Karan Anshuman reviews
61 reviews of Indian films, average rating 2.3/5.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is back. Taking a break from producing uncharacteristic bilge like Rowdy Rathore, he storms the helm again to have a go at what he knows…
Read the full reviewIf only Khanna had not taken a populist script and tried to put his non-commercial spin on it, Ishk Actually might've still been saved.
Read the full reviewThe screenplay pushes the story to its limits, never hesitating to go the distance. Sometimes it’s predictable, and other times it is simplistic but mostly it surprises with its moxie.
Read the full reviewShortcut Romeo has it all – racism, classism, and every other ism you can think of.
Read the full reviewAs much as I’d like to reward Lootera for it’s craft I firmly believe that films can only win you over with the ability to tell a story. And this is where Lootera falters. It allows you to drift away.
Read the full reviewYou can kill time with Shree, but as Benjamin Franklin said, “Lost time is never found again.” By the way, he also said, “Time is money.”
Read the full reviewYou can kill time with Shree, but as Benjamin Franklin said, “Lost time is never found again.” By the way, he also said, “Time is money.”
Read the full reviewYou can kill time with Shree, but as Benjamin Franklin said, “Lost time is never found again.” By the way, he also said, “Time is money.”
Read the full reviewMohit Suri is a director who knows his craft and he continues to make cinema with certitude and heart. Aashiqui 2’s delicate handling certainly feels more than mere execution of a script.
Read the full reviewImages from each of the stories will stay with you for a long time: It is genuinely not possible for me to pick a favorite or rank them in any order as tempting an idea it might sound.
Read the full reviewThis is a film designed for the lower stalls and to keep the box office register ringing. It has zero cinematic value.
Read the full reviewBut here’s the conundrum and the most interesting bit: the tweens and teens enthralled with SOTY are going to love Gippi too.They aren’t going to care that the conflict took a while coming, before the slice-of-life film turned…
Read the full reviewGo Goa Gone will, hopefully, encourage filmmakers to explore new genres, let go of legacy concepts, and inject some energy into the lackluster, zombified rut of films we seem to be stuck with.
Read the full reviewBut at its heart, Aurangzeb is about family dominated by a parent-son theme.
Read the full reviewUnfortunately, all that Hum Hain Rahi Car Ke has in common with the film it puns its title on is, well, the pun on the title. Otherwise it is about as unmemorable a movie you’re going to watch this summer.
Read the full reviewThe problem with Ishqk in Paris is that it is too convenient a love story and ends on a faux note that is simply not who the characters are no matter how much the circumstances might’ve changed overnight for them.
Read the full reviewIf YJHD had released in 2001, a month after Dil Chahta Hai, it’d be no more unique than it is today.
Read the full reviewFor the assemblage of talent on this enterprise and their philistine outlook, their contemplation and subsequent visualization of ideas on art (for example they often confused Expressionism with Dadaism) and cinema…
Read the full reviewAnkur Arora has an important point to make and a scary reality to represent.
Read the full reviewThere’s a lot to like in Fukrey. It sticks to the subtle and shies away from the tomfoolery and slapstick you’ve come to expect in films of the genre. However, a few shortcomings keep Fukrey from hitting the bullseye.
Read the full reviewEnemmy had somme potential as a thriller of with a Rashommon-esque touch as it entirely revolves a single key incident and has three parties trying to…
Read the full reviewRaanjhanaa flows like good poetry. It is arguably the best love story of the year so far, the kind of film others in the genre should aspire.
Read the full reviewthe first half soon puts the mood in order with some hilarious sequences and a decent plot that keeps the audience guessing how it’s going to end.After this third film, one can only surmise that Gupta gets enthused with some…
Read the full reviewDabangg is now officially a genre. Here are some of the salient features of the category and how Policegiri fits perfectly in. The film has to be about a cop. And he must be corrupt.
Read the full reviewPerhaps Sixteen tries to appease to one audience too many. Teens of course, who will seek empathy in the story and its characters, but also adults.
Read the full reviewRight then, the bottom line is that you should watch this film for two reasons that supersede all else. Farhan Akhtar shows tremendous commitment in his role as the Flying Sikh.
Read the full reviewthe movie is acutely self-aware of what it’s aspiring for. There’s not an iota of realism or truth to be found. There’s no substitute for being original. And RV is merely a substitute for other once-upon-a-time original films.
Read the full reviewFollowing up on his exceptional Delhi Safari, Director Nikhil Advani continues to reinvent himself with D-Day, a well-crafted, violent drama balanced with an introspective mood that can loosely be indexed under historical fiction.
Read the full reviewThere’s no real meat – not even to last the modest runtime of under 100 minutes – to make CCSC memorable in any way.
Read the full reviewThere’s no real meat – not even to last the modest runtime of under 100 minutes – to make CCSC memorable in any way.
Read the full reviewAn individual opinion in such critic-proof films is like a smashed up secondary car in a Rohit Shetty convoy: it amuses momentarily.
Read the full reviewEven though the film ever-so-slightly under-delivers, we should be blessed that it got made at all.
Read the full reviewSatyagraha tackles corruption at a basic and national level. Unlike his other films, Jha merely highlights the issue here garnishing it with brief emotional moments that work. But this time, his target audience is aware.
Read the full reviewIf Salim-Javed do watch this film, one wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to give the money and ‘core story’ credit back and disassociate themselves from…
Read the full reviewInspired by Box 507 (Spain, 2002), John Day is a slow, cumbersome watch that takes too much time to tell too little. John Day claims to be an “edge of the seat thriller” on its poster.
Read the full reviewShould you watch Shuddh Desi Romance? Yes. It's light, it's unconventional, it's still Bollywood, and it breaks the fourth wall in more ways than one. Ignore the hiccups, and there's no reason you won't enjoy it.
Read the full reviewThis is the highest rating I’ve given to a horror film. I’m not sure I’d have rated even the widely acclaimed The Conjuring much higher. But it’s me, not the genre. No matter how hard I try, horror movies don’t affect me.
Read the full reviewGrand Masti is unabashedly gross, vulgar, crass, shameless and fearlessly adult.
Read the full reviewCould a simple lunchbox and its contents change lives? One of the best films to come out of India in a long time, director Ritesh Batra answers the question in his little masterpiece, The Lunchbox.
Read the full reviewNo audience is gullible enough to fall for the same rigmarole week after week. Besharam is just one more in the pile of masala excess. There’s nothing new here.
Read the full reviewI’ve had my fill with these South Indian action-comedy remakes (Boss is based on the Malayalam Pokkiri Raja) and I suspect you have too.
Read the full reviewDirector Hansal Mehta has done a remarkable job chronicling the true tale of slain advocate Shahid Azmi and bringing it to the mainstream.
Read the full reviewMickey Virus is a half-decent effort that tries to marry a (now quickly getting old) Delhi setting and hackers with their gizmos in a comic caper.
Read the full reviewKrrish 3 is a film for kids. Despite the relentless violence and a clobbering of the senses, there’s nothing here for anyone older than age 9 (let’s hope they still believe in science over god).
Read the full reviewSatya 2 didn’t need to be called Satya 2. There’s no connection to the original Satya whatsoever.
Read the full reviewIt skims across themes: coming-of-age, social message, fictional biopic of the fall and rise and dwells on none. It starts and ends as a musical with none of the eventual relevance that it yearned for.
Read the full reviewIt skims across themes: coming-of-age, social message, fictional biopic of the fall and rise and dwells on none. It starts and ends as a musical with none of the eventual relevance that it yearned for.
Read the full reviewIt skims across themes: coming-of-age, social message, fictional biopic of the fall and rise and dwells on none. It starts and ends as a musical with none of the eventual relevance that it yearned for.
Read the full reviewTo be fair, the scene of the central conflict – where the protagonist must choose between a loved one and his principles – is solid and sets the tone effectively.
Read the full reviewIt works as an idea – the idea of winning the girl back by changing yourself and empowering villagers – but it’s not new. Why, Lagaan is invoked on multiple occasions in the soundtrack and dialogue.
Read the full reviewClub 60’s heart lies in its writing – specifically dialogue – and the stellar show by its cast. The screenplay breaks many contemporary conventions in its construction.
Read the full reviewClub 60’s heart lies in its writing – specifically dialogue – and the stellar show by its cast. The screenplay breaks many contemporary conventions in its construction.
Read the full reviewAs a businessman, Prabhu Dheva has mastered the formula. But how long will the audience want to watch the same content – the same old fight and dance – repackaged over and over with different actors? Ask yourself.
Read the full reviewCon artists, rainy Goa, casinos, a porn star – Gustad had the nut game but his approach is cavalier. The narrative – aspiring to be sharp and stylish – ends up lackluster and disjointed with not a single moment of high energy.
Read the full reviewLiftman: I only push buttons, nothing more. And that’s precisely why I blow my savings on a film like this. 3 hours of non-stop energy.
Read the full reviewJBC is an over-the-top and loud slapstick comedy that you have to be in a large group and a really giggly mood to enjoy.
Read the full reviewA melange of genres, the genesis of Dedh Ishqiya’s moods might’ve roots in the works of a cross-section of cinema – but it stays consistent to the form it chooses and creates an atmosphere that only comes when hearing good poetry.
Read the full reviewWTF’s first half blazes by and feels dramatically shorter than the length it actually is, even though at 102 minutes, the film hardly taxes you with its length.
Read the full reviewBut it is a strange, heavy-handed film that staunchly refuses to entertain until the very end (and even here, you know exactly what’s coming).
Read the full reviewBajatey Raho is the kind of film that cuts for a good promo. It has the requisite visual elements coupled with a satirical song that hints at a perfect combination of a Khosla ka Ghosla meets Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye resulting in a…
Read the full reviewThe good news is that Nasha isn’t as bad as you thought it’d be.The bad news is that it’s still quite bad. Nasha is not entirely the sleaze-fest one was led to believe it would be. The film’s problems lie in its execution.
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