Category - Reviews

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha ‘ Review – 3.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Lipstick Under My Burkha Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Lipstick Under My Burkha gives no time to audiences to get used to the unconventional premise. It straight away delves into the lives of these ‘wonder women’ and this might be unsettling for viewers. But in 15 minutes, things get better. The characters and their situations are very real. The four principle characters are very easy to identify with and it’s a pleasure to witness their quest, as they go about fulfilling their (simple) desires, but with utmost secrecy. Although amusing at first, it is also saddening to know what all women go through in small towns to act upon their wishes. Lipstick Under My Burkha Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Sometimes the threat of a ban is the best thing to happen to a film. Especially if the filmmakers decide to fight back, and win: from being the kind of film which potentially could have remained a festival-fringe, Lipstick Under My Burkha has arrived in theatres this week, all guns blazing, giving us the finger. And I can tell you that it’s absolutely worth your time, and your thoughts: this is exactly the kind of film we need more of, with its deep, personal, political and powerful look into women’s lives, which says what it needs to, and makes its points, without being preachy or polemical, or beating our heads with Lipstick Under My Burkha Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: A must watch for some terrific performances by the lead cast, Lipstick Under My Burkha will hopefully bring to light some issues that need attention and start a discussion or a conversation between women who are struggling for the most basic right in life – one to be happy. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: The women portraying these lives on screen give Lipstick… its true color. Plabita and Aahana are instantly relatable and light up the screen. Konkona’s helplessness makes you think about every woman who is a second-class citizen in her own home. And Ratna’s infatuated Usha, a woman in the throes of passion, will make you look at older women in a new light. While cinematographer Akshay Singh uses tight close-ups in cramped spaces to make you claustrophobic, Gazal Dhaliwal’s lines range from hilarious innuendos in seedy novels to out-of-character outbursts of frustrated women. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Alankrita has an army of wonderful actors to support her engaging movie. Be it Sushant, Konkona, Plabita, Ratna, Vikrant or Aahana, all of them belong to their characters and are impressive. This is one of those rare films in which it is difficult to pick a favourite but Konkona’s performance rises among them as she is the one who is not dependent on others to fulfil her desires. Not to complain about others’ dreams as they simply happen to be such that cannot be completed without others’ help. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: Director Alankrita Shrivastava, manages to take the audience into the lives of her four protagonists with ease. The layered screenplay debunking myths about women in small towns and their bottled-up dreams and desires is well-written. The use of erotica which ‘Buaji’ secretly reads to propel the narrative forward, metaphorically linking it to the lives of all four protagonists is astutely handled. There are times when the situations in the film seem a tad exaggerated and sometimes unnecessary, but presumably Alankrita takes those liberties to establish the regularity and consistency of her protagonists’ lives. Review by Harshada Rege on DNA India Rating: Yes, it’s a movie with noble intentions, and yes, it is a festival favorite, but it’s flaw that is that while all the stories eventually come home, it’s all heartbreak. While you would argue that’s reality. But bottom line is, the audience wants entertainment at least hope. While open-ended movies have their charm, all four characters meeting the same fate is bound to leave the audience feeling cheated. It ends with a cliché symbolism of freedom. Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18 Rating: The strength of this film, however, lies in Shrivastava’s handling of the subject. She doesn’t provide us with answers, or with superficial solutions, but just offers us a narrative, bold enough to arouse a woman’s hidden desires and valiant enough to question the patriarch mindset. In fact, the last scene takes place during the festival of Diwali wherein the lives of them four are falling apart. But does that take away their spark? Absolutely not. Even if you haven’t lived a life of restrictions, the film will feel relatable on several levels. When you’re few minutes into the film, you’d understand why it irked the Pahlaj Nihalani-led CBFC in the first place. The film is a ‘fictional’ woman’s perspective on sexual-exploration and hidden desires of women, who often resort to non-stereotypical ways, is helmed by a woman director and features four non-conformant women as leads – of course, it had to be termed ‘lady oriented’. Lipstick Under My Burkha is a rare Bollywood film, that without being preachy in its tone, serves the potential of wounding the patriarch in you. And rightly so. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA is not a routine weekend phenomenon we enjoy with our families, it’s a rare occurrence on screen that demands debate, has its own voice and dares to say something important and relevant. It has its feminist tones but in a society where we have seen ladies labeled as chachi, buaji, in their households and muhalla, Buaji in this film represents those chachis and buajis, when asked to say her name by the hunk at the swimming pool she takes a pause to remember her name. LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA is not just about desires, lust and fantasies of women like buaji, it’s an attempt to make the buajis, the middle aged Shireen, the ambitious Leena and the teen Rehana find their lost identities in the society. It’s bold, thought provoking and also engaging. Go if you demand something different and cinematic this weekend. You won’t regret it. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Either way, hard to come across such inspired writing, top-notch performances, and moments of recognition, especially if you’re a woman straddling between two centuries in the same country. Aren’t men as well? There’s much confusion, turmoil. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Ratna Pathak Shah delivers on her Buaji’s closeted desires with decided restraint and rehearsed uncertainty and is the finest of the lot. Konkona’s submissive Shireen silences her screams and snubs her husband’s lover with equal determination. Debutant Aahana Kumra essays her feisty Leela with the enthusiasm of a newcomer and the restraint of a veteran. That Plabita Borthakur’s Rehaana had the weakest plot link here, doesn’t undermine her performance. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: What works for the film is that despite being such a serious subject, the director has been wise enough to serve it up with generous toppings of humour, without which, the film could have been a ‘rona-dhona wala’ movie and may have lost its appeal. But when a film makes you chuckle while sending across a message at the same time, filmmaker has clearly won. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Lipstick Under My Burkha is surely a brave attempt by the makers, but going by the promos, don’t expect it to be an intense drama of women’s misery. The film touches upon serious issues but with a humorous flair. This tale of women’s equality and liberation is a mirror of real India. Review by Sreehari Nair on Rediff Rating: Lipstick Under My Burkha touches, fleetingly, upon this aspect of female bonding that is removed from the compulsions of protesting. When the film is not making points, it has some life. When it goes off into conscious revolting, it’s just distributing pamphlets. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Lipstick Under My Burkhabusts many a myth and serves the purpose of lifting the haze of prudery that generally surrounds the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema. It throws the whole shebang into the pot – the result is a big, big bang that is bound to ring in our ears for a long, long time. Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Shrivastava makes Lipstick a more immersive experience by shooting in real, crammed locations in Bhopal. The narrow streets, the dimly lit alleys and the tiny living rooms, all suggest lack of space and reinforce the need to break free. It’s when the women venture out of their homes – Buaji in the swimming pool, Rehana in her college campus and disco where she can dress in jeans, and Shirin walking into other people’s homes making a sales pitch – and are in the company of other people that you see their true, spirited selves. Shrivastava never intends to make drama queens of her heroines no matter how desolate their existence may seem to be. In between the drama is wit as evident in innuendo-filled lines such as “Yeh har tarah ke pest pe kaam karta hai (It works on all sorts of pest) when a female customer asks Shirin if an insecticide will work on her husband. (Gazal Dhaliwal gets dialogue credit and Suhani Kanwar additional screenplay). Men have minute roles to play but they are not necessarily the villains in Shrivastava’s film, but more so hurdles for her independent-minded characters and their pursuit of happiness. The women can’t do without them despite knowing how problematic they can be. Lipstick Under My Burkha Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The middle portions starts to mildly drag in certain scenes, but keeps the momentum intact. The only problem with this movie is that it keeps losing its grip in the middle portions of the film. The finale track for some of the characters is cluttered as well as half-baked. The ending might dissatisfy some of the viewers as it could have been slightly better. Some of the tracks after a great start ends up below expectations. Shashank Arora was average. Plabita Borthakur track needed more finesse into it. ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ displays the bold shade of feminism in an engaging as well as entertaining manner. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Indian patriarchy has long blamed western attire, make-up, and education of girls. This movie cocks a snook at traditions and expectations, showing us what women want, what women really hanker for, how empathy can bring them together, how they understand each other’s needs by just a look, a gesture. You’ll love Ratna Pathak Shah as Buaji and Konkona Sen Sharma as Shireen. But it’s the two younger girls Plabita Borthakur and Aahana Kumra who hold their own. Watch it and renew your lipstick if you are a girl, and buy your girl one, if you are a lad. But don’t miss this film. It’s reality served with dollops of humor. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Like many “social issue” films, it is difficult to look at movies like Lipstick Under My Burkha, as just a story – like say a story of these 4 women of different ages, from different religions, with different support systems who happen to live in one area of a big city. You cannot not think of the issue they want to discuss. The movie clearly has an agenda and flaunts it on its sleeve. If it is the agenda then, I know it, I live it. Men are not all mean. The level-headed ones might not be living it, but they know and are supportive of it – at home, in the workplace. The other men are unlikely to see the film. Even if they do, they are more likely to laugh at Ushaji (like the few men in the audience where I saw the film) than become sensitive to her desires as real. How does this help? I wouldn’t have asked this question had it not come across as the one thing the film wanted to do – sensitize the viewer. Even so, Lipstick Under My Burkha can be watched for its snappy dialogue and sensitive, intense performances. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Mom – 3.2 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Jagga Jasoos – 2.7 stars Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Tubelight – 2.3 stars Shab – 2.3 stars Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Behen Hogi Teri – 2.2 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Raabta – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Bank Chor – 1.7 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Guest In London – 1.4 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha – 1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Jagga Jasoos ‘ Review – 2.7 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Jagga Jasoos Review by Indicine Rating: Jagga Jasoos is an adventure unlike any in Bollywood before this. The movie has potential to make the kids go crazy (especially the last half an hour or so) but it might come at the expense of the adults not finding themselves attached to the fantastical nature of the story. Jagga Jasoos sets up a fantasy world and Anurag Basu doesn’t lose the emotional grip of his story even when the sets become grander and the frames become crazier. The film drags on a bit in the second half when too many characters are introduced but it all wraps up decently by the end. If you’re in the mood to let yourself be immersed in a desi fantasy, then go watch Jagga Jasoos. If you are easily offended by unbelievable events in movies, then Jagga Jasoos will come across as just a Tintin ripoff to you. Decide wisely. Jagga Jasoos Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: JAGGA JASOOS rests on the shoulders of Ranbir Kapoor. The actor, known for bringing freshness in each role, gets totally into the skin of his character and tries to bring something new this time as well. His stammering goes a bit into the unreal zone but he showcases his singing side very well. His sincere act is one of the big reasons why the film is bearable. Katrina Kaif looks lovely and ably compliments Ranbir. She also raises laughs with her goofiness which works well. Saswata Chatterjee, known in Bollywood for playing the menacing Bob Biswas in KAHAANI, is very adorable and delivers a fine performance. Saurabh Shukla is strictly okay and doesn’t make use of his full potential. Sayani Gupta, who has earned popularity with MARGARITA WITH A STRAW, FAN and JOLLY LLB 2, is shockingly wasted. The actress has donned the look of a 14-year-old and it’s very well done but one hardly gets to see her in the film. The actors playing kid Jagga, teacher couple, Miss Mala and others do a good job. Jagga Jasoos Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: As a film, Jagga Jasoos isn’t satisfied only with being an incredible adventure saga. It desires to become a comment on social evils. This idea affects the flow of the film in the second half. The stunning visuals we behold in the first half mixes up in the stretched story in the second. It’s somewhere in the second half, you suddenly realise how multi-dimensional the story has suddenly become. The 161-minute duration of the film doesn’t help either. Jagga Jasoos Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Trouble is, in its zeal to put together novel locations and exotic hot spots, ‘Jagga Jasoos’ forgets to give us a story. The good-looking leads are left to fend for themselves in a sinking plot. What we get, with the exception of a few smiley moments, is a long, dull meander. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: If Jagga Jasoos, for all its deviations, passes muster, it is largely due to a pivotal star turn that is worth its weight in gold and the heartily surreal touches that Basu imparts to this colourful, imaginative fantasy. It might take a while for audiences accustomed to more familiar generic idioms to get into the spirit of the film. Once you do it, it could be pretty easy to see that Jagga Jasoos has enough enjoyable passages to keep you hooked to its defiantly askew rhythm. But the line separating the two possibilities, be warned, is thin indeed. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: However, through all its excitements and exhaustions, the person who keeps it entertaining is Ranbir Kapoor. He manages to make you laugh and tugs at your heartstrings by being goofy and gloomy as suddenly as required. Katrina Kaif has little to do but makes for a good sidekick to Jagga. Saswata Chatterjee’s vulnerability and Saurabh Shukla wickedness balance each other perfectly. Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Ranbir Kapoor is the lifeline of Jagga Jasoos. He is what makes the film watchable and engages you on every level. He takes to playing Jagga with such ease that you don’t even think of it as an attempt to play a character. Without Ranbir, JJ wouldn’t have been what it is. Basu and RK have managed to create a fusion of perfect timing and the magic that is needed in making a film special. Despite the unconventional format and disjointed storytelling, it is Ranbir who rescues Jagga from becoming an utter mess. Basu showcases his inner child in several sequences, especially the early scenes of Jagga’s childhood. The innocence of jumping in puddles, being lost in your own imaginary world, these notions that we have all drawn from Enid Blyton books as children come alive on the big screen in Jagga. A special shout out to the special effects team and the cinematography for making Jagga a visual treat. Pritam and Basu team up to give one of the best soundtracks of the year and the background score plays a very important part in some key sequences in the film. The humour and the jokes are old school, the slapstick enjoyable. Katrina and Ranbir’s introductory scenes in the second story of the first half as immensely entertaining. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: With this film too, Ranbir Kapoor gives yet another stellar performance. One can’t take eyes off from the screen when he emotes. He is just too good to watch! While Katrina Kaif isn’t that good of an actor, but since the plot is so engaging that you wouldn’t even mind poker face Katrina trolling around with Ranbir, who completely steals the show. Shashwat, who got overnight fame after playing a scary shooter in Kahaani, plays an adorable father who does so much justice. Saurabh Shukla is good enough. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: Anurag Basu takes you on a unique journey with Jagga Jasoos and it’s thrilling because it’s new. It’s completely unrestrained and the adventure begins from the first scene. Jagga keeps you engrossed for a fair amount of time because you don’t see what’s coming. The treatment is the novelty of the film. The film’s aesthetics are outstanding – right from the camera work to the production design, everything is first rate. Basu gets his emotions correct while establishing the bond between the father-son. Ranbir Kapoor is brilliant, like he is in every film. Only this time, he isn’t as effective perhaps due to the sloppy script. Saswata Chatteree and the boy who plays Jagga Junior are an absolute delight. Their infectious enthusiasm brings on smiles. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Post intermission, the pace of the narrative drops heavily. Even though there is a lot more activity on the screen in the second half, as far as movement of its characters is concerned, the scenes are not sleek enough. Crisper editing could have helped avoid these moments in the second half of Jagga Jasoos. But where the screenplay fails to make an impact, the lead actor of Jagga Jasoos, Ranbir Kapoor, rises to the occasion. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: You do get frustrated with the film because you just want sequences to stop right before they get too much… But when you see a rock sitting atop a mountain, you know someone’s going to lean on it and it will roll down. I loved waiting for such moments, and there were many moments like this in the film. Box Office pundits will revile a fun, adventure caper simply because the arms smuggling is a serious subject and how can such a juvenile film be made around it. But watch it simply because Ranbir has great comic timing, and Katrina – even though she looks exhausted most of the times – makes for a great sidekick. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: An adventure in its purest form, this one features an ostrich getaway, a counter-attack executed by propelling pumpkins from a giant rubber band and some terrific parkour. Stuck on a roof? Use a rod to zip line across. But as spontaneously as they may seem, constructing action sequences in this film would’ve been complex. While the brief would’ve been to pack in comedy, thrill and imagination, each stunt also had seem plausible — because kids today have wisened up. They are well aware that hitting someone in the head with a hammer doesn’t result in a conical boil — like it would in Tom and Jerry. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: agga Jasoos isn’t a particularly bright caper. It’s about seeking nirmal anand whose playful ingenuity is held together by a bag of unending tricks that lend the trip wind in its wings and cheer in its will. Review by Ritika Handoo on Zeenews Rating: Once you manage to sit through the first half, there is a sense of predictability in the script and the audience can guess what’s gonna come up next. Also, why wasn’t Sayani Gupta’s character explained and established properly? She is a fine actor and could have added more to the film. The climax has an interesting surprise in store which certainly gives a window to the sequel of ‘Jagga Jasoos’. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Ranbir, who collaborated with Basu for the second time after Barfi!, carries the entire film on his shoulders with his boyish charm, his childlike spontaneity and the ease with which he plays the character. It’s evident that Ranbir has poured his heart and soul in this role and the lad succeeds in giving a stellar performance as the teenage detective with a razor-sharp mind but a treacherous tongue. Katrina Kaif is cute as hell, but doesn’t seem to put in much effort in the acting department. Nevertheless, the lass is easy on the eyes and so, am not complaining. Saurabh Shukla doesn’t get to do much while Saswata, who had sent a shiver up our spines in Kahaani, is dependably decent. As for the film, if you have grown up reading Tintin comics and have enjoyed the exploits of popular sleuths like Sherlock Holmes and Feluda, you may enjoy this film thoroughly. Just like in Tintin comics, though the treatment of the film is quite childlike, the topics explored in the film are quite matured- the film deals with Naxals, arms-running, the Purulia arms drop case and a few other issues, which you won’t find in a kiddie flick. The challenge is making such a film is to take care not to let the narrative get scattered and Basu manages to do this quite admirably. Despite the various issues explored through the film, Jagga Jasoos is an engaging and entertaining fare. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Pritam’s music is inventive and infectious; and the film’s format really gives the composer an opportunity to fly. Ravi Varman’s camerawork also deserves special mention; the film is exceptionally shot. This is a movies made with passion, powered by some great ideas and an experimental spirit. A scene at a birthday party in which a stray line of dialogue becomes the chorus of a musical number is just one of the best bits in the movie. There are others too, rare moments of genuine feeling. But it’s a shame Jagga Jasoos is never more than the sum of its parts. The film’s heart – the moving father-son dynamic – is buried somewhere under all the manic Tintin-like adventure and the sensory overload it triggers. Clocking in at 2 hours and 49 minutes, much of what’s good in the film is lost amidst the many indulgences. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: You can tell the filmmakers are attempting to create a semi-alternate world. Where does the world start falling flat ever so progressively? Well. It’s one thing to feel like you’re on a ride, quite another if you’re tired of travelling all over the place. There’s clearly an issue if you’re mildly gob-smacked by the spectacle and the choreography, but care less for what happens next, and more for when this will all end. Maybe I was this film’s target audience once (at least I’ve something to recommend to my little niece). And maybe age has nothing to do with the audience anyway. Either case, this is certainly something you haven’t checked out on the Indian screen before (so what if that’s not always a compliment). Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Ranbir Kapoor is exceptional. You cannot take your eyes off him and the actor in his brilliance which will spread like a virus amongst his followers who will be completely awed by his magical performance. Katrina Kaif has her moments and she is charming (again the makers have to justify her accent). Saurab Shukla is fine. Saswata Chatterjee (KAHANI fame) is outstanding. All said and done, JAGGA JASOOS is a missed opportunity in the end. This surprise musical fantasy solely rides on Ranbir Kapoor’s infectious charm and those couple flashes of brilliance. Watch it if you have the patience and appreciation for something brave and different. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: Ranbir Kapoor as Jagga is brilliant. He lives his character on screen, which is sparkling and lively. He is aptly supported by Katrina Kaif as the London returned journalist Shruti Sengupta, who is hunting for leads in her story on the war against global terrorism. She plays the dumb-damsel with loads of bad luck on her side, to perfection. She is effortless in her comic timing and action. Saswata Chatterjee as Jagga’s foster father Badal Bagchi, and harbinger of “bad luck” is equally brilliant. Saurabh Shukla in a convoluted role chasing Badal is stereotypical and flat. Jagga Jasoos Review by Indiaglitz Rating: It’s not a bad film or does it have a potential to become a classic. It’s just that you feel bad for all the hard work, effort, time and money spend on this movie as it fails to give the deserved returns. A tight screenplay with some soulful moments and good amount of editing would have made ‘Jagga Jasoos’ a better film. Katrina Kaif looks good, but her character lacks the meaty elements. Saswata Chatterjee is superb in his part, but again a bigger actor would have been better for the film. Saurabh Shukla was average. Master Saravajeet is good in his part. Sayani Gupta, Rajatava Dutta and others are wasted. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: For Jagga as a character, there is no real attempt at creating grey characters, so the characters are simple, making the film gear toward a younger audience. The writing hints at deeper concerns for the world, hands out philosophical words of wisdom every once in a while and even touches upon the dilemma of a superhero – to save the world or to save the loved one. Yet, it chooses not to go too deep or linger too long with these thoughts, and arguably rightly so too – lest the film take a serious turn that it isn’t meant to. The story is out from a comic book and wants to be rooted there, while taking shots at the real world. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: While the first half of this fantasy adventure moves at a languid pace, the second half is crammed with larger-than-life action filled with planes, ostrich rides and gun-toting villains. The change in pace is overwhelming and some of the twists are downright stupid in this 170-minute made caper. The parts where Shruti and Jagga dance on the streets to earn a living is a bit of a stretch. But the absurd action scenes and the comedy of errors that Jagga and Shruti inadvertently unleashes as they are being chased by goons are golden. Review by Manju Ramanan on Masala Rating: Jagga Jasoos is endearing, refreshing and non-clichéd but painstakingly long especially in the second half. If you like lyrics and don’t mind the character singing out dialogues, you’ll love it like I did. The musical quality of the film makes it unusual and lovable at the same time. Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Mom – 3.2 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 stars Meri Pyaari Bindu – 2.5 stars Noor – 2.5 stars Ok Jaanu – 2.5 stars Naam Jagga Jasoosana – 2.5 stars Phillauri – 2.4 stars Running Shaadi – 2.4 stars Tubelight – 2.3 stars Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Behen Hogi Teri – 2.2 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Jagga Jasoos – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Bank Chor – 1.7 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Guest In London – 1.4 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha – 1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Shab ‘ Review – 2.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Shab Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Ashish has an air of innocence about his presence that adds to the credibility of his character and makes his efforts shine through. Shab is a dark, haunting film about human emotions, relationships, love and betrayal that thrive in a rather opportunistic and materialistic world of Delhi’s elite society. Shab Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Shab is a bit of A Life In A Metro, Fashion and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, but at the same time, Onir can’t be blamed for writing this film seventeen years back. With the runtime of 108 minutes, the first half goes off slightly well, but the film loses its grip post interval, only to again pick the pace up towards the anti-climactic conclusion. Shab Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Tandon in, what can be called, the second innings for her career, has chosen curious roles. This one barely calls upon her many skills and her character, while seemingly important, doesn’t seem tailored to her talents. Bengali actor Arpita Chatterjee’s Hindi film debut is a collective of blank faces. Her ceramic countenance could suggest her character’s disturbed mind space or just lack of effort. Also making his debut, Ashish Bisht would’ve been more suited to a character role but barely delivers in this meaty part. Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: Raveena Tandon, in her third film this year, doesn’t really stand out. There are moments when her performance is quite credible, but there are others’ when you think you’re looking at a rich socialite from Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Page 3’. While Ashish Bisht does look like your typical struggling model, his performance is relegated to that. Arpita Pal, Areesz Ganddi and Simon Frenay do have some chemistry between them, but as individual actors, they don’t make an impact. Review by Tusshar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Shab will appease those wanting some meaningful cinema that dives deep into the psyche of the human mind and explores the contrasting complexities of relationships. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Yet Onir documents the most intimate facets of his characters lives with confounding distance. Blame it on the sloppy screenplay and flimsy characterisation, but not a single character elicits any sort of emotional response — good or bad. The conflicts are dispassionately resolved in Shab, shooting down its already negligible emotional quotient to nil. What lingers on in evasive, vague, plodding and forcibly melancholic. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Shab certainly isn’t without its share of flaws, but the deliciously cryptic style that it employs in the elucidation of intricate human relationships makes it an irresistibly intriguing tale. Watch it because Shab is a rare Hindi film that respects its audience and lets them to work their way through the maze. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: There are interesting faces here. Newcomer Ashish Bisht playing a ‘desi’ boy desperate to become a model leaves an impression. He’s also the most detailed character, and a few things he does – picking up a godawful garment, using broken English to impress—is life-like. The others don’t fare so well. Raveena Tandon plays a rich man’s bored wife, but you wish her character had been written with more depth. Why is her marriage in the doldrums? Does her husband play the field, or is she by instinct a cougar? There’s a French guy ( Frenay) with a sad past, and a short-haired woman ( Chatterjee) with a fraught present, but again, they are drawn sketchily. A predatory gay mentor-to-hopeful-boys ( Suri) shows up. So does a man left hanging by a flighty boy-friend. All these are characters, fleshed properly, could have given us a film. But there’s simply not enough, and we remain uninvested, uninterested. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Surprisingly, Onir’s Delhi in SHAB appeared as a poor cousin of Mumbai (cafes, pubs at every place) which had a dark hangover of Madhur Bhandarkar’s PAGE 3. If Onir had restricted himself to the Mohan Sonal episode keeping the gay fashion designer Rohan (Raj Suri) for an interesting twist, SHAB could have been a watchable and a better film. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Shab is a gorgeous-looking film with a starcast that’s easy on the eyes. Raveena Tandon has never looked better. She brings a bewitching bitchiness to her lonely character’s part.Newcomer Ashish Bisht is not afraid to share his character’s ambition-prone humiliation.His natural rawness works well for his character.And Arpita Chatterjee …often her eyes express all of Raina’s pain. She is quite a discovery. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Mom – 3.2 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Tubelight – 2.3 stars Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Behen Hogi Teri – 2.2 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Shab – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Bank Chor – 1.7 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Guest In London – 1.4 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha – 1 stars

Ranbir Kapoor and Anurag Basu can’t be any more different from Salman Khan and Kabir Khan even if they tried, but...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Guest iin London ‘ Review – 1.4 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Guest iin London Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: GUEST IN LONDON is a film which, organically belongs to Paresh Rawal, right from the word go. Hence, it’s really a shame that a superlative actor of Paresh Rawal’s stature chose to feature in such a poorly set-up film. All that Paresh Rawal’s character does in the film is to fart and ham at every given occasion. It’s really sad to see a seasoned performer like Paresh Rawal agreeing to be a part of a senseless film like GUEST IN LONDON. Kartik Aaryan does an average job and looks confused throughout the film. His character in the film is as lost in the film as he must have been about the film’s script. It’s about time for this man shows some variety if he is planning for a long inning in Bollywood. Tanvi Azmi does a decent job in the film within the space that she is offered. On the other hand, after having done the horror film RAAZ: REBOOT, Kriti Kharbanda lands up doing an average job within the available screen time in GUEST IIN LONDON. Sanjay Mishra has his share of comical moments and is strictly restricted to the film’s first half only. Other supporting cast does an average job. Guest iin London Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: I can totally empathise with Kartik Aaryan. Poor guy looks good, dances well, does his gags well, but eventually ends up playing the second fiddle to Rawal. Kartik has a likeable vibe, but that gets drowned in Rawal’s perennial farting. The only genuine laughable scene in this 138-minute film comes when Kirti Kharbanda says, “Ye thodi zyada acting hai, ye overacting hai.” We second you Kirti. Don’t let this guest come anywhere near your house. Stay alert, stay safe. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: Every line, every scene gives you an impression that it was written by an ill-informed man-child who primarily believes in three things: farting is funny, women belong in the kitchen and all Pakistanis are thieves. 90 per cent of the jokes from the movie can be classified under one of those three categories. The funniest thing about this comedy is just how angry it can make you. Guest iin London, like its titular protagonist, is a burden no one should have to bear. Review by Arnab Banerjee on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The avuncular character, whom everybody starts calling “Chachaji”, is in many ways as offensively funny as he is insufferable with sexist jokes, objectionable witticism and consistent poor acting, and makes you blush, and wonder if you are watching the award-winning Rawal in this film. And that’s only one of the many reasons why the film is such a colossal comedic misfire that it makes the deplorably dreadful look like masterworks by comparison. It seems the business of competently executing a joke seems utterly beyond the grasp of good actors like Aaryan, Rawal and Azmi, who rely on gags so hoary and broad, they’d make you cringe. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Bollywood has a serious dearth of good comedies, and unfortunately, Guest Iin London does little to help the cause. If you loved Athithi Tum Kab Jaoge, you better skip this one, for this is nothing but a poor, low-quality reboot of the 2010 movie. Watch it at your own risk. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Guest Iin London is supposed to be a comedy, but laden with offensive jokes, Paresh Rawal’s farts and poorly scripted characters, the film is painful to watch. Review by Prasanna D Zore on Rediff Rating: Post interval, you don’t get even a whiff of the boss; instead the filmmaker contrives another twist that makes Guest Iin London a teary-eyed family saga instead of a comedy. Yet another twist is Ajay Devgn’s entry, but find out more about that when you watch the film, if you dare to. If only Ashwini Dhir had more Paresh Rawal-Sanjay Mishra scenes it would have been much more of a comedy that the filmmaker wanted to make. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Do you find an unending series of fart jokes, accompanied by loud sound and smell, and descriptions thereof, funny? Do cheap racist shots (blackface, mehendi-orange-beard and green-for-Muslim, slant-eyed-for-Chinese) make you laugh out loud? Do you think crude jokes should be strewn liberally in your weekly flick fix? Should a gag, abysmally executed in the first place, be stretched out like a rubber band to keep you rolling in the aisles? These are elements that ‘Guest Iin London’, a follow-up to ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge’, has in abundance. It also has a couple of vacuous younger leads saddled with a middle-aged couple which refuses to leave : Paresh Rawal being the proud possessor of a noisome rear end, and Tanvi Azmi, the only one I feel for, trying to make the best of a terrible job. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Sadly, Guest Iin London is the kind of film that demands that you leave not only your brains, but also your hearts, home. It appears to have been made by people high on the Patiala pegs that receive a mention on several occasions during the mayhem. Guest Iin London rests on the Punjabi stereotypes of robust, hard-drinking, glib-talking men who love to live it up until matters turn truly serious. Review by Letty Mariam Abraham on Mid-Day India Rating: With few comic elements to boast of, the film struggles to keep the audience hooked. Its use of toilet humour – a scene has Rawal describing the sorry state of affairs in India by correlating it to his farts — may leave you puzzled rather than in splits. The chemistry between Aaryan and Kharbanda is non-existent. Rawal and Azmi, though, are endearing as the older couple. The plot is predictable and the comedy, forced. Revisiting the old film may be a better alternative. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Kartik Aaryan is as determined in playing victim as he was as a lovesick lad in Pyaar Ka Punchnama and Kriti Kharbanda largely relies on puppy faces to deliver her role, even while she’s come a long way from Raaz: Reboot. Once a character actor who could elevate a film, Paresh Rawal still has what it takes to knock up a chuckle. But terrible lines and worse characterisation render him as a loud and laboured caricature of his iconic screen avatars. Tanvi Azmi, as the amiable Guddi Chachi, has little to do here — her character largely smiles through the proceedings and offers reasons for her husband’s explosive farts. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Ashwni Dhir makes his weakest film over here. An accomplished actor like Paresh Rawal didn’t get much scope to do anything new and he keeps on farting which becomes a bit too much in the end. Kartik Aaryan is strictly okay, Tanvi Azmi is fine. Kriti Kharbanda is plain average. Sanjay Mishra shines in that moment when he says ‘Kashmir’. Technicalities are fine, camerawork by Sudhir K. Chaudhary is pleasing and production values are fantastic. However editing by Manan Sagar leaves lot to be desired, the movie is long by at least 25 minutes. Music by Raghav Sachar and Amit Mishra is just plain with nothing to hum about. Guest iin London Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The movie starts with a couple of enjoyable scenes such as Paresh Rawal’s airplane journey, Paresh manipulates others by the usage of his sweet language. Sanjay Mishra being trashed by Paresh Rawal followed by a mild twist in the finale. These are the only funny scenes in the film, which is termed as an out and out comedy. Sanjay Mishra’s cameo is welcomed. Tanvi Azmi lends good support. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: What stays with us beyond the bustle of humorous confederation is the message that we need to respect personal space, but not at the cost of family ties. And when Kartik dumps his overbearing uncle and aunt at a deserted café we are dealt blow that goes far beyond the film’s comic aspirations. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Rawal farts in almost every scene and this is supposed to be funny for some reason. The makers loved the idea of humour about flatulence that they included a scene in which Paresh’s character sings an entire ‘ghazal’ about farts, which is really a bit too much. Of course, the second half has to include an emotional angle about the guests to make the hosts feel bad about their feelings towards the guests, but even this is not done effectively enough. The songs are not worth remembering and to top it all, the makers also included some ‘sanskaari’ sexism (In a scene, Tanvi states that doing household work is a woman’s job and in another scene, Paresh scolds the female lead for wearing a short dress and insists that she appears ‘fully clothed’ in their presence). Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Behen Hogi Teri – 2.2 stars Raabta – 2.1 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 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 ‘Mom ‘ Review – 3.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Mom Review by Indicine Rating: Mom fulfils the promise it lays out in its trailers of being a taut, psychological drama/thriller. It is a tense movie which deals with a very difficult subject material. It has tremendous performances from almost all of the cast members, it has been shot with a lot of care to lend a moody treacherous vibe to the film. Yes, it is idealistic and the solution it provides may not be realistic but it gets a lot of things right. Mom definitely deserves to be seen. Sridevi’s renaissance is in full swing. Mom Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: On the whole, MOM is a powerful film that reflects the horrors of the society that we live in today and how the world still remains unsafe for women. The film shocks and impacts you deep within. Watch it for it’s hard hitting content and Sridevi’s brilliant performance. Mom Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The film side-steps this crucial question in its quest to do quirk. As the four perpetrators ( including a very vivid Abhimanyu Singh) seem to be getting off scot-free, Devki takes it upon herself to take revenge. She gets going, and from then on, the improbabilities pile up. Just how is a school biology teacher, for that is what Devki is, meant to know anything about breaking-and-entering, and other things involving larceny? The plot is distressingly vague about these details, and we are left muttering, just like poor Akshaye Khanna who shows up as a crime branch cop reaching the point post-facto. Mom Review by Rohit Vats Gupta on Hindustan Times Rating: What stops Mom from becoming more like Pink is its inability to enter the minds of the criminals. Abhimanyu Singh is definitely menacing, but his accent is nowhere close to what his character should have. Other typically Bollywood liberties have also been taken to reduce the stature of the movie from a gut-wrenching film to a slightly above-average revenge drama. Mom Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: If you thought you have seen it all from Sridevi, think again. She pumps in so much life into the film that it is her performance that steals the show. Her screen presence, her personality, the way she projects her character, her facial expressions are top-notch. Turning your eyes elsewhere will be criminal when she is on screen in the film. Mom Review by Gaurang Chauhan on Bollywood Life Rating: Sridevi is Mom. In the true sense she carries the entire weight of the film on her nimble shoulders. Her body language, especially the use of her eyes, that gaze, the way she breaks down and howls – all of this is par excellence. There needs to be no acting remarks for this actress, who has competed five rock solid decades in the industry. Her performance has the right balance of empathy and anger and her first breakdown scene on seeing her daughter in the ICU will bring you to tears. Mom Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Udyawar’s storytelling is first rate – he doesn’t let go of the grip at all. The film begins well and dives deep into the drama in the first few reels. The initial portion of the film is disturbing to the core. And because it leaves behind that gnawing feeling, the second half, despite its flaws, comes like a knockout. The director captures the awkward relationship between the mother and daughter beautifully. The portions between Devki and DK also have their endearing moments. Mom Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As for the film, even though all those who have seen Maatr will realize that Mom has a similar plot, it would be difficult for them to be distracted for the film keeps you on the edge of the seat, despite you knowing what is going to happen next and director Ravi Udyawar deserves a hearty pat on his back for this crackling thriller. Udyawar not only manages to keep you biting your fingernails, but also stays away from preachy speeches and infuses the film with enough emotional moments and sensitive sequences to elevate the film to another level altogether. Mom Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Before she assumes this stressful avatar that will consume most of her energy, the actress walks into the frame looking fresh and fabulous in a white suit and silver bangles bringing to mind one of the most iconic portrayals of her career. Mom Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: In her 300th landmark movie (coincidentally produced by her husband Boney Kapoor) Sri demonstrates why she is the high-priestess of desi cinema. Here she turns in a captivating performance; happiness, helplessness, vendetta and victory, she walks you through the entire gamut of emotions with panache. Supporting her ably is her onscreen husband Anand (Adnan), who plays the polished gent with flair. Nawazuddin, with his quirks and one-liners, turns in a class act and Akshaye Khanna, who is in terrific form here, forces you to ponder why he takes such long matinee breaks. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The director probably does not need to tell Sridevi how to be in the scene. She is simply stupendous. Her backing off from a screaming Arya and going to the balcony to prevent herself from breaking down is a scene that is masterclass in acting. Sridevi’s helplessness at discovering that her relationship with her daughter is now irretrievable is goosebump inducing. But everything else in the film seems to be so long drawn and tiresome, that you wish she could kill them a la Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Debutant director Ravi Udyawar brings his advertising sensibilities to cinema to ensure every scene is precise. Another advertising principle conflicting with Hindi films that Udyawar leans on is allowing the audience to join the dots and strays from over-explaining. He also visualises some very aesthetic frames — for example, the one where Sridevi’s character stands with her back turned to the camera in the kitchen. Consumed in thought, she ignores the bottle of water which has filled to the brim. The result – water spilling over at a pace that furnishes a surreal imagery. Review by Samrudhi Ghosh on India Today Rating: But one wishes Mom in its long running time was more considerate to Arya, the young woman at the centre of the rape revenge drama. It wastes the opportunity to use the thespian talents of Sajal Ali, who turns in an effective performance in the limited screen time. Barring two scenes there is almost no attention paid on how she is grappling with the incident with the focus solely on Devki’s mission. That a parent has to go to such extreme measures to earn the love and respect of his or her child is deeply flawed, but with Sridevi in command you are just about to buy it. Review by Mohar Basu on Mid-Day India Rating: Taking it all in is the mom, of course. Frankly, there’s very little in this film that you haven’t already seen before–the night, the rape, the parents, and the law. Even as the filmmakers effectively employ their talent to treat it differently–the fresh ensemble cast, the characters, most notably the aged local detective (Nawazuddin Siddiqui, in fine form as always), the vertical top-shots, or some equally fine passages of photography and production design. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: It’s Sridevi’s show all the way through. While the devious revenge tactics of Devki is scintillating, the director seems to have lost his grip while nearing the climax. The confrontation scenes with the avenging mother, criminal and the cop in snow-clad Georgia is overly dramatic. But that shouldn’t stop you from watching this taut thriller studded with some superlative performances. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: Mom scores highly on the emotional front. I admit crime against women affects me deeply, so I am not sure if I was biased, or if it was good writing, sharp direction and fabulous performances, or all of the above, that made me cry uncontrollably in the first 30 minutes of the movie. The director doesn’t resort to any manipulation to titillate audiences. The top shot of the car on deserted wintry streets of Delhi in which a young girl’s modesty is intruded, conveys tragedy effectively. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: I don’t know if Mom could have been a better film if the writing were tighter. Its pauses had a reason that might not be in line with that of a thriller. I don’t know if Mom could have been a better film if the writing at least tried to be unpredictable. What I know is I will look forward to director, Ravi Udyawar’s next work. I wouldn’t mind watching more films written by him, Girish Kohli or Kona Venkat Rao. I certainly want to watch the next Sridevi film, something that I couldn’t imagine saying 25-30 years ago. That is good enough. Review by Jonathan Howell on Bollyspice Rating: In fact, one of the things that Ravi Udyawar has managed to do is to carefully handle the tone throughout the movie. He dabs a bit of comedy in at the right moments, but manages to keep the tension ratcheted up, especially in the second half of the film. Having seen a lot of Hollywood thrillers, I found myself thinking that I knew what was going to happen next, only to have those expectations dashed, right up until the end. Mom Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Debutant director Ravi Udyawardisplays his fine skill of a filmmaker. He presents the movie with the right blend of realistic as well as entertaining cinema. The movie has some cinematic liberties, but thanks to Ravi, it’s been presented in perfect manner. Sridevi is amazingly outstanding in her performance. Nawazuddin Siddiqui displays yet another good performance. Sajal Ali is superb in some of the key scenes of the film. Adnan Siddiqui lends good support.Abhimanyu Singh, Vikas Verma, Pitobash and others are perfect as per their tracks. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: MOM is an important film for three reasons. 1) – Its testimony that Sridevi is one of the most accomplished actresses alive, 2) Ravi Udyawar is a filmmaker to look out for and last but not the least – it’s a salute to motherhood and womanhood. Go take your Mom and daughters along. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Nawazuddin Siddiqui somehow creates a fully realized character despite an underdeveloped part, and he is riveting when he’s on screen. Akshaye Khanna, unfortunately, gets very little to work with, which is a shame given his talent. The rest of the cast too is in good form, particularly Sajal Ali as Arya, and Abhimanyu Singh as one of the offenders. But make no mistake, this is the Sridevi show and everything is expressly designed to add to her legend. Mom is a far from perfect film, but it’s never boring. Sridevi’s terrific turn makes up for many of the script problems. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Sajal Ali, in the role of the troubled daughter, matches the veteran of 300 films step for step. Adnan Siddiqui is unwaveringly solid as the doting father and ever-beholden husband who stands like a rock by the two women. Not always an easy watch – it isn’t meant to be – MOM wields a heavy mallet, but it does so with purpose, precision and panache. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Behen Hogi Teri – 2.2 stars Raabta – 2.1 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 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 ‘Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha’ Review – 1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Both Shiv Darshan and Natasha Fernandez are clearly in need of brushing up their emoting skills and dialogue delivery before they have another stab at a substantial screen role. May be the collective poor showing of the actors here isn’t entirely their fault: Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha is a train-wreck of a movie. It would have been better off staying on the computer screen it was scripted on. That would have spared the actors the blushes. Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director Sunil Darshan, also to be blamed for the story and screenplay, had noble intentions to relaunch his son in this film. But they don’t translate into a story worth enduring or a a film worth suffering. Despite its crisp runtime of 105 minutes, the film seems like a million-hours-long, courtesy the countless songs by Nadeem, who seems to have emerged from the woodwork to compose uninspiring numbers. Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: The performances by all, including Upen Patel, Shiv Darshan and Natasha Fernandez, play out like actors in an school play. The music resembles an easily forgettable nineties cassette tape with both sad and happy versions of the same song. Yet, there’s a lot in terms of music for die-hard Nadeem fans if they’re still stuck in that era. The film belongs to the nineties, which was a simpler time when audience may have bought such an absurdist premise. But with a script that suffers from a serious case of ADD, you will just be mildly amused. Go for this if you dig films that are so bad, they’re actually good. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Why am I recounting details of time long gone by instead of telling you about Suneel Darshan’s new film introducing his son Shiv Darshan in the lead? Because there is nothing to say. Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha makes you recall, almost fondly, the schlocky, kitschy film-making of the 80s and 90s which was nevertheless full of colour and music: Suneel, who clearly hasn’t kept up with the times, comes up with a hopelessly outdated series of reels, reeking strongly of mothballs and terrible acting all round. If you must know, it’s about a pair of lovers and a ghost, and a villain of the piece, each as screamingly awful as the other. In the two hours I spent in the theatre, I was forced into asking why a once savvy filmmaker would do such a thing. Was it strictly about filial duty? Review by Arnab Banerjee on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Director Darshan tries to employ intriguing characters to heighten some of the suspense, except that it’s all ultimately made unwatchable by the exceptionally clumsy cast as the story veers towards the downright silly. It’s too bad he didn’t have a script in place; neither did he offer any piece of advice to his son to so much as learn a few basics to remove stiffness from his body while facing the camera. He surrounds the love story with such boring mumbo-jumbo about time travel, greed, conspiracy that we finally just don’t care. About the film still getting half a star? Well, the only good thing about it is that it’s only 105 minutes long! Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The movie continues to run through bizarre events and songs shot on the picturesque locations pop up helping things to go further haywire. The movie goes on hammering the test of patience and tolerance quotient of the audience and winds up with the most bizarre end seen in recent times. It has all – love, treachery, ghost, dost, re birth but the 14 days of grace from the God by the already dead Shiv is something that should be preserved as the most insane example on how a filmmaker can be so out of sync and times. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: On the production front, the film is technically well-mounted with ace production quality. The frames captured by cinematographer Amarjeet Singh are artistic and noteworthy and astutely layered by editor Archit Rastogi. The music rendered by Nadeem Saifi of Nadeem-Shravan fame offers tunes that are so reminiscent of his 1990s hits. But, they by no chance elevate the viewing experience. Overall, it is unbelievable that this film is mounted by the seasoned filmmaker Suneel Darshan, who had earlier delivered films like Jaanwar and Andaaz. Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Sunil Darshan returns back with a cluttered love story, which rides high only due to its music and initial forced sensuous moments. One cannot feel the pain, love and drama happening in the film. The super faulty screenplay is damaged further more due to stale direction. Shiv Darshan fails to act. His expressions are wooden and lacks the hero mannerisms. Natasha Fernandez looks good but acts terrible. Upen Patel still cannot act. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: There are so many songs, and the songs are each at least five minutes long, you wonder if it is the same director who gave us pulp movies of Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol. The music of Nadeem-Shravan seems ancient and out of place in the movie. Review by Joginder Tuteja on Movietalkies Rating: Is it just a triangular love story? Is it a supernatural affair? Is it a murder mystery? Is it a suspense thriller? What exactly is playing out there? All of this may have been okay as well had the narrative been cohesive. However what you get to see a spinning together of scenes that just do not connect with each other. What further baffles you is the fact that despite Suneel Darshan keeping the film’s length to just 100 minutes and six songs filling up around 30 minutes of this duration, it is tough to make much sense of the remaining 70 odd minutes. (Spoilers ahead) Picture this. Right at the beginning there is a tale being told about a ‘adhuri prem kahaani’ half a century ago. So just when it is established that there is indeed an ‘aatma’ from the past which is back, you realize some time later that perhaps this was all a made up story. Just when you start believing that, another twist comes where you start doubting the earlier story. You somehow come out of that too when the first theory is back in the action. By the time it all comes close to the conclusion, you are presented with a finale that totally baffles you. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Tubelight – 2.3 stars Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Behen Hogi Teri – 2.2 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Raabta – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Bank Chor – 1.7 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars

Salman Khan’s Tubelight has received mixed to negative reviews from critics. The actor had earlier dismissed critics saying their reviews do not matter to his films. What’s important though is the response from the audience in theatres and although it’s still a little early, the reports that are coming in from the morning and noon shows aren’t very positive. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Tubelight ‘ Review – 2.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Tubelight Review by Indicine Rating: Tubelight is a good movie which is technically of the highest standard. The budget is high, the scale is huge, the production design is almost perfect. But somewhere down the line it fails to do its most important job.. that is to organically connect with the audiences. Emotions feel manufactured and situations can feel contrived. But the superstar goes above and beyond his abilities and has chosen to do a film like this. It takes great courage to innovate when you are at the top of your game. The geopolitical and social commentary portrayed is relevant even today. If you’re expecting a gangbusting action flick, then Tubelight is not the film for you. Watch it for the sweet little friendship between Bharat and Guo (Salman and the adorable Matin Tangu). Tubelight Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: While the promos of TUBELIGHT simply ‘lightened’ up everyone’s excitement about the film, the film fails to live upto its title and eventually falls flat completely. The film’s story (Kabir Khan) is raw, extremely half-baked and totally convoluted. The film’s screenplay (Kabir Khan, Parveez Shaikh) is very convenient and rests on a wafer thin plot that gets stretched way too long, thus, spoiling the film’s novelty in a big way. The screenplay seems to have been born out of convenience rather than conviction. Even though the film has been based on the adage ‘Faith can move mountains’, TUBELIGHT just does not hold any kind of solid content to mirror the same. The film is not at all convincingly made in the context of a backdrop of a war as it lacks the emotional connect with the audiences. The film’s dialogues (Manurishi Chadha) are just about average and very much unlike a typical ‘Salman Khan film’. Tubelight Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Some of the film’s more likeable moments are shared between Laxman and the little boy, who’s completely edible, and an absolute natural. The supporting cast is solid. It includes the late Om Puri, as a father-figure to the brothers, and Zeeshan Ayyub as a local hothead, among others. And Sohail reprises his familiar act as the caring ‘bhai’. But when the main act isn’t convincing, the film becomes just like the title: mostly flicker with a little late glow. The one word that’s used almost in every other line in the film is ‘yakeen’. The film should have been infused with it. Here we just don’t buy it. Tubelight Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: When it comes to performances–Salman laughs and cries unselfconsciously, unraveling the lesser-seen side of his macho image. He cannot move mountains with his performance but he manages to keep the faith alive. Sohail is sincere. Zhu Zhu shows spunk and young Matin entertains. And, Om Puri reminds you of the mettle unsung heroes are made of. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Set in 1962, the worst part of the film is its weak plot and sloppy execution. Tubelight is by far Kabir Khan’s weakest film. Though the entire film is about brotherly bond, it hardly touches you. The film has uncountable glitches which makes it an absolute mess. It is certainly not a Kabir Khan film. Wonder how the same director had made films like Kabul Express, New York and Bajrangi Bhaijaan in the past. The climax of the film is predictable and the way Sohail’s gunshot turns to a head injury is rib-tickling. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: Kabir Khan gets most things right. Tubelight is about love, trust, magic and belief. It’s like a tonic for weary souls. You will find yourself interacting with the film and characters. For starters, it is clear that if this role had an A-list actor playing Salman’s younger brother, it wouldn’t have the same emotional quotient. Many times during the film, you may be moved to tears because the brotherly emotions blur the lines between reel and real life. Kabir and Salman have shown us with Bajrangi Bhaijaan that they work well with kids. So naturally, the scenes with the little boy Matin Rey Tangu are most endearing. Performances by Om Puri, Zeeshan, Yashpal Sharma and other supporting cast are stellar. Salman plays a innocent and a vulnerable character for the first time in his career, and nails it. There is no action in the film but he delivers a sentimental kick straight to the heart. Shah Rukh Khan in the guest appearance is one of the highlight scene of the film. The scenes between Zhu Zhu and Salman are sweet and gentle. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: While Salman has to be appreciated for attempting a glorious simpleton role, it doesn’t mean that he is consistently spot on. Some of his cheeky scenes are funny, but many fall flat and seem impossibly orchestrated. All forces are at work in the first half of the film to hoist him as an indefatigable on-screen simpleton supremo. A few scenes that may even remind you of the hit Munnabhai series, where Tubelight goes around spouting Gandhian principles and applies them to his own life. The supporting cast including the late actor Om Puri, the endearing Chinese star Zhu Zhu and child actor Martin Rey Tangu are on call to complement the hero. Watch this film if you love Salman enough to ignore the flaws in his film. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Playing a specially-abled character onscreen is a gamble — a little excess could translate as caricature, a little less could be read as lack of effort. While Salman Khan crinkles his face with much determination to furnish this desi Gump, cumulatively, it doesn’t add up. That Khan had redeemed himself in the last few years and had with every film, inched closer to becoming an actor from a star, feels like a wasted cause as this one reverses that evolution. In certain scenes, he appears so puzzled, dazed and disconnected, even Sohail Khan seems actor like an actor with conviction while sharing the screen with him. The late Om Puri is in great form as the affable Bannu Chacha and doesn’t drop the ball even for a single frame. Playing a magician in his cameo, Shah Rukh Khan’s sequence is a frame-by-frame ‘adaptation’ of the original. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Aseem Mishra’s camera work is jaw dropping while the music by Pritam is just average, ‘The Radio Song’ looks good while one is watching but it’s forcefully injected, as emotions are injected in this film without much establishment. All said and done TUBELIGHT is a huge waste of the given opportunity and resources, if we say that it missed in making a statement on the common ‘belief’ associated with North East Indians with the Zhu Zhu episode it will be an understatement. The Zhu Zhu episode if given that angle properly could have been another gem from the potential this movie offered that could have given TUBELIGHT new rays of lights, hope and life. The theology of TUBELIGHT is vast like an ocean but Kabir Khan has so cloyingly handled the Yakeen (faith) factor that it turns boringly ‘Yack’in. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The director is conspicuous with his absence. Because the movie gets more and more tedious. Not one character grows in any sort of arc. Bhai remains dumb, the little boy adorable, Bhai’s brother who goes away on war remains brave soldier, the village bully remains that. You just wait for the movie to play out. Om Puri’s appearance as a mentor who gives Laxman a list of Gandhian Tweets/Quotes and goes off screen is the luckiest character. He facepalms so many times and is exasperated at Laxman and he shows it. The audience alas, cannot. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Unlike Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which had a simple agenda (Bajrangi wanted to drop little Munni back to Pakistan), ‘Tubelight’ seems eager to send across many messages at one go. Also, though the film does have its strong points, it somewhere lacks the ability to tug at your heartstrings the way ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ did. I remember getting a lump in my throat on a few occasions while watching ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, but this time, there was no such scene or sequence, which touched me to that extent. Also, the second half could have used some trimming as it tends to stretch a bit. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: If Tubelight had a real story and wasn’t just flip-flopping between monotonous episodes of fluky coincidences treated like divine intervention and cursory battle scenes devoid of danger, urgency or tension, it might have earned some points for heft and affability. Sohail, despite a brief screen time, is a source of endless frustration. His impending fate drags this already slow movie even more sluggishly to its predictable conclusion. Having said that, it’s hard to ever dismiss Kabir Khan in entirety. His sensibility is profound even when distracted by the mawkish facets of storytelling. Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Over expectation is a buzz kill and that’s what Tubelight teaches you. Maybe I expected the film to be an epic journey of a brother in search of his lost partner, maybe I wanted Kabir Khan to revisit his Kabul Express days and give that realistic cinema another chance. Maybe I was greedy for some unplugged moments between Salman and Matin, or maybe I just wanted a better film! Tubelight isn’t a bad film, it has a lot of things going for it, but it is heavily weighed down by the weight of the superstar plastered across its poster. In an effort to make Salman emote and make us cry, Kabir has lost track of the story arc. The second half especially has so many random songs that pop out of nowhere that you keep checking your watch. The ‘yakeen hai’ (keep the faith) line gets too preachy and monotonous towards the end and the constant references to Gandhi could have been trimmed. Tubelight is neither a war film, nor a family drama between two brothers. It struggles to find its own identity and by the time you manage to give it one, the end credits are rolling on the screen. Music was a major letdown for me with just the Radio song being somewhat hummable. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Still, contrary to likely audience expectations, this is a film rather subdued on drama, hysteria, and action, although it remains coherent, entertaining, and sincere throughout. More importantly it does not preach to the choir. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Kabir Khan keeps devising moments to make you cry. It’s no Hacksaw Ridge, not at all, but it’s a film that delivers its message with force. The director emerges from the shadows of a superstar, in fact, two, Shah Rukh Khan is also there, and looks sure about his brand of cinema. Tubelight isn’t a science versus faith kind of a film. At times, it tries to explain the motive behind its theme ‘your faith can achieve anything’, by going The Secret (the famous self-help book by Rhonda Byrne) way, but probably it needed something more. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Tubelight is all about faith. About the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Love, friendship, brotherhood and everything good. Kabir Khan’s story exudes goodwill and moral lessons. There is so much talk of good and Laxman trying to fulfill his Gandhi checklist that Tubelight ends up coming across as a stretched parable with a happy ending. Obviously. Tubelight Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The story is paper thin and has been presented in a simple and linear manner. The screenplay is bland and at times highly boring. It’s just the movie has been presented in a very slow manner with no proper bonding between any of the characters. There are dozens of repetitive situations which dilutes the flow of the film. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: The screenplay of ‘Tubelight’ has a lot of flaws. It fails to grip the viewers. In terms of productions, the movie is good in bits. It was still felt that things could have been better at places which needed to be highlighted. The director only banked upon the scenes which had high emotional value. The music helped in lifting up the spirit. But we realised that it is not a typical Salman Khan film. Maybe, the film could have worked with a better director and, definitely, some other actor. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: It is strange that Tubelight has so many things to say and yet felt like it said nothing. I don’t expect to be impacted by the manner in which issues are raised. But I expect the makers to at least try. It actually felt like, they thought what they saw on the paper had loads of mean, but when they got down to making the film, they lost faith. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Tubelight is at its brightest when debutant Matin Rey Tangu, playing the boy who bonds with the hero despite the latter’s initial reservations, is on the screen. He is a consummate scene-stealer. Zhu Zhu, as his mother, makes the most of the limited opportunities the screenplay gives her. Its shine might be inconsistent, but when Tubelight does achieve full wattage, which is frequently enough to stand out, it does light up the screen. Watch it even if you aren’t a Salman Khan fan. Tubelight does much more than just entertain. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: A film like Tubelight which espouses the power of faith and belief through the uncorrupted eyes of a man-child needed a lightness of touch that is conspicuous by its absence here. Tubelight is well intentioned but overtly manipulative and doesn’t so much tug at your heartstrings as it punches you in the face demanding that you care. It’s also over-long at nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, and excruciatingly slow and boring in parts. Review by Githa Vanan on Bollyspice Rating: The script and music can be good and the actors all played their parts well but this story drags out the emotion quotient and seriousness. Understanding the movie is attempting to understand the sacrifice and the pain of the families of our soldiers but the potency of the sorrow is so strong, it becomes hard to swallow. Yes, there is semi-happy ending. However, the overriding feeling left behind by the film is one of sadness/pity for those who end up in these situations. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The only person who steals the show in the film is Matin Rey Tangu as the young Guo, who Laxman befriends. He is charming with his oriental looks and impish demeanour. The Chinese actress Zhu Zhu plays his mother Liling with flair. Shah Rukh Khan in a cameo with his tattooed visage and ears studded with earrings, as a magician is dead pan and flat. He does not help to uplift the narrative or add emotionally to the film. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Behen Hogi Teri – 2.2 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Raabta – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Bank Chor – 1.7 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars

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[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Raabta ‘ Review – 2.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Raabta Review by Indicine Rating: Raabta is a convoluted, overlong film which should have been snipped to a 2 hour film. The needless story angle in the second half makes the stale first half of the film look like a masterpiece. The references to other movies and TV shows are unintentionally funny. Although the lead actors have chemistry, it is undone by the choice of an unusual but ineffective actor as the main villain. Raabta seems like a bad choice by Dinesh Vijan to have made his debut with, as a director. It should be given a miss. Raabta Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: The first half of the film is a breezy watch with rich visuals as it is set in today’s time in London. There are occasional gags and young romance that keeps you engaged. In the second half, the time line shifts and the unexplained past story that suddenly props up the main stay renders viewers confused. While the pace of the film in the second half is much faster than the first, the viewer is left at a loss due to a rather convoluted screenplay. While the first half of the film comes across as mash up of scenes and sequences from films like LOVE AAJ KAL, DDLJ and BEFIKRE to name a few, the second half is heavily inspired by GAME OF THRONES. Raabta Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: It’s the contemporary parts of the film that are relatively enjoyable. While you may wonder how a rich, eccentric man is allowed to roam free in Europe kidnapping women, the film doesn’t bow down to logic. The climax — which sees the lovers save the day — is unintentionally funny, but the last scene puts a smile on your face. All that drama also makes you wonder how an unhinged man is allowed to flourish without any fear of authorities. Raabta Review by Manju Ramanan on Masala Rating: Raabta has all the right ingredients of a ‘much seen’ Bollywood film – the abs, the legs, the looks, the songs, the locations, a solo dance number ( I refuse to call it an ‘item number’) with Deepika Padukone and the reincarnation story. It is a Sushant Singh film all the way and all those who like him will find it endearing and fun. For the rest, it is a chance you might want to take. Raabta Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: Writers Siddharth-Garima and debut director Dinesh Vijan’s conviction isn’t questionable, but it doesn’t quite translate to the screen. Even though the movie is technically sound and looks great, it is missing the raw passion required to sell a love story. Especially one that’s been brewing for 800 years! Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Raabta lacks the finesse required to pull off a theme like this, but it is definitely good to look at. From Budapest to colour blasts during flashback scenes, it features some captivating moments. Sadly that doesn’t seem enough. Poor writing is Raabta’s nemesis provided you don’t want to settle for a ‘being there’ done that’ kind of a story. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: The biggest obstacle in the path of Raabta is the story. The subject is nothing that has not been done in Indian cinema earlier. The way the story is treated takes a toll on your patience. Seeing actors like Sushant and Jim being bulldozed by this sorry excuse of a film is plain painful. Songs like Ik Vaari Aa and the title track (with a smouldering Deepika Padukone) are hummable. Watch Raabta for Sushant and Jim. This a story of love through ages and lives, but Vijan is no Alfred Noyes. And Raabta is no Highwayman. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: This is Dinesh Vijan’s first film as director. He aims high with some dramatic moments and a big scale in terms of canvas. The locations are somewhat fresh. He manages to exude a likeable chemistry between Sushant and Kriti – they look comfortable with each other even in the most awkward scenes. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The past birth sequences don’t look Indian at all and the costume designers seem to have been inspired by everything from Game of Thrones to Mirzya to Braveheart. Also, the past life sequences are devoid of any passion or intensity, which makes you wonder what was the big deal about this ‘janam janam ka saath’ anyway. Maybe the film sounded great on a script level, but on the silver screen, it seems to lack soul, which may affect the film adversely. In conclusion, Raabta is very average despite the pot having potentia Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: ‘Raabta’ means ‘connection’. Alas, there is no connect whatsoever between the three protagonists, in this life or previous and the audience. Let movies like Bahubali and Magadheera deal with reincarnation, Bollywood should know that they are terrible at fantasy. Mohenjodaro and Mirzya should have been hard lessons… Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Raabta is a good looking film. Meaning, besides the eye candy that is Sushant and Kriti, Dinesh has definitely spent a lot of money in capturing the lush locales of Bulgaria and the special effects and make up especially of Rajkummar Rao in the role of an Oracle is terrific. Dinesh creates a light and breezy first half where the banter between Sushant and Kriti feels easy and organic. Casting these two in the film was a brilliant idea because the chemistry between them is sizzling. Sushant especially has gone to all lengths to make get a toned body for his role as the tribal warrior. The hardwork pays off handsomely as he’s the best part of the film. There is immense likeability in him and he goes full throttle with his charm. Kriti manages to leave a mark with her scenes in the second half. The best moments are the one liners Shiv and Saira throw at each other and the tomfoolery that follows. Rajkummar Rao deserves a medal for enduring hours of torture to get into the difficult prosthetic make up for a blink and miss role. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Making his directorial debut, Dinesh Vijan takes on a challenging project. Furnishing a mythical ancient time can be riddled with pitfalls. Right from costumes to situations, everything sits on the fence between reality and ridicule. A little extra or less could topple this imagined world. And while Vijan seems determined in delivering his vision and most CG creations seem believable, this khichdi of past and present lacks tadka and depth. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Sushant and Kriti have good chemistry together and some of their early scenes are fun. But they’re not playing particularly likeable characters so it’s hard to care for what happens to these people beyond a point. It’s a shame because Sushant has proved himself to be a really competent actor. Although, to be honest, even Denzel Washington couldn’t save this film. The only thing I can unconditionally recommend in Raabta is its music. There’s a bunch of really good songs shot across Budapest that are a welcome respite from the asinine drama. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: As you sit there wondering when all of it—involving a ‘dhumketu tara’ which will be near the earth after 800 years, underwater jugglery, and borrowed flashes from various films– will end, it comes to you l: this is no rom com. It is just a big rom con. Review by Sonil Dedhia on Mid-Day India Rating: Despite some major loopholes and faltering screenplay, both Sushant and Jim salvage the film to a great extent with their earnest performances. Sushant transforms into a warrior with ease. He is as fierce and serious in his past life as playful and cocky in contemporary life. Jim, on the other hand, does well as one struggling to come to terms with the reality. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: The producer turned director’s first attempt is so embarrassingly daft, it belies its potential for drama to validate a Dolly Bindra-lookalike soothsayer and empty vindication. Despite the shoddy early signs — there’s a comet named Love Joy hovering above the skies — Raabta begins on a watchable note. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Barring Sushant and Kriti’s fans, it is impossible for anyone else to even bear five minutes of the film. The first half is plagued by too much time invested into establishing the romance between the leads, making a jarring jump post the ‘revelation’. It is probably Maddock Films’ worst film yet, having made the likes of Cocktail, Love Aaj Kal, Go Goa Gone, Finding Fanny, Badlapur and the very recent gem Hindi Medium, in the past. However, Raabta is even worse than Agent Vinod which Dinesh Vijan is regretful of. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The characters are superficially etched. The banker never ventures anywhere near anything that resembles a bank. The liquor tycoon, too, has no time to devote to his business. It is only the chocolate girl who once in a while gets her hands dirty in her workplace. Given the lack of depth in his role, it is a marvel that Sushant Singh Rajput occasionally breathes life into the vacuum at the heart of the film. Jim Sarbh is out of his depth in the garb of a crazed lover. For Kriti Sanon,Raabta is a choppy, rudderless ride. Raabta is only for Sushant Singh Rajput fans. When two and a half hours feel an hour too long, you know what’s to be done. Avoid. Review by Nitin Jain on Glamsham Rating: RAABTA sees the role reversal in COCKTAIL’s director Homi Adajania producing the movie where as Dinesh Vijan who produced COCKTAIL helming RAABTA. The production values, as far as the contemporary (times) story is concerned, are top class and very polished. Sushant Singh Rajput shows his confidence whereas Kriti Sanon’s acting is restrained. Jim tries to get into a barons ‘suit’ this time (post NEERJA) but does not get too much to explore though. In terms of costume design or makeup, guess the most efforts must have gone in Rajkummar Rao’s character design, but then was it really so important in the narrative after all? Raabta Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Dinesh Vijanis not able to handle is the second half of the film, especially the past life track. This track looked highly promising in the trailer, but out here ends up being half-baked and fails to create the required impact. There are plenty of loopholes in this part. The movie also keeps dragging in the later part due to its repetitive and bland scenes. Kriti fails to get inside the skin of her past life character. Jim Sarbh overact and is totally loud in few scenes. Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma are wasted. Review by Ritika Handoo on Zeenews Rating: Overall, we were expecting much more from this reincarnation drama. Watch ‘Raabta’ only if you feel the connection. Also, if you want to see Deepika Padukone dance to the title track on big screens! Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: The fun element never forsakes the film even when the three main characters are locked in an intense afterlife discourse. Sadly there are only three characters in the film worth talking about. Not to mention Rajkumaar Rao who appears unrecognizable as an old man who resembles Vijay Raaz. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 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 ‘Behen Hogi Teri ‘ Review – 2.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Behen Hogi Teri Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Director Ajay Pannalal, who makes his cinematic debut with this film surely knows how to create comic moments but fails to narrate a strong story. Though certain scenes and sequences come across as well executed, there are others wherein his lack of experience in capturing the essence of the matter is very evident. If that wasn’t all, there are also parts of the film that come across as stretched and overtly lengthy, especially some that could have well been edited out. Behen Hogi Teri Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: The plot is juvenile to say the least. It is a little disheartening to see a movie that incorporates casual sexism and regressive norms without any plan to combat them. So when a character suggests that he’d rather bury his sister alive than marry her off for love, you want someone to speak up against him; when another character shames Binny for hanging out with boys, you want to hear a smart retort. But then you realize that this movie has no intention of laughing at this mindset. It is, in fact, only catering to those who will find these things funny. Behen Hogi Teri Review by Sonil Dedhia on Mid-Day India Rating: Pannalal, who makes his directorial debut with this project, fails to make the most of the opportunity handed to him, with a convoluted screenplay making this a tiresome watch. Certain subplots are unnecessary and abrupt. The drama runs out of steam soon, and melodrama takes over. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Rajkummar Rao brings out the best of the guy-next-door and lifts up Gattu’s character with his wits and mannerisms. Be it convincing Ginni of his love or getting beaten up by his dad, Rajkummar plays to the tune of the film and never misses a beat. There couldn’t have been another actor to fit the role as well. Shruti, on the other hand, looks like she has been picked out of a different universe and placed in the film’s. Gulshan and Ranjeet have rather limited roles but Ninad and Darshan shine through the film, with help from the quirky dialogues. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: If there’s one reason to catch this film, it has to be for Rajkummar Rao. The actor, who has largely restricted himself to character-driven indie films, single-handedly carries this comedy with equal sincerity. In every frame, he delivers on his character’s fears, frustrations and relentless pursuit for love. Shruti Haasan’s contribution to cinema could be compared to Lata Mangeshkar’s to football and the actor does little to elevate this film when it goes south in the second half. Cameos by Bollywood baddies such as Gulshan Grover and Ranjeet don’t contribute or take away from the mood this film hopes to evoke. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The quality of the acting is uneven, especially when compared to the steady performance from the unwavering Rao. Watch Behen Hogi Teri only if you think a one-man show is good enough to offset the drudgery of a two-hour trudge through a maze of inanities. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Behen Hogi Teri may not be as funny as the trailer has promised us, thanks to a sluggish second half and weak female characters. Nevertheless, it is still an entertaining watch, with all due credit to Rajkummar Rao’s terrific performance, a great supporting cast and some really funny scenes. It may not be the comedy of the year, but Behen Hogi Teri doesn’t end up being a decent time pass flick, that you can surely enjoy if you can overlook the flaws. Review by Prasanna D Zore on Rediff Rating: With such a heart-tugging storyline — that this country’s youth could easily connect with — director Ajay K Pannalal is often found groping in the dark to set the film’s pace match your heartbeat. The Shruti-Raj chemistry is worth dying for, but the director and story writer Vinit Vyas’s ideas of a romantic-comedy quite don’t match your expectations. Behen Hogi Teri Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Ajay K Pannalal highly succeeds in giving us a simple, entertainer. He keeps the humour quotient intact and extracts some fine performances from a few of his actors. Rajkummar Rao is highly exceptional in his role. Shruti Haasan look good in some scenes and lends decent support. Darshan Jariwala is outstanding in his part. Ninad Kamat, Herry Tangri and Gulshan Grover lend good support. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: It’s also flat. Which is a pity because there is some potential in here. A couple of cheeky subversions — of the standard ‘Rahul-Raj’ type Bollywood lover, of a belligerent fellow turning weepy, the title itself — are not as impactful as they could have been in a smarter film. And why do husbands have to do ‘raksha’ in place of brothers? Women are quite capable of taking care of themselves, no? Or at least that’s what a film in 2017 ought to be saying. The only element worth looking at in this film, apart from the dependable Kamat, is the rock-solid Rao. If he was given a better co-star than the strictly one-note Haasan, this might have turned out to be a better film. Review by Arnab Banerjee on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Crisp dialogues, witty one-liners, funny twists are not only desirable but are a must to keep our viewers engaged in a story that are solely dependent on plots and not any particular theme or incident. Rajkummar Rao does his best to not just look the part he plays but also enact his role perfectly. Filmmakers like Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee in the past and even Dibakar Banerjee in the recent past have understood the genre of the middle-class comedy so well that we keep revisiting their films even today. The trouble is this is neither a satire nor a dark comedy. It doesn’t even have great performances to keep your interest alive throughout. By adding many stereotypes, it hammers its point. The end result is disappointing. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Where the film slips up is in its writing. The plot, which starts off on a curious note becomes especially convoluted in its second hour. The laughs are now few and far between, and the screenplay takes forever to come to the point. A big part of the problem is Binny: both the character and the casting. She’s supposed to be the neighborhoodpatakha, but Binny is impenetrable and occasionally off-putting. Doesn’t help that Shruti Haasan comes off stilted. It’s hard to see why Gattu is so besotted by her. Review by Ruchita Mishra on Glamsham Rating: Amidst all this confusion and chaos Gatu finally confesses that he isn’t anyone’s brother. Raj’s monologue, much like Kartik Aryan’s monologue in PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA, is the best. Raj justifies why should guys think that every mohalla wali is their sister. The supporting casts were powerful. The songs were average and weren’t too pleasant. You can watch BEHEN HOGI TERI for Rajkummar’s performance and if you enjoy comedy but mind you, leave your brains at home. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: None of the characters require any real out-of-the-world acting. The performers just need to not go overboard and that they manage – more or less. Given the one line plot of a love story that is as standard as it gets, it boiled down to the angle this particular premise takes on the plot. That no man really wants to treat women around him as sisters sounds more like a frustrated rant of a many-year-old, suppressed angst. Now, would that motivate you to watch the film? Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Dear Maya – 2.5 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 Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru – 2.3 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Dobaara See Your Evil – 2.1 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 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

Dinesh Vijan is a famous producer who found success in Bollywood by producing quite a few successful films –...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dear Maya ‘ Review – 2.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dear Maya Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: In spite of the irregularities, director Sunaina Bhatnagar keeps the feeling from ebbing. She’s good at extracting the right emotion even out of contrived situations. She super-sizes symbolism (red is the color of love; getting drenched in the rain is liberating; reclusive woman has caged birds, etc) and serves up a film that’s sporadically sweet. Like the times when Manisha Koirala is on screen. Her talent deserves far more than a movie that is this in-your-face. Debutantes Madiha and Shreya have a good energy about them, but their stories are too plain to give them a scope to perform. Dear Maya Review by Shaheen Parkar on Mid-Day India Rating: ‘Dear Maya’ is Manisha Koirala’s comeback film after she battled personal turmoil. This role, about a woman living her life anew, is tailor-made for her. It has been 26 years since she went Ilu, Ilu in ‘Saudagar’ (1991). She has managed to sink teeth into most roles she has done over the years and ‘Dear Maya’ is no different. She makes it worth a watch. This second innings will hopefully be fruitful for Manisha. Dear Maya Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Dear Maya may have an interesting story to tell, but it is a slow watch and is not everyone’s cup of tea. Manisha Koirala delivers a fine performance in her comeback role, but we do wish the movie had invested in giving her more screentime. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Watching the mild-mannered actress return to screen after a personally difficult time resonates with the headway she makes as Maya. As she savours the simple gifts of life in a sequence as sublime as her doe-eyed innocence and benign grace, it’s easy to see why the girls couldn’t bear to see her so miserable in the first place. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The movie belongs to Manisha Koirala who owns Maya with her grace, gaze, poise and that infectious smile that made her one of the most photogenic actress of the 90’s. Manisha who has shown courage in real life by fighting with cancer, gives a charming and endearing performance that is worthy of her comeback claim. Shreya Singh Choudhary and Madiha Imam as Ira and Ana provide the youthful, breeziness and are effortless in their act. However Madiha gets more footage and she leaves her mark. And last but not the least, director Rakeysh Mehra in a cameo is just wonderful. Review by Shweta Kulkarni on Nowrunning Rating: The director does manage to make the audience believe in the friendship between Ira and Anna and how both girls handle their life crises. But those moments are so few, you don’t know whether to like the whole film because of the moments or just groan at the story as it unfolds. Even the transformation of Manisha Koirala from the stern unhappy person has touches of magic that even inept direction and an implausible story cannot take away. Manisha Koirala once brought to the screen live, and here when she twirls in the rain with her face expressing sheer joy is something that is worth watching. Alas, Maya’s happy surprise ending in Delhi is more laughable than happy. Wait for the movie to show up on cable. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director Sunaina Bhatnagar had a noble vision: to capture the drama and debiliation of negotiating the teenage years. And while she manages to a certain extent, her naive, one-dimmensional characters fail to engage and subsequently interest one in the proceedings which seem to drag on endlessly. We agree with the sagely suggestion that Manisha Koirala’s character offers in this film: “Say yes to life!” This also implies you shouldn’t waste two hours and eleven minutes of that life in enduring this film. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film which started off with a high intense drama ends on a happy note. Wonder, Sunaina had an amazing thought but fails to culminate the subject towards the end. The film has a few moments which will leave you in tears and smiles at the same time. Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Dear Maya falls short because it is unable to keep the title character and therefore the film’s finest actor central to the proceedings. With its many plot contrivances and tendency to overstretch a wafer-thin plot, the film is an exasperating watch. The metaphors here are too literal as evident by Maya’s obsession for hoarding birdcages in her mansion. The second half sinks as much time is wasted patching an estranged friendship and getting redemption for the two guilt-ridden leads. Even when Bhatnagar finally brings Koirala back – too little, too late – to conclude Maya’s arc, it becomes an exercise in unwarranted laughs. The takeaway here seems to be that great service staff in restaurants and stores is all that’s needed to change your perception about life. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The visuals are beautifully and dexterously captured by Cinematographer Sayak Bhattacharya’s lens. These frames along with the sound, designed by Manik Batra and his team are shrewdly and skilfully layered by Aarti Bajaj’s editing. Overall, Dear Maya, despite its follies, touches a raw nerve and makes you embrace the film wholeheartedly. Dear Maya Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The movie could have been exceptionally good if only the treatment was crisp and engaging. The screenplay after a point keeps dragging without any reasons, due to which the whole impact of the film gets diluted. Director Sunaina Bhatnagar’s slow treatment of the film, ruins the whole fun. The weak screenplay along with few unwanted scenes dilutes the flow of the film. ‘Dear Maya’ is sweet and charming in parts and in order to enjoy those you will have to add good amount of dragging scenes. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: We watch because of the performances. Madiha Imam, a Pakistani actress, is fine (except she also comes off far too polished in her college girl avatar: why are Bollywood’s college girls so annoyingly groomed?). Chaudhary looks the part, but gets a little stilted. But it’s good to have Manisha Koirala back. She is not scared to present an unvarnished, weathered face: there’s a lovely scene in which she tastes something for the first time, and smiles. She lights up. It is a moment. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Dear Maya does not deliver conventional entertainment nor does it favour high drama. If anything, the film’s even pitching proves that Sunaina Bhatnagar does not mind taking risks. And that is just the sort of filmmaker that Bollywood needs many more of. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: First things first. Dear Maya is a dear little gem of a film that you would want to hold close to your heart. As debutant director Sunaina Bhantangar charts a course through the heart of her beautiful protagonist Maya, the narrative tugs at your heartstrings without being manipulative or excessively maudlin. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Dear Maya relies heavily on old-school-style time leaps — kids hold hand and by the time the camera pans to their faces, they are adults. Well, not exactly, but you get the hang of it. Had Sunaina focused on Maya a little more, the film would have been way better. As little else is of interest in the film, the fact that Manisha’s presence is limited to small bits in the beginning and towards the end makes it a rather stretched watch. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Half Girlfriend – 1.9 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 ‘Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru’ Review – 2.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: ‘Mirror Game’ is a psychological thriller that deals with serious conditions like Schizophrenia and Multiple Personality Disorder. The makers however, do not really explain what’s going through the mind of a person suffering from them. Mental illness is used to make the film more ‘exciting’, which is insensitive and doesn’t work either. You don’t see Jay struggling with the phantoms in his brain. He continues to be a highly functioning professor who can plot heinous crimes like a mastermind, even when he is off medication. Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The best part of Vijit Sharma’s film is that it is so layered that it surprises you at regular intervals. This 100-minute film doesn’t have any interval, adding brownie points to the film. A song-less thriller is what Bollwood needs right now and ‘Mirror Game’ has broken free from the traditional way of Indian filmmaking. The ‘Hollywoodish’ treatment of the film may prove to be the biggest obstacle in wooing Indian viewers. For it is too soon for a Bollywood flick to introduce the untouched genre of no nonsense filmmaking that is beyond the sensibilities of a regular Indian movie goer, but, again, there has to be a beginning. Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by IANS on Sify Rating: On the performance front; Parvin Dabas as the schizophrenic Jai Verma, Dhruv Bali as Ronnie, Shanti Akkineni as Tanya Verma, Sneha Ramchander as Detective Shenoy and Pooja Batra as Jai Verma’s friend and police psychologist Shonali, deliver nothing outstanding as actors and are thus perfunctory. Mounted with moderate production values, the production designs, which include the on-location shoots are accurate. Cinematographer Joshua Echevarria’s camera work is steady and his frames are realistic. The background score by Kasturi Nath Singh and Vishal Singh elevate the viewing experience. The fine layering of the sound and visuals by Shakti Hasija and Abhishek Seth is also worth a mention. Overall, Mirror Game: Ab Khel Shuru is a well-packaged film that will take you by surprise. Review by Shweta Kulkarni on The Nowrunning Rating: There is surprising restraint in background music and we thank the writer director for that. There is no presence of head-holding, hair-tearing hero going mad, no hysterical laughter that is usually seen in every Bollywood psych thriller. And for that the audience will be grateful. The title is odd, and the only explanation seems to be is that the writer-director wanted it to be ‘different’. The twist in the story is good, very good perhaps. If only the pacing of the story had been smarter. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: V. Sharma’s narration doesn’t help either and the climax is unintentionally laughable. The performance doesn’t excite either. Parvin Dabas is unable to get the shades in the script to portray the unpredictability of his character and its moves in a set routine and standard tone. Dhruv Bali is strictly bearable. Sneha Ramachander is just okay. Shanti Akkineni is better from the lot and Pooja Batra is horribly wasted. It appears that actors’ sequences are shot as per the convenience and availability of actors in America. MIRROR GAME – AB KHEL SHURU has nothing to offer, it’s ludicrously plotted, flawed and floundering right from the word go. Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The first half takes a lot of time to come on the right track. The treatment is super slow and lethargic at times. The thin line script has been highly stretched and unwanted scenes have been added at regular interval. Sadly, all the positive points get diluted due to the snail pace treatment of the film. The minimal happenings and forced confusion ruins the impact of the film. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Half Girlfriend – 1.9 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 ‘Dobaara See Your Evil ‘ Review – 2.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When it released, OCULUS turned out to be a rather path breaking film in the horror thriller genre which gradually builds up on the story revealing details as the film progress. However, in the case of DOBAARA, much of the story line is already known, which lends the viewer a sense of been there done that. But, despite this director Prawaal Raman undertakes the task of unravelling a horror mystery layer by layer as the film progresses. Sadly DOBAARA suffers from the same disease that plagues Indian horror films. Unfortunately despite the fact that the film could have been a stand out experience in this genre, it falters due to a rather underdeveloped screenplay and characterization. In fact, the first half of the film ends up being rather slow, with the progression on screen taking place at a snail’s pace. If that wasn’t all, each time the suspense builds up with the the audience expecting something to happen, the scene changes leaving the viewer in free fall. This sudden switching though acts as a roller coaster ride, becoming tiresome after a point. However, though the second half of the film does pick up in pace, sadly, the dual time lines and the constant switching back and forth leave the viewer disoriented and confused. With the duality of timelines and the never ending roller coaster ride, the audience eventually loses interest in the plot and keeps waiting for something to happen. Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Adapted from the Hollywood horror film Oculus (2013), Dobaara allows for some moments of fear, apprehension, dread and scare. Borrowing the template of the original, this paranormal thriller uses flashback as a technique to spook the audience and it is definitely above the desi horror, the Bollywood audience is subjected to. The recollections are a mix of illusions and nightmares that the lead players see, each time they look into the haunted mirror. This one had the potential to be more, but it seems so stretched at times that you are almost willng to get behind the screen yourself and kill someone. Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: As far as chemistry that you expect from real-life siblings Huma and Saqib go, there’s not much to be seen on the screen. But the second half, which is filled with some smart thrills and scary moments, redeems the film. Watch this if you are in the mood for a creepy film whose intention is to startle you, but not designed for gross shock value. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: All Huma Qureshi had to do to crack this, was to appear sufficiently petrified. But she sways from delirious to exhausting and like this film, is loud and insufferable. If Saqib Saleem has any potential, this film didn’t allow him to deliver on it. So, to be fair, he should be given a second chance so that we can see him on the big screen dobaara, provided he wisens up about the projects he picks. Agreed director Prawaal Raman has a faint body of work to defend or live up to. But this doesn’t entitle him to reduce horror to hilarity. To desi-fy a screenplay would mean adapting the same to meet local perceptions and expectations. Raman reads this as Ramsay-fying the witch and amplifying the howling. Review by Rajat Tripathi on Bollywood Life Rating: Dobaara is a movie where multiple timelines need to interlock and evoke confusion. The plot required the past and the present to merge to an extent that it made no sense, and paranoia ensued. But the ‘not making sense’ part was taken way too seriously, and the cuts literally made no sense. A scene that is left hanging in middle, fifteen minutes later, suddenly holds relevance to a whole different scene – and the switch between the two scenes is horrible. The background score adds zero value to the plot. It could have been done better. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Prawaal knows his strength and focusses more on jolt-giving scenes, but two scenes need a cohesive factor. However, Dobaara’s 145-minute duration saves him to some extent on this front. It’s a faithful remake of Oculus and can make your hair stand at times. Hindi filmmakers rarely achieve such finesse in mostly predictable paranormal stories. Feel the chills. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Dobaara: See Your Evil uses the tried and tested tropes of horror films and mixes them with the conventions of a psychological chamber drama. The resultant concoction is delivered with stylistic panache but without passion. Bollywood scare-fests tend to be more laughable than frightening. This one isn’t. But it is frequently too baffling for comfort. Teaming up with real-life sibling Saqib Saleem, Huma Qureshi, notwithstanding the improbably coiffured look that she wears through her supernatural ordeal, is never less than convincing as the petrified woman up against eerie elements she wants to tame. Saqib, too, is effective, if not consistent, as the boy who has been through hell. Review by Prasanna D Zore on Rediff Rating: Dobaara, at times, especially after the interval, gets repetitive with flashback flip-flops every second frame. That, in part, succeeds in spooking the viewer, but the background score doesn’t add to the eerie air that director Prawaal Raman tries to imbue the film with. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The best part of the film is its direction. Prawaal Raman is certainly one of the most underrated directors of our times. Handling a subject of a possessed mirror by keeping the thriller element alive till the last frame isn’t an easy job. The treatment of the film is its USP. Though it’s an official remake, Prawaal makes it look like a completely fresh film. The pace of the screenplay is a little sloppy especially in the first half (which is the only drawback of the film) but the second half will keep you glued till the climax. Prawaal’s films have their own set of spine chilling moments. Like his previous fares, this one too is spooky and intense but at the same time, unlikely to appeal to a certain strata of the society because it might prove to be too cerebral for the average viewer. But then again, we need filmmakers like Prawaal to keep the bar high. Keeping the commercial aspects alive, Dobaara is certainly a good watch in the horror genre. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Powered by brilliant performance by Huma and Saqib, DOBAARA: SEE YOUR EVIL gets an extra dose of chill thanks to their terrific chemistry and shifting of shades in their character that spins the surprise. It’s not that the traditions are not followed; Prawaal Raman gives tribute to the barking dogs, gloomy cellars, masks and of course a life-size mirror all are there but used smartly for maximum effect. Special mention for Adil is a must; the marble scene is a stealer. While others like Lisa and Madalina just pass the muster. Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Prawaal Raman ends up delivering a mediocre project. The film fails to connect in its conversational as well as horror part. Huma Qureshi fails to get inside the skin of her character. Madalina Bellairu hams to the fullest. ‘Dobaara’ is an unworthy clone of its original film. Even the die-hard horror film lovers would prefer to stay away from this boring non-horror film. Review by Shweta Kulkarni on Nowrunning Rating: For a horror movie there are so much dialog you want to tear your hair out. There are no silences at all. The brother and the sister talk, talk and talk some more. And as the film crawls ahead, the dialog just becomes incoherent. It’s a relief to see credits roll. Review by Sonil Dedhia on Mid-Day India Rating: Dobaara has certain promising moments, but they are far and few, making the viewer impatient, and eventually uninterested. As the scares improve in the second half, with ghost-induced hallucinations dominating the action, the past and present start to overlap. These sequences are executed well but aren’t backed by good direction or acting. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: On the performance front, every actor seems to execute their part perfunctorily. Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem, though siblings in real life, seem to be distant on screen and their performance lacks lustre. They fail to internalise their fear and hence their act seems shallow and fake. Similarly, the enthusiasm of the character seems to be lost on Adil Hussain and Lisa Ray who plays his wife. This is evident when Adil mechanically recites the poem, “Fi fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of an English mana.” The rest of the characters seem like mere pawns on the board. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Half Girlfriend – 1.9 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

Sachin A Billion Dreams has received excellent reviews from critics. In fact, so far, with average ratings of more than 3.5, it’s the best rated film of the year. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Sachin A Billion Dreams ‘ Review – 3.7 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Sachin A Billion Dreams Review by Indicine Sachin: A Billion Dreams will remind us of the reason we fell in love with the man. It will also remind us why so many lost their interest in the game after he retired There was no one like him before, and there’s not going to be anyone after him either. (We don’t switch-off the television after a batsman gets out anymore, do we?) Sachin: A Billion Dreams will take us on a journey of a man from Mumbai but it will also take us on a journey of India – a rooted, humble story of tremendous success. It will inspire everyone to scream out “Sachin, Sachin” once again. No Rating. Go watch it Sachin A Billion Dreams Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: When the protagonist has been the collective voice and conscience of India’s cricketing history, then he’s a tough subject to make a film on. Naturally, James Erskine puts Sachin on a pedestal and tells the story with an unnatural amount of reverence. Sachin A Billion Dreams Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a movie strictly for cricket fans. But then that’s the entire country, including yours truly. At the end of the movie, a fellow journalist told me ‘This is the happiest I have seen you after any movie.’ It’s true because I just watched a good piece of cinema where I became a cricket fan once again, and had relived my childhood. This is easily the best movie on cricket, and whether you are a Sachin fan or not, you will find tears flowing through the sides of your cheeks at the end of the film. Sachin: A Billion Dreams is highly recommended. Just make sure you cheer with the rest of the audience …Sachin…Sachin…! Sachin A Billion Dreams Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Overall, it is a good watch, but at the end, it’s a documentary which is a compilation of his real-life footages. The idea of promoting it as a film is a little weird. It is like any other documentary made on several sportspersons that are available online. Or perhaps it’s Sachin’s vast popularity across the globe that the director thought of the idea of making it. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: It has Sachin talking about his life. How he was a naughty little boy, who grew up to be a serious, focussed cricketer, represented the country, played fabulously, and then retired gracefully. Everything is fantastic and coated with honey and dusted with sugar and fairy dust. Even the darkest period in cricket – the scandal of match fixing – is glossed over, because Sachin says, ‘What could I say? It was unbelievable and stunning.’ Considering how the ‘movie’ has gone so far, this does not surprise you. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Sachin’s debut on silver screen is natural and elegant as his drives. Mayuresh Pem who plays Sachin’s brother is impressive. An interview of Vinod Kambli was missed and Sachin’s sev puri parties and his fascination for butter chicken however didn’t find place in this biopic which this writer was expecting. During the ending reels, we watched that emotional speech by Sachin the legend who dream of lifting the world cup after Kapil Dev’s triumph in 1983. Kapil’s triumph changed the outlook of cricket in India which was now the world champion which produced legends like Sachin who united India. After the speech when Sachin touched the pitch and went emotional, tears roll down by cheek. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The film has been shot quite well and the background music by A.R. Rahman, the ‘Mozart of Madras’, is one of the highlights of the film as it elevates the narrative to another level altogether. Every time the ‘Sachin… Sachin’ chant reverberates through the cinema-hall, you feel goosebumps on your skin-such is the impact of the docu-drama. James Erskine deserves kudos for his taut direction and for making the film engaging enough to arrest the attention of every viewer in the cinema-hall. What I also liked about the film is that it is not just about Sachin, but about Indian cricket as a whole, with emphasis on the other members of the team and on the people behind Sachin, who made him what he is today. Review by Saiyami Kher on Rediff Rating: The film ends with Sachin’s heart wrenching farewell speech where each and everyone of us didn’t want him to go. It’s a nostalgia trip of the most celebrated sportsman to have graced our planet and leaves us with the chant of “Sachinnnn, Sachinn!” reverberating through our ears and hearts. All that we desire at the end of the film, is to hear the commentator on our screens state, “And the incoming batsman is Sachin Tendulkar”, and then watch him take strike for real just one more time. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: For a movie made as a fulsome tribute, the challenge is always going to be to keep someone who is not bananas about the game (which includes your faithful critic) to stay with the film: I did, and enjoyed almost every minute of it, cheering at the World Cup win, blinking back tears at Sachin’s farewell speech, even while asking for more. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Sachin A Billion Dreams does really well in bringing out the relationship between Sachin and his father and how he couldn’t deal with the loss for a long time and how he wanted to make him proud even after his death during the 1999 World Cup. You will find players like Harbhajan Singh, Ravi Shashtri and M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli talking about Sachin Tendulkar, but it’s the real-life videos that add charm to this biopic. The one shot inside the Indian team’s dressing room after Sachin’s 35th century is remarkable and displays the delicate connection among players. Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: Sachin: A Billion Dreams, is already a superhero, and everybody knows his story. There is nothing that is unheard of, such as in the case of, say, Indian boxer Mary Kom whose biopic released in 2014. There is no untold story here, unlike the case of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose biopic came last year. Generations of Indians have been witness to the Sachin story and his tales have been repeated again and again for years, in articles, sports programmes, among you, your father, your uncle and the eldest in the family discussing his records, his centuries, his hits and misses and infinite number of times. In such a case, all that Sachin: A Billion Dreams could do, and did do, is that it repeated the story just one more time. And that worked. Review by Mohar Basu on Mid-Day India Rating: Erskine paints a palpable picture of Tendulkar, gently revealing his psyche through the lulls in his life, expressing his excitement when the time was good, and how the cricketer sought solace in music, vada pav and the almighty. His teammates play strong supporting roles as the film climaxes with the momentous 2011 World Cup win, and his stirring retirement speech. What you’ll watch in theatres is not just another movie. It’s India’s biggest success story, that of a curly mopped kid conquering the nation’s heart. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: This retelling of a life less ordinary is measured — much like how Tendulkar responds to most deliveries. So controversies, such as the match-fixing scandal, have been portrayed without digging deeper and sticking to what has already been reported. And while the various match footage seem like watching the highlights — every delivery culminates into something remarkable — it is one man’s ability to unite a nation of a billion and more that makes this a documentary worth watching. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: A simple man whose phenomenal achievements do not influence his behaviour on the field or in the family fold, Tendulkar comes across in the film as guileless and driven. We get to see Sachin Tendulkar talk directly into the camera. Again it’s not about how he throws words or pauses between them. It’s about telling the world that his heart beats for cricket. Everything else, including family, must wait. For telling it like it is, for giving the national hero a befitting cinematic homage and for opening up the vistas of dreams that every working class youngster lives and dies with, Sachin: A Billion Dreams deserves a standing ovation. For giving us a documentary that is neither dry nor pedantic nor over-eulogistic, the entire team of this film deserves a “We Love Sachin” sweat-shirt each…. Signed by the man. Review by KR Guruprasad on DNA India Rating: For a cricket aficionado, the film checks all the boxes, the memorable debut, failure as a captain, personal milestones, injuries, the disappointment of 1996, 2003 and 2007 World Cups and the subsequent triumph in the 2011 edition. It also touches upon the match-fixing saga and the controversial reign of Greg Chappell as the coach of Team India. Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18 Rating: If you’re a Tendulkar worshipper, you were probably sold at the first poster itself. But nevertheless, the docudrama will be a treat for you. It’ll be like a nostalgia ride, one for the good, wherein you’ll find yourself smiling, sighing and sobbing along with Tendulkar. Sachin A Billion Dreams Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The dramatized version of Sachin’s childhood track could have been better as well as engaging. People who are not associated with cricket might not experience the same magic. The documentary styling might not highly appeal to the masses. Also, for the young kids who have missed out on Sachin phenomena, might find hard to connect with it. Few more important tracks and controversial topics should have been handled in the film. ‘Sachin: A Billion Dreams’ is like a lifetime innings which should not be missed by everyone who knows and love Sachin Tendulkar. Review by Rima Bhatia on Bollyspice Rating: If you are a cricketing fan, if you are a Sachin fan, then yes go watch it. I can honestly say you will learn about Sachin the man and Sachin the cricketer. Bear in mind, this is not a typical Bollywood film. It is about the dream of a man that were shared a billion times over with every Indian cricket fan as well as every Sachin fan. Review by Jeet on Wogma Rating: It is euphoric, yes, it is bound to be. It is about cricket. But still it manages to stay low-keyed. And in this restrained tonality is embedded a good deal of exposition of his journey, all the crests, and troughs. The narrative strategy is simple–to focus on key people close to him, while following the timeline of his cricket career. Life and career are thus more-or-less equally addressed, and instances from life and subsequent reflections on them, help us understand his cricket better. Best Rated Films in 2017 Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 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 Half Girlfriend – 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 ‘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

Chetan Bhagat has become a huge name in the Indian writing space with his books and his articles. He’s influenced...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Sarkar 3 ‘ Review – 1.9 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Sarkar 3 Review by Indicine Rating: Sarkar 3 is a film that had no business of being made in the first place and unfortunately the jaded story and the tired characters come across from the start of the film. The pace of the film doesn’t elevate from its initial stages even though a thriller should have had much faster pacing. If you’re in the mood to spend your money on entertainment, then Baahubali 2 is still the best option this weekend. Sarkar 3 Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: First things first. All those who plan to watch SARKAR 3 because of the track record of its previous two instalments, will be hugely disappointed because of the film’s majorly flawed writing (Ramkumar Singh). The film has absolutely no story plot or premise. It is just loaded with gimmicks based on the previous two films (SARKAR and SARKAR RAJ), and the makers are just trying to encash on the franschise name. The film lacks detailing in every aspect. The dialogues in the film are way too corny and one can’t help but just laugh at it after a point. Sarkar 3 Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: There is a major scene, where an important character gets killed mid-way, but apart from a newsbreak, there is no follow-up to this scene. Once again, RGV allows his cinematographer to go haywire, making this look like some student is attempting to impress his mentor with his camera-work. The background score is an ear-sore, with the popular Govinda Govinda theme sounding like it has been remixed by Badshah. Sarkar 3 Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: You might wish to dig deeper. But between Sarkar’s long glances; dark, excessively moody, pretentious lighting in this flick that’s totally ‘indoorsy’ to the point of being claustrophobic, what you get is a wholly de-humanised view of the world, and a five-people economy, where people simply drop dead like pins, making you wonder if killing itself was so easy then what was the point of politicking in the first place. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: As and when Amitabh Bachchan comes on screen it reminds of the 2005 Subash Nagre, this deja vu is good for RGV as it still manages to give a glimmer of hope that all is not lost for RGV till yet. His comments on social media may not be taken seriously but still those who have grown up watching his cinema since SHIVA in 1989 know about his capabilities and are still waiting. The sentiments mentioned however are bad for SARKAR 3 as the movie follows the form of the original SARKAR but to diminishing effect. Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Coming to the all-important question—is Ram Gopal Varma of Shiva, Satya, Company and the first part of Sarkar back in form? Well, you can see some flashes of the filmmaker’s intensity here. His Mahabharatha tale or palace politics as it is termed, plays out uninterruptedly. However there isn’t much intrigue because most of the twists are easy to guess. Some of the dialogue is pithy but then again, this accounts for little. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Sarkar’s success relies on Amitabh Bachchan’s charisma, and he knows his character by heart. Despite over-chewed dialogues in the opening sequence, he holds our attention. The same can be said about Ronit Roy who sparkles in an emotional confrontation with Nagre. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Ronit Roy gets to play right hand man of Sarkar, and thankfully he gets to die in the crossfire when characters are double and triple crossing each other at the beat of the infernal ‘Govinda Govinda’ chant and beat that dominates the film score. When that chant showed up in Sarkar the original film, the audience loved it, because it turned the college graduate Shankar into Sarkar, In this film of all the double crosses crammed into the second half, the film collapses into one gigantic nought. Yes, Amitabh Bachchan certainly earns a star for his performance, but the half goes to whoever figures out why ‘Darling’ needed to be in the film… Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Bachchan shows signs of the towering actor he can be, but is captive to the way his Sarkar has been conceptualized and played: he declaims rather than speaks. And there are moments where you can see flashes of the director RGV used to be, when he pulled off films full of creative leaps, and crazy flourishes. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The dialogues too are quite unimpressive and at many places, Nagre is seen saying his dialogues in Marathi and then repeating the same in Hindi, which comes across as absurd. The sub plots too are quite 70s with factory workers being victimized by their employers and shady builders plotting to clear slums by employing violence for their high-rises. To sum it up, if you are still a RGV fan, better stick to his earlier classics like Satya, Company and Sarkar…. Review by Samrudhi Ghosh on India Today Rating: Amitabh Bachchan is the highlight of this film, from his cold grey irises to his baritone that lets you know he means business. Ronit Roy and Amit Sadh hold their own in front of him. Manoj Bajpayee has an extremely interesting role in the film, but just when you think his clash with Sarkar will make Sarkar 3 worth its while, he is bumped off, without any follow-up or consequences. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: A large part of the film has been shot in dark rooms, where blurry shapes indulge in heavy-duty dialoguebaazi. One that sticks, is where Sarkar shuns his grandson, asking him to never show his shakal again. That this exchange happens in one such room where we only see silhouettes, is ironical.  Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Sarkar 3 is a noir thriller that reduces politics to mere gunfights and bland verbal exchanges while the director of photography Amol Rathod goes to work with great gusto to offer us fractured frames in which nothing seems full and everything appears a tad tilted. He plumps for shadows and silhouettes and weaves geometric patterns with the way faces are aligned within the visual compositions. Review by Sreehari Nair on Rediff Rating: Satya ended with Varma talking directly to the audience as he scrawled out: ‘My tears for Satya are as much as they are for the people he killed.’ Here’s what is paradoxical: For sheer power, no imagery he has thought up since beats that white text on black screen. In his interviews, you felt that there burned in Ram Gopal Varma a constant yearning to be viewed as an enigma. If it helps, he has now truly become one. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Amitabh Bachchan shot Sarkar Raaj in 2008 so naturally he has aged in the third film. He surely leads this not so thrilling film with his captivating performance but he is losing his impeccable script sense. Rohini Hattangadi and Supriya Pathak are passable in their cameos. Manoj Bajpayee is completely wasted in this political mishap of a film. Ronit Roy and Amit Sadh are good in their intense roles but Yami Gautam looks stoned throughout. She is just a pretty prop who is heart-stricken by her father’s death. The funniest of all, however, surprisingly is Jackie Shroff, who tries to ape Don (SRK) in every possible manner and makes a fool out of himself. His dialogues are unintentionally funny and his constipated face in the climax will leave you in splits! Parag Tyagi and Bharat Dhabolkar are mere pushovers in the film. Review by Rajeev Masand on News 18 Rating: Sarkar 3 is an improvement on many of Varma’s recent films, which, quite frankly, were unwatchable to say the least. Yet it’s steeped in familiarity and an overwhelming sense of repetition and pointlessness. Did we really need another Sarkar film? Sadly, the answer is no. Sarkar 3 Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Sarkar 3’ is not a bad film but is not a great nor an exciting film. Amit Sadh is loud and jarring. Bajrangi Singh, Yami Gautam, Rohini Hattangadi, Parag Tyagi and Supriya Pathak are highly wasted. Jackie Shroff overacts. ‘Sarkar 3’ is like a squeaky roar due to bad screenplay and lethargic direction. The movie had all the potential to become big just like a mighty roar of a lion. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Watch Sarkar 3 for the way Varma frames the familial feud in flames of fury. The performances are largely effective specially those by Ronit Roy and Amit Sadh. The latter comes into his own as Mr Bachchan’s uncontrollable grandson. But above all, this is one more triumphant celluloid outing for Amitabh Bachchan who invests his role of the aging tiger-neta with a kind of cosmic resonance that goes way beyond that famous baritone. Yup, they don’t make star-actors like Amitabh Bachchan any more. Ram Gopal Varma reminds us of the Bachchan charisma in ways that are deeply nostalgic and exceedingly provocative. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: This idea of mystery – to point the audience to the other direction and throw in something supposedly shocking – is the lamest way to narrate a thriller. The rest is the usual Ram Gopal Verma do. Dark rooms, loud drums, weird camera angles. In this midst, it seems out of place, but I am thankful that the purity of “jay dev jay dev” aarti (prayer) is retained. The decision is really easy. Pass this one, unless you have sworn to watch every single Amitabh Bachchan film. Yep, if you are the regular fan, you can easily give it a miss. Best Rated Films in 2017 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 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 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 ‘Mantostaan ‘ Review – 2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Mantostaan Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The film fails in translation: it is a forced construct, and comes off flat and stagey, both in treatment and performance. It’s only the power of the original material which breaks through once in a while and holds us. Raghuvir Yadav’s face, as he searches for his lost daughter, crumbling with mounting despair, will stay etched in memory. So will the absolute horror of a moment, in which a phrase triggers an action in a young girl after she is rescued from a gang of aggressors. It breaks your heart. If done better, this film would have been a fitting testament to our times. Mantostaan Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Mantostaan is a small, intimate portrait of bloodthirsty men and their quarries aimed at exposing the sheer absurdity of sectarian intolerance. The statement it makes is by no means insubstantial: in an honest and heartfelt manner, the film spotlights the fault lines that history has bequeathed the subcontinent. The repercussions continue to haunt us as venomous elements lurking in the shadows grow bolder by the day gnaw into the vitals of the nation. Mantostaan Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Akhri Salaam is about soldiers who served in the same regiment once now divided by the partition into fighting against each other. Of course the story was relevant once and there is dignity shown by both Pakistani and Indian soldiers, but it gets dragged so much (stilted dialog, odd camera angles) you want to fall on the bayonet yourself. The bizarre splicing together of four stories makes no sense whatsoever. Just because the filmmakers chose to ride on the shoulder of a literary giant does not make the film worthy. Such a pitiful waste of a good idea. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: Mantostaan seems like the first draft of a potentially unputdownable book. A slightly more experienced filmmaker would have done wonders with it. But in this state, it’s like a decent read with a great epilogue. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Lack of research, exaggerated violence and a forced attempt at stitching the short stories together makes this an exhausting watch. The closing slide quantifies those killed in the retributive genocide between religions in the Punjab province to be between 2,00,000 and 20,00,000. That’s as vague as saying, the meteor landed somewhere between Kashmir and Kanyakumari. Review by Arnab Banerjee on Deccan Chronicle Rating: In Mantostaan, writer-director Rahat Kazmi’s adaptation of four of Manto’s controversial stories — Agreement, Thanda Gosht, Khol Do and Akhri Salute — is slack and superficial. Kazmi compiles all the stories into a single narrative, but, as it turns out, Mantostaan is frustratingly uneven, struggling to maintain momentum in its inadequate attempt at capturing the genius of the renegade writer, and the flames of the partition. To make things worse, any time the fluctuating narrative starts to pick up steam, the effect is marred by poor acting. Its jarring use of changing perspectives is too lifeless to have any impact. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The execution of MANTOSTAAN by Rahat Kazmi gives a feeling that the genius of Manto’s prose is misunderstood by the maker to be just terrifying and sensational stories; they are much deeper in sense and more powerful and bigger in its impact. Manto was a fearless hunter as a writer, Rahat Kazmi’s MANTOSTAAN is a pointless blunder as a film. What a pitiful, terrible waste of a cult literature. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Mantostaan must be commended for opening up Manto’s stories. And never mind if the new space provided for the stories to unfold are never quite filled with the riveting fury of M S Sathyu’s Garam Hawa or Govind Nihalani’s Tamas. At least someone has dared to look back during these times of modern day mythology at an angry irrational time when civilization lost its humanism. For reminding us how much history’s lessons need to be learnt by successive generations of unattentive thrill-seekers, Mantostaan deserves a place in your heart. Best Rated Films in 2017 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 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 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

Baahubali  2: The Conclusion has received good reviews from critics. But most of the audience had already booked tickets long before the reviews were out. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Baahubali 2 ‘ Review – 3.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Baahubali 2 Review by Taran Adarsh on Bollywood Hungama Rating: There’s no doubt that BAAHUBALI-2 is Rajamouli’s most accomplished effort to date. His choice of the subject over the years has been diverse, but BAAHUBALI-2 is truly the big ticket entertainer that leaves you awestruck by its powerful storytelling and meticulous detailing. Any deterrent? The Hindi soundtrack could’ve been better, but that’s a tiny hiccup. Also, the editing could’ve been sharper at places. The breathtaking, larger-than-life frames [DoP: K.K. Senthil Kumar], grandiose and opulent production design [Sabu Cyril] and stunning visual effects impart sheen and sparkle. The action portions provide ample exhilarating moments and I must add, it commands repeat viewing. Baahubali 2 Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Baahubali 2 is an experience that should be enjoyed on the big screen. While the movie is overall good in most of the departments, we do wish Rajamouli could have given the movie a befitting conclusion. Still, I would recommend the movie for Prabhas and Anushka Shetty’s powerful performances and it’s epic grandeur. Baahubali 2 Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Parts of Baahubali do just that, but as was the case in the first instalment, the battle sequences are interminable and fatiguing. The film as a whole, and not just the all-out climactic war that breaks out between a good army and an evil one, demands an awful amount of suspension of disbelief. Especially superfluous are some portions of the romance that blooms between Amarendra Bahubali (Prabhas) and beautiful princess Devasena (Anushka Shetty). They render the first half exasperatingly sluggish. In the second half the film gathers momentum but never manages to free itself from the spirit of randomness that informs its core. Baahubali 2 Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: ‘Baahubali 2’ is, firstly, a stand-alone film. The Conclusion doesn’t preclude the audience that hasn’t caught The Beginning. It is in fact a much, much better movie, and one rarely says this about sequels. What has drawn you into the theatre already is the action, special effects, and scale of production—all of which was a given, and there is no disappointment on that front at all. For an Indian movie, you’re equally stunned into absolute disbelief. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: What you expect is not what you get. You are thirsting for action and drama, and you are served romance for most part. And when the action does begin, it’s less than wow. Disappointingly, you can see the CGI coming a mile away. The moods and the moments are nowhere close to the first installment of the film. The plot points are silly and similar to those in any TV serial. Brothers fighting, jealousy, manipulating the mother, death and deceit. Nothing new here. The climax drags after a point and disappoints. Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: This part is more prequel than sequel because initially the story traces the origins of Baahubali’s father, who was originally meant to be the King of Mahishmati. It also delves on the love-story between Amarendra and Devasena(Anushka Shetty), who is mother of Mahendra Baahubali(Prabhas in a dual role.) Recounted in the folklore-meets-Aesop’s fable-style, the plot is simple and carries the good triumphs over evil thought forward just like the first part did. Albeit with some childish conspiracy theories added in. Of course, the end comes together in a long-drawn climax that could have been 10-minutes shorter. Review by Samrudhi Ghosh on India Today Rating: Baahubali 2: The Conclusion does leave a few questions unanswered. Bhallaladeva’s son Bhadra was beheaded in The Beginning, but while over an hour is dedicated to Baahubali-Devasena’s union, there is no mention of Bhallaladeva’s wife. There is a mention of a civil war-like situation in the event that Amarendra Baahubali is killed, but the subjects meekly accept Bhallaladeva’s tyrannny without protest, except the tiny rebel group that Avanthika (Tamannaah) was a part of. The film presents the old-as-time conflict between good and evil, the classic trope of mythology. But watch the film for the grandeur, the visuals and the performances, that have you cheering for Baahubali, much like the subjects of Mahishmati. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: From the cast, Prabhas as Amarendra Baahubali, this film is probably his best work to date and will remain memorable for his fandom till ages. Rana Daggubati is absolutely terrific as the menacing Bhallala Deva who infuses the evil at will making BAAHUBALI the promised spectacle we have asked for. Anushka Shetty as Devasena is simply superb; she has the looks, the poise and the attitude for the role of a warrior princess who knows her rights. Ramyakrishna as Sivagami is terrific indeed. Sathyaraj who plays Kattappa gets a ‘lot’ to do over here and he is just brilliant. Nassar is viciously wicked. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Prabhas, playing both, the brave warrior and fearless son, is committed to his character. But this is surely Ramya’s film and she is formidable as the fierce Sivagami. Anushka Shetty as Devasena is flawless as the princess who crosses swords and has her way with words too. Sathyaraj, as the sutradhaar of this epic tale, Kattappa, is distinguished in this sequel as his character handholds the story and even gets a chance to play wingman to the romantic lead. Rana Daggubati as Bhallala Deva channels sufficient evil and serves as a determined adversary in the fight sequences. Review by Dipanjan Sinha on Hindustan Times Rating: Baahubali’s cast has fit into the narrative so well that it will not be surprising if Daggubati, Sathyaraj or Prabhas are identified as Bhallaladeva, Kattappa or Baahubali for some time to come. Daggubati holds the screen together with his persona of the evil all powerful king and manages to hinge the tension around him. Ramya Krishnan is powerful as queen mother Sivagami. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The slow motion capture of scenes is exactly what you will see in great graphic novels. You will gasp and sigh and clap (even when you are watching the movie in an uptown multiplex). Watch it on the biggest screen near you. The joy of watching an epic fantasy film will be complete. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Overall, ‘Baahubali’ is just an overrated piece of art but, at the same time, holds good entertainment value for the ardent fans of the franchise. Few films outlive reviews and ‘Baahubali 2’ is one of them. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: And that brings me to Prabhas, the only one who doesn’t drown in familiarity in a story which doesn’t know when to stop. He plays Baahubali, he of great strength, with as much verve and vigour as in the first part. Striding across the screen, his `dhoti’ and vest and armour all in the right place, he comes across as the perfect action hero, complete eye candy, and the biggest strength of the film. I enjoyed the first part enormously. The second one comes to life only intermittently. Leaving the theatre, you can’t help wishing that Kattapa had killed the fellow earlier, for us to get a tighter, more economical and perhaps sharper conclusion. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: ‘Baahubali’ could not have been made without SS Rajamouli’s magical touch and vision. It was the director’s sheer commitment and hard work that our nation is blessed with a movie like this. You will be amazed to know that ‘Baahubali 2’ is not only about special effects. In fact, emotions form the soul of this film. ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ will also offer you a lot of reasons to celebrate. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The film is so grand, so larger-than-life and so visually appealing that you will be imprisoned in your seats from the opening credits onwards. It is quite evident that a lot of hard work and effort has gone into every frame. The cinematography, the special effects and the choreography of the war scenes are totally awe-inspiring (though the special effects in a couple of scenes come across as too fake) and will bring to mind Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Troy’ or ‘300’. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: There are times Baahubali shows the strain of expectation, especially in the second half’s doddering pace, lacklustre combat and excessive, unconvincing use of VFX but when it communicates from a place of heart, it moves and enthralls. Better viewed as a whole instead of parts, Baahubali is a spectacular achievement, which not only deserves its place in history but also proves filmmakers should dream big and more often. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: The simplistic, predictable story is the chink in the film’s armor. But it has to be said here that Rajamouli is a consummate craftsman who sweeps you up in the filmmaking. He skillfully uses every tool at his disposal, including rousing background music, slow-motion technology, clap-trap moments, and fantastical flights of fancy to transport you to the world of his characters. It’s impossible not to be impressed by a magnificent, larger-than-life coronation sequence. It’s hard not to cheer when a key character avenges an insult to a woman’s honor. There is also a ship that flies, a stampede of bulls with horns on fire, and palm trees that are used as catapults in a battle scene. There is virtually no stopping Rajamouli’s incredible imagination. Baahubali 2 Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The movie is bit lengthy and needed to be trimmed down in middle portions. In terms of novelty factor there is nothing much new to be seen in terms of visual treats. The songs might not be memorable or foot tapping. One does expect the filmmaker to show an epic style of battle in the end and thus ends up with a minor underwhelming feeling. Rana Duggubati was good, but not as required. Rana does looks great in terms of his physical appearance. Tamannaah was hardly there in the movie. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Rajamouli’s period drama flaunts characters who are confounded by a fate far larger than their fighting abilities. The war sequences, fearsome and awe-inspiring beyond anything we’ve seen in Indian cinema and shot by cinematographer K K Senthil Kumar with a penchant for lavishness that goes well with the film’s deliciously ripened feel flavour fervor, show not just the character’s valour and heroism but also expose them to be vulnerable mortals who, for all their deified posturings, are susceptible to the rules of mortality much in the same way that we ordinary mortals are. Portraying a world of larger-than-life, mythologized and anointed by a destiny that disperses drama, Rajamouli takes us on a journey so grand, epic, enchanting and unforgettable that it would be impossible for us to look at any other costume drama with respect, let alone awe. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: In all other ways though, the film continues what it starts in the first installment. Lots of action, so much so that by the end, the clinking of swords seems like background score. 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