutiya – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars

There are no big film releases this week, apart from low-budget films like Anna, Motu Patlu, Fuddu and Saat Uchakkey...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Tutak Tutak Tutiya’ Review – 2.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Tutak Tutak Tutiya Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: The promos of TUTAK TUTAK TUTIYA were good enough for the audiences to get a feel of what to expect from the film. The film, in totality does not disappoint the eager viewer, thanks to the film’s novel screenplay (Vijay and Paul Aaron) of horror comedy. Even though the film’s dialogues do not tickle your funny bone at the drop of a hat, it is decent enough to sustain the humor level of the audience. After having set his directorial flag flying sky high down south, Vijay makes his Bollywood debut as a director with TUTAK TUTAK TUTIYA. One has to really appreciate the finesse and patience with which he has treated the entire film. With a film that boasts of a ‘different’ genre, there were many places whereby the film could have gone astray. But, thanks to Vijay’s able direction, the film never loses its track. While the film’s first half sets up the atmosphere for the story, it’s the engaging second half that really ups the excitement and comedy in the film. Even though the second half does look a bit stretched at handful of places, it does not hamper the film’s narrative, which works majorly in the favour of the film. Tutak Tutak Tutiya Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: This basically means a series of grimaces and groans studded in a risible script, in which we rapidly lose all interest after we’ve finished smiling weakly at the leading man’s accented Hindi as the boorish Krishna, and his puerile attempts at getting rid of a doormat of a wife (Tamannah Bhatia). The horror is supposed to arise from the plot point which gives us another side to the servile biwi via a ‘bhoot’. Yes, a sari-wearing docile frump can turn into a modern girl in short clothes with starry ambitions in the company of Bollywood superstar Raj Tutak Tutak Tutiya Review by Gaurang Chauhan on Bollywood Life Rating: It’s a Prabhudheva show from start to finish. He is bit awkward in the first scene but gets his groove and shines throughout. His comic timing is amazing and he is believable in emotional scenes. He is the life of this horror comedy. Tamannaah plays her part perfectly. Her voice modulation is good and she showcases the two character personalities with perfect ease. The comedy scenes are actually funny and director Vijay handles them well. Special mention has to be given to ever dependent Murli Sharma who is top notch as Sonu Sood’s manager. The film never takes itself too seriously, which works in its favour. The story by Vijay and Paul Aron holds your attention for the most part and is intriguing. The dialogues by Chintan Gandhi are funny. Tutak Tutak Tutiya Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director A.L. Vijay marks his debut in Hindi films with his multilingual film ‘Tutak Tutak Tutiya’. He comes up with an interesting tale which gets diluted due to additional glamorous track of Sonu Sood. Also, the movie has been treated like a South Indian film due to which it looks more like a dubbed film. It’s a good opportunity loss for this director. Sonu Sood looks great but ends up being a victim of half backed character. There is nothing new nor concrete to offer in his stale and boring track. Nassar’s cameo was wasted. ‘Tutak Tutak Tutiya’ has mild fun only due to presence of Prabhudeva and Tamannaah, which gets highly diluted due to dragging screenplay and weak track of Sonu Sood. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Sonu Sood, who plays the superstar making a film opposite Ruby, also impresses with his performance. If no one has cast him as the lead in a comic film yet, filmmakers might want to break some old traditions and sign him after watching the film. If you are looking for an entertaining, paisa-vasool movie, Tutak Tutak Tutiya should be your pick. Prabhudeva’s comedy and of course, his dance is what makes this worth it. Look elsewhere for a soul-stirring piece of art. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Sonu Sood’s Shah Rukh hangover finally finds a super outlet, and he does have flashes of resemblances to the star through the film. It does get tiresome, and you wish they’d wrap up the film within a film soon. But the gags continue and we begin to feel the fatigue creep in. So much so that the end shows up quite conveniently. Tamannah Bhatia does not have too much of a role except to wear ‘heroine’ outfits and dance, change costumes and dance. Oh yes, she needs to widen her eyes in anger and in her ghost role. The South Indian housewife scene with the puja aarti and a towel tied on her wet hair is so real, you can actually smell malli-poo (common flowers worn in their hair by women in South India ) in the theater. Murali Sharma is good as the stereotypical star secretary. There are many songs in the film but none memorable despite Prabhu Deva’s dancing. Had the tale been told without wandering after every gag, the film would have been more enjoyable. Wait for it to show up on cable. Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: Boasting of a clean family humour, Vijay doesn’t try too hard to please his audience and gets brownie points for keeping things sweet and simple. The movie does not pretend to be smarter than it is and that’s a welcome relief. The special effects in a particular scene are impressive as well. The gorgeous Tamannaah, slips in and out of her two diverse characters Ruby and Devi, effortlessly. She even manages to match her dance steps with the great Prabhu Deva. Though he displays a good comic timing, the latter doesn’t have much to do except for acting surprised owing to his wife’s situation. Sonu Sood makes an extended cameo and renders a restrained performance. He does justice to his superstar character that is not caricaturish or clichéd. Despite being a tad underwhelming, Tutak Tutak Tutiya is a fairly enjoyable film that can be watched on a family outing. Review by Bryan Durham on DNA India Rating: Sonu Sood has an interesting, if somewhat underwhelming, role. Then there’s Prabhu who tries hard, a little too hard in fact, to seem believable. Tamannaah is who you’re going in to see. As the only eye candy and someone with a dual-identity role to brag about, she has everything going for her. Vijay barely manages to keep it all together. People like Krishna exist. And that is the sad part. Those people will like this film. There are going to be those in love with seemingly harmless entertainment like this. The music is nothing great. The humour even more forced than one would expect. You’re going to wonder why such films even get a Hindi release like this. Review by Arnab Banerjee on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Sure, most romantic comedies are predictable, unrealistic and corny. But some films are so bad, they’re actually good. These are the kind of films whose screenwriting, acting and developments are so unforgivable they leave you more embarrassed than entertained. Watching this horror-comedy evoked getting lost in a plot with too many possibilities of a story idea that goes bonkers with many unneeded variations. In trying to resolve loose ends in a weak storyline, the director falls flat. There may be a certain amount of mystery in the twisty narrative, but sitting through it there’s just as much frustration as well. Review by IANS on NDTVMovies Rating: With moderate production values which are well exploited, the visuals by cinematographer Manush Nandan are aesthetically shot. With fine video effects, the computer generated images integrate seamlessly with the live action shots. This is evident in the scene where Krishna tries to escape from his house and the door panel eerily shifts and rotates, blocking him from escaping and when he does, drops him back into the room. Overall, while the film is engaging and intriguing, it suffers from a fatigued second half and an absurd ending. But nevertheless, it keeps you in splits. A better star cast would have elevated this film. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Watching a Prabhudheva film is an experience because he has the ability to translate beats into moves that evoke delight and surpass the laws of physics. He also takes to comedy with fluid ease. While the material offers little to work with, he manages to put up a show worth sitting through. A lot weighs on Tamannaah Bhatia here, given the dual avatars she dons, and she delivers convincingly in both. Sonu Sood, also the producer of the film, contributes with what he does best — going shirtless and playing a love-struck bonehead who is naive enough to be duped. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: All said and done TUTAK TUTAK TUTIYA embarrasses the rom com genre with its ghostly spoofy hands that entertains and delivers the laughs. We have seen hilarious incidents surrounding ghost in Bollywod, WELCOME BACK graveyard episode still brings the laughs. TUTAK TUTAK TUTIYA is a rare comedy on ghost; hope we get such ghost laughter’s more in future. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: With moderate production values which are well exploited, the visuals by cinematographer Manush Nandan are aesthetically shot. With fine video effects, the computer generated images integrate seamlessly with the live action shots. This is evident in the scene where Krishna tries to escape from his house and the door panel eerily shifts and rotates, blocking him from escaping and when he does, drops him back into the room. Overall, while the film is engaging and intriguing, it suffers from a fatigued second half and an absurd ending. But nevertheless, it keeps you in splits. A better star cast would have elevated this film. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: Thankfully, Tutak Tutak Tutiya doesn’t stay with these things for too long and moves on to other things that make little sense. But, hey it is horror, there are ghosts. It has the license to not make sense. Given that, there is a lot of room to get creative. Especially when you have chosen to take the comedy route. Surprisingly, they do. There is one scene in which the ghost takes a different turn to harass the other characters. Within the context of Hindi films it is novel and amusing. Also, the CGI is pretty neat. The other surprise is in the form of Tamannaah Bhatia. She takes on her Jekyll and Hyde role pretty well. Even if, in those roles individually, she is expected to hold only one expression. It is still a relief from the plastic doll roles. Prabhu Deva on the other hand is alright when scared but is unconvincing when trying to be a snob. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars

When you have a film that carries absolutely no pre-release buzz and has a dark-unexciting-arty feel to it, the content of the film has to be extraordinary as the audience for such films is limited. Critical acclaim becomes important too. But like we’ve seen with films like ‘Lootera’ – which not only got excellent reviews but also had fairly popular stars – the audience simply isn’t there. Even if there are, they would rather watch such films on DVD or TV.

When Gulzar is back to writing a movie after 17 long years, you anticipate something beautiful. Couple that with the...

‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’ has received fairly good reviews, although Neeraj Pandey films have received better response from critics in the past. The average rating of the film is 3.2 stars. Pink and Neerja, with average critic score of ‘4’, remain the most critically acclaimed films of 2016. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story’ Review – 3.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story Review by Indicine Rating: MS Dhoni is the perfect story material for a Bollywood movie of this scope and size. His story lends itself naturally to the underdog spirit and the director didn’t need to do much to get it right. The lack of a soul is something which is bothersome, but what it lacks in intimacy is made up for by the goosebump moments of Dhoni’s life. The 3 hour plus runtime doesn’t feel too long because there’s so much ground covered in the movie and the expanse is so vast. Everything that needed to be showcased of his life is there. If you’re a fan of cricket, MS Dhoni is a must watch, and if you’re not it still makes for compelling viewing. M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Right from the moment the promos of M.S. DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY got released; it had upped the curiosity amongst the viewers about the film. The reason being it promised to highlight ‘the untold story’ about M.S. Dhoni, whose ‘private life’ has been extremely guarded. The film, in totality, does not disappoint even a bit, as it delivers what it promised. What also works in the favour of the film is the fact that, while the film stays true to the title. The film is all about the trails, tribulations, challenges and failures and the eventual success of Dhoni, the very man who captained the nation to consecutive wins at both the T20 and ODI World Cup matches. Unlike other biopics, M.S. DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY remains clear of gossips, scandals and rumours in any form. Because of all these feel-good factors, the audience gain a sense of pride and achievement when they see Dhoni and his achievements in the film. The film is an underdog story who which will inspire millions. The film’s screenplay (Neeraj Pandey, Dilip Jha) is extremely well-crafted and inspiring, which keeps the viewers engaged right from the word go. Besides doing complete justice to the life and lifestyle of M.S. Dhoni, the screenplay also helps in successfully mirroring his rise from a small town man to an international star. M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: It’s surprising that a bold director such as Pandey chose to focus on Dhoni’s personal life rather than his professional. It makes you wonder if he just copped out. Apart from a couple of scenes touching upon Dhoni’s unconventional decisions taken as a captain such as removing a couple of established players from the team, the film doesn’t offer any insight into the interesting episodes on the professional front. We don’t want the dirt, but at least give us the gritty bits. But what elevates the patchy screenplay in the second half is Rajput’s charismatic performance. It’s difficult to take your eyes off him. He’s so assured in his role that it’s compelling to see him transform himself from a diffident ticket collector in an Indian railway station to one of the world’s best batsmen and captain. Give this film a shot for Rajput and the sturdy support that the supporting cast gives him. M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: This film had potential to present us with the recent Indian cricketing story, warts and all. Sadly it’s more hagiography than biography: the cricketer is reduced to a being singing-dancing Bollywood hero rather than a top-flight cricketer, a master strategist, and a captain who led from the front. True champions have that edge that no one else does: on that score, the real-life Dhoni hits it out of the park, every single time. Too bad the reel Dhoni gets stumped just when he is getting started. M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: M S Dhoni – The Untold Story, cinema’s equivalent of vanity publishing, tom-toms Dhoni’s achievements in life and in the game and recaps Indian cricket’s recent history with the wicket keeper-batsman occupying the prime position. Neither makes for particularly memorable cinema moments. These are anyways too fresh in the public memory to bear repetition, even in widescreen, colour-spangled glory. Watching M S Dhoni – The Untold Story is like being subjected to two films – that is the kind of strain it inflicts. The time that it takes to play out – 190 minutes – is roughly the playing hours of a Twenty20 match. The latter is pure slam-bang. Dhoni’s life on the big screen is a long, tiring ambulation through boredom. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: MS Dhoni The Untold Story doesn’t address any grey areas in Dhoni’s life. The film shows his quite well-known decision to drop Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman from the Indian team, but stops short of pronouncing the names. Dhoni mentions ‘these three players need to be dropped’ to the selection committee. That’s it. No names. No discomfort. No controversy. No rubbing people the wrong way. Because when you’re making a biopic, there’s probably an unwritten rule filmmakers in India swear by: don’t go into troubled territories. The film, however, is set to score more than a century at the box office. We want to see heroes on screen. We want to see victory on screen. And when it’s got cricket and MS Dhoni as the subject, who cares about problems in a film. Watch it, get out. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: First things first, the movie worked mostly for me, because they hired an actor like Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead. Yes, he doesn’t look like Dhoni even with that long mane, but we forget all that when it comes to his performance and his body language. Be it the lighter scenes where he is pranking his friends, or the dramatic ones, Sushant gives a rousing act that will win your hearts. Check out the scene when he smugly lets his employer take an upper hand during a practice match before hitting him for sixes. Or for the matter, when he breaks down in the middle of the road, when he hears about his first girlfriend’s demise. The man doesn’t allow much room for you to complain when it comes to histrionics. Even though the length of the film taxes your patience, the film appeals to a large extent thanks to Sushant’s performance and Neeraj Pandey’s deft direction. That Neeraj Pandey is an accomplished director is something every movie buff knows by now, and it’s the way he handles some really average writing in here that makes this biopic watchable, especially in the first half. Some of the highlight scenes in the film are in the first half itself, like those scenes where Dhoni had to oscillate between his college exams and his training in a town far away. His first confrontation with Yuvraj Singh, his future rival, is actually the best scene in the film. The casting manager has to be given a pat on the back for roping in Love, Sex Aur Dhokha star Herry Tangri who is so similar to Yuvraj Singh. Even Dhoni’s daily struggles as a TTE at Kharagpur station is well-handled. Another aspect that has to be appreciated is the CGI done in the film. From superimposing Sushant’s face on a teenager’s body a la Captain America: The First Avenger to doing to same on real Dhoni’s face during the real match footage, the special effects team has done a brilliant job. Among the heroines, Kiara Advani scores over Disha Patani (in her debut film), as she is likeable as the cute and clueless-about cricket hotel management trainee, who would later become Mrs Dhoni. Disha is good too, but she is held back by a miniscule role. The supporting cast, played by Anupam Kher, Bhumika Chawla, Kumud Mishra, Rajesh Sharma and those actors who plays his friends and colleagues are all good. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: The first half of this nearly 180-minute film goes into the riveting details of a middle-class boy’s life in the hilly town of Ranchi. People are concerned about each other, and there is a genuine love for talented kids. Nobody is a villain here, not even the cricket officials. Optimism and hard work are expected to take people to new destinations. Review by Sameeksha on News18 Rating: The narrative is lengthy but engaging. The characters keep you invested in the story. While 3 hours is a long time, it is too less to paint the entire story of a man who is still the captain of Indian cricket team. The first half of the film is strong and convincing, the second half looks like a wrap-up of all his achievements. Overall, the film is a must watch for every cricket lover because it aptly tells the tale of an extraordinary man. The struggles are real and so is Sushant’s acting. There isn’t any shocking revelation, just inspiration and determination of a born talent who along with right people by his side, became the legendary captain. This one hits the boundary with Neeraj Pandey’s vision and Sushant Singh Rajput’s knockout performance. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: If you are telling a story about Dhoni, you obviously can’t leave out the personal side of his life. But somehow both the women in his life comes off as needy and clingy who want to get him to propose marriage, while he seems to be awkward and emotionally detached, to the point of seeming cold. Also, the whole scene where MSD got three of the senior players out of the team is half-hearted. It leaves out the names. What was the point of that when the facts are already known? Watch it if you love cricket. Watch it if you love movies. MS Dhoni: The Untold Story leaves you with a high that only a winning match can give you. Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: However the biopic loses its momentum in the second half with Dhoni’s love life getting undue prominence. Also, the cricketer’s questionable decisions or possible vices are mostly overlooked. His tiff with the senior players (Sehwag, Gambhir), rivalry with Yuvraj Singh, love-hate relationship with the media, team politics and criticism faced on occasions, barely find a passing reference. As a full-fledged biopic, this one-dimensional approach towards the lead character leaves you a tad discontented. But since you see the film through Dhoni’s eyes, it’s justified as one rarely sees faults in oneself. Nonetheless, this cricket movie hits sufficient sixes making the ‘Dhoni Dhoni’ chants reverberate in the theatre. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: If we talk about its star-cast, then we can very well say that Sushant has now finally arrived in the Bollywood and all other contemporaries must not take it lightly. The ‘PK’ hunk has aced the character of Mahi and he was killing it throughout the storyline. Kiara Advani and Disha Patani did justice to their roles. Their screen-time was allotted accordingly. You must keep in mind that the film majorly focuses on the journey of a middle-class Ranchi kid to international cricket legend. So, his love story only occurs in the second half. Director Neeraj Pandey has made sure that the supporting cast looks closer to the reality that is why no huge names were used in the film. The screenplay of ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’ is fine and has its heart-winning moments. Somewhere, we also felt that the flick is a bit too long. It is made sure that the music goes in synch with the story. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Dhoni’s life is not as dramatic as that of Mary Kom or Milkha Singh or Paan Singh Tomar, so there are limits to the amount of intensity and drama the makers can add to the narrative. The cricket sequences are quite well shot, but again, there is nothing about the controversies that surrounded Dhoni’s life or his interaction and bonding with his team-mates and other things that might have made the film more interesting and multi-dimensional. The one thing that might work against the film is its length as it runs for more than three hours and tends to drag a lot at times. However, if you are a Dhoni fan, you might enjoy the fare- if not, take your chances… Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: The film doesn’t challenge our perception as much as amiably pat it into place, yet — thanks largely to a remarkably committed performance by the leading man — the film scores like a champ. It feels at times like we’re watching a highlights package of a game we’ve already watched and loved, but sometimes that is satisfying enough. Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: There are many scenes that make a difference and they stand out in the film. Sushant’s struggle at Kharagpur junction as a TC, his scenes with his father, the first time he meets Priyanka Jha, his comic timing with his friends, all stands out and gives a closer view of the cricketer’s life. The movie ends on a high with Dhoni’s six at Wankhede stadium and it does give you goosebumps. Tight screenplay and good performances makes this one a good watch. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: This film similarly attempts to linearly synopsise almost everything about Dhoni — or in the words of Kharagpur DRM Ganguly, “the in-swingers, out-swingers, full-tosses and bouncers that life throws” at him into one film. Frankly, it doesn’t hurt. Because it’s inspiring — and not in a corny, Dhoni ban gaya superstar style. You genuinely care for his peaks and troughs. I know for a fact the young will. In sport, unlike every other profession, one cannot fake greatness. A six is a six is a six — perhaps even more, if hit on the last ball. Would this have been an easy to movie to make, keeping all my initial apprehensions in mind? Far from it. The fact that the filmmakers really pull it off, I’d say, That’s the way, Mahi way! Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director of films like A Wednesday, Special 26 and Baby, Neeraj Pandey steers this story with the conviction and game of a conveyor belt handler, loading one sequence after the other in succession, with little thought to the overall impact. Seamlessly merging his lead with match footage, he adds a touch of docu-drama to this biopic. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: In cricket when a recognized batsman gets a juicy half volley, the spectators expect a swashbuckling sixer, but even if the batsmen miss times it and the ball manages to cross the boundary line, it’s still a boundary and a moment of cheers. Neeraj Pandey’s MS DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY is similar to this. It is not a bad movie by all means but it’s a miss opportunity to score a significant mark in the world of Indian biopic on screen, looking at the caliber of Pandey as a film maker and potential of MS Dhoni as an inspirational sports phenomenon. Watch it for the love of the game if nothing else. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Anyway! This fanboy tale drags on through several, no more than several terribly morphed shots of Dhoni into Sushant at different matches. But the film won’t tell you how Dhoni learnt to be the master strategist of the game? Did he sit down to watch his opponents play with someone? You want to know this and you are shown more Bollywood. He meets the girl who he is to marry in the same fashion he met the girl before. Now that’s so Bollywood, you forget to laugh along with the hero worshipping roommate Ritu. What a lovely little cameo. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: MS Dhoni – The Untold Story is an extremely clever amalgamation of two favourite national past times: cricket and patriotic jingoism. Director Neeraj Pandey adopts the voice of a serial director, going through episode after episode in Dhoni’s life with reverence. The Untold Story, some other time. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: There was a slack in pace at the beginning of many sequences. There is attention to detail and there is detail. You can appreciate the simplicity of the clothes that Mahi’s family wears, the pains taken to show a true-blue middle-class household, the characters that make small-town India and so on. The movie fills you with warmth for the hard-working, dedicated working class of India. But the movie also begins to annoy with too much detail. The audience enters almost every scene a little too early. Way too many scenes have a character enter a room, open a door, sit, exchange pleasantries and so on. Precious screen time spent on setting the mood, and it doesn’t really happen. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not only the most successful Indian captain of all time, but he is also one of the most popular...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Parched’ Review – 3.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Parched Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Radhika Apte is outstanding as the bruised and battered Lajjo, a woman whose zest for life never wanes no matter what hits her. She is a brave actress and her no-holds-barred performance in Parched is another glorious feather in her cap. Surveen Chawla is perfectly cast as the robust dancer who refuses to sway to the tunes of her manipulative employer and her smarmy clientele. Tannishtha Chatterjee, a true-blue veteran of cinema of this kind, gets into the skin of her character as effortlessly and as effectively as ever. Two of the younger actors in the cast – Leher Khan and Riddhi Sen – contribute their mite. They do not put a foot wrong. Parched Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Leena Yadav’s Parched takes you into a disturbing and thought-provoking territory. Even as it cleverly intertwines the stories of the three protagonists all of who have had a raw deal in life, it simultaneously puts the spotlight on how there is still an India where a woman is treated as a sex object; where her only role is to serve her man. Rani who was married off at 15 to an alcoholic Shankar has been widowed for 17 years and has to fend for herself and her callous son. Parched Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Genre-wise, ‘Fem-jep’, or female in jeopardy, is how you’d describe this film as a cliché. But there is still much joy in the air as the three ladies — married, single, and a whore — form an unlikely but fun trio dealing with sex, lies, and life itself. Despite obvious flaws in the story-telling, it’s downright impossible not to be drawn to these characters. If you were to draw a parallel, this would perhaps be the rural equivalent of Pan Nalin’s upper-class, super-urbane ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’, a terrific ensemble pic, from last year. Of course we’ve been seeing very entertaining and explosive feminist films lately (‘Pink’ is an even more recent example). They only reflect an irreversible revolution on the Indian streets, homes, and workplaces. A fine sign of our times, I’d say, and if the arrow also leads to theatres, yes, it’s worth going, and supporting, for sure. Parched Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Parched packs in many social issues into the film – from violence against women to the need of education of girls – and it does so without screaming from the rooftop. There are some memorable moments here with the best being a near-silent encounter between Lajjo and Rani, in which, Parched says volumes about a woman’s desires with great subtlety and depth. It’s a pity then that after hitting the right notes for most part, the film in its quest for emotional liberation quickly jumps to a rather far-fetched ending that leaves more questions. Parched Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: “Parched” celebrates the joie de vivre of shared grief among women who live their wretched lives on the edge and are only too happily to topple over when pushed and provoked. Sometimes, feminism doesn’t need a full-blown messianic clarion call. A little tug, a firm push, will do. “Parched” hits us where it hurts the most. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The connect between the three women is so amazing, you wish all the other domestic things they are shown involved in go on for too long. You wish the filmmaker had been inspired by Thelma and Louise and had learnt the art of brevity and precision from there. The story wanders along the pains and the suffering so much you begin to groan each time the women are tortured by the menfolk. The violence is not new but there’s only so much of slapping across the face one can watch on the screen without cringing. Some moments are luminous, but you fail to understand why no one sits down to edit, edit, edit. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As for the film itself, when the trailer had come out, I had expected an ‘arty’ fare about the challenges that women face in rural areas, but Parched is not just a heavy tear-jerker. Yadav has infused the film with a raw and earthy humour, which makes the film an enjoyable watch. Though the humour might come across as crude for some people, it is real enough to evoke hearty guffaws. This is not to say that the film ignores the basic premise or the message that it is trying to send out, but at the same time, Yadav deserves a pat on her back for not making a film full of sadness and tears, though the milieu and the plot could have tempted any filmmaker to weave a tragic tale. However, the film stretches quite a lot and could have done with some nifty editing. Review by Rashma Shetty Bali on Bollywood Life Rating: I gotta admit, after Shabd and Teen Patti, Leena Yadav has improved tremendously in terms of direction. A lot of frames and how the story has been weaved together is commendable. It’s not something you’d see in a conventional Hindi cinema. So you’ll probably enjoy the fact that the film is way different from what’s usually expected of a Hindi film. I think this is the second sexual awakening film I’ve seen since Margarita With A Straw. While the film did a little goof up with the way it was promoted (focussing on the Down Syndrome part), the intent was different. Similarly even Parched speaks volumes of sexual awakening as you will pin point in the film when you watch it. That again makes it an intriguing watch. What I really liked was the rural feel of the film. Not exactly mentioning the name of the village, Yadav has basically made a good point that can happen anywhere. Of course, when it comes to acting, all the ladies did a phenomenal job. Tannishta as the widow who once again faces with her lost sexuality is very convincing. You can see how parched she has been without the touch of a man in her life. Radhika‘s Lajjo character was oh so adorable! She was a sweetheart! Wasn’t a big fan of Surveen‘s character but we’ll get there later. Finally, the intimate scenes have been shot very aesthetically and with a realistic approach. Review by Aseem Chhabra on Rediff Rating: The film’s leads — Chatterjee and Apte — are two of the finest Indian indie cinema actresses of our times. And both give strong moving performances, including a brief tender scene between the two — a rare moment in Hindi cinema. The rest of the supporting cast is equally good. The film is lovingly shot by Russell Carpenter (Titanic, Jobs). He makes the characters and Rajasthan’s landscape glow. And under Yadav’s able guidance, Parched genuinely shines. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: A little restraint, leaving some things to our imagination, would have served the film better. Because it is saying something whose importance is paramount: that unless women become a little more empathetic to their own kind, change will not come about. Rani becomes that change agent, and we cheer. Good way to wrap: you only wish the journey was not as problematic. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Of the cast, Tannishtha, who’s clearly having her best year in films so far, infuses her Rani with resolute decisiveness and an uncertain vulnerability. As an actor, this one gets close to her career’s best (Brick Lane). The most natural of the three, Radhika Apte’s Lajjo blends her lingering vulnerability with a glimmer of guilt in seeking out what she truly desires. Hate Story 2 actress Surveen Chawla caricatures her Bijli as a loud and insufferable presence who bifurcates her screen time in self pity and giving gyaan on life and everything else. The expansive desert landscape lends itself to cinematic frames and cinematographer Russel Carpenter (of Titanic fame) translates the director’s vision in a manner that complements storytelling. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: On the performance front. All the three Tannishtha, Radhika and Surveen give a standout performance in which Surveen finds herself lucky in getting more exposure, lines and dimensions. From the supporting cast Sumit Nijawan as the educated do good guy married to an educated foreigner and the nasty son of Rani – Riddhi Sen make good impact. On the flipside, the dish antenna episode and the idea of having a bed ridden granny was out of sync. All said and done Leena Yadav’s PARCHED is an undeniable triumph on screen, a beacon on power of woman PARCHED demands attention from all woman around the globe and asked pertinent questions. If you love woman and care for art and quality in cinema PARCHED is your ticket. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: As for performances, Surveen impresses as a self-contained prostitute who takes charge of her own life, Tannisththa and Radhika are convincing as housewives living in a panchayat-ruled village. Sumeet Vyas is adorable as an educated man who is living in the village and helps the women in marketing their handicrafts. It is all close to the reality of rural India, but Leena’s canvas is not a view from the inside. There is a lot of tokenism involved in portraying the culture, and that is where Parched falls short of a great film. It will definitely be a celebrated film among intellectual circles and international audience, but it is not a film that will touch the people it talks about. It has great actors in Tannishththa, Radhika, Surveen and even Summeet (of Permanent Roommates fame), but the screenplay that is written in pseudo-rural lingo keeps it from being authentic. The dialogues are written in urban Hindi sentences, just ending with “karu su” and “ke se”. It is like ending a proper Hindi sentence with “ba” and calling it Bhojhpuri. Review by Suparna Sharma on Deccan Chronicle Rating: I’ve always been captivated by Radhika Apte. She’s gorgeous, expressive and oomphy. And I’ve always found Tannishtha Chatterjee overrated. And yet, here, in Parched, there was too much acting in both Radhika and Surveen’s performances, while Tannishtha is natural, comfortable in her role, in her look, and light-footed. Apte, with her big grins and coyness, was trying too hard to be cute and sexy, and Chawla, continuously speaking in sharp, loud one-liners, got tiresome after a while. Lehar Khan, who’s grown up since she received the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2013 for Best Child Artist for her role in Jalpari, is better than both Apte and Chawla. Parched Review by News18 Rating: Rani’s confidante is Lajjo, who is regularly beaten up by her alcoholic brute of a husband because she cannot conceive. Radhika Apte plays Lajjo with an intriguing mixture of carefree spirit and vulnerability. Bijli, a travelling erotic dancer and prostitute, is an old friend of Rani’s and Lajjo’s. The two see Bijli as the bold, free one, but she, ironically, can’t escape the clutches of the men in her own life. Surveen Chawla as Bijli practically lights up every scene she’s in. She plays the character with spunky humor that barely conceals her deep-seated frustration over her plight. Alas, you wish that Yadav didn’t tar all the men in the village with the same brush, except for a couple of characters here and there. The film is also over-indulgent with both exoticism and eroticism, leading viewers to feel as if they are stuck in an unwieldy loop. But for these hitches, it’s an entertaining ride. The three friends, parched both emotionally and sexually, will have you rooting for them and cheering as they find their feet and their freedom in the end. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars

After last week’s Aniruddha Roy Choudhury who debuted with Pink, another acclaimed regional director Ravi Jadhav...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Banjo’ Review – 2.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Banjo Review by Indicine Rating: Banjo has clearly been shot by Ravi Jadhav with the intention of showing the beauty of the rawness of the slums and chawls of Mumbai, and it does quite a good job at that. The music scenes are pretty realistic as well. The cinematography and production design has to be credited for that. But the editing is sub-par. Banjo has no business being almost 140 minutes long when the story could have been told with a greater impact in 120 minutes. The music of Banjo is high paced and matches the tone of the Banjo band. The romantic ballad is a nice track too. Banjo Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: While BANJO’s promos beautifully mirrored the lives of street musicians, the film elaborates the same in totality. The film’s story set up (Kapil Sawant, Nikhil Mehrotra and Ravi Jadhav) is relatable. After taking a promising start, the film also highlights the life, lifestyle and the dreams of those (unsung talents) living in the slums. The film successfully manages to establish the quirky characters of Taraat and his band members. The life and lifestyle of the slum dwellers have been convincingly portrayed in the film. The film’s dialogues (Kapil Sawant, Nikhil Mehrotra and Ravi Jadhav) are simple, unassuming and funny. There are many one liners in the film, which have been used as punches, will surely have the audiences in splits. Banjo Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Deshmukh is thoroughly unconvincing as a shaggy musician with unwashed hair. While he displays a knack for the comic scenes, he seems uncomfortable in the romantic ones. But when you have corny pickup lines masquerading as intense dialogues, can you really blame Deshmukh for coming up short? The scenario that a DJ from New York would come to Mumbai to hunt down a group of musicians in a Mumbai slum also requires you to suspend disbelief. The other band members from Tarat’s team have some of the best comical lines. But that’s not enough to redeem this drama-slash-comedy. Banjo Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: If Banjo had been made by a lesser-known director, these flaws were forgivable to some extent. But Ravi Jadhav is a man who gave us Natarang and Bal Gandharva, so this mess of a film is inexcusable. While Riteish as a performer is adept as always, the idea to make him massy falls flat, especially those scenes that insist on making him look tough. Nargis Fakhri is decent, until she speaks Hindi, cry or basically has to emote. Banjo would have been a really good entertainer, if the film had stuck to what the title had promised, instead of straying to other subplots. If you are a Mumbaikar then this is a one time watch for you. Banjo Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: Director Ravi Jadhav, who has some outstanding Marathi films to his name (like Natarang), captures the pulse of Mumbai and the city’s buzzing chawl culture in Banjo with simplicity and a dash of humour. His characters exude the quintessential middle-class values, which are bound to resonate with many. The underprivileged are not conditioned to dream big, so even their wishes are realistic. One of the characters innocently asks a waiter at a posh club, if he could take some champagne home for his father. Though commercial in approach, Jadhav keeps things unpretentious and thus relatable. Banjo Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Had this 137-minute film refrained from long cross-conversations and forced conflicts in the second half, it could have struck a better chord. Riteish has come out of his comfort zone and that’s the best thing about Banjo. The actor who plays Corporator Patil in the film is also worth a mention. It’s a film by someone who can see Mumbai with indigenous eyes. Scratch the filters and it’s as raw as it always was. Show patience in the second half, and it may work for you. There’s a lot to like in Banjo. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: On the flip side, the film has certain shades of ABCD and Rock On. At the press screening last night, a fellow reviewer sniggered that Banjo is ‘zopadpatti ka Rock On’ and though I offered a polite chuckle to humour him, I couldn’t help but reluctantly agree with his observation. Also, the film doesn’t restrict itself to just the banjo players, but also tries to explore issues like slum rehab and builders trying to forcibly acquire slum property and rivalries over performing at Ganesh pandals, subjects which would have made more sense in a film about the underworld. However, having said that, though the second half drags on for quite a while, Jadhav has come up with such interesting characters and clever writing that you are ready to forgive the makers for veering off the track at certain points of time. If you love a good underdog story and are a true Mumbaikar at heart, ‘Banjo’ will surely strike the right note for you… Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Coming to the main lead, Riteish Deshmukh is underutilized, sadly the script didn’t had the nourishment to feed on Riteish’s acting talents. He is fabulous in whatever character is sketched for him by the writer and director but considering the talent he posses BANJO just turns out to be concentrating more on how to be a crowd pleaser. Nargis Fakhri is a stunner as far as looks are concerned. Talking about her acting, well the damsel still needs to travel. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Similarly, the presence of Dharmesh Yolande brings ABCD to mind and, again, only to the detriment of Banjo. So let’s mince no words: Banjo is a painfully pointless exercise that does no justice to either the instrument that it extols or the street musicians that it showcases. Neither the struggle of the slum boys to break out of their impoverishment nor the street and slum scenes the film banks upon to acquire grittiness yield the desired results, leaving Banjo dangling in a yawn-inducing limbo. Even the peppy music (Vishal-Shekhar) and the lively lyrics (Amitabh Bhattacharya) cannot bring this comatose film to life. It is just too good at playing dead. Rarely does a film press so much noise into service to achieve so little in the end. Heed this warning: don’t get within the earshot of Banjo. Review by Tatsam Mukherjee on India Today Rating: The makers of Banjo should have focused on the bigger issues like a less contrived script, a better-acted film, and a movie slightly closer to what Mr Jadhav would have made in the parallel universe. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Between musicians who double up as goons and a encroachment arc that goes nowhere, Jadhav derails from a slum to stardom tale to tangle itself in needless complication, conflict and melodrama through murder attempts, fall from grace, awakened conscience and a supremely unconvincing rift. By the time Banjo serves its dark horse comeback to a pounding Vishal-Shekhar spectacle laced in unabashed Maharashtrian pride, indifference has seeped in. Banjo Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Banjo’ looked highly promising due to its unusual theme, good music and association of a national award winning director. The movie fulfills its promise in some part and fails to create an impact in the rest of them. Stale narration, dragging screenplay and lacking of soul factor makes ‘Banjo’ end up on a mediocre note. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Director Ravi Jadhav’s first attempt in Bollywood is noticeable. He is successful in bringing out the local Marathi flavour in the western context. Ravi Jadhav has also written the screenplay alongside Kapil Sawant and Nikhil Mehrotra, which is predictable yet entertaining. ‘Banjo’ will take you back to the 90’s since the film has a love story, emotions and a conspiracy. The film could have been much better in several aspects and hence it remains a one time watch. The humour in the film is like a breath of fresh air. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The only time the film stops trying your patience somewhat is when it bursts into song, and even there, it has only one which is foot-tapping. Really, you expect better from Deshmukh, whose artfully dusty, tangled tresses and toned, worked-out frame don’t match up to the required grunginess of his character description. And from Jadhav, who has done so much better in his previous outings. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: There is literally nothing original or unpredictable about how the story unfolds. Jadhav knows his characters and their world but fails to set It up dramatically. The acting is serviceable at best, but watching Nargis Fakhri on screen, you still feel like she’s in the wrong profession. There isn’t a moment on screen not one that she looks or sounds convincing. Part of the reason you stay in your seat nevertheless is the entirely hummable music score that Vishal-Shekhar have come up with. And a word for Riteish Deshmukh, who appears to be the only one here making any effort. From the body language to the cockiness, his Tarat may be the single interesting character in this ordinary film. In the end, the notion of a film about an undervalued genre of musicians is more compelling than “Banjo” itself. It starts out from a promising place, but fails to make any leaps or strides. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: The hero opposite Nargis is Riteish, of course, the tanned sadak-chaap mawaali, with a pony tail, thick beard, looking a shade of Shah Rukh Khan from Happy New Year, which this movie seems so similar to as well. Let me not go on. So yeah, you’ve been there, seen that; why watch this same kinda picture again? I don’t know. I’m only glad that some of the guys in my theatre were at least responding to it, while I was sadly falling asleep. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Riteish Deshmukh is a dependable sidekick, a desi street danseuse par excellence, but as a solo lead, his shoulders give in. Nargis Fakhri may have the lips of a lemon-and-spoon Olympic champ, but when pursed to insinuate deep thought, it seems as if her thought bubble is packed with soap bubbles. Her translation of every situation – being screamed at, flirted with, or even given a shocking piece of news – is the same: a puppy-faced pout. To get from CST to Andheri, she hops into a cab and says, “Un-dairy chalo.” While her accent is justified here, her expressions aren’t. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The climax is good fun. The movie ends rather well. Great song, and ending of rivalries. Yes, yes, there’s a rival band there too. Go watch them, and dance in the aisles. And hope Riteish stops acting in the awful sex comedies and gives us such happy frothy romances. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Where the film founders terribly, almost bringing down the plot’s spiraling aspirations, is in cramming too many strands and sub-plots in the screenplay that are induced to create a dilating drama. Also, the visual palate of streetside bonhomie tends to get over-cute at times. Rather than digresss into a subplot about a politician taking on builders, Jadhav’s narrative should have stuck to the story of the street musicians who are embarrassed by the lowbrow status allotted to their art, until the American woman with the long legs and the leggier pout discovers them for her own devices. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: There isn’t anything very moving or engaging in the acting department either. Riteish Deshmukh does the drunk bit, the macho beating up goon bit, the love-struck bit in rhythm – one after the other. While performances by the other band members are full of energy, Nargis Fakhri loses you at her dialogue delivery itself. It is painful to watch her speak Hindi. And for all the hue and cry about creating music together, her character has all of three lines to sing. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars

Raaz Reboot has been trashed by the critics – which is expected because it’s not the kind of film that you expect critics to like. Except one review, critics have unanimously rejected Raaz Reboot. It’s the first film this year to score an average of less than 2 stars. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Raaz Reboot’ Review – 1.7 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Raaz Reboot Review by Indicine Rating: The movie which was supposed to kick-start the Raaz franchise is looking more and more like the death nail to the franchise. The spooky moments are few and far between, and even the ones which are there aren’t quite as impactful because the effects are stereotypical and the Vfx is downright insulting to the audience. They should have spent more time on rendering the Vfx. Ignoring all that, Raaz Reboot doesn’t work as a film either because the narrative is too slow and the pacing too uneven. Raaz Reboot Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When RAAZ REBOOT’s trailers got released, it definitely upped the curiosity factor amongst the audiences. And the film does not disappoint. Even though RAAZ REBOOT’s screenplay (Vikram Bhatt) gets into the cliched space at times, it is definitely tight and gripping. It successfully manages to keep the audiences engaged and hooked to the film till the end. And it is purely because of this that the attention of the audience refrains from dwindling till the end. The film’s narrative is simple and lucid. The film does have a handful of memorable and hard hitting dialogues (Girish Dhamija), mostly in the second half. Raaz Reboot Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: The film has one very decent twist post interval that saves the film from being an absolute mess. I am not going to reveal that to you, but it could surprise people who have certain expectations about the film and its protagonists. Raaz Reboot is one such rare Bollywood film where the second half is better than the first half of the film, but that doesn’t stop the film from touching mediocrity at places. There are a couple of engaging sequences here that will mildly pique your interest. But it will also make you doubt whether it is too late to save the film by then, also leaving a lot of questions in the wake. Amidst the performers, Gaurav Arora is actually the best amongst the lot, speaking a lot through his eyes. Despite having nothing much to do in the first half, Emraan Hashmi gets to score in a few scenes in the second half, especially in the confrontation scenes with Gaurav. Raaz Reboot Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Suck on that, all ye who propagate the use of garlic buds and crosses to defeat blood-sucking vampires. Whether is ‘des’ or ‘vides’, no ‘buri aatmaa’ or plain vanilla ‘bhoots’ can stand up against the might of the ‘mangalsutra’. Or, we must hasten to add, a plaintive ‘sufi’ song. One is enough. Both together can chase anything away from anywhere, including the poor chumps who have paid to be scared. Raaz Reboot Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Meanwhile, you will keep spotting Hotel Transylvania, a Gypsy woman and other clichés, so that you don’t feel out of sync. Don’t forget it’s a Vikram Bhatt film. The cleric’s failed exorcism bid means God’s reputation is at stake and that calls for some extreme measures. The rest is a permutation and combination of words – ‘spirit’, ‘possessed’, ‘danger’, ‘haunted’ and ‘Jesus’. Soulful music will soothe your ears, and Emraan Hashmi is also there. Some initial scenes of arguments between Rehaan and Shaina are well written, but that’s about it. Review by Tatsam Mukherjee on India Today Rating: To be honest, Raaz Reboot is not a boring film. It is so unintentionally hilarious that they might as well have marketed this as India’s first ‘unintentionally-hilarious-horror-comedy with violins and sex’. The music of the movie is scored by Jeet Ganguly, who churns out melodies to justify his monthly paycheck from Vishesh Films. Same old Arijit Singh wailing in the recording studio and the same old melodies. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Emran Hashmi must have has a whale of a time in this film. He is Aditya again. This time a Creative Director, photographer who has had a passionate affair with Shanaya (rehashed… I mean ‘Rebooted’ character), and just like Prithvi who drew slashed wrists pictures, this time he dreams vivid dreams…By the time the music has lulled you into thinking you have heard these tunes before, thankfully spirits have emerged from the possessed girl in a black smoke and crashed into the windows and it is daylight again (the ushers in the theater have opened the ‘exit’ doors for you). It’s a relief from this terribly rehashed story. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As for the thrill factor, Raaz Reboot uses every possible formula used in thousands of horror films in the past- creaking doors, a sinister raven, a possessed person who can climb walls and levitate et al. Indeed, it is time Bollywood filmmakers realized that they need to move beyond this if they ever hope to scare viewers (maybe they could go watch Radhika Aptestarrer Phobia to know how to send a shiver up everyone’s spines). If that was not all, the amateurish CGI effects are so laughable that there is no chance of being afraid of anything that the film throws at you. When I heard that the film has been set in Transylvania, I had hoped against hope for a story flirting with the legend of Dracula, but alas! It all boils down to old-fashioned revenge and predictable twists and turns. The music is totally forgettable and except for Hashmi’s ‘bad boy’ charm, there is nothing really worth watching in the film. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: Raaz Reboot is full cliches and will remind of you of a few horror movies in both Bollywood and Hollywood. Kriti Kharbanda, who makes her Bollywood debut with this film, is strictly okay. Since most of the film is riding on her, it’s sad that she doesn’t take advantage of it and gives a not-so-great performance. Gaurav Arora is surprisingly good but his character doesn’t have much to do. Emraan Hashmi arrives just before the interval and though he has quite a few good scenes, it’s not enough to make up for the loopholes. Though the Bhatt movies have always had melodious music, this one doesn’t match up. Most of the songs aren’t needed but are still there, making the viewing experience worse. Also, the spirit for some reason keeps using the F-word, which gets quite annoying. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Fortunately, the performances are above what we have come to expect from films in this genre from this production house. Now, Kriti Kharbanda and Gaurav Arora have a lot of chemistry-free, flat moments. But, individually, they do well to scare and be scared. I enjoyed Emraan Hashmi’s performance too. He keeps you guessing to the best of his capabilities. That he is let down by the writing department is another story. I was engaged more than I expected to be. I had inadvertently tight muscles till the culprit was obvious. But then again, I scare easily. If you want to be spooked but not too seriously, you could just skim through this one when there’s nothing else on TV. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Directed by Vikram Bhatt, ‘Raaz Reboot’ makes use of all the clichés to scare the audience and hence falls flat towards the end. The 2001 release ‘Raaz’, which was directed by Vikram Bhatt, was a sincere effort at making a ‘horror flick’ and was able to send a chill down the spine. But like every other sequel, this one also disappoints. ‘Raaz Reboot’ will make you remember how many of our horror films were made in the past with its black crows, hidden pasts, stale love triangles. Run-of-the-mill dialogues by Girish Dhamija are woven with boring love scenes. The film’s ‘chill factor’ rests on the shoulders of an ugly ghost, who tries hard to scare the audience, but leaves everyone disappointed instead. The facial expressions of the ghost tend to have the opposite effect on the audience and unintentionally bring out more laughs than screams. I guess we can never match the standards of Hollywood demons on screen, be it the background or VFX. Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: Doors keep slamming on their own, strange whispers keep echoing throughout and the girl sees horrific things but none of it disturbs you, let alone be worried. Also since it’s a reboot, a twist in the tale is guaranteed. You can see it from a mile away, something our ‘clever’ heroine fails to gauge till the end. The dialogues and overall sensibility are equally cheesy. The film implies that ‘Pyaar hi Bhagwan hai’ and that Mangal sutra can act as a suraksha kavach for a woman. There’s also a blind man who knows ‘psychometry’ – the power of touching things, feeling them and understanding their energy. “Two mouths! She has been possessed by an evil spirit,” he screams in disbelief as he studies Shaina’s mug. Tsk tsk. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: The performances of the cast too are perfunctory. Gaurav Arora and Kriti Karbanda are un-relatable as the couple Rehaan and Shaina. Their characters lack the chemistry and their ordeal, panic and grief all seem forced. Nevertheless, Kriti shows promise. Apart from the oomph factor, her transformation into a feral woman with frenzied energy, is worth a mention. Emraan Hashmi as Aditya, Shaina’s past and the antagonist of the tale, walks through his performance. The rest of the cast which include Amar and Shreya – the couple’s friends, Trilok – the blind psychometrist, the clairvoyant and the priest, have their moments of on screen glory. The music, along with the background score, too is passable. With moderate production values, the film is well-mounted. Manoj Soni’s cinematography is worth a mention. He captures the scenic locales in all their glory. And his frames seamlessly merge with the computer generated effects. Overall, “Raaz Reboot” is mediocre fare and may appeal only to fans of the “Raaz” franchise. Review by Sameeksha on News18 Rating: Raaz Reboot has nothing new to offer, even the old offerings have been executed badly. The entire setup in Romania, Dracula’s own country, could’ve been exploited more but the makers didn’t even cash in the scenic beauty of the place. The music is the only average thing in this poorly made film. The lazy installment of Raaz franchise does not deserve your time. Looks like the makers lost their own spirit while making the film and ended up making one of the most boring films of the year. Now Bhatts should understand that time has come to get out of past and make films with more vigour, vision and new story. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: This one, of course, is the fourth installment of Raaz. It’s called Reboot, I’m told, because of some copyright issues. Besides a couple of ‘Raazes’, one loses count of how many such pictures Vikram Bhatt has filmed in the past — Intehaa, Aetbaar, 1920, Shapit, Haunted etc. etc. Sure, it’s predictable stuff. But that’s to do with the genre, which like mindless comedy, is fairly easy to judge or appreciate. There is a meter ticking inside your head that registers how many times you’ve felt fear inside the dark hall. That’s pretty much it. And I’m sorry, I felt nothing. To be fair (up until a fine climax), they don’t try too hard to scare us much either. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Gaurav Arora perseveres to lend dignity to his perplexed Rehaan but his character’s lazily-written lines take away from his performance. For the record, Rehaan’s sexual abstinence remains a raaz even after the film ends. One would imagine that Emraan Hashmi has carved his own niche by now. But his home production stretches his part beyond tolerance and dunks his oversized wig in sewage to undo his worth by at least ten years. The perennially wailing debutante, Kriti Kharbanda had the worst deal. Her possessed character is made to wolf down crunchy cockroaches, bend over backwards and lie in a pool of her own mucky drool. Luckily, her OTT makeup eclipses her face and she can make her debut again. If Vikram Bhatt fancies himself as a weaver of stories, he’s gone over the hemline of logic here. Leaning on tested techniques of evoking fear, the eventual jolt never lives up to the build-up. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The actors didn’t get good support from the script but do their job with honesty. Emraan Hashmi is decent. Rehan impresses and Kirti Kharbanda makes an attempt. RAAZ REBOOT continues Vikram Bhatt’s obsession to the ‘possessed’ movies from the west, mansion, church, old town, good spirit, bad spirit everything happens. Raaz Reboot Review by Indiaglitz Rating: It’s a bland film with forced scenes, language and nudity.Gaurav Arora tries hard to carry the film on his young shoulders but mostly fails. Emraan Hashmi is strictly average in the movie, though you will like his make-up in the finale portions. The makers could have made a much better film only if they would had added more depth and detailing to Emraan’s character. ‘Raaz: Reboot’ is nothing but rehash of all the old horror films Vikram and his team have made. The saddest part is that the horror quotient is not even one fourth of what we had seen in his earlier films. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Unfortunately Emraan doesn’t allow himself to be as freed of inhibitions as the character affords. His role and performance have one foot caught in the door even as soul pines to soar. Gaurav Arora and Kriti Kharbanda grappling with a marriage that seems to be going wrong even as a ghost makes an unwanted entry in their lines, put up a brave show. Both are made to perform scenes that make them look sordid and messed up on screen. Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars

Emraan Hashmi’s career has been faltering lately with a string of failures at the box office. Nothing seems to be...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Pink’ Review – 4 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Pink Review by Indicine Rating: Anirrudha Roy Choudhury brings his years of experience and talent to Hindi cinema with an assured debut that doesn’t shy away from the hard facts about how women are treated in India by the educated AND also the uneducated men. The story is brought together in a harrowing recollection through the court room scenes. Pink gets straight to the point from the get go and doesn’t miss a beat in the first half. It is a story that almost every Indian woman will identify with because the experience that these women go through is not uncommon. At all. The courtroom scenes in the second half are stellar even if they are a tad bit over dramatic. Anirrudha Roy Choudhury makes one of the best directorial debuts of the year with Pink. Pink works because like Shoojit’s Piku and Vicky Donor, it gets the Delhi milieu right. This time they capture the South Delhi aspect perfectly. The detailing in the movie is one of the finer aspects of the movie. The production design and the costume design are apt. The editing is very good and doesn’t linger on to a scene for longer than required. Pink’s background music isn’t grating and highlights the moments in the film all too well. Pink Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When PINK’s promos came out, one expected an edgy and a realistic cinema. The fact is that PINK does not disappoint at all in this aspect. It boasts of a gripping screenplay that holds your attention till the end. Despite the film’s slow narrative, especially in the first half, it keeps you engaged and hooked. The film has some hard hitting dialogues (Ritesh Shah), which elevates the situations and the corresponding elements. Do not miss the entire courtroom drama, especially when Amitabh Bachchan grills Taapsee Pannu and Angad Bedi and also when Kirti Kulhari breaks down in the courtroom. The film’s director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, who happens to be a big name in Bengali cinema makes his Bollywood debut with PINK as a master storyteller. While he uses the first half to just set up the film, it’s actually the gripping second half that helps the film in reaching its crescendo. The manner in which Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury has extracted realistic performances from the film’s actors is definitely laudable. Despite the film being rich in content, the film does carry a grim feel due to its subject matter. Also, the film does not explain certain elements very clearly like the relationship between Amitabh Bachchan with an ailing lady named Sarah. Another big loophole was that, despite Taapsee Pannu’s character being molested in a car the second time, there is not mention of such a major event in the court case. Also, the scene of Kirti Kulhari’s fake ‘obscene poster’ that costs her the job, seems totally forced into the film. Pink Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Pink is a powerful statement on the existing feudal mindset of a majority of India, where men and women are judged by a different yardstick. And if the man happens to be from a powerful family, then the fight for justice is even more skewed. Pink Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: This is the third renaissance in Amitabh Bachchan’s career. After masterfully playing a concerned grandpa harbouring a secret in Ribhu Dasgupta’s Te3n, he returns with this megawatt performance where he packs in his quiet reserve and explosive outbursts with equal flourish. While his death stare is sufficient to do the job, when he drops the bass and picks it up again in his dialogues, we’re assured the baritone is trademark. Taapsee Pannu distinctly stands out from the female cast and lends her Meenal Arora a feisty edge of a determined woman. Kirti Kulhari’s Falak is portrayed throughout the film as the most collected of the three but when her character is thrown from the pan to fire, even she cracks. Daughter of Shillong-based musician Rudy Wallang and guitarist of Lavender Groove, Andrea Tariang may be an accidental actor but going by the Andrea she essays on the big screen, we’d surely like to see more of this petite wonder. Veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee’s voice may have turned a bit quivery with age, but he draws much attention through his dramatic pauses and his almost-clinical dialogue delivery. Pink Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Bachchan, like Sunny Deol from that iconic pic, plays a retired lawyer who returns to fight a case worth fighting for, in a riveting court-room drama, with Bachchan’s relatively under-stated baritone serving as the much needed voice of reason. So, yeah, you know where this film is coming from. What I’m interested in, or at least we ought to be, is where this film is going — ideally to all those people and places in India, still grappling with a seemingly radical idea that men and women are just, well, you know, equal. It’s shocking, as Pink puts it, the views some of the most unlikely men hold about women — on the basis of how they dress, what they drink, who they love, where they live… Even as we see more and more females in public, party, and work places. Yes, Pink does compel you to think. And that’s not all it does. Review by Anusha Iyengar on Bollywood Life Rating: The courtroom scenes are cut to cut without any unnecessary scenes about interrogations and finding the proofs, or any songs for that matter. There is not one soul in the movie that has disappointed the audience with their acting skills. Piyush Mishra, who plays the role of the prosecution lawyer, has done exceptionally well. His performance will make you hate him so much that you’ll whistle and clap every time Big B has brilliant comeback to his accusations. And we meant that as a compliment to him. Even the girls have delivered a terrific performance. Not to forget, the dialogues are to the point and witty. The second half of the movie is more gripping and Big B steals the show in the second half. The last scene in the movie is bound to give you the chills. This is Bengali film director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Bollywood debut and is produced by Shoojit Sircar. All in all, this is the Movie of the Year for me. I urge you to watch it with your family and friends. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The film is a must-watch on many levels. The first half of the film is dedicated to establishing the main characters and the mysterious incident that provoked the legal action. Indeed, there is a sense of mystery about what actually happened that night and the director skillfully and slowly unravels the plot in the second half. The second half is a cracking legal thriller as the two lawyers indulge in a no-holds barred legal battle to establish the truth and is a sheer delight for fans of courtroom dramas. However, Pink is not just a legal thriller. Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury raises many pertinent questions about what constitutes acceptable behavior for women, the hypocrisy of genders, the concept of morals in an Indian society and the question of consent. My only complaint with the film is that though it is gripping on an emotional level and kept me engaged till the very end, the final judgement in the case seemed more influenced by a moving speech rather than proving of facts and law points. Nevertheless, the film could not have come at a better time- even in this era, when women are still expected to adhere to certain guidelines to avoid being molested or raped, a dose of Pink is what everyone needs this weekend… Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: On the flip side, the first half takes it time to set the court room drama. Falak’s ouster from her job sequence lacks conviction. It’s a theme based film, those looking for wholesome entertainment will be put off. All said and done, PINK is an essential piece of cinema. Having Mr. Bachchan in an act which nobody can afford to miss, the topical courtroom drama questioning the mindset of the society on women and the prevailing double standards demands compulsory viewing. Do yourself a favour, watch PINK. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The only weak link in this film is the elderly lawyer played by Amitabh Bachchan. Deepak Sehgall, we are told, is suffering from bipolar disorder, which means mood swings, which means Bachchan alternating between chewing out dialogue and being growly and forced. He takes on the girls’ case, and we want to cheer because he is the Bachchan and will make everything come right. But because he is Bachchan, the director handles him with kid gloves, and there goes the naturalism with which everyone else is playing their parts so effectively. Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: As for the performances, Mr Sehgal’s role is a cakewalk for Amitabh Bachchan. Piyush Mishra’s acting has become very predictable and his turn as the slimy lawyer here too delivers no surprises. Taapsee Pannu is excellent, but more so is Kirti Kulhari. It is refreshing to see her in a strong, demanding role after a promising performance in 2011’s Shaitaan. And last but not the least, Angad Bedi. Bedi, as the spoiled son of a politician, rages and froths with hyper-virile masculinity and institutional entitlement. He is a treat to watch. Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Pink has its fair share of hiccups. In a scene, Bachchan tells the judge, “Your honour, I am digressing”, just like the uneven second half. The court room scenes are epic because of the dialogues and Bachchan’s execution, but they tend to get a bit predictable along the way. Also, it would have been a treat to get us a short back story for Bachchan’s battle with his mental disorder and how he came to be the way he is. The North Indian girl angle with Andrea seemed weak and an attempt to up the drama quotient. It didn’t flow with the narrative that well. Piyush Mishra’s lawyer act is loud and he could have done a way with his trademark diction and style of talking. Pink is a film every woman and every man must watch. It carries an important message. And even if it changes the mindset of one percent of the country’s population, it’s a big win. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Every single actor has upped the ante in this 136-minute riveting drama. If Taapsee excels in initial courtroom scenes, Kirti takes it to a whole new level in the finale. The girls have shown a tremendous range and Pink belongs to them. Nobody has overshadowed them, not even Bachchan or a shrewd lawyer Prashant, played by a super intense Piyush Mishra. Vijay Verma, who plays Angad Bedi’s friend Ankit in the film, also leaves his mark. He has shown a lot of promise in a cameo. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Pink is no moral lesson on women empowerment, but it hits home when dealing with matters of what constitutes consent among adults. The scene in which Bachchan, an ageing lawyer who represents these women, spells out the significance of the word ‘no’ is understandably theatrical and manipulative, but it weirdly works. Pannu and her on-screen friends must take a bow for lending such grace and gravitas to their roles. You feel their collective anger and helplessness of living in a male-chauvinistic world filled with double-standards and moral policing. It’s also interesting that the director didn’t stoop to dwell on the graphic details of the sexual violence that took place at the party, but trains his lens and his energies on the devastating effects felt by women instead. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: The best thing about the film is its telling, its narrative. The film (right till the end) doesn’t show the actual sexual assault on women yet manages the viewers to empathise with them. The film never titillates, neither does it use disturbing visuals to cajole sympathy out of its viewers and it’s this non manipulative treatment of the film that makes it a class apart. Little things in the movie stand out like the strong bond the three female protagonists share. There is a quotable quote in their house that reads, ‘What I love the most about this house is who I share it with.’ The first half, though slightly slow, shows the incident as is, without ever taking sides or preaching and creating just the right build-up for the brilliant courtroom drama in the second half. A film like Pink is so imperative that everyone must watch it. We as a nation keep telling our girls, our daughters and our wives to behave a certain way, to dress a certain way, to even talk a certain way so that they are not misread or misunderstood. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: The strength of the film, apart from its great performances, are its taut screenplay and dialogues. Flavoured with a language that the youth of today will relate to, the dialogues are hard-hitting and strike a chord immediately, as they are packed with relevant messages. Humour comes in the form of the satirical dialogues, and lightens the tenor of the otherwise intense film. With moderate production values, Cinematographer Abhik Mukhopadhay`s lens captures the drama in a realistic manner. The only song in the film, “Kaari kaari raina”, is used effectively to encapsulate the mood and messages in the film. Overall, ‘Pink’ is an evocative film about women, brimming with messages relevant for society, and keeps you riveted to the screen. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: You wish Tapsee Pannu did not have to be such a wuss at the trial (remember Jodie Foster in The Accused? You want that!). You wish the film had been crisper. You wish there was at least one Amitabh Bachchan dialog you could take home with you. ‘No means no’ does have the same drama as Sunny Deol’s ‘Tareekh pe tareekh’ or the laconic brilliance of ‘Tera naam kya hai Basanti’… Watch it because you cannot miss out on a film that attempts to talk about a subject that needs talking about. Just remember that the subject alone does not make it an amazing film. Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Pink eventually goes from a nightmare to a film of wish-fulfilment, because not just do we have Bachchan as a stupefyingly articulate orator scolding witnesses with panache “I object… to this awkward performance. He is overacting.” — but we have Dhritiman Chatterjee playing a judge who understands rhetoric. If that entire courtroom drama feels too good to be true, that’s because, soberingly enough, it is. Amitabh Bachchan isn’t around to stand by our women. We should be. Pink Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The first half of the film is very slow and keeps testing your patience level. There are minor tracks related to Amitabh Bachchan’s personal life, which could have been avoided. Amitabh Bachchan’s personal life not justified. The writers should have added some more detailing related to working structure of Amitabh Bachchan as he is shown getting all the right evidences and details related to the case. Everything is shown very easily in the film without any hard-ship attached to it. Music is weak and needed few good background songs to work in favour of the film. ‘Pink’ is a colorful rendering of various emotions and power packed screenplay. The masses might find a bit hard to digest this movie, but for all others it’s a must watch. Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Not undermining the efforts of other talent who make the film, as a whole, a very gratifying watch. Taapsee has graduated to an extraordinary actress managing to hold the viewer’s attention despite having Mr Bachchan in the same frame. Ditto for Falak and Andrea who deliver a power packed performance in crucial scenes of the film. Review by Anupama Chopra on NDTVMovies Rating: The first half works as a thriller and the second as a courtroom drama. Aniruddha keeps the scenes tight and tense. The writing by Ritesh Shah is terrific. So are the performances. The women – Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang – don’t seem like they’re acting. These are women you and I might know, strong and vulnerable, angry and confused. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Pink is not easy viewing. It makes you uncomfortable and is a stark reminder that this could happen to any Indian woman anywhere, not just in Delhi. It works as much as a cautionary tale as it does a wake-up call. The writing, by Ritesh Shah, is excellent, and the performances are consistently terrific. From actors in smaller roles – the girls’ landlord, the unsympathetic female cop, the instigating friend – to the central players, there isn’t a false note here. Angad Bedi is suitably menacing, and Tapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang deliver natural performances as strong but emotionally vulnerable women, without a hint of affectation. Amitabh Bachchan uses his booming baritone to great effect, and despite such contrivances as his bipolar disorder, his ailing wife, and his habit of wearing an anti-pollution mask, he creates a fully flesh and blood character that you can’t stop yourself from cheering for in the end. A word here also for Dhritiman Chatterjee who is so good, so effective as the elderly judge. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: This brings us to the performances. Each actor big or small brings such vast amounts of credibility to his or her part that you are left with a feeling of having witnessed a surge of unostentatious excellence. The neglected Kirti Kulhari comes into her own as Falak with a lot to conceal in her life. Kulhari plays the character with such moral equity she leaves us no room to judge her blemishes. Her breakdown in the courtroom will shake every member of the audience, man woman or child. In contrast Tapsee Pannu who plays the main target of gender assault sheds no tears. She conveys her character’s textured torment with an austerity of expression that is remarkable. Andrea as the girl from Meghalaya who gets caught in the vortex of a murky scandal is the portrait of vulnerability. But it is finally the mighty Bachchan who holds the key to this remarkable film’s incontestable power and efficacy. He is the voice of reason and the conscience of a morality tale where right and wrong are not easily identifiable. Yet when he sets forth reasons as to why a no from a woman means no,we are looking not at a rousing courtroom performance but a voice that ricochets through generations of patriarchal smugness. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: In Amitabh Bachchan films, I always admire how you tend to forget the actor and remember the character he played, especially while you are watching the film. Here I was slightly worried that the film might become about this mentally deteriorating lawyer. But, the film is only and only about the issue. The lawyer, the victims, the culprits serve only one purpose – to bring the issue forth. And of course there is a sermon. It is broken into pieces and is not one long lecture. But it is a speech nevertheless. That Amitabh Bachchan is delivering it, makes you listen to it with rapt attention. That it is about a topic that means something to you, helps you too. But hey, it is a sermon nevertheless. And my problem with them is that they jolt you out of the story making you realise again that it is a film you are watching. Equally jarring is the song that abruptly begins in the background. Also, a little less of the setup and a little more of the courtroom drama would have worked better. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars

Shoojit Sircar is one of the best directors we have in Bollywood right now and his attachment to a movie is a sureshot...

Freaky Ali was expected to get good reviews, but unfortunately both films that released last weekend have failed at the box office. The trend of both films (Baar Baar Dekho) is poor, with Freaky Ali being the better out of the two. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Freaky Ali’ Review – 2.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Freaky Ali Review by Indicine Rating: Dare we say it, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s casting is a wrong decision, even if it seems great on paper. Freaky Ali was calling out for a star who would bring his own charisma and star value to the role of Ali. Sadly, Nawazuddin hams it up a bit too much which is painful to see. Seema Biswas, another legendary actor, gives him company in hamming it up. What are these two doing in a movie like Freaky Ali, could be the subject of a PHD thesis soon. Jas Arora looks menacing and princely and is a good casting decision. Amy Jackson is stunning when it comes to looks but she can’t act.  Freaky Ali Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: We must give it to actor turned director Sohail Khan for bringing about a new sport to limelight with FREAKY ALI. While it’s often cricket that takes away all the attention, sports like golf are left ignored. The film, that quite frequently reminds us of Adam Sandler starrer HAPPY GILMORE, has an intriguing first half filled with humour and the antics of Ali will definitely leave you in splits. While the expectations are at its peak during the second half, soon disappointment creeps in as director Sohail Khan fails to keep up the benchmark that he sets in the initial half of the film. The film succumbs to Bollywood clichés of an underdog’s triumphs that makes the second half predictable. It also falls flat when it comes to humor, contrary to the first which boasts of a good collection of punchlines. Special mention to dialogue writer Raaj Shandiliya who has managed to give some of the best dialogues to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, especially in his introduction scene where he is seen selling male undergarments, however, we wish he could have retained his series of punches even in the second half. The screenplay written by Sohail Khan along with Raaj is decent but nothing beyond average. Despite the fact that the film manages to find its space between the series of films that show an underdog ultimately reaching his goal, some are done-to-death sequences that could have been easily avoided. Freaky Ali Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: While we all love Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a performer, it’s high time that he chooses his projects more carefully, since this is the third film of his this year, after Te3N and Raman Raghav 2.0, that has let us down. Freaky Ali has a few moments of comic mirth that will make you crack a smile, but the film, overall, sputters and drags all the way to the final hole. Freaky Ali Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: Nawaz, who is, frankly, at home playing similar characters in much grounded films with a different cinematic language, does everything possible to add juice to Ali, but Sohail Khan’s Freaky Ali, in itself, is so empty within, that it needed a star of much bigger, grander, and freakier charisma to elevate such sub-par material to enjoyable goofiness. Freaky Ali Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Thankfully, Siddiqui, the actor, soon overcomes the banal storyline and right from the moment he starts his training to become a golfer, we start enjoying his presence. Co-writers Khan and Raj Shaandilya have come up with a modern, fun-filled screenplay that makes the cliched plot not just bearable but enjoyable. Freaky Ali Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Golf is a serene sport. On screen, a game about focus and patience isn’t always very exciting to watch and Freaky Ali doesn’t even pretend like it wants to enthuse forget educate except equating it with cricket for analogical purposes. It’s entirely on the writers and actors to make the proceedings seem crucial or comic. What shows up on screen is plain lazy on their part and it’s painfully dull to watch. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: The humor is what makes the first half of the film fairly engrossing. The second half, which mainly focuses on Ali’s journey towards winning the championship, is what makes the film dull. The irreverence goes completely missing and the film is burdened with clichés of all kinds. The evil reigning champion, the portion about betrayal and the prayer son in the climax – Freaky Ali falls exactly into the trap it was trying so hard to avoid. Jas Arora is also incredibly irritating. Freaky Ali has flashes of fun but could’ve been far funnier. Watch it for Nawaz’s endearing performance. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Arbaaz Khan as a debt collector and Nikitin Dheer as a local goon are just about average. Amy Jackson and Karishma Kotak have nothing much to do in the film. However, Asif Basra and Seema Biswas do a noticeable job. Jas Arora, who plays an antagonist, looks hot in his chiselled body and bearded face. Last seen as a villain in Ek Paheli Leela, Jas surely fits the bill as an evil golf champion. Even though Nawaz performs well in ‘Freaky Ali’, the film is surely not worth the ticket price. Since Baar Baar Dekho also released this Friday, pick this only if you are an ardent Nawazuddin Siddiqui fan. The film holds no promise of entertaining you throughout. Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: While the first hour of this film is time pass, the second half loses steam because of its repetitive narrative style. Also, you know at the start that this Ali is as strong as Mohammad Ali and will win all tournaments. The bit in the story about getting sport mixed with the anti-social elements is banal, but the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. So, you shouldn’t either. Watch it for Nawaz. Director Sohail Khan, who shares writing credits too, takes a lot of cinematic liberties. Even in a Utopian state, it is hard to digest street children running amuck golf greens. Or having goondas, double up as caddies. Like they say, this happens only in our desi cinema. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: There’s a ‘message’ that’s dinned in to us via Nawaz’s ‘ordinary’ man. That no one, even a guy who hawks undergarments at a road-side stall, is worthy of contempt. That golf may be seen as a sport for the wealthy, but there’s no stopping anyone from becoming a champion. All you need is skill. And will. The poor vs rich clash is set up for laughs, and we are amused to begin with, but then the amusement dries up.The one person who keeps us watching is Nawaz, who busily shakes a leg and romances a pretty girl (Amy Jackson), when he is not sinking a hole-in-one much to the consternation of his wealthy rival (Jas Arora). His connect with the audience is instant, and he keeps it going with wry one-liners which he delivers with consummate ease. It’s also nice to see him in a light-hearted role : except perhaps for his blundering TV reporter in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, who is a hoot, he has been condemned to dark, twisted turns in dark, twisted flicks. In addition, to see him command the screen in a solo turn is a delight : he is our first true subaltern `hero’ who has moved from the fringes to claim the centre. If only this were a better film. Review by Sameeksha on News18 Rating: The film is a forgettable mess. It feels bad to see a talent like Nawazauddin wasted by a superficial story and poor execution. The baseline was innovative and could’ve worked wonders if Sohail would’ve played safe and stuck to just making an inspirational story. The film is like a sixer on a golf field, irrelevant and unnecessary. Even Siddiqui’s brave act can’t save this one. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: In this film, the lead actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui does, for sure. I suspect the filmmakers would have chosen the actor before the script itself. There is a latent cheekiness in his persona that only few films have explored so far (The Lunchbox might be one of them). He himself calls it “bhonde wali acting”. Yeah he’s fun. What about the rich people around giving him lessons on “ameer and gareeb”, while he lands the hottest woman in the club, and the movie goes off course thereafter? Ah, we’re just faking Ali, no? Sadly, yes. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Nawazuddin’s comic timing, ability to own a scene while infusing his character with vulnerability, is what works for the film. Amy Jackson is as ceramic as she has been in every other film and is little more than a prop. Jas Arora, playing the antagonist, grunts from under his facial bushes like a provoked canine and is almost caricature-ish. A Salman Khan production, directed by Sohail Khan, with Arbaaz Khan playing second fiddle, this one is a family business like few others. If the secular appeal (a qawali-aarti mashup) towards the end were to be ditched, this one could’ve been a safer investment. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: It was sad to see Siddiqui after such a brilliant work in RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0 making a fool of himself. Apart from Seema Biswas as Ali’s mother, Asif Basra and Arbaaz Khan to an extent, nothing else leaves any impression in this self depreciating flick which goes from bad to worse. A Devgn style entry of Jackie Shroff which makes you cringe and hit the screen with that golf stick. An unnecessarily loud Jas Arora makes you wonder and the mystery for casting Amy Jackson remains unsolved. Freaky Ali Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The second half has mild shades of humor, but goes on a dragging and predictable mode. There is nothing concrete happening in the second half of the film and has some unwanted tracks. These tracks are half baked and failed to go with the flow of the film. The whole Nawazuddin and Amy track is abrupt and unconvincing.Music by SajidWajid is average. ‘Din Mein Karengey’ will last for a short while. ‘ParindaHaiParinda’ is good, but nothing extraordinary.Director Sohail Khan tries hard to make a decent comical drama and partially succeeds in some scenes. There were few scenes and tracks (especially related to Nikitin) which could have done wonders. The director seems bit under confident due to which he decides to play safe in the second half by just dragging the novelty factor to its fullest.. Arbaaz Khan and Amy Jackson were sleep walking in the film. Their tracks are half-baked and unwanted at times. Jas Arora keeps continuing his Gulshan Grover clone type of act. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The trouble with sports movies is that so much of the story depends on the action. Golf, unlike a football movie depends on just one character. And even if you show four competing characters, there’s not much to ‘show’ for action except the teeing. Jas Arora makes a good competitor for Nawazuddin but even his ‘Golf is a game for rich folk and not riff-raff’ becomes too repetitive. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: In fact, that is what a lot of Freaky Ali ultimately is, an attempt at slapstick comedy with a coherent story. There it achieves its purpose. But in entertaining us, it does not. The story by itself is like any other sports drama except that the drama is just not enough. Yes, it is tough for me to accept that I am asking for more drama. This is despite our hero Ali being in a situation that is closing in on him from both sides. Review by Manjari Saxena on Gulfnews Rating: Amy Jackson as Megha (Ali’s love interest) is quite forgettable in her miniscule role, while Jas Arora, who plays the, expectedly arrogant reigning golf champion Vikram Rathore, tries really hard to impress and fails. To top it all, you have veteran actor Jackie Shroff making a fool of himself in the climax as the local don – I wonder, if that’s the cameo brothers Sohail and Arbaaz didn’t allow Salman to play. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Jas Arora as Nawaz’s villainous adversary on the golf field tries every trick in the book to look evil. But he is more a cartoonish figure. Amy Jackson seems content playing the plaything. She’s first Jas Arora’s right-hand woman, then Ali’s. All the while she is a mere prop. Amy Aneedn’t worry. No one is likely to take this freaky film seriously. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Mind you, the film is not in the league of films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ or Mary Kom or Paan Singh Tomar. But nevertheless, ‘Freaky Ali’ scores only because it isn’t trying to pretend to be something it is not. If you are looking for a ‘masala’ timepass this weekend, Freaky Ali will surely not disappoint you despite being predictable and clichéd. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Do Lafzon Ki Kahani – 1.7 stars M cream – 1.7 stars Junooniyat – 1.6 stars The Legend of Michael Mishra – 1.2 stars

Sohail Khan has been making movies for almost 2 decades now, and it is always baffling to see him churn out one below...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Baar Baar Dekho’ Review – 2.4 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Baar Baar Dekho Review by Indicine Rating: The script of Baar Baar Dekho has clearly been written and rewritten many times because the moments portrayed in the film have a deftness about them. There’s a certain sense of déjà vu for the normal viewer as the story is very relatable. Who wouldn’t want to see their future and set things right? Nitya Mehra does a commendable job at utilising the full potential of this unique (maybe not so much) concept. Baar Baar Dekho doesn’t have too many rip-roaring moments as the emotions are kept subtle, and it entertains without going overboard. Technically, Baar Baar Dekho looks like a movie mounted on a big scale even though it is a medium budget film. This is due to the smart production design and the technically efficient cinematography. The editing is fluid and none of the scenes feel displaced. The music of Baar Baar Dekho is a strong point. Kala Chashma has already become a rage. And other songs like Khair Mangdi, Nachde Ne Saare and Dariya all become ear worms. This is a well put together soundtrack which suits the nature and tone of the movie very well. A good all round effort. Baar Baar Dekho Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When BAAR BAAR DEKHO’s promos were released, it gave a feel that the film was a sincere attempt in the genre of time travel. In reality, the film’s screenplay (Sri Rao, Nitya Mehra, Anuvab Pal) completely gives the film in. Besides being confusing, the film’s screenplay is totally slow and un-relatable, which makes it extremely difficult to find resonance with the audience. The film’s dialogues (Anvita Dutt) are very average with no outstanding one liners or anything to that effect. Though humor is sorely missing in the film, it is loaded with moments of unintentional comedy. Despite having assisted on successful films like LIFE OF PI, DON and LAKSHYA, debutante director Nitya Mehra struggles while narrating BAAR BAAR DEKHO. The way in which she has handled the aspect of time travel in the film is very weak, which only goes onto prove that such genres definitely require an ‘experienced hand’ for the film to be worth its salt. As the film progresses, one does start feeling about BAAR BAAR DEKHO being heavily ‘inspired’ by the Hollywood flicks like the Nicholas Cage starrer THE FAMILY MAN and the Adam Sandler starrer CLICK. While BAAR BAAR DEKHO’s first half (especially the first 30 minutes) is engaging, the film starts collapsing piece by piece as Sidharth’s character starts time travelling. The film’s second half only gets worse and tests your patience as Sidharth starts travelling back and forth in time. It won’t be wrong to say that, while BAAR BAAR DEKHO’s essence is Indian, the concept is totally alien. All of this results in BAAR BAAR DEKHO becoming a mash up of sorts, thus, landing nowhere. And when the film’s ridiculous suspense is revealed towards the end, it totally shows how much the makers of the film take the audiences for granted. Baar Baar Dekho Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: After a row between these two lovers before their wedding day, Jai is miraculously gifted the ability to travel forward in his life. He gets to visit several momentous occasions in his life such as his honeymoon in Thailand, his wife’s delivery in London and his post-retirement days. Some phases, such as the one where he’s trying to be good husband, are engaging, but some are downright cheesy. Malhotra, who was producer Karan Johar’s discovery in Student Of The Year, doesn’t have the heft to pull off such a substantial role. The phase in which he’s an old, dejected soul looks terribly contrived. Even Kaif cannot pull off a fake grey wig and doesn’t age too well. Those phases are amateurish, but what keeps this love story afloat are the moments in which the couple try to work through their skewed work-life balance. It’s a problem that many modern-day couples face and the diatribe about ‘you don’t spend enough time with me’ hits close home. Both Kaif and Malhotra have enough sizzle to keep us guessing. Baar Baar Dekho Review by Ritika Handoo on Zeenews Rating: The chemistry between Sid and Kat is stupendous, and certainly, after this film, we want to ‘Baar Baar Dekho’ them together again. They do exude a certain kind of freshness which can be tapped more on the reel. How Jai’s character grows and what happens to his relationship with Diya—their journey, hardships and struggle in keeping up with the tale or rather twist in time is what ‘Baar Baar Dekho’ has to offer. It has a subtle yet very important message underlying which we all must understand and try to live every moment with the person we love the most! And yes, for once I am happily saying ‘chill, if you can’t hold that mathematical equation for once’, as there’s more to life than one plus one two! Baar Baar Dekho Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Baar Baar Dekho is an extremely good looking film with fine production values. When you have Sidharth and Katrina as your leads your poster could look like a page out of a high fashion magazine! These two look really good together and film makers should cast them in the future (with no time travel) and give them better scripts. Nitya keeps the premise easy and light in the first half, we get to see Jai and Diya up close and understand their values and notions about life. Jai’s ambitious personality and career driven hunger for success is diagonally opposite to Diya’s want to find joy and happiness in simple and small things. Nitya does a good job of creating some really beautiful moments between these two. The dialogues aren’t heavy or melodramatic, they sound like what two grownup adults would be saying while having an argument or making up. I liked Sidharth’s character more than Katrina’s only because there was ample scope for him to do more. There is immense maturity in his performance and he’s come to know his craft better. Sidharth has an old school charm and is able to use that well to play Jai. Katrina looks like a million bucks and her scenes in the second half where we see them as a married couple with kids are good. The music is already a success and the songs especially ‘Khair Mangdi‘ and ‘Sau Aasman’ fit well into the storyline. Baar Baar Dekho Review by Subhash K Jha on NDTVMovies Rating: Debutant director Nitya Mehra’s Baar Baar Dekho is unlike any romantic yarn – I hesitate from giving it that loosely-used term the ‘rom-com’. It is the ultimate what-if saga, narrated with a tender care and subdued splendour that makes every moment between the lead pair precious and gladdening. Watching the film, we are just happy to see Jai and Diya together. It could be because they are played by two of the best-looking stars in our cinema. Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif look so made-for-each-other that it seems absurd to even suggest that they can be separated by destiny or design – or in this case by designed destiny. Baar Baar Dekho Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: What works for Baar Baar Dekho is its high emotional quotient. Malhotra has restricted himself from going overboard, and that works tremendously in favour of the film. He is relatable, likeable and confident. His chemistry with Kaif, however, doesn’t take off as the latter drastically fails to do the emotional bits. She looks ravishing in the songs, but that’s probably not enough. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Mehra’s imagination makes Sidharth and Katrina travel from ages eight to their teenage, to mid-twenties, to mid-forties, and then late-fifties. The film essentially tries to drive home the message of carpe diem. The ‘concept’ could have taken off, but is let down by the execution of Baar Baar Dekho. That is, if you count out the half-hearted performances by the lead actors. Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif both seem to think they are in the film to make it look good. There’s hardly any acting on the part of either. While Katrina’s moments of frustration and sorrow invoke the stray laugh from the theatre, Sidharth’s neither-here-nor-there Jai hardly makes an impact. Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Editor Amitabh Shukla has cropped the film beautifully and makes the different timelines appear seamless and in flow. There is also freshness in the dialogues and also has enough room for comic relief, and the credit for that goes to Anvita Dutt. No one captures a film like cinematographer Ravi Chandran and in this film too he has showcased many stunning shots. Ram Kapoor gets his comic timing right and seems to enjoy himself on screen. In a few portions, the film makes you yawn but it soon recovers as the director manages to get it back on track. Sidharth’s performance is endearing and the many workshops conducted by Atul Mongia have really helped the actor to pull off this complex performance. Katrina Kaif’s performance is different than what we have seen the actress deliver so far. She looks absolutely revived as she manages to pull out several emotions and one can see that her craft has only gotten better with every film. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: A story about how looking at the bigger picture and not paying attention to the little moments in life can cause issues in relationships, would have been more relatable had it been weaved into a simple and sweet tale without exploring uncharted territories like time travel. The duration of the film is another issue as it seems to go on and on without an end in sight. In conclusion, ‘Baar Baar Dekho’ is worth watching just ‘Ek Baar’. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Siddharth Malhotra is left to flounder, and that is heartbreaking because he is capable of so much more. He can underplay beautifully, and add nuance to any part (he was the best part of Dharma Production’s previous Kapoor & Sons) but here he is strictly one note. What the film needed was to borrow some of the high voltage energy of the madly addictive Kala Chashma ditty, which has turned into the season’s club song du jour. Baar baar dekho? Wishful thinking. Once is way more than enough. Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: In true Dharma style, the film is visually and musically enchanting and is about loving your family. Good looking actors hum soulful songs on gorgeous locales. Both Sidharth and Katrina are easy on the eye and Sidharth pulls off his complex role with ease. Katrina, however fails to go beyond what’s expected of her as an actor. There are timeless love stories and then stories involving time travel. BBD belongs to the latter. Pleasant and fairly engaging but a tad tedious (like mathematics) to evoke a Baar Baar viewing. The foot-tapping kala chashma song in the end infuses that much required energy and zest into the film. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: The problem with Baar Baar Dekho is that the story is frustrating and inane. And despite the fact that Hindi movie audiences are known to accept the most bizarre plots (like Rab Ne Bana De Jodi where a woman can’t recognize her husband without glass and a moustache), this one is just not believable. What causes the time travel? Is it the thread? The pandit? Is it all a dream? You will be left grappling with these questions till half the film is over. All that going in the future, then past, then future again before finally coming back to the present makes BBD a repetitive bore. Director Nitya Mehra has put her focus on all the things inconsequential (futuristic gadgets, styling, time travel). The very simple and important idea of the story – cherish the ones you love – is lost in translation. Was the time travel gimmick really needed to relate a very simple message? It’s an undercooked time travel tale. Ek baar dekhna is tough enough. Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Characters go through a lot in this film — the Groundhog Day section of the script is the most tedious and the most contrived — but none more than the audience. Diya, portrayed by Katrina as high-strung and shrill, is — by my reckoning — the most patient and understanding wife in the world. Married to an utter idiot, her outbursts are entirely justified, and come what may, she does put up with him and consents to loving him. Poor thing. And yet, even at the end of this unbearable film when things are finally, belatedly being set right, the fool husband complains about her impossible temper. As if it’s her fault. Poor show, Ms Mehra. If you could go back in time to set this film right, make something else instead. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: It’s a shame it’s the superficial stuff – the frills and the trimmings – that stay with you longer than the characters or their emotions. The film is gorgeously mounted like a spread straight out of Architectural Digest, shot at stunning foreign locations, and set to a slew of chartbusting tunes. Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif have faces and bodies that justify 50-foot marquees, but the passion is missing. Despite both their efforts to infuse feeling into the scenes, they’re let down by a script that is colder than the weather in England, where a chunk of the film is set. For a film about romance and love, Baar Baar Dekho is curiously lacking the messiness of real relationships, and trades in quick-fix solutions to complex personal issues. At 2 hours and 21 minutes it’s way too long, and never once succeeded in making me care if Jai and Diya would end up happily ever after. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Does this seem merely an exercise in makeup artistry then? In that sense, the old Sidharth looks a lot like the current Shah Rukh Khan, if you ask me. And Katrina is the mannequin all the way. Be that as it may, I suspect both of them, few years down the line, looking back at this movie, might feel rather embarrassed nonetheless. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: For a debut, Nitya Mehra took on a very ambitious project with a wafer thin script. Fabricating the future is challenging. You go with jet packs and flying cabs and end up like Love Story 2050. You ditch the gadgets and make tomorrow seem like today and it would be just as upsetting. Here, we see gesture-controlled computers, buses with touchscreen windows and the most imaginative production input — a funeral pyre burning inside a lotus-shaped glass enclosure (probably an environment-sensitive breakthrough). While these bells and whistles are mildly distracting, there’s little happening in the film to steal attention away from it. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Sidharth and Katrina look extremely good together. Their older versions are scary but overall they are a delight to watch on screen. Katrina looks ravishing and Sidharth improves as an actor. Cameos by Sarika, Ram Kapoor, Sayani Gupta and Rajit Kapur are good. Technically a polish product with rich production values, BAAR BAAR DEKHO also serves good in its music by Amaal Mallik, Arko, Badshah, Jasleen Royal and Bilal Saeed. Baar Baar Dekho Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Although not a typical Karan Johar type film, Baar Baar Dekho deserves to be seen for its music, glamour and unusual theme. Jumbled up screenplay and dragging second half might put off the audience. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: A grouchy young man seems to be living a sort of groundhog day when everyone around him is happy celebrating his wedding to his childhood sweetheart. We know he has to re-live the day that changed his fate but we don’t know why. And despite Katrina Kaif and Sidharth Malhotra’s ‘hotness’ which drew the audiences in, the story leaves you cold. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: The back and forth, if you can call it that, in the film’s narrative gets tiring by interval. Thereafter the rhythm doesn’t vary much either. What the writers might have thought of as variation and/or a twist to catch the audience off-guard isn’t much of either – change or surprise. The non-linear cum time travel exercise then, comes across merely as a cute idea, rather than romantic or insightful. The problem isn’t that there is little romance or profundity. The problem is that the film thinks it is being charming and insightful. Even so, Siddharth Malhotra tries his best. You get his confusion. You kind-a sort-a get his eureka moment too. The one or two moments of “aawwww” felt over-written because they are repeated. The actor’s conviction in dialogue delivery isn’t enough then. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Do Lafzon Ki Kahani – 1.7 stars M cream – 1.7 stars Junooniyat – 1.6 stars The Legend of Michael Mishra – 1.2 stars

Katrina Kaif has been away from the spotlight lately as Deepika Padukone has overtaken her in the actress’...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Akira’ Review – 2.6 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Akira Review by Indicine Rating: Okay, first things first. Why would you send someone to Mumbai to keep them out of trouble? Why not send them to the Himalayas or some smaller and more peaceful town? AR Murugadoss uses familiar tropes which have appeared in his own movies before. But the reason Akira works is because he knows how to tie it all together and present it in a neat manner. Yes, the heavy handedness gets a bit too much in the second half and the twists keep getting bizarre, but there seems to be a method to the madness. It never leaves the realm of probability. Akira flows well, and doesn’t have a lot of boring sequences even when the director over-explains situations. Akira Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Although women oriented subjects are looked forward to in Bollywood, it really requires an outstanding script and a compelling screenplay in order to make a film of this genre to stand out. In case of AKIRA, despite the film having a strong message and an interesting concept, the loosely penned screenplay (Santha Kumar, A.R. Murugadoss) gives the film in. The script is totally disjointed, which acts as the villain in the entire film. Add to this, the fact that, the film has limited action scenes, no romance and no music lands the film catering to not a single vector of entertainment. The film simply fails to offer any kind of entertainment value to its audiences. The film’s dialogues (Karan Singh Rathore) are extremely average. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Despite the ineffective subtext, Sonakshi plays out the raging impulses of a brooding, badass Akira with a refinement a film of such mediocre calibre can barely recognise, forget contain. She moves, feels and looks the part in an effort that is empty heft because the script is extraordinarily dated and bereft of punch. Between mandatory scenes of Akira’s torture and onslaught, Anurag Kashyap holds fort as the revolting ACP Rane whose depravity and in-fighting among the increasingly discontent partners-in-crime forms the major crux of the plot. Kashyap’s relaxed, wicked delivery hits all the right notes and his original vocation comes in handy as well. Review by Bryan Durham on DNA India Rating: Despite its flaws, catch this film for Sona. Every kick and punch she lands, proves that she’s grown in leaps and bounds since that joke of a boxing match in Holiday. While Murugadoss leaves a lot to be desired, it is a satisfying one-time watch for an action-junkie. Review by Tatsam Mukherjee on India Today Rating: All in all, Akira is a dumb commercial potboiler, with a superlative performance by Anurag Kashyap. Your only wish in the end is Sonakshi find material good enough to do justice to her acting abilities. She badly needs to step away from the preset Bollywood templates. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Sonakshi Sinha, who is knight in shining armour of the film, has truly arrived! It is so good to see her breaking bones and kicking butts so effortlessly. Her power packed performance in the film is an answer to those who don’t consider her as a good actor. She debuted with ‘Dabangg’ and went on to do entertainers like ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘R Rajkumar’ and many more such films where she was used as a filler. It won’t be wrong to call ‘Akira’, Sonakshi’s her real debut. Anurag Kashyap just steals the show with his intense and flawless performance as a corrupt ACP. Konkona Sen Sharma has a small yet striking role of an investigative officer. The rest of the cast, which includes Amit Sadh, Atul Kulkarni and Smita Jaykar does a fair job. Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Murugadoss (Ghajini, Holiday — A Soldier Is Never Off Duty), you can see, started with honourable intentions of trying to impart self-defence lessons to girls. But besides that one noble thought, he couldn’t manage a cohesive plot. His cops-and-Akira chase runs out of steam much too early in the film. Post interval, things get so convoluted, you want to kick and punch. Also, the entire onus of cracking the case is given to a heavily-pregnant, Rabia Sultan (Konkona Sen Sharma) modelled on Frances McDormand of the Hollywood thriller Fargo (1996). And despite Konkona’s sincerity, she still seems like a caricature because the writing material doesn’t support her. Anurag as the baddie and Sonakshi’s spirited act redeem the film to some degree. For the rest, Akira is humdrum. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Right from the beginning, director A R Murugadoss provides warning signals: a female using her fists cannot go scot-free. She has to be seen suffering, otherwise how will the mass audience flock to the film? So if Akira stands up to acid-throwing bullies, we are meant to rightfully applaud her, but that applause is quickly tempered by her having to be disciplined: first in a remand home and then in a ‘mental’ asylum. And for a female protagonist to be bloody but unbowed, and be the last woman standing? That will take some doing: this watered-down female version Ghajini is not that film. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Akira is no breakthrough for women power in Hindi cinema. The heroine is actually only a female version of the swaggering supermen played on the big screen by the likes of Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. She might be far daintier and slighter built, but there is absolutely nothing that is beyond her. She suffers a lot on account of her courage, but her invincibility is never in doubt. And that robs the film of any real possibility of springing any real surprises. The film certainly has its moments, and Sonakshi does her career no harm by revealing a new facet of herself, but Akira isn’t blockbuster material. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: This remake of a 2011 Tamil film has so many wheels turning all at once, it’s positively head-spinning. The dense plot is packed with contrivances, and Murgadoss throws way too many characters into the mix. The film’s first half has potential, but post interval the action shifts to a mental asylum, and logic and common sense quickly goes out of the window. Akira is presented to us as a battering ram of sorts who can vanquish an army of bad guys even while heavily drugged. It’s never entirely convincing, even though there is some pleasure to be had in watching Sonakshi go all ‘Rowdy Rathore’ on her rivals. When her fists aren’t doing the talking, Sonakshi is all cold hard stares and solemn brooding. The film never allows her to have fun with the part, and that’s a real shame. Konkona Sensharma, as a pregnant police officer committed to unearthing the truth, suffers on account of a half-baked part, and Anurag Kashyap’s Rane doesn’t get nearly as much screen time in the second half as he deserves. Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: The issue with Akira is that it strives too hard to become an action entertainer. There is that novelty factor by having an actress as the action lead, but somehow Akira’s punches and kicks feel too rehearsed. Also it’s a cliche ridden film, especially the first half where we see Akira learn martial arts while growing up. The track with her brother and his family fails to develop and it becomes more of a hurdle than a bridge. Music is strictly average and none of the songs help the story progress. The only character that you might be interested in is Kashyap’s cop, but he too becomes a caricature towards the rushed climax. Predictability and bad dialogues don’t give the narrative any scope to grow on you. Akira might entertain Sonakshi Sinha fans, but if you are an action lover then the film doesn’t really have much to offer. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Why should we care for this film though? Because they’ve got some of the casting so right. Which may be the reason this pic got made in the first place. Konkana Sensharma’s never played a cop before. Anurag Kashyap, as the main villain, has certainly never acted so much on screen. And Sonakshi, the heroine, to the best of my knowledge, has never stepped out as solo lead. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Sonakshi Sinha sways her limbs athletically to manage her action scenes and tasks her mast mast do nayan only to spot her perpetrators and spell their doom. Konkona Sen Sharma seems disinterested if not listless in essaying a pregnant cop with a conscience, or so her performance would read. It would be unfair to say that Anurag Kashyap delivers better as an actor than the other caps of filmmaking he dons. But going by the sinister cop he plays here, it’s surely a career option he shouldn’t ignore. His ability of infusing his abominable character with an eerie calm is what sets him apart from most. Amit Sadh’s cameo doesn’t make or break this film and his character could’ve been easily dispensed with. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The climax is good but could have been bettered, more action packed for the adrenaline buffs and more inspiring. The second half lacks the sharpness and edge of the first half. All said and done, AR Murugadoss directed AKIRA has the kind of tempting action thriller allure that edges other routine adrenaline with its constant edge of the seat excitement showing Sonakshi Sinha’s in a power pack action avatar. Watch it. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: Based on an original story by Santha Kumar, the screenplay written by Director A.R. Murugadoss is praiseworthy. The plot is skilfully and intricately woven with well-etched characters and the right amount of action and drama. The director has astutely dealt with the subject with no major deviation. With minimal sound design and constrained camera movement, the film offers a realistic feel. The background score and the production design add to the viewing experience. But the languid pace of the telling is what holds it back from being a crisp and engrossing thriller. Overall, Akira is a well made film worth a watch for its story. Akira Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The first half takes its time to settle until the middle part of the film. The tempo goes down again in the second half of the film and moves on a snail pace. There are some over stretched tracks in the second half, especially of the mental asylum. Though, in between the screenplay keeps bouncing back to its right track due to which one stays engaged with this movie.The story narration is bit slow and tiring at times. Also, the movie promises to deliver some dare-devil type of action but fails to meet up to the expectation level. Actors like Atul Kulkarni and Amit Sadh are wasted. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: It’s been a long time since we watched an action flick without the necessary song and dance romance track. It exists in the film too (poor Amit Sadh gets that ineffective role), but we could have done without it too. If the mother had been given a better role than just the token one, the film could have been different. But on the whole, the movie makes you happy munching popcorn while the heroine cracks bones, makes you laugh cheesily when the creepy villain gets served his desserts. As they say, ‘Paisa Vasool!’ (Full Value For Money) Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Akira is no fairy tale. There are no charming princes and no fairy god mothers. Sure, there is a warrior princess and the devil. Their fight is enough to keep us absorbed. They fight long and hard. Maybe a tad too long. The usual trappings of the second-half syndrome however, are just about tolerable to make Akira absorbing enough to stay in memory after the walk out of the theater. Review by Anupama Chopra on Hindustan Times Rating: Akira has been made earlier in Tamil and Telugu. Obviously it’s a narrative that connects. Those films had male protagonists. Here Murugadoss makes the central character a woman. It’s a brave decision, but the writing — by Murugadoss and Santha Kumar — isn’t good enough to give us a memorable heroine. I do hope though that we’ll see Sonakshi play to her strengths more often. There isn’t much scope for nuance here but she has an emotional depth that surfaces occasionally. I would love to see more of that. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: The film was gripping in the first half. There is nothing sexier than a woman kicking some serious butts, but it slips into Singham mode way too easily and way too quickly. You applaud the fight sequences for the first time, cheer for her the second time, get bored soon and feel like kuch bhi dot com towards the end of it. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: While the first half is thrilling and moves at a fast pace, the second half spirals down a rocky path. The turns are sinister and makes you wonder whether cops can truly get away with multiple murders in Mumbai. You may have to suspend belief to take in some of the haphazard twists in the second half. But it isn’t all bad. It’s invigorating to see a woman take charge and do what Bollywood heroes have been doing for decades. There’s a bit of chest-thumping, but Murugadoss doesn’t let it run wild. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As far as the film goes, though it has a promising start and an enjoyable first half, the narrative is too long-winded and tends to veer off in different directions. The director tries to stuff as many issues as possible in one film, so there is a comment on acid attacks, communal harmony, woman power, fake encounters et al. Also, the pace of the film could have been crisper. The screenplay is quite weak and once the novelty of a feisty female protagonist smashing bad guys wears off, there is not much that the film offers as far as the plot is concerned. Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Do Lafzon Ki Kahani – 1.7 stars M cream – 1.7 stars Junooniyat – 1.6 stars The Legend of Michael Mishra – 1.2 stars

AR Murugadoss is one of the biggest directors down south and he has made quite a name for himself in the Hindi Film Industry too, delivering big hits like Ghajini and Holiday. This time he’s chosen to go with someone like Sonakshi Sinha as the hero of his movie Akira, a gutsy move. Does it pay off? Is Akira as entertaining as Murugadoss’ other films? Is Sonakshi able to convince us in her role? Let’s find out now.