Monika Rawal Kukreja

in Hindustan Times

Starring Yami Gautam and Priyamani as the two forces driving this intense narrative, the film informs, educates and keeps you invested for most part.

in Hindustan Times

Honestly, I have stopped looking for any logic when it comes to action films. Not that all of them are brainless! Written by Suraj Gianani and Ali Abbas Zafar, BMCM does have a storyline that could have been promising -- but the execution gets so overboard that you barely focus on the story. It's all about gunshots, bomb blasts, planes and cars being set ablaze, and each time you see fire on the screen, the heroes walk in slo-mo, expecting us to not blink an eye. Also, audiences have cheered enough last year when they saw some raw action in Pathaan, Jawan and Tiger 3. Replicating it in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan doesn't really make it an equally good watch.

in Hindustan Times

Under the garb of being a dark comedy, Blackout falls flat on its face and ends up being nothing more than a mindless 2-hours-2-minutes long film. A dull screenplay and a meandering storyline are just the icing on top. Blackout is filled with a slew of one-dimensional characters—a crime reporter, a dead boy, a disloyal friend, a disgraced politician, a corrupt cop, a vengeful MLA, a cheating wife, two weird pickpockets, a go-better detective, a mystery woman, and a poetic drunkard. A brilliant Vikrant feels wasted in a movie like this. He puts all his might behind the character, but even he can’t salvage this. Despite the potential, the movie is chaotic, loud, and humourless.

in Hindustan Times

Telling people they are wrong is not enough. You need to give them a chance to reform and rehabilitate and that will bring about the real change.

in Hindustan Times

I wouldn't say Merry Christmas is predictable but if you're extremely alert, follow the cues and pick nuances, there are quite a few easy giveaways about the big reveal. Also, don't expect an overtly mind-boggling climax. It's out-of-the-box, yes. Or rather experimental, but it underwhelms. I expected more there. Not that it needed to be explanatory but something was amiss.

in Hindustan Times

At 147 minutes, 12th Fail never stretches to a point that it gets boring or preachy. It keeps the tension, chaos, hustle and that pace intact, which make it an engaging watch. Chopra ensures that in every subplot or track he introduces, there's a story of its own and not at once, any of them look forced in the screenplay. Be it Manoj's friend Pandey, a government servant's son, or Manoj's mentor Gauri bhaiya (Anshuman Pushkar), who after failing to fulfil his dream of becoming an IPS, devotes his life to training others and getting them to restart in life - everyone has a story if their own, narrated with nuances. Chopra has kept the dialogues simplistic, but they hit you hard and leave a lasting impact.

in Hindustan Times

Gadar 2, a sequel to Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), is a classic case of old wine in old bottle and offers very little freshness in terms of its character arcs, settings and the premise. Yet, it qualifies to be a one-time watch for its ability to give an adrenaline rush with its action sequences. There are throwbacks to the first film as we see many old characters in addition to a few new faces. Director Anil Sharma, in a bid to take the story forward, makes some changes in the script and coins a story that works in parts and also stays sluggish in some places.

in Hindustan Times

Ganapath attempts to make a statement reflecting on the huge divide between the rich and the poor, but it falters in the execution department so much that it ends up being yet another mindless dystopian tale. Even if the story seems to come together after some time, it never reaches a point that you want to believe in it. Pre-interval, things are slightly pacy and still manage to keep you invested in knowing what lies ahead, but the second half is nothing beyond back-to-back fights in the wrestling ring. I'd rather pay to watch Tiger Shroff live doing some MMA action. But Ganapath doesn't really hold any magic.

in Hindustan Times

The first half is very engaging, but the film loses pace in the second half so much that you want the climax to arrive soon. Chittella and Arpita Mukherjee's story is extremely layered, which is great, to begin with. But beyond a point, the narrative becomes a bit convoluted. Everybody seems to be beating around the bush with nobody saying things upfront. I mean, you struggle to figure out the actual cause of why the family fell apart in the first place. At 132 minutes, the film needed much better editing. A few subplots initially looked like they'd play a crucial part but end up being half-baked. The portions between Reshma, the cook, and Jeetu, the security guard of Gulhomar Villa and their brewing romance are good and intriguing, but they could have been easily chopped to keep the film's screenplay more focused and crisper.

in Hindustan Times

I like how Chowdhary has peppered some light moments to uplift the mood, especially when Tripathi and the head nurse are harmlessly flirting and exchanging glances, and it looks so organic. There are several scenes that have a lot of depth in both writing and the way they’ve been shot. For instance, the emotionally charged portions between Tripathi and Sanghi are the highlight of the film — the ones where Sakshi questions her father, ‘Why did you marry our mom?’ or when she says, ‘Hamari maa hi nahi, baap bhi nahi hai.’ Bollywood has churned out enough films showcasing a strict turned scarred relationship between a father and his children. Kadak Singh makes an effort to start a conversation by delving into the how and why of such relationships.

in Hindustan Times

At 144 minutes, the film is painfully long and stretched. Even if you throw all the songs away, the story, whatever little is there, remains the same and it would make for a crisper watch. Actually, since the songs are so abrupt and loud (though peppy), releasing them separately as an album, not as a part of the film, would have been a wiser choice. But, it seems the makers were more concerned about showing everyone's dance moves that they didn't mind ingesting as many as seven tracks into the film. Watching Salman do those extremely cringe dance steps is no longer fun. They neither look good on screen nor do they make him look any good.

in Hindustan Times

With Selfiee, things look more real and relatable because of the story and narrative which is not too far-fetched and is pretty convincing. Selfiee doesn't end at being a feud between a star and an RTO officer, but also covers their emotional side of being a husband, a father and balancing it all with their respective jobs. The screenplay is engaging and doesn't let you have too many dull moments. The original story by Sachy has been written for the Hindi version by Rishabh Sharma and he tweaks it a bit to suit the Hindi audience's palette. Akshay as Vijay gets as close as you could imagine to the superstardom he enjoys in real life. Bearing a charming persona and swag, he shows signs of gratitude for his fans despite being a self-made star.

in Hindustan Times

Sometimes, you have to make-believe things to believe in yourself

in Hindustan Times

Based on or inspired by true events, BellBottom is the third such film--after Shershaah and Bhuj: The Pride of India-- to release over just week. And BellBottom only takes it a notch higher with its well-researched script, effective screenplay and impactful storytelling without an iota of jingoism that tends to leave a bad taste for most movie lovers.

in Hindustan Times

That being said, Sooryavanshi isn't driven by a great script neither does it have any extraordinary suspense that could bring nail-biting moments. Yet, it keeps you on the edge for the sheer joy of watching that over-the-top action. Shetty picks various elements — romance between Sooryavanshi and his wife Riya (played by Katrina Kaif), their relationship with their son Aryan, his camaraderie with the members of his ATS force — and weaves them together for a fulfilling climax. While Devgn's Singham was more intense and Ranveer's Simmba was the quirkier one, Akshay's Sooryavanshi is a mix of both. He is tough in scenes that require him to be that, evokes laughter in lighter scenes, or awe with his smashing entry on the helicopter. Though at some places, Akshay struggled to remain in character and looked perplexed with a busy storyline.