Category - Bollywood

Raaz Reboot has been trashed by the critics – which is expected because it’s not the kind of film that you expect critics to like. Except one review, critics have unanimously rejected Raaz Reboot. It’s the first film this year to score an average of less than 2 stars. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Raaz Reboot’ Review – 1.7 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Raaz Reboot Review by Indicine Rating: The movie which was supposed to kick-start the Raaz franchise is looking more and more like the death nail to the franchise. The spooky moments are few and far between, and even the ones which are there aren’t quite as impactful because the effects are stereotypical and the Vfx is downright insulting to the audience. They should have spent more time on rendering the Vfx. Ignoring all that, Raaz Reboot doesn’t work as a film either because the narrative is too slow and the pacing too uneven. Raaz Reboot Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When RAAZ REBOOT’s trailers got released, it definitely upped the curiosity factor amongst the audiences. And the film does not disappoint. Even though RAAZ REBOOT’s screenplay (Vikram Bhatt) gets into the cliched space at times, it is definitely tight and gripping. It successfully manages to keep the audiences engaged and hooked to the film till the end. And it is purely because of this that the attention of the audience refrains from dwindling till the end. The film’s narrative is simple and lucid. The film does have a handful of memorable and hard hitting dialogues (Girish Dhamija), mostly in the second half. Raaz Reboot Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: The film has one very decent twist post interval that saves the film from being an absolute mess. I am not going to reveal that to you, but it could surprise people who have certain expectations about the film and its protagonists. Raaz Reboot is one such rare Bollywood film where the second half is better than the first half of the film, but that doesn’t stop the film from touching mediocrity at places. There are a couple of engaging sequences here that will mildly pique your interest. But it will also make you doubt whether it is too late to save the film by then, also leaving a lot of questions in the wake. Amidst the performers, Gaurav Arora is actually the best amongst the lot, speaking a lot through his eyes. Despite having nothing much to do in the first half, Emraan Hashmi gets to score in a few scenes in the second half, especially in the confrontation scenes with Gaurav. Raaz Reboot Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Suck on that, all ye who propagate the use of garlic buds and crosses to defeat blood-sucking vampires. Whether is ‘des’ or ‘vides’, no ‘buri aatmaa’ or plain vanilla ‘bhoots’ can stand up against the might of the ‘mangalsutra’. Or, we must hasten to add, a plaintive ‘sufi’ song. One is enough. Both together can chase anything away from anywhere, including the poor chumps who have paid to be scared. Raaz Reboot Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Meanwhile, you will keep spotting Hotel Transylvania, a Gypsy woman and other clichés, so that you don’t feel out of sync. Don’t forget it’s a Vikram Bhatt film. The cleric’s failed exorcism bid means God’s reputation is at stake and that calls for some extreme measures. The rest is a permutation and combination of words – ‘spirit’, ‘possessed’, ‘danger’, ‘haunted’ and ‘Jesus’. Soulful music will soothe your ears, and Emraan Hashmi is also there. Some initial scenes of arguments between Rehaan and Shaina are well written, but that’s about it. Review by Tatsam Mukherjee on India Today Rating: To be honest, Raaz Reboot is not a boring film. It is so unintentionally hilarious that they might as well have marketed this as India’s first ‘unintentionally-hilarious-horror-comedy with violins and sex’. The music of the movie is scored by Jeet Ganguly, who churns out melodies to justify his monthly paycheck from Vishesh Films. Same old Arijit Singh wailing in the recording studio and the same old melodies. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Emran Hashmi must have has a whale of a time in this film. He is Aditya again. This time a Creative Director, photographer who has had a passionate affair with Shanaya (rehashed… I mean ‘Rebooted’ character), and just like Prithvi who drew slashed wrists pictures, this time he dreams vivid dreams…By the time the music has lulled you into thinking you have heard these tunes before, thankfully spirits have emerged from the possessed girl in a black smoke and crashed into the windows and it is daylight again (the ushers in the theater have opened the ‘exit’ doors for you). It’s a relief from this terribly rehashed story. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As for the thrill factor, Raaz Reboot uses every possible formula used in thousands of horror films in the past- creaking doors, a sinister raven, a possessed person who can climb walls and levitate et al. Indeed, it is time Bollywood filmmakers realized that they need to move beyond this if they ever hope to scare viewers (maybe they could go watch Radhika Aptestarrer Phobia to know how to send a shiver up everyone’s spines). If that was not all, the amateurish CGI effects are so laughable that there is no chance of being afraid of anything that the film throws at you. When I heard that the film has been set in Transylvania, I had hoped against hope for a story flirting with the legend of Dracula, but alas! It all boils down to old-fashioned revenge and predictable twists and turns. The music is totally forgettable and except for Hashmi’s ‘bad boy’ charm, there is nothing really worth watching in the film. Review by Namrata Thakker on Rediff Rating: Raaz Reboot is full cliches and will remind of you of a few horror movies in both Bollywood and Hollywood. Kriti Kharbanda, who makes her Bollywood debut with this film, is strictly okay. Since most of the film is riding on her, it’s sad that she doesn’t take advantage of it and gives a not-so-great performance. Gaurav Arora is surprisingly good but his character doesn’t have much to do. Emraan Hashmi arrives just before the interval and though he has quite a few good scenes, it’s not enough to make up for the loopholes. Though the Bhatt movies have always had melodious music, this one doesn’t match up. Most of the songs aren’t needed but are still there, making the viewing experience worse. Also, the spirit for some reason keeps using the F-word, which gets quite annoying. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Fortunately, the performances are above what we have come to expect from films in this genre from this production house. Now, Kriti Kharbanda and Gaurav Arora have a lot of chemistry-free, flat moments. But, individually, they do well to scare and be scared. I enjoyed Emraan Hashmi’s performance too. He keeps you guessing to the best of his capabilities. That he is let down by the writing department is another story. I was engaged more than I expected to be. I had inadvertently tight muscles till the culprit was obvious. But then again, I scare easily. If you want to be spooked but not too seriously, you could just skim through this one when there’s nothing else on TV. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Directed by Vikram Bhatt, ‘Raaz Reboot’ makes use of all the clichés to scare the audience and hence falls flat towards the end. The 2001 release ‘Raaz’, which was directed by Vikram Bhatt, was a sincere effort at making a ‘horror flick’ and was able to send a chill down the spine. But like every other sequel, this one also disappoints. ‘Raaz Reboot’ will make you remember how many of our horror films were made in the past with its black crows, hidden pasts, stale love triangles. Run-of-the-mill dialogues by Girish Dhamija are woven with boring love scenes. The film’s ‘chill factor’ rests on the shoulders of an ugly ghost, who tries hard to scare the audience, but leaves everyone disappointed instead. The facial expressions of the ghost tend to have the opposite effect on the audience and unintentionally bring out more laughs than screams. I guess we can never match the standards of Hollywood demons on screen, be it the background or VFX. Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: Doors keep slamming on their own, strange whispers keep echoing throughout and the girl sees horrific things but none of it disturbs you, let alone be worried. Also since it’s a reboot, a twist in the tale is guaranteed. You can see it from a mile away, something our ‘clever’ heroine fails to gauge till the end. The dialogues and overall sensibility are equally cheesy. The film implies that ‘Pyaar hi Bhagwan hai’ and that Mangal sutra can act as a suraksha kavach for a woman. There’s also a blind man who knows ‘psychometry’ – the power of touching things, feeling them and understanding their energy. “Two mouths! She has been possessed by an evil spirit,” he screams in disbelief as he studies Shaina’s mug. Tsk tsk. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: The performances of the cast too are perfunctory. Gaurav Arora and Kriti Karbanda are un-relatable as the couple Rehaan and Shaina. Their characters lack the chemistry and their ordeal, panic and grief all seem forced. Nevertheless, Kriti shows promise. Apart from the oomph factor, her transformation into a feral woman with frenzied energy, is worth a mention. Emraan Hashmi as Aditya, Shaina’s past and the antagonist of the tale, walks through his performance. The rest of the cast which include Amar and Shreya – the couple’s friends, Trilok – the blind psychometrist, the clairvoyant and the priest, have their moments of on screen glory. The music, along with the background score, too is passable. With moderate production values, the film is well-mounted. Manoj Soni’s cinematography is worth a mention. He captures the scenic locales in all their glory. And his frames seamlessly merge with the computer generated effects. Overall, “Raaz Reboot” is mediocre fare and may appeal only to fans of the “Raaz” franchise. Review by Sameeksha on News18 Rating: Raaz Reboot has nothing new to offer, even the old offerings have been executed badly. The entire setup in Romania, Dracula’s own country, could’ve been exploited more but the makers didn’t even cash in the scenic beauty of the place. The music is the only average thing in this poorly made film. The lazy installment of Raaz franchise does not deserve your time. Looks like the makers lost their own spirit while making the film and ended up making one of the most boring films of the year. Now Bhatts should understand that time has come to get out of past and make films with more vigour, vision and new story. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: This one, of course, is the fourth installment of Raaz. It’s called Reboot, I’m told, because of some copyright issues. Besides a couple of ‘Raazes’, one loses count of how many such pictures Vikram Bhatt has filmed in the past — Intehaa, Aetbaar, 1920, Shapit, Haunted etc. etc. Sure, it’s predictable stuff. But that’s to do with the genre, which like mindless comedy, is fairly easy to judge or appreciate. There is a meter ticking inside your head that registers how many times you’ve felt fear inside the dark hall. That’s pretty much it. And I’m sorry, I felt nothing. To be fair (up until a fine climax), they don’t try too hard to scare us much either. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Gaurav Arora perseveres to lend dignity to his perplexed Rehaan but his character’s lazily-written lines take away from his performance. For the record, Rehaan’s sexual abstinence remains a raaz even after the film ends. One would imagine that Emraan Hashmi has carved his own niche by now. But his home production stretches his part beyond tolerance and dunks his oversized wig in sewage to undo his worth by at least ten years. The perennially wailing debutante, Kriti Kharbanda had the worst deal. Her possessed character is made to wolf down crunchy cockroaches, bend over backwards and lie in a pool of her own mucky drool. Luckily, her OTT makeup eclipses her face and she can make her debut again. If Vikram Bhatt fancies himself as a weaver of stories, he’s gone over the hemline of logic here. Leaning on tested techniques of evoking fear, the eventual jolt never lives up to the build-up. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The actors didn’t get good support from the script but do their job with honesty. Emraan Hashmi is decent. Rehan impresses and Kirti Kharbanda makes an attempt. RAAZ REBOOT continues Vikram Bhatt’s obsession to the ‘possessed’ movies from the west, mansion, church, old town, good spirit, bad spirit everything happens. Raaz Reboot Review by Indiaglitz Rating: It’s a bland film with forced scenes, language and nudity.Gaurav Arora tries hard to carry the film on his young shoulders but mostly fails. Emraan Hashmi is strictly average in the movie, though you will like his make-up in the finale portions. The makers could have made a much better film only if they would had added more depth and detailing to Emraan’s character. ‘Raaz: Reboot’ is nothing but rehash of all the old horror films Vikram and his team have made. The saddest part is that the horror quotient is not even one fourth of what we had seen in his earlier films. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Unfortunately Emraan doesn’t allow himself to be as freed of inhibitions as the character affords. His role and performance have one foot caught in the door even as soul pines to soar. Gaurav Arora and Kriti Kharbanda grappling with a marriage that seems to be going wrong even as a ghost makes an unwanted entry in their lines, put up a brave show. Both are made to perform scenes that make them look sordid and messed up on screen. Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars

Emraan Hashmi’s career has been faltering lately with a string of failures at the box office. Nothing seems to be...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Pink’ Review – 4 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Pink Review by Indicine Rating: Anirrudha Roy Choudhury brings his years of experience and talent to Hindi cinema with an assured debut that doesn’t shy away from the hard facts about how women are treated in India by the educated AND also the uneducated men. The story is brought together in a harrowing recollection through the court room scenes. Pink gets straight to the point from the get go and doesn’t miss a beat in the first half. It is a story that almost every Indian woman will identify with because the experience that these women go through is not uncommon. At all. The courtroom scenes in the second half are stellar even if they are a tad bit over dramatic. Anirrudha Roy Choudhury makes one of the best directorial debuts of the year with Pink. Pink works because like Shoojit’s Piku and Vicky Donor, it gets the Delhi milieu right. This time they capture the South Delhi aspect perfectly. The detailing in the movie is one of the finer aspects of the movie. The production design and the costume design are apt. The editing is very good and doesn’t linger on to a scene for longer than required. Pink’s background music isn’t grating and highlights the moments in the film all too well. Pink Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: When PINK’s promos came out, one expected an edgy and a realistic cinema. The fact is that PINK does not disappoint at all in this aspect. It boasts of a gripping screenplay that holds your attention till the end. Despite the film’s slow narrative, especially in the first half, it keeps you engaged and hooked. The film has some hard hitting dialogues (Ritesh Shah), which elevates the situations and the corresponding elements. Do not miss the entire courtroom drama, especially when Amitabh Bachchan grills Taapsee Pannu and Angad Bedi and also when Kirti Kulhari breaks down in the courtroom. The film’s director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, who happens to be a big name in Bengali cinema makes his Bollywood debut with PINK as a master storyteller. While he uses the first half to just set up the film, it’s actually the gripping second half that helps the film in reaching its crescendo. The manner in which Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury has extracted realistic performances from the film’s actors is definitely laudable. Despite the film being rich in content, the film does carry a grim feel due to its subject matter. Also, the film does not explain certain elements very clearly like the relationship between Amitabh Bachchan with an ailing lady named Sarah. Another big loophole was that, despite Taapsee Pannu’s character being molested in a car the second time, there is not mention of such a major event in the court case. Also, the scene of Kirti Kulhari’s fake ‘obscene poster’ that costs her the job, seems totally forced into the film. Pink Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Pink is a powerful statement on the existing feudal mindset of a majority of India, where men and women are judged by a different yardstick. And if the man happens to be from a powerful family, then the fight for justice is even more skewed. Pink Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: This is the third renaissance in Amitabh Bachchan’s career. After masterfully playing a concerned grandpa harbouring a secret in Ribhu Dasgupta’s Te3n, he returns with this megawatt performance where he packs in his quiet reserve and explosive outbursts with equal flourish. While his death stare is sufficient to do the job, when he drops the bass and picks it up again in his dialogues, we’re assured the baritone is trademark. Taapsee Pannu distinctly stands out from the female cast and lends her Meenal Arora a feisty edge of a determined woman. Kirti Kulhari’s Falak is portrayed throughout the film as the most collected of the three but when her character is thrown from the pan to fire, even she cracks. Daughter of Shillong-based musician Rudy Wallang and guitarist of Lavender Groove, Andrea Tariang may be an accidental actor but going by the Andrea she essays on the big screen, we’d surely like to see more of this petite wonder. Veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee’s voice may have turned a bit quivery with age, but he draws much attention through his dramatic pauses and his almost-clinical dialogue delivery. Pink Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Bachchan, like Sunny Deol from that iconic pic, plays a retired lawyer who returns to fight a case worth fighting for, in a riveting court-room drama, with Bachchan’s relatively under-stated baritone serving as the much needed voice of reason. So, yeah, you know where this film is coming from. What I’m interested in, or at least we ought to be, is where this film is going — ideally to all those people and places in India, still grappling with a seemingly radical idea that men and women are just, well, you know, equal. It’s shocking, as Pink puts it, the views some of the most unlikely men hold about women — on the basis of how they dress, what they drink, who they love, where they live… Even as we see more and more females in public, party, and work places. Yes, Pink does compel you to think. And that’s not all it does. Review by Anusha Iyengar on Bollywood Life Rating: The courtroom scenes are cut to cut without any unnecessary scenes about interrogations and finding the proofs, or any songs for that matter. There is not one soul in the movie that has disappointed the audience with their acting skills. Piyush Mishra, who plays the role of the prosecution lawyer, has done exceptionally well. His performance will make you hate him so much that you’ll whistle and clap every time Big B has brilliant comeback to his accusations. And we meant that as a compliment to him. Even the girls have delivered a terrific performance. Not to forget, the dialogues are to the point and witty. The second half of the movie is more gripping and Big B steals the show in the second half. The last scene in the movie is bound to give you the chills. This is Bengali film director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Bollywood debut and is produced by Shoojit Sircar. All in all, this is the Movie of the Year for me. I urge you to watch it with your family and friends. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: The film is a must-watch on many levels. The first half of the film is dedicated to establishing the main characters and the mysterious incident that provoked the legal action. Indeed, there is a sense of mystery about what actually happened that night and the director skillfully and slowly unravels the plot in the second half. The second half is a cracking legal thriller as the two lawyers indulge in a no-holds barred legal battle to establish the truth and is a sheer delight for fans of courtroom dramas. However, Pink is not just a legal thriller. Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury raises many pertinent questions about what constitutes acceptable behavior for women, the hypocrisy of genders, the concept of morals in an Indian society and the question of consent. My only complaint with the film is that though it is gripping on an emotional level and kept me engaged till the very end, the final judgement in the case seemed more influenced by a moving speech rather than proving of facts and law points. Nevertheless, the film could not have come at a better time- even in this era, when women are still expected to adhere to certain guidelines to avoid being molested or raped, a dose of Pink is what everyone needs this weekend… Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: On the flip side, the first half takes it time to set the court room drama. Falak’s ouster from her job sequence lacks conviction. It’s a theme based film, those looking for wholesome entertainment will be put off. All said and done, PINK is an essential piece of cinema. Having Mr. Bachchan in an act which nobody can afford to miss, the topical courtroom drama questioning the mindset of the society on women and the prevailing double standards demands compulsory viewing. Do yourself a favour, watch PINK. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The only weak link in this film is the elderly lawyer played by Amitabh Bachchan. Deepak Sehgall, we are told, is suffering from bipolar disorder, which means mood swings, which means Bachchan alternating between chewing out dialogue and being growly and forced. He takes on the girls’ case, and we want to cheer because he is the Bachchan and will make everything come right. But because he is Bachchan, the director handles him with kid gloves, and there goes the naturalism with which everyone else is playing their parts so effectively. Review by Devarsi Ghosh on India Today Rating: As for the performances, Mr Sehgal’s role is a cakewalk for Amitabh Bachchan. Piyush Mishra’s acting has become very predictable and his turn as the slimy lawyer here too delivers no surprises. Taapsee Pannu is excellent, but more so is Kirti Kulhari. It is refreshing to see her in a strong, demanding role after a promising performance in 2011’s Shaitaan. And last but not the least, Angad Bedi. Bedi, as the spoiled son of a politician, rages and froths with hyper-virile masculinity and institutional entitlement. He is a treat to watch. Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Pink has its fair share of hiccups. In a scene, Bachchan tells the judge, “Your honour, I am digressing”, just like the uneven second half. The court room scenes are epic because of the dialogues and Bachchan’s execution, but they tend to get a bit predictable along the way. Also, it would have been a treat to get us a short back story for Bachchan’s battle with his mental disorder and how he came to be the way he is. The North Indian girl angle with Andrea seemed weak and an attempt to up the drama quotient. It didn’t flow with the narrative that well. Piyush Mishra’s lawyer act is loud and he could have done a way with his trademark diction and style of talking. Pink is a film every woman and every man must watch. It carries an important message. And even if it changes the mindset of one percent of the country’s population, it’s a big win. Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Every single actor has upped the ante in this 136-minute riveting drama. If Taapsee excels in initial courtroom scenes, Kirti takes it to a whole new level in the finale. The girls have shown a tremendous range and Pink belongs to them. Nobody has overshadowed them, not even Bachchan or a shrewd lawyer Prashant, played by a super intense Piyush Mishra. Vijay Verma, who plays Angad Bedi’s friend Ankit in the film, also leaves his mark. He has shown a lot of promise in a cameo. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Pink is no moral lesson on women empowerment, but it hits home when dealing with matters of what constitutes consent among adults. The scene in which Bachchan, an ageing lawyer who represents these women, spells out the significance of the word ‘no’ is understandably theatrical and manipulative, but it weirdly works. Pannu and her on-screen friends must take a bow for lending such grace and gravitas to their roles. You feel their collective anger and helplessness of living in a male-chauvinistic world filled with double-standards and moral policing. It’s also interesting that the director didn’t stoop to dwell on the graphic details of the sexual violence that took place at the party, but trains his lens and his energies on the devastating effects felt by women instead. Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala Rating: The best thing about the film is its telling, its narrative. The film (right till the end) doesn’t show the actual sexual assault on women yet manages the viewers to empathise with them. The film never titillates, neither does it use disturbing visuals to cajole sympathy out of its viewers and it’s this non manipulative treatment of the film that makes it a class apart. Little things in the movie stand out like the strong bond the three female protagonists share. There is a quotable quote in their house that reads, ‘What I love the most about this house is who I share it with.’ The first half, though slightly slow, shows the incident as is, without ever taking sides or preaching and creating just the right build-up for the brilliant courtroom drama in the second half. A film like Pink is so imperative that everyone must watch it. We as a nation keep telling our girls, our daughters and our wives to behave a certain way, to dress a certain way, to even talk a certain way so that they are not misread or misunderstood. Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: The strength of the film, apart from its great performances, are its taut screenplay and dialogues. Flavoured with a language that the youth of today will relate to, the dialogues are hard-hitting and strike a chord immediately, as they are packed with relevant messages. Humour comes in the form of the satirical dialogues, and lightens the tenor of the otherwise intense film. With moderate production values, Cinematographer Abhik Mukhopadhay`s lens captures the drama in a realistic manner. The only song in the film, “Kaari kaari raina”, is used effectively to encapsulate the mood and messages in the film. Overall, ‘Pink’ is an evocative film about women, brimming with messages relevant for society, and keeps you riveted to the screen. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: You wish Tapsee Pannu did not have to be such a wuss at the trial (remember Jodie Foster in The Accused? You want that!). You wish the film had been crisper. You wish there was at least one Amitabh Bachchan dialog you could take home with you. ‘No means no’ does have the same drama as Sunny Deol’s ‘Tareekh pe tareekh’ or the laconic brilliance of ‘Tera naam kya hai Basanti’… Watch it because you cannot miss out on a film that attempts to talk about a subject that needs talking about. Just remember that the subject alone does not make it an amazing film. Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Pink eventually goes from a nightmare to a film of wish-fulfilment, because not just do we have Bachchan as a stupefyingly articulate orator scolding witnesses with panache “I object… to this awkward performance. He is overacting.” — but we have Dhritiman Chatterjee playing a judge who understands rhetoric. If that entire courtroom drama feels too good to be true, that’s because, soberingly enough, it is. Amitabh Bachchan isn’t around to stand by our women. We should be. Pink Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The first half of the film is very slow and keeps testing your patience level. There are minor tracks related to Amitabh Bachchan’s personal life, which could have been avoided. Amitabh Bachchan’s personal life not justified. The writers should have added some more detailing related to working structure of Amitabh Bachchan as he is shown getting all the right evidences and details related to the case. Everything is shown very easily in the film without any hard-ship attached to it. Music is weak and needed few good background songs to work in favour of the film. ‘Pink’ is a colorful rendering of various emotions and power packed screenplay. The masses might find a bit hard to digest this movie, but for all others it’s a must watch. Review by Mehul S Thakkar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Not undermining the efforts of other talent who make the film, as a whole, a very gratifying watch. Taapsee has graduated to an extraordinary actress managing to hold the viewer’s attention despite having Mr Bachchan in the same frame. Ditto for Falak and Andrea who deliver a power packed performance in crucial scenes of the film. Review by Anupama Chopra on NDTVMovies Rating: The first half works as a thriller and the second as a courtroom drama. Aniruddha keeps the scenes tight and tense. The writing by Ritesh Shah is terrific. So are the performances. The women – Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang – don’t seem like they’re acting. These are women you and I might know, strong and vulnerable, angry and confused. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: Pink is not easy viewing. It makes you uncomfortable and is a stark reminder that this could happen to any Indian woman anywhere, not just in Delhi. It works as much as a cautionary tale as it does a wake-up call. The writing, by Ritesh Shah, is excellent, and the performances are consistently terrific. From actors in smaller roles – the girls’ landlord, the unsympathetic female cop, the instigating friend – to the central players, there isn’t a false note here. Angad Bedi is suitably menacing, and Tapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang deliver natural performances as strong but emotionally vulnerable women, without a hint of affectation. Amitabh Bachchan uses his booming baritone to great effect, and despite such contrivances as his bipolar disorder, his ailing wife, and his habit of wearing an anti-pollution mask, he creates a fully flesh and blood character that you can’t stop yourself from cheering for in the end. A word here also for Dhritiman Chatterjee who is so good, so effective as the elderly judge. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: This brings us to the performances. Each actor big or small brings such vast amounts of credibility to his or her part that you are left with a feeling of having witnessed a surge of unostentatious excellence. The neglected Kirti Kulhari comes into her own as Falak with a lot to conceal in her life. Kulhari plays the character with such moral equity she leaves us no room to judge her blemishes. Her breakdown in the courtroom will shake every member of the audience, man woman or child. In contrast Tapsee Pannu who plays the main target of gender assault sheds no tears. She conveys her character’s textured torment with an austerity of expression that is remarkable. Andrea as the girl from Meghalaya who gets caught in the vortex of a murky scandal is the portrait of vulnerability. But it is finally the mighty Bachchan who holds the key to this remarkable film’s incontestable power and efficacy. He is the voice of reason and the conscience of a morality tale where right and wrong are not easily identifiable. Yet when he sets forth reasons as to why a no from a woman means no,we are looking not at a rousing courtroom performance but a voice that ricochets through generations of patriarchal smugness. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: In Amitabh Bachchan films, I always admire how you tend to forget the actor and remember the character he played, especially while you are watching the film. Here I was slightly worried that the film might become about this mentally deteriorating lawyer. But, the film is only and only about the issue. The lawyer, the victims, the culprits serve only one purpose – to bring the issue forth. And of course there is a sermon. It is broken into pieces and is not one long lecture. But it is a speech nevertheless. That Amitabh Bachchan is delivering it, makes you listen to it with rapt attention. That it is about a topic that means something to you, helps you too. But hey, it is a sermon nevertheless. And my problem with them is that they jolt you out of the story making you realise again that it is a film you are watching. Equally jarring is the song that abruptly begins in the background. Also, a little less of the setup and a little more of the courtroom drama would have worked better. Best Rated Films in 2016 Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars

Shoojit Sircar is one of the best directors we have in Bollywood right now and his attachment to a movie is a sureshot...