Category - Reviews

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Kung-Fu Yoga ‘ Review – 1.9 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Kung-Fu Yoga Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: The movie begins so abruptly that you feel like you’ve started watching episode no. three of a show by mistake. Director Stanley Tong unloads a ton of information on you in the first ten minutes, leaving you half-confused and already half-disinterested. Kung-Fu Yoga Review by Madhusree Ghosh on Hindustan Times Rating: If only the film were equipped with anything resembling a coherent plot. There are no thrills, or spills. None of the joyous laughter we have come to expect from a Jackie Chan. Instead you have Sonu Sood in another wasted opportunity, and a whole bunch of clichés about India that are frankly more tiresome than funny. Apart from a vague mention of a breathing technique, the film has no connection whatsoever with yoga either. Kung-Fu Yoga Review by Anusha Iyengar on Bollywood Life Rating: The film promises and man, there’s action! Watching Jackie Chan’s Kung Fu movies is worth all the money you spend on the film. The film is also visually good and there is humour at the right places. The second half of the film will literally make you nostalgic if you were a 90s kid who loved the idea of solving crimes or puzzles. Or if you loved watching those game shows on television where participants would have to unlock mysteries to find the hidden treasure. Thankfully, there are no unnecessary songs or romantic scenes in the film and it focuses on the plot completely. It’s a complete entertainment package. It’s a lighthearted film that you can definitely watch with your kids. Disha plays a rather strong woman and not a damsel in distress which adds to the charm in the film. You will also see her fighting the bad guys. Kung-Fu Yoga Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: A dizzyingly fast-paced but musty mish-mash of martial arts, stunts and comedy, Kung Fu Yoga isn’t the kind of film that has any time to pause and ponder. Neither, obviously, would its audience be inclined to seek deeper meaning in its fantastical narrative construct. The breathless pace that Kung Fu Yoga sets obviates the possibility of the audience fully grasping what is unfolding on the screen. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Never mind. This is mindless entertainment at its brainless best, topped up by a kind of foamy salute to Indo-Chinese kinship that would at best, be as serviceable as a picnic up the Himalaya where revellers from both the countries are invited. The party mood never forsakes “Kung Fu Yoga”. Director Stanley Tong gives Sonu Sood a chance to battle Jackie. Jackie gets tit for tat, ‘Sood samet’. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Kung Fu Yoga, which is a cheat title, because it has barely any yoga and a lot of jaded Kung Fu moves, does nothing but put you to sleep. Chan plays a great Chinese archaeologist in search of lost treasure. A mo cap (motion capture) flashback tells a convoluted tale of Indian royals wandering about icy mountain caves in Tibet, with Chan showing the way. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: this is probably the worst of Jackie Chan movies. Looks like, he took Bollywood too seriously! He is cute while dancing but nothing will get in your head because he is talking and singing in Chinese. Though the film got the biggest opening ever in his homeland China, it lacks logic in every aspect. He will surely impress the kids, must say. Disha Patani and Amyra Dastur look just pretty and the two have nothing much to act. Sonu Sood has played the villain several times before in our Hindi films but you will see him in an English-speaking villain’s avatar for the first time and it is a total disgrace to the language. He is unpleasant to the core in his act. His sudden transformation from a villain to a good guy is laughable. ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ is definitely a waste of time but can recommend to kids over the weekend. Don’t expect logic even for a second, or else you will come out scratching your head. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: There’s much Kung Fu. What about the yoga? No, seriously. What about the yoga? You’re thinking now. That’s your bad. You can just about tell where this film is coming from. Never mind where this picture is going—dubbed into English and various Indian languages, from Mandarin. Maybe the potential 2.5 billion cinema audiences that comprise India and China together—if you totally ignore Hollywood, which anyway draws 70 per cent of its revenues from outside America? Maybe. The economics of this pic does make sense. At the centre of this geopolitical tectonic shift is actor Sonu Sood—poor man’s young Amitabh Bachchan, on a horse, holding a falcon in his hand, like Big B from ‘Mard’, taking on Jackie Chan. Good stuff, yo. The rest of this movie just reminded me of any other episode from the Pamela Anderson show VIP from the ’90s. You remember that? I seriously don’t know why I do. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Jackie is energetic as ever, but the man looks quite jaded and leaves his younger co-stars to execute most of the action sequences. Sood looks quite dashing but hams like there is no tomorrow and his diction is unintentionally funny. Disha and Amyra look pretty enough. Though the visual effects are decent enough, what leads to the film’s undoing is a loose plot and an uninspired execution. Most of the scenes are disjointed and for some reason, the makers thought that they could impress viewers by showing them levitating monks and the ‘Indian Rope Trick’ (Guys, this is 2017, for crying out loud!!). The action scenes are somewhat decent (specially the car chase sequence with an unexpected backseat passenger), but in the absence of a strong plot or interesting characters, the action scenes too don’t make much of an impact as such. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Jackie Chan’s exuberance and unmatched energy at the age of 62 is commendable to the highest level and here we see his dance moves too and the master is just terrific. Sonu Sood can thank his stars for sharing space with Jackie Chan and that’s the benefit of becoming a producer erstwhile it would have remained a dream. Disha Patani looks pretty and has a meaty role. Amyra Dastur looks beautiful and has her moments. Chinese comedian Zhang Guoli is strictly okay while Aarif Lee Rahman and Eric Tsang do their part with sincerity. Technically polished, Horace Wong lenses give a postcard feel. Tong, Chan stunts are crowd pleasing. Apart from the funny use of cobras that was unnecessary plus the political statement made by Asmita during her introduction to Jack, KUNG FU YOGA takes the audience for a ride. Sonu Sood’s palace where he pets Lions and Hyenas is said to be in Rajasthan but actually it seems to be shot in Dubai. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: For Jackie Chan fans, this one will be disappointing. Not that the karate kid has now become a Kung Fu grandpa but the fact that the legendary actor is reduced to films such as this one. While he still has the moves (and they’re not as jaded as Jagger yet), this one barely allows him to flex much else. For Sonu Sood, this seems like a fantasy — crossing fists with the most revered big screen champion of Kung Fu. But sadly, his lines, like the script of this film, lack punch. “Some call it destiny, some call it meant to happen, but I call it make it happen,” is just one of many that make you shrink your nose. Disha Patani, who has a few more lines than others in the film, is unobjectionable, even if a tad stereotyped (every contemporary Indian princess isn’t as bejeweled all the time), while Amyra Dastur is largely hired to smile through the proceedings. Apart from Kung Fu, Chan also mastered parkour even before the term was coined. In his films, he experimented with freestyle running, hopping over walls, vehicles and everything that would obstruct his path. You should too — only in the opposite direction from the multiplex that’s screening this film. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Kung Fu Yoga further embarrasses itself by assuming there’s still an audience for India as a country of attention-seeking snakes, rope tricks mid-air suspended sadhus and royalty that looks straight out of a garishly-dressed mannequin off S V Road. Worn down by shabby aesthetics and absurd mumbo jumbo, Kung Fu Yoga assaults both senses and soul. Not a combination you want to try. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Sadly for us Jackie Chan himself, whose winning cocktail of go-for-broke physical comedy and life-risking stunt work turned him from a local Chinese star into a beloved Hollywood action hero, appears to be in autopilot mode here. His once impeccable timing is no longer split-second, and gone is that scrappy underdog charm that endeared him to the fans. The only time I had a good laugh was watching his expressions fly as he sportingly shook a leg in the film’s big Bollywood-style dance number. Kung Fu Yoga is a disappointment for Jackie Chan fans. The actor deserves better, and so do we. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: There are three Chinese and one Indian sidekicks whose action sequences with Hyenas is exhausting to say the least. Also opening this week is the Chinese American collaboration movie called The Great Wall which also falter because the plots is weak and the action is boring. Looks like film-makers need to get their act together and realise just marketing means nothing if the content is so banal. Wait for the film to show up on cable. Best Rated Films in 2017 Kaabil – 3.2 stars Haraamkhor – 3 stars Raees – 2.9 stars Ok Jaanu – 2.5 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars

‘Raees’ reviews of Indicine readers will be published on this page. If you’ve watched the film and want to share your thoughts with our readers, feel free to post your reviews in the comments section below: The first review is a detailed one from one of our very old readers ‘xzone’. This page will be updated with more reviews very soon! [mks_toggle title=”xzone” state=”open”] Had decided to post my review by night but couldn’t hold my excitement, hence posting it now itself. Note: As far as reviews are concerned , I try to be brutally honest. However, I should be excused, if at any instance, I sound like a hardcore SRK fan instead of a neutral movie buff. So here we go : Instead of getting into the technical terms like screenplay and editing , I will directly come to the +ve’s and -ve’s of Raees. Positives : Let’s discuss each segment in detail. 1. Acting : SRK has nailed it and he is fantastic as usual. He proves it yet again that when it comes to play an antagonist he has no match. (Just look at his eyes when he kills Atul Kulkarni and Mooosa, intensity says it all. He is equally good expressing his resentment when Government declares his ambitious project as part of agricultural land). However, it’s Nawazuddin who steals the show. I remember when Raees trailer was out , many called Nawaz the major disappointment of Raees. Today I urge those people- just go and watch him. He is absolutely amazing and comes out as a winner when the movie gets over. There was nothing much to do for Mahira, but even in that small space (which was allocated to her), she disappoints and looks misfit for her role. 2. Action : Action is “Desi” and typical of 70-80s era. You are bound to remember Big B and Dharam Paji while watching the action sequences as mostly they follow the same lines. Particularly, the fight sequences of Butcher market and one took place in truck are commendable. 3. Songs : What I liked is none of the songs are misplaced. Every song follows a sequence and connects directly to the movie, so audience will never feel that songs are forced (as it happens with most of the movies now-a-days). I didn’t like Udi-Udi at the time of it’s release, but it looks absolutely mesmerizing on big screen. 4. Dialogues : They are the heart of this movie. You will listen a lot of cheers and whistles with every dialogues. I was watching it in plex but I can imagine what euphoria these dialogues would have created on single screens. Negatives : ******************************************************************* 1. Story is not well connected : It seems Dholakia had tried everything which was available in his platter. He drives a number of parallel events/issues together, yet fails to establish a convincing connectivity between them. Examples of such individual segments are – Nawaz chasing SRK Corruption (in police department) Political conspiracy Secularism Communal riots Philanthropic aspect of Raees Plight of workers working in unorganized sector He deals with all the above topics and honestly, they all are shot well but he fails to bind them together at the end. So, though people enjoy these sequences thoroughly (honestly, each of these segments are well crafted individually) at the end they look confuse as what they have gained from Raees- the movie as whole. 2. SRK-Mahira Chemistry : This is yet another drawback and at times their chemistry looks forced. I felt a heroine was added to this movie only to strengthen the commercial aspects of Raees else there was no need for a leading lady as such. 3. Climax : It was surreal for me though it is ‘strictly’ individual opinion of mine. Conclusion : ************************************************ Now comes the major question- whether one should watch or skip Raees. I would categorize the audience into three groups and pass my remarks accordingly. 1. SRK haters : These are the people who always have a prejudice about SRK movies and they don’t even appreciate the positive aspects of his movies. If you are one among them, skip it as you will not like it at all. 2. Neutral audiences : Please understand that the decision – whether to watch Raees or not- totally depends upon your ‘Taste’. Raees is not a Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijan or CDI. If you love wholesome entertainment and want to be completely engaged and involved for two and half hours, then Raees is for you. I guarantee it you will never get bored and will thoroughly enjoy the movie. However, if you are expecting Raees to be a perfect crime thriller with major twist and turns then I would request you to give it a miss. Because story is quite predictable and what makes it enjoyable is the characterization and performance of the casts, specially SRK and Nawaz and not the story as a whole. 3. SRK fans : Book your tickets if you have not already. You will love this badass yet sensitive Avatar of SRK. ************************************************************** Rating : *** (3/5) (I always get afraid while allocating *(stars) to a movie because I am not good at it. Still trying my hands for the first time :P ) ************************************************ Commercial side : Raees is already a winner at single screens and it will attract large number of audience in coming days. What remains to be seen is, how it fairs at multiplexes. Though SRK’s presence has ensured fair occupancy and phenomenal advance booking for first three days, but will that continue when the actual weekend (Sat-Sun) peeps in, that’s the biggest question. If Kaabil is anything near to the reviews what it has received, it will put a formidable competition in front of Raees. My expectations : Will wrap up within 150 cr (HIT) [/mks_toggle]  

Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees should scored decent reviews from critics. The average reviews are lower than Shah Rukh Khan’s last release FAN, but movies like Raees are never expected to win over critics. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Raees ‘ Review – 2.9 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Raees Review by Indicine Rating: Rahul Dholakia walks on a narrow edge here and could easily have gone overboard with very sensitive topics. He makes a palatable, almost family friendly version of a gangster film. It isn’t the most refined, and it doesn’t work all the time, but Raees has got a swagger about it which has not been seen in Hindi cinema for quite sometime. It is a throwback to the 70s angry young man movies of Amitabh Bachchan, and quite interestingly plays out like a film from that era. The first half moves at a frantic pace, but the second half slackens when the focus shifts on Robinhood Raees. It suffers from the post interval lull syndrome, but the climax redeems the movie to an extent. Also, credit must go to the makers for daring to make a move on identity politics and masking it in a commercial entertainer avatar.  Raees Review by Taran Adarsh on Bollywood Hungama Rating: Dholakia is not really known to be a hardcore commercial film-maker. One look at his body of work and you realize he tilts more towards realism than make-believe. But he does an about-turn with RAEES, for the film marries realism and masala wonderfully. The narrative moves seamlessly from romance [SRK-Mahira] to the game of one-upmanship as the criminal and cop collide. This is a big ticket film with SRK and Dholakia knows that the stakes are high. He maintains the realism, ensures that the pace and energy seldom dip… but, most importantly, he makes sure SRK’s legion of fans aren’t disappointed. He takes a leap as a storyteller, doing justice to the written material and extracting bravura performances from each and every member of the cast. Blemishes? Oh yes! The first hour unravels at a feverish pace, making you thirst for the second half. But it’s here that the problem arises. The pace slackens soon after the intermission and the romantic song and a few sequences act as spoilers. Thankfully, the film picks up when Raees’ life takes a dramatic turn, which leads to a high-voltage climax. Raees Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: Shah Rukh Khan has never looked better; he’s full of fury and for once, isn’t spreading his arms, but breaking others’. The film lies entirely on his shoulders and he carries the weight most of the times. When he doesn’t, the ever-so-reliable Nawazuddin Siddiqui steps in with his crackling performance. In the trademark Nawaz style, he delivers some comic relief while playing the Tom to Khan’s Jerry. Mahirah is restricted to songs and a few emotional scenes, but doesn’t really add much. If her purpose was to soften the baddie, it’s lost on the viewer. The movie can feel a bit long, but if you’re going for a great Shah Rukh performance and some good ol’ popcorn-entertainment, it might just ‘raees’ to the occasion. Raees Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Dholakia knows his Gujarat . That was clear in his ‘Parzania ‘. There are some flashes of that insider knowledge here too, but you can see how fear of being censored has blunted the edges of this film which could have really lifted off the screen. The riots, both in Mumbai and Gujarat, have a seriously anodyne feel. And the predictable arc of the story weighs the second half down.SRK’s romantic interest, Mahira Khan, too is not as fresh as she could have been: the coyness is old Bollywood and in a film which should have embraced its masala roots much more firmly, it just sinks. So do all those slo-mos. And that Sunny Leone, who shakes it, shakes it, to no avail. So this is what we get: a Nawaz who is having the time of his life, and making us crack multiple grins, up against an SRK who breaks through in some moments (especially one in which he shares with his bete noire, when the film shuts everything else down so that we can focus on the duo ) but gets bogged down in florid, seen-too-many-times flourishes. Raees Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Director Rahul Dholakia made an honest attempt to make a typical masala entertainment for the mass audience but gets confused between story telling and making a Shah Rukh Khan film. The film deals with too many issues like his previous film ‘Lamhaa’. The pace of the film is slow too especially in the second half. First half holds a slight promise to offer an interesting chase but fails to impress gradually. The biggest hiccup of the film is its weak plot. Except for the hide and seek between Shah Rukh Khan and Nawaz, ‘Raees’ is a yawn fest. The narrative of the film has been uselessly complicated by giving the political angle to it. The film could have been much more thrilling and gut-wrenching. It is a typical 70’s drama but in 2017, it doesn’t excite much. Review by Sarit Ray on Hindustan Times Rating: Raees is a typical ’80s potboiler. Disturbingly, like commercial cinema from that period, the moral compass is a bit off. As Raees breaks up a political rally with flaming bottles of spirit, it sanctions violence. And it is borderline misogynistic, with the female lead (Mahira Khan) little more than a prop: a love interest he marries, keeps at home to bring up his child, and either yells at or romances. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: As a movie, Raees is definitely a letdown especially for those who expect a Deewar-like dhamakedaar masala movie. Fans of Shah Rukh Khan might give the movie its huge initial but don’t expect the road ahead to be a smooth ride. And warning for all superstars – acting with Nawazuddin Siddiqui is injurious to your own dramatic talents – he can steal your glory right from under your nose. Review by Prasanna D Zore on Rediff Rating: SRK’s Raees takes you for a boring ride, trying to soak the gangster’s character in filmi spiel that is so typical of Bollywood’s masala films when the film’s creators realise that the plot is absolutely lame. You wonder at SRK’s conviction as an actor playing a gangster when he cries in Mahira Khan’s arms, unable to cope with the pressure of an honest gangster (really?!), when friends-turned-foe politicians play mind games with him. Besides Ram Sampath’s Udi, Udi Jaye, the film’s music lacks character. Dholakia’s direction goes for a spin when he makes Shah Rukh pump bullets into gangsters, showing the bullets hitting them in the chest, not once or twice, but back-to-back. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As for the film itself, it has a very predictable storyline, a stale plot and stock characters- a gangster with a heart of gold, his supportive ladylove, a loyal sidekick, an upright cop, wily politicians, an ostensibly benevolent mentor et al. However, the background score somewhat makes up for it, but merely that is not enough, eh? Not that I have anything against commercial masala films, but for someone who grew up watching films like Deewaar and Scarface, Raees offers nothing new as such. If that was not all, the action scenes are quite unexciting and the ‘Moharram’ action sequence is so badly executed that you may end up wondering what were the makers thinking of while filming those scenes. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: The film may be set in the ’80s but it also takes the cinematic liberties that films made in the era did. A song sequence to mark every occasion, chest-beating reactions, laboured death scenes (complete with slow-mo falls and multiple bullets punched from pointblank range to complete the job) and loud internal monologues (“Ya Allah, what have I done?” says Raees to no one in particular). In the action scenes, SRK mounts walls and leaps over buildings with the agility of Contra. But this is barely enough to make up for his loud and lazy performance. The actor seems to be too preoccupied with doing a Bachchan and ending up like Raju Srivastav on a bad night. Investing in Mahira Khan’s visa was a wasted cause as the actress can barely construct half an expression. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is surely the only redeeming factor in Raees but sadly, his parts are brief. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Surprisingly, RAEES (meaning rich) is not just a GARIB (poor/average) film it’s GARIB in its entertainment quotient as well. Shah Rukh Khan is a RAEES ( rich, talented) actor and he doesn,t need the remakes of Don and stories allegedly based on most wanted criminals to prove his stardom. A simple ‘suri’ from RAB NE BANA DI JODI, or the lovable junior artiste ‘Omi’ from OM SHANTI OM can do it while the coach Kabir Khan from CHAK DE INDIA will stay forever allowing us to hug ‘Jug’ from the recent DEAR ZINDAGI. And we hope he realizes that very soon. RAEES is a story that should have better remained untold. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Shah Rukh and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are simply fun. But at 143 minutes sometimes the cat and mouse game becomes tiresome. And the lackluster music does not help despite the words that insist ‘Raees is single piece’ (one of a kind). Despite all this Shah Rukh pulls off an action hero role that clearly encroaches on Salman territory and manages to keep it convincing. In fact, the violence in the fight sequences make you squirm. And the anger in Shah Rukh’s surma-lined eyes feels straight out of Amitabh Bachchan revenge dramas like Kala Patthar (watch out for the scene from the film beautifully juxtaposed!). Watch it because the recent spate of silly romances have not touched you at all. The bad-guy-with-a-golden-heart Shah Rukh fills that space, and really well. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: SRK is on top of his game here, recalling his Chak De India! performance in the process. With an effortless actor like Nawazuddin Siddiqui snapping at his heels, the lead actor is always on his toes. The modulations that SRK brings to the act are impressive not only on the level of craft but also in relation to the layers they add to the conflicted character. Nawazuddin, in the middle of a red-hot streak, operates in a totally different zone. He digs his teeth deep into his meaty role with customary elan and delivering a dazzling performance. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: Raees begins so well. Rahul Dholakia captures the journey of young Raees’ fascination with crime so well that you are completely engrossed in the story. Raees holds you spellbound all through his rise to the top – his journey to Bombay and back is a highlight. The scenes between him and his mentor Atul Kulkarni are brilliant. The fight scene in the meat market is one of the best (read realistic) ever in Hindi films. SRK’s performance in Raees for most part, is on par with Swades and Chak De India. The supporting cast is exemplary, Zeeshan Ayyub deserves a special mention. Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: Putting that aside, the filmmaking is pure masala and this is one well-cooked masala movie. The story is not surprising; a gangster rises and he falls when he becomes bigger than the people who had patronised him for long. You have seen this a hundred times, but director Rahul Dholakia’s treatment seems fresh. There’s the time and place working for him, which is new for the Hindi film screen: Gujarat, the land of prohibition. There’s Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the earnest cop Majmudar, the perfect foil to Raees. Siddiqui gets his own hero moments, for instance, his entry scene is the stuff of genius. His character gets a lot of sharp one-liners, which he has developed a habit of delivering casually, like he has done in several other films. Mahira Khan is, well, there; just because she is not from around these places, you thought she was going to get something else to do other than exist? Silly you. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: The film mixes research, realism, and more than a whole lot of ‘Bollywood’ to look exclusively into the politics and the inevitable underworld around the booze-trade in prohibitionist Gujarat of the ’80s. Being an anti-prohibitionist myself (how can any sane human not be), you align yourself with the heroic anti-hero instantly. The character is ostensibly based on the real-life rags-to-riches don Abdul Latif. The pesky cop seems more like a high-level Dhoble, although he’s merely doing his job. Between the don on the run, the cop on the chase, there are so many facets to ‘Raees’, recounted through a gasping episode after another that you wished the filmmakers had calmed down just for bit, given us few moments to pause and soak in the material. They could have turned this into a fantastic ‘Narcos’ like television series. There’s nothing niche about a Spanish show being loved by global mainstream audiences anymore, by the way. Yeah, we’d love to see SRK attempt his own version of a Pablo Escobar. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: ‘Raees’ is an entertainer which is driven by powerhouse performances. From dialogue delivery to slow motion sequences, the movie will give you goosebumps at times. If you want to witness high-octane actions, intense emotions and sincere filmmaking, then go for ‘Raees’. It amalgamates Shah Rukh’s charm and Rahul’s intelligence. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Evidently inspired by the true-life story of Abdul Latif, the illegal liquor kingpin of Gujarat who was charged for his involvement in the 1993 blasts, Raees shrewdly steers clear of naming names and only hints at true events. Still, it’s a well-made film that benefits from Dholakia’s keen eye for period and atmospheric detail. Although crammed with too much plot, and overlong on account of a screenplay that could’ve done with further tightening, the film nevertheless offers enough to enjoy. As a throwback to those thrilling gangster films from the 70s, many starring Amitabh Bachchan and scripted by Salim-Javed, Raees delivers ample bang for your buck. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Deliberately stagey and selfconsciously ‘retro’ Raees gathers its strength from the voluptuous resources of drama in the protagonist’s life and the power of the narrative to make clichés come alive by their defiant reiteration. The director knows his material is weather-beaten and he doesn’t pretend it is any other way. The shoot-outs filled with bombast and bravado, are from an era when such violence was considered macho. At the end when Raees’ world falls apart with a close encounter of the ‘thud’ kind, there is no surprise left in the plot. It isn’t only Raees who has nowhere to run to. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Shah Rukh Khan slips in and out of being Shah Rukh Khan, but he is more Raees than Shah Rukh Khan at most times. This is despite some very good yet “film-y” lines. It would have been so easy to get carried away and SRK-ise them. But there’s restraint and that restraint doesn’t glare at you in the face. The rest of the cast isn’t gimmicky either. The tribute to this genre of Hindi films from the 80s is obvious including the song placement. However, the style of songs reminded me more of those from 90s. Yet, neither of those are jarring as they were in their times because of the writing. Sure, there are loopholes and there are continuity jerks (especially in some of the action sequences). However, it is just a relief not to be taken completely for granted as the audience. It is a relief to see a formula film play around with the formula. For now, that is good enough. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: Sadly there is nothing heroic, tragic or even comic about our protagonist that could get me invested in his story. The hunter and hunted chase sequences between Raees and his cop are so lazily written that they hardly establish the much required edge-on-the-seat tension or drama. When the cops block the roads, Raees smuggles liquor through the waters. Wow. Amaze balls, Captain Obvious. It is this simplistic writing that robs our hero of quick thinking, ruthlessness and a larger than life appeal. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: While the film is engaging, what lets it down are some of the contrived and ridiculous twists in the second half. But the climax packs a punch and that misgiving — ‘where is this film going?’ — is erased. Give this film a shot. While it doesn’t make you pop the bubbly, it does have some fizz and sparkle to keep you satiated. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The film is largely elevated by Shah Rukh Khan’s performance and a few dramatic dialogues that are used to churn the emotions. Shah Rukh essays the eponymous character with sincerity and aplomb. He emerges as a sympathetic and even admirable character and he does a very good job of portraying a brutal character albeit with soft tones in equal measure. Nawazuddin Siddique as the incorruptible IPS officer, Jaideep Majumdar is equally competent. His cat-and-mouse chase with Raees, punctuated with vibrant dialogues often elicit a chuckle. Together they keep you hooked. Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub as Sadiq — Raees’ friend and partner in crime — is effortless and affable. Unfortunately, though he has his moments of onscreen glory, he does not rise from being Raees’ lackey. Mahira Khan as Raees’s wife Mohsina is wasted in the film. Her character is perfunctorily included to add the romance angle and her onscreen chemistry with Shah Rukh lacks zing. The rest of the supporting cast are sincere. Raees Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Rahul Dholakiain order to get the style and looks of the film, Rahul misses out on the content basis and ends up delivering a good performance oriented dragging and bland film. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is fantastic in some scenes and highly repetitive in others. He adds a good balance to Shahrukh Khan’s character and shines out in some of them. Mahira Khan looks adorable in some scenes, but fails to impress with her acting skills. The Sunny Leone’s item song failed to create the expected wonders. ‘Raees’ had all the potential to become a wealthy king, instead settles down to becoming a pauper prince. Best Rated Films in 2016 (a list of 2017 films will be created after 5 films release this year) Dangal – 4.1 stars Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Kahaani 2 – 3.1 stars Dear Zindagi – 3 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Befikre – 2.6 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Moh Maya Money – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars Wajah Tum Ho – 1.4 stars

Shah Rukh Khan tries his hand at the gangster flick with Raees, and returns to the screen as a full fledged action hero after long. With two box office disappointments in Dilwale and Fan, Raees is an important film for the superstar and it has to work wonders for him. Raees has been plagued in one controversy after another, and its release in itself is a success. Mahira Khan makes her debut in India, and Rahul Dhokalia tries his luck at a commercial flick for the first time. Will Raees end up making the makers even more Raees? Time to find out.

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Kaabil ‘ Review – 3.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Kaabil Review by Indicine Rating: Kaabil starts slow and takes its own sweet time to get going. The 45 minutes are all about the Hrithik and Yami love story, after which the real action begins. And once it does, there is no stopping Kaabil as the revenge portions of the film get better with each new revenge that Hrithik takes. Sanjay Gupta’s direction is top notch, but it’s the writing (Sanjay Masoom and Vijay Kumar Mishra) that makes what was supposed to be a predictable film, very unpredictable with quite a few twists and turns. Kaabil is also a classic Rakesh Roshan film, even though he isn’t the director here. It’s a formula that has worked for him so many times and Kaabil is no different. It sucks you into the happy world of the Bhatnagars and shocks you when the tragedy strikes for the second time. It peaks at the interval point and continues to surprise throughout the second half, culminating in a fantastic climax. Kaabil Review by Taran Adarsh on Bollywood Hungama Rating: KAABIL never fails to involve and entertain the moviegoer and if I may say so, it contains enough worthy material to hold the moviegoer’s attention for most of its run time. The emotional component is well balanced with low-key humor, tension-filled moments, energetic action pieces [fist fights, shootouts, explosions] and of course, some razor-sharp and punch-packed dialogue in dramatic sequences [penned by Sanjay Masoomm]. In the end, it’s the emotional journey of the protagonist that acts as a hook and lingers in your memory. There are minor hiccups in an otherwise smooth narrative. The post-interval portions could’ve been slightly more persuasive, from the writing point of view. The strategies adopted by Hrithik, on a few occasions, take an easy route to depict that the protagonist has an upper hand. Kaabil Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: The highlight of the film is Hrithik’s bravura performance. He is vulnerable as a lover and menacing as a killing-machine. Half a star in the movie-rating is reserved for his all-time best performance here. Yami provides the perfect foil, subtle and super-effective. Technically the film is adept, thanks to with masters like Sudeep Chatterjee (camera) and Resul Pookutty (sound). However Rajesh Roshan’s yesteryear hits—saara zamana and dil kya karen in their remixed avatars are pale imitations of their original versions. Kaabil Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: One can imagine why the filmmakers would have picked up this dark, riveting drama. It’s the kind of script (by Vijay Kumar Mishra) that, if being narrated to a room full of listeners, would have absolutely everyone guessing what happens next. Kaabil Review by Joginder Tuteja on Movietalkies Rating: Now that’s what the core strength of the film since Sanjay manages quite well in helping a viewer connect not just with his lead pair but also the villains of the piece, albeit in contrasting ways. You want the good guy to win over evil and it is this very emotional involvement in the storytelling that makes you clap along when the ‘elimination’ begins. What takes the cake is the last 15 minutes that one just couldn’t see coming, especially the final twist in the tale that has been extremely well incorporated in the film. Well done! Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: The film begins slow. Too slow. When you have come to watch a thriller, you want the ride to begin. Instead one is lulled into a sense of ease with the romance and the songs, necessary perhaps, but it makes one restless. But once it takes off, there is no dull moment. The special effects in a couple of scenes will make you cringe. How the makers didn’t see the artificiality of that, baffles the mind. Kaabil is old-school, emotional and forceful. And an absolute must for all Hrithik Roshan fans. And if you aren’t his fan, you might feel differently after this film. Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Kaabil has a lazy first half and we wished the pace picked up early on. The VFX in some scenes is botched up and Mumbai’s familiar terrain (Marine Drive scenes) is mismatched with some unnecessary props. Yami’s scenes in the second half and her dialogues with Hrithik also feel forced. Kaabil is dark and violent. There is very little scope for relief and humor in this script. That can become tiresome after a while. Kaabil is Hrithik Roshan‘s swan song and deservedly so becomes his career best performance. Watch and marvel at what can easily be termed as the finest performance to come out of Bollywood in a long time. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: The film feels too good to be true after a certain point. Sanjay Gupta tries and tells his story well. There are several hitches that the viewer needs to deal with in this ride that he or she embarks on, much like Gupta’s protagonist. Kaabil is extremely stretched, several scenes are forced, several others out of place. The remixed Saara Zamana has absolutely no business being in the film. If Kaabil works, it is because of its lead actor. Hrithik Roshan is a delight to watch. He overdoes some bits, but is mostly believable. Roshan takes a risk by breaking away from the norm and saying yes to a character like that of Rohan. He is blind but he doesn’t need your sympathy. He knows how to manage his way around, although several soapy dialogues take the edge away from Rohan. His chemistry with Yami Gautam will not make you hoot for the couple. Yami Gautam, on her part, is passable. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The highpoint of ‘Kaabil’ is that, the plot of the film is very okay but the screenplay is intelligently played out. The film won’t bore you even for a second. ‘Kaabil’ is overwhelming, magical and a feel good film. The film is one of the most interesting revenge sagas made in the recent times. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: The tone of the film takes a hit because of the emphasis on the love story. The flashbacks are also restrictive. With a fierce antagonist, they might have gone all the way. Sometimes it looks too scripted and ‘too easy to be true’ story. Going all out on revenge might have helped Kaabil appear like a ‘different’ film. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The challenge with doing a film whose beats are stacked from its opening frame is to insert surprise. Instead, Kaabil plays it strictly by the numbers, and you can see everything coming from a mile. Yami Gautam’s act includes a permanent unblinking wide-eyed stare. She is light on her feet but seems to have got caught in a series of no account roles after Vicky Donor. Rohit and Ronit Roy are the baddies, and both come off as they have been instructed to: the former a goonda, the latter a grim, glowering local heavyweight. Hrithik does all the heavy lifting and remains the only bright spot in this dispirited mess of a movie. He still has the moves. What he needs is a plot. Review by Manisha Lakhe  on Nowrunning Rating: The revenge drama begins now. You look at the watch: It’s been two hours already. The last thirty minutes of the film are filled with a systematic revenge against the perpetrators, the politician and the cops are left to count bodies. They know it is the blind man who has planned it all, but they don’t have any proof. The violence with which the revenge is extracted is a horrific watch. You know it is deserved, but it makes you want to look away from the screen. How the baddies die is a tad predictable, but the twist in the tale is close to brilliant. This is perhaps Hrithik Roshan’s best work, but the slow pace of everything: the dialog delivery, the hesitant walking, the dull songs (even the title track is a funeral dirge, and hence slow) make it a test of your patience. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: In the beginning, it felt dramatic and moving. When it began to show up routinely, randomly, the desired effect wore out. But the need to portray it in the same timeworn fashion did not.  For freshness, some perceptive actors would stretch their scream or cut it short or, still better; the camera would linger on that single teardrop resting on the rim of their eye. Sanjay Gupta’s Kaabil, produced by Rakesh Roshan, is a lot like that. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: The plot, though not entirely original, offers enough scope for experimentation and the money surely lies in how well and brutally our lead manages to exact his vengeance. While this also lends itself to an underdog story — as you’re likely to be sympathetic towards the lead’s vulnerable state — it also packs in an element of surprise as one could assume that his disability would undermine his ability to inflict much harm. Hrithik Roshan, who seems to have shed his Mohenjo Daro scars, gets into the skin of his character and is even sharply sensitive to the body language of a sightless person. The film rests on his capable shoulders and as his hands inspect surfaces within his reach, his conviction is apparent. Yami Gautam is equally committed and her ability to enact a range of emotions through her unblinking eyes is commendable. Ronit Roy, as the megalomaniac politician who would stop at nothing to eliminate anyone who crosses him, channels serious intimidation. His brother, Rohit is unobjectionable and despite his crucial role in the film, his screen time is fairly limited. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: What follows is a crowd pleasing and pulse rising vendetta of Rohit who is on an eye for an eye mission in which we see Hrithik Roshan giving a knock out performance. Yami provides able support and supporting cast Rohit Roy, Ronit Roy and the cops Narendra Jha and Girish Kulkarni chip in with excellent support. Technically it’s a mix bag where we see some tacky CGI developed outdoors and the music by Rajesh Roshan who otherwise reserves his best for his home banner disappoints. Review by Ritika Handoo on Zeenews Rating: The second half of ‘Kaabil’ gains pace and wants you to see the end, although by that time we all know what is going to happen. Yet that curiosity of watching justice prevail helps you sail through. Hrithik has done a great job when it comes to acting. Camera work by Sudeep Chatterjee and Ayananka Bose deserves a special mention while music by Rajesh Roshan is a treat! We can safely say, Hrithik delivers a ‘Kaabil’ performance, so book your tickets asap! Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The second half is, therefore, predictable, but each murderous sortie that the revenge-seeker undertakes against the men who have ruined his life is staged with enough flair to keep the audience glued to the screen. Some of the action seems far-fetched and the way Rohan uses his ability to mimic voices in order to create disarray among the cops and the thugs is near-farcical. Yet, when he gets down to committing the perfect crime, leaving no trace behind of the destructive act, Kaabil acquires some momentum and heft. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Kaabil is a B-movie from the 80s with neither subtext nor nuance. Yami Gautam has a nice presence, but Ronit and Rohit Roy are characters plucked straight out of the Handbook of Bollywood Cliches. The film then is redeemed – to some degree – by the sincerity and the conviction of its leading man. Hrithik makes you care, and keeps you invested in his pain. Even when the film becomes increasingly violent and practically implausible, his commitment doesn’t waver. He is the sole reason Kaabil doesn’t completely derail, and frankly the only reason to give the film a chance. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: As a director Sanjay Gupta has seldom been more willing to let his characters appear vulnerable and undefended though not defenceless . Gupta creates a romance splendid and tender, only to quash it with a brutal spin that takes us kicking and screaming to a finale that never ceases to amaze us without losing its plausibility. Kaabil is a film about love and its abrupt send-off. It is a violent film. But the emphasis is on the damage done to the soul of the wronged man. It must be seen for Hrithik Roshan’s incredibly moving performance and for the unexpected glimpse it provides into its director’s romantic personality. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Kaabil reminded me a lot of Aankhen. It had to, right? And I have this strong feeling that some plot points, if not all have been inspired from elsewhere. The tone of the film from the beginning kind of gives away how things are going to go with our hero. Also, the film spends a good half of the film on the couple but doesn’t leave an emotional tug. These two things put together make Kaabil a little underwhelming. Kaabil Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Despite of some loopholes and cinematic liberties, Sanjay Gupta satisfies his audience by delivering an engaging and entertaining film. Hrithik Roshan is back in form and delivers a stellar performance. His body mannerisms, dance steps, emotional scenes and fights work as an additional merit to his performance in the film. Yami Gautam looks cute and sweet in her part.Ronit Roy is great in his part. Narendra Jha and Girish Kulkarni lend superb support. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: What redeems this drama is swift revenge ideas and Roshan’s brawn and some brains. There’s a lot of gore to be enjoyed in the second half. Watch this if you are a fan of Roshan and you are in the mood for a love story laced with some stylised, bloody action. Best Rated Films in 2016 (a list of 2017 films will be created after 5 films release this year) Dangal – 4.1 stars Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Kahaani 2 – 3.1 stars Dear Zindagi – 3 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Befikre – 2.6 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Moh Maya Money – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars Wajah Tum Ho – 1.4 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Coffee With D ‘ Review – 1.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Coffee With D Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: For a film that is a satirical take on news channels, it gets its facts askew for comedy’s sake, which is granted. Still, the TV channel shenanigans of Arnab are downplayed – you only see one scene in the studio, which is loud, forced and not really funny. There are funnier skits online. The first half is a weak build-up to the interview with D, which makes up the rest of the film. While the dialogue is clever in the interview, where D is seen as a masterful manipulator, it does drag and you find your attention wavering. Yet the climax does take you by surprise. Coffee With D Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Sunil Grover provides a sensible touch to his Arnab, but fails miserably at humour, something he is really good at. Anjana Sukhani is at more ease than him. As a crime show loving high-on-hormones woman, she is the most natural of the lot. A caricatured D and his antics, coupled with bad sound designing, make Coffee With D end nowhere close to a fun film it could have been. Coffee With D Review by Anusha Iyengar on Bollywood Life Rating: Sunil Grover’s portrayal as Arnab Goswami will make sure you laugh your heads off. Rajesh Sharma, who plays the Chief Editor of the news channel, also delivers a funny and fairly decent performance. One thing that I really liked was that every time Sunil took a cigarette out in the film, there was a Smoking Kills message in the bottom right of the screen, which made him throw the cigarette rather than lighting it. Zakir Hussain’s performance stood out in the film. The film is entertaining in the first half as Arnab sets out to publishing a lot of false news about D to get him to agree for interview. It will actually remind you of the time Arnab Goswani had called Dawood’s landline in Karachi and claimed to speak to his wife. Remember? It was airing on the channel for a really long time. Coffee With D Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: One, it seemed like a film that could be derived very well from at least two pictures from my favourite genres – “junkie” in a guilty pleasure kinda way, that would be Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s ‘The Interview’ (2014); and journalism, hence Ron Howard’s ‘Frost/Nixon’ (2008). There’s also the lead actor, Sunil Grover, a class-act impersonator. In my view, he is the most talented man on Indian TV. And to top that, the film is centred on Dawood, who lends himself so beautifully to fiction as if he was a fictional character himself. Zakir Hussain plays Dawood, wearing dark glasses, even a rose-tinted one, like Rishi Kapoor in ‘D-Day’, and a thick, black moustache, as if the dreaded Mafiosi must have frozen in age since the camera spotted him at a Sharjah cricket match in 1987! Review by Subhash K. Jha on NDTVMovies Rating: Coffee With D is like an unfinished unpolished version of what could have been a rollicking run-in into a ruminative session between Indian’s biggest fugitive and loudest journalist. If only it had allowed more leg-space to lunge in the lap of the ludicrous. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: For a movie that’s barely two hours long, Coffee with D packs in high intensity torture in a short span of time. A supposed comic satire that hopes to mock the state of Indian news channels, this one manages little beyond lewd humour and tacky production values. It is a film where the lead decidedly mimics that infamous news anchor and inadvertently packs in a loose Shah Rukh Khan impression. While the world’s most wanted and feared don is, for some reason, portrayed as someone who can’t stop giggling. But given the grade of humour this film packs in, the giggles won’t translate beyond the screen. Their definition of hilarious is referring to the legendary action hero as ‘Sylvester Stollen’ and the photo sharing social network as ‘gram panchayat’. Even some B-grade films are more refined. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: A celebrity TV anchor called Arnab who thumps the table and shouts down a studio guest may have gone missing from prime time in real life, much to the dismay of those who think news television should be non-stop `tamasha’. If you’re missing him madly, I would have suggested you check out a me-too copy (Sunil Grover) in Coffee With D, also helpfully called Arnab. Except the film is un-sittable through: I did it so you wouldn’t have to, and I demand, in return, a splendid villa somewhere across the border and a box-full of cigars. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Writers like Aabhar Dadhich and directors like Vishal Mishra should revise/brush up their skills by referring/studying/observing some quality works from India and abroad to make a proper mark. During the final reels, Parul (Anjana Sukhani) the pregnant wife of the blabbermouth prime time news anchor Arnab Ghosh played by Sunil Grover in the film is reminded of the code of Journalisim ethics and he comes triumph in his ‘sensational’ interview with India’s most wanted D played by Zakir Hussain. The interview was the final attempt by the once most popular anchor Arnab’s (yes your guess is right, modeled on the same) to get his prime time ‘gaddi’ (slot) back. With a certain section of politicians and news debates going ridiculously unbearable day by day, this movie can serve as a weapon/threat to these torture machines, if they continue their pain and agony on us, COFFEE WITH D will be shown to them uninterrupted in a locked room for the betterment of the society and our country. This is the only way in which this flick COFFEE WITH D can serve better otherwise it’s an irksomely injurious experience for the ‘aam aadmi’. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: Coffee With D does not have a bad plot but it could do with a better on-screen translation. What lets down the film is the way it is executed and shot. The film’s music and dubbing too are disappointing. Performance wise, Sunil Grover is good but it’s Pankaj Tripathi (Nil Battey Sannata, Gangs Of Wasseypur) who stands out with his bang-on comic timing. He plays the dreaded don’s sidekick and has the funniest lines in the film. Zakir Hussain is decent but the ladies in the film have hardly anything to offer. Dipannita’s character is stereotypical and it seems the makers decided to cast her only to add some tadka to the film. There are a few more characters in the film but they fail to make any impression. If you have got absolutely nothing to do this weekend, you could consider watching this film. Honestly, though, I would prefer watching Sunil Grover on The Kapil Sharma Show instead. Coffee With D Review by News18 Rating: The film doesn’t involve you, it just flows. It has its own versions of how news channels function. The filmmakers didn’t really utilise the theme to its full potential and ended up with offering viewers a 2-hour-running time full of loopholes and cliche-driven dialogues, courtesy which you’ll find your attention and focus constantly deviating. To opt a theme impersonating a real-life don and a high-profile journalist maybe a brave attempt but in this case, it’s neither successful nor entertaining. Coffee With D Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director could have made this movie much better. Sunil Grover starts his act by aping the real life journalist Arnab Goswami and later gets his right momentum only in the middle portions of the film. Dipannita Sharma is highly wasted and her track was totally unwanted. Anjana Sukhani was fine in her part, but had nothing concrete to deliver. ‘Coffee with D’ instead of leaving a refreshing effect, leaves you with snigger effect due to some good comical moments which gets ruined due to bad muting and dull first half. Best Rated Films in 2016 (a list of 2017 films will be created after 5 films release this year) Dangal – 4.1 stars Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Kahaani 2 – 3.1 stars Dear Zindagi – 3 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Befikre – 2.6 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Moh Maya Money – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars Wajah Tum Ho – 1.4 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Ok Jaanu’ Review – 2.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Ok Jaanu Review by Indicine Rating: OK Jaanu doesn’t offer anything new. In fact it repeats a lot of negative traits from previous unsatisfying movies like frustrating character traits, going round in circles around the same plotline and underutilized supporting characters. It is not very entertaining and AR Rahman’s music makes it somewhat watchable. It would be wrong to say that OK Jaanu is a waste of potential because not a lot could have been done with the basic story. Shaad Ali disappoints once again as this time even a remake of his mentor’s film can’t save his movie. OK Jaanu eventually finds it difficult to be called even an OK film. Ok Jaanu Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: OK JAANU, which happens to be the official remake of the hit Tamil film O KADHAL KANMANI, has been directed by Shaad Ali. After having directed the disastrous Ranveer Singh-Ali Zafar-Parineeti Chopra starrer KILL DIL, Shaad Ali returns with OK JAANU. Even though Shaad Ali exhibits sincerity with his direction, one cannot help noticing the fact that the film is many ways seems like a rehash of SAATHIYA. On the whole, Shaad Ali fails to build a convincing story with OK JAANU. However, thanks to Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor’s performances, the audience stays glued to the screen. While the film’s first half sets the ambience and the mood of the film, it’s the film’s second half that actually gets the film going. The flip side of the film’s second half is that, the climax looks way too thrusted and dragged in order to highlight the simple aspect of realisation of love between the lead characters. The biggest letdown, however, is the film’s writing. It’s the film’s writing gets convoluted and confused trying to address the concepts of love, live-in relationships and career. In an attempt to do so, the film goes astray, thus, not doing justice to any of the above-mentioned aspects. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: In Ok Jaanu, we can see Shraddha has progressed on the acting scale, and looks pretty and fresh. Aditya Roy Kapoor has some nice bits too, but the whole enterprise is beset by a drabness, which is surprising because you can accuse Ratnam of anything but being drab. And given that Shaad Ali did such a good job of the previous time he remade a Mani Ratnam film, it is even more surprising. I can see Saathiya and listen to its lilting songs any number of times (its Tamil original Alaipayuthey is mandatory viewing for anyone interested in mainstream romance). Ok Jaanu Review by Manjari Saxena on Gulfnews Rating: It’s disappointing to see a man of Mani Ratnam’s calibre pen a story that loses its plot as it keeps presenting the same thing over and over again in slightly different settings. Yes, we get that Adi (Aditya Roy Kapur) and Tara (Shraddha Kapoor) are discovering their feelings for each other and the song and dance in the rain is all necessary. But Ali could have easily established that in three scenes rather than using the entire first half of the film — and then carrying on the humdrum after the interval. Moreover, Kapur and Kapoor are nothing like the ardent lovers from Aashiqui 2. The spark we witnessed between the actors in the other film seems to have been doused by the rain in this one. Ok Jaanu Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: Ok Jaanu doesn’t convince you with the couple’s fear against marriage. Neither does it showcase real career problems. The parents and family are also such boring cardboard characters. You can see the climax well in advance but can hardly see any logic or reasoning in their change of hearts. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: In this seemingly tailor-made role, Aditya Roy Kapur shines as a goofy, shorts-wearing man-child. Shraddha is mostly sincere too, but there are scenes where you can’t help but flashback to Nithya Menen, who had charmed people’s socks off with her performance in OK Kanmani. Adi and Tara’s impulsive infatuation is countered by Gopi uncle (Naseeruddin Shah) and Charu aunty’s (Leela Samson) golden-jubilee marriage; both senior actors grounding the movie and saving it from becoming frivolous. In spite of its Pros, one can’t deny that unsure young lovers and their battle with commitment phobia is a tired topic to begin with. Moreover, if you’ve seen the original Tamil film, it’ll get tedious after a while, knowing exactly what’s coming next. If you haven’t seen the original though, you’re sure to walk out of the theatre with a warm-fuzzy feeling. Review by Rashma Shetty Bali on Bollywood Life Rating: While Shraddha and Aditya both fare decently through the first half, the emotional scenes are a major let down. There’s very little scope for an actor to NOT perform in this film, and the climax is where the real test lies. Unfortunately both Shraddha and Aditya fail to make you feel for their characters when it is most needed. What’s worse is you have two prolific actors in the same frame. And yes, Shaad Ali has a massive Saathiya hangover. Well, OK Jaanu will be a treat to Shraddha and Aditya fans. If you are a sucker for romantic films or then easy movies then you wouldn’t mind spending your two hours and fifteen minutes in the theatre for this one. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: I was a bit disappointed to not find anything new in ‘Ok Jaanu’ as all its promos and trailer highlighted the gen next spark. Shaad, who previously made ‘Saathiya’ and ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, struggled hard to live up to the pre-release faffing. At times, the plot even felt directionless. Only in the last few scenes of the second-half, we get to know where the film is heading. If we talk about the performances, veteran Naseeruddin Shah stole the show, hands down. Otherwise, ‘Ok Jaanu’ lacks the enthusiasm and fervour that the youth expects. Aditya and Shraddha were decent in the movie but we have already seen their best earlier. So, this time, they didn’t quite hit the bulls-eye. Leela Samson has also done a fair job. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Mani Ratnam’s screenplay is the star of the movie, and the actors are natural and energetic enough to convincingly portray it onscreen. While Aditya and Shraddha share a naturally organic chemistry, Nasser and Leela remind us why they are two of the best among veteran actors today. AR Rahman’s music and Gulzar’s pen add to the charismatic, positive vibe of the movie – while the music keeps it peppy and new-age, Gulzar’s dialogues ensure that melodrama does not overpower the film. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: If you thought that ‘OK Jannu’ is a peculiar love story, you will be disappointed. However you can still watch it for Aditya and Shraddha’s organic chemistry. Looks like their sizzling reel life chemistry has stemmed out of their real life romance. Review by Sameeksha on News18 Rating: Everything in OK Jaanu is beautiful and real solely because of its story. If you haven’t watched O Kandhal Kanmani, this might appear as one of the best love stories of the recent times. It’s real with minimal melodrama, passionate, refreshing and relatable, and the credit goes to the original screenplay. This breezy romance deserves a watch for its story, good chemistry and the character of Adi, Mr. Gopi and Rahman’s music. Even if you are not a romantic, you will fall in love with this charming love story. Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Ok Jaanu is Okayish when it comes to the heavy duty parts. Shaad teases you with the real drama but only manages to scratch the surface. We never really get to see Adi and Tara’s deepest darkest fears or their honest understanding of the complexity that comes with a love story like theirs. The first half particularly emphasises too much on sugar coating ever dialogue and ensuring every frame looks pristine and well lit up. The beauty of imperfection is missing in this love story. Naseer and Leela’s scenes and their exchange of words takes the story to an expectation that is let down by Adi and Tara’s attempt to be goofy and cute. There is also an eerie Saathiya hangover courtesy the collaboration between the same team (Mani Ratnam-Shaad Ali). As we near the climax we expect Adi and Tara to finally some sort of a showdown, if not at least a conversation about their future, instead we cut to a song that is patched in to give the mandatory romantic ballad to the soundtrack. Despite being set in 2017 with a contemporary look and feel, Ok Jaanu’s idea of love feels dated. Brand placement in the middle of a romantic scene that’s meant to evoke some emotion is a terrible idea! Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: You get so tired of the dialog you wonder why the Tamil version directed by Mani Ratnam (thankfully this follows frame by frame) was not such a bore to watch. Then you realise that in staying true to the original, there are pauses and silences induced because Dulquer Salman and Nithya Menen have far better screen presence and acting chops than Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapoor. Aditya has played characters who commit suicide in most of his films, and this romance also seems to drive the audiences to it, especially in the second half. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: A breezy, feel-good romance with its share of highs, OK Jaanu floats along through some interesting thematic territory without managing to soar to the altitude one expects it to. This is a slightly modified remake of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil smash hit OK Kanmani, enlivened by a charming and lively pair of leads and lent a degree of gravitas by the supporting duo of Naseeruddin Shah and Leela Samson. OK Jaanu is composed of consistently pretty frames, with DOP Ravi K Chandran capturing the rains and trains – and much else – of the city of Mumbai with an unfailing eye. The sounds that AR Rahman generates, both in his background score and in the form of songs, are pleasing to the ear. The dialogue penned by Gulzar is more than just the icing on the cake. In the main, it is the cake itself. It radiates warmth, wit and wisdom. But, sadly, the enormous wealth of inputs in terms of language, visuals and acting do not quite add up to nonstop magic. And that’s highly disappointing. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Ok Jaanu raises but doesn’t resolve questions about juggling professional and personal life, the dilemmas it poses for a woman. But it does address the changing face of modern-day relationships and the alternate arrangements it’s looking at in a wishful way. In Ok Jaanu, characters live in a bubble that doesn’t burst till the end. Who wouldn’t be OK with that? Review by Samrudhi Ghosh on India Today Rating: It was Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen’s breezy chemistry that made the original so popular, and Aditya and Shraddha don’t disappoint on that front. Shraddha has come a long way in the acting department from her Luv Ka The End days, and Aditya slips into the role of a man-child figuring out life one day at a time with ease. But it is the elderly couple who make OK Jaanu worth a watch. Naseeruddin Shah effortlessly conveys the pain of loving someone with a degenerative disease, and his relationship with his wife in the film is endearing. AR Rahman’s songs in the original were all chartbusters, but the title track does not sound half as good in Hindi. Enna Sona is quite likeable, though. The strength of the film is that it remains faithful to the original, and if you haven’t watched that, OK Jaanu makes for a decent watch. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: A chief reason why this one falls flat in comparison to the Tamil version, despite being largely the same frame-to-frame, is the lead cast. Both Aditya and Shraddha are a let-down and a lot weighs on their performances since the supporting cast is peripheral to the story. While Shah and Samson are adorable as a cute old couple for whom the spark hasn’t gone out yet, even they can’t save the day. Director Shaad Ali, who has previously remade Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthey as the much-loved Saathiya, ensures much is lost in translation here. Retelling a story in another language means being sensitive to the nuances of the recipient language as not everything will translate precisely, something that wasn’t taken into account here. Much has been said about the cover of AR Rahman’s Humma Humma but sadly, none of the other songs from the soundtrack impress either. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: On the flip side, the movie is overpowered by predictability in the second half making it appear boringly longer then the duration. Bollywood rom-coms continue to nurture this cliche idea that marriage is the end of life and love but many a times it’s not the case, for a considerable chunk it’s a beginning. Mani Ratnam made a comeback by ‘playing safe’ with O KADHAI KANMANI and his follower Shaad Ali has just repeated what Mani did. Mani’s film was feel good, fresh but not a great cinema as per the calibre of the prolific helmer who is said to have left his influence on RGV, Shaad Ali, E Niwas etc. Shaad Ali though successful in making a feel good and harmless rom-com losses mark on not being original and mostly rehashing his mentor’s work in OK JAANU for the thinking audience. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Of course, I watch one after another, the romantic in me even looks forward to almost all of them. This is in the hope for that one moment of “spark”, that one fresh insight on relationships, that one instance of being together which connects me to the characters. OK Jaanu has none of these. Interestingly individually some of the departments worked very well. Some scenes, especially those shot in the Mumbai trains went well with the pace of the relationship and its confusion. The background music and absence thereof also provided just the right amount of calmness between the mad, supposedly intense love between the lead couple. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: And that’s what makes this film rather breezy with light romance, and slight humour for the most part, and the lead actors, perfectly paired, to add a touch of both. This is what the teenagers eagerly packing in the FDFS (first-day, first show) in my theatre had been drawn towards anyway — speaking of the point of remaking a film! Besides that, mainstream audiences rarely watch movies that are not in their own language (unless dubbed, in the case of Hollywood). And many of them could have been lured by the rather odd version of ‘Humma Humma’ because they were too young or perhaps not even born when the original appeared as the first proper ‘item song’, in Ratnam’s ‘Bombay’ (1995). Beyond these fine and obvious baits, the film itself seems so strictly okay. Going back to the title, and pardon the petty peeve (it’s mostly thanks to Whatsapp), the word is okay, or OK, even O.K. will do — not ‘Ok’ Jaanu. OK? Ok Jaanu Review by Indiaglitz Rating: There’s no doubt that ‘OK Jaanu’ is much better than director Shaad Ali’s last film, but nowhere in comparison to his debut romantic film ‘Saathiya’. He manages only to recreate some of those many wonderful moments due to which the movie falls flat in the second half. Aditya Roy Kapur is sweet in parts due to his goofy antics. Shraddha displays a decent performance and does justice to her character. Naseeruddin Shah and Leela Samson do full justice to their track, which is one of the strongest positive point of the film. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: While Aditya Roy Kapoor tends to get out of rhythm and clunky with his jaunty cool-dude act, Shradha Kapoor is pitch-perfect. Her Tara is a waif, a child-woman lost in her ambitions trying to find her bearings in a relationship that takes her by surprise. Not only does Shradha capture the sur of the romance– part playful, part questioning, somewhat uncertain and yet in control—she has never looked more beautiful on screen. Sadly Shradha’s scenes with her estranged mother come off extremely trite and selfconscious, for no fault of hers. Kitu Gidwani, generally known to be a skilled performer here plays the working mom on a one-note scale. Review by Joginder Tuteja on Movietalkies Rating: Ok, so with Shaadi Ali [Kill/Dil, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom] as the director, you do wonder if a thorough entertainer would indeed be in the offering. Well, he doesn’t make a Saathiya but does better than before. Ok, so with the talkie promo not quite offering much, there was always an apprehension around how the final product will shape up. Well, it is indeed better than the promo, though not thoroughly engaging. Ok, so with 2016 churning out many films with good first half and average second half, you do hope that’s not the case here. As it happens, one does wish second half was equally good as the first half here. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The climax is stretched unnecessarily if only to make the young couple realise and declare their love for each other with the devotion of the older couple towards each other as the backdrop. A deliberate attempt that appears very contrived. The scenes appear disconnected and the actions of the characters often defy logic. Shaad Ali merely goes on with the narrative, as if with a set intention of telling a story, no matter how cliched. There is no element of freshness to the plot. Best Rated Films in 2016 (a list of 2017 films will be created after 5 films release this year) Dangal – 4.1 stars Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Kahaani 2 – 3.1 stars Dear Zindagi – 3 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Befikre – 2.6 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Moh Maya Money – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars Wajah Tum Ho – 1.4 stars

OK Jaanu is the official remake of the 2015 Mani Ratnam film ‘O Kadhal Kanmani’. Shaad Ali has again...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Haraamkhor ‘ Review – 3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Haraamkhor Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: Haraamkhor addresses a significant issue without taking sides and that’s commendable. Sadly, the righteous social awareness disclaimers that appear frequently during the ‘diluted controversial’ scenes, do not embody the film’s dark humour or audacious nature. The jumpy narrative leaves a lot unanswered, making you feel indifferent towards the characters. It’s nice when a filmmaker leaves certain things to the audience’s interpretation but Shlok Sharma expects way too much from his unsuspecting viewer. It’s tiresome to fill in the blanks after a while. Those who have seen the film at a festival claim that a few scenes have been cut and what you get is a water-down version. Whatever the reason, they seem disconnected and that puts you off. Haraamkhor Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Sandhya’s character is the most fleshed out, and Tripathi makes the most of her confused angry fifteen year old, seething with resentment and longing, looking for love. I found Siddiqui muted though, coming through only in a couple of scenes, telegraphing a randiness his character needed more of to be entirely credible. Trimala Adhikari, as Siddiqui’s wife, impresses: she is both sympathetic and suspicious, and rightly so. Two young boys (Mohammad Samad and Irfan Khan) act as a narrative thread, spying on, and intersecting with the doings of Sandhya and Shyam: the former is just your quintessential little busy-body ; the latter has feelings for the girl. They provide amusement, especially Samad, but some of their banter seems to be played just for laughs. Overall, despite some strong moments, the film suffers from slightness and disjointedness: did the censorship process snip off more than we could chew? Was there more? A second film from the clearly talented Sharma will give us a clue. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Nawazzudin Siddiqui is undoubtedly a master of his craft. His aggression and agony will win your heart. His performance is admirable in a few scenes where he teases Sandhya before making love to her. The way he carries himself as a lusty school teacher is commendable. The scene where he suddenly slips in and out of his violent character is remarkable. His performance is a joy to watch in every single frame of the film. After garnering so much fame with Masaan, newbie Shweta Tripathi surely deserves a standing ovation for her performance in the film. She pulled off the role of a fifteen-year-old girl discovering herself with great conviction. Trimala Adhikari and the two kids Mohd Samad and Irfan Khan are praiseworthy. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Haraamkhor is definitely not everyone’s cup thanks to its gritty subject. However it is not exactly a fantastic piece of art either, even though it had the potential to be one. But thanks to the spectacular performances of Nawazuddin, Tripathi and the kids, Haraamkhor can be an uncomfortable one-time watch. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: If nothing else, Haraamkhor is a triumph of casting. Every actor is perfectly suited for his/her part. The two young actors, Irfan and Samad, are outstanding, as are the older members of the cast – Trimala Adhikari and Harish Khanna. Haraamkhor isn’t a ground-breaker, but it certainly is worthy of applause for its fearlessness and for the impressive quality of the acting. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: As per Urban Dictionary, HK, or ‘haramkhor’, is some someone who gets kicks out of doing something he’s not supposed to. In that sense, this film isn’t an incessantly dark one on exploitation, and a minor’s sex abuse, as it were. Or even something salacious, or simplistic enough to look at how this odd sort of bond, which is essentially a taboo, pans out, at home, in class, or elsewhere. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: It is this absence of straitjacketed characters and a refusal to let the people who populate the dusty town in the pre-cellphone era off the hook, that lend a kind of provocative intrigue to the proceedings, even when towards the finale, the plot spins out of control to create a dark, brooding tragedy that mocks the every essence of existence in such back-of-the-beyond places where survival is never about the best options. See “Haraamkhor” for its original and audacious content and for the way the debutant director extracts a gush of empathy from these bored characters even during their worst moments. Love, we always knew, as redemptive. But lust needn’t be all that bad either. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: In fact, the whole story is innocently told through Kamal and Mintu’s point of view. They witness everything and begin to hate the teacher. They annoy him and annoy him and then annoy him some more until there is only one way out. And it will shock you more than Nawazuddin raising his hand to the schoolgirls. Those of us living in sanitised urban surroundings will wince at the casualness of the violence in film. You will worry for the young Sandhya who casually eats ice cream, teasing and provoking Shyam when she should be worried for her physical safety. You’ll instantly hate Sandhya’s dad and his girlfriend. You will laugh nervously at the jokes cracked by the Kamal and Mintu, and you will have all kinds of premonitions about the end. And yet when the end comes, you will wish you had not seen it coming. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Nawaz is a gifted actor but here his ill defined character restricts the audience to have any connect. Shweta who initially charms her way into the audience suddenly finds herself left out with no mercy due to her characters unexplained choice. This proves that no matter how good as an actor you are if the character is not established and defined well then the audience’s connect is minimum. After the insipid scripting, the lack of connection of Nawaz and Shweta with the audience becomes the movie’s biggest drawback. Further during the climax when we pray that this tepidly misguided attempt will reach to some conclusion, a dark, abrupt end makes the matter worse leaving the audience in confusion whether to scratch their brains or tear the screen in which they have just seen HARAMKHOR – ironically, the makers have managed to objectify the movie’s title in the end. BRAVO. What an art!! Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: At 31, Shweta Tripathi internalises the emotions of a character who is half her age so immaculately, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else essaying the role. While 15-year-olds may be considered minors, it doesn’t undermine their ability to feel and experience. It is an age when one pines for adulthood and hopes to rush into it as a means for validation and Tripathi’s character summarises this aptly. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has played a range of characters in films but none have extracted as much from him. Here, he is able to convey his character’s mind space, sometimes even wordlessly. Trimala Adhikari, who plays his screen wife, effectively channels compassion, concern, jealousy and even disgust at various points in the film. Both Mohammad Samad and Irfan Khan are a delight to watch and their characters have been assigned sufficient pranks to diffuse the tension in the film. Haraamkhor may not be a film that sets a cinematic benchmark but it is an important one as it dares to explore a forbidden subject, without condemning or legitimising it. Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: Speaking of career haraamkhor, you have seen Nawazuddin Siddiqui play opportunist, conniving characters before (Talaash, Miss Lovely, Badlapur, Raman Raghav 2.0 even the ‘family film’ Freaky Ali) and each time he has added enough rough edges to make you feel like each avatar is fresh. Be that as it may, by playing the superhuman-among-lesser-humans character time and again, Nawazuddin has perfected and sharpened his tools as an actor to such an extent, that to match the street-smart evil in his eyes and the daredevilry in his gait in Haraamkhor would require the kind of actor who has definitely not stepped up on the Indian big screen yet. There is a lot to love and lot to notice in Haraamkhor. The film is like a diamond; the more you notice, the more you find imperfections which make it all the more beautiful, all the more perfect. Just one advice: Don’t take your jaanu to watch it with you, it is not a date movie. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: At the outset, let us warn you that the film is not for everyone. The track between Shyam and Sandhya will make you feel creepy as hell and thankfully, director Shlok Sharma has diluted the effect by juxtaposing this narrative with the story of Kamal, whose puppy love seems pure and eternal and like a breath of fresh air when compared to Shyam’s dubious affection for his student. Classroom crushes have always been looked at patronizingly by everyone, but this film will make one sit up and think about the potential for manipulation in such cases. To Sharma’s credit, he could have made the film preachy, but he chose to skirt the moral science lesson and present a story, which may not be palatable, but is sure as hell capable of making an impact while evoking some chuckles on the way. Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18 Rating: The well-thought casting of the film pulls the narrative forward despite its sluggish plot. The subject is pretty relevant and one would have expected a lot of dark scenes in the film – but to a viewer’s disappointment – it offers none of those. Shlok Sharma has treated the subject with sheer sensitivity but ended up leaving a lot to viewers’ interpretation and imagination and after a while, even a viewer tires of filling the blank spaces. Haraamkhor is a well-intentioned film which deals with a socially relevant subject and for that we give it a thumbs up. But the fact that its makers couldn’t use the subject to its full potential leaves you a little empty towards the end. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: The concept of protected childhood is not heard here. Sandhya’s juvenile behavior and urge to understand her body better are visible. The shaky camera and wide minimalist frames make her life seem even lonelier. It’s a role Tripathi should be proud of. Masaan was no fluke. Brave and original, Haraamkhor walks the razor’s edge. One tiny mistake, and it could have been pronounced morally twisted. Some may call it immoral even now. However, Haraamkhor is one film you just shouldn’t miss, even if it’s just to see how Hindi cinema is exploring new themes with finesse. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: Nawaz does a fantastic job in playing a role which many A-list heroes wouldn’t dare to take up. As Shyam, he is not lovable at all but still manages to tickle your funny bone with his comic timing. Shweta Tripathi, who made her acting debut with Masaan, is a delight to watch. She is 33 years old but at no point in the film does she look like one. Despite sharing screen space with a stalwart like Nawazuddin, Shweta stands out with her fabulous screen presence. Irfan Khan (not the famous Bollywood actor) and Mohd Samad, who play Kamal and his friend Mintu respectively, lend good support to the story. Their naughtiness and innocence adds some layers to the dark and bold subject. Through their characters, the makers have highlighted how children have no knowledge about sex and how they have so many myths about it. Haraamkhor Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Shlok Sharma’s finale act could have been much better as the shock factor seemed bit forced. The movie is not for all those who love mainstream masala oriented films. There are many abrupt cuts and jumps which dilutes the flow of the film. ‘Haraamkhor’ is a bold, artistic and engaging film, which will be enjoyed by all those who like content driven film. The movie could have been a great film, but settles up only due to some great performances and the novelty factor associated with it. Best Rated Films in 2016 Dangal – 4.1 stars Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Kahaani 2 – 3.1 stars Dear Zindagi – 3 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Befikre – 2.6 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Moh Maya Money – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars Wajah Tum Ho – 1.4 stars

The last release of the year – Aamir Khan’s Dangal has beaten ‘PINK’ and ‘Neerja’ to become the top rated film of 2016. The reviews are extraordinary and the film has achieved critical acclaim – something that you expect from an Aamir Khan film. Dangal is the only movie so far to score more than 4 stars. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dangal’ Review – 4.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dangal Review by Indicine Rating: Dangal is one of those films that has a lot to offer, so much that it’s difficult to absorb it all in the first viewing. Not only is the film entertaining, but it also serves up an inspiring life-journey of two daughters who are put through rigorous sessions of training and hard work, only to eventually learn to take their own decisions and even better their own champion father. Dangal has life-lessons, but the film never gets preachy. The wrestling sequences can get boring after a point, but it has humour and emotions to keep the audience involved throughout. Nitesh Tiwari excels both as the co-writer and director, it’s easily the best film of his career. Dangal Review by Taran Adarsh on Bollywood Hungama Rating: 2016 has witnessed stories based on real-life characters/incidents. In addition, films soaked in reality, generally speaking, take the realistic route without bowing to market diktats or over-stretching realities. DANGAL stays true to the material, yet its efficient storyteller Nitesh Tiwari along with the team of writers [story idea: Divya Rao; writers: Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta, Shreyas Jain, Nikhil Mehrotra] ensures that the film connects with every segment of moviegoers. Besides, the writers stay away from the familiar and tried-and-tested tropes to woo Aamir’s legion of fans, which is credible. DANGAL is a flawless piece of work — it’s captivating, unpredictable, spellbinding, entertaining and never overstays its welcome [run time: 2.41 hours]. Most importantly, DANGAL is seeped in Indian ethos. The highs and lows, the triumphs and failures, the laughter and heartbreak… you smile, you laugh, you weep, you cheer, you feel ecstatic… DANGAL encompasses it all adroitly, with the finale leaving you exhilarated. Dangal Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Some near-pedestrian bits are offset by the performances. The first-timers — as little girls, and young women learning to gauge their opponent and beating all comers; no silver medals, only gold — all come off well. So does their cousin who is the funny-bone-cum-sutradhar (the boy is Ritwik Sahore and the young adult, Aparshakti Khurana): both are spot on in deportment and accent. Tanwar, as Khan’s wife, is a good choice, just familiar enough, and yet new enough. The sole iffy element here is the usually excellent Girish Kulkarni, who plays the ‘official’ coach happy to settle for less, so different from Papa Go-For-Gold-Phogat : he never seems to get his limbs dirty, and spends his time smirking. But Aamir makes it all right. The film wouldn’t have been made if he hadn’t green-lit it, and he brings to it the sincerity of purpose which makes it not just a starry vehicle, but a film which is about something, which has meaning, with a message which doesn’t overwhelm the telling. Dangal Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: In the story department, Dangal offers few surprises because Geeta and Babita’s historic wins at the Commonwealth Games and following championships are common knowledge. However, this screen adaptation serves as a recap of their arduous journey and it vigorously recaptures their stubborn father’s resolve to make them professional wrestlers against the odds. Since it encapsulates the historic wins of the Phogats, who brought India glory, the film is also bound to inspire more women to seriously consider kushti as a sport. What works wonderfully here is the writing. Director Nitesh Tiwari, along with Piyush Gupta, Shreyas Jain and Nikhil Mehrotra should be complimented for their tongue-in-cheek quality, peppered with humour and several poignant father-daughter emotions all through. Of course, a little bit is lost in translation because of the Haryanvi twang. But, messages on our obsession with the male child (prevalent since the dark ages), myopic stand on bringing up our daughters and the administration’s pathetic disposition towards sports, are loud and clear. Dangal Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: This is the beginning of a war that’s surprisingly physical and abnormally mental. He challenges Geeta for a bout where he would test her newly acquired skills. As absurd as it sounds, the burly former wrestler, indeed fights his own daughter with all his might. He loses and with it, the years of conditioning of women and male domination are thrown out of the window. This is the point where director Nitesh Tiwari had to decide the hero of the film: Will Mahavir curb his instincts and become an even more fierce coach, or will he let Geeta explore the horizon? He picks the first. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Among the high points of this well-crafted film are the nail-biting wrestling sequences. They are so believable and convincing that there are times that, despite the obtrusive, over-simplified commentary on the soundtrack, they come across as the real deal. All credit to Fatima Sana Shaikh for fleshing out the character of Geeta Kumari Phogat, Mahavir’s eldest daughter, without any false steps and miscues, and for pulling off the ‘action’ scenes with such aplomb. She serves the film’s cause very well because it is Geeta who emerges as the focal point of Dangal as it hurtles towards its climax. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Director Nitesh Tiwari, backed by Aamir Khan, brings alive Mahavir’s solo battle against societal norms. Dangal credits Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta, Shreyas Jain and Nikhil Meharotra as its writers. In the writing lies the strength of Dangal. Aamir Khan literally lives Mahavir Singh Phogat. From the chiselled young wrestler to the greying middle-aged father, he carries the story on his shoulders, with ample help from Sakshi Tanwar who plays his wife and reel daughters. Tiwari carefully chooses what to show on screen, sifting through the life of the Phogat sisters and their superhero father. He is careful enough to gloss over the controversial bits about the wrestling federations. Everything else, the fights, emotional turmoil, the father-daughter tiffs, take centre-stage in Dangal. So while Tiwari uses every single trope in the book of Bollywood sports films, he does it with a freshness and expertise seldom seen. There is a strong nationalism angle mixed with its feminist message, peppered with rustic humour and tears, if one is easily moved. Then there’s the National Anthem to take care of the rest. This should appease the right rabble-rousers who Aamir has regular run-ins with. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Director Nitesh Tiwari has finally added a feather of a well-made film on his cap. Though his previous outings Chillar Party and Bhoothnath Returns were decent movies, his Dangal comes out as a champion. Despite having too much to do in just one film, the filmmaker manages to make one that wins in every aspect. His narrative is engaging to the core. Though the film is pretty long, the emotions and humour quotient in it will succeed in keeping you on the edge of your seat. The best part of the film is its easy flow. With Dangal, one can easily say that Nitesh has made a mark for himself in the industry. Helming a film with a huge star like Aamir and appropriate narrative is commendable. Cinematography by Setu is praise-worthy as he has shot such beautiful locations in Haryana. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Here’s a fairly simple formula to actor-producer Aamir Khan’s script sense, which might interest some, since he’s green-lit remarkably few scripts in his 25 odd-year-long career. All that Aamir wants to know, he told us once, while reading/listening to a script is: what happens next. If that question uniformly pops up in his head while going through a story (besides other factors, I’m sure), he’s on. Why am I mentioning this? Because quite frankly, if you’ve seen the trailer of ‘Dangal’, you’ll know exactly all that is going to happen in this film. On the face of it, it’s a movie about female empowerment. The fact that it is set in rural Haryana (the part of India lowest on most female-centric indices, and I hope people watch it there), makes the subject all the more rich, and timely. That’s all. Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: In a film so evocatively muddy, it’s sad to see Dangal create a cardboard villain caricature at the end, and to throw in an absurd climactic scene involving a locked door — a bit of melodrama jarringly out of place in this grounded narrative — but even this stumble leads to the girls finding their own way, liberated from any mansplaining. They do it their way. Pritam’s soundtrack is a solid one, and Sethu Sriram’s textured cinematography oscillates between the poetic — there is a lovely slow-motion shot of dirt from a shaking head flying across a red sky — and the powerfully prosaic, with the wrestling scenes looking startlingly real. This is by far the most credible an Indian sport film has ever felt, with even the commentators getting in on the action, giving most of us a tutorial in how to watch the sport. Dangal teaches us where rainbows lie in wrestling, and while it is a celebration of true greats — and true grit — this isn’t about one sport. India needs to watch this film for the way it puts the ‘her’ in ‘hero.’ Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: The second half of the film is as riveting as the first half. If I had to pick faults, then I wish Tiwari had edited out the songs that sprang up. Songs that underlined Phogat family’s determination, winning streak and their ascent to the top could have been snipped. There’s also an unwanted twist — a rivalry between a sports academy coach and Phogat — that reeked of melodrama. But that’s a just a tiny ripple in an otherwise rock-hard, sturdy biopic. Dangal is the last major film to be rolled out in 2016 and Khan has saved the best for the last for his fans. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: This film has tears, patriotic heart-swell, happiness, frustration, anger, pain and everything you expect from a sports film. But it is wrapped in gentle humor and that makes this film a must see. It is a great way to end the year and will get counted as one of the ten best films of 2016. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: Dangal is also one of the finest sports films. The writers first educate you on a few wrestling tricks and use them rather deftly at strategic points, involving everyone, even the wrestling novices. The beautifully choreographed fights are so engaging that at a crucial point in the movie, I saw from the corner of my eye; people around me sat up stiff and straight, on the edge of their seats and sighed relief collectively as the crisis gets resolved on the screen. The performances are class apart. Aamir’s dedication to the movie to get the body and soul of Mahavir, living his imperfections so perfectly leaves you overwhelmed. But the real finds are the new girls, all four of them. Zarina Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar as young Geeta and Babita bring in the right amount of nice and naughty to their characters. Fatima and Sanya as adult Geeta and Babita get both the language and body language of wrestlers so brilliantly that you wonder if they are actors or real life wrestlers. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: At the outset, what impressed me about the film was its humour. Dangal is the kind of film, which a regular filmmaker would have handled with sobriety, but Nitesh Tiwari impressed me by tackling the film with a light touch and inserting humour in the narrative. The humorous voice-over (Mahavir’s nephew Omkar narrates the story), which will have you in splits, is certainly one of the highlights of the film. Aamir Khan is not known as the Perfectionist for nothing and the man will impress you with his portrayal of Mahavir, but this film doesn’t belong to him alone, though it is evident that he has put his blood and sweat into the role. This time, he has four other co-stars to almost overshadow him in places. The two girls Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar, who plays younger Geeta and Babita and Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra, who play grown up Geeta and Babita, will win your hearts with their performance. Review by Malay Desai on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Feeling for the underdog in a sports film comes by default, but Fatima Shaikh’s heartfelt performance (her face is ready for a Priyanka Gandhi biopic next, if there’s any) and sincere wrestling moves earn her ‘Gitta’ the claps and hoots. Along with ‘Babitta’ (Sanya Malhotra), she deftly shows what it takes for a woman to make her way through India’s male-dominated sporting scene, or any career for that matter. Khan, who invited their real-life counterparts to a Satyamev Jayate episode in 2014, restraints to make this film an extension of it, instead lets Mahavir’s powerful emotions do the preaching about women empowerment. That he lost a couple of dozen kilos for just two scenes in the film is another reminder that we can’t possibly stop celebrating the 51-year-old methodist. Courtesy Mahavir’s wife and nephew (Sakshi Tanwar and debutant Aparshakti Khurana in fine supporting acts), Dangal becomes the biography of the Phogat family, while on the other hand, the squeaking of mat shoes, the pauses for breaths in-between fierce bout scenes make it an authentic sports film. And except for yet another needless song in the second half, Pritam’s music matches up with the on-screen phenomena. Whether it will be a bestseller or not, the Dangal book deserves to be watched with your children and later, kept on your shelf. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: All said and done, DANGAL is not just a film, the finest movie to come out in recent years is an exhilarating experience that sees a conventional sports-movie getting an uplifting arc of women empowerment that penetrates the desire to be a fighter in life irrespective of what gender we belong to, powered by prize winning acts lead by Aamir Khan that can appeal way beyond the lovers of this genre and or the fans of the game of wrestling. Watch it. It doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman. And it’s a must if you are an Indian. Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life Rating: Dangal has its fair share of flaws. After the initial battles, the tempo loses its pace. Not every fight lives up to the glory of the first. The fight scenes are long and some of them get tiring. Apart from the title track none of the tracks sound worth humming. There are portions that remind you of Sultan. Dangal is the film of the year for me. It is brave, gritty, honest and has a performance of a lifetime by Aamir. Watch it because I can’t think of a better film that came out this year which got your attention with such intensity. And yes, I loved Sultan as well. But Dangal sort of won my heart over. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: Dangal has all the ingredients of a great sports film and the fact that it is based on a real life story will make you chuckle and tear up alternately throughout the film. Aamir Khan has been associated with quality cinema for decades now and with Dangal, the legacy continues. Aamir delivers a career best performance. From a first-time disappointed father of a baby girl to the jubilant one much later, you will feel every emotion the Mahavir Singh on the screen does. The scene where the senior wrester gets into the ring and struggles to beat his own, and perhaps most favourite, student will remain with you for days. Sakshi Tanwar is brilliant as Mahavir’s wife. Director Nitish Tiwari draws award-worthy performances from his entire cast, many of who are facing the camera for the first time. At the end of the day, what works about Dangal is that it is a story about people and not the sport. The sets, locations, dialogues, the Haryanvi style of speaking, the costumes every department has contributed to making Dangal the delightful movie-going experience.? Dangal Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Aamir Khan is known for many iconic performances and ‘Dangal’ ends up among the top of his performances till date. His heavy body acts as an additional importance to his character and excels in every scene. Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar as young Geeta and Babita are adorably cute. They will leave you spell bounded by their wrestling moves. Fatima Sana Shaikh is fantastic as adult Geeta and carries some of the most important scenes on her shoulders. Her wrestling matches in the commonwealth games are a treat to watch. Sanya Malhotra as adult Babita lends great support and shines in the emotional scenes. Sakshi Tanwar’s silent support in the movie is good, but wished there was some depth to her character. Aparshakti Khurrana is sweet and charming. His vocal narration is fantastic. Girish Kulkarni does full justice to his part. Review by Ritika Handoo on Zeenews Rating: This biopic will give you multiple moments to relive the sports feat achieved by these young girls. The wrestling bouts turn into a do or die situation and this pumps up your adrenaline rush to a new level. Aamir Khan’s act is gritty, powerful and full of conviction—when you watch him talk like a Haryanvi, you actually believe he is one and not an actor essaying a role. Also, the tiff between new technique and old method dangal is perfectly presented by Nitesh Tiwari when trouble propels between the NSA coach (again his act was well done) and Mahavir. Amid a lot of emotional swings taking the viewer up and down, there is a seamless screenplay and camera work by Sethu Sriram which puts Dangal on a pedestal much higher than any sports biopic ever made in Bollywood so far. Aamir Khan, we have to say if time is what makes you bring out a script like this to 70mm screens, then you can possibly take ample and deliver something like ‘Dangal’ over and over again. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Dangal is not a perfect film, but then few films are. It’s overlong at 2 hours and 41 minutes, and it’s both simple and simplistic in places. But it’s a solid and satisfying watch, a well crafted look at what went into the creation of two sporting champions. It’s a film that makes the heart swell… when it isn’t pounding from all the excitement of the bouts. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: It is a pleasant surprise to see Aamir Khan let the other characters take center stage – even if it is a side character like Mahavir’s wife or his nephew – while he maintains his own screen presence.. The actor himself does well from being athletic to pot-bellied. It is almost as if he shot the younger-Mahavir scenes while he was shooting for Dhoom 3. Physique aside, we completely register Mahavir’s frustration, anger, joy, conceit, hurt ego, pride. Some parts even convince you that the actor might be this tyrannical in real life too. The rest of the cast – including Fatima Sana Shaikh – are all so refreshing. From Sakshi Tanwar to Girish Kulkarni to Sanya Malhotra to the young man who plays Aamir Khan’s nephew (name, anyone?) – they all fit in perfectly. It is exhilirating that off late, across films, actors are getting better and better at their jobs, even if the other departments of the film fail them. Fortunately, that’s not true of Dangal. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: As a biopic, though one-dimensional, the film is well-packaged and presented in a realistic manner. Apart from a few predictable cinematic liberties, it lacks high-voltage drama and the entertainment quotient is dutifully obligatory. The plot keeps you engrossed right till the end and the climax, with the slow-motion shot of Geeta toppling her opponent, is exhilarating. The national anthem is used as a magnetic device to extract the feel of patriotism, and unwittingly, the audience land up giving Geeta and the film a standing ovation. Review by Barkha Bahar on Bollyspice Rating: Though transforming himself for a role is not a foreign concept for Aamir Khan, he did an incredible job in gaining and then losing 25kg for the role. Aamir Khan was ruthless as the stern, unrelenting father, determined to make his daughters strive for the same goal. Zaira and Suhani stole the show as young Geeta and Babita, and made the film come alive. Dangal will no doubt encourage more women to participate in professional wrestling, but it will also inspire you to bring hard work and determination to make your own dreams come true. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Kahaani 2 – 3.1 stars Dear Zindagi – 3 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Befikre – 2.6 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Moh Maya Money – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars Wajah Tum Ho – 1.4 stars

Wajah Tum Ho is the worst rated films of 2016. The average rating of the film is 1.4 stars, which is lower than the lowest this year! [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Wajah Tum Ho’ Review – 1.4 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Wajah Tum Ho Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: After having directed films like HATE STORY 2 and HATE STORY 3, Vishal Pandya returns with a decent product in the form of WAJAH TUM HO. He does a good job in putting together the whodunit murder mystery in WAJAH TUM HO. Without resorting to any beating around the bush tactics, Vishal Pandya dives into the subject from the first scene itself. The film’s tight and gripping first half sets the mood and pace of the film. The film starts sliding down in the second half (specifically in the last 20 minutes) of the otherwise decent film. The film’s mystery remains intact and intriguing till the nail biting revelation. The revelation will keep the audiences guessing about the ultimate mastermind behind all the murders till the end. Even though WAJAH TUM HO may not keep you at the edge of your seat, it does keep you intrigued through its run time. Full points to Vishal Pandya for not just having built the film’s mounting suspense, but also for executing it decently. Wajah Tum Ho Review by Shalini Langer on Indian Express Rating: There is other heavy stuff too, such as bosoms and hairdos, dialogues and ripped off songs, adults who speak mangled English and children who speak nonsense so perfectly, and Sharman Joshi’s abysmal plight. And then there are the murders and rape. The first on live television, in the film’s clever but one suspects entirely unintentional take on the state of TV news, and the sexual assault, in secret, in a garage. Even TV must have some standards. Even if its CEOs don’t. Wajah Tum Ho Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Wajah Tum Ho has so many twists that after a while you start recollecting director Vishal Pandya’s previous Hate Story franchise. The plot of Wajah Tum Ho is complex but the way it is executed is laughable. Once the film is on the verge of unfolding the truth, you are bound to feel that the film is a C-grade version of Hate Story franchise. Cinematography by Prakash Kutty is average and the film looks cheap to the core. The recreation of cult songs Pal Pal Dil Ke Pass and Aise Na Mujhe Tum Dekho will depress you. The reviewer feels that there is not a single ‘Wajah’ to watch Wajah Tum Ho this weekend. Wajah Tum Ho Review by Rajat Tripathi on Bollywood Life Rating: Live broadcast of a murder is an interesting plot, but not explored much. Wajah Tum Ho rather wastes time in dialoguebaazi, takes too much time to uncover the backstory, and has unnecessary songs. You never strongly feel root for any character in the film. Sana Khan wastes her opportunity. She gets more than two-three super strong scenes to deliver in Wajah Tum Ho, and she fails miserably in each one of those. She breaks down twice in the movie, and you feel absolutely nothing. Despite of being tagged as the most intelligent character in the film, Sia (Sana) delivers the most stupid dialogues. Sana could have established herself as an actress, but probably would only be remembered by filmmakers when it will come to meaty roles. It is tough to decide if Gurmeet is a good or bad actor in Wajah Tum Ho, much like it’s hard to designate him as a TV actor or a Bollywood actor. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: In a terrible climax, the real villain and the heroine fight with arms and legs and knife throwing and knife pulling out of palm and kicking and punching like it were suddenly a Chinese Kung Fu flick. When the villain throws the heroine against a glass wall, and while she waits to recover from that, the police officer shows up, loses the gun in a fight with the villain, gets beaten up and then before we clap (hoping no more bad dialog from him!), the heroine uses the police revolver to shoot the bad guy dead. Yes, yes, you get to know why the villain is ‘Wajah’ for all these killings. But it is as the heroine says in court, everything in the film is ‘Baseless, logicless and abstract’. You laugh at the police officer’s dialog, you cringe at the skin show, you shake your head at the stupidity of such films and you come away at the needlessness of such films. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: A weird theory is sufficed to back it up and then five minutes before the climax somebody else comes up with an even weirder theory. In between, a couple of ‘item’ numbers do the tricks to keep the B-grade tag afloat. It’s so formulaic that you can actually put your headphones on and still decipher each scene and lipread every dialogue. Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18 Rating: The film loses you as instantly as it grips you, owing it to the over-practiced dialogue delivery and the forced love-making scenes. The timing is commendable, but the twists are way too predictable. Half-an-hour into the film and you know what is in store for you. Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: Rajneish, who changes his name’s spelling in every film, has to realize that the change has to be made elsewhere. Gurmeet flaunts his abs and not much else and Sharman, the only credible actor here, goes a little over-the-top with his enunciation. Sana, a Bigg Boss alumna, is still play-acting for 94 cameras instead of performing sincerely for one. Three of the four songs are recreations of older hits and pop-up dutifully when there’s a lull in the screenplay. The background score refuses to die down and accompanies you throughout the movie. There is no justifiable reason to recommend this one. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Sharman Joshi better have accumulated loans to pay to be reduced to such a film. While he’s determined to extend some dignity to his righteous police officer, more often than not, he cracks. And with dialogues such as, “Revenge has many faces”, there’s only as much he can do. Sana Khan, in her longest screen role till date, is feisty — in a ‘Lokhandwala struggler who has finally got her big break’ way. During a screaming fight with her partner, she purses her lips to put him at his place, “Don’t you shout on me!” The wajah for signing up for this one may differ for each, but the sazaa will be doled out indiscriminately. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: To be fair to the makers, the first half of the film seems promising enough and despite the presence of unnecessary songs, Wajah Tum Ho seems like a spicy whodunit. However, it is in the second half that the pot goes downhill with a steady pace. In addition to making the plot quite contrived, the makers also blundered by making their actors state the obvious for the benefit of the audience, which is a major put off. If that was not all, some of the dialogues are not only unintentionally funny, but also grammatically incorrect- in one scene, Siya, who is supposedly a law graduate from Massachusetts, tries to poke holes in the prosecution’s theory by declaring that her opposing counsel’s arguments are ‘logic-less’. Review by Mohar Basu on Mid-Day India Rating: I felt the worst for Sharman, the only sincere one in the ensemble cast, looking for the merit of his previous work (‘3 Idiots’, ‘Rang De Basanti’). Alas, nothing clicks. Not the dialogue-baazi or Duggall as the constipated antagonist. The vision of Sana and Gurmeet cuddling each other to the classic Pal Pal is any Kishore Kumar fan’s worst nightmare realised. It’s a great watch for those looking for cleavage shots of busty ladies heaving and all. The men aren’t much of a delight in that department — in one scene, a woman sprays perfume on her guy before doing ‘it’. A cue for body hygiene, and also to make better movies that don’t trivialise rape. No Nirbhaya, India hasn’t changed much. We still objectify women — zoom into their butts and breasts to sell tickets. Hope you are in a better place. Wajah Tum Ho Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Vishal Pandya has all the ingredients required to cater his audience except for a decent screenplay and some logical reasoning’s. The movie just keeps going on and on without anything concrete happening in the major part of the film. The songs keep popping up without any wajah (reasons). The erotic scenes are induced only to titillate the audience. A fine screenplay along with some decent actors would have saved this movie from becoming worse to bad. Sharman Joshi looks highly misfit in the role of a super cop. Rajneesh Duggal has a cluttered character to perform. Gurmeet Choudhary is weak and fails in the finale portions. Sana Khan has nothing to display in terms of her acting skills. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Vishal Pandya’s direction is tacky in parts. His action sequences though well choreographed are not exciting enough to give a teeth clenching, edge-of the seat experience. Instead they are pristinely sterile and unintentionally funny. The music which is full of remixes of old classics is an aberration to the narrative. The songs are well picturised and they are used as music videos to promote the remixes. They break the beat and seriousness of the mystery. With moderately decent production values, the film is well mounted and every department is technically competent. Overall, ‘Wajah Tum Ho’ is a frivolously made film that is churned out from a poorly conceptualised story. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Technically okay with adequate production values. The movie is strictly okay in the acting department as well. Sana Khan looks beautiful but she needs to brush her acting skills, Gurmeet Choudhary’s abs make better impact then his acting, Sharman Joshi is fine but he has nothing groundbreaking to do. He is a better actor from the lot but it is sad to see such talent getting reduced. Rajniesh Duggall fails to add anything to his acting repertoire and just repeats himself. Sherlyn Chopra and Zarine Khan provide the required oomph quotient without any complain. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Kahaani 2 – 3.1 stars Dear Zindagi – 3 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Befikre – 2.6 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Moh Maya Money – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars

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[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Moh Maya Money’ Review – 2.4 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Moh Maya Money Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Munish Bhardwaj’s debut feature ‘Moh Maya Money’ is set in Delhi, nailing a certain sector of the Capital with an unerring eye, and giving us these two very Delhi creatures: there are hundreds of Amans you can encounter, working several hustles on the side, juggling so many balls at the same time that they are in the danger of forgetting that they can trip and fall anytime. And there are so many Divyas too, trying to balance stresses at work and home and a marriage which has begun creaking. The film also feels very apt, in these tough times of demonetisation, with its leitmotif of greed — all that unaccounted for money that Aman covets has been washed through the complicated innards of the real-estate business, where the difference between black and white blurs and is stark at the same time Moh Maya Money Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Neha Dhupia’s character takes centre stage in the second half and her graph goes through a dramatic shift, while Shorey’s remains largely consistent. Dhupia sinks into her character and internalises her state of mind. Shorey, who knocked it out of the park in Titli, is fairly committed here, even though his character’s attributes allow him only as much. While director Munish Bhardwaj tightly packs in much in the 109 minutes of the film’s runtime, there was scope for improvement. For one, the use of multiple perspectives to convey the same sequence seems repetitive and unnecessary. Especially since the additional track introduced could’ve been retained to add an element of intrigue to the climax. A mystery this is not as the film follows the inevitable. But how it wraps up may not be anticipated and is worth a watch. Moh Maya Money Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The script written by director Munish Bhardwaj has a convoluted screenplay. Narrated in a non-linear fashion with different, points of view, the plot gets repetitive, boring and tiresome. While the story is interesting and the tale evenly paced, the narrative drags and the consequence is predictable. While most of the supporting characters are one-dimensional souls, what keeps you glued to your seat is the quirky and complex characterization of its lead cast. The film is Ranvir Shorey’s canvas, being a natural actor with limited means, he delivers half-heartedly as Aman Mehra. He shines in some scenes as a weak human being and he sleep walks through the others. He is aptly and efficiently supported by Neha Dhupia, whose strong personality befits Divya. Together they make the perfect, odd couple. Moh Maya Money Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The story is typical and been shown is several films. The slow narrative style dilutes the flow of the film. The middle portions drags due to repetitive scenes and situations. The second half goes on an impractical mode with loads of cinematic liberties and ends up on a forced abrupt note. The connection factor is highly missing in the film. The cinematography is average and fails to enhance the quality of the film. The director has some decent twist and turns induced into the screenplay but fails to execute it due to the slow pace and inconsistent second half of the film. Neha Dhupia has lost her sexy image and looks quite bloated in every scene of the film. Moh Maya Money Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The only shiny beacon is Neha Dhupia whose character grows on you, in spite of the surprise turn towards the end. The story is like so many insurance fraud movies you have seen. You can see where the story is going and wish there was even a teensy-weensy bit of humor in the story. The director makes Ranveer’s character so weak, so miserable, you don’t like him. And once the protagonist becomes dour and unlikeable, the rest of the movie is so easy to dislike. The end is obvious, and you wish it come earlier Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: The story builds quite well and keeps you guessing. The twists are interesting, unexpected and add to the story. It has a non-linear narrative, but it’s not tough to follow. However, the loose ends could have been tied up well, and the end leaves you wanting more. Moh Maya Money is a well-made crime thriller, where the characters may be cheating each other, but you’ll sure get your money’s worth. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The highlight of MOH MAYA MONEY is the interesting premise and some realistic performance from the lead – Neha Dhupia and Ranveer Shorey. The greed, aghast and guilt are well portrayed by the two. The dialogues are crisp while the city of Delhi and Resul Pookutty’s background score play important characters in the film. What falters the chances of MOH MAYA MONEY to be a stout desi de noir thriller is its predictability in Munish Bhardwaj’s linear narrative that just before the interval you stop worrying as the proceedings give a bingo feeling to the audience’s thought process. It’s happening just as the way they thought. The twist later fails to thrill as it should have and the lack of intensity, excitement in the unfolding during the climax doesn’t do any good. Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18 Rating: The first half keeps you invested but the second half gets you meandering pretty quickly. It gets a little over-dramatic with a bunch of twists and turns thrown here and there – the moment Ranvir’s character goes to buy a gun, you get to know where the story is heading. To the maker’s credit, the sound effect only enhances the narration and not for once works as a distraction. All in all, the film is a good watch and worth your new notes but be prepared for a tad-bit drama. And needless to say, the topicality and the timing, by the virtue of PM Modi’s ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes couldn’t be more perfect. Review by Suparna Sharma on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film opens with the accident scene and then winds back 45 days before the accident. Somewhere in those days we figure that Divya has a secret life. Debutant writer-director Munish Bhardwaj’s Moh Maya Money is a moral tale with a sharp sting. Its engaging, intelligent plot keeps things nicely concealed till it twists to reveal one thing, and then another and another… shocking and delighting us at every turn. Review by Johnson Thomas on Mid-Day India Rating: The pacing becomes a liability and the performances although earnest, don’t have the emotional connect to make this effort more affecting. The no-frills approach also makes it less enlivening. And it’s ironic that a film that is trying so hard to be different actually ends up making the same mistakes that the Bollywood masala brigade has enshrined. The dialogues throw up interesting analogies but the script can’t sustain the witty energy for long. It’s a pity that neither the moh, maya or the money alluded to, is likely make you feel welcome for long. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Fuddu – 2.3 stars Saat Uchakkey – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars

‘Dear Zindagi’ has received mixed to good reviews from critics. From the 18 reviews that we have so far, the average critic rating is 2.9 stars. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dear Zindagi’ Review – 3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dear Zindagi Review by Indicine Rating: ‘Dear Zindagi’ does have some brilliantly executed sequences which include Alia’s first interaction with Shah Rukh Khan, her emotional break-down at a family dinner recalling her disturbed childhood. A few life lessons (Don’t let your past blackmail your present to ruin your beautiful future) are worth pondering over. Unfortunately, such moments are far and few in between. After a point, the film gets too preachy and tries too hard to establish the phrase ‘life is all about living those small moments’. In terms of performances, inspite a limited screen-time, Shah Rukh Khan delivers the most likeable performance in the film. He is phenomenal as Kiara’s life mentor and slips into the character with utmost ease and conviction. He lights up the screen with his charisma and screen-presence. He is a casting masterstroke. Alia Bhatt is brilliant in her emotional sequences and stands tall in her scenes with SRK. That apart, there is a bit of ‘Highway’ hangover in some of her scenes. Kunal Kapoor and Ali Zafar don’t get enough scope to perform, but they do well. Dear Zindagi Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: The story and screenplay (Gauri Shinde) of DEAR ZINDAGI is a sincere attempt in the genre of slice of life. One has to really give it to Gauri Shinde for having tried to present the complications of life in a simplified manner. The irony of the film remains in the fact that, despite the film’s characters being relatable, the proceedings of the film are simply opposite. All of this may make the audiences fail to find resonance with it. On the other hand, because of the film’s dialogues (Gauri Shinde) being extremely lucid, it will definitely find its echo amongst the viewers. The film has got its humour intact and in right proportions. Do not miss scenes like Shah Rukh Khan’s introduction, the first meeting between Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt and Alia Bhatt’s emotional outburst during the pre-climax. Dear Zindagi Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: What could have been a solid drama with emotional heft — the qualities that made Shinde’s debut ‘English Vinglish’ such an engaging watch –built upon the exploration of the fact that our adulthood is shaped by our childhood in ways we don’t really understand, turns into a kitchen sink talkathon, where all the characters are given lines which are meant to be deep, but come off mostly banal and obvious. The vehicle through which, or should we say whom, Kaira learns life-lessons, is a dishy shrink played by Shah Rukh Khan. Dr Jehangir has her sit across him in a cosy room, takes her off for long walks on the beach, and teaches her that playing with waves is not just a game. It is Life Itself. Dear Zindagi Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Feisty Alia, one of the better actors of the current generation, turns in a nicely nuanced performance. And SRK in his sober-avatar possessing infinite gyaan tempts you to seek out a therapist. If you’re in the mood to do some soul-searching this weekend, this film could do it for you. Dear Zindagi Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Dear Zindagi scores a few brownie points on the emotion front. However, when the film has emotions as its driving point, it comes as an unpleasant surprise when it can’t even do much there. The light-hearted dialogues and scenes are the high points of the film. But they too stop working after a point. At near-2.5 hours, Dear Zindagi feels too stretched. Dear Zindagi Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Shinde might be the most celebratory feminist among our mainstream filmmakers, her heroines far from being defined or restrained by men. Dear Zindagi is a lovely picture, made with finesse and heart, and one that not only takes some stigma off the idea of seeking therapy, but — in the most natural of ways — goes a long way in making a viewer think of the people who matter most. The single smartest trick in this film, however, may well be the primary casting decision. Because a good therapist is a superstar. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Dear Zindagi will definitely appeal to you if you love slice of life film. A little bit of trimming here and there would have been good, and it is not a typical Bollywood movie. However that shouldn’t stop you from not witnessing one of Alia’s best performances and SRK being his charming best. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: While Khan offers sturdy support in this film, it’s Bhatt’s film all the way. Their relationship seems effortless. You almost feel as if Khan is playing himself in this film. Just like his charming, ever-amiable public persona, his character here too is instantly endearing. How their relationship develops is also interesting to watch. A grouse is that Bhatt’s relatives come across as stock characters — that intrusive aunt or uncle who’s always pestering the single women to marry quick could have been eliminated. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying this feel-good drama. If you are looking for a heartwarming, sensitive film about troubled twenty-somethings, then make a date with Dear Zindagi. You won’t live to regret it. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: This film, instead, touches upon a whole bundle of stuff, often only saying or suggesting it, rather than even showing it: sleep deprivation (major urban disease), single girls being thrown out of rented apartments (terrible urban prejudice), desis looking down upon shrinks and their visitors (popular Indian notion), pain of a passionless heart that hardly beats, let alone breaks (common urban affliction)… It still reads so much like a part-real, part-reflective, deeply concerned, almost cathartic, personal journal — the sorts that in school notebooks, one began with, Dear diary… Or well, Dear zindagi, as in this case. You know what? As an audience, I’d take that over anything else. Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Conversations are entertaining and engaging when they end before they become white noise. Dear Zindagi suffers from some really long, drawn out monologues and verbal exchanges between Kaira and Dr. Jehangir. There is a scene where he compares trying out chairs to moving from one boyfriend to the other, another attempt at humour to talk about taking the easy way out rather than choosing the more obvious difficult path comes across as an exhausting attempt to build up a forced narrative. What felt like easy conversations in the first half suddenly become heavy and corny in the second. What is Jehangir’s back story? Why is he averse to the idea of opening himself up to Kaira? These and many more questions remain unanswered. Jehangir loses his sex appeal when he starts getting preachy and his believability suffers from the too-good-to-be-true syndrome. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The chemistry between SRK and Alia is enchanting. In a rarest of rare occasion SRK makes way for his co-star to enjoy all the limelight as a protagonist and keeps himself ‘cool’ with a solid supporting act. All said and done, DEAR ZINDAGI is an impeccably performed touching if not everlasting adage on life and relationship with some soul stirring moments hailing the power of Alia Bhatt as a super performer and SRK as the irresistible cool charmer minus the super star’s ‘arm spread’ we all know. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: ‘Dear Zindagi’ is a new age script that will do well with the youth. By moving ahead of romantic relationships, the movie also teaches important life lessons on how to deal with your family and how to bury the baggage of past. The flick is more like a therapy that the modern generation needs today in order to live a stress-free life. It is hard to comment whether it will work wonders in the single screen and rural areas but, if you need some freshness and a break from Bollywood clichés, then straightaway head to a theatre closest to you to grab a slice of ‘Dear Zindagi’ Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Shinde deserves a pat on her back for effectively and accurately portraying the ‘Tinder’ generation and driving home the point that a person’s present is often the result of his or her past. Kaira may come across as irritating and hypocritical in the first half but as you slowly realise that there is more to the issue, your opinion about the character undergoes a complete change and you may find yourself feeling affectionate towards her. However, it is the first half that meanders and makes you restless while the second half, though long, starts making sense. However, while Shinde could have stuck to a point and gently hammered it home (like she did in English Vinglish), she takes up an array of issues to discuss fleetingly via this film- single women not getting places on rent, the attitude of parents regarding the career choices and lifestyle of their children, the stigma attached to seeking professional help for mental issues et al. A bit of a focus with regards to the plot and storyline would not have harmed the film at all, we feel. Some of the points made in the film make quite an impact and the scene where Kaira breaks down in front of Jehangir, may surely bring a lump to your throat. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Gauri Shinde’s insights about the hopes and aspirations of Indian housewives (English Vinglish) is surely more detailed than her reading of a young adult’s heart and mind. But despite the research that probably went in here, she manages to present modern day relationships as non-committal yet not frivolous, non-exclusive yet just as caring and concerned. Shinde’s depiction of her emotionally scattered lead is faintly identifiable. But the repetitive moral policing and stereotyping inflicted on her seems a bit exaggerated. In other words, it could’ve been at least 20 minutes shorter. The use of light varies across the films. Consequently, in certain scenes, SRK appears like the cellophane-wrapped version who endorses a million brands, in others, the ageing actor who isn’t afraid to conceal his fine lines comes under the spotlight. This one is a mood film. No surprises, no revelations mid-way, but if you have a mushy-minded mate, this would make for quite a date. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: One film old director Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi is a slice of life film but you might or might not connect with it. Those who had a dysfunctional family as a child or have experienced multiple break ups in a short span of time will relate to Kaira’s story. First half of the film is nothing great, it just goes away in introduction of the characters and before the ride can even begin, it’s already interval. However, the film holds a huge promise of heart wrenching instances in the second half but no matter how much the reviewer tries hard to like the film and connect with Kaira’s journey, it is all in vain. Though the plot in reality is extremely weak, it has been covered up pretty nicely with brilliant performances. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Shinde is at the top of her game here, mining the charms of her two lead actors to perfection to deliver a film that is quietly hypnotic. She chooses her pace and sticks to it all the way through a runtime of two and a half hours, a sure sign of faith in her material. For once, the length does not weigh heavy at all. On the flip side, Dear Zindagi, subtle at most times, occasionally tends to tilt towards the simplistic. But it pulls back just in the nick of time so that too much damage isn’t done. SRK’s introduction scene – it comes 50 minutes into the film – might have done with a little more thought. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: The screenplay and dialogues, however, stop the film from being magnificent. Another point that really didn’t work comes when Kaira needs yet another romantic relationship to lean upon, despite the entire film doling gyan on how romance isn’t the be-all and end-all in life.. If only Gauri brought better-etched characters and delved more into the emotional turmoils of her lead, this could have been a wonderful “slice-of-life” film with several messages to be lauded for. What she ends up with is a “could-have-been-amazing” film.. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Despite the presence of Shah Rukh, there is just no emotional connect with Alia and you want to reach out and say, ‘Enough!’ to her. They try so hard to ‘be cool’. It’s not the fault of the young actors at all. Even Ali Zafar, who is perfect as the rebound boyfriend comes across as one-dimensional and easy to dismiss. The story just doesn’t have enough meat. It’s so Aalia-focussed, there is no room to develop the other characters. They’re all there to show how ‘kewl’ Aalia is. Review by Shomini Sen on News18 Rating: Written by Gauri Shinde, Dear Zindagi primarily scores because of very real, well etched out characters. Alia Bhatt does get a strong role and she delivers but even the men, from Kunal Kapoor to Ali Zafar, they all strike a chord making the film extremely relatable. It is also heartening to see Khan in a role which is so subtle and restrained- a far cry from the roles that he has been doing in the past years. No frills, no songs, no unnecessary theatrics. Just pure acting. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Here too, Alia, is radiantly patient. Her pleading eyes at their last session when, alas the patient must be torn away from her seductive guru, followed me out of this fabulous film. Alia is indeed magical in Dear Zindagi. In a role far less sympathetic than what Sridevi played in English Vinglish, Alia embraces all her character’s flaws and makes us love Kaira all the more for them. Ironically she plays a girl who must confront her silences in a film that has a lot to say. Oh, there are other remarkable performances too. Ira Dubey and Yashswini Dayama as Kaira’s besties….they look like they’ve known Alia all her life. Ali Zafar shows up in the second-half as a musician who thinks and talks only in music, whom Kaira becomes vaguely attracted to. No one gets it wrong in Dear Zindagi. It’s the kind of silent masterpiece where all the actors,even the habitually out-of-rhythm Aditya Roy Kapoor (in a concluding cameo) puts their best foot forward. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Kaira’s character is totally imaginable as a girl you’d know, the kind who uses her rudeness on her sleeve while it actually is a coping mechanism of sorts. She has her reasons to be that way, but Dear Zindagi shows them to you too late to be able to fit the complicated puzzle that Kaira makes herself out to be. I am glad that we know very little about Jehangir Khan. He’s a therapist who seems to know what he is doing. And that is pretty much all we need to know. And the unique chemistry between Kaira and Jehangir is played out well by the two actors too. Dear Zindagi Review by Sify Rating: The film lacks drama and is stretched to over 2.5 hours on a wafer-thin plot, making for tedious viewing. Humour comes in the form of some light-hearted moments but is not enough to give respite. The second half of the film drags endlessly, although the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of her life fall into place as she makes peace with life. Amit Trivedi’s music too fails to make an impact and is almost lost. The film expectedly has good production values and the ethos of Goa is beautifully captured through the lens of Laxman Utekar. Dear Zindagi could have been a lively, fun film albeit with life lessons, rather than the long-winded slice of life it is. Dear Zindagi Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Dear Zindagi’ is fantastic, but only in parts and is lethargic in most. The concept of the movie is superb, but fails in its execution over the silver screen.This concept was perfect for a web series displaying the various chapters of Alia’s character. Wish the movie had more such wonderful scenes. ‘Dear Zindagi’ is a half-hearted soulful film. It starts on a tediously boring note and after a whiles gets on its right but perfect track. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Fuddu – 2.3 stars Saat Uchakkey – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars

‘Dear Zindagi’ is Gauri Shinde’s second directorial venture after the much-acclaimed Sridevi starrer ‘English Vinglish’. The slice of life film stars Alia Bhatt in the lead, supported by Shah Rukh Khan, Kunal Kapoor and Ali Zafar. The movie grabbed eye balls owing to the innovative promotional strategy, what with the makers releasing four teasers (no trailer) to give the audience an essence on what the film is all about. Does ‘Dear Zindagi’ live upto expectations? Let’s find out:

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Tum Bin 2’ Review – 2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Tum Bin 2 Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When TUM BIN 2’s promos were released, it gave the audience a glimpse of a musical experience that the film offered. The film, in totality, does live upto the expectations that the trailers offered. The screenplay of TUM BIN 2 (Anubhav Sinha) seems heavily inspired by TUM BIN. It’s a typical conventional story that has been witnessed in Bollywood before. The presence of loopholes in the film’s screenplay does, at times, make the film less convincing (more towards the second half). Despite all this, it’s the treatment that’s meted to TUM BIN 2, which makes it worthwhile. Even though the film does not boast of any kind of memorable one liners, the film’s dialogues are lucid without going over the top. Even though the humour element is present in the film, it is in negligible proportion. Do not miss the ‘India meets Pakistan’ scene in the film, in order to know what we are talking about. After having directed the sci-fi RA.ONE, Anubhav Sinha had been missing from the scene for some time now. His directorial work in TUM BIN 2 makes up for his absence. While the film’s first half sets up the ambience and the plot of the film, the film’s second half appears a far bit stretched. The drama that unfolds during the second half is way too cliché, something that Bollywood has witnessed many times in the past. Even though Anubhav Sinha stays true to the script and the legacy of TUM BIN, there are times when the film tends to go astray. Had the length of the second half of the film been a bit shorter, it definitely could have worked in the favour of the film. The ‘oscillation’ of the girl between her two lovers seems to test the patience of the viewers after a certain point. Tum Bin 2 Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: There’s also an attempt to establish that first loves may not be for ever, and how it is perfectly possible, even acceptable, to move on. You start paying attention, hoping that the film will go down that path, and then wham, a lid comes down on that thread. There’s a cop-out and it goes right back into old, old ways of settling such unseemly conflict: understanding vibes between the two men who decide for the girl what she really wants, an over-cooked plot garnished with lots of contrivances, and swelling violins which tell us that it’s time to bring the glycerine out. Tum Bin 2 Review by Sameeksha on News18 Rating: Tum Bin never actually thrived on its actors neither does Tum Bin 2. Aditya Seal is a good talent to keep an eye on, Neha Sharma is also good in some parts. It feels like even makers didn’t expect it to be a blockbuster, thus ended up making a somewhat breezy mostly average watch for the sake of the prequel. There are no thrills and predictability of the film weighs it down. The climax scene has been shot on VFX and it kills the mood. Overall the film thrives on its emotional quotient and the picturesque locales in Scotland. Since it has nothing new to offer, it comes across as just another mediocre film. Go for it if you are love typical Bollywood romance and cheesy love lessons, otherwise, catch its television premiere on a good lazy afternoon. Tum Bin 2 Review by Rajat Tripathi on Bollywood Life Rating: Tum Bin is a shiny bright red balloon that is floating upwards towards a pointed needle. You want a gush of wind to sway away the balloon from its path, but fate and the director has other plans. Overall, Tum Bin 2 is sweet, well acted, and heightens its impact with the beautiful music. Watch it for sure if you swear by PS I Love You, Aashiqui 2, The Fault in Our Stars and such. Tum Bin 2 Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: Tum Bin 2 is neither a sequel, nor a sob fest but Anubhav Sinha’s tribute to his own 2001 surprise hit ‘Tum Bin’. The second instalment is an earnest remake of the original with a few minor twists. Interestingly, Sinha retains the pulse of the original – ‘melancholy’ and breathes new life into it by altering the story a bit and casting fresh faces with most doing justice to his sensibility. But can an ‘old-fashioned’ tale appeal to the Tinder generation that is lured into judging concepts like commitment and sacrifices? It certainly does and in fact comes as a breath of fresh air, albeit with an over-sentimental second half that drags incessantly. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The appeal of the exercise begins to wear thin as soon as the beautiful frames, the eye-popping locations and the wannabes who are in the drama begin to look and sound drably monotonous. Tum Bin 2 is competently mounted, visually lush and musically strong. But in terms of substance, this sequel is too long and too bland to be able to recapture the dramatic traction of the original tearjerker, which, too, had no star power. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: When a film doesn’t have a plot, even good performances can’t save it from sinking. ‘Tum Bin 2’ is like any other love triangle story and seems more like a holiday trip for the film’s team. The only good thing about ‘Tum Bin 2’ is its melodious music, good-looking actors and their fair performances. If you think this is how a love story is supposed to be, trust me, you wouldn’t want to have one. We advise you to watch ‘Tum Bin 2’ with a box full of tissues! Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Neha Sharma is the only known face in the lead cast, but the two lads have performed decently enough for newcomers. Aashim looks like a poor man’s Abhishek Bachchan in certain frames and resembles Aditya Roy Kapur at times while Aditya is refreshingly boyish, but his character is quite irritating-for no reason, Shekhar starts spouting philosophical lines and comes across as way too ‘sanskari’. On her part, Neha does her ‘doe-eyed’ act, which is not so convincing. Kanwaljeet Singh, who plays the dignified patriarch, is a treat to watch as always. The two actresses, who play Taran’s sisters are much better than the lead cast, in fact. Review by Anupama Chopra on Hindustan Times Rating: These insanely boring conversations on love and longing are punctuated by half a dozen forgettable songs. In the second half, Amar and Shekhar feel like they are playing a game of ‘she loves me, she loves me not’. It’s impossible to follow whom she really loves and why, and frankly you’re long past caring. Neha Sharma, who plays the woman inciting this furious devotion, retains a single expression of anguish on her face. Aashim Gulati is even more stilted. The only spark comes from Aditya Seal, who looks appropriately conflicted. He was probably trying to figure out what was going on. We still are. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Performance wise, it’s an earnest approach where Neha Sharma does her part well in her capacity. New comers Aashim Gulati, Aditya Seal are fine. We didn’t expect a moon from them either. Seasoned performer Kanwaljit Singh is fantastic. Sandali Sinha – the lead actress from the original appears for a one scene cameo and looks good. Production values are rich and in technicalities Ewan Mulligan’s Cinematography is marvelous. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Tum Bin II’s out-dated twists, needless complications and comical confusion over the sacrificial lamb prolongs the rona dhona by a good half an hour and still cannot settle who loves whom or if at all. Review by Bryan Durham on DNA India Rating: The cinematography for sure. It’s an immaculately shot film. Everybody is filthy rich in this movie and the landscape makes you want to move to wherever in the UK this is. Aditya Seal comes off as the best of the newcomers. He’s got a charm and niceness about him that’s rare these days. Shekhar’s gay friends are not treated as caricatures, thankfully. Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Tum Bin 2 takes its tag of a romantic musical too seriously. The first song comes in the first five minutes, and then after every 15 minutes there is yet another ballad which sounds like the song preceding it. What Anubhav Sinha’s film desperately needed is an editor with scissorhands for the film moves at a snail’s pace with far too many slo-mo sequences and get-togethers where the leads keep gazing at each other or exchanging forlorn looks. Neha Sharma is committed to being dejected and also looking perpetually freezing given she for most part is made to wear sleeveless clothes while everyone – even the Scots – around is covered up in warm ones. Arriving 15 years after the first one, Tum Bin 2 is stale, all-too-familiar, superfluous sequel that never strikes the one place it really should – the heart. Review by Mohar Basu on Mid-Day India Rating: The movie, which hardly qualifies as a sequel, is at best his grand homage to one of his biggest successes. Why attempt a remake? One would presume it is to cash in on the film’s recall value but we wouldn’t so much as question his sincerity. At least, in the first half, he makes the cynical generation of flings buy into the old-fashioned blabber about forever-kinda love. There are a few genuine pangs to feel for the bereaved heroine, Taran (her fiancé dies in a skiing accident) and the chap’s old father who is left devastated. Neha Sharma and Kanwaljit Singh are smooth, doing justice to their roles. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Neha Sharma is in every second frame, making her performance directly proportional to the film’s success. Sadly, she sobs with dry eyes and when they do well up, her expressions iron out. Aditya Seal mumbles his lines with the enthusiasm of a debutant (even though he isn’t one) and becomes much to bear when his character goes off his head. Aashim Gulati could pass for a poor man’s Siddharth Malhotra or an affluent man’s Aditya Roy Kapur. Being the least proficient actor in the cast, his screen time is timed accordingly. Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh is the only one who has a clue about expressions that follow a certain emotion. But unfortunately, even he can’t save this sinking ship. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The problem lies with the awful, simply awful lead actors. Neha Sharma’s kissy face and crying face are the same open-lipped surprise. She’s the Girl in love with both Boy1 and Boy2. That’s a cool thing, you’d think, but if only she had acting chops or if the boys did not look like the generic lads who frequent the gym (posing for the mirrors). Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Tum Bin 2 is not a frightfully measured and even-toned look at the caprices of the heart. It could have gone a much longer way with a less self-indulgent narrative mode. Silences among characters are fine. But here they seem to punctuate their lack of self-confidence. The narrative loses its intended vision of maturity in unnecessarily prolonged confrontations between the heroine and the two men who just love to love her and often end up shining and sniveling like a duo of Devdases nursing a selfpitying broken heart after a night of drinking with Chunnilal. This one has more than its fair share of flaws. But it isn’t unwatchable. The film’s high aesthetic qualities make sure of that. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Written and directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film lacks freshness in its writing and the dialogues are verbose and hackneyed. The treatment of the film too, is expected and there is no hook to keep the audience engaged. He treads cautiously, keeping the old framework intact but makes changes, where there was no need. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: It is not like the performances are awful. Sure, they aren’t the greatest but they aren’t the kind that you usually get in films with this budget and this style of execution. Aditya Seal and Neha Sharma actually emote aptly. While the same cannot be said about Aashim Gulati, the rest of the supporting cast do well to keep things real. Given that the various departments of film are just about average but not below average, the culprit in pulling it down might as well be the pace. With a song at every turn, even if it is running in the background and not lip-synced, the film is quite slow. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Fuddu – 2.3 stars Saat Uchakkey – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars

Force, which released in 2011, just about managed to recover costs which made the producers opt to make this sequel...

Force 2 has received ‘better than expected’ reviews. Action films don’t usually get 3 to 4 star rating, which Force 2 has got from a few critics. The movie has opened poorly at multiplexes on Friday morning, mass centres are better. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Force 2’ Review – 2.6 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Force 2 Review by Indicine Rating: Abhinay Deo has clearly been inspired by western action thrillers in the way he has written and shot the film, but he has added a Desi patriotic touch to the movie which makes it more identifiable. Force 2 moves along briskly for the most part devouring through its story and is largely an entertaining sequel which betters the original film in many ways. The second half gets a bit jarring with all the action but the interaction scenes between the protagonists and the main antagonist makes up for the shortcomings. Force 2 has been very well shot and looks like a much bigger film than its budget will suggest. The action choreography of the movie which has been shot mostly in Eastern Europe, is breathtaking and very stylish. The cinematography technique employed in the climax which reminded us of Hardocre Henry was a cool idea. The production design and costume design suit the nature of the movie. The background score is decent too. Force 2 Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: While FORCE was directed by Nishikanth Kamath, FORCE 2 sees Abhinay Deo taking the director’s seat. After debuting with DELHI BELLY and then directing GAME and TV series 24, Abhinay Deo is definitely no newcomer to thrillers. Besides doing full justice in carrying the legacy of FORCE, Abhinay Deo also infuses his own uniqueness in FORCE 2. The film’s first half sets up the ‘pace’ of the film with its giant share of adrenaline rush from the first frame itself, which stays till the interval. The film’s second half, on the other hand, dips a bit. But overall the film is quiet fast paced and doesn’t let a dull moment seep in. Abhinay Deo has done a great job as a director in FORCE 2 and has managed to keep the film crisp and tight at the length spanning around 2 hours without wasting any screen time. Even though FORCE 2 is a visual delight as the whole, do not miss John’s introduction scene, the chase sequence during the film’s first half, the interval point and the unexpected suspense (which comes as a bolt from the blue) which changes the course of the film totally. Force 2 Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Abraham is efficient and does what he needs to. His super toned muscles are used well to get rid of the bad guys, but not even the most impressive bod can rise above a sluggish script. Tahir Raj Bhasin is the interesting element in ‘Force 2’, and he tries bringing a bit of complexity to the way he plays bad guy Shiv Sharma’s part, but again gets buried in all the obviousness. There’s a tiny sparkle at one point when a leather-clad hottie propositions Yashvardhan: both John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha get us to smile in the way they handle that situation. Now a little more of that—a twinkly awareness that they are treading a well-known path—would have made ‘Force 2’ a much more rewarding watch. The way it plays out, ‘Force 2’ forces us to stay far too much in the been here-seen that territory. Force 2 Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: From Mission Impossible to The Peacemaker to A good Day To Die Hard, many Hollywood hits have their reflection in Force 2. However, the blending doesn’t work. Mardaani presented Tahir Raj Bhasin as a talent to look forward to. He has treaded a similar path here, and is in a good form. He stands tall to John Abraham who is film’s biggest attraction. His action hero image is working overtime in Force 2 and he somehow makes the film bearable. Sonakshi Sinha’s underwritten role doesn’t let the director’s feminist take on certain issues blossom. Force 2 has a noble heart. It wants to get the undercover agents, who selflessly serve the nation, their due. But the narrative hasn’t taken a favourable shape. Sadly, it’s mostly about muscles and very less about intelligence. Force 2 Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: The thing that works in Force 2’s favour is pacing. In spite of a familiar story, the action sequences are timed perfectly and executed stylishly; there are no songs except for a recreation of Kaante Nahi Kat-te, which moves the story along. Most of the climax sequence is shot like a first-person shooter game which is a refreshing experiment. But the experiments stop there. ‘Force 2’ story is excruciatingly generic. A mastermind has an ulterior motive behind betraying his nation; the heroes must then strike a balance between morality and vengeance. Review by Gaurang Chauhan on Bollywood Life Rating: There’s not much to not like about the film, except for Sonakshi’s character. Being a RAW agent she was very clumsy, the one who can’t shoot and was mere prop in many scenes. Also as mentioned earlier Tahir is life of the film but he should watch out for the roles he select next as he might get typecast in the similar roles. There are many cliches in the film but they are passable. This film is a must watch for all the film lovers. It is one of the few Indian espionage thrillers on the India China relationship and it isn’t too preachy. Go for this one and you’ll be hooked for sure till the end. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Abhinay Deo’s screenplay wins in the way it is paced. The first half of Force 2 is crisp, taut, just like you expect a thriller to be. There is no stupid waste-of-time song and dance. There is so much happening on the screen that you don’t have the liberty or space to breathe. There are a few of those edge-of-the-seat moments, mostly announced by a blaring background score and Force 2 doesn’t score much on that front. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: This is a tale, directed by Abhinay Deo, that gives you a peek into the murky world of Indian spies on foreign soil. It goes to show how RAW (Research And Analysis) agents are the unsung heroes who get a raw deal in life and also, in death — they are branded traitors if caught. While Sinha isn’t merely a decorative piece, it’s Abraham who takes the lead at every step. She is his boss, but he is always in command and that is grating. Her tears when there’s a setback in their mission is annoying, but that can be forgiven because the film moves at a breakneck speed. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Thanks to the fast-paced narrative, Force 2 gives the audience little space to draw away from the hurly-burly, survey the action from a distance and spot holes in the construct. There are several, of course, but because of the power of the action scenes, the film works, if only at a very basic level. It’s the sheer predictability of this narrative form that drags Force 2 down a few notches. Be that as it may, it is an entertainer that passes muster. And if you are a John Abraham fan, there can be no reason whatever to give Force 2 a miss. Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Force 2 has some great action sequences but in the second half they get exhausting. The chase scenes and John’s punches feel too forced and rehearsed. Also Sonakshi’s character seems to have a backstory that we never get to hear. The club song is jarring and unnecessary in such a tight narrative. Also the fight leading to the climax is sort of cringe worthy and too over the top. There’s a RPG game inspired action sequence that’s borrowed from Hardcore Henry and another one where John smashes doors through multiple rooms has a Hulk hangover. Next time more original stuff please? Force 2 is a great watch mainly because it stays true to its genre and provides ample adrenaline rush. John Abraham is in top form and the film has some of the best action sequences shot this year. Force 2 has loads of bang worth your buck. Review by Shaheen Parkar on Mid-Day India Rating: Deo’s forte are thrillers, John spells action. The two have had a field day along with the action unit and the cinematographer. To give them their due, there are some well-crafted rooftop chases, cars zooming in the fast lane and copters looming large on skyscrapers. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Enough to overlook John Abraham’s deadpan uproar at his colleague’s death and humourless collaboration with Sonakshi Sinha as the damsel-in-distress in RAW agent’s clothing — Deo hints at a backstory but never dwells into details. It’s disappointing to witness her ‘I am leading the mission’ confidence brought down to a compliant underling. Despite the lack of faith shown in her, the feisty actress imbues the scenes with more credibility than Abraham’s popping veins and Mercedes lifting. Just when things should take off, they spiral downwards as Force 2 loses steam over hastily established grievances, vendetta schemes and quick fix conclusions. There’s a noticeable drop in the action too marked by cacophonous thayn thayn and jerky camera moves. At the end of its 127 minutes run amidst relentless gunshots and car crashes, charm (on Force 2’s end) and clemency (on mine) has run its course. What prevails is more phew than force. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: John Abraham has an impressive screen presence, but his surly snarl is the same as was seen in Dishoom and Rocky Handsome and the beefcake fails to make the character memorable, though he rocks when it comes to his intimidating stare and fisticuffs. On her part, Sonakshi tried to put in her best efforts, but her character is so poorly written that KK actually comes across as a bumbling moron, who can’t seem to accomplish simple tasks like apprehending a suspect even at gunpoint. Even KK’S backstory and the reason why she cannot pull the trigger when required to do so is quite weak (how is a RAW agent on active duty despite a psychological issue which prevents her from shooting when necessary, is anybody’s guess). Tahir Raj Bhasin is not so physically formidable as compared to the prequel’s villain Vidyut Jammwal and though he tries his best to be menacing, his character will remind you of his ‘Mardaani’ role (there are also a couple of scenes in which Tahir taunts John’s character on the phone, much like he had done with Rani Mukerji in Mardaani). Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: John Abraham seems to be at home in this bone-crushing action film. But in the acting department, he delivers little more than fixed stares, often accompanied by gnashing of teeth. Basically, he’s India’s Vin Diesel. Albeit, with a little more hair and a little less smug. Sonakshi Sinha, who impressed with her devastating blows in Akira, barely gets to jump into the action. And while her character hopes to shatter stereotypes, when the action gets heated, she’s either not around or is shielded by her male partner. Tahir Raj Bhasin is largely bearable but in certain scenes, he goes from acting school reject to blood-smeared SRK from Anjaam. While director Abhinay Deo sticks to the tropes, the film goes south in its reveal, which barely lives up to the buildup. If you’re in the mood for a no-brainer where a lot of people succumb to bullets or are flattened under vehicles, rent a Jason Statham movie instead. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Acting wise John Abraham has the ‘jism’ (body) and the ‘josh’ (passion) to be an action hero, but ironically he losses ‘hosh’ (good sense) in his own productions – ROCKY HANDSOME and this one. Sonakshi Sinha is wasted completely and it is disappointing to watch her reduced to minimum after an action packed make over in AKIRA. Tahir Raj Bhasin’s villainy struggles to find the ‘cool’ quotient which one appreciated in MARDANI. So is there anything good. Yeah it’s shot well and a couple of action scenes are worth a clap but that is all. When you spoil a good movie by doing a bad sequel then the crime gets doubled, but FORCE 2 is in an altogether different zone, I questioned the logic behind the remake of the lousy HIMMATWALA and now I need a spy to understand what was so great about FORCE that we had a forced FORCE 2 as a sequel. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The problem lies not with the paint by numbers thriller where the good guys are chasing the baddie. The problem lies with giving the villain too much screen time. Where is the good old fashioned duct-tape when you need one? The taunting, the baiting by the villain just did not work and though the surprises are many, you just want to fast forward to the next set piece. The parkour and the video game style killing of the villain’s goons goes on and on, but the end makes it worthwhile. You want to ask how the villain affords these henchmen, and you groan at his never-ending emotional response to everything. It’s an overdose. You want an unrepentant Gabbar Singh like villain, who does not need a sad, pathetic history to be a bad guy. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Technically the film is mounted with excellent production values. The lone song snuggly fits into the narrative. The chases and the action sequences are well-choreographed and they tend to be stretched at times. The climactic sequence with visuals captured by hand-held cameras and layered with loud background score gummed together in snappy edits, is an eye sore. Overall, Force 2 offers nothing that you have not seen before, yet entertains you. It is an ideal watch for John and Sonakshi fans. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Force 2 is not a great one for spreading the message of peace. It would rather do its job of giving us stunts that keep us riveted to our seats. But it does bring up the issue of a very disturbing political tragedy whereby those who are caught spying are disowned by their own country. It’s a chilling thought on betrayal and loss, not quite the mood that this upbeat fiery and feisty actioner wants to dwell on. But it really can’t really help acquiring a conscience while taking a well-aimed shot at giving Hollywood stunts films a run for their money. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Tahir Raj Bhasin stands out with his evil act till the last frame of the film. The film starts off so well till the interval but disappoints in the second half completely. John Abraham knows his way about action movies so well that he sails through the entire film flawlessly. Sonakshi Sinha, too, is noticeable in her stunts as a rigid RAW agent. Boman Irani, Adil Hussain and Narendra Jha are good as well in their cameos. Genelia D’souza has a special appearance in the film and just lights up the screen even if just for a few seconds. Overall the film will appeal to those who love to see action and want to see John Abraham doing it. And yes, he is even bulkier this time around. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: John Abraham, who doesn’t once smile in the film, lest one forget that his character hasn’t gotten over his wife’s death, efficiently delivers the kicks and punches, and some cold hard stares. There are moments that suggest he’s in on the joke – like the fight he pulls off, dressed only in a towel – but it’s a shame he’s willing to settle for such mediocre material. Continuing what she started in Akira, Sonakshi Sinha takes another stab at action, but she’s weighed down by an underwritten role as the least convincing operative since Katrina Kaif in Ek Tha Tiger. It’s Tahir Bhasin, not surprisingly, who walks away with some of the best moments in the film, but this talented young actor would do well to seek out parts that require him to stretch his range. Force 2 isn’t unwatchable, and it won’t give you a migraine either. But it is a wildly inconsistent film that fills up the gaps between its many action sequences with ridiculous attempts at humor and drama. Force 2 Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Abhinay Deo focuses more on the action and forgets to narrate a dramatic tale required for such thriller. The soul of the film goes totally missing in the second half. Also, the raw and intensity of ‘Force’ is nowhere to be seen in its sequel. Sonakshi Sinha tries hard to look stylishly cool, but fails miserable. Tahir Raj Basan starts off brilliantly, but slides downward as the movie progresses due to repetitive scenes and weak characterization. Narendra Jha is wasted. ‘Force 2’ has some power-packed action and some power-less emotional scenes due to which the movie ends up being only a one time watch. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha and Tahir Raj Bhasin aren’t really required to have too many expressions – they grimace, stay confused and smirk respectively. For an action film, Force 2 doesn’t have any thrill. It is rather plain despite the pounding background score and snappy editing that goes with the genre. Or maybe it is a plain thriller because it has the usual things you expect from the genre. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Fuddu – 2.3 stars Saat Uchakkey – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars

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