Category - Reviews

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dhanak’ Review –  3.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dhanak Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Kukunoor enhances the magic of the parable by throwing in delightfully quirky encounters that veer into the heart of fairy-tale terrain without ever losing a sense of reality. Dhanak paints a portrait of hope in which the magic of popular Hindi cinema — Pari and Chotu are engaged in constant banter over who is more puissant, Shah Rukh or Salman — and the power of a child’s unbridled imagination merge in a marvellously infectious manner. The screenplay is the star in Dhanak. With Hetal Gada and Krrish Chhabria drawing the audience effortlessly into the tale, it takes on magical dimensions. And, of course, it is impossible not to mention the ever-dependable Vipin Sharma in the role of the deeply concerned but powerless guardian whose own dreams are no less touched by benign madness. Dhanak Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Director Nagesh Kukunoor explored Rajasthan in Dor like never before, and the same style of cinematography and character placement can be seen in Dhanak. Long shots capture sand sliding like water with minimal props. The frames rarely look crowded as enough space is allotted to the background. The secondary characters could have been given more depth though. Dhanak Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: We all need a li’l bit of sparkle and rainbow in our lives. Director Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dhanak reminds us of the small joys of life and teaches us a lesson in dealing with our sorrows. Who better to learn this from, than kids? Nagesh’s keen understanding of human emotions comes handy as he makes the young Pari his protagonist. Her world revolves around two things – her baby brother and her love for Shah Rukh Khan. Dhanak Review by Moumita Bhattacharjee on Bollywood Life Rating: There is hardly anything wrong with the film except perhaps for the second half which drags a bit. The psychic bit might come across as far-fetched too but that doesn’t dilute the fun. Again, there will be some who would call it a convenient turn of events but then life is not always cruel. At times, it surprises too. But in a bit to keep it as real as possible, the filmmaker has incorporated a few human vices in it which threaten to derail the proceedings. Thankfully, it doesn’t. Dhanak Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Hetal Gada as Pari and Krrish Chabria as Chotu steal your heart with their flawless rendition of their characters. They are natural and completely at ease before the camera. They are aptly supported by other actors in one scene roles, namely; Suresh Menon as the, “naata bhala aadmi” (a short good man) who helps them during their time of need, Bharti Achrekar as the gypsy clairvoyant, Ninad Kamat as the tout who makes money by fooling people, Vibha Chibber as Mata Sheera Wali, and Chet Dixon as the foreigner walking through the globe for peace. On the technical front, the film is colourful, vibrant and appealing. DOP (Director of Photography) Chitranjan Das’s camera work is remarkable. He captures the locales — which include the sets designed by Production Designer Devika Bahudhanam, the costumes designed by Aparna Shah and the finer nuances of the actors — with precision. Dhanak Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Sadly, the second half starts to go on a repetitive mode with few unwanted scenes like the foreigner track followed by Bharti Achrekar’s unconvincing track. Suresh Menon’s part is sweet but, lacks the intensity. The finale is good but should have been better and impactful. The narrative part in the second half is a bit slow due to which the screenplay is inconsistent as, after one good track there is dull and low moment followed by another good track and then again the dull moment. This works fine till the first half but in the second half, it dilutes the impact of the film.The later part of the film drags a bit with lack of reality and hardship in it. If these minor points would have been taken care of, the movie would have ended up being one among Nagesh’s finest films. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Credit is due to Kukunoor for resisting the temptation to use disability to extract sympathy from viewers and to manipulate them emotionally. Young actors Gada and Chhabria do an outstanding job of playing the spirited siblings. While the first half is entertaining and feel-good, the second meanders and would have benefited from crisper editing. But don’t give up on Dhanak. Stay with Pari and Chhotu, There’s definitely a dhanak (rainbow) at the end of it all. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The beauty of the film lies in Kukunoor’s talent in weaving a story, which is not only a feel-good fare, but also contains a sense of adventure as the two intrepid kids set out on their ‘mission’. Nagesh deserves kudos for coming up with lovely characters and making them utterly believable and real. The final half hour of the film is somewhat incredible, but by that time, you have fallen in love with the characters to an extent to forgive anything. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: Hetal Gada and Krrish Chhabria deliver terrific performances. Their innocence, and their maturity, will warm your hearts. Nothing has been done overtly and all the characters lend good support to the story. From cinematography to performances to music, everything syncs in perfectly and quite effortlessly. However, the second half did seem a bit slow in comparison to the first. Also, the back story of how Chotu loses his eyesight is hard to understand. The makers could have worked more in that area. But these elements do not hamper the flow of the story or its magic. To have a movie revolve around just two characters is hard but Kukunoor does it and how! He proves yet again why he is a filmmaker to reckon with. Review by Asira Tarannum on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The kids, with their crackling camaraderie are a delight to watch, especially when they weave fictitious story about Shah Rukh and Salman. Their journey through the picturesque scenes of Rajasthan, coupled with soulful music make the film an enchanting watch. The film gets slightly repetitive towards the second half when the kids keep meeting one too many good Samaritans. Despite this, it still manages to hold your interest with its perfect ensemble cast. Review by Shubha Shetty Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: The film largely works for the little tender moments between the two siblings. The unconditional love that Pari displays towards her brother through their everyday dealings and simple dialogues (thankfully, unlike a lot of other films, the kids are not made to do adult-speak) warms the cockles of one’s heart through this two-hour movie. Add to it, this part fairy taleish, part adventurous feel that the narration provides enhances the allure of the film. However, there are certain sequences, like the one involving veteran actress Bharati Achrekar as a blind visionary, that seem too contrived and convoluted. A lot of credit for making this film so endearing goes to the child actors’ performances. While Krrish with his childlike charm steals your heart, it is Hetal who stands out with a stunningly natural performer. The rest of the cast provide good support. Music is fabulous too. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: This film portrays Rajasthan as the land of the forever happy – where breaking into a song doesn’t warrant an excuse and ghevar is the national sweet and acceptable main course. The film’s one-dimensional storyline desperately seeks conflict but only ends up straying from uncertainties, much like Ram Gopal Varma films evade a steady camera. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Anyhow, the ‘real’ problem with Nagesh Kukunoor’s DHANAK is the evaporation of the real world in the second half to make way for a predictable fairy tale that restricts the lead characters personal growth in the journey that fails to create the lasting magic that it should have earned. In the end, DHANAK may not be as lasting as Nagesh’s IQBAL and DOR but certainly this feel good road trip is worth taking a ride with your family. go for it. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: I know this film has been made for those with a surplus of the milk of human kindness, but it made me hanker for something more. Cuteness can carve out only a part of the heart. I still remember Hyderabad Blues and Iqbal. And this movie is too shiny bright, too glossy (why don’t we make Children of Heaven? Had me bawling like a breaking dam!) and tries too hard to be cute. Despite the name of the movie, there is no longing, no space in your heart to sing, ‘Somewhere over the rainbow!’. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Chhotu keeps the rhythm going. And the best tune comes from Hetal, who is an amazing little performer, displaying just the right beats, who doesn’t keep a foot wrong. She is the real star of this enterprise. And, yes, there is a rainbow at the end. Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: Dhanak’s success lies in its simplicity. The story of this brother-daughter duo will bring to mind Satyajit Ray’s stripped-down, matter-of-fact treatment of Pather Panchali. Pari and Chotu, in their journey, traverse through a Rajasthan that is curiously but understandably removed from its politics. Dhanak’s Rajasthan is almost dreamlike and carnivalesque, thanks to the colourful cast of characters they meet on their way. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Chhotu is a smart-mouthed tyke with a short fuse and lots of bravado. He may be blind but he’s full of spirit, and Chhabria plays him like an absolute natural, making it impossible not to root for him from the moment in. Chhotu’s strength is his sister Pari, and Gada plays her beautifully, as protective and loving, but also ready with a tongue-lashing when his appetite gets the better of him. Their fanaticism and bickering over their rival heroes will have you bursting into laughter. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dear Dad – 2.7 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Traffic – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Do Lafzon Ki Kahani – 1.7 stars

There has been a lot of trouble plaguing the release of Udta Punjab, which has mainly occurred due to the convoluted...

Sujoy Ghosh attained a lot of acclaim with his thriller Kahaani (considered by some as the best Bollywood thriller...

Do Lafzon Ki Kahani has also received extremely poor reviews and the box office opening is very low – so low that...

Critic ratings are important for a film like ‘TE3N’, a word-of-mouth film which has taken a slow start at...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Housefull 3’ Review – 2.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Housefull 3 Review by Indicine Rating: Director Sajid Khan has been replaced in the franchise he created by Sajid-Farhad who have written movies like Golmaal, Chennai Express, Dilwale and directed Entertainment. Housefull 3 is funny if you’re in the mood for such humour and if you decide to not nitpick much. Yes, it is derogatory to a lot of demographics but that comes with the territory of such films. It has some genuinely funny laugh-out-loud moments but Sajid-Farhad aren’t able to keep up the same tempo throughout the movie. The film falters after the interval and then picks up pace towards the climax (which moves at breakneck speed and is hilarious). The cinematography and production design of Housefull 3 gives the film a big canvas and makes it look like a big budget movie. It is shot rather well. The editing is also tight, and the visual effects are decent. The girls look ravishing and the boys look smart. Housefull 3 doesn’t have chartbuster music but the music doesn’t hinder the movie. Songs like Fake Ishq, Pyaar ki Maa ki, and Taang Uthake make the film flow and doesn’t impede the pace. They are harmless but unnecessary. Housefull 3 Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: First things first. Because HOUSEFULL 3 is a strong franchise that possesses higher recall brand value, expectations from the film are bound to be humungous. But, the flip side of the story is that the buzz around it is not that huge as anticipated. After having tasted immense success with HOUSEFULL and HOUSEFULL 2, the pressure is obviously high on the film’s screenplay writers (Sajid-Farhad, Rajan Agarwal) and its story writer (K. Subhash) to deliver with HOUSEFULL 3, who, after the initial hiccups and struggles, land up delivering what was expected of them. HOUSEFULL 3 belongs to the same school of zany comedies that gave us NO ENTRY, WELCOME and the GOLMAAL series. Conversely, to some, this genre of cinema may appear nonsensical and outrageous. After having proved their mettle as film writers for a long time, HOUSEFULL 3 happens to be Sajid-Farhad’s second film as directors (the first one being ENTERTAINMENT). Not new to directing a multi starrer film, Sajid-Farhad land up doing a strictly average job with HOUSEFULL 3. While the film’s first half is funny with humorous one liners, the film’s second half tends to lose plot and go astray at regular intervals. However, it picks up its pace towards the end. With entertainment being the lifeline of the ‘HOUSEFULL’ series, directors Sajid-Farhad try their best to live upto the legacy, but struggle their way through. Housefull 3 Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: While the first half has some laugh-out loud moments, the second half meanders. But the climax, which has some golden moments, wrap things up nicely. Bachchan plays an aspiring rapper, who isn’t particularly good at it. It was heartening to see a comedy that made its heroes indulge in some self-deprecating humour. Deshmukh isn’t very convincing as a professional car racer, but fortunately their professions aren’t dwelled upon in this film. The tale of three losers with some nifty get-rich-quick-scheme is one of those films that defies logic. As long as you don’t look for sense in this one, you are safe. Housefull 3 Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: Farhad-Sajid have a clear and distinct style when it comes to comedy (which was evident in their debut film Entertainment). There is major emphasis on dialogue to drive the screenplay, almost reminiscent of Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal series. A film like Housefull 3 isn’t an easy one to make, with multiple characters and tracks to handle. Housefull 3 is full of moments that will make you fall off your seat in laughter. The performances of the lead actors maintain the zing factor in the film. Riteish keeps bettering himself at comedy with every film. Abhishek is at his best with his counter reactions. The flashback portions of Jackie Shroff have been handed deftly . He actually looks like Jaggu dada of Hero. Housefull 3’s lifeline is Akshay Kumar who keeps adding something new in every scene. His has a difficult role (he plays a person with split personality) but the way he transitions between both characters is delightful to watch. Akshay returns to comedy after long, and he is enjoying it as much as you will. Housefull 3 Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: The film takes its own sweet time to get into entertainment zone. The first fifteen minutes are so flat and nearly humourless, that you start to regret entering the theatre. Thankfully, everything is uphill from there. Also there is one thing the first Housefull film did right compared to this, is that both Deepika and Lara had meaty roles. Here all the three heroines have the same characteristics and make the same jokes, which is nothing but literally translating English phrases into Hindi (Bandook ka Bachcha, Samay ruk gaya…), that mostly miss the mark. Also some of the puns are racist and even go way below the belt. But then that’s the whole franchise for you! Housefull 3 is neither the best comedy film in Bollywood nor it aims to be. Yet, it is the best film of the franchise (not that there is much to aim there…), as it is far more entertaining and funnier than its predecessors. Go for it, if you like mindless entertainers, and I am sure you will not be disappointed! Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The Akshay Kumar film features a bunch of people trying to make fun of the disabled and the coloured. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: To be brutally honest, keeping in mind the summer break and vacation time for family audience, the Sajid-Farhad directorial is expected to gain big at the Box Office. Not to forget the performances from all the lead actors. Filmmaking is an all-round effort and ‘Housefull 3’ proves it. From casting to dialogues to locations, the flick is a finely woven piece of cinema where one loose end gets overshadowed by all the brilliance around. By loose end, here we mean storyline. It is kind of weak and expected but, hey, what else were we expecting from ‘Housefull’ franchise. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The onus is eventually on Akshay, Riteish and Abhishek to give the film some direction. But all that they do is flow along with the mindless tale, often hitting dead-ends from where there can be no return to sanity. Housefull 3 is strictly for fans of the franchise. Are there any left? Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Sajid-Farhad’s Housefull 3 is entertaining only for its male leads. The story has nothing much to offer in terms of either substance or laughter. There are no rib-tickling moments in Housefull 3; but the actors do manage to get a few spurts of laughter. The film demands willing suspension of belief, and that is understandable given the genre it belongs to, but Housefull 3 does not even check the ‘hilarious’ box. The charm of Housefull 3, whatever little that is, lies in its mindless comedy. There’s sure some of that in the film, but that’s hardly enough to keep one hooked for more than a few minutes. And the film runs for 2 hours 15 minutes. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Though the film has been pepped up by dance numbers, Housefull 3’s major loophole is the repetition of the premise. The focus on the pace works well for the 145-minute film that has a savior in Akshay Kumar. But the director duo could have utilised other actors in a better way. Housefull 3 evokes laughter, but not as loud as Welcome or Khiladi 786. Still, its star cast and crazy set-up have it in them to give you a good time. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: It is my moral duty to ensure you do too by providing you 10 reasons why you cannot afford to miss the third offering in the franchise of the senseless, by the witless, for the brainless. Housefull’s tradition of lowbrow humour is faithfully carried on through Housefull 3’s relentless stock of sexist and racist jokes. Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: If you have seen the two earlier installments of this franchise, you already know that is purely a ‘leave-your-brains-behind’ affair. The premise is a comedy of errors. But unlike Gulzar’s gem Angoor (1982), this one is not about twins. It’s so convoluted, it will make Shakespeare turn in his grave. Sample this. Sandy, who wants to play football in the English Premiere League becomes Sundy (Mr Hyde kinda guy) when his coach makes a racist remark and refers to him as Indian! Ooh; the simple Samaritan becomes aggressive, contorts his face and goes ballistic, till you almost reach out to the screen and say stop- we can’t take this anymore. Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: The girls need to just look pretty and they obviously do, but it is the three leading men who seem to have had a ball doing this together. While Riteish and Abhishek are endearing in their goofy roles, Akshay with his excellent comic timing brings in a lot of laughter, also thanks to his rather cleverly written schizophrenic character. Sandy turns to aggressive Sundi whenever the word Indian is uttered and becomes totally deranged as he goes around getting violent with others and himself. Wish the writers were a little more unhinged in their writing too, instead of concentrating on being smart. This could have been a far funnier film. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The story has the deja vu of its previous installments but fails to add any novelty.. ditto for Sajid Farhad dialouge writing which is obsessed with its juveline approch we saw in its directorial debut (ITS ENTERTAINMENT) and BOL BACHCHAN ( the translation of Hindi proverbs in English) here its English getting translated into Hindi that lacks the required humour. the last installment fails to stand up to the challenge in tickling the audiences’ funny bones as its predecessor did. Yeah… its escapism, buffoonery and finding ‘realisms in such genre is like making fun of yourself but HOUSEFULL 3 is drawn out and makes you wonder to whom is this juvenile revival targeted.. As said earlier, Akshay Kumar nails it, Abhishek Bachchan is decent and Riteish is in his comfort zone. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The three male leads have had the time of their lives shooting this film, from what we can see, but it is Akshay Kumar, who walks away with all the applause. The Khiladi is a natural at comedy and unleashes his whacky side with much aplomb while Riteish Deshmukh, who can usually be counted on for a few laughs, disappoints us. Same goes for Abhishek Bachchan, who struggles to evoke guffaws, barring in a scene or two. The three women bring nothing but glamour and beauty to the table and have got some of the worst lines in the film. Boman, with his bad wig and a heavy Gujju accent, can surely do better, we are sure while Jackie is still the cool dude after all these decades. Chunkey Pandey reprises his role as Aakhri Pasta and gets on our nerves with his acting. Review by Arnab Banerjee on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Writer-director duo Sajid-Farhad have scant regard for any post-mortem of their films, and would like us to believe that anything — and I mean just “anything” — they dish out in the name of entertainment, will be consumed by us. In the third instalment of Housefull 3, a franchise taken from Sajid Khan, their undemanding content borders on not just the ludicrous, but on things offensively unpalatable too. Hence, they have bawdy jokes, unfunny gags, dull, humourless one-liners — all getting passed off for comedy, that too as they struggle to include jokes on racism and the differently-abled. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: At the end of 2 hours and 14 minutes when the lights came back on, I figured Housefull 3 was tiring but not infuriating like other similar comedies, including the previous installments in the same franchise. If that’s good enough for you to invest precious time and money, then hey, who am I to stop you? Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Sajid Khan would’ve done a better job — said no one ever. But given that he helmed the first two in the franchise — which essentially relied on retardedness — this would’ve been the glove that Khan was born to fist. The replacements — a certain director duo called Sajid-Farhad, do what any substitute would — play up the format’s signature sequences, marginalise Chunky Pandey and hope for a miracle. But they only go on to prove that if laughter is the best medicine, this film will make you beg for euthanasia. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The actors, except for Jackie Shroff, indulge in buffoonery to the hilt. They all are loud, over-the-top characters who go overboard with their exhibition and that’s because their characters demands them to do so. Akshay Kumar exhibits his physical prowess with his over-energetic performance of a dual personality and a cripple bound to a wheelchair, he is dynamic and is aptly supported by equally talented co-stars; Riteish Deshmukh whose tongue often slips and Abhishek Bachchan who often breaks into a crass rap. The trio have excellent onscreen “buddy” chemistry, with perfect comic timing. Though the actresses have nothing much to offer in terms of histrionics, they are equally charming. Chunky Pandey as the restaurateur Akhri Pasta with his recycled line, “I am joooking” is staid and stereotyped. Housefull 3 Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Housefull 3’ is a moderate entertainer which will be loved by everyone who loved the initial parts. The movie could have been a full entertainer if only there were more comical moments and a good story line attached to it. For all those who loves intelligent type of films, kindly stay away from this movie as it might be injurious to your health. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: You stop caring because you watch the heroes, otherwise funny, begin breaking chairs over each other’s backs. It’s not even as funny as Tom & Jerry. And the heroines look at the antics of the heroes and ask each other, ‘Why do we love these losers?’ You’re sitting in the audience, and too numb to slow clap. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: The two main types of humor that Housefull 3 banks on are the forwarded variety or the kind that are with the intention of being insensitive. There is a third type in the form of performances, but of the lot only Akshay Kumar puts in all his energy. While it still didn’t make me laugh, he was doing a lot more than just contorting his face. Of course, he was the only one who had a character with scope for doing more. Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh don’t really have much to make their characters look or feel different from each other. Boman Irani too is the typical loud character you would find in every slapstick. Similarly, the ladies Jacqueline Fernandez, Lisa Haydon and Nargis Fakhri play the regular props who are supposed to make us differentiate between cultured and uncultured women by their attire. Oh well.   Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Dear Dad – 2.7 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Traffic – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Buddha In A Traffic Jam – 1.9 stars One Night Stand – 1.9 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars 1920 London – 1.3 stars

The Housefull franchise is known for being a crowd pleaser with no apparent regard for the intelligence of the audience...

Theatrical trailers are undoubtedly the biggest responsible factor for any movie’s box office opening. It’s the sole criteria for watching a movie within its first weekend for the majority of theatre going public. Since the first weekend business holds utmost importance in recovering the huge investments, theatrical trailer of a film featuring a megastar is nothing less than an event in itself.

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Phobia’ Review – 3.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Phobia Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Director Pawan Kirpalani smartly weaves a thrilling story. Every scene has a deeper meaning and relevance. The screenplay stays true to the context. Nothing is out of the place. There are several scenes which are disturbing but then there are a few scenes which end up as humorous in spite of the thrilling built up (it isn’t unintentional, it is part of the plan). Radhika Apte is sensational as the helpless Mehak who grapples with her phobia as well as her vacuous loneliness. She’s fierce, vicious, vulnerable, aggressor and a victim at the same time. The best part is that her histrionics are devoid of the pathetic horror tricks that a few of our horror experts employ on a regular basis. The physicality of Apte’s acting is emanating from a psychological space and it is very creditable. Satyadeep Mishra is terrific as the guy who’s grappling between being a friend and a lover. He’s very realistic and human. Yashaswini as the young college going inquisitive but good hearted girl is an absolute Natural. She adds to the conflict beautifully. Ankur Vikal as the weird Manu does full justice to his role. Phobia Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Phobia wouldn’t be half the film it is without the mercurial Radhika Apte. Watching her on the screen as emotions flash across her visage is an unalloyed delight. For the most part, the film is hers alone, and the camera revels in capturing the character’s innermost feelings on her malleable face and expressive eyes. It is like being witness to a solo pantomime act in which a world of sensations is conveyed without a word being uttered. Phobia is a canny flick that places known genre conventions in fresh light, the kind that bestows new life on them. Watch this film for the many surprises it springs and, of course, for Radhika Apte in full flow. Phobia Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Phobia had the potential of being one of those rare Bollywood psychological thriller’s that you can proudly recommend to your friends. A genuinely claustrophobic first half and Radhika Apte’s fantastic performance were its aces. However the limp second half only demotes its status to a decent thriller. Phobia Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: Watching a horror film that has no chudail, no exorcist, no graveyards and no ugly make-up is almost like a breath of fresh air. Finally some can scare people without using the quintessential paranormal props. Director Pawan Kripalani does a fine job of weaving the story of a woman who is overpowered by her phobia. The credit here truly goes to Radhika Apte. She makes you buy into her world of eerie laughter, black cats, a cut finger amidst ice cubes and the story of a dead woman who had lived in her house before and had mysteriously gone absconding. Her agony and her helplessness look palpable as she takes us through her disturbing world. Phobia Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: The first half of the film is engaging, terrifying and exciting, all at the same time. The camera work, too, is very sharp. There are quite a few scenes which will scare the hell out of you. The one right before the interval will certainly send shivers down your spine. Kripalani explores the theme of agoraphobia very well. Kudos to him for trying a new concept. I was super impressed with the first half and expected a thrilling ride in the second half as well. However, the film stretched a bit post interval. Also, I was wanted Phobia to end on a high but that didn’t happen. The story got a bit predictable and the whole build-up to the climax just didn’t hit me hard. Having said that, Phobia is undeniably a well-made thriller worth watching only in theatres. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Sigh. It’s practically a horror film, so you let logic stay out of the theater. The reveal is good fun and even though you figured it out ages ago, you nod your head in agreement when people around you say, ‘End was good, haan!’ Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Kripalani, who had helmed the scary ‘Ragini MMS’, delivers a smart, intelligent spook-fest which keeps us on the edge. His leading lady knows exactly what to do : Radhika Apte doesn’t put a foot wrong as she goes about scaling it up gradually– being alarmed, scared, petrified, and outright panicked-with-blind-terror. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Despite the element of horror, director Pavan Kriplani manages to keep the supernatural, religious drama at bay and opts for a psychological mayhem that makes for an impressive viewing experience. The film has all the elements of a racy thriller — surprise, fear, mystery and shock. What it doesn’t have is the background music and actors preparing you for a surprise. In Phobia, the unexpected does happen. Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: In Radhika Apte, the makers couldn’t have asked for a better actress to take on the responsibility of ensuring that the audiences are hooked to Mahek’s journey and fate. There are wordless scenes in which Apte demonstrates a range of expressions – her extensive background in dance comes in handy here – to suggest the dread of the unknown. Almost without make-up, Apte surrenders herself to play the part of a woman inching closer to a colossal meltdown. Her heavy breathing, her big, wide and alert eyes, her tentative, trembling walk, all contribute in making Phobia a fright fest. Karan Gour’s background score does a commendable job of heightening the tension. The makers tie the loose ends together albeit with a few contrived events and a few question lurking. Nonetheless with Phobia Kripalani succeeds in his mission to keep the audiences engaged and also constantly thinking. Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham Rating: Apte, the girl makes Mehak her own. Body language, petrified eyes, emotions… she packs a punch in her delivery. The fright scenes are aplenty and genuinely scary but director Pawan Kripalani, who stitched together Ragini MMS wonderfully with back scenes, fails to recreate that seamless flow of events when he wants to take us to the past within the present. The horror (petrifying at times) is overdone. That is where PHOBIA fails and leaves a lot of questions in one’s mind. For lovers of the horror genre, however, PHOBIA will be a terrific watch. Phobia Review by Indiaglitz Rating: There are few repetitive moments in the middle of the film which could have been avoided. Also, Radhika’s visuals in the virtual tour were not justified. The second half might sound highly confusing for people who are not familiar with this genre. The masses too might find the film claustrophobia and not like such type of film which is set inside one apartment with minimal characters. On an overall basis ‘Phobia’ is full of twist and chills than the best horror film from our country ever had. It’s a skillful film with thrilling experience and will be loved by everyone who loves experimental films, as for all others who love masala entertainers, this is not your cup of tea. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film’s ‘chill factor’ rests on the shoulders of Radhika Apte, who’s expressions are flawless and tends to leave the audience wide-eyed and in awe of her performance. Her act in the climax which leads to a bloodbath shakes you to the bone. Her no make up look is just perfect and is close to the reality. Satyadeep Mishra has done a fabulous job as a friend cum admirer in the film. The pain he feels for Radhika’s character is believable. Supporting cast Nivedita Bhattacharya, Yashaswini Damaya and Ankur Vikal, have all done justice to their respective roles. Pavan Kripalani’s ‘Phobia’ is a good pick this week unless such psycho thrillers are not your cup of tea. Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: Pawan Kripalani, who’s earlier scared us with ‘Ragini MMS’, keeps the narration tight, thus making our hearts stay in our mouth throughout the 100-odd minutes of the film. The best thing about this film is that it doesn’t follow the trusted and safe route of horror films and gets pleasantly unpredictable at the end. Another huge plus point is its cast. Radhika doesn’t miss a single step as she gives an amazingly convincing performance of being someone who’s suffering from a terrible trauma, without going overboard even for a moment. Review by Harshada Rege on DNA India Rating: The first half is brilliant and will have you on the edge of your seat. Radhika Apte makes Mehak’s eccentric behaviour believable. She is in top form here. A large part of the movie has her interacting with the camera while reacting to the happenings around her with no help for any co-stars, a feat which she manages with much ease. Whether it’s her fight to throw out garbage or using multiplication tables to see her through difficult situations, she gets the rhythm of the character just right. Director Pavan Kriplani brings in an element of horror to the movie to draw in the audience and that’s what works for the film. The director throws in mentions of a childhood accident which makes you wonder if that too could be a cause of Mehak’s behaviour. Satyadeep, Yashaswani Dayama and Ankur Vikal make for a great supporting cast. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director Pawan Kripalani manages to tightly pack in the thrills, with careful consideration of timing and audio-visual technique. While he’s largely conservative and predictable in the execution of jolts, there are two which will surely catch you off-guard. It would be a spoiler to define the genre of the film as it would give away much of the plot. And the thrills you take away from the film are directly proportional to how wild your imagination is. But following this watch, and if you’re the kind to sleep with one eye open, ensure you grip your pillow tight, especially when you exit light. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Phobia constantly veers the narration into slippery grounds, not to confuse or mislead but to imbue an aura of intangible anxiety in the viewer. Director Kripalani uses contextual terror rather than generating fear accessoried sources.For years we’ve wondered why the horror genre in Hollywood has not broken free of its amateurishness. Wonder no more. Take a trip of bonafide terror and witness the birth of a new psychological disorder. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Pavan deserves a pat on his back for coming up with a spine-chilling thriller, which doesn’t need haunted mansions or creaking doors to scare you. The entire plot is set inside an apartment and though it will bring to mind other such films like Kaun and Paranormal Activity, Phobia is in a league of its own. The editing is super crisp and at no point in time will you be tempted to take a popcorn break. The thrill factor in the film is super and Pavan has done a great job of escalating the tension and making it a part of every scene. The beauty of this film is that at times, you conclude that it’s a psychological thriller and in the next scene, you are convinced that it is a horror thriller. Pavan effectively keeps you on your toes and unnerves you with the ample twists and turns. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: I’ll hold off giving away any more about the film except to say that it rests completely on the shoulders of its leading lady, and that Radhika Apte is in top form. Alternately fragile and fierce, she chews into the part, at once embracing Mehak’s contradictions and humanizing her complexities. It’s a nicely nuanced performance and Apte makes it look urgent and spontaneous. I found myself chuckling at the end of the film, which is not usually the response one tends to have to a thriller. But Phobia is no standard thriller. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: Of course, Phobia could have been miserable to sit through (in the wrong way) if it were not for Radhika Apte. One of the main things that get annoying for me in this genre are wide-eyed fear. Radhika Apte’s eyes work here, though. They go with the rest of her completely freaked out body language. So over-powering is her performance and screen presence that the rest of the main cast is completely over-shadowed despite good acts. The side characters are caricaturish and try to add a quirk to the film that goes against the film. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Dear Dad – 2.7 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Traffic – 2.6 stars Sarbjit – 2.5 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Buddha In A Traffic Jam – 1.9 stars One Night Stand – 1.9 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars 1920 London – 1.3 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Waiting’ Review – 3.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Waiting Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Waiting is elevated several notches by the two central performances. Naseeruddin Shah, effortless and characteristically effective, is an epitome of Zen master-like poise. He moves from sorrow to hope and from anger to cheerfulness with minimum visible effort, which, of course, is par for the course for the seasoned actor. Kalki Koechlin, in the garb of a far more temperamental figure, provides the ideal foil, adding immensely to the emotional depth of the tale and heightening the conflict between two unlike poles. The cameos by Rajat Kapoor, Suhasini Maniratnam, Arjun Mathur and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee are no less impactful. One supporting actor who stands out is Rajeev Ravindranathan as Girish, the simple-minded but helpful guy from the Kochi office of the female protagonist’s husband. It’s an intelligently written role and the actor does full justice to it. Kudos are also due to director Anu Menon for creating an authentic Kochi milieu with the aid of minor characters who nail the local accent without turning into caricatures. Waiting is beautiful and believable, a well-chiselled marvel that is watchable all the way. Waiting Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Packaged with Naseeruddin as the adorable old man struggling to understand a younger generation and Kalki as the charming young, energetic woman, Waiting is a delight. Powerful performances and a realistic approach make this a film you’d want to watch. Waiting Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: It is commendable that director Anu Menon has whipped up a warm tale about love, loss and surviving life’s catastrophic blows, with such simplicity. Her lead characters – Shiv and Tara – have nothing in common. Menon plays on their generation gap to offer some genuine smiles. He can’t utter the ‘F’ word. She is brash but awkwardly loving. His coping device is faith; hers is shopping. And yet, the two bond over the vital stats of their spouses. Waiting Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: I thoroughly enjoyed the film, but there are a few special scenes that shines bright in this gloomy tale. The argument of Shiv and Tara towards the intermission is so natural and relatable. When Kalki chants “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” (a Buddhist chant) holding Rajat’s hands just shakes you to your core. Flashes of Tara and Rajat’s intimate moments are so adorable that it gives you a peek into the life of a newly married couple. ‘Waiting’ is a refreshing subject that is engaging enough right up till its open ended climax. Director Anu Menon’s 100 minute feature presentation is rich in its luminous performances and subtle vision to a sensitive issue. Anu Menon, who made her directorial debut with Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari starrer ‘London Paris New York’, is surely back with her unconventional way of handling a subject. She has marked her came back after a 4 year break with this heart touching film. Waiting Review by Moumita bhattacharjee on Bollywood Life Rating: Unfortunately, the scenes you see in the trailer are the only highs of this film. It lacks drama or touch of sentiments. It’s a witty way of tackling grief but you will hardly feel the sorrow. The screenplay is so flat that it becomes tedious to watch after sometime. The humour also becomes repetitive after a few instances and emotions lack depth. Apart from a few scenes which are far and in between, the film struggles to hold your attention. Naseeruddin Shah’s confession to his comatose wife about him straying at one instance made no sense or Kalki’s outburst when she feels, for her friend she isn’t the topmost priority. The friend is married with a kid, what did you expect? What to do? Waiting deserves to be seen only for the stellar performances by Shah and Kalki. Rest is forgettable Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: A couple of the supporting acts are solid. As the good friend who arrives to hold Kalki’s anguished hand, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee stands out, as does Rajiv Rajendranath as the sincere, helpful colleague of the injured husband. Kalki is a persuasive performer, making us watch, even if she comes off abrupt and forced in bits but that’s more to do with the way the part has been written. That’s something we can say for the plotting overall, which feels simultaneously underdeveloped and overwritten. Naseer comes off best, and that figures because he has the most life experience. He brings a quiet dignity and heart-breaking resilience to a man who has walked alongside his companion – theirs has been a marriage of companionship and abiding affection– for a long time, and who doesn’t want to let her go. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The two characters are so different to each other, their interaction teaches us so much about ourselves. The supporting cast – the irritatingly ‘stay positive’ girlfriend, the concerned office colleague who cares but is socially awkward, the doctor who seems very detached from his patients, the neighbor who sends food, family members who don’t understand – are all so wonderful you nod your head in the darkness of the theater when you watch them on screen. You know people who are exactly that. You understand the frustration of the lead character Kalki who says, ‘I have thousands of followers on Twitter and hundreds of friends on Facebook, but I am here alone.’ This may not earn hundreds of crores on the box office. But it charms you with its quiet elegance. Waiting Review by Indiaglitz Rating: These scenes are highlight of the first half which is engaging as well as entertaining. Sadly, in comparison to the first half, the second half drags with unwanted and repetitive scenes. The story narration slows down and has very less to offer. The open ending climax leaves you with bad taste in mouth. The usage of foul language fails to gel with the film. The bonding between Naseeruddin and Kalki loses its charm in the finale portions of the film. ‘Waiting’ is lengthy due to its slow narration, but at the same time is quite refreshing in terms of performances and the theme of the film. The movie had all the possibilities to end up as one fine cinema, but settles down to being a fair attempt. Review by Shubha Shetty Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: what doesn’t work for the film is that the story keeps itself restricted to the two lead characters and their issues. As most of us, who have been there and done that, are aware, a waiting room is where million traumatic tales and stories of hope unfold. Those stories in the periphery would have given a lot of depth to the central story. Unfortunately, Menon, the writer-director and other writers makes it too sanitised and elitist, thus depriving it of the depth that it could have achieved. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Director Anu Menon has done a great job of keeping the film away from the trappings of commercialism and has focused on making a genuine and warm story, which touches your heart. The film has no item songs, no action scenes and no larger-than-life dialogues and yet it has the potential to keep you glued to your seat without provoking a glance at your wrist-watch. Though the film might bring to mind Lost In Translation, Waiting is in a league of its own for sure. Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham Rating: The dialogues that stitch the film together are the soul of the film apart from the very realistic portrayal of their respective characters played by Shah and Koelchin. Both are terrific, nay, they gob-smack you with their handling of emotions which oscillates from the sane to insane! Their losing sanity for a brief moment, then getting clinical, to wondering where life has got them to and their dealing with the situation leaves you wide-eyed with amazement in the manner with which they sync to the plot. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director Anu Menon has the tenacity of a Sofia Coppola to produce frames where not much happens but one is unable to look away. You’re even drawn to the micro gestures: a flicker of an eyelid as a tear drop leaves a trail down the face or even a hand sliding over another. Naseeruddin Shah, who has admitted on occasion, that if he has done films like Tridev or more recently, a Welcome Back or Teraa Surroor, the motivation comes in the form of a cheque. But here, a lot more drives his character. Naseer’s Shiv is relentless, resolute and refreshingly irreverent. But this film belongs to Kalki, who impresses by managing to wordlessly convey her character’s state of mind in every scene. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Though outwardly the grim tale is swathed in somberness, miraculously Ms. Menon bathes the two main characters’ irredeemably depressing predicament in a dip of sunshine. A lot of the positivity that the film exudes has to do with the two principal performances. Kalki, with her rebellious mood swings and defiant attitude to destiny, makes the traumatized young wife’s role so vivid and vibrant, you just want to hug her and calm her down. Provided she doesn’t sock you in the crotch for stepping the line. And what better antidote to hysteria than Naseeruddin Shah? Sagacious and so gracious in his suffering he brings to his role of the bereaved husband the kind of intrinsic tranquility that only the wisest possess. There are also some very interesting peripheral characters and performances. Ratnabali Bhattacharjee as Kalki’s best friend who is caring and concerned but has her own life to live. Rajat Kapoor as a pragmatic, sometimes-ruthless doctor is excellent, though you do wonder if there are more doctors in the vast hospital. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Director Anu Menon’s Waiting, a tender tale of love and letting go, recognizes this largely neglected sentiment and builds its premise around two strangers bonded by despair. Review by Harshada Rege on DNA India Rating: The second half of the movie is rather long with the narrative becoming slightly stagnant. The writing wears thin in parts here. The movie does require you to be patient, but it’s a rewarding experience. Watch this sensitive tale for Naseer and Kalki’s brilliant performances. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Yet Waiting feels longer than its roughly 90 minutes running time. Good thing we’re in the hands of such exceptional actors, you’re willing to stay with them even when the script stops being interesting. Naseer brings a whole lifetime of experience to his performance. He’s real, and in-the-moment, and doesn’t miss a beat. Your heart goes out to this man who’s unable to pull the plug on the companion he’s spent the best years of his life with. Kalki, meanwhile, succeeds in endearing you to Tara despite her brash nature. Aside from a few clunky bits – which has more to do with the uneven shifting between English and Hindi – she gets the part just right, and makes the character’s journey in the film entirely credible. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: Both lead actors are wonderful though, their chemistry feels very real. They are one of the main reasons, the film took me out of ‘review’ mode and made me forget I was watching a film. That and the soft tone, the smooth texture of the film. Unfortunately, some of the other elements reminded me back into the film world. like Tara’s husband’s colleague, Girish seemed like a caricature or Tara and Shiv’s decisions didn’t seem to flow with the pace of the film. These are little things that take away from Waiting. They make a film that I loved watching while I was watching it not keeping with me for too long after. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Dear Dad – 2.7 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Traffic – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Buddha In A Traffic Jam – 1.9 stars One Night Stand – 1.9 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars 1920 London – 1.3 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Veerappan’ Review – 2.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Veerappan Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Ram Gopal Varma, whose last Hindi/ Bollywood film at the box-office was the forgettable SATYA 2, makes a grand comeback with VEERAPPAN. One has to give it to him for having the confidence and the conviction in an off-beat subject like the life story of Veerappan. Unlike his earlier films, Ram Gopal Varma has adopted a rather guerrilla method in the narration of VEERAPPAN. Ram Gopal Varma should also be applauded for convincingly extracting human emotions from his characters, without going over the top. The film script (R.D. Tailang), is convincing and believable. Both, the script and Ram Gopal Varma’s direction complement each other. While the first half of the film builds up the story and the pace, the film’s second half dips slightly. Even though the film cannot be termed as a ‘visual masterpiece’, still, one does get to witness a handful of scenes that have been shot superlatively. The film has the most fitting climax, by all means. Full brownie points to Ram Gopal Varma for having flawlessly shot the scenes like Veerappan’s hideouts and the scenes towards the interval point. The climax of the film is as much fantastic and enjoyable, as much as the ultimate elimination scene of Veerappan. Veerappan Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Since everything about Veerappan made headlines in his lifetime, the story has no surprises. Also the docu-feature style narrative doesn’t have too many edge-of-the seat thrills. But if you are keen and curious, to see the life and times of one of the most dreaded criminals, who twirled his moustache and brandished his gun with equal finesse, Varma provides you that vicarious pleasure. Veerappan Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: The disappointment grows when the script fails to produce any grip over the characters. Nobody other than Bhardwaj looks serious about the film. Thanks to his make-up artist, he reminds the viewer of the dreaded man from the beginning, but he has a gang that looks absolutely out of sync. Veerappan Review by Asira Tarannum on Deccan Chronicle Rating: RGV has told it taut, specially in the second half that is all about Operation Killing Veerappan. Sandeep’s tranformation as Veerappan is commendable — from his looks to his dialect. Here’s an actor waiting to be explored. Usha too plays it easy. Sachiin was a delight and perhaps this is his best performance so far. Veerappan Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As for the direction, Varma shows that he still knows a thing or two about camera angles and eerie background music to highlight his scenes. But unfortunately, the director fails to come up with a gripping thriller, which we all were expecting. The amateurish acting and the weak dialogues, not to mention the loose screenplay, ensures a boring cinematic experience. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The film is somewhat tolerable only as long as Sandeep Bharadwaj is on the screen in the guise of Veerappan. He inhabits the larger-than-life character with impressive flair. In comparison to his animated presence, Sachiin Joshi resembles an automaton gurgling out his lines like a lifeless machine running on empty. Lisa Ray, playing a policeman’s widow who willingly becomes a part of the operation against Veerappan, sticks out like a sore thumb in more ways than one. The dialogue delivery – her voice is clearly dubbed – is abysmal. In contrast, Usha Jadhav lends dignity to the character of Muthulakshmi, the woman caught in the crossfire between the police force and her husband. She brings out the tussle in her mind between doubt and trust in all its complexity. But somehow the nuances that she informs her character with are lost in a film that does not go beyond the visceral. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: ‘Veerappan’ , based on his own Kannada ‘Killing Veerappan’, never becomes that film. Bhardwaj is to be seen wreathed in a perpetual snarl, hacking away at human limbs and shooting luckless elephants. The other three who split the rest of the screen time are Joshi, playing the mastermind behind Veerappan’s capture , a slain-by-Veerappan officer’s widow ( Ray, unintentionally hilarious) and the outlaw’s wife ( Jadhav, far too sympathetic), and they are made to scurry around to little impact. The dizzying camera angles which have marred so many of RGV’s recent outings may have mercifully gone missing but the ear-shattering background music is right there. It is enough to make you want to flee into the forests, even at the risk of running into Veerappan. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Veerappan may be a let down if everyone expected this to be on lines with Band Queen or Pan Singh Tomar. However, there is a still a reason to smile here as we get to see the signs of RGV’s lost brilliance. If it was not for the lifeless performances from most of the cast and the silly BG score, this would have been a better film. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Veerappan feels like a 2-hour-30-minute long, badly-rehearsed children’s play. Sachiin Joshi sings a lullaby even while outlining an operation; his way of talking can put even the most active of people to sleep. Lisa Ray lip-stracts you badly. Her acting seems strangely forced. Her camaraderie with Usha Jadhav’s Muthulakshmi sticks out like a sore finger. Ram Gopal Varma feels the need to hold the viewer by the neck and make him/her realise that Priya and Muthulakshmi’s friendship is all pretence. Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: Varma attempts to narrate an engaging story, but the narration gets drowned by relentless ear splitting background music. Lisa Ray plays a spy who befriends Veerappan’s wife Mutthulakshmi (Usha Jadhav) and passes on some vital information to the cops. Lisa Ray, who’s obviously limited by her acting talent, looks more like she belongs to one of Ramu’s horror movies than this one. Sachiin Joshi makes an attempt to look and act the role he plays, but then the attempt shows more than the talent. Sandeep Bharadwaj as Veerappan and Jadhav as Mutthulakshmi are perfectly cast and they both do a convincing job of it. Even then this could have been an engaging watch, if not spoiled by that constant assault on one’s eardrums. Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham Rating: What really gets to you is the background score that goes boom, boom, boom, every time there is an action scene in the jungle, some jungle scenes, or scenes where not much is happening. RGV tries to hit out at you, any which way. Veerappan Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Veerappan’ is mildly menacing instead of an out and out menacing film. The movie had all the potential to become a hard-hitting cult drama if only the screenplay would have been a bit tight and had some better actors to perform. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Sandeep Bharadwaj essays Veerappan’s character with sluggish ease. It is amusing to watch him with his handle-bar moustache literally dress up and emulate Veerappan. But unfortunately, not much emphasise is given to him, as an actor. With unflinching gaze, Sachiin Joshi plays the tough police officer from whose point of view the story is narrated. Except for flexing his muscles, he has nothing much to emote. Usha Jadhav as Veerappan’s wife Muthulaxmi is convincing. You empathise with her when she tells her landlady, Shreeya, “woh waisa aadmi nahin hai jaise police and press kehte hain.” Of the rest of the cast, Lisa Ray as Shreeya is a misfit, Nassir as the Police Commissioner is perfunctory. He just seems to be an extension of the character he plays on Television. Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: This, then, is not a film worth recommending. And yet there are some images that stay with me — like the aforementioned one of the dacoit as a cop, and one featuring, alongside the men, female cops in red and yellow sarees, gamely wading through water and firing at the outlaws — which convince me that Varma isn’t sleepwalking through the project. Also, as Hindi films go, it’s surprisingly no-nonsense for the most part, save for Joshii. It knows what it wants to do and while it can’t quite pull it off, it certainly kidnaps our attention for a while. It may well be a misfire, but Veerappan shows that at least RGV has his eyes open while squeezing the trigger. The dacoit is still at large. Review by Bryan Durham on DNA India Rating: The return of RGV to Bollywood’s consciousness. He’s not completely in his usual element here, but there are flashes of his brilliance here, and these, sadly, are few and far between. As Veerappan, Bhardwaj inhabits the character, truly bringing him to life, with more menace than one could’ve imagined. And while you might argue the point of leading with Voltaire’s ‘Society gets the criminal it deserves’, you have to agree that the spot-on casting of Bhardwaj as Veerappan truly deserved a better film. And a much, much better background score. And far better supporting actors (the lesser said about them, the better). And a story told about the criminal in the title. Sadly, that isn’t to be found here, with the nameless cop (played by Joshi) getting more screen time than Veerappan. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: The body count piles up during the film’s two hours running time, but the brutal killings are not for the fainthearted. There are some skillfully executed shootout scenes like one in which the authorities close in on Veerappan’s gang while they’re making their way through a waterfall. But these are small pleasures in a largely disappointing film that never goes beyond the obvious. Varma takes frequent liberties with the truth in this remake of his own Kannada film Killing Veerappan, but what you leave the cinema with at the end are shattered eardrums from the incessant background music. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Sandeep Bharadwaj in the eponymous role evokes very little terror, but seems convincing in his dialogue delivery and getup. Sachiin Joshi has worked on his performance and has come a long way, if you’ve followed his filmography. The film has an eclectic mix of character actors, each with a peculiar choice of accessory or handicap. It’s upsetting that Ram Gopal Varma fans have to put up with this. Even the very few and far between visual flourishes are merely reminders of an auteur that was. Review by Sonia Chopra on Sify Rating: The ending could have been far better. It’s a bit comical to see some of our central characters sitting out and having a nice tea picnic while something so significant is happening. Still, the film is mostly gripping, sensational and involving. Veerappan’s story with his spectacular rise and fall was a big one. The film does it justice. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The man who plays Veerappan, though, looks like he was born to the part. Creepy and cruel, he manages to make you cringe initially with his violence. But the story is so tedious, you really don’t care if the cops win or the dacoits. A shining beacon of relief is Usha Jadhav who plays Muthulaxmi, Veerappan’s wife. But she cannot carry the flag alone, can she? A couple of aerial shots in the ravines and by the waterfalls make you wonder if there was something there. But the movie is mostly stupid overacting by supposedly evil characters like Arun who make you wish he actually snaps his neck while giving in to his kink. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: For one, whenever you could be a part of the plot, you are distanced. Discussions between characters are muted under loud music. You are left looking at characters animatedly moving their lips at each other with over-enthusiastic expressions. This doesn’t happen just once or twice, but is a regular feature. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Dear Dad – 2.7 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Traffic – 2.6 stars Sarbjit – 2.5 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Buddha In A Traffic Jam – 1.9 stars One Night Stand – 1.9 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars 1920 London – 1.3 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

Mixed reviews for Sarbjit from critics. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Sarbjit’ Review – 2.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Sarbjit Review by Indicine Rating: Omung Kumar who got away with bizarre story and casting decisions in Mary Kom repeats his mistakes. He is unable to focus on a part of Sarbjit’s or Dalbir’s story and instead makes it a saga with too many high pitched melodramatic scenes. Sarbjit could have done with deft handling of the emotional scenes and subtlety would have been the way to go for such an emotionally disparaging story. Even though there’s a lot of material to sift through, the movie jogs along and is plagued by too many slow scenes. Sarbjit is made a lot better by the cinematography showcased in the movie. There’s a lot of maturity in the way the film has been shot. The detailing is also upto the mark, but the editing lags behind with many scenes going on for far too long. The music of Sarbjit is decent with no chart toppers. Sarbjit Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Utkarshini Vashishtha and Rajesh Beri have carefully pieced together a story smeared with blood, tears and sweat. The dialogues are hard hitting and the fact that Punjabi is frequently spoken is never a hindrance in communication for the Hindi speaking audience. Omung Kumar is obviously passionately involved with the cause of prisoners on both sides of the border and at the end makes an impassioned appeal that politics shouldn’t be played when innocent lives are involved. He doesn’t hold anything back and tells the story the way it ought to have been told. The torture sequences and Sarbjit’s state in the jail can be disturbing to watch but Kumar couldn’t have sugar coated the reality and he ensures that the audience will watch the hard facts so that hopefully the gruesome atrocities will never be repeated on either sides of the border. Sarbjit Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The script seems more intent on giving the heroine a platform to holler and hector her way though than on crafting a balanced narrative that tracks the impact of Sarabjit’s disappearance on the family as a whole. Randeep Hooda is an exceptionally gifted actor and has clearly put in a lot of effort to get into the skin of the character. But he is let down by the creative choices that the writer (Utkarshini Vashishth) and the director make on his behalf. Richa Chadha chews up everything in the frame every time she is allowed some elbow room. Unfortunately, she has only two and a half scenes at best in which to display her wares. It is obvious that the strategy is to not let her upstage the ‘bigger’ star. With the star not shining all that bright and the actors in the mix not allowed to play the game their way, Sarbjit is a well-meaning outing that fails to do justice to its subject. Watch it only if you are an Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan fan no matter what. Sarbjit Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: However Randeep Hooda is nimble footed here. His deterioration in the Pakistani jail is shockingly brutal and well acted. The violence is gritty and real. The scenes that have been orchestrated to underline the closeness between the siblings touch a raw nerve. Actress Richa Chadda is splendid in her limited role as the eternally hopeful wife. She acts with her eyes and keeps it subtle. Her arms — unlike Bachchan’s — don’t flay belligerently to convey her despair. Perhaps, you can never take the Miss World out of the former beauty queen. Another downside to Sarbjit is that Kumar tries to infuse a few trademark Bollywood sentiments into the drama. A wedding that has been designed to showcase Rai’s graceful dance moves and scenes that highlight the sturdy bond of Indian families don’t add much to the issue at hand: Justice, that was allegedly, delayed and denied. Sarbjit Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: Randeep Hooda is in his best form. After Laal Rang, he packs in another powerful performance. He plays the character, his dialogue delivery, his body language, the change in his character are enacted so well that you feel his agony. There is a scene in the second half where he breaks down. It’s quite a tearjerker. Aishwarya-purple-lipstick-Rai-Bachchan is a bit too screechy in the film. She has got the Punjabi accent well, but doesn’t quite own the struggle of Dalbir. The story is sad. The treatment is bad. It is long and loopy and manipulative but it hurts more because it is based on a true story. Sarbjit Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Sarbjit should have been the film that could have brought out issues of human rights being oppressed in favour of political games, but what it turns out to be is a nearly three hours of inconsistent and flawed storytelling. Watch the film purely for the performances, especially Randeep’s and the core plot! Review by Charu Thakur on India Today Rating: Of the cast, Randeep Hooda stands out as he demonstrates the emotional toll of the physical abuse and solitary confinement Sarabjit endured, making audiences empathise for the man who obtained freedom only with death. He also does a credible job with his Punjabi delivery. Chadha’s job here is to look mopey and faint whenever the need be, which is throughout the film barring a few songs. There’s just one scene to showcase the wife’s point of view in this sister-dominated act and she does well. Aishwarya Rai wails and shouts a lot and has another struggle – with the Punjabi accent. But she does shine in rare, few moments of silence. Darshan Kumar steps late in second half to play the sole good Pakistani soul in lawyer Awais Sheikh who fights for Sarabjit and is attacked by his own countrymen. Review by Shubha Shetty Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: So, it is largely thanks to a memorable performance by Randeep (who went through a remarkable transformation for the role) that your heart goes out and you might even end up shedding a few tears for the man who lives on the faint hope of being free and reunite with his family in the face of constant torture and surviving in inhuman conditions. With a story so touching and a performance this brilliant, the director had half his battle won. He has more or less managed to pull it off too, but it definitely could have been better if there was more emotional depth and steadfast sincerity towards the plot, instead of taking it through the usual filmi melodramatic route once in a while. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has a meaty role as she plays the immensely admirable character of Dalbir Kaur, who chose to spend almost her entire life fighting for her beloved brother’s right to be free, instead of wallowing in self pity. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Omung Kumar certainly had his heart in the right place when he made Sarbjit and one can see that a lot of emotions have been put in the story. But there are places where the film tends to go a bit overboard in the melodrama department and there is way too much ‘rona dhona’. There is a fine line between emotions and melodrama and the film tiptoes across the line at times, which might prove to be a dampener. The story of Sarbjit is quite tragic and maybe Omung felt that a certain melodrama is required to hammer the point home, but Kumar forgot that restraint can make a bigger and better impact in certain situations. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: One has seen torture in action movies and it doesn’t matter so much because you know that it is a chance for the hero to show off his muscles, and that he will escape and beat up the baddies. But the torture here is needlessly graphic and it adds to the melodrama of the film. One doesn’t want to use that word again and again for the film, but that’s the effect it has on the audience. If you watch the real life sister speak for the release of her brother (it is available on YouTube), you will find two and a half hours of the movie as just needless drama. The photographs during the end credits manage to bring an almost lump at the tragedy but it is too little too late. Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Kumar’s last film, Mary Kom, had no flow from scene to scene and played through like a Powerpoint presentation on the boxer, bolstered only by Priyanka Chopra’s performance. This time around, the director tries too hard to get things to flow, starting with much cross-cutting only to end up with a highly linear and disjointed narrative with ill-suited songs. There is earnestness, however — even in Rai’s performance — but this is not an effective or emotional film. It is, in fact, the 80s Doordarshan version of Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham Rating: SARBJIT is watchable only because of Randeep Hooda who goes right into the skin of the character. He is watchable and draws some amount of pity with the way he endures the torture. However, the same cannot be said of any of the other cast who are just there to make up the numbers on screen. SARBJIT on his own was not an intense subject. Government apathy and a focus on those languishing in jails without a cause should have been the focus. That would have made the film more meaningful. Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Overall, the film takes you on an emotional ride and makes you question a lot about the political crisis between two countries. It is up to the audience to judge whether Sarabjit was an Indian spy or an innocent farmer. However, his journey is something that must be experienced in the theaters. Review by Pallavi Patra on Zeenews Rating: The biopic will strike a chord for its genuine attempt to share a story not told on the celluloid before, coupled by stellar performances of its lead, particularly the man himself – Randeep Hooda. Once again, Randeep has proved what a gem of an actor he could be. Powered by good story telling and amazing performances, ‘Sarbjit’ is bound to sail ahead, anchored by its true spirit and commitment. Review by Sonia Chopra on Sify Rating: Director Omung Kumar picks up a real-life story yet again, after his debut film Mary Kom. Sarabjit is an ambitious story to pick for a second film, riddled as it is with undertones of Indo-Pak political tensions, human rights issues and the like. Kumar does a fair job, but the film bears the brunt of melodrama rearing its head in the form of flashbacks and over-the-top dialogue. And honestly, the director quoting himself at the end of the film is bizarre. As is usually the case, the last few minutes where the film shows us photographs of Sarabjit and Dalbir have a huge impact, much more than the film put together. In the end, you’re glad someone picked this subject and brought it on the big screen. This may not be very fulfilling as a film, but it should be watched for the extraordinary story full of unbelievable love and unbelievable cruelty. Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: The director is armed with a story that has very limited scope on screen. So there is an enhanced effort on making the screenplay interesting. Omung Kumar succeeds in creating an ensemble of dramatic scenes. In isolation, some of them would, therefore, seem effective. However, that’s just not good enough. The scene where Sarabjit’s family comes to meet him in the Pakistani prison is filled with emotion. Or even the one where his wife (Richa) is going through his belongings after his death. But sadly, a handful of scenes can’t make a film work. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: A real-life tale which is inherently so full of drama and heart-break has no need to be artificially revved up. But mainstream Bollywood doesn’t know any other way to do things. ‘Sarabjit’ should have been called ‘Dalbir’, because it is Aishwarya doing all the heavy-lifting, to distressing little impact. First off, she is all wrong for the part, her attempts at the rural Punjabi accent slipping up every so often. And then she goes full tilt at her lines, ratcheting up the volume, to such an extent that you want to tell her to hush. When she does, go silent that is—precisely for two and a half scenes– she is able to convey her pain and anguish so much better. If she had modulated her act, ‘Sarbjit’ would have been a better film. Sarbjit Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The story is hard-hitting and interesting. Every scene involving Randeep Hooda is brilliant, you simply cannot take your eyes away from him. Remove him from the film and you will find a huge vacuum in the film. The usage of political events is brilliant and gels perfectly with the flow of the film. The end credits with usage of real life pictures of Sarabjit and family leaves you with goose bumps. There are some great dialogues in the film, which should have been more instead of overdose of Punjabi dialogues. The cinematography is of top notch and does full justice to the theme of the film. Director Omung Kumar sets up a right base for such type of film and presents it well by adding stars and good production values. He highly succeeds in extracting some great performances by his actors but fails little bit in executing the film. Randeep Hooda is simply fantastic and the best thing to happen to this film. He makes the whole film believable. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is good in few scenes, especially the protesting ones. She looks beautiful in the initial part of the film followed by her strong screen presence in the finale portions. Richa Chadda lends good support. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: However, given the very real context of the plot, the movie is an almost fictitious, drum-beating melodramatic saga that suffers from an overly-worked-up lead actor. Applause is due for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who plays the struggling Dalbir. But, in the same breath, the 42-year-old actor doesn’t manage to bring alive the character. Her lip-twisting, chest-thumping and shouting does not help either. Instead, the melodrama alienates us from an otherwise evocative character. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: While you could blame a film’s missing connection on dialogue and performances, here it slips at the first step itself – the narrative. It doesn’t help then that the other aspects of the film are trying so hard that the effort is way too obvious. Be it the dialogue, the protagonist’s performance, the photography or the background score. Review by Srijana Mitra Das on The Times Of India Rating: Yet, the story deftly weaves in a larger backdrop, from Pokhran to Parliament, 26/11 to Kasab, the editing sharp, the visuals – blue-green skies, grim dark cells, Sukh’s red ‘lapstick’, Sarbjit’s blackened ankles – memorable. The direction depicts a human being and a human truth – individuals often face prisons of politics where the innocent can be shackled in darkness. Sarbjit breaks your heart – but in contrast to India-Pak fantasies like ‘Gadar’, it bears no blame. It makes you cherish your loved ones – and appreciate others too. Sarbjit makes a point. Humans come and go. Humanity survives. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director Omung Kumar’s ambitions of delivering biopics could be considered a safe bet, assuming it would at least interest those who care for cinema inspired by reality. But this vehicle derails at an insane clip and grates on one’s patience. The production in-charge takes his job very seriously. When a person’s effigy is being garlanded with footwear, every shoe and slipper snaking around the bust happens to be green in colour, only because this protest is being staged in Pakistan. This film could’ve been the surprise winner of the year, given the effort pulled in by Hooda and Chadha. But the camera’s obsession with Mrs Bachchan ensures that their compelling performances are restricted to the background. Purple lipped or not, this one is a miss. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: As for this being Ms Bachchan’s Mother India, I am not too sure if hyperbole is an option here. Sarbjit has immense poignancy at its heart. But the execution of the theme of a homesick dying man imprisoned in a hostile country often tends to lean dangerously close to populism. Sarbjit manages to keep its head above the water even while the proceedings frequently revel in crowd-wooing conventions like singing dancing and rabble-rousing rhetorics. For all its concessions to high drama and populism Sarbjit is a moving testimony to these troubled times when cross-border politics overpowers humanism. There is still hope. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Dear Dad – 2.7 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Traffic – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Buddha In A Traffic Jam – 2 stars One Night Stand – 1.9 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars 1920 London – 1.3 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

Production designer turned Director Omung Kumar started his directorial innings with a box office success after Mary...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dear Dad’ Review – 2.7 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dear Dad Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: It takes guts for the father of a teenaged boy to come out of the closet. And even more, to profess the truth to him. The kid, who fancies looking at adult magazines and has a crush on a girl from the neighbouring school, is shattered when he discovers why his parents are getting a divorce. Director Tanuj Bhramar whips up a charming story that effectively beats the stigma of homosexuality. He paints a poignant tale filled with warmth and some genuine sweet moments. Dear Dad Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: ‘Dear Dad’ makes a stab at it, and the intention is great : there’s a welcome beginning in Bollywood of examining family and relationships and the complications which arise from just something as simple as different people who are wired differently living together. But the execution is half-baked. Dear Dad Review by H Shivkumar on Bollywood Life Rating: Only a few things pull the film down just a bit. First is overall slow pace of the film which is more or less balanced by amazing cinematography. Another problem with Dear Dad is tries to be too realistic and towards the end it sort of loses track of itself. The story begins to lose direction a bit and rambles on. Finally, for such an emotional film, the makers could have taken more time to establish the characters for a much deeper connect with the audience. In the end, all are minor flaws which dents Dear Dad just a bit. Dear Dad Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: The pace of Dear Dad takes away whatever good the story and narrative do in the second half. The portions past interval are lethargic and heavy. Also with Kapoor and Sons dealing with a similar subject showed us that socially relevant subjects can be entertaining as well. While comparisons between these two films are unwarranted, Dear Dad fails to live up to the charm it set out to achieve. Also, the scenes between Arvind and Himanshu at times seem rehearsed and technical than natural and easy. Dear Dad Review by Asira Tarannum on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Director Tanuj Bhramar could have explored gay relationships deeper. But in this film, he is almost content to let it all rest with a son’s acceptance — if willy-nilly — of his father’s sexuality. It’s good to see Arvind Swamy come back after so many years with a different yet powerful role. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: The lightly mustached Himanshu plays out this shift from shock to anger to confused to proud with low-key wisdom and warmth. His on screen daddy Arvind Swamy provides rock steady support in a role that falls short of depth and empathy. Now here’s an actor so incredibly self-assured and collected in his impact, it would be a crime not to see more of him. Preferably in something better defined than Dear Dad. Review by Shubha Shetty Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: A good subject, but unfortunately, there is no meat in the script or the screenplay for it to hold the attention of the viewer. All we are subjected to for the rest of the movie are the beautiful landscapes en route to Mussoorie and some everyday conversations. It’s good to see Swamy on screen again, but wish he was part of a better film. Uppal shows potential. This could have been a better film dealing with a real issue, but sadly, the script and direction did not seem confident enough to deal with it. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Arvind Swamy fans will be happy to learn that the actor still has what it takes. Unfortunately, his character doesn’t give him many opportunities to reveal his signature sheepish smile— much like a toddler’s, having relieved himself without anyone’s knowledge. His dramatic pauses hold the audience even when his character fumbles while constructing what he wants to say. However, it is arguable whether trading his trademark mooch for a stubble was a decision that paid off. Hemanshu Sharma, playing the teenage son, is convincingly gullible and his character (thankfully) isn’t overtly sardonic or unnecessarily rebellious like teens in most films. Ekavali Khanna makes her short part count by exuding a casual charm. Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham Rating: Thank you Tanuj Bhramar for this wonderful journey on celluloid. You have done a marvelous job. Thank you Arvind Swamy, Himanshu Sharma and Ekavali Khanna; all of you deserve kudos for bringing alive such wonderful, genuine characters on screen. Dear Dad Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Dear Dad’ has a sensitive subject with ace performance by Arvind Swamy, which gets diluted due to weak, slow and lethargic treatment. It could have been one among all those great feel good film, instead succumbs to an average to decent watch. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Though this is a film about painful revelations, Dear Dad is not a sad film. It doesn’t celebrate human frailty. But it tells us it’s okay to be what we are, who we are and never mind why we are what we are Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: We must say that though Arvind has made a comeback after many years, he has lost none of his charm and it is a sheer delight to watch him in the film. Himanshu as his teenage son Shivam too has done a decent job though the makers could have come up with better dialogues for their scenes. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Traffic – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars One Night Stand – 1.9 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars 1920 London – 1.3 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Buddha In A Traffic Jam’ Review – 2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Buddha In A Traffic Jam Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: It is tricky to make a balanced political drama that holds a mirror at the ugly realities which plague India. Director Vivek Agnihotri smartly raises all the right questions. Finding his muse in socialist thinking, his narrative unravels the workings of the volatile Naxalite Movement which functions aggressively in the sinister underbelly of society. Buddha In A Traffic Jam Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Vivek Agnihotri brings us an untouched issue of the hidden war going on in the country — between naxals and the tribals, a race for supremacy over the other in dark areas hardly touched by civilisation. Vivek Agnihotri and Rohit Malhotra’s screenplay is the film’s strength. It pans out in ten chapters, each as taut as the other in this socio-political thriller. When the mystery unravels, you realize the system is rotten to the core. Buddha In A Traffic Jam Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Yet in a film this feeble, this kind of criticism feels, ironically enough, like nitpicking. I could dedicate this review to the politics of Buddha In A Traffic Jam, but that would be giving it too much credit; here there isn’t competence enough for this film to be discussed as a genuine statement of political cinema. Buddha In A Traffic Jam Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The first thing about the film that hits you is that though it deals with issues like Naxalism, socialism, capitalism and corruption, which most youngsters may not really relate to, Vivek makes it quite relevant and significant through his characters. The characters in the film are quite real and the conversations that take place between them, are quite relatable because Vivek makes his characters speak the language of the youth. Notwithstanding the liberal use of expletives, the film is quite easy to follow despite the heavy subjects it tackles. The film also strives to raise questions about the various ‘isms’ that we tend to believe are good for the nation. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: It doesn’t matter. They try very hard to say it’s a marketing campaign to give tribals their rights, but you can see a mile away that the professor is a bad guy. And it doesn’t help when Mahie Gill who is supposed to be working for the tribals exposes her body for the flimsiest reason. Yes, yes, it’s the bad guy who tears her shirt off. But the whole thing is so unnecessary, you are glad when she blows herself up. Don’t ask where she gets a suicide vest from. No one in the audience seemed to care either. It’s an awful attempt to ‘save the tribals’. If they actually watched the film, they would choose to step on to land mines the naxals have laid out for them. Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham Rating: The harassment of a tribal family by the powers that be and the Naxalites highlights their no-win situation. The exploitation of their craft where they receive just Re 1 from the Rs 100 sale is something that has been happening over the ages. Same is the case with farmers. Knock off the middlemen, and the tribals will be a happy lot. But are the tribal people really our concern? These and many more questions will be left unanswered as you leave the theatre after watching this ‘mentally stimulating fare’. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: This film draws a parallel to Arunoday Singh’s career: it progressively goes south. Anupam Kher’s high voltage hamming is what acting schools warn you about. Mahie Gill completes her NGO avatar with ethnic accessories, cotton kurtas, heavy kohl and faraway glances. Pallavi Joshi, as the reluctant art curator, puffs just enough cigarettes to get by. This seems like Hate Story director Vivek Agnihotri’s last ditch effort to redeem himself. Unfortunately, it does just the opposite. The issue with this film is not that it packs in too many issues. It’s just that it has too many of its own. Review by meeta on Wogma Rating: Even so it is different from the norm. It has decided on making a point and does its best. It has its share of good performances. Arunoday Singh for example is brilliant and finally shows that he can act. His accent does come in the way, but it passes. Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mahie Gill are all in good form too. They are all given their share of heavy-handed dialogue and they deliver those as they are meant to be – with reassured enthusiasm and conviction. Review by Sarit Ray on Hindustan Times Rating: Good cinema must be convincing. Good propaganda even more so. Buddha… doesn’t manage to be either. At one point, Pandit is delivering a speech on corruption, and how students can change it all. But how?, someone asks. His solution? “Do it by thinking it.” Pandit is Agnihotri on screen, naturally; the film is “autobiographical”. They’re both utterly self-convinced. We are not. Review by Shubha Shetty Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: Even though Arunoday can barely pass off as a young student in his early 20s, he is earnest and gives a decent performance. Kher yet again shows his brilliance as an actor as you want to believe him even when he is spouting the most unbelievable, silly lines in the film. Joshi reminds us of the naturally talented actress that she is, and one wishes to see more of her.

Azhar has received mixed reviews. The average rating for the film is 2.6 stars from 13 reviews that we have so far...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘1920 London’ Review – 1.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] 1920 London Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: The film’s debutant director Tinu Suresh Desai does a superlatively decent job with 1920 LONDON. He achieves his motive of shocking the cinegoers almost in every scene and scaring their wits away. His direction complements the film’s screenplay and narrative and vice versa. He does a splendid job in culminating the story, which is an extremely vital aspect for a horror mystery film. Tinu also needs to be applauded for delivering what the film promises in abundance viz., eerie and scary moments in plenty. While the film does suffer from its ‘lagging moments’ in the first half and more towards the second half, the interval scene surely shocks the viewers and catches them unawares. 1920 London Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Joshi might be on a quest to explore different kinds of roles, but he comes across as a misfit in this horror film. Barring an interesting twist in the first half, the second half falls into a glorious mess. Director Tinu Suresh Desai seems to have faltered when it comes to casting and keeping the story together. Chopra, who plays the devout wife who’s also torn about her failed love affair, gives an insipid performance. Songs that are inserted at regular intervals don’t offer respite and just serve in prolonging this arduous torture. 1920 London Review by Soumyata Chauhan on Bollywood Life Rating: Meera Chopra was a decked up damsel in distress. Her acting and dialogue delivery were totally bland. The spirit looked so make-believe that left you anything but scared. Unlike the previous films, where the ghost had a motive to possess someone, here it is just used as a tool to exact revenge. The chemistry between the actors was disappointing especially in the romantic songs which looked more like a montage of famous Bollywood-couple gestures. Needless to say, the latest entry in the 1920 series disappoints big time, with Sharman Joshi being the only saving grace. Watch the film only if you don’t have anything else to do. 1920 London Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Vishal Karwal quite literally slept through his debut film. Meera Chopra looks promising in bits and pieces, but she did a fair job as a timid and helpless wife of a royal prince. And Sharman Joshi? Sigh. Is he still the same actor who gave such fine performances in films like ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘Rang De Basanti’? His act here is so awful that the witch performs better. Sharman should surely spruce up his acting skills now, along with his appalling acting in his previous series of flops, which would easily chuck him out of the race. Supporting cast Arun Bali, Gajendra Chauhan and Sushmita Mukherjee are just above average. 1920 London Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: Director Tinu Suresh Desai redeems himself only because he gives us enough things to laugh about. There are corny dialogues that provide some comic relief. And the visual of a flying Sharman ala Shaktiman, will have you in splits. Clearly, the actor sleepwalks through his role and a good pay cheque seemed like his only impetus to see this through the end. Meera is abysmal and the rest of the actors with their grim voices are not worth mentioning. Review by Shalini Langer on Indian Express Rating: Hats off for at least the ambition — and there are plenty of those to doff, this being early England and all. Few films, fewer still with the limited scale of a Vikram Bhatt horror, swing as frequently between 1920 London and 1920 “somewhere in Mewar, Rajasthan” — on streamers no less. An infinitesimal number, hopefully, do so chasing an “aatma” that resides in a locket. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: There is a twist to the tale that comes in the middle of the movie that announces Intermission. I wish they has ended it right there. It would have made us suffer less. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: Unfortunately, for the actors, it is the script which is their Waterloo. Written by Vikram Bhatt, the plot and the characters are a quick-fix. What’s more, the dialogues too seem regressive and obsolete in nature today, making the entire narration seem like an unintentional comedy. The action sequences are well-choreographed, but they are not exciting enough to give a teeth clenching edge-of-the seat experience. For, the horror tropes engaged are generic and not at all spooky. Nor are there any jump-scares. Review by Swapnil Rawal on Movietalkies Rating: Sharman Joshi, who seems to be experimenting with the choice of roles lately, looks unconvincing as an exorcist in the film. Though, he did not overdo his part, Sharman should stick to his strengths. Meera Chopra’s portrayal of a devoted and distressed wife is drab and she needs to increase her range of expressions. Vishal Karwal, who had very few scenes, will have to show more than his dimples the next time he gets an opportunity on the big screen. Overall, sitting through the film is exhausting so don’t hesitate to give 1920 London a miss. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: Sharman Joshi’s 1920 London is like most of Bollywood horror movies: boring and predictable. Cliched dialogues, unrequited love angle and romantic songs… the film has everything but scares. If that isn’t enough, you have actors who look blank throughout the film and barely hold your attention. Sharman Joshi, however, does a decent job in comparison to his co-stars Meera Chopra and Vishal Karwal. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Zubaan – 2.6 stars Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Bollywood Diaries – 2.5 stars Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive – 2.3 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars LoveShhuda – 2 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘One Night Stand’ Review – 1.9 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] One Night Stand Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: ONE NIGHT STAND sees the debut of a promising director by the name of Jasmine Moses-D’Souza, who does a commendable job in the film. Despite the story-screenplay being average, Jasmine Moses-D’Souza needs to be applauded for putting the film together quite well. She has refrained from portraying Sunny Leone as a (quintessential) sex symbol, unlike in other Sunny films. While the film just about manages to hold your attention till the first half that is interspersed with romance and love, the film’s second half seems to drag. Here, one definitely needs to make a mention of the interval point that sets the tempo for the proceedings, thus giving way to a big revelation in the film. The film’s second half deals with the issue of stalking, but the sad part is that it lacks the necessary thrill to give edge of the seat moments. Had the makers added a few thrill elements whilst addressing the stalking scenes, it definitely would have worked in the film’s favour and would have taken the film to a different level altogether. One Night Stand Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Sunny Leone is picture perfect, managing a couple of felt expressions in only a few scenes. Even her bump and grind is same old: this ‘duniya’ is still ‘pittal di’ ; where’s the gold? She will need to seriously up her act overall, and delivering dialogue is part of it, to be able to call herself an actress. Right now, she is gorgeous to look at, but we know that already, and struggling to emote, which has been her bugbear in her last few outings as well. The only person with any acting cred here is Ninad Kamat, who lifts the film whenever he is on. One Night Stand Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: The narrative has its own merits but lacks coherence. The mood changes from sultry to somber in no time. The situations are so banal that it fails to evoke any sympathy. Be it Urvil’s marriage that goes downhill once he starts obsessing about Celina or the impact his behavior has on her family life and her psyche, the filmmaker doesn’t spend much time elaborating these. Naturally, the drama runs thin by the second hour. The heavy climax speech with its feminist undertones is poorly performed. The points raised are well made but is too preachy for liking. Sometimes good actors do have the power to exalt a mediocre script, but both Sunny and Tanuj fail to sink their teeth deep into their characters. Their acting lacks flair. She never looks genuinely harrowed and his demeanor is far from dangerous. One Night Stand Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Directed by Jasmine D’Souza and written by Bhawani Iyer, the film manages to stay watchable when making points against slut-shaming and double standards, and while the gender-politics is rather obvious, it is good to see a film starring Sunny Leone at least try to position itself on that pulpit. The quality, as said, leaves a lot to be desired. One Night Stand Review by Aarti Iyengar on Bollywood Life Rating: Sunny Leone is one such actor who is often shrugged off due to her past. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is a good actress and has a great potential. Tanuj Virwani on the other hand too has immense talent in store which is quite visible in the film One Night Stand as not just his good looks but even his acting shines. However, what is absolutely letting down is the fact that these two chose One Night Stand to exhibit their skills. The movie’s plot fails to impress and in fact, is so damn predictable! There are a lot of wrong things in this movie that has left me a little confused with respect to the genre that it falls in. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Unlike other Sunny Leone films, this one isn’t dull. In fact, it is lucid through most of its 99 minutes of running time. What doesn’t work, though, is the forced debate around how Indians look at casual flings. It appears as an afterthought to shield steamy scenes and dance numbers. Nevertheless, burning issues like marital rape and career after marriage are treated with ease and a progressive outlook. This eventually turns out to be the best thing about One Night Stand. The melodious songs come a close second. But make no mistake: One Night Stand is still an average film with a run-of-the-mill theme. It, however, is one of the better finished products with a similar recipe. Review by Asira Tarannum on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Jasmine has also managed to pare down the sex, given the very hot Ms Leone an Indian taming. But Ms Leone continues to struggle to act. And there was ample opportunity to in this film at least. Tanuj Virwani is better in his third outing, though he too struggles in some scenes. Nyra Banerjee has certainly made an impressive debut. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: One Night Stand is an adult drama that goes relatively easy on the cheap thrills. The dialogues written by Niranjan Iyengar have a workaday feel to them, which makes passages in the drama appear far more real than they actually are. No matter how hard the director tries to liven up the proceedings, the absence of genuine substance prevents One Night Stand from rising above the irretrievably banal. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Three-films old, Tanuj Virwani could pass for a malnourished Abhishek Bachchan from certain angles. Whether this is a compliment is debatable. He’s fairly on the ball in the first half but cracks and spills over in attempting the highoctane scenes to portray his character’s emotional turmoil. Sunny Leone’s oohs and aahs will surely earn a nod and more from the frontbenchers, but as an actress, she’s not even trying. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: That Sunny Leone has a great body is a given. But to make her do the sati-savirti, mom, homemaker is a stretch. But she does cut a fine figure in a saree as well. The lad Tanuj Virwani is meant to look suave in suits and ties ends up looking like such a wannabe, who is unwashed to boot. Director Jasmine D-Souza must have lost all her hair attempting to make these two ‘act’. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Another thing worth liking about the film is that it has a very real climax and not something like the films mentioned above had. However, the film could have been handled with more finesse and the director could have certainly scored some brownie points by avoiding certain scenes (like the one where a smug Urvil advises his protégé to never hire a good-looking woman as a secretary as it can complicate things). Ohh! and before we forget, the film is not full of steamy sex scenes, if that is what the trailer seems to imply. Having said that, despite the lack of originality and Leone’s accent, One Night Stand is a half-decent watch. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Zubaan – 2.6 stars Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Bollywood Diaries – 2.5 stars Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive – 2.3 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars LoveShhuda – 2 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Traffic’ Review – 2.6 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Traffic Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Even though (late) Rajesh Pillai has directed a handful of south Indian films, TRAFFIC happens to be his first Hindi film as a director. One really has to applaud him for the conviction with which he has treated the subject of heart transplant. His direction complements the film’s narrative and also every character in the film. Full marks to him for the way in which he has extracted some of the amazing performances from the actors. The film’s screenplay (Suresh Nair) is outstanding and its story (Bobby Sanjay) extremely believable without resorting to any over the top antics. The film’s first half maybe slow in establishing the film’s story, but it’s the film’s fast pacy second half that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats till the end. What actually plays the ‘villain’ in the film’s narrative though are the numerous ‘cinematic liberties’ that the filmmaker has taken in order to establish the film. Traffic Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: The storyline does have minor gaps and a strong dose of contrivances, but the direction and the acting ensure that they do not derail the film. Bajpayee is absolutely brilliant as the cop. He conveys a gamut of subtle emotions with minimum visible effort. He is ably supported by the other actors in the cast – many of them are seasoned pros who know exactly what they are supposed to bring to the table. Especially notable is the perennially underrated Jimmy Sheirgill, who lends to the character of the police commissioner a cloak of believable humanity. Traffic Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film will keep you engaged with its brilliant execution by late director Rajesh Pillai and remarkable performances by the ensemble. Also to be noted is Sachin Khedekar performance as a father who goes through a personal loss. He plays his part really well. Divya Dutta as a wife of a superstar has a lot of teary eyed scenes which she manages to pull it off quite well. The climax is the high point which gets your attention back to the film. Giving away the details of it may be a spoiler but those scenes have great background music and it has been shot in a sleek manner. Traffic Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: For a film which largely unfolds in real time, Traffic lacks direction and pace. That’s because too much time is spent in establishing the back stories and motivations of the ensemble cast and then resolving their many issues. It comes to at the cost of deviating from the significant mission itself. The twist that arrives in second half is hardly a surprise. Only Bajpayee performs his part well, with the rest not having much to do. Traffic Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: Given the topic (story by Bobby and Sanjay) in hand, this film could have been a fast-paced edge-of-the-seat thriller. But unfortunately and surprisingly for most parts, it moves at a meandering pace. The constant reminder of time with timeline put up gets the audience gauge the emergency of the situation more accurately than the characters in the film. The execution in most parts is pretty amateurish. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: When the deadly race against time commences, you lean forward to enjoy a pacy thriller, but there too, the film tends to disappoint. The director fails to infuse a sense of urgency or desperation to complete the mission on time in the narrative. Bajpayee has always wowed us with his talent, but even the Satya star cannot do much in the film as his character hardly gets to talk and spends most of his time behind a steering wheel. Jimmy puts in an earnest effort as always while Prosenjit seems uncomfortable in his role as the arrogant superstar, who is used to getting what he wants. Divya Dutta and Kitu Gidwani turn on the waterworks with irritating regularity while Sachin Khedekar and Vikram Gokhale hardly get to do much. Parambrata too is wasted in the role though Amol Parashar as Rajeev lends able support to the story. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Suresh Nair, who adapted the Malayalam screenplay for the Hindi movie, has kept the script tight and narrative gripping. The build-up to the road mission to transport a heart sets the premise for all the characters and tells us about their lives. This portion drags at times but some good acting ensures we are not distracted. Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham Rating: The film has its crisp moments which keep you engrossed. It also banks heavily on emotions which are handled with restraint. Overall, the film highlights how fickle life is. Prosenjit Chatterjee as superstar Dev enacts his life to the ‘T’ showing how shallow and hollow everything around him is. Sachin Khedekar as the grief-stricken father who has to take a decision on his brain dead son impacts with his body language. Manoj Bajpayee as Godbole gets into the skin of a havildar. A complete change from the professor he displayed in ALIGARH. As for Jimmy Sheirgill, time he gets out of the police uniform! Overall, TRAFFIC is a feel good film although it does have the documentary feel in between. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Traffic doesn’t have people but causes to care for. Besides advocating organ donation, it also pitches in the ineffectuality of religious differences when health is concerned through its model depiction of the Hindu-Muslim chord. At the same time, it’s also a bitter reminder of how medical aid is a privilege only a few can avail at the cost of reckless driving and inconvenienced public. Traffic doesn’t address its ethics or anything profound. It doesn’t aspire to be anything beyond a bumpy ride to half-hearted glory. And in that it is entirely successful. Review by Bryan Durham on DNA India Rating: When making a thriller and populating it with characters, an audience has to be keenly aware and invested in the emotions of everybody concerned. And for some reason, that just doesn’t happen in Traffic to the degree that one expects it to. The performances are mostly middle-of-path. There are instances when you feel the twists and turns the film takes, deviate from flow far more than the actual obstacles Godbole and company face. Also, one has to ask, cynically enough, were Dev not so well-connected, would as many risks be taken by Gurbir? The film has its heart in the right place, but the soul isn’t along for the trip. The film had the potential to do much, much better, but gets stuck, ironically, in the traffic of its own making. Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: The characters and key-plot situations are seamlessly interwoven. There are some predictable playing-to-the-gallery religious sentiments introduced to get the desired results. But this can be overlooked because at it’s core, this is a well-intentioned film with fine performances from its ensemble cast. Special mentions are reserved for Manoj Bajpayee and Jimmy Sheirgill, who are A-grade. Though, they’re just in extended cameos; these two effortlessly rise above the length of their roles. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: While I was engaged with the goings-on in the original, which borrows from ‘Amores Perros’ to craft multiple threads featuring multiple characters all converging on one point, I found myself tuning out in this one, because the crispness and the sense of urgency is missing. Even if you haven’t seen the first, which spun off remakes in Tamil and Kannada, this one stutters. There is always going to be poignancy and heartbreak in the impending death of a young life. And Kitu Gidwani and Sachin Khedekar channel that emotion well : how can you switch off the machine that’s keeping your son alive? Suppose he comes out of the coma? They underplay, and are effective. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Like in the original Malayalam flick, the entire Bilal colony sequence doesn’t gel well with the rest of the proceedings. While I loved the performances in the film, I felt the Bengali actor, Prosenjit looked out of place as the Bollywood superstar, especially when compared to the performance of Rahman in the original film. The actor failed the bring the required arrogance to the performance, though the film also doesn’t allow him much breathing space. Also, with the lack of star power and low-key promotions, I doubt the film will make much of a mark at the box office, until there is a very strong word of mouth campaign. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: A remake of the 2011 Malayalam hit of the same name, this one fails to channel the same energy as a lot is lost in translation. The marketers of Traffic broke the film’s trailer just after Aligarh shot to indie fame and Bajpayee was coronated as the flagbearer of the genre. But just like Revolver Rani couldn’t piggyback on Queen, this one can’t cash in on brand Bajpayee. Organ donation is a noble cause that this film picks up to endorse. But the superficial focus on the humanitarian act only draws attention away from it. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: For a remake of a Malayalam movie this one tells the tale based on a true story, but it becomes so tedious because it tries too hard to infuse the TV drama pace of Kiefer Sutherland’s 24 and ends up being tedious. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Despite a low budget, no frills show, there are a few scenes that are done really well. Then there are the obvious product placements and lapses like mobile phones that work in rain that serve as distractions too. However, the two things that hold Traffic together are the basic plot and the commentary it tries to engage its audience in. The performances aren’t particularly bad, but they seem rather superficial even though every one cries really well. They manage to bring a lump in the throat. Of course, actors like Divya Dutta, Manoj Bajpai, Sachin Khedekar, Kitu Gidwani, Vikram Gokhale and Jimmy Sheirgill try to infuse as much energy as is possible in the lacklustre dialogue. However, this brings the performances all together only to a not-bad-not-great level. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Zubaan – 2.6 stars Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Bollywood Diaries – 2.5 stars Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive – 2.3 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Baaghi – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars LoveShhuda – 2 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

Sabbir Khan’s Baaghi has received mixed reviews from critics. It’s not a film that is expected to win critical acclaim, so an average rating of 2.2 stars is acceptable for a predictable mindless action film like Baaghi. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Baaghi’ Review – 2.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Baaghi Review by Indicine Rating: Baaghi has the most stereotypical Bollywood story that you can think of which has been presented in an ultra-action mode by director Shabbir Khan. The comic elements put in by the director are cringy and doesn’t make anyone laugh. And the whole Karate Kid angle feels ridiculous to anyone familiar with the Hollywood film. In fact, Baaghi gets pretty slow in the second half when most of the action revolves around well, action. Not unexpected but it would have been nice if there was a proper story to accompany the action. Baaghi is an in-cohesive film which is let down by its own promise of an entertainer. Baaghi Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: The film’s director Sabbir Khan, whose last film was HEROPANTI (Tiger Shroff’s debut film), does a good job with BAAGHI. The comfort level between Sabbir Khan and Tiger Shroff works in the favour of the film. The way in which Sabbir Khan has shot action sequences is praiseworthy. Given Tiger Shroff’s natural flair for action, the film looks very stylish and the person who needs to be credited for that is Sabbir Khan. In other words, Sabbir Khan has rightfully tapped Tiger Shroff’s biggest strength and forte: action. Despite good direction, the film suffers from some loopholes in the script. The film’s narrative is gripping though and has its strong moments. Even though the romance in the film is not well defined, the action sequences in the film more than makes up for the same. Baaghi Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Everybody in this drama is just acquainted with the language of punching their deterrents dead. The film relies entirely on potent (often senseless) action sequences. Shroff does a stand-up job of executing hand-to-hand combat moves, but there’s little else to look forward to. If you are looking for an all brawn and no brains feature, then watch Baaghi. Otherwise, it is wise to duck this missile of a movie. Baaghi Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India Rating: Director Sabbir Khan sticks to the old-school formula of filmmaking when it comes to his storytelling – emotions and dialoguebaazi galore. He takes a new-age stance only where his action is concerned. The love story has its endearing moments but that’s mostly due to the inherent charm of the lead performers. But the two main highlights of the film are undoubtedly the film’s action and Tiger Shroff. In a tailor-made role for him, Tiger is dynamite on screen. He makes the toughest of stunts look like child’s play. Add to that a distinctive charisma and attitude, he is pure star material. He makes it look unique also because none of his contemporaries have ever dabbled in this form of action, and even if they did, they’d be no match as he’s set the bar high. Ceetees guaranteed when he beats up a Chinese guy and says, “China ka maal zyaada tikta nahin hai.” Shraddha Kapoor has pleasing screen presence. Debut-making Sudheer Babu as the baddie is outstanding. Baaghi Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Overall, the film isn’t a let down because of the output by all the actors. Tiger and Shraddha show no signs of playing their parts with any disbelief. Their chemistry is also appealing. But it is the shoddy execution of the story, which doesn’t hold you throughout the film. It almost feels like the director tried to put in a lot of elements, but found it difficult to put it all together while editing the film. Tiger Shroff shows a lot of improvement and appears more confident, since his debut film ‘Heropanti’. All in all, action sequences are fun to watch, but when too much action is accompanied with poor screenplay, it becomes unbearable, despite your lead actor’s ability to kick butt. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: Sabbir Khan’s filmmaking is average. Only high points in the film are its action sequences which are crafted in such a way that they will take away your breath. With a dash of comedy and emotions, ‘Baaghi’ turns out to be a one-time-watch. It is not an unmissable film, but you won’t regret watching it either. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: Some of the action sequences are good but it just gets too repetitive. Fight sequences without any emotional engagement just falls flat anyway. You need to be invested in their stories to be able to root for them. The film surely scores in cinematography. The way Kerala is shot, especially the boat race (Vallam Kalli) sequence made me visit the state so badly. Tiger-Gareeb-Producers-Ka-Hrithik-Roshan-Shroff is cast well. His agile body and his training bring due credibility to the martial arts, the film features. He kicks some serious butt in action scenes, but papa, he needs to work hard on his dialogue delivery. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Low on genuine emotion, Baaghi is only as engaging as a badly designed video game. The love story is interspersed with flashy martial arts action scenes, but given a male lead who is hard pressed to convince us that he has a genuine grouse against the world, the crass concoction simply does not get off the ground. The insipid acting all around does not help the cause of this wayward rebel one bit. Baaghi is eminently avoidable. Keep out of its path. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: The director also wastes too much time in laying out a carpet for the final bloodbath. Had he prolonged the action scenes, Baaghi could have at least been more engaging. This is where Vidyut Jammwal’s Commando (2013) excelled. The saving grace is the exotic locales, from Kerala’s backwaters to Krabi, there’s plenty eye candy to soothe the sore screenplay. But you still have to deal with the ugly bones being broken in the 133- minute film. In short, The Karate Kid enters Bloodsport and appears in a hurry to become Ong-Bak without losing the essential Bollywood qualities. Baaghi shines only in patches. Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Sabbir Khan and Sanjeev Dutta’s story is very patchy. It gives viewers several enjoyable moments but is excruciatingly painful to sit through the entire duration of the film. Baaghi has enough ingredients to pull people to the theatres. It is a crowd-pleaser through and through, at times, at the cost of several crucial factors. At the end of the day, Baaghi ends up feeling like a sequence of disjointed stylised action scenes, held together by the adhesive that is Tiger Shroff. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Shraddha Kapoor is slender and pretty and executes both the ‘chham chham’ in the rain as well as some roundhouse kicks and punches well enough, but is fashioned like a Bollywood heroine belonging to the potboilers of the 70s and 80s. She isn’t dragged by the hair like the leading lady of ‘Heropanti’, Tiger’s debut (also directed by Sabbir Khan) but does everything else – simper, smile, and squeal in the villain’s den. Why does a film with a new hero, who can reveal a beautifully muscled chest, and do such jaw-dropping stunts, not go for broke and create freshness all around? I enjoyed the first half, and yawned through the much-too-long-drawn second. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: While we enjoy the action served before us, the movie falters when it comes to injecting emotions and a credible storyline. The plot is as old as the Himalayas, filled with enough holes, and the romance between Rony and Siya is cheesy and even looks forced. In fact, whenever a romantic scene is going on, we wait impatiently for the action to resume, despite having two very good looking stars. The film has two talented comic talents in Sunil Grover and Sanjay Mishra, yet the comedy portions suck. Sunil Grover’s character, though integral to the love story, is abandaned without further mention as the film ends. The Cham Cham track in the first half is so cheesy and unbelievable in its choreography, when Shraddha gets off the train and starts dancing, and others join her and match her steps. This is not even a dream sequence. Haven’t we evolved beyond such scenes? Even though the stunts are brilliant, the situations in which they are placed are not so. The final fight between the hero and the villain is also disappointing. Also, a tip to the makers – China and Thailand are two different countries. So calling a Thai a Chinese is actually racist! Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Most of Baaghi unfolds in flashback showing Tiger Shroff’s winning transformation from clumsy Po to bone-crunching machine. There’s no doubting the young man’s assured screen presence or dexterity as he swivels, spins, somersaults, springs, sprints, socks a jaw. The graceful balancing of his entire body weight on two fingers is particularly impressive. He’s got the goods of a solid action hero but it’s time to step out of the show reel space and shine under an actual script and a skilled hand who can bring out the Tiger buried under Jackie’s son and Hrithik’s fan. Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: It is difficult to root for the characters even as the actors score. Tiger’s back flips may make you cheer and his stunts have gotten dishier since Heropanti, but that’s about it. He does his best to bring forth the rage of an impassioned lover but clearly he romances Kalaripayattu more than Shraddha. His stunts are more sensuous than his kisses. As Tiger lures us with his badass moves, Shraddha looks luminous in every frame and takes us by surprise when she slays professional fighters. But their love story never rings true. Unspooling over a string of melodious songs, they get little scope to conjure up an affair to remember. Her giggles and his impish smile, their rain dances and cute pecks are effective but don’t go a long way in benefiting the plot. Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: ‘Baaghi’ as a movie is not a classic by any standards, and there are some obvious flaws staring at your face. It also seems to be inspired by a lot of action-packed films that starred Bruce Lee and the ilk. But, even then, the credit goes to the director Sabbir Khan for getting the milieu right and making it a thrilling watch. Also, looks like he’s given full freedom to the action director, the grandmaster Shifuji Shaurya Bhardwaj (who also plays a significant role in the film) to turn most action scenes into a work of art. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Though the action and Tiger deliver all the right ‘kicks’ in BAAGHI, the rest has nothing much to boost off. Shraddha Kapoor doesn,t get much to do then drenching, dancing in rain and doing some kicking, her character lacks the required meat. Telugu import Sudheer Babu is plainly okay. A talent like Sanjay Mishra is wasted. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Unless you are learning Kickboxing or some sort of martial art, don’t waste your time watching this film. Usually the martial arts movies have a formula made interesting by some twist in the tale, but this movie is killed by its very predictability. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: The one main thing that that one-liner leaves out is the performances. But, that it was left out must mean a lot by itself, right? Tiger Shroff cannot act. Well, at least not so far. Each line comes out as if it is the dialogue of the decade. That is as filmy as it gets. Shraddha Kapoor maybe can but there is nothing worthy required here. Her kicks and chops aren’t the best. Though, unlikely as it is, I hope that is intentional because her character is not really an expert. Other than that there are these ‘comic relief’ characters that remind you of the worst from the 90s. The attempt at tugging at your heart is so superficial that they don’t even bother to give you a backstory or resolution. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Where the film falters is in its lack of a powerful screenplay and the absence of crisp editing. The film stretches on and on and makes you impatient for the climactic action sequence. The dialogues too are very unimpressive and the director’s insistence on trying to maintain an ideal balance between a love story and an action flick, makes for a disastrous cocktail. The songs are utterly forgettable and seem to be included for no apparent reason (except for the high on testosterone Baaghi anthem, which we did not mind at all). Had Baaghi been an out and out action fare, we are sure the film would have been much better. However, notwithstanding the faults in the story, Baaghi will warm the cockles of any action junkie’s heart. Baaghi Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director Sabbir Khan should be credited for framing the well-conceptualised action scenes. But for the rest, writer Sanjeev Dutta left him with very little to play with. The songs in the film are great — only for your mid-film washroom visits. Almost 140 minutes long, Baaghi can get insufferable to a point that you hope the lead pair actually succumbs to the blows and we can all go home. But they don’t. Baaghi Review by Sonia Chopra on Sify Rating: Director Sabbir Khan (Heropanti, Kambakkht Ishq) is not a fan of subtlety. So everything is loud and over-the-top. He uses flashbacks, in case we’ve forgotten a character’s motivations. During a fight, we are shown coloured x-ray visions of bones breaking, in case we didn’t get that from the actor’s expressions. The action is interesting in parts, but gets repetitive. And it’s set to annoying video-game type music. Really, there’s not a moment of silence in the film! Baaghi Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The first half is totally entertaining and enjoyable.There are some enjoyable scenes featuring Tiger and his action, especially in the climax scene. The cinematography by Binod Pradhan is superb. He makes the screen look rich with beautiful locations of Kerala and Bangkok. The action sequences are one of the key highlight of the film. Almost every action sequence is a visual treat. Speaking about the music, ‘Sab Tera’, ‘Girl I Need You’ and ‘Cham Cham’ are visually appealing. Background music supports the theme of the film. Director Sabbir Khan comes up with an out and out masala entertainer with a mixture of many stories and presents them in his own way. He succeeds in many parts and keeping you glued to the silver screen. Tiger Shorff looks cool and manages to strike a good screen presence. He stumbles a bit on the acting front but, when it comes to the action part, he is outstanding. Shraddha Kapoor looks cute and charming. She dances and fights well but, required more detailing to her character. Guruswamy as Guruji is fantastic. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Nil Battey Sannata – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Zubaan – 2.6 stars Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars Laal Rang – 2.5 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Bollywood Diaries – 2.5 stars Ghayal Once Again – 2.4 stars Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive – 2.3 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars LoveShhuda – 2 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd – 1.1 stars

Tiger Shroff made a star-like entry with Heropanti about two years back where he was appreciated for his action skills...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Laal Rang’ Review – 2.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Laal Rang Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: The best thing about Laal Rang is its novel idea. It is dark, murky and lays the perfect plinth for an enchanting film. The bad news here is that it is an opportunity lost. Director Syed Ahmad Afzal fails to lap up the chance to deliver something memorable. His approach lacks clarity. The convoluted screenplay is unsure about where it is headed. Despite having all the makings of a macabre thriller, Syed goes for drama. There is romance, bromance, tears, heartbreak and enough material to make ‘fifty shades of sappy’. Laal Rang Review by Urmimala Banerjee on Bollywood Life Rating: The film does not boast of a great story. For a film with a social angle, some might find it a little simplistic or even a bit superficial. The first half drags a little as the director establishes the bromance between the two over long drives, drinks and love gyaan. The love story of Shankar and Rashi (Meenakshi) could have been explored in a better manner as it impacts the climax of the film. Given the funny tone of the film, the message gets a tad diluted. Laal Rang Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: The women seem to the weakest link in the film and that is highlighted because the twists in this tale are dictated by these two men who seek their approval. While the first half is well-paced, the second half doesn’t have the same momentum. However, it’s a fascinating expose into the immoral world of blood trafficking. The poor agreeing to donate their blood for some quick money and a packet of glucose biscuits is revolting, yet you can’t seem to tear your eyes away from the macabre. However, you need to be patient with this film as it tends to inject unwanted romantic twists and drama into a film that could have been gripping even without those crutches. Laal Rang Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Laal Rang is a slow-burning drama about human blood-hounds that takes a while to come into its own, but when it does it has enough meat to last the course. Hooda might be in a ‘rockstar’ league of his own, but he does receive solid support from the other principal cast members, all of whom play characters firmly situated within the realms of the real and tangible. Akshay Oberoi, who has a hard act to follow, manages to hold his own. Rajneish Duggal, in the guise of a cop, has far less footage but makes the most of the limited opportunities. Piaa Bajpai informs her interpretation of the character of a gauche girl who speaks ‘Rapidex’ English with gay abandon, with warmth. The cast also has Meenakshi Dixit in the role of the woman Shankar loves and Shreya Narayan as the lab supervisor who has a massive crush on the blood pilferer. These may be walk-on parts but the characters aren’t insignificant. That’s the hallmark of a good script: even the minor figures have a defined role to play. A small film whose impact is enhanced manifold by Randeep Hooda’s presence, Laal Rang also has other bright spots. But cottoning on to them might call for patience. Laal Rang Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Hooda as a Haryanvi hooligan is effortless, yet his performance doesn’t seem to lack much effort. He nails the casual manner of a rural ruffian. But a lot rests on Akshay Oberoi’s inexperienced yet overenthusiastic shoulders. He is committed as the naive, enterprising lad who’s only too glad to make a quick buck or 30. His character’s time lapse is fairly convincing and his transformation from young and adventurous to mature and cautious is well furnished with moustache and glasses. Piaa Bajpai’s pseudo hinterland accent is annoying and every frame she features in is excruciating to endure. Meenakshi Dixit and Rajneesh Duggal barely have much screen time and their contribution to the film would be somewhere between none and zero. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Syed Ahmad Afzal, who had made his directorial debut with ‘Youngistan’, did not make a mark with his debut film, but with Laal Rang, he is sure to be noticed. Though the film takes its time to get to the point, it is quite entertaining while being realistic at the same time. The dark humour and the Haryanvi touch to the dialogues, adds to the appeal of the film. The music is not that memorable and the plot could have been a bit pacy with a not too predictable climax. However, all said and done, Laal Rang is not a bad watch and for fans of Randeep Hooda, the film will surely be a weekend treat. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The writing is clever and funny and keeps you wondering ‘what will they come up with next!’. You like the minor characters like Dracula, Neelam the office admin lady, Rakesh’s parents, Rakesh’s ditzy girlfriend (the ‘I studied English with Rapidex English Speaking Course’) and Babuji co-conspirator of the Blood Bank (Rajendra Sethi). Each one owns the role they play. Which makes for an amazing watch. But then there are too many clever things being attempted here. And that slows the pace of the film until you are ready to give up. The music is forgettable and feels like an intrusion. But the film scores all its stars for the unusual treatment of a problem, the clever writing and of course the gorgeous body that is Randeep Hooda. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The Haryanvi accent, Randeep Hooda’s flamboyance (sadly nothing much can be said about his love interest Meenakshi Dixit who is a waste), Akshay’s confidence, Pia bajpayee’s impressive innocence, the dark humour by the little ‘baba’ are the highlights but the messy, easy, tepid and tedious treatment makes LAAL RANG a mere collection of elements rather than a distinct story, the movie fails to capitalize on the sobering subject of blood trafficking. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Then it boils down to the usual cat-and-mouse game between a diligent cop ( Duggal) and the blood robbers. And Hooda—an actor who is always watchable, especially when he is strutting the walk– loses yet another opportunity to break out of the long run of indifferent films he’s been stuck in. Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film appears to be going slow in portions when you feel the topic can move on. However, the director from the first scene itself makes an attempt to never really rush into scenes. Even the background music by Mathias Duplessly syncs well with many intense scenes but Bawli Booch songs stands out from the rest of the tracks. Poonam (placed by Pia Dixit), who manages to speak ‘Rapidex English’ has a lot of sincerity in her performance. She makes a promising debut and wins heart with her acting. Akshay Oberoi also manages to find his place under Randeep’s towering personality. Rajneesh Dugal as a tough cop makes an impact. Meenakshi Dixit, who plays Randeep’s love interest, is seen in an extended cameo. Laal Rang Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Laal Rang’ has a great theme attached to it which should have been told in an interesting manner with the help of good actors and an experienced director. This colour of excitement and aggression ends up being the colour of boredom. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Laal Rang doesn’t delve deep into the criminals’ modus-operandi, but the two leads try their best to make up for the lack of the nitty-gritties. Laal Rang has a shade grey and is much more high voltage than an ordinary thriller. Nobody could have played it better than Hooda. It’s his film. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: Laal Rang does not pack a solid punch because of its choppy storyline. Also, since the film is set in the heartland of Haryana, all the characters speak in Haryanvi, which after a point becomes too much. If you don’t listen carefully, you may miss the point. Review by Harshada Rege on DNA India Rating: Randeep as the lovelorn head of the illegal business is absolutely effortless. He has a brilliant sense of timing while delivering his lines. And while his character has the swagger and style, it also has many human qualities to it. Randeep is in good form here. Akshay is competent as the guy who wants to make a quick buck. The bromance between the two actors is likeable. The idea is novel, unfortunately, the execution doesn’t do it justice. Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: One must give credit to Afzal for being sensitively able to explore the growing friendship between Shankar and Rajesh and also the awkward yet sweet romance between Rajesh and his Rapidex English speaking girlfriend Poonam (Pia Bajpai). Also, he has picked the right star cast, which largely contributes to the film. While Akshay Oberoi is earnest and shows huge potential, it is Randeep Hooda who gives a killer performance in this one. One didn’t have doubts about Hooda’s talent earlier, but it is roles like this that fully show what he’s capable of. Not many actors can come across as so hot and cool at the same time. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Laal Rang is a riveting topical tale powered by a Haryanvi heft that is captured mainly through Hooda’s swaggering performance. There are moments when his brotherly affection for Oberoi seems so genuine it almost seems to exist beyond the conflicts portrayed in the plot. Laal Rang rolls up a swinging slithering mass of livid emotions and throws it in our face. Though some of it misses its mark, this is undeniably a film worth a dekko. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Zubaan – 2.6 stars Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Bollywood Diaries – 2.5 stars Ghayal Once Again – 2.4 stars Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive – 2.3 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars LoveShhuda – 2 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars Teraa Surroor – 1.7 stars Sanam Re – 1.6 stars Sanam Teri Kasam – 1.6 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd.’ Review – 1.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd. Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: Right from the word go, the film’s screenplay (Asad Ajmeri – Akashdeep) fails to establish any kind of connect with the audience. And it is this disconnect that actually acts as a roadblock for the film at regular intervals, thus making the film into an extremely boring and lacklustre affair. It won’t be wrong to say that the film has (Asad Ajmeri – Pawan Soni) an apology of a script. And it is purely because of this reason, that even the film’s screenplay falls absolutely flat on the face. It seems that, with such a kind of screenplay, the audiences are either being tested for their patience levels or are being taken for a royal ride! One really wonders as to how (and under what unavoidable circumstances) the film’s script was approved in the first place. In addition to that, one also wonders about the reason as to how could some of the most seasoned actors of Bollywood gave their nod to be a part of this senseless film. Added to all of the aforementioned factors is the insipid direction (Akashdeep) that takes the film nowhere. The director has failed miserably in his task of creating a film that shares its name with the duo (Santa and Banta), who are best known for their senseless but funny jokes. But, with this film, Akashdeep seems to have made a mockery of not just the film, but also the laurels which the characters Santa and Banta enjoy. The film has got a vague first half as much as the senseless second half. The jokes in the film (which are supposed to invoke laughter) fall flat totally and end up irritating (to the core) the audience after a while. With the kind of proceedings that the film exhibits, one does really feel that, rather than taking resort to the jokes/one liners that the movie has, the film’s makers could have incorporated jokes/gags from the innumerable Santa-Banta joke bank that is freely available. In totality, SANTA BANTA PVT LTD could be easily termed as one of the worst film of 2016 so far. Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Of course, Santa-Banta jokes pepper this narrative, but the mere compilation of them does not work; they restrict the situational humour from blossoming. The screenplay is so shoddy that even Irani and Das seemed bored. Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Half an hour into the movie you have been assaulted by not just bad jokes, but animation as well. The entire movie has been shot at the hotel the cast probably stayed in but the budget seems to be unlimited. There are helicopters and small airplane, and rides in a souped up motorbike. Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd. Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Poor Lisa Hayden takes her part of a secret agent so seriously that she forgets that this is a comedy. But given that nothing about this film is even remotely funny, you can’t blame her. Irani and Das stick out as sore thumbs as two Sikh buddies, struggling to uplift the proceedings. It’s not entirely their fault for apart from bad casting, the film has a bad script with jokes that fall flat. But it does come with the odd warning sign. “Main toh pagal ho jaaoongaa,” says one frustrated character. It is akin to what the audiences will feel after watching this film. Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The film is without doubt one of the worst movies ever seen by yours truly (and I have seen quite a few duds) for the simple reason that the writers got lazy with the plot and decided to fill the narrative with as many ‘Santa Banta’ jokes that they could gather from text messages that we send to each other when bored with whatever life has to offer. To give credit where it’s due, some of the gags do evoke chuckles, but only because we have heard them before and the ‘déjà vu’ effect works its magic. At times, it feels like the makers wanted to roam Fiji and decided to justify the trip by attempting a film. The film also stars Neha Dhupia and Lisa Haydon, who seem to have been brought on board just to display their curves and even that gets boring after a while. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Bollywood is used to objections in titles, content etc in the movie coming from various corners.. movies like SANTA BANTA PVT. LTD can trigger a revolution and provide a solution for such torture in future. A printed warning on its posters like we have in cigarettes and liquor. Something like this – Watching this movie may be injurious to your pocket, health and belief in laughter. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd. runs for nearly two hours, but neither the pair of makeshift sleuths for whom videsh translates to Ca-nay-daa nor the nonplussed audience is anywhere nearer the truth by the end of it all. The film is liberally peppered with silly Santa Banta PJs but the joke is nearly always on this bizarre concoction. Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: This film gives annoying a new meaning. It takes special kind of talent to make something as boring, ridiculous, vain and unfunny as this. It will be blasphemous to call it a comedy. And the fact that it stars the funny guy Vir Das and the witty Boman Irani, is a shame. The lethargic writing and amateurish humour doesn’t have a hint of vibrancy. It is as dull as dull gets and even triple strength Americano can’t help you stay awake while watching this muddled mess. Review by Preeti Kulkarni on Bollywood Life Rating: For the most part of the film, you would look helplessly at the red EXIT sign in the theatre wanting to escape this boring film. Even the picturesque Fiji Islands won’t help spark your interest back to the film! The lead actors try really hard to make you laugh but in the end get utterly exhausted with their attempt! Review by Bryan Durham on DNA India Rating: The fact that I watched this film expecting at least a few guffaws. There are none to be had. Akashdeep has a sturdy cast at his disposal and he squanders the opportunity to make it work to his benefit. Lever as the Nepali don is about the worst thing you’re going to see this year. The plot doesn’t have loopholes, it has black holes that suck your sanity in. And what forgettable songs! Who thought it was a good idea to make this film? Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: 112 minutes of this movie and not a single second that could justify why a movie of this kind was being made. In the beginning there is a longish disclaimer that painstakingly describes how the movie’s characters should not be taken seriously. Well, if half that effort were used in writing some genuinely funny dialogues, perhaps that disclaimer would be required. No one’s going to take this film seriously anyway. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Boman Irani will be answerable in his afterlife for being associated with this film. Considering the state of his film career, Vir Das is already paying for his terrible choices. Neha Dhupia is a bit too jaded to play the damsel in distress, but Lisa Haydon was well cast, if she was supposed to portray a desi Lara Croft that is. Utterly wasted in the film are Vijay Raaz, Sanjay Mishra, Johnny Lever and Ram Kapoor. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: The comic world of Santa Banta Pvt Ltd is suffused in an exasperating chaos. You want to be amused. You wait for punchlines. There is not one gag here that would evoke even a mild laughter in the audience. But if you appreciate some very accomplished comic actors trying to make sense of a plot that couldn’t have made sense even to those who wrote it, this is your film. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Zubaan – 2.6 stars Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Bollywood Diaries – 2.5 stars Ghayal Once Again – 2.4 stars Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive – 2.3 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars LoveShhuda – 2 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars Teraa Surroor – 1.7 stars Sanam Re – 1.6 stars Sanam Teri Kasam – 1.6 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ Review – 3.7 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Nil Battey Sannata Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Nil Battey Sannata is easy to recommend. It is light-hearted, easy on the eyes and mind, and full of heart. This film says a great deal about a girl-child’s struggles, a mother’s hopes and the ways of the education system. But, in the end, Nil Battey Sannata is also a good old story about life and its vicissitudes. Nil Battey Sannata Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Tiwari’s film is as much about the mother-daughter bond as it is about the significance of aspirations and hard work. For all its plusses, Nil Battey Sannata has a few minuses in the unwarranted and mushy Sanjay Suri cameo, tendency to protract the gimmicky battle between Chanda and Appu and the preachy happy ending. Further, the implication that Appu’s desire to be a maid or her friend’s to be a driver makes them less driven human beings could have been addressed with some subtlety. But Tiwary does nail her two female leads, offering viewers a nuanced portrait of a temperamental teenager and a spirited woman. Nil Battey Sannata Review by Gautaman Bhaskaran on Hindustan Times Rating: It is not just a touching story of a mother and her daughter but also a great chapter on the importance of education. It tells us that a parent’s limitations need not stop his/her child too. Bhaskar affirms this with a rare power and simplicity — a yawning difference from the parts she played as a modern woman in the Tanu Weds Manu series. As is often believed in Bollywood, an actor must be able to let go his/her own self and sink into a character and she does. Nil Battey Sannata Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Any parent can recognize this mix of feelings—loving their child to distraction, and climbing walls due to frustration, caused by the self-same child—both at the same time. Bhaskar does a good job of the bewilderment, annoyance and plain wordless affection that comes from a deep maternal place. The little girl is appropriately scrappy and needy. These two are the mainstay of the film. But the one who helps add a well-judged layer is the school principal, played by the reliably excellent Pankaj Tripathy. ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ has a strong message about how education can change your life. It does underline the message, but stays just short of being preachy or message-y. And leaves you with a warm glow. Review by Aarti Iyengar on Bollywood Life Rating: Overall, this film is like a treat to all the mothers and daughters out there. The relationship that Ashwini has captured is astounding. Every daughter can relate to this film even if they don’t fall in the poor background as the film is more than that. Review by Mohar Basu on The Times Of India Rating: Nil Battey Sannata is a rare film, the kind that will bring tears to your eyes but leave a smile on your face. It is gratifying to watch something unpretentious in times when masala films are stooping to entertain. Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari makes you buy into Chanda’s innocent world, where happiness is found over relishing a plate of Chow Mein while watching a horror film. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The movie is just so amazing because the solution brings a smile to your face. The mother uses this reverse logic on the child to egg her on to getting better marks. The child is unsuspecting and falls hook, line and sinker to the ‘project get the child to study’. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Aanand L Rai, who is known for making simple yet poignant stories set in North India, comes up with yet another winner in Nil Battey Sannata. The mother’s struggle to give her daughter an education, which will in turn provide her with a fighting chance when dealing with the world, is damn inspiring and touching. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, the director of the film, weaves a beautiful tale of love, motherhood and aspirations, which will leave you teary-eyed. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: NIL BATTEY SANNATA is an applauding cinematic triumph, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari gives a little gem of a humanistic, motivating and beautiful fable that celebrates the joy of having a dream and is an ode to woman hood and motherhood, anchored by Swara Bhaskar’s career best performance till date. Highly recommended, it’s a must if you love good, inspiring cinema. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: While the first half is breezy and to the point, the second half seems a bit long. Certain scenes could have been done away with but the story and amazing performances make up for that. There is hardly a dull moment in the film. Overall, Nil Battey Sannata throws light not only the endearing mother-daughter relationship but also subtly explores issues like poverty and education. Review by Asira Tarannum on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Debutant director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has shown this heart-warming story in an entertaining and emotional way. The climax of the film makes one choke. Though the first half is slow, the second half picks up the pace. The casting of every character by Mukesh Chhabra is apt and Riya is a great find. It’s refreshing to see Swara switch from being a talkative sister to Salman Khan (Prem Ratan Dhan Payo) to a single mother. She bears the burden effortlessly. Producer Aanand L Rai and Eros have shown that small films can be brought to the celluloid with entertainment. Nil Battey Sannata Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ is an outstandingly honest film which caters to all those who love good cinema with lots of emotional angle attached to it, especially a must watch for the teenagers and their parents. Though, the masala movie loving audience might shy away from this film. Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India Rating: While the first half is smooth and keeps you involved, the second half falters at many points and the climax seems too convenient and hurriedly wrapped up. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: For Swara Bhaskar, this is a careerdefining moment, as it gives her a chance to present her range as an actor. She channels a small town maid and worried mother with just enough crinkles on her forehead. Ratna Pathak Shah’s Mrs Diwan is deliciously matterof-fact and occasionally, even a bit disinterested in her maid’s woes, which gives her character a distinct edge. Pankaj Tripathy, as the quirky maths teacher, provides much comic relief, Ria Shukla is suitably grumpy and headstrong as the quintessential brat and Sanjay Suri is restrained in his cameo. Review by Sonia Chopra on Sify Rating: This is a fine debut by Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, yet another entrant from advertising. The pace is measured, and that works in favour of the film. The only hitch is that the solutions are too simplistic. So, Math can be learnt by mugging up a few cutesome limericks, and a single incident can dissolve a character’s cynicism and change everything. However the good far outweighs the flaws. For the outstanding story, interesting storytelling style, and incredibly authentic performances, this one is a must-watch! Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari keeps it smilingly simple. Simple and straight. Thankfully there are no bouts of furious sentimentality. Swara plays Chanda with feisty positivity and yet this is not a character or film that romanticizes poverty. It isn’t even a lyrical celebration of destitution the way Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali or Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay was. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Aligarh – 3.6 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Zubaan – 2.6 stars Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars Ki & Ka – 2.5 stars Bollywood Diaries – 2.5 stars Ghayal Once Again – 2.4 stars Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive – 2.3 stars Jai Gangaajal – 2.3 stars Fitoor – 2.3 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars LoveShhuda – 2 stars Love Games – 1.7 stars Teraa Surroor – 1.7 stars Sanam Re – 1.6 stars Sanam Teri Kasam – 1.6 stars