Category - Bollywood

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Half Girlfriend ‘ Review – 2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Half Girlfriend Review by Indicine Rating: The story of failed love has been explored a lot recently with movies such as Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Meri Pyaari Bindu, and while those were subtle treatments of the topic, Half Girlfriend is a full blown commercial entertainer which explores that area. Mohit keeps proceedings brisk and flowing very quickly through the first half but starts losing the plot a bit in the second half. But the movie works simply because he seems very certain about the content he is dealing with. The story is not very high brow and elements such as Bill Gates’ weird digital face imposter and the lead character chilling atop India Gate doesn’t do the realism chasers any favours. It does test your logic because of the stupidity of the lead characters, but eventually it makes for a satisfying movie watching experience if you ignore the stalkerish nature of the male protagonist. Half Girlfriend Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: In a bid to redefine modern relationships, HALF GIRLFRIEND tries to explore a concept that is a tad bit confusing in its own way. Besides that, unlike 2 STATES that clearly defined the quirks of two different communities, the script of this film looks half-baked. While the makers continue to claim the film to be a ‘romantic’ drama, let us tell you that the explanation of ‘half girlfriend’ continues to remain ambiguous even as the film ends. Furthermore, the screenplay written by Tushar Hiranandani is way overdramatized for the young Indian audience and that is the biggest flaw of the film. The screenplay fails to keep the audience engrossed in its entirety. Though the story is coming of age, adult romance, the romance shown between the lead characters is not effective and entertaining and does not keep the audience engaged as it should. There is hardly any scene in the movie which establishes an emotional connect or touches the chord of your heart. Half Girlfriend Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: The first half breezes through, but post interval proceedings hang; in tandem with the hangdog expression worn by the hero. Arjun is sincere, but seems too urban for an ideal `Bihari’ fit. And Shraddha, who looks her loveliest here, lacks gravitas. Half Girlfriend Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: The chemistry between these two is crackling. They seem like a natural fit together and though you have seen similar rich girl-meets-regular boy love stories before, the actors breathe life into a jaded story. Kapoor’s simpleton act doesn’t grate either. It’s the second half that gets a tad dramatic. Madhav’s borderline obsessive behaviour to get Riya back into his life isn’t always a pleasant watch. Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Half Girlfriend primarily works because of its lead pair and the conviction they bring to their characters. Arjun goes beyond the nuances of the accent and body language and digs deep to find a place he can reach to make Madhav believable. You sort of lose track of the cool and hip Arjun in the innocence and even rage of the rural Madhav. Despite the dramatic lines and phrases, Arjun uses his silence and speaks the most in the pauses when he’s fumbling to communicate his feelings to Shraddha. Shraddha, despite delivering hits with Aditya Roy Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, manages to have a genuinely likeable and convincing chemistry with Arjun. Her scene where Madhav tries to force himself on her is terrific. Mohit’s technique of creating stand out scenes that blend in with the overall plotline is commendable. The music of Half Girlfriend is already a rage and the songs do play an important part in taking the story forward. Vikrant Massey in the role of Madhav’ s roommate is terrific. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Director Mohit Suri, known for films like Ek Villain and Aashiqui 2, fumbles the ball big time with this film. The screenplay is not gripping at all and the dialogues are quite unmemorable. As mentioned above, because the chemistry between the lead pair is ineffective, the whole film falls flat on its face. Ohh and before I forget, the filmmakers have created Bill Gates through VFX for a sequence and the results are atrocious, to say the least. What works against the film is that it lacks a soul and thus, fails to make viewers relate to anything that is happening on the screen. Riya roamns Delhi with adhav, sings songs with him, holds hands with him and even kisses him, but then insists on being only a half-girlfriend’. What does that mean exactly? No explanation. Madhav insists on being with the girl who would rather feign death than hang out with him, which says a lot… but then, love is blind and what not, eh? Anyway, to sum it up, Half Girlfriend is not worth the watch.. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Arjun Kapoor does earnest and facetious pretty well but in Half Girlfriend his spontaneity is caged inside a single-minded goal and an accent that isn’t his natural one. The uneasiness shows. Meanwhile, Shraddha Kapoor confuses Riya for a pretty zombie and blankly reads out her dialogues. It’s such a staggeringly vacant performance; a life-size standee could have done the job. Review by Sonil Dedhia on Mid-Day India Rating: The film lacks two essentials. First, there is no visible chemistry between the leading actors. Their journey of falling in love is cut rather abruptly. Second, the love story isn’t palpable enough. It’s no wonder then that the convoluted mess, which goes on for over two hours, fails to tug at one’s heart. The leading actors fail to lift the tempo of this snail-paced film, although Vikrant Massey, as Madhav’s friend Shailesh, shines. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: There is a bit of lag in the screenplay in the second half because of the inherent slowdown in the story. Mohit has tried to camouflage it with the usage of songs but you can’t escape it entirely. Production values could have been better. The VFX of the film, especially, is an embarrassment. The entire Bill Gates portion could have been designed better, considering it’s a part of one of the most crucial scenes in the film. Instead it brings on laughs. Go for it and savour the romance. Experience the cracking chemistry of Arjun-Shraddha. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Arjun Kapoor tries his best to step into the shoes of Madhav Jha, but thanks to the story of Half Girlfriend, there’s nothing much he can do. His half-girlfriend in Half Girlfriend, Shraddha Kapoor, seems to be excelling at the art of distancing the viewer from her on-screen avatar. So much so by now, that there’s nothing that makes you feel for Riya Somani. She might be laughing, crying her heart out, dying, living, and all you can do is yawn. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: On the whole, ‘Half Girlfriend’ is too bad a film for human eyes. Unless, of course, you still like to watch love that is not only mushy, but also cringe-worthy, all at once. The film is definitely not worth your ticket price. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Could it have been better? The book, despite its shortcomings, feels more an organic whole: the film, which was what the book was always going to be, tries too hard. When a character says: ‘sentiyaa gaye ho ka’, not once, but twice, he is not just talking to the characters around him, they are not just having a conversation; he wants us hear him, and grin at the Bihari-ness/ desi-ness of it all. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Adapting from literature is always a challenge. Will the words find a suitable form? Will the visuals establish an appropriate tone and mood? Will the characters live up to the mental image their description conjured in prose? But these concerns can be put to rest as this is based on Chetan Bhagat’s excuse for a love story by the same name. When below average writing meets overenthusiastic hamming, it’s like being simultaneously inflicted with a leg wound and a throbbing headache — you’re reeling in pain from head to toe but can’t tell which is more debilitating. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Nothing connects in this prolonged bore. The writers just follow the book. It’s a weak, timid adaptation that lacks the emotional punch and the romantic connect. The chemistry between Riya and Madhav is not felt as it doesn’t get established on screen. Mohit Suri’s direction is strictly routine. Music fails to hold though technicalities are better. Production values are first rate. Arjun Kapoor tries very hard and his efforts are seen. The limitation of Arjun as an actor makes the effort visible. Shraddha Kapoor is strictly okay. Vikrant Massey is fine. Rhea Chakraborty shines. It’s sad to see a talent like Seema Biswas getting wasted as Arjun Kapoor’s mom. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: This film leaves you puking a little inside as you watch it because there’s zero chemistry between the lead actors Shraddha Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor and even less acting skills, no earthly reason why it rains in Delhi at college admission time (peak summer!), no reason why he believes she is still alive… There’s no reason at all why you should go see this film. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Half Girlfriend is fast-paced but is not that good to make us miss the absurdities of the screenplay. Characters forget how they were talking in the previous scene. There is an absolute lack of intensity between the lead actors and everything is so clichéd. India’s dominating, high society father to Bharat’s strong and silent mother, you have seen it all. Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18 Rating: For a love story as complicated, one’d expect a chemistry as strong, but no. Don’t. You won’t feel a thing – neither the romance nor their confusion. The two hardly ever appear to be on the same page except for one or two scenes. The only performance that’s worth mentioning is that of Vikrant Massey. He’s probably the only actor who justifies his character of Madhav’s saviour roommate. Also, his Bihari accent, even if not perfect, is a relief from Arjun’s constant forced blabbering. Apart from the disappointing performances, the film has quite a few unrealistic moments. Just like a person has a go-to person, they also have a go-to place. But for Riya, this go-to place happens to be India Gate. And no, not the India Gate we know. It happens to be India Gate’s terrace. Like it’s pretty normal to fool guards and climb up and just chill. Of course. Half Girlfriend Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Mohit Suri fails to extract decent performance from his lead actors and struggles hard to establish the feel of the film.Arjun Kapoor’s talent is highly missing in this movie. Seema Biswas is wasted. ‘Half Girlfriend’ is a less than half-hearted attempt which will work only due to its star and music power but will end up disappointing the audience for sure. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: The love story works because the two Kapoors’ play the adoring and the adored with a hangdog heft and a haughty grandeur, respectively. The rest of the cast gets swathed in a scriptural haze that they don’t deserve. I wanted to see more of Vikrant Massey and Seema Biswas playing Madhav’s best friend and mother. And I certainly wanted to see more of the stunning Rhea Chakraborty who shows up at the end as Madhav’s blind date.It’s the role of the woman who loses love even before she finds it. Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Jolly LLB 2 – 3.2 stars Poorna – 3.2 stars Kaabil – 3.2 stars Rangoon – 3.1 stars Badrinath Ki Dulhania – 3 stars Haraamkhor – 3 stars The Ghazi Attack – 2.9 stars Raees – 2.9 stars Meri Pyaari Bindu – 2.5 stars Noor – 2.5 stars Ok Jaanu – 2.5 stars Naam Shabana – 2.5 stars Phillauri – 2.4 stars Running Shaadi – 2.4 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Hindi Medium ‘ Review – 3.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Hindi Medium Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When HINDI MEDIUM’s promos were released, the film managed to build huge expectations around it because of its strong storyline. The film, in reality, is an extension of what the trailers had shown. The film’s screenplay (Zeenat Lakhani, Saket Chaudhary) has been structured in a way that traces the parents’ trials and tribulations and the impact it has on their relationship as well as on their family. HINDI MEDIUM also successfully delves in various aspects of the Indian education system like the benefits of public school versus private school, the English–Hindi divide, the importance of English and the entire ‘experience’ of the admission process in a school. Though the film may seem to be based on a serious subject, the screenplay is laced with dollops of humor and light scenes. The biggest USP of the movie is its script, which induces an instant liking to it due to the relatability with the subject. What also works in favor of the film is the fact that the film’s makers have not attempted to become preachy at all anywhere in the film as they have kept all the characters as well as the situations as realistic as possible. The film’s dialogues (Amitosh Nagpal) are extremely effective, especially the one liners. Hindi Medium Review by Madhureeta Mukherjee on The Times Of India Rating: At the core, the film deals with a very relevant subject of how language divides our society. How angrezi-speaking people in India are touted to be ‘premium class,’ while the Hindi-waale¸ however illustrious or wealthy, are low-brow, or plain uncool. Hindi Medium shines in two areas that most of our films often fall short of. As far as the story goes – good writing, and as far as comedy goes – great timing. Hindi Medium Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Irrfan as the lover of soap opera Naagin is subtle and precise. His backstory serves the film in more than one way. It helps Qamar’s character flourish. As an understanding and deeply in love husband, Khan is a treat to watch in Hindi Medium. Qamar is equally effective and funny as a wife who keeps saying ‘stand ho jao’ and ‘lonely and depressed’. Dobriyal is the third solid pillar of Hindi Medium. His painful expressions may haunt you for days Hindi Medium Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Saket has definitely arrived in 2017 and should be given his due as a director. This film is a big slap on those who brutally panned him for making ‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects,’ which also was a box office disaster. Way back in 2006, PKSE was a good attempt for his debut and the film was declared a sleeper hit. The plot and screenplay by Zeenat Lakhani and Saket Chaudhary is interesting. Also, the length of the film is 133 minutes which is apt for the film and A. Sreekar Prasad should be rewarded for this. The writers remain successful in telling a story so beautifully that one would want to see more of it. It is a rare occasion where a critic finds it difficult to find a flaw in the movie. How nicely the narrow streets of old Delhi are shot. The only flaw if one could spot is during the climax when a bunch of government school kids perform in English school, there school dress changes to white from blue. But again, when the film is a masterpiece, then such blunders can easily ignored. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Saba Qamar’s hyper mom who is happy to be a `chalta-phirta’ brand factory in order to get her well-shod foot in the door, gets some moments, but is made to repeat a few lines over and over again, and gets tiresome. As usual, it’s the marvelous Irrfan who keeps us watching. His is a fine, well-judged performance, which rises above the lines. At one point, we see him cracking up while watching his favourite florid TV serial : in that moment, ‘Hindi Medium’ is glorious, because the actor catches what he’s meant to do, meant to be, gloriously.. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Hindi Medium may not be the best in the genre of satire, that honour still lies with the always splendid Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. But it is a very engaging piece of cinema, that will make us laugh, cry and even question our own role in how things like basic education are getting screwed up in our society. The direction is competent, and the performances from Irrfan, Saba and Deepak are first-rate. But above all, it’s the core message that the movie did right – Good education is not the privilege of the elite few, but the right of everyone. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Irrfan plays the dad, with the same casual swag that’s become so much a part of his onscreen persona that he could have simply phoned in his performance, and we would’ve been floored nonetheless. Saba Qamar, fine Pakistani import, plays his wife, and she’s stunningly natural (please shut your eyes, if you have issues with Pak artistes; yeah, I’m talking to you, troll). Saket Chaudhary, the film’s director, had earlier made Pyaar Ke Side Effects, and its sequel, Shaadi Ke Side Effects. Somewhere in line with both his films, this one is also about negotiating love, marriage, and kids, in urban India. Except given the seriousness of the subject, he takes the more tried-and-tested Rajkumari Hirani formula of a story that’s part humour, part farce, but keeps you engaged, and nudges you to think. Most of it works. Some of it doesn’t. While being crowd-friendly, the film lapses into simplicities, such as that of seeing only virtue in the poor, while the rich usually comprise pretentious a-holes. Review by Sreehari Nair on Rediff Rating: Hindi Medium works because it somehow manages to stretch itself beyond its scrubby elements, easy half-baked jokes, lessons about consumerism and our love for English, into a simple story about a boy who would do anything to see his girl smile. There’s an oasis of sanity there. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: However, on the flip side, the second half gets slightly melodramatic, clichéd and predictable, not to mention simplistic. The director’s indirect hint that ‘all poor people are noble and all rich people are shallow’ is a bit too black and white for our tastes. Also, the songs of the film are quite a3verage and do not offer much. But the film does have its heart in the right place and so it is easy to forgive such flaws. In conclusion, Hindi Medium is a thoroughly enjoyable watch, especially if you enjoy satire. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Irrfan Khan sinks into the skin of Delhi’s nouveau riche who aspire to subscribe to a lifestyle they can afford but can’t blend in with. Even as a bemused parent, who can barely keep up with the training and grooming required to gain admission in schools today, he’s an absolute delight. As his wife, Saba Qamar contributes equally in the empty banter that surrounds the situations the couple collectively endures. Despite his character’s world-weary outlook, Deepak Dobriyal puts his back into a few scenes that contribute to the mood the film hopes to evoke. Amrita Singh channels a fierce and stern school principal and deserves a mention for her brief role. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: By the time the lessons are learnt and the hearts transformed, you as audience is exhausted. The last lesson of how poor kids deserve a good school too is tiresome. Sabah Qamar is beautiful and unlike TV actors who have not really made a mark on the big screen, she actually shines. Irrfan Khan starts out as a fun guy but tends to ham, ham and ham some more. Deepak Dobriyal is as good as ever. Tillotama Shome hammers home the role of a supercilious prep school head and you shudder because such people exist and terrify new parents as they get desperate to get their kids admitted to good schools. This movie could have been great had it not tried to teach the lesson so hard. But Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar in ‘branded’ clothes and blingy accessories will make you smile. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: ‘Hindi Medium’ director Saket Chowdhary does not allow proceedings to get preachy screechy or downright hysterical. Most issue-based films can’t help lecturing down on the audience. Saket eases you into the life of a terribly endearing couple — lovable with all their whims excesses and fancies — played by Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar. Together, Irrfan and Saba make the couple’s journey through the amazing contradiction and anomalies of the schooling system look not only credible and real but also very engaging. The writing is sharp-witted and the verbal exchanges are topped with an extra layer of spice just to drive in the point. Review by Samrudhi Ghosh on India Today Rating: If you look at performances, Hindi Medium is a winner. Irrfan, usually seen as a serious actor, shows that there is nothing he cannot do justice to. He effortlessly makes you laugh as the tailor’s-assistant-turned-mega-tycoon trying to fit in with the old money crowd. Saba Qamar is Pakistan’s finest export so far, and excels as the Chandni Chowk girl with social climbing aspirations. Tilottama Shome as the parents-consult-me-in-their-first-trimester admissions consultant and Deepak Dobriyal as the poor laborer with a heart of gold deserve a special mention. Hindi Medium may use over-dramatised events to make its message hit home, but in spite of its hiccups, the film is not bogged down because of the performances and the humour. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The urgent issue that it addresses and the actors that it deploys to highlight it surely deserved a more complex and layered treatment. If Hindi Medium remains watchable all the same, it is only because it is difficult not to marvel at the spark that Irrfan adds to the film. He receives rock-solid support not just from Saba Qamar – far and away the most poised of all the Pakistani actresses who’ve been in Hindi films in recent years – but also the first-rate Deepak Dobriyal and the magnificently measured Tillotama Shome. The combined force of the acting talent on show isn’t enough, however, to rid the film of its qualitative variability. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The genius of Irrfan Khan as an actor doesn’t beg for such heroisms in a film like HINDI MEDIUM that is first starred by its theme/concept. As Raj, Irrfan is in complete command and in top form. The actor effortlessly sways as a lovable and obedient husband and it’s a treat to watch him getting into the skin of the character and dissolving completely to the core. Stand out. Brilliant. Saba Qamar is attractive and times her emotion very well. She shares an endearing chemistry with Irrfan and moments between her and Irrfan are fun. Deepak Dobriyal deserves special mention for his role as the caring poor neighbor. Deepak is sheer brilliance and he stands equal with the caliber of Irrfan in those emotional scenes and it’s not a small achievement at all. The talented actor showcases his immense potential in this film and wins hearts. Dishita Sehgal as Pia is cute. Tillotama Shome coming with Irrfan Khan again after the brilliant QISSA: THE TALE OF A LONELY GHOST is a class apart. Outstanding. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: So between a poorly directed Hindi Medium and Arjun Kapoor’s broken English in Half Girlfriend, you really don’t have much of a choice. I feel you buddy. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Despite its shortcomings, the film is never unwatchable and benefits enormously from a winning performance by Irrfan Khan who makes his every moment on screen count. From his hilarious wooing of a mother-daughter pair of potential customers at his shop in the film’s first half to his earnest amends on discovering his conscience late into the final act, he has you eating out of his palm. For Irrfan alone, Hindi Medium may be worth a watch. Hindi Medium Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The film slow down in second half and dilutes the fun element in the film. The finale track is cluttered and unconvincing. The sudden change of heart of Saba in the finale along with Irrfan’s decision failed to connect with the flow of the film. Also, the movie tends to become repetitive and a bit preachy towards the finale. The second half of the film demanded many more such scenes along with an ending which could touch your heart. Out here the efforts seem like half-hearted. Review by Jeet on Wogma Rating: In the department of performances, Irrfan Khan is effortless although it seems he has been typecast–you have seen him in similar acts before. But I guess, very few actors possess the prowess to look the part as well as remain distanced enough to convey satire. That quality makes him a perfect choice for this role. Saba Qamar’s lisp takes some getting used to, but she soon slides into her character and snap-fits into it. She handles a variety of demanding scenes well, most of which appear in the ‘poverty’ act. Deepak Dobriyal brings authenticity to his part of optimistic lower-middle-class man, Tillotama Shome surprises with her elite act, and Swati Das deserves a bouquet of roses for her short but noticeable performance. Amrita Singh is a superb choice for her cameo but oddly the writers have made her look more feeble than powerful. Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Jolly LLB 2 – 3.2 stars Poorna – 3.2 stars Kaabil – 3.2 stars Rangoon – 3.1 stars Badrinath Ki Dulhania – 3 stars Haraamkhor – 3 stars The Ghazi Attack – 2.9 stars Raees – 2.9 stars Meri Pyaari Bindu – 2.5 stars Noor – 2.5 stars Ok Jaanu – 2.5 stars Naam Shabana – 2.5 stars Phillauri – 2.4 stars Running Shaadi – 2.4 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars