Aashiqui 2 Movie Review

Aashiqui 2 Movie Review

Ratings:4/5  Review By:  Taran Adarsh  Site:Bollywood Hungama

AASHIQUI 2 brings back memories of A STAR IS BORN, which was made thrice in Hollywood -- in 1937, 1954 and 1976. AASHIQUI 2 bears no resemblance to its namesake. This one prides itself with a contemporary plot, has far more complex and intricate drama and offers abundant scope to its lead actors to display histrionics. Actually, AASHIQUI 2 is more of vintage stuff. It demonstrates, in abundance, the romance we witnessed in the 1970s and 1980s, which is misplaced in Hindi movies in the present day. On the whole, AASHIQUI 2 brings romance back on the Hindi screen -- intense, pure, selfless and heart wrenching. A stirring account with brilliant moments, bravura performances, strong emotional quotient and addictive music, this one's an absolute must watch for the romantics.

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Komal Nahata  Site: ETC/BBC/HPBolly

The drama has tragedy and gloominess written all over it and this would restrict the film’s appeal to an extent. Although the film is targeted at the youth, the tragedy may not appeal universally because today’s youngsters prefer watching happy films. Had the tragic hero been a big star, it would’ve been a different case as the star’s charisma would have added to the appeal of the character.On the whole, Aashiqui 2 is an entertaining film with hit music and the sacrificing nature of the heroine as it biggest trump cards. It will keep its distributors smiling.

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Madhureeta Mukherjee  Site:Times Of India (TOI)

Mohit Suri's musical love story doesn't bear much semblance to the original cult film 'Aashiqui'; instead it finds its own rhythm. He pitches the story with old-world romance, high-drama and well-crafted heart-breaking moments. He tunes the first half slowly, allowing the romance to simmer in torment and triumph. Aarohi's character is endearing, but displays innate strength. Rahul stays pretty much 'bottled' (like 'Devdas' with a cause), with sudden outbursts of frustration and fury. The story slows down in parts and the climax might seem unreal to many, but maybe a 'fix' for die-hard aashiqs. Note: You will not like this if die-hard romantic films don't leave you enthused or entertained.

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Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Nishi Tiwari  Site:Rediff

Suri clearly had a hard time establishing the premise and fleshing out his characters. The plot is constantly weighed down by painfully mundane conversations (at one point, a lovestruck RJ is told by his dad over the phone, ‘When son is in love, father just knows.’) and fails to justify the developments in the story. The young actors look just as unconvinced and disinterested.As I see it, what probably started as an interesting story idea -- troubled artists, dynamics in a relationship -- eventually got buried under the debris of random motifs from previous hits delivered by the Bhatt camp.

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Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Tushar Joshi Site:DNA

There are so many ‘WTF’ moments in the film that you start losing count. Beginning with the basic understanding of the lead characters. Neither Rahul nor Aarohi look like singers. Their body language is too stiff and pretentious to mime the free spirit of a performer. He’s aimlessly floating through life like that plastic bag from American Beauty, while her attention is divided between singing and being a part time rehab nurse to her lover. In between this they find time to express their love and hate to one another. The film’s only saving grace are the melodious tunes and the background score.

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Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Shubhra Gupta Site:Indian Express

The more I see these so-called love stories with promising beginnings and then wandering about, not knowing what to do with themselves, the more I wonder whether present day Bollywood has any idea of making real romances any more. Suri has directorial skill (some of his sequences in Woh Lamhe are still on recall), but where are the people writing good stuff ? Once the lovers come together, and the first act is over, why does everything slide? This Aashiqui 2 holds out promise, but doesn't make the most of it.

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Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Saibal Chaterjee Site:NDTV

Aashiqui 2 is riddled with syrupy inanities that add up to insubstantial treacle. No amount of surface gloss can salvage it. The film is obviously meant for a youth audience, which is probably not the easiest segment to inveigle. In Aashiqui 2, some of the songs are definitely hummable, but the musical score as a whole is patchy. And the love story in which they are embedded lacks the requisite solidity. So neither film nor the music ever rises above the very, very ordinary. Fluffy and flaky, Aashiqui 2 is simply not peppy enough to paper over its cracks. It does not strike any chords. There aren't too many highs in its hackneyed saga of songs and sighs.

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Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Mohar Basu Site:Koimoi

What’s Good: Aditya Roy Kapur is the killer factor of this film. That’s all there’s to look for in this one. What’s Bad: A bumpy screenplay and dialogues that are delivered at deafeningly high decibels are quite indigestible. Loo break: Yes. Yes. Hell Yes. Watch or Not?: Mohit Suri’s Aashiqui 2 rambles on about a love story that turns into a convoluted mess because of alcoholism. With absolutely nothing remarkable in this distasteful blend of Devdas and Abhimaan, I will recommend this film only for Aditya Roy Kapur’s intense acting.

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Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Mayank Shekhar  Site:Dainik Bhaskar

The heroine here, a playback artiste, manages to become a singing sensation in very little time. Fans request her for autographs. She doesn’t lose her mind to personal ambition, is quite centred still. The hero doesn’t want to get back to the groove. We know very little about how he went down this self-destructing route. Loneliness isn’t his concern anymore, anger management is. He keeps taunting himself, instead of concentrating on the work that gave him all the glory anyway. Why do I always feel that a lot of such characters should be seeing therapists rather than having films made on them? If this went on for any longer, I’d need to see a shrink too.

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Iron Man 3 Movie Review

Iron Man 3 Movie Review

Ratings:4/5  Review By:  Renuka Vyavahare  Site:Times of India (TOI)

Black breathes new life into the franchise while retaining its trademark charm. He keeps the film vastly different from Jon Favreau's previous installments by adding his own brand of action-humour and twists. Black combines spectacular action, comedy and drama to get you entertained and emotionally invested in his characters.From the jaw-dropping attack on Stark's Malibu estate, his brand-new prehensile armour, to a mind-blowing airborne rescue scene, Iron Man 3 is every bit the superhero blockbuster you'd expect it to be. Just do not leave the theatre once the closing credits start rolling! Note: You may not like the film if you find solo super-hero films tedious post 'The Avengers'!

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Ratings:4/5  Review By:  Raja Sen  Site:Rediff

Yet what glorious clanging it is. Iron Man 3 boasts of the headiest of action setpieces, long and spectacular bits of movie wizardry dreamed up by grown men who like pushing their action figures to the limit. A lot of superhero movies look alike now, with increasingly incoherent action populating most of them, but this is a pleasure: these set-pieces feel like big, expansive, boastfully huge splash-pages. The kind of pages, also that don’t really need 3D conversion; I recommend you watch this film without the big glasses. From one True Believer to another, thank you, Shane Black. Iron Man has never soared higher.

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Tushar Joshi  Site:DNA

Iron Man 3 is funny, engaging, and has some really awesome action scenes. My biggest grouse about the film is its sloppy climax. We have the mandatory fireworks on display, but how about giving a closure or tying the loose ends of the plot before the big guns start blazing? Not only does the last half hour look rushed, but the Stark-Potts relationship deserved better handling. However, Iron Man 3 is a bonafide summer blockbuster that is your ticket to the most entertaining ride of the year so far.

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  IANS  Site:NDTV

With characters culled from Marvel Comics, we know for sure that Iron Man 3 would be packed with spectacular action and nice razor sharp, witty lines. Iron Man 3 is the superhero's journey of finding the demons he created and destroying them. Jam-packed with humour and gags, there is no emotional connect with the characters. During the course of the narration, director Shane Black and his co-writer Drew Pearce have meandered from the graphic novel into subplots merging the sensibilities of the eighties and early nineties, thus making everything odd in the character's history. With a captivating finale, Iron Man 3 is a slick, inspired fantasy-adventure film that almost anyone can enjoy. Let's pray for the next edition to come soon.

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Shree Movie Review

Shree Movie Review

Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Taran Adarsh  Site:Bollywood Hungama

Rajesh Bachchani, who has several television shows to his credit, opts for an unconventional premise that had the potential to be intriguing and nerve-racking, but like most Hindi films, captivating ideas on paper don't translate into absorbing movies. So where does the problem lie? Well, the storyteller ought to know that narrating a story with utmost simplicity is of paramount importance. In addition, the screenwriting fluctuates constantly between attention-grabbing and unadventurous, which is its biggest shortcoming..SHREE is a well-meaning film, but the impact it ought to make is lost due to its lopsided writing. On the whole, SHREE has a fascinating premise, but the erratic writing plays the spoilsport!

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Renuka Vyavahare  Site:Times Of India (TOI)

Bollywood rarely enters the 'science-fiction' territory and when it does,the results have been mostly disastrous. Rajesh Bachchani takes the road less travelled and makes a film which pleasantly surprises you. For a major part of the film you are as puzzled as the protagonist. As the mystery unravels, you may not feel totally convinced by the motives of the characters but that doesn't affect the strong buildup. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall, Shree is a well-scripted thriller. Go for it.

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Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Ankur Pathak  Site:Rediff

Shree, a film that delves into the concept of time-travelling with a set-up that is engaging initially. But its convoluted plot-points become too tedious to keep a track of, and by the time we reach the interval, nobody, and this includes the actors in the film, have any idea of what is going on. In any science fiction movie, it is important that the viewer has faith in the undertaking in the first place, which is justified and explained by, quite literally, by the science behind it. Shree doesn’t quite posses any, nor has any personality or conviction to sail its boat successfully. What it becomes, is an embarrassing debut for its many first-timers.

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Shadow Telugu Movie Review

Shadow Telugu Movie Review

Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Cheruku Raja  Site:APHerald

First blow comes in the form of routine-predictable story and within 15 minutes movie plot is revealed to audience. Other than stylish introduction scene of venkatesh nothing interesting is there in first half of the movie. slow narration will force you to leave theater and over top of it outdated comedy, skipts lifted from Billa and Gabbar singh are executed very poorly. For those who were expecting atleat second half might bring value to your ticket money gets dissapointed within minutes. By the end of the day you will get into a strong conclusion that Meher Ramesh is improving his skills of making flop films.

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Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Venkat  Site: GreatAndhra

The film takes off with some energy and until the title song everything looks fine but post the title song the tale goes into a shadow that no one can see or feel. The first half runs routine and by the time second half comes, the audience is seen scratching their heads and grinning in disbelief. Pointing out the several blunders in the film and the miserable experience could take several pages but to conclude the rating is given totally out of sympathy towards Parachuri Kireeti and respect towards Venkatesh. Bottomline: Better to brace the summer heat than face this ‘Shadow’

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Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Supergoodmovies  Site:Supergoodmovies

Meher Ramesh direction and story is the main drawback of the movie. Victory Venkatesh gave his best performance here. He carries the film on his shoulders. Movie climax also not good. Overall movie is just good but not that much. Shadow is a below average film. Here Meher Ramesh Direction, Screen Play and Story are bad. It is not a worthy flick.

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Life Mein Hungama Hai Movie Review

Life Mein Hungama Hai Movie Review

Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Renuka Vyavahare  Site:Times of India (TOI)

Life Mein Hungama Hai is a cute film, which has that 80's children's-special documentary feel to it. The story keeps you engaged and like a child, you too start hoping for an adventure. The chidren's journey, the main story of the film, has been executed well. The simplicity of the film works. However, since we are in the year 2013, and the genre of the film being 'adventure', the film needed better cinematography. The preachiness in story-telling is a bit of a spoiler. Since, the production value is low, it gives the film a dated look or was it indeed shot years back? We don't know. Overall, it's a decent vacation film for the children, made with a modest budget.

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Ek Thi Daayan Movie Review

Ek Thi Daayan Movie Review

Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Rajeev Masand  Site:CNN IBN (IBNLive)

But alas, the film reveals its chinks in the final act when it arrives at an underwhelming climax involving such clichés as child sacrifice and particularly a human-versus-evil forces face-off that seems straight out of a bad Vikram Bhatt movie, complete with laughable special effects. Yet, despite its solid pedigree, the film sadly is never greater than the sum of its parts. The makers exploit more than a few age-old superstitions associated with witches, but have nothing particularly new or important to say. I'm going with two out of five for 'Ek Thi Daayan'. It nicely builds up intrigue, but leaves you wanting more in the end.

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Taran Adarsh  Site:Bollywood Hungama

Thankfully, EK THI DAAYAN is not the standard horror fare and the storyteller does a volte face in the concluding reels. The suspense -- when it unravels -- is sure to hit you like a ton of bricks. On the whole, EK THI DAAYAN is an imaginative and appealing supernatural thriller. The film is placed in a relatable world, with myths about witches expertly intertwined in its absorbing screenplay, something which a spectator can effortlessly identify with. Exceptionally novel and attention-grabbing, it's a first of its kind. Watch it for the sheer novelty it puts on display in its genre!

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Meena Iyer  Site:Times Of India (TOI)

Woven beautifully between the world of magic, occult and suspense, Ek Thi Daayan, makes for compulsive viewing, providing some spine-chilling thrills at short gaps. The narrative in the first half is almost faultless. But just when you start to relax and flow with the emotions, along comes a scary twist that jolts you back to the edge of your seat. The climax is a bit stereotype of horror/supernatural thrillers but that's a minor hiccup in an otherwise cleverly done film of this genre. Note: You may not like the film if transcendental stuff doesn't move you.

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Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Anupama Chopra  Site:Star World ( Hindustan Times )

Until the interval, debutant director Kannan Iyer had me pinned to my seat. There are moments here that made me jump. Konkona is deliciously wicked and at one point, I got so spooked that I closed my eyes. And then, the curse of the second half strikes. The pace slackens, the plot unravels and Kannan’s assured grip on the material loosens. By the climax, Ek Thi Daayan descends into Vikram Bhatt territory – the plot doesn’t stay true even to its own logic. It’s cheesy and simply too silly to scare. Ek Thi Daayan had the potential to be an A-grade horror film but it’s an opportunity lost. I’m going with two and a half stars. 

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Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Komal Nahta  Site:BBC Hindi

On the whole, Ek Thi Daayan... may be an entertaining fare but the second half is a letdown. The limited work of Emraan Hashmi will disappoint his fans, more so because he does not have a great role also. The film may keep the audience screaming in their seats but it will not keep the distributors smiling in theirs, mainly because it has started on a shockingly low note and, as is common knowledge, the business of the first three days is what matters the most.

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Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Saibal Chaterjee  Site:NDTV

Not only does it defy most preconceived notions that you might have until the lights go out and the supernatural drama begins to unfold, it also leaves you so befuddled by the end of it all that you don’t really know what to make of the film. Is it intriguing enough to sustain audience interest over two hours and a bit? Most certainly. Is it a true spine-chiller? Only occasionally. The riveting parts of Ek This Daayan are far outnumbered by the limp moments. Yet it is worth a watch owing to the idiosyncratic treatment of a done-to-death genre.

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Raja Sen  Site:Rediff

This is the sort of creep-fest which is better creating an uneasy buildup than at actually scaring the pants off you, and perhaps it should have stayed goosepimply instead of going for the jugular. Ek Thi Daayan isn’t a truly scary film -- though it will provoke nightmares in the young, and I strongly recommend all parents keep their children away from this one. .Ek Thi Daayan, therefore, isn’t the scariest of horror films. It is, though, smartly crafted, highly original in its approach and a strikingly ambitious effort for the genre. The end is a let-down, but the film remains a fine directorial debut for Iyer. 

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Mayank Shekhar  Site:Dainik Bhaskar

This is possibly the best screenplay of its genre for an Indian film. Which may not be saying much, given that the main competition comes from old Ramsay Bros. flicks or more recent Raaz, Raaz 2,Raaz 3.... Still, the film effectively manages to create a plausible, unholy alternate world of dayans and pishach without quite wholly discarding basic human logic. The screen holds your attention. You do feel hungry for more chilling moments and effects that stun you into holding your breath.

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Shubhra Gupta  Site:Indian Express

Ek Thi Daayan starts so well that you are riveted. Just about everything in the first half, with its well-calibrated chills, is just as it should be. The second half is unravel time, and you are then left grasping at thin air. The writing becomes obvious, the surprises disappear, and the big reveal is such a mash-up of so many previous spookfests that Ek Thi Daayan becomes more 'Kab Hogi Khatam'. But while the going is good, so much about this film is so good.

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Tushar Joshi  Site:DNA

The films biggest drawback is not being able to sustain the edge of the seat tension and drama created by the first half. Also the climax looks too botched up as if it was either re-shot or re-written several times before getting the green light. Thankfully as you leave the theatre it’s not the ending but the start that stays with you. Ek Thi Dayaan is a solid debut that works because of its stellar ensemble and some really scary moments in a gripping first half.

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Mohar Basu  Site:Koimoi

What’s Good: An unfamiliar terrain of Supernatural thriller which is sliced straight from native folklores. The film maintains its enthralling suspense for the entire first part. What’s Bad: Plotted around stereotypical myths of Black Magic, the film tends to get predictable at places. Kalki’s character did not make any sense. The climax was shabbily done and was a clear disappointment. Loo break: A couple of them post interval. Watch or Not?: Ek Thi Daayan is a rivetingly thought film. An enticing beginning, a well fitted melodious background score, this film will successfully spook you out. However, the film loses its momentum drastically in the second half. Not a cult film, the film deserves a pat only for the powerful performances of Konkona and Emraan.

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Ratings:--  Review By:  Sneha May Francis  Site:Emirates24By7

Despite some stellar performances and an imaginative story, the lack of technical finesse ruins this supernatural thriller.The narrative falters and fumbles, and swiftly concludes into a senseless war of the good and the bad, with action sequences staged that remind you of a bad school play. This is a classic example of how what could’ve appeared incredible on paper, was lost in translation. ‘Ek Thi Daayan’, despite its many flaws, is endurable because of some fine performances. A tighter non-musical edit and more funds for a technical jazz-up would’ve gone a long way in creating havoc.

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