Category - Bollywood

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dear Maya ‘ Review – 2.5 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dear Maya Review by Nihit Bhave on The Times Of India Rating: In spite of the irregularities, director Sunaina Bhatnagar keeps the feeling from ebbing. She’s good at extracting the right emotion even out of contrived situations. She super-sizes symbolism (red is the color of love; getting drenched in the rain is liberating; reclusive woman has caged birds, etc) and serves up a film that’s sporadically sweet. Like the times when Manisha Koirala is on screen. Her talent deserves far more than a movie that is this in-your-face. Debutantes Madiha and Shreya have a good energy about them, but their stories are too plain to give them a scope to perform. Dear Maya Review by Shaheen Parkar on Mid-Day India Rating: ‘Dear Maya’ is Manisha Koirala’s comeback film after she battled personal turmoil. This role, about a woman living her life anew, is tailor-made for her. It has been 26 years since she went Ilu, Ilu in ‘Saudagar’ (1991). She has managed to sink teeth into most roles she has done over the years and ‘Dear Maya’ is no different. She makes it worth a watch. This second innings will hopefully be fruitful for Manisha. Dear Maya Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Dear Maya may have an interesting story to tell, but it is a slow watch and is not everyone’s cup of tea. Manisha Koirala delivers a fine performance in her comeback role, but we do wish the movie had invested in giving her more screentime. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Watching the mild-mannered actress return to screen after a personally difficult time resonates with the headway she makes as Maya. As she savours the simple gifts of life in a sequence as sublime as her doe-eyed innocence and benign grace, it’s easy to see why the girls couldn’t bear to see her so miserable in the first place. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The movie belongs to Manisha Koirala who owns Maya with her grace, gaze, poise and that infectious smile that made her one of the most photogenic actress of the 90’s. Manisha who has shown courage in real life by fighting with cancer, gives a charming and endearing performance that is worthy of her comeback claim. Shreya Singh Choudhary and Madiha Imam as Ira and Ana provide the youthful, breeziness and are effortless in their act. However Madiha gets more footage and she leaves her mark. And last but not the least, director Rakeysh Mehra in a cameo is just wonderful. Review by Shweta Kulkarni on Nowrunning Rating: The director does manage to make the audience believe in the friendship between Ira and Anna and how both girls handle their life crises. But those moments are so few, you don’t know whether to like the whole film because of the moments or just groan at the story as it unfolds. Even the transformation of Manisha Koirala from the stern unhappy person has touches of magic that even inept direction and an implausible story cannot take away. Manisha Koirala once brought to the screen live, and here when she twirls in the rain with her face expressing sheer joy is something that is worth watching. Alas, Maya’s happy surprise ending in Delhi is more laughable than happy. Wait for the movie to show up on cable. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Director Sunaina Bhatnagar had a noble vision: to capture the drama and debiliation of negotiating the teenage years. And while she manages to a certain extent, her naive, one-dimmensional characters fail to engage and subsequently interest one in the proceedings which seem to drag on endlessly. We agree with the sagely suggestion that Manisha Koirala’s character offers in this film: “Say yes to life!” This also implies you shouldn’t waste two hours and eleven minutes of that life in enduring this film. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film which started off with a high intense drama ends on a happy note. Wonder, Sunaina had an amazing thought but fails to culminate the subject towards the end. The film has a few moments which will leave you in tears and smiles at the same time. Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Dear Maya falls short because it is unable to keep the title character and therefore the film’s finest actor central to the proceedings. With its many plot contrivances and tendency to overstretch a wafer-thin plot, the film is an exasperating watch. The metaphors here are too literal as evident by Maya’s obsession for hoarding birdcages in her mansion. The second half sinks as much time is wasted patching an estranged friendship and getting redemption for the two guilt-ridden leads. Even when Bhatnagar finally brings Koirala back – too little, too late – to conclude Maya’s arc, it becomes an exercise in unwarranted laughs. The takeaway here seems to be that great service staff in restaurants and stores is all that’s needed to change your perception about life. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The visuals are beautifully and dexterously captured by Cinematographer Sayak Bhattacharya’s lens. These frames along with the sound, designed by Manik Batra and his team are shrewdly and skilfully layered by Aarti Bajaj’s editing. Overall, Dear Maya, despite its follies, touches a raw nerve and makes you embrace the film wholeheartedly. Dear Maya Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The movie could have been exceptionally good if only the treatment was crisp and engaging. The screenplay after a point keeps dragging without any reasons, due to which the whole impact of the film gets diluted. Director Sunaina Bhatnagar’s slow treatment of the film, ruins the whole fun. The weak screenplay along with few unwanted scenes dilutes the flow of the film. ‘Dear Maya’ is sweet and charming in parts and in order to enjoy those you will have to add good amount of dragging scenes. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: We watch because of the performances. Madiha Imam, a Pakistani actress, is fine (except she also comes off far too polished in her college girl avatar: why are Bollywood’s college girls so annoyingly groomed?). Chaudhary looks the part, but gets a little stilted. But it’s good to have Manisha Koirala back. She is not scared to present an unvarnished, weathered face: there’s a lovely scene in which she tastes something for the first time, and smiles. She lights up. It is a moment. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Dear Maya does not deliver conventional entertainment nor does it favour high drama. If anything, the film’s even pitching proves that Sunaina Bhatnagar does not mind taking risks. And that is just the sort of filmmaker that Bollywood needs many more of. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: First things first. Dear Maya is a dear little gem of a film that you would want to hold close to your heart. As debutant director Sunaina Bhantangar charts a course through the heart of her beautiful protagonist Maya, the narrative tugs at your heartstrings without being manipulative or excessively maudlin. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: Dear Maya relies heavily on old-school-style time leaps — kids hold hand and by the time the camera pans to their faces, they are adults. Well, not exactly, but you get the hang of it. Had Sunaina focused on Maya a little more, the film would have been way better. As little else is of interest in the film, the fact that Manisha’s presence is limited to small bits in the beginning and towards the end makes it a rather stretched watch. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 stars Jolly LLB 2 – 3.2 stars Poorna – 3.2 stars Kaabil – 3.2 stars Rangoon – 3.1 stars Badrinath Ki Dulhania – 3 stars Haraamkhor – 3 stars The Ghazi Attack – 2.9 stars Raees – 2.9 stars Meri Pyaari Bindu – 2.5 stars Noor – 2.5 stars Ok Jaanu – 2.5 stars Naam Shabana – 2.5 stars Phillauri – 2.4 stars Running Shaadi – 2.4 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru’ Review – 2.3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: ‘Mirror Game’ is a psychological thriller that deals with serious conditions like Schizophrenia and Multiple Personality Disorder. The makers however, do not really explain what’s going through the mind of a person suffering from them. Mental illness is used to make the film more ‘exciting’, which is insensitive and doesn’t work either. You don’t see Jay struggling with the phantoms in his brain. He continues to be a highly functioning professor who can plot heinous crimes like a mastermind, even when he is off medication. Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The best part of Vijit Sharma’s film is that it is so layered that it surprises you at regular intervals. This 100-minute film doesn’t have any interval, adding brownie points to the film. A song-less thriller is what Bollwood needs right now and ‘Mirror Game’ has broken free from the traditional way of Indian filmmaking. The ‘Hollywoodish’ treatment of the film may prove to be the biggest obstacle in wooing Indian viewers. For it is too soon for a Bollywood flick to introduce the untouched genre of no nonsense filmmaking that is beyond the sensibilities of a regular Indian movie goer, but, again, there has to be a beginning. Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by IANS on Sify Rating: On the performance front; Parvin Dabas as the schizophrenic Jai Verma, Dhruv Bali as Ronnie, Shanti Akkineni as Tanya Verma, Sneha Ramchander as Detective Shenoy and Pooja Batra as Jai Verma’s friend and police psychologist Shonali, deliver nothing outstanding as actors and are thus perfunctory. Mounted with moderate production values, the production designs, which include the on-location shoots are accurate. Cinematographer Joshua Echevarria’s camera work is steady and his frames are realistic. The background score by Kasturi Nath Singh and Vishal Singh elevate the viewing experience. The fine layering of the sound and visuals by Shakti Hasija and Abhishek Seth is also worth a mention. Overall, Mirror Game: Ab Khel Shuru is a well-packaged film that will take you by surprise. Review by Shweta Kulkarni on The Nowrunning Rating: There is surprising restraint in background music and we thank the writer director for that. There is no presence of head-holding, hair-tearing hero going mad, no hysterical laughter that is usually seen in every Bollywood psych thriller. And for that the audience will be grateful. The title is odd, and the only explanation seems to be is that the writer-director wanted it to be ‘different’. The twist in the story is good, very good perhaps. If only the pacing of the story had been smarter. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: V. Sharma’s narration doesn’t help either and the climax is unintentionally laughable. The performance doesn’t excite either. Parvin Dabas is unable to get the shades in the script to portray the unpredictability of his character and its moves in a set routine and standard tone. Dhruv Bali is strictly bearable. Sneha Ramachander is just okay. Shanti Akkineni is better from the lot and Pooja Batra is horribly wasted. It appears that actors’ sequences are shot as per the convenience and availability of actors in America. MIRROR GAME – AB KHEL SHURU has nothing to offer, it’s ludicrously plotted, flawed and floundering right from the word go. Mirror Game Ab Khel Shuru Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The first half takes a lot of time to come on the right track. The treatment is super slow and lethargic at times. The thin line script has been highly stretched and unwanted scenes have been added at regular interval. Sadly, all the positive points get diluted due to the snail pace treatment of the film. The minimal happenings and forced confusion ruins the impact of the film. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 stars Jolly LLB 2 – 3.2 stars Poorna – 3.2 stars Kaabil – 3.2 stars Rangoon – 3.1 stars Badrinath Ki Dulhania – 3 stars Haraamkhor – 3 stars The Ghazi Attack – 2.9 stars Raees – 2.9 stars Meri Pyaari Bindu – 2.5 stars Noor – 2.5 stars Ok Jaanu – 2.5 stars Naam Shabana – 2.5 stars Phillauri – 2.4 stars Running Shaadi – 2.4 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dobaara See Your Evil ‘ Review – 2.1 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When it released, OCULUS turned out to be a rather path breaking film in the horror thriller genre which gradually builds up on the story revealing details as the film progress. However, in the case of DOBAARA, much of the story line is already known, which lends the viewer a sense of been there done that. But, despite this director Prawaal Raman undertakes the task of unravelling a horror mystery layer by layer as the film progresses. Sadly DOBAARA suffers from the same disease that plagues Indian horror films. Unfortunately despite the fact that the film could have been a stand out experience in this genre, it falters due to a rather underdeveloped screenplay and characterization. In fact, the first half of the film ends up being rather slow, with the progression on screen taking place at a snail’s pace. If that wasn’t all, each time the suspense builds up with the the audience expecting something to happen, the scene changes leaving the viewer in free fall. This sudden switching though acts as a roller coaster ride, becoming tiresome after a point. However, though the second half of the film does pick up in pace, sadly, the dual time lines and the constant switching back and forth leave the viewer disoriented and confused. With the duality of timelines and the never ending roller coaster ride, the audience eventually loses interest in the plot and keeps waiting for something to happen. Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Adapted from the Hollywood horror film Oculus (2013), Dobaara allows for some moments of fear, apprehension, dread and scare. Borrowing the template of the original, this paranormal thriller uses flashback as a technique to spook the audience and it is definitely above the desi horror, the Bollywood audience is subjected to. The recollections are a mix of illusions and nightmares that the lead players see, each time they look into the haunted mirror. This one had the potential to be more, but it seems so stretched at times that you are almost willng to get behind the screen yourself and kill someone. Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: As far as chemistry that you expect from real-life siblings Huma and Saqib go, there’s not much to be seen on the screen. But the second half, which is filled with some smart thrills and scary moments, redeems the film. Watch this if you are in the mood for a creepy film whose intention is to startle you, but not designed for gross shock value. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: All Huma Qureshi had to do to crack this, was to appear sufficiently petrified. But she sways from delirious to exhausting and like this film, is loud and insufferable. If Saqib Saleem has any potential, this film didn’t allow him to deliver on it. So, to be fair, he should be given a second chance so that we can see him on the big screen dobaara, provided he wisens up about the projects he picks. Agreed director Prawaal Raman has a faint body of work to defend or live up to. But this doesn’t entitle him to reduce horror to hilarity. To desi-fy a screenplay would mean adapting the same to meet local perceptions and expectations. Raman reads this as Ramsay-fying the witch and amplifying the howling. Review by Rajat Tripathi on Bollywood Life Rating: Dobaara is a movie where multiple timelines need to interlock and evoke confusion. The plot required the past and the present to merge to an extent that it made no sense, and paranoia ensued. But the ‘not making sense’ part was taken way too seriously, and the cuts literally made no sense. A scene that is left hanging in middle, fifteen minutes later, suddenly holds relevance to a whole different scene – and the switch between the two scenes is horrible. The background score adds zero value to the plot. It could have been done better. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Prawaal knows his strength and focusses more on jolt-giving scenes, but two scenes need a cohesive factor. However, Dobaara’s 145-minute duration saves him to some extent on this front. It’s a faithful remake of Oculus and can make your hair stand at times. Hindi filmmakers rarely achieve such finesse in mostly predictable paranormal stories. Feel the chills. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Dobaara: See Your Evil uses the tried and tested tropes of horror films and mixes them with the conventions of a psychological chamber drama. The resultant concoction is delivered with stylistic panache but without passion. Bollywood scare-fests tend to be more laughable than frightening. This one isn’t. But it is frequently too baffling for comfort. Teaming up with real-life sibling Saqib Saleem, Huma Qureshi, notwithstanding the improbably coiffured look that she wears through her supernatural ordeal, is never less than convincing as the petrified woman up against eerie elements she wants to tame. Saqib, too, is effective, if not consistent, as the boy who has been through hell. Review by Prasanna D Zore on Rediff Rating: Dobaara, at times, especially after the interval, gets repetitive with flashback flip-flops every second frame. That, in part, succeeds in spooking the viewer, but the background score doesn’t add to the eerie air that director Prawaal Raman tries to imbue the film with. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The best part of the film is its direction. Prawaal Raman is certainly one of the most underrated directors of our times. Handling a subject of a possessed mirror by keeping the thriller element alive till the last frame isn’t an easy job. The treatment of the film is its USP. Though it’s an official remake, Prawaal makes it look like a completely fresh film. The pace of the screenplay is a little sloppy especially in the first half (which is the only drawback of the film) but the second half will keep you glued till the climax. Prawaal’s films have their own set of spine chilling moments. Like his previous fares, this one too is spooky and intense but at the same time, unlikely to appeal to a certain strata of the society because it might prove to be too cerebral for the average viewer. But then again, we need filmmakers like Prawaal to keep the bar high. Keeping the commercial aspects alive, Dobaara is certainly a good watch in the horror genre. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Powered by brilliant performance by Huma and Saqib, DOBAARA: SEE YOUR EVIL gets an extra dose of chill thanks to their terrific chemistry and shifting of shades in their character that spins the surprise. It’s not that the traditions are not followed; Prawaal Raman gives tribute to the barking dogs, gloomy cellars, masks and of course a life-size mirror all are there but used smartly for maximum effect. Special mention for Adil is a must; the marble scene is a stealer. While others like Lisa and Madalina just pass the muster. Dobaara See Your Evil Review by Indiaglitz Rating: Director Prawaal Raman ends up delivering a mediocre project. The film fails to connect in its conversational as well as horror part. Huma Qureshi fails to get inside the skin of her character. Madalina Bellairu hams to the fullest. ‘Dobaara’ is an unworthy clone of its original film. Even the die-hard horror film lovers would prefer to stay away from this boring non-horror film. Review by Shweta Kulkarni on Nowrunning Rating: For a horror movie there are so much dialog you want to tear your hair out. There are no silences at all. The brother and the sister talk, talk and talk some more. And as the film crawls ahead, the dialog just becomes incoherent. It’s a relief to see credits roll. Review by Sonil Dedhia on Mid-Day India Rating: Dobaara has certain promising moments, but they are far and few, making the viewer impatient, and eventually uninterested. As the scares improve in the second half, with ghost-induced hallucinations dominating the action, the past and present start to overlap. These sequences are executed well but aren’t backed by good direction or acting. Review by IANS on Sify Rating: On the performance front, every actor seems to execute their part perfunctorily. Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem, though siblings in real life, seem to be distant on screen and their performance lacks lustre. They fail to internalise their fear and hence their act seems shallow and fake. Similarly, the enthusiasm of the character seems to be lost on Adil Hussain and Lisa Ray who plays his wife. This is evident when Adil mechanically recites the poem, “Fi fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of an English mana.” The rest of the characters seem like mere pawns on the board. Best Rated Films in 2017 Sachin A Billion Dreams – 3.7 stars Baahubali 2 – 3.5 stars Anaarkali of Aarah – 3.4 stars Trapped – 3.4 stars Hindi Medium – 3.2 stars Jolly LLB 2 – 3.2 stars Poorna – 3.2 stars Kaabil – 3.2 stars Rangoon – 3.1 stars Badrinath Ki Dulhania – 3 stars Haraamkhor – 3 stars The Ghazi Attack – 2.9 stars Raees – 2.9 stars Meri Pyaari Bindu – 2.5 stars Noor – 2.5 stars Ok Jaanu – 2.5 stars Naam Shabana – 2.5 stars Phillauri – 2.4 stars Running Shaadi – 2.4 stars Maatr – 2.3 stars Commando 2 – 2 stars Irada – 2 stars Half Girlfriend – 1.9 stars Sarkar 3 – 1.9 stars Mona Darling – 1.9 stars Kung-Fu Yoga – 1.9 stars Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana – 1.6 stars Coffee With D – 1.5 stars Machine – 1 stars Aagaya Hero – 1 stars