Kaabil Reviews by Critics

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Kaabil ‘ Review – 3.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””]

Kaabil Review by Indicine

Rating: ★★★★½

Kaabil starts slow and takes its own sweet time to get going. The 45 minutes are all about the Hrithik and Yami love story, after which the real action begins. And once it does, there is no stopping Kaabil as the revenge portions of the film get better with each new revenge that Hrithik takes. Sanjay Gupta’s direction is top notch, but it’s the writing (Sanjay Masoom and Vijay Kumar Mishra) that makes what was supposed to be a predictable film, very unpredictable with quite a few twists and turns. Kaabil is also a classic Rakesh Roshan film, even though he isn’t the director here. It’s a formula that has worked for him so many times and Kaabil is no different. It sucks you into the happy world of the Bhatnagars and shocks you when the tragedy strikes for the second time. It peaks at the interval point and continues to surprise throughout the second half, culminating in a fantastic climax.

Kaabil Review by Taran Adarsh on Bollywood Hungama

Rating: ★★★★☆

KAABIL never fails to involve and entertain the moviegoer and if I may say so, it contains enough worthy material to hold the moviegoer’s attention for most of its run time. The emotional component is well balanced with low-key humor, tension-filled moments, energetic action pieces [fist fights, shootouts, explosions] and of course, some razor-sharp and punch-packed dialogue in dramatic sequences [penned by Sanjay Masoomm]. In the end, it’s the emotional journey of the protagonist that acts as a hook and lingers in your memory. There are minor hiccups in an otherwise smooth narrative. The post-interval portions could’ve been slightly more persuasive, from the writing point of view. The strategies adopted by Hrithik, on a few occasions, take an easy route to depict that the protagonist has an upper hand.

Kaabil Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India

Rating: ★★★★☆

The highlight of the film is Hrithik’s bravura performance. He is vulnerable as a lover and menacing as a killing-machine. Half a star in the movie-rating is reserved for his all-time best performance here. Yami provides the perfect foil, subtle and super-effective. Technically the film is adept, thanks to with masters like Sudeep Chatterjee (camera) and Resul Pookutty (sound). However Rajesh Roshan’s yesteryear hits—saara zamana and dil kya karen in their remixed avatars are pale imitations of their original versions.

Kaabil Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India

Rating: ★★★☆☆

One can imagine why the filmmakers would have picked up this dark, riveting drama. It’s the kind of script (by Vijay Kumar Mishra) that, if being narrated to a room full of listeners, would have absolutely everyone guessing what happens next.

Kaabil Review by Joginder Tuteja on Movietalkies

Rating: ★★★★☆

Now that’s what the core strength of the film since Sanjay manages quite well in helping a viewer connect not just with his lead pair but also the villains of the piece, albeit in contrasting ways. You want the good guy to win over evil and it is this very emotional involvement in the storytelling that makes you clap along when the ‘elimination’ begins. What takes the cake is the last 15 minutes that one just couldn’t see coming, especially the final twist in the tale that has been extremely well incorporated in the film. Well done!

Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India

Rating: ★★★★☆

The film begins slow. Too slow. When you have come to watch a thriller, you want the ride to begin. Instead one is lulled into a sense of ease with the romance and the songs, necessary perhaps, but it makes one restless. But once it takes off, there is no dull moment. The special effects in a couple of scenes will make you cringe. How the makers didn’t see the artificiality of that, baffles the mind. Kaabil is old-school, emotional and forceful. And an absolute must for all Hrithik Roshan fans. And if you aren’t his fan, you might feel differently after this film.

Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life

Rating: ★★★★☆

Kaabil has a lazy first half and we wished the pace picked up early on. The VFX in some scenes is botched up and Mumbai’s familiar terrain (Marine Drive scenes) is mismatched with some unnecessary props. Yami’s scenes in the second half and her dialogues with Hrithik also feel forced. Kaabil is dark and violent. There is very little scope for relief and humor in this script. That can become tiresome after a while. Kaabil is Hrithik Roshan‘s swan song and deservedly so becomes his career best performance. Watch and marvel at what can easily be termed as the finest performance to come out of Bollywood in a long time.

Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today

Rating: ★★½☆☆

The film feels too good to be true after a certain point. Sanjay Gupta tries and tells his story well. There are several hitches that the viewer needs to deal with in this ride that he or she embarks on, much like Gupta’s protagonist. Kaabil is extremely stretched, several scenes are forced, several others out of place. The remixed Saara Zamana has absolutely no business being in the film. If Kaabil works, it is because of its lead actor. Hrithik Roshan is a delight to watch. He overdoes some bits, but is mostly believable. Roshan takes a risk by breaking away from the norm and saying yes to a character like that of Rohan. He is blind but he doesn’t need your sympathy. He knows how to manage his way around, although several soapy dialogues take the edge away from Rohan. His chemistry with Yami Gautam will not make you hoot for the couple. Yami Gautam, on her part, is passable.

Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle

Rating: ★★★½☆

The highpoint of ‘Kaabil’ is that, the plot of the film is very okay but the screenplay is intelligently played out. The film won’t bore you even for a second. ‘Kaabil’ is overwhelming, magical and a feel good film. The film is one of the most interesting revenge sagas made in the recent times.

Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The tone of the film takes a hit because of the emphasis on the love story. The flashbacks are also restrictive. With a fierce antagonist, they might have gone all the way. Sometimes it looks too scripted and ‘too easy to be true’ story. Going all out on revenge might have helped Kaabil appear like a ‘different’ film.

Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express

Rating: ★½☆☆☆

The challenge with doing a film whose beats are stacked from its opening frame is to insert surprise. Instead, Kaabil plays it strictly by the numbers, and you can see everything coming from a mile. Yami Gautam’s act includes a permanent unblinking wide-eyed stare. She is light on her feet but seems to have got caught in a series of no account roles after Vicky Donor. Rohit and Ronit Roy are the baddies, and both come off as they have been instructed to: the former a goonda, the latter a grim, glowering local heavyweight. Hrithik does all the heavy lifting and remains the only bright spot in this dispirited mess of a movie. He still has the moves. What he needs is a plot.

Review by Manisha Lakhe  on Nowrunning

Rating: ★★½☆☆

The revenge drama begins now. You look at the watch: It’s been two hours already. The last thirty minutes of the film are filled with a systematic revenge against the perpetrators, the politician and the cops are left to count bodies. They know it is the blind man who has planned it all, but they don’t have any proof. The violence with which the revenge is extracted is a horrific watch. You know it is deserved, but it makes you want to look away from the screen. How the baddies die is a tad predictable, but the twist in the tale is close to brilliant. This is perhaps Hrithik Roshan’s best work, but the slow pace of everything: the dialog delivery, the hesitant walking, the dull songs (even the title track is a funeral dirge, and hence slow) make it a test of your patience.

Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff

Rating: ★★½☆☆

In the beginning, it felt dramatic and moving. When it began to show up routinely, randomly, the desired effect wore out. But the need to portray it in the same timeworn fashion did not.  For freshness, some perceptive actors would stretch their scream or cut it short or, still better; the camera would linger on that single teardrop resting on the rim of their eye. Sanjay Gupta’s Kaabil, produced by Rakesh Roshan, is a lot like that.

Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror

Rating: ★★★½☆

The plot, though not entirely original, offers enough scope for experimentation and the money surely lies in how well and brutally our lead manages to exact his vengeance. While this also lends itself to an underdog story — as you’re likely to be sympathetic towards the lead’s vulnerable state — it also packs in an element of surprise as one could assume that his disability would undermine his ability to inflict much harm. Hrithik Roshan, who seems to have shed his Mohenjo Daro scars, gets into the skin of his character and is even sharply sensitive to the body language of a sightless person. The film rests on his capable shoulders and as his hands inspect surfaces within his reach, his conviction is apparent. Yami Gautam is equally committed and her ability to enact a range of emotions through her unblinking eyes is commendable. Ronit Roy, as the megalomaniac politician who would stop at nothing to eliminate anyone who crosses him, channels serious intimidation. His brother, Rohit is unobjectionable and despite his crucial role in the film, his screen time is fairly limited.

Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham

Rating: ★★★☆☆

What follows is a crowd pleasing and pulse rising vendetta of Rohit who is on an eye for an eye mission in which we see Hrithik Roshan giving a knock out performance. Yami provides able support and supporting cast Rohit Roy, Ronit Roy and the cops Narendra Jha and Girish Kulkarni chip in with excellent support. Technically it’s a mix bag where we see some tacky CGI developed outdoors and the music by Rajesh Roshan who otherwise reserves his best for his home banner disappoints.

Review by Ritika Handoo on Zeenews

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The second half of ‘Kaabil’ gains pace and wants you to see the end, although by that time we all know what is going to happen. Yet that curiosity of watching justice prevail helps you sail through. Hrithik has done a great job when it comes to acting. Camera work by Sudeep Chatterjee and Ayananka Bose deserves a special mention while music by Rajesh Roshan is a treat! We can safely say, Hrithik delivers a ‘Kaabil’ performance, so book your tickets asap!

Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies

Rating: ★★½☆☆

The second half is, therefore, predictable, but each murderous sortie that the revenge-seeker undertakes against the men who have ruined his life is staged with enough flair to keep the audience glued to the screen. Some of the action seems far-fetched and the way Rohan uses his ability to mimic voices in order to create disarray among the cops and the thugs is near-farcical. Yet, when he gets down to committing the perfect crime, leaving no trace behind of the destructive act, Kaabil acquires some momentum and heft.

Review by Rajeev Masand on News18

Rating: ★★½☆☆

Kaabil is a B-movie from the 80s with neither subtext nor nuance. Yami Gautam has a nice presence, but Ronit and Rohit Roy are characters plucked straight out of the Handbook of Bollywood Cliches. The film then is redeemed – to some degree – by the sincerity and the conviction of its leading man. Hrithik makes you care, and keeps you invested in his pain. Even when the film becomes increasingly violent and practically implausible, his commitment doesn’t waver. He is the sole reason Kaabil doesn’t completely derail, and frankly the only reason to give the film a chance.

Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice

Rating: ★★★★½

As a director Sanjay Gupta has seldom been more willing to let his characters appear vulnerable and undefended though not defenceless . Gupta creates a romance splendid and tender, only to quash it with a brutal spin that takes us kicking and screaming to a finale that never ceases to amaze us without losing its plausibility. Kaabil is a film about love and its abrupt send-off. It is a violent film. But the emphasis is on the damage done to the soul of the wronged man. It must be seen for Hrithik Roshan’s incredibly moving performance and for the unexpected glimpse it provides into its director’s romantic personality.

Review by Meeta on Wogma

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Kaabil reminded me a lot of Aankhen. It had to, right? And I have this strong feeling that some plot points, if not all have been inspired from elsewhere. The tone of the film from the beginning kind of gives away how things are going to go with our hero. Also, the film spends a good half of the film on the couple but doesn’t leave an emotional tug. These two things put together make Kaabil a little underwhelming.

Kaabil Review by Indiaglitz

Rating: ★★★½☆

Despite of some loopholes and cinematic liberties, Sanjay Gupta satisfies his audience by delivering an engaging and entertaining film. Hrithik Roshan is back in form and delivers a stellar performance. His body mannerisms, dance steps, emotional scenes and fights work as an additional merit to his performance in the film. Yami Gautam looks cute and sweet in her part.Ronit Roy is great in his part. Narendra Jha and Girish Kulkarni lend superb support.

Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

What redeems this drama is swift revenge ideas and Roshan’s brawn and some brains. There’s a lot of gore to be enjoyed in the second half. Watch this if you are a fan of Roshan and you are in the mood for a love story laced with some stylised, bloody action.

Best Rated Films in 2016 (a list of 2017 films will be created after 5 films release this year)

Advertisements

95 Comments

  • sanjay finally makes a solid film after a mediocre career spanning 17 years and a close to dozen films. All his films have berk watchable and partly good but over stylistic scenes, too much dialogue baazi & mind numbing twists used to destroy his films almost always. But perhaps Rakesh Roshan-s guidance has toned him down & that has led to a simple honest thrilling film that makes u cry

    Congrats Sanjay Gupta

  • #Kaabil Reviews
    Dainik jagran – 4*
    Taran Adarsh. – 4*
    Movie Talkies. – 4*
    Times of India – 4*
    Bollywood Bubble – 4*
    DNA-4*
    Bollywood lyf-4*

  • Hmm..this was freaking unexpected. SRK fans should not have underestimated the quality of the film. Every flop director has his day.

  • Spotboy gave 2.5* to Kaabil nd lets not forget they gave 2* to Bajirao Mastani.
    Similarly Komal Nahta ( Zee ) will give negative reviews becoz Zee is music company of Raees

  • Superb 3.8 I have booked my show in Latur tomorrow with my friend . Akki sir praised the film dekhne toh banta hain . Because boss is always right . An aayega maza . Its won’t be easy for Raees to collect 140 crore . Verdict of kaabil superhit if it collect 120 crore .

  • I am not convinced with these reviews as most of the critics who present in the special screening are somehow close to the team. Public are the real critics for me.

  • In KAABIL vs RAEES Clash,

    One film will be sure short Disaster but

    KAABIL will not be that film because

    Above all Dirty Game of RAEES,

    It is MASTERSTROKE of RAKESH ROSHAN that

    He has
    ?Made KAABIL at ?35Cr Cheapest budget.
    ?Sold KAABIL at ?42Cr Cheapest price to Indian Distributors.

    THAT MEANS, KAABIL will be
    •?HIT at ?50Cr
    •?SUPER HIT at ?70Cr
    •?BLOCKBUSTER at ?105Cr
    •?ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER at ?105Cr+

    More so because just after ?50Cr earnings, KAABIL will be a HIT. Then KAABIL’s satellite rights will not reduce and so ?116Cr total sellings through all rights will remain to KAABIL which is more than triple of its Budget means

    232% profits, KAABIL has already gained and Box Office will just add more & more profits to KAABIL but after ?50 Crore at BOX OFFICE.

    KAABIL SURE SHORT ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER

  • Srk promoting his movies on railway stations. I feel he can promote his next movie door to door if raees fails.

  • These are paid reviews for some SRKfans!
    But the positive ratings for Fan was real for them.
    Lol.. Morons, How can one be paid at a time ???

  • Don’t come out with average critic rating based on only 5 to 6 reviews ,a minimum of atleast 10 reviews must be there and plus u should have CME out with this article when more reviews poured in ,on the day of release,u should have said early reviews,nothing is clear till public decides,fan got excellent reviews boxoffice wise it underperformed,even guzaarish got rave reviews

  • Great reviews so far, but could not understand how come Bollywood life review given 4/5 as in the short review its all about flaws. Lazy first half and still 4*.
    Whatever real test begins tomorrow.

Leave a Comment