Movie Reviews

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Department

  Department, about a special task force of encounter specialists, begins with this adage: Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. After that, Ram Gopal Varma retreads old ground: crooked cops, underworld dons, political leaders who function like underworld dons.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Dangerous Ishhq

  It's easy to understand why Karisma Kapoor chose Dangerous Ishhq as her comeback film after a hiatus of six years and two children. She's the hero. She sets the plot in motion. Anupama Chopra writes.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Ishaqzaade

  I wonder if the Indian film ritual of intermission also functions as a creative road-block. Because so many fine films derail exactly there; I call it the curse of the second half. Ishaqzaade is one of these. Anupama Chopra writes.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Jannat 2

  Jannat 2 begins with a bang. In the narrow gullies of Old Delhi (point to ponder: when did ‘Dilli’ become Bollywood’s main muse?), a man is holding a gun to the head of Sonu Dilli KKC, short for kutti kameeni cheez. Anupama Chopra writes.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Tezz

  Tezz is an unapologetic, unacknowledged copy of the 1975 Japanese film The Bullet Train. Director Priyadarshan and writer Robin Bhatt liberally lift the plot and entire sequences from the film.

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  Movie Review: Hate story

  Hate Story is being pitched as an erotic thriller but it's neither very thrilling nor particularly erotic. But it does work as unintentional comedy.

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  Anupam Chopra's Review: Vicky Donor

  Vicky Donor is one of those rare Hindi films that work purely on the strength of writing and performances. There are no crutches here of stars, sets, styling or foreign locations. But director Shoojit Sircar and writer Juhi Chaturvedi create a heart-felt, keenly observed comic-drama. Sadly, Vicky Donor derails in the second half - the climax is flat-out foolish - but until then, it's great fun.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Housefull 2

  Years ago, Karan Johar had joked that the credits in his films could be somewhat altered - instead of saying 'A film by Karan Johar,' it could say 'The same film by Karan Johar.' I think this would work well for Sajid Khan. Anupama Chopra writes.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Blood Money

  Blood Money, like a few other Vishesh films (the Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt banner) before it, notably the match-fixing saga Jannat, is a morality tale about the dangers of conspicuous consumption. Anupama Chopra writes.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Chaurahen

  Chaurahen has good intentions but erratic execution and few insights. Director Rajshree Ojha has gathered some wonderful actors. But then, these actors are saddled with dialogue that strains to be poignant and piercingly deep, says Anupama Chopra.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: Kahaani

  Kahaani is a nifty thriller with an enjoyment quotient that is indirectly proportionate to how long you spend thinking about the plot. It's the story of Vidya Bagchi, a software programmer from London played by Vidya Balan, who is both heavily pregnant and missing a husband.

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  Anupama Chopra's review: London Paris New York

  The film follows the crisscrossing paths of Nikhil and Lalitha over eight years. They meet, for one night only, in three different cities. What begins as a hesitant friendship evolves into passion and eventually a more mature love. The story echoes One Day, the Lone Scherfig film, in which the man and woman meet on July 15 over twenty years.

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Jodi Breakers

  A movie can either make sense or money. So some filmmakers strongly suspect. Why did we expect anything better here? We always do. Leading man Madhavan is the podgy, hammy hero with an odd accent and strange goatee, writes Mayank Shekhar.

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Ek Deewana Tha

  The boy, an obsessive, relentless roadside Romeo, having chased the girl from the streets of Mumbai to Mallu-land, finally holds her, jolts her up, pops the winning question... Mayank Shekhar writes..

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu

  The narrator, who’s also the hero, suggests there are three kinds of kids in the world: “chamche”, who suck up to their parents; the rebellious sorts, who take them head-on; and the smart ones, who do what they like, and their parents never know. Read On..

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Gali Gali Chor Hai

  This relentless, blind hatred reflects the Indian middle class’ chief pre-occupation. The under-classes that this film, given the grammar, targets though, probably has fewer such issues with their netas, reports Mayank Shekhar.

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Agneepath

  An earnest Vijay Dinanath Chauhan delivers poetic justice before a nearly packed hall on the proverbial 'first day first show'. Mayank Shekhar writes.

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Chaalis Chaurasi

  The drama is set in stretched real time. The gang has a common mission, a heist that may or may not go wrong. Each character in the group is loony in his own unique way, writes Mayank Shekhar.

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Sadda Adda

  The debutant director of this rather patchy, amateurishly filmed, poorly dubbed, artlessly designed picture is a writer as well. It shows. His last work was the awesomely executed Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar, writes Mayank Shekhar

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  Mayank Shekhar review: Players

  A few players intend to share the loot, given the plan or plot (borrowed from Hollywood) is already in place. That’s the story of this film. It could be the story of its making as well! Mayank Shekhar writes.

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Kya Yahi Sach Hai

  A hammy waiter at a party suddenly grits his teeth, growls, scowls, runs towards a senior police officer’s wife to grab a piece of jewellery from her neck. The fellow’s picked up by the cops after. At the interrogation, he reveals that necklace was actually his wife’s. He’d pawned it off at a gambling den. Read On..

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Don 2

  It wasn’t hard to tell where Farhan Akhtar’s 2006 remake of Don was coming from. The writers here have sub-plots. They continue to stretch and add thought to thought. The picture promises to never end. It gets hard to carry on with inane inventiveness.

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  Critics' verdict: Don 2 gets mixed reports!

  Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 has witty, zany and cooler dialogues, great action sequences, sleek & stylish package, but lacks a tight script. SRK who's back in a negative avatar with the film has done full justice to his role. Here's what critics are saying about the movie

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Pappu Can’t Dance Saala

  Survival’s a full-time job in Mumbai. Anybody who’s struggled their way through the city’s innards will know this. The makers of this movie do too. Their empathy constantly shows. Be that as it may, the hero here seems to be having a rather rougher day than usual. Mayank Shekhar writes.

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  Mayank Shekhar's review: Lanka

  The girl's a doctor. So is her dad. Goons guard their house round-the-clock. We’re in a north Indian small town, which like many, we’re
  told, is essentially one man, Bhaisaab’s (Manoj Bajpayee’s) personal fiefdom. Read On..