Shaandaar Reviews by Critics

AVERAGE RATING OF ALL REVIEWS: 2.2

Shaandaar Review by Indicine

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

First things first, Shaandaar is a disappointing film. When you expect so much from a film, it gets hard for the director to deliver so much but the tragic thing about Shaandaar is that even if you have very few expectations from the movie, even then you are sure to be disappointed. Shaandaar is a convulated, weird and frankly very boring tale for a movie which seemed so fresh and quirky. Vikas should have been responsible enough to not let it become weird. There are many points in the movie which are sleep inducing but you tend to forgive the writer-director because of the apparent promise in the quirks of the movie. What doesn’t work, just doesn’t work and what works only works to the bare minimum.

Shaandaar Review by Bollywood Hungama

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The film’s director Vikas Bahl, whose last film was the National award winning QUEEN, makes a different kind of film this time. SHAANDAAR has a fairy tale kind of feel to it with lots of VFX, animations, exotic UK locations and big expensive sets. The film is very high on glitz and glamour. It is a larger than life film, with funny and quirky characters (dominating grandmother, scheming mom etc.) and to a large extent, that does the trick for the film. Vikas has extracted good performances from most of his actors. He has also tackled issues such as adoption, family relationships and sacrifice, ‘compromised relationships’, insomnia and most importantly one’s body size and self-esteem issues due to the same, very smartly. Even though the film does not have a strong storyline, the humorous sequences keep the audiences engaged. The film starts lagging in its second half though but manages to save itself in time. The climax of the film is a bit silly, but it lands up working in the favour of the film.

Shaandaar Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Shaandaar is a fun film that is infused with great charm, which in turn is enhanced by director Bahl’s panache for a light touch, an attribute that was on full show in Queen. While it does not live up to its title as a package, it fulfils much of the expectations that the audience might have from a film produced jointly by Karan Johar on the one hand and Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap on the other.

Shaandaar Review by Raja Sen on Rediff

Rating: ★½☆☆☆

The actors gamely try to breathe life into it, but the script gets worse with each act. It’s truly tragic, for example to see that Vikas Bahl, director of the groundbreaking Queen, feels that his two feisty heroines, troubled by obnoxious opponents at a qawwali, need their men to rescue them instead of flinging it back themselves.

Shaandaar Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express

Rating: ★½☆☆☆

The film is bloated with excess. Songs dressed up and going nowhere, saying nothing. Sequences meant to showcase actual planes, and flights of fancy, but looping no loops. Costumery and puffery may work with other actors, but it is wrong for Alia. Underneath it all, she knows she is real, and she can’t help letting us in on her. But here, she’s been made to play so determinedly cute that she sinks into a set of mumbled mannerisms. And using her own name so soon in? There’s a problem right there.

Shaandaar Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustantimes

Rating: ★½☆☆☆

Shaandaar tries very hard but it’s not funny. It has moments which will give a glimpse of Vikas Bahl’s talent. It has star power and that is its biggest draw. But not much is shining in Shaandaar.

Review by Pallavi Patra on Zeenews

Rating: ★★★☆☆

‘Shaandaar’ is grand; to put it in one word. Not grand so much in the story – which is a bit cliched, but in its acting and ‘grandeur’ filled screenplay with quirky interjections in the form of animation – and a bit of family drama.

Review by Rachit Gupta on Filmfare

Rating: ★★★★☆

Vikas Bahl should’ve done better with Shaandaar. The biggest mistake he makes is to not trust his actors. In scenes where he opts for animation, he should’ve just let Pankaj Kapur and Alia Bhatt do the magic. But he doesn’t. He chooses to rely on cheap frills. And no matter how much money you spend padding up gimmicks, they don’t work like the real thing.

Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

The story lacks imagination, the screenplay is shoddy and the dialogues unfunny. Some humour goes unlaughed at and rest goes undigested. For instance, there’s a scene where it is hinted that a respected business magazine takes money to put people on their covers, and another one when a young lad sets his grandma on fire.

Review by Moumita Bhattacharjee on Bollywood Life

Rating: ★★½☆☆

It’s tad amusing to say that don’t expect anything beyond ordinary from the film. It’s also a bit hurtful to say such a thing about a Vikas Bahl film since Queen mirrored many girls from across India. The film hardly has a story. It’s just an ongoing process where a few subplots are added to heighten excitement but after some time you just don’t care. It drags in the first half as well but a deliciously hot Shahid saves the day but how long can the shine blind you. The second half stretches frighteningly, threatening to exhaust you. That’s because by then the shine wears off and you want more. But nada! You get more bling, gold and jokes that fall flat. Shahid and Alia’s chemistry was more evident at the promotions than in the film. Even Karan Johar’s cliched cameo couldn’t put it on the right track. Songs are beautiful but drags the film unnecessarily.

Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Vikas Bahl probably started off with trying to one up the stereotypical family wedding films. Good idea. Except the idea seemed to have remained in his head and not translate to the screen. It’s ironic when you set out to make fun of others but end up becoming a joke yourself. The only redeeming part of Shandaar is Alia Bhatt’s endearing act – she keeps getting better with every film. She only needs to be careful of being typecast, with her casual demeanour on screen. Some of her scenes with Pankaj Kapur are heartwarming. Karan Johar’s cameo is delightful – primarily because of the filmmaker’s own charm and wit.

Review by Rishibha Gupta on India Today

Rating: ★½☆☆☆

If you want to go watch the movie, go only for the new kid on the block. The most promising Kapoor in the movie was Sanah Kapoor. The Gulaabo will literally steal your heart away with her dimpled smile and natural banter in the movie. The cherry on the cake is the sangeet qawalli song, where the body-shamed bride receives support from members of her family. We’d love to see what the girl will do next! It comes as a surprise that Bahl is the same movie maverick who gave us Queen. It’s okay, if you shun Shaandaar!

Review by Sushmita Murthy on Deccan Chronicle

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

What do work for the film however, are the few funny exchanges between Pankaj Kapoor and Shahid. Isha’s rion-pumping fiancé gives a glimpse of Anshuman from Jab We Met, an air-headed, defeatist groom. Vikas Verma does a good job of it. Sanah does a good job as a debutante. The film is largely unreal, exaggerated and a not-so-Shaandaar continuation of Bahl’s work.

Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Shaandaar has a fun plot. However in his attempt to spoof destination weddings of the bankrupt and the famous, Vikas Bahl, (who also directed that gem, Queen) forgot to take a script along.

Review by Rajeev Masand on IBNLive

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Some of this is funny, but Bahl’s script quickly runs out of both plot and wit. There’s a lot going on in this crowded film, but not a lot of it makes sense. Scenes like one in which Shahid and Pankaj Kapoor’s characters go paragliding for no reason at all, or the previously mentioned drug-haze, stick out in the narrative, as do repeated VFX-aided sequences. Karan Johar pops up for a cameo too, and while that scene sure evokes a laugh, it further adds to the “anything goes” attitude that hangs over this film. The feeling I got watching Shaandaar was that everyone on screen appeared to be doing exactly what they wanted, and not necessarily performing to a script.

Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror

Rating: ★★½☆☆

Director Vikas Bahl, best known for helming films like Queen and Chillar Party, has acquired a reputation for himself and unfortunately for him, people have expectations from this one. But unlike his previous ventures, this one lacks soul, sensitivity and a scriptwriter.

Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Alia Bhatt is a natural in the movie and the more I see of her, the more I am amazed by her spontaneous quality and natural beauty. Sanah Kapoor making her debut is quite a charmer with a confident performance. Shahid is lost and how. He should probably go find the microphone and cone speaker he used in HAIDER to announce for people to read his scripts before he signs on the dotted line.

Review by Sonia Chopra on Sify

Rating: ★★½☆☆

The film is most fun when we get to watch Shahid and Alia’s crackerjack chemistry. Shahid is smooth as the charming Mr. Fix It. And Alia has the gum-chewing, irreverent brat act down pat. It’s a treat to watch her trademark sprightly and spontaneous style. Shahid Kapoor’s sister Sanah makes an impressive debut and is often the scene- stealer. As a cohesive whole, the film is a merry mess. Shaandaar, then, is a peculiar film – to be enjoyed for its beautiful moments, and to be endured for its bizarre ones.

Shaandaar Review by Indiaglitz

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Vikas Bahl direction is praiseworthy and the filmmaker’s style of storytelling too keeps us mesmerized. But this time around, he lacks characterization. The characters of both the leads are badly written and being two very good actors, they just couldn’t show their expertise here. While the first half is funny and fine, the second half becomes tedious and Shahid and Alia’s chemistry goes haywire. The costumes and the wedding sequences are so much larger than life, that it becomes hard for us to believe it.

Review by Shishir Gautam on Nowrunning

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Shaandar actually starts well. In rather pleasing animation, charting the beginning of this story. And animation and special effects are used time and again throughout the film. Most of the animation shows that there has been a lot of care taken to make Shaandar look good. It’s top class. Then there is a regular dose of humour, primary splashed through a rather inimitable chemistry between Shahid Kapoor and his real life father Pankaj Kapur. In fact most actors do a great job. Alia is adorable. Sanah Kapoor does well in her debut. Even Sanjay Kapoor is fun. Plus it is great to see Sushma Sheth, as the authoritarian head of a business family.

Shaandaar Review by Bollyspice

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

There are so many things going wrong for this movie that I don’t even know where to begin. The trailers had fairly warned us that this movie wouldn’t have the typical narration style and I was prepared to deal with a bit of craziness. But it looks like the movie was lost somewhere between an idea Bahl had and the actual script. Bahl may have intended the movie to be a funny take on stereotypes but it falls flat and leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth. Yes, we have the gay guy with the “hand problem”, ‘OMG!’ spewing coordinated bimbos, greedy Sindhis with a bad accent, KJo and the implied gay jokes etc. With a screenplay that makes as much sense as KRK’s tweets, Bahl tries to rely heavily on trying to up the humor quotient of the movie. Instead what we end up with are bits and pieces which manage to make us smile with the major part looking seemingly forced and unfunny.

Review by meeta on Wogma

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

These individual experiments too are stretched out not only beyond the point that they are novel/funny/engaging but also beyond their tolerable time limit. All stretching to a stretched out climax that is truly difficult to sit through given the director and cast. Maybe this film could’ve worked if it was an hour shorter, but we’ll have to see it to know it.

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30 Comments

  • Almost negative reviews by reputed critics all over. Shahid carrier is finished. Only Haider did avg business that too because of clashing with a highly popular movie bang bang on the same day.

  • Just these boring rom-coms need to flop. Tamasha and shaandar failure will teach a lesson to makers that they won’t be able to fool public…

    Next year shahid has good film Rangoon .. So excited for Azharuddin biopic, rangoon in 2016…

  • In Alia’s 5 film Career SHAANDAAR gets poorest reviews from critics even less than HSKD & SOTY………………But all expecting good to very good reviews for SHAANDAAR after watching Trailer,Mr. Bahl factor, Shahid after Haider, Amit Trivedi’s songs & promos.

    Will watch the film tomorrow evening only for cutey Alia.

  • i wish this movie grab average status at least i just can’t imagine this movie flop :(
    @indicine how much this movie needs to collect to avoide flop status.

  • Film’s WOM is mixed to Bad & reviews are also mixed.

    So I think it will be next ROY,Besharam,Himmatwala,Humshakals, Tees Maar Khan(good prerelease buzz & songs & looking like a box office hit before release & also opened well but then crashed due to bad reviews & Bad WOM).

  • Watched Shaandaar and i quite enjoyed it..

    It is completely a different kind of romcom,i have never watched such a weird insane romcom ever.Kudos to Vikas for at least trying something strange.
    The animation parts worked for me really well,the emotional bonding between the father-daughter duo Pankaj-Alia was top notch.Alia looked great and performed with great confidence,matched steps to step with Shahid while dance no. which is’nt that easy for most.Shahid is endearing,plays his part with very well.Shahid’s sis Sanah kapoor making debut with this film looks cute n charming and does well.

    It is a fantasy romcom,has got a Disney films’ feel attached to it..I was certainly in awe of Beautiful locations,grand sets and the way it has been shot.

    But the 2nd half is’nt that good,too much silliness gets involved and the film does’nt proceeds where you would have wanted it to.

    As far as boxoffice is concerned,I am doubtful about its prospect.There were people walking out who did’nt quite liked it,though there were plenty of laughs heard but still it is a kind of movie which won’t go with everyone.As the credits rolled out and Vikas bahl’s name flashed as the director,i heard voices saying “Maaro isko,yahi hai”

    overall:3 stars from me..a good enough family watch.

  • It is a very good movie, I just saw it with my 5 fast friendz..we all enjoyed it…Good acting Shahid and Aaliya

  • Even before watching a scene from the film, i knew that this film won’t be liked by critics…..The scenes didn’t looked something special!

  • @indicine
    for 100000 th times im telling bollywood hungama is garbeg for reviews…they dnt rate film,,they rate production house…
    u guys cn addhindi review of aajtak in this as a change…its quite gud…
    plus anupama chopra gives gud reviews too…

  • Shame on shahid. After doing one good movie haider, u r wasting your talent on such crap rom coms! Now I doubt weather tamasha will be even a semi hit or not.

  • i think bollywood hungama wale kabhi film nahi dekhte,..trailer se hi review bana lete he…
    vaise bhi taran adarsh jay ho n happy new yr ko 4.5 or lagan ko 2 star dene wala mahapurush hain…
    #BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA SUCKS

  • My prediction came true. from the beginning somehow was getting a feeling this movie will be crap. 12.5 cr first day as per BOI. tomorrow 6-7, Sunday 7-8…monday onwards difficult to reach 5 cr also.1st week 40-42cr. life time below 50.

  • shaandaar cnt recover the cost ,the landing cost is around 100cr ,so 100cr movie took a 12cr opening on holiday,thats very poor opening

  • @Challa Dil Chahta Hai, RDB, 3 Idiots got 1 and 2.5 each respectively from BH. Also they rated Highway also poorly.

  • @nakli gj007

    I have full faith on imtiaz ali. He has made films like jab we met, rockstar and highway. So Tamasha wont be as bad as Shandaar!

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