Shubhra Gupta is film critic and senior columnist with the Indian Express. She watches world cinema for delectation, Hollywood for fun, and Bollywood for work. She has a huge capacity to sit through terrible Bollywood movies, but no patience at all with bad Hollywood. And world cinema has to be really cutting edge to grab her attention, and keep it. When she began reviewing, over 20 years ago, people would commiserate and say, “oh, you poor thing, you have to watch Hindi cinema”. But soon, Bollywood became cool, cool, cool. So now she hears this more often “oh my god, you watch Bollyood films, can you introduce me to Shah Rukh Khan”? No, she can’t, sorry, though she can vouch for the fact that he is really sharp and good fun in conversation. But what she can do, and has done week after week, month after month, year after year, without a break, is to lead you into the magical world of movies, and share her experiences of watching all those hundreds of films over the years. In her reviews and columns, she lets you into what she likes, and doesn’t, and invites you to be bewitched. And to know how to choose between the good ones and the turkeys, and how you can take away something from even the really ghastly ones. Because life is a movie, isn’t it? Bahut picture baaki hain, mere dost.

October 04, 2024 10:25 IST
The Signature movie review: Anupama Kher-starrer is adapted from the 2013 Marathi film ‘Anumati’. It shows the struggle of an average working class person.
Fri, Oct 04, 2024
September 27, 2024 17:32 IST
Love, Sitara movie review: Sobhita Dhulipala-starrer comes off as a film which could have been more, with the nice touches having to be found between uneven patches.
Fri, Sep 27, 2024
September 27, 2024 12:28 IST
Binny And Family movie review: Pankaj Kapur, Anjini Dhawan film falls into the trap of sticking to expected lines, and flat characterisations, even if the leads commit to their track.
Fri, Sep 27, 2024
September 20, 2024 14:12 IST
Yudhra movie review: Siddhant Chaturvedi is still new enough to liven up his undercover agent character, and he does try, but except for a few moments, he comes off as just another ripped actor playing out his required beats.
Fri, Sep 20, 2024
September 13, 2024 12:51 IST
Sector 36 review: Vikrant Massey, in a 360 degree turnaround from the sincere student of 12th Fail, works at making his Prem believable, his unctuous smile and creepy banter hiding his real self: this is not a man you would want waiting for you on a dark street.
Fri, Sep 13, 2024
September 13, 2024 10:44 IST
The Buckingham Murders movie review: Kareena Kapoor Khan raises the bar, and her presence alone makes everyone else a clear supporting character.
Fri, Sep 13, 2024
September 13, 2024 09:30 IST
Berlin movie review: The real hero of this spy film, directed by Atul Sabharwal and starring Aparshakti Khurana and Ishwak Singh, is the production design.
Fri, Sep 13, 2024
September 12, 2024 12:05 IST
Khalbali Records review: There’s an energy to this enterprise that manages to stave off that danger, keeping it brisk as to pace, and on point as to music.
Thu, Sep 12, 2024
September 06, 2024 14:01 IST
Visfot movie review: The execution of this Fardeen Khan, Riteish Deshmukh film sticks to the over-familiar lane populated by smart-talking goons, mothers doused in misery, overwrought wives and girl-friends, corrupt cops, ransom calls and shoot-outs .
Sun, Sep 08, 2024
September 06, 2024 09:08 IST
Call Me Bae review: Ananya Panday 's show is self-aware to the right degree by sending itself up just enough, not letting self-righteousness weigh its exaggerations down. It’s only when it starts getting too woke and serious that it bites off more than it can chew.
Fri, Sep 06, 2024
September 05, 2024 15:29 IST
Though many years have passed since that first brief encounter, I remember quite clearly how struck I was by Vasudev’s clear eminence, as small eddies of people kept fetching up to greet her.
Fri, Sep 06, 2024
August 29, 2024 15:17 IST
IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack review: The Vijay Varma-Naseeruddin Shah-Pankaj Kapur show keeps it grounded, even when it’s in the air, and manages to distribute the tension evenly throughout.
Fri, Aug 30, 2024
August 27, 2024 17:33 IST
Only Murders In The Building Season 4 review: As always, and perhaps even more than before, there is a veritable feast of suspects, and the trio busies itself in doing what they do best, bumbling about, discovering dark truths lurking.
Tue, Aug 27, 2024
August 23, 2024 12:15 IST
Kottukkaali movie review: While the film is from the man’s point of view, our gaze never strays far from the woman. Being adamant can be a good thing.
Fri, Aug 23, 2024
August 20, 2024 11:21 IST
Angry Young Men review: Much of what is in the series based on Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar collaboration is already in public domain, though there are some never-seen before stills, and their own moving accounts of their early struggle, before they came together to become the most formidable writing partners in Hindi cinema.
Wed, Aug 21, 2024
August 15, 2024 13:33 IST
Vedaa movie review: John Abraham is as Abraham always is -- slicing, dicing and keeping the villains at bay with impassive ferocity, in some of the most kinetic action sequences seen recently.
Thu, Aug 15, 2024
August 15, 2024 11:43 IST
Khel Khel Mein movie review: A little more of the some-men-will never-change just like leopards and their spots would have made this Akshay Kumar-Taapsee Pannu film a no-holds-barred banger.
Thu, Aug 15, 2024
August 15, 2024 09:23 IST
Stree 2 movie review: Despite all the frantic criss-crossing in Shraddha Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao film, you feel the pace of Stree 2, never the best thing for a film which wants you to suspend all disbelief for its duration.
Thu, Aug 15, 2024
August 14, 2024 12:32 IST
Shekhar Home review: There will someday be a great desi re-imagining of the iconic Holmes. The Kay Kay Menon, Ranvir Shorey-starrer is not it.
Wed, Aug 14, 2024
August 09, 2024 13:33 IST
Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba movie review: The trio of Taapsee Pannu as the scheming Rani, Vikrant Massey who valiantly stays the course for his one true love, and Sunny Kaushal as ‘mar-mitne-wala-aashiq’, are all spot on.
Fri, Aug 09, 2024
August 09, 2024 10:52 IST
Life Hill Gayi review: You watch reasonably proficient actors, especially Vinay Pathak and Divyenndu, flailing about in lame pursuits, and struggle to find a chuckle in this so-called 'breezy comedy'.
Fri, Aug 09, 2024
August 09, 2024 09:37 IST
Gyaarah Gyaarah review: The biggest problem the series has is being unable to conjure up enough fear or menace, give or take a sequence or two. A lot of this show feels like it was constructed on sets.
Fri, Aug 09, 2024
August 02, 2024 15:26 IST
Modern Masters review: A deeper analysis would have been useful to set him in the context of the industry he works in, as well as how the mega success of RRR will impact India’s cinematic standing in the world.
Fri, Aug 02, 2024
August 02, 2024 11:54 IST
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha movie review: Ajay Devgn-Tabu film tries to be the kind of ‘mature’ romance that Bollywood rarely attempts, but doesn't have the courage or conviction, or the tools, to make it’s own version of a bitter-sweet Bridges of Madison County.
Fri, Aug 02, 2024
August 02, 2024 10:27 IST
Ulajh movie review: The lead, played by Janhvi Kapoor, is upped at the expense of the other characters, who feel underwritten, underserving the film.
Fri, Aug 02, 2024



