Lokesh Dharmani reviews
71 reviews of Indian films, average rating 2.5/5.
Baaghi bored me largely. Watch it only if you are an MMA fan...
Read the full reviewThe plot of the film is as half-baked and unconvincing as its treatment.
Read the full reviewSo if you don't mind three aged men with high libido and low underwear blatantly hitting on a girl who is oblivious to good touch bad touch (Lagta hain madam ne Satyamev Jayate nahi dekha!), then The Shaukeens might work for you.
Read the full reviewAfter the three-hour torture, I have a better name for the film, KILL ME!!!!!!
Read the full review...if you don't have a problem with a misogynist point of view, can deal with regressive writing, the film might work for you. Besides the film has a decent first half, some smart lines and Above All, a dancing Govinda.
Read the full reviewUngli deals with corruption in a very simplistic, superficial way. It never reaches out to the root of the problem, is quick to judge the poor Pandu hawaldaar or the auto drivers on the road and is quicker to punish them.
Read the full reviewIf your idea of good action is shoving a sharp knife into someone's mouth, down his throat cutting his intestines. If your idea of good humour is a Sonakshi Sinha desperate to see a naked Ajay Devgn.
Read the full reviewTevar, ironically, lacks attitude and spunk. Watch it only for Manoj Bajpayee.
Read the full reviewIt breaks my heart to see so much money, time and effort being spent on building such massive gorgeous sets for a film that doesn't have much to tell.
Read the full reviewWatch it for the debutant director's attempt at telling a different story with gorgeous actors that make enough eye candies!
Read the full reviewAn old politician discovers raging libido at 70, sets his lustful eyes on a dancer. The dancer, in turn, uses s** to frame the politician to fulfill her big political dreams.
Read the full reviewWatch it once for some great performances and fabulous production values that one hasn't seen in Hindi films in a long time.
Read the full reviewBombay Velvet is beautifully shot, beautifully acted, beautifully edited but remained beautifully boring!! Watch it if you are a Ranbir-Anushka fan.
Read the full reviewThe film suffers majorly from poor writing and poorer editing. The film in the second half is as sluggish. In short, if you are a DID/Jhalak Dikhhlaa Jaa/Just Dance fan.
Read the full reviewThe film doesn't underestimate your IQ as most Hindi films do. Watch it if you have got nothing to do on the weekend.
Read the full review... the film raises an important question on what's right and what's wrong. A film that sparks off a debate is such a rarity in Hindi films.
Read the full reviewI wish the film engaged me a bit more. 26/11 attacks enraged the entire nation. It made us feel vulnerable. A film that deals with it should stir my patriotic sentiments. I should be able to empathise.
Read the full reviewWatching Hero is like refreshing your Facebook timeline, hoping for a like or a comment. Except nothing happens.
Read the full reviewThe problem with Katti Batti is that it’s trying so hard to be funny that it shows.
Read the full reviewThe film gives such gyan on life, love and universe that it seems less like a whodunnit murder mystery and more like a satsang. There is a spiritual spin to everything.
Read the full reviewThe film tries to get all preachy about fat people, that everyone has feelings and all that. But the same film also made a string of gay-fashion-designer-rich-blingy-show-off-Sindhis-small-eyed-Chinese-Japanese jokes.
Read the full reviewI like Tamasha because it talks about freedom that comes with solo travelling.The final verdict? Should we go and watch? Umm yes!
Read the full reviewIt is a perfect concoction of romance, action and comedy that Hindi film viewers generally look forward to.
Read the full reviewOverall, despite Amitabh's gyan on pyar, ishq, mohabbat, despite him going overboard with his analogies between life and shatranj, the film doesn't give you much insight into anything.
Read the full review...if you don't have a problem with a misogynist point of view, can deal with regressive writing, the film might work for you. Besides the film has a decent first half, some smart lines and Above All, a dancing Govinda.
Read the full reviewDolly Ki Doli could have been spunkier, funkier and all things better. Watch it only for Rajkummar Rao, Varun Sharma and Archana Puran Singh.
Read the full reviewThe film is a simplistic, he-didnt-do-anything-wrong take on the cricketer. It never delves into grey areas, no character build-up, no introspection, no redemption. Even the matches lack the nail-biting excitement.
Read the full reviewRaman Raghav lacks the vulnerability of Ugly. It's just black. It could be in a Swiss account. In theatres it just seemed pointless to me.
Read the full reviewMohenjo Daro presents the age-old story of good versus bad in times so alien to all of us. Despite having a spectacular set, the film doesn't give any great insights into history or the civilisation. There is hard work for sure.
Read the full reviewA Death In The Gunj is one of the most sensitive films ever made. It made me think about my childhood and my family.
Read the full reviewBefikre to me was French, frothy, forced and devoid of any flavor!
Read the full reviewJolly LLB addresses many issues; terrorism, corruption, government officials apathy and does a fair job of it. But its a Hindi film. It has to crack jokes; after all its an Akshay Kumar massy film yaar.
Read the full reviewHalf Girlfriend is an exasperatingly asinine love story sans depth or any kind of reasoning.
Read the full reviewTiger Shroff is earnest, dances well but needs to break his fixed deposit with Sabbir Khan thats lending him no returns at all. He has done four films so far, three of which come from the same director who has depth of a saucer.
Read the full reviewTo give its due, the film is song less, doesn't resort to the usual Bollywood nonsense of item numbers and is relatively tighter.
Read the full reviewThe only grouch I have is a couple of songs and scenes that pace down the film and make it a bit lengthy. A sharper edit could have made it even more exciting, but that shouldn't stop you from watching 3 Storeys.
Read the full reviewThe film is largely gripping. The subject is well chosen and creates an awareness about our heroic tax officials.
Read the full reviewI knew it was a Rajshri film, where people play jewellery-jewellery in their living rooms, wear saris and sherwanis to bed and roll red carpets to their loos. But Prem Ratan Dhan Payo takes the Dhan part way too seriously.
Read the full reviewOk let me say it as is. In Hate Story 3, there is no sex. It only vexed. Me. Beyond Belief.The previous two films showed women unabashedly seducing men, unapologetically using their bodies and avenging themselves.
Read the full reviewThe beauty of Saala Khadoos is that it's building to a finale that you can see from light years: a grand international match with a badass Russian boxer who, we all know, will be biting the dust by the end of it.
Read the full reviewShot beautifully, Fitoor does appeal to you. Anay Goswami's lens captures Kashmir beautifully.
Read the full reviewThe film does have a couple of flaws. It tends to get a bit slow and manipulative in between.
Read the full reviewThe film again, in the garb of humour, suffers from illogical sequences. An aspiring filmmaker cant distinguish between terrorists and filmmakers.
Read the full reviewThe action of the film is impressive but without much emotional context, it fails to leave an impact. Also, the film uses more knives than all the episodes of Masterchefs put together.
Read the full reviewMoney is one of the reasons that causes gender inequality. Since women dont go out to earn, their efforts to make a home, run a family and raise kids are often forgotten and taken for granted.
Read the full reviewLaal Rang could have been red hot alas turned out to be like a red flag to a bull. Don't be in the red, spend your weekend on a beach or at a shopping mall and paint the town red or else you will see red.
Read the full reviewI walked out of the movie. Trust me, I have watched worse. I have watched Gang of Ghosts, Jackpot. Wait Creature in 3 D. And all those films you didnt even know existed. So I have a decent tolerance for bad films.
Read the full reviewThe film doesn't engage you much. I, not even for once, felt the need to investigate the case or make whodunnit guesses or sit on the edge of my seat, which is not a great thing for an emotional thriller Te3n aims to be.
Read the full reviewIf you can suspend disbelief, surgically detach your brains, laugh at illogical buffoonery that rolls out in the name of humour, then my dear friend, you DON'T need to watch this film. You need help.
Read the full reviewRustom despite having an interesting plot tries to play safe, please everyone and resorts to Bollywood formulae of forced humour and even more forced insipid songs.
Read the full reviewThe film is based on one of the most massive mass migrations, leaving almost 12 million people to move houses. There were riots. Millions were massacred; women were raped and abducted.
Read the full reviewWatch it with family. It gives a free nostalgic trip to the world of scooters, video audio tapes and landline phones and everything nineties.
Read the full reviewBareilly Ki Barfi is a delicious film brilliantly narrated in Javed Akhtar's voice. If you are not doing anything this weekend, go watch it. If you are already engaged, please cancel your engagements and go and watch it.
Read the full reviewLucknow Central packs some interesting performances, especially from the supporting cast.
Read the full reviewMost of all Bajrangi Bhaijaan makes you feel proud, proud of the fact that we come from a secular country like India where a Muslim director takes the biggest Muslim superstar, christens him Bajrangi and makes him chant Jai Shri…
Read the full reviewAirlift, on one hand, is very real but at times fails to keep the audience on the edge of their seats that one would expect from a rescue thriller.
Read the full reviewKapoor and Sons beautifully delves deep into human emotions and easily makes it as one of the finest films of the year so far.
Read the full reviewThe film that looked promising started to give a few thats-a-bit-much-bro moments that soon turned into haha-kuch-bhi moments and by the climax, logic had stabbed itself in the eye with a blunt knife, leaving you miserable with…
Read the full reviewThe 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.
Read the full reviewSultan is a refreshing change to all Bollywood films made on sports.. It shows the story of a slacker/loser becoming a winner, fighting some personal battles and equating the victory with his personal win as well. Beautiful.
Read the full reviewDangal outdoes Chak De India, only because it's based on a real story. A 'poor' father in Haryana resolves to train his 'daughters' in a patriarchal society fighting all odds is indeed inspiring.
Read the full review...between a poorly directed Hindi Medium and Arjun Kapoor's broken English in Half Girlfriend, you really don't have much of a choice...
Read the full reviewDespite all my empathy towards victims, a small part of me debated if taking law into your hands is the right thing to do or even promote, in a film. The minor boy who rapes his classmate is also raped in jail.
Read the full reviewSecret Superstar is a bit unbelievable, like Insia's video getting 30 million views. I mean yeh kuch jyada ho gaya…but these are minor hiccups in an otherwise beautiful film. Go watch it with family this Diwali.
Read the full reviewThe first half of the film scores high on the screenplay as it seamlessly shifts from one characters story to the other, taking us through Punjabs gorgeous houses and fields.
Read the full reviewBrothers was made by putting the DVD of Warrior in a Xerox machine. Alas the paper got stuck, the Xerox machine’s ink expired and what came out was a bad, melodramatic, manipulative, painfully long version of the original.
Read the full reviewThere is good news. And bad news. Good news: the film ended. Phew!! Bad news: it ended with a possibility of a sequel. Yes Mr X might strike back. And then back again. And then it will be called Mr. XXX!
Read the full reviewMardaani is a fair attempt to address an important issue of child trafficking. There are no unnecessary twists and turns, convoluted flashbacks or, worse, forced item numbers in the end. Simple, straight screenplay.
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