As 2014 comes to a close, tabloid! takes a look at the films that scored big in our reviews and those that sank without a trace.
While Bollywood’s answer to Hamlet, Haider starring Shahid Kapoor, scored the highest this year with a stellar four out of five star rating, Saif Ali Khan’s doomed comedy Humshakals scored an abysmal one out of five. Here’s a round-up of all the reviews we did this year ...
Film: Jai Ho
Month: January 23
Rating: 2 out of 5
Cast: Salman Khan and Daisy Shah
What we said: “The story of Jai Ho is far too simplistic to be taken seriously. While it’s laudable that Khan plays the righteous Samaritan, he doesn’t progress beyond the help-each-other-out phase.”
Film: Hasee Toh Phasee
Month: February 6
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cast: Siddharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra
What we said: “It’s not your traditional Bollywood love story. After a feast of Bollywood films that paint their leading ladies as paragons of virtue and perfection, there comes along Hasee Toh Phasee. It’s a story about Meeta (Parineeti Chopra), a pill-popping scientist with a mind-boggling IQ. Unlike the perfect Juhu Janes in Bollywood, she’s gawky, has quirks that include eating toothpaste and is a borderline kleptomaniac.”
Film: Gunday
Month: February 13
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor and Deepika Padukone
What we said: “Gunday is Bollywood’s scruffier version of Baywatch. And boy, can Bikram and Bala run. Instead of pristine sandy beaches shown in the American show, the Gunday men are soot-kissed and are seen dodging bullets in Kolkata’s coal mines.”
Film: Shaadi Ke Side Effects
Month: February 27
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cast: Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan
What we said: “It’s the chemistry between Balan and Akhtar that keeps this romantic comedy tingling. They have an effortless chemistry and we buy into their marriage madness primarily because of their acting muscles. While it’s engaging and non-preachy for most parts, it’s best if you don’t question how Sid, who plays a struggling musician, affords that slick lifestyle and a nanny in a single income household. If you can forego such practicalities, you are good to watch Shaadi Ke Side Effects.”
Film: Total Siyapaa
Month: March 6
Rating: 2 out of 5
Cast: Ali Zafar, Yami Gautam and Kiron Kher
What we said: “It’s disheartening and deeply dissatisfying to watch a romantic comedy that starts on a promising note and deteriorates into a glorious, incoherent mess.”
Film: Gulaab Gang
Month: March 6
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cast: Juhi Chawla and Madhuri Dixit
What we said: “Juhi Chawla triumphs as an evil politician and is ably aided by Madhuri Dixit ... It’s not often that you walk out of the cinema reminiscing about the villain than the superwoman who saved the day in a film. Gulaab Gang may just spur you in that direction.”
Film: Bewakoofiyaan
Month: March 13
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cast: Sonam Kapoor and Ayushman Khuranna
What we said: “Love is a currency that takes a dip during an economic downturn and director Nupur Ashthana merrily drills that popular belief home in her latest film Bewakoofiyaan. The operative phrase here is “merrily” since the film never turns depressingly bleak, always maintaining its buoyant tone.”
Film: Dishkiyoon
Month: March 27
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
Cast: Harman Baweja, Sunny Deol and Ayesha Khanna
What we said: “Harman Baweja, who plays mobster Vicki Kartoos in Dishkiyaoon, is taught early in life that in the business of organised crime, brains and not bullets run the business. I wish the film’s director, Sanamjit Singh Talwar, had taken notes and internalised that instruction while making Dishkiyaoon.”
Film: Youngistaan
Month: March 27
Rating: 2 out of 5
Cast: Jackky Bhagnani, Neha Sharma, Farooque Shaikh
What we said: “Debutant director Afzal’s political thriller doesn’t pack a punch.”
Film: Main Tera Hero
Month: April 3
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Illean D’Cruz and Nargis Fakri
What we said: “Varun Dhawan gets full marks for carrying a comedy with a questionable plot till the finish line.”
Film: Bhoothnath Returns
Month: April 10
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Parth Bhalerao and Boman Irani
What we said: “While the first half is refreshingly devoid of needless drama, director Tiwari makes up for all that lost time. The climax is loaded with melodrama and tears. But the credit has to go to Partho Bhalerao and Bachchan who plays a friendly ghost for making the twists palatable.”
Film: 2 States
Month: April 17
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Revathi, Ronit Roy and Amrita Singh
What we said: “Love is a complicated thing and Bollywood romances love to feed off that drama. Fortunately, 2 States — a love story between Punjabi Krish (Arjun Kapoor) and South Indian Ananya (Alia Bhatt) — isn’t overly melodramatic and emotional. Adapted from Indian novelist Chetan Bhagat’s best-seller 2 States: The Story Of My Marriage, this romantic drama hits all the right notes and makes for an entertaining (first) watch.”
Film: Kochadaiiyaan
Month: May 22
Rating: 2 out of 5
Cast: Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone
What we said: “Kochadaiiyaan might have taken a small step towards introducing Avatar-like technology into our lives, but it’s no giant leap. If you have blind faith and (obsessive) love for Rajinikanth and all things animation, you may enjoy this film. For others it may prove a battle to remain glued to your seats.”
Film: Holiday: A solider is never off duty
Month: June 5
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Cast: Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha
What we said: “While the climax of Holiday is like Christmas for an Akshay Kumar fan with its overstretched fight sequences, a non-fan might not relish the sound of bones cracking as much. Watch this if you are in the mood for a Bollywood film that has a bit of everything — terrorism, action and romance.”
Film: Fugly
Month: June 12
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cast: Mohit Marwah, Jimmy Shergill and Anshuman Jha
What we said: “Fugly ably touches on many social issues — from women’s security to the steadily growing trend of drug, alcohol and sexual use/abuse in the higher echelons of society, to corruption in the judicial and political system.”
Film: Humshakals
Month: June 19
Rating: 1 out of 5
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh,
What we said: “If you are willing to suspend belief for nearly three hours, then this mad bunch may make your day. But for others, it’s just torturous. At some point in the movie, we saw a DVD of Himmatwala (Sajid’s recent box office debacle) being displayed as a weapon of torture for mentally unstable inmates who break hospital rules. Shouldn’t Humshakals feature on that list too?”
Film: Ek Villain
Month: June 26
Rating: 2 out of 5
Cast: Siddharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh
What we said: “Mushy songs, inserted at a regular interval, slow down the thriller, making the story sluggish. But the good news is that Kapoor and Malhotra are divine looking. So watching them is a visual treat. But if you are expecting to be blown away by a cliffhanger of a story, then you are knocking on the wrong door.”
Film: Bobby Jasoos
Month: July 3
Rating: 2.5 out 5
Cast: Vidya Balan and Ali Zafar
What we said: “Balan proves she isn’t a miracle worker with Bobby Jasoos ... The suspense to the drama is lame.”
Film: Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
Month: July 10
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Ashutosh Rana and Siddharth Shukla
What we said: “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is deconstructed Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayange, the iconic 1995 blockbuster starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. The ingredients from the original cult romance are all intact but director Shashank Khaitan has given a modern spin to the classic.
Film: Pizza
Month: July 24
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cast: Akshay Oberoi, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Arunodhay Singh and Dipannita Sharma
What we said: “Akshay Akkineni’s directorial debut is a delectable thriller that’s dark, chilling and suitably grotesque.”
Film: Kick
Month: July 24
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cast: Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez
What we said: “Kick comprises all the histrionics that come with a Salman Khan film — action, comedy, romance and melodrama.”
Film: Mary Kom
Month: September 4
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cast: Priyanka Chopra and Darshan Kumar
What we said: “Priyanka Chopra gives an unguarded performance, but does she look too posh to play a pugilist?”
Film: Finding Fanny
Month: September 11
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah
What we said: “It’s a confident, succinct film [93 minutes] that doesn’t shy away from being subtle and doesn’t underestimate the intelligence of its viewers. It’s a film that may not claim to change the world, but it does bring a smile to your face for at least a day.”
Film: Khoobsurat
Month: September 18, 2014
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Cast: Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan
What we said: “Khoobsurat regurgitates the time-tested formula of love conquering all. It’s appealing in places, but don’t expect that feel-good, happily-ever-after feeling to last, because the film has pitfalls that cannot be ignored. Tighter editing and trimming of Kapoor’s shrill, cute act would have elevated this engaging film into a riveting one.”
Film: Bang Bang!
Month: October 1
Rating: 2.75 out of 5
Cast: Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif
What we said: “Bang Bang! is the film equivalent of reading a Mills & Boon romance novel. The hero (Hrithik Roshan) is tall, dark and handsome and the lead actress Katrina Kaif is an incredibly beautiful, never-been-kissed brunette.”
Film: Haider
Month: October 1
Rating: 4 out of 5
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon and Irrfan Khan
What we said: “How many times do you get to watch a film with mainstream Bollywood actors that shun conventions such as the lavish song-and-dance routines and amplified emotions and still live to tell the tale?”
Film: Happy New Year
Month: October 23
Rating: 2 out of 5
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan and Boman Irani
What we said: “Director Farah Khan seems to have taken a misstep with Happy New Year — despite reuniting with her muse Shah Rukh Khan and her Om Shanti Om discovery Deepika Padukone. We are eternally grateful for the latter, but it’s difficult to forgive Farah Khan for not tapping into the collective potential of her ensemble cast.”
Film: The Shaukeens
Month: November 6
Rating: 2 out of 5
Cast: Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor, Piyush Sharma, Lisa Haydon and Akshay Kumar
What we said: “A tedious film, watch if you are a fan of Akshay Kumar and can turn a blind eye to the blatant objectification of women.”
Film: Kill Dil
Month: November 13
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Parineeti Chopra and Ali Zafar
What we said: “The story of Kill Dil is as old as the hills ... It’s a premise that has been regurgitated by several Bollywood filmmakers with mediocre success. But what sets Kill Dil apart is the endearing performance by Singh. He’s as adorable as a wounded puppy and you may find yourself smiling at some of his antics in his quest to be a reformed rake.”
Film: Ungli
Month: November 27
Rating: 2.25 out of 5
Cast: Randeep Hooda, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut and Sanjay Dutt,
What we said: “If you are expecting Ungli, directed by Rensil D’Silva, to be as crackling as the vigilante film A Wednesday (starring the supremely talented Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher) or as thought-provoking as Rang De Basanti, then you are knocking at the wrong door. Ungli is loaded with noble intentions, but is weighed down by uneven execution and simplistic twists.”
Film: Action Jackson
Month: December 4
Rating: 1 out of 5
Cast: Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha
What we said: “Several heads are decapitated and torsos slashed in action drama Action Jackson, but it’s the viewers who feel the pain. There’s no easier way to say this: but Ajay Devgn’s latest film is traumatic and is an endurance test of the worst kind.”
Film: PK
Month: December 19
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma and Sushanth Singh Rajput
What we said: “Aamir Khan does a good job in PK as a crusader for religious tolerance, but it doesn’t have the same charm as 3 Idiots.”
