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.

December 13,2024 10:51:59 AM
Bandish Bandits Season 2 review: Each actor contributes to the show, and the leads are excellent. Some really good music comes up through these plot devices which makes us stay.
Fri, Dec 13, 2024
December 13,2024 10:32:32 AM
Despatch movie review: The film never cements its pieces together enough to create a coherent picture. Its telling feels disjointed, and its characters come and go, leaving us in limbo.
Fri, Dec 13, 2024
December 06,2024 09:50:21 AM
Agni movie review: Rahul Dholakia's film honours the commitment that heroic firefighters have to their jobs, even as they rail against ‘the system’ which doesn’t give them the support they need.
Fri, Dec 06, 2024
November 29,2024 12:28:15 PM
Sikandar Ka Muqaddar movie review: Neeraj Pandey's Netflix heist movie soars on the strength of plot and performance, with stars servicing the story, just the way it should be.
Sun, Dec 01, 2024
November 22,2024 15:54:13 PM
Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein 2 review: Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saurabh Shukla and Shweta Tripathi-starrer , with all its pulpy thriller sinews in place, leaves us on a cliffhanger, nicely primed for the next season.
Fri, Nov 22, 2024
November 22,2024 12:55:57 PM
All We Imagine As Light movie review: The wonderful Kani Kusruti turns yearning into a full-time job, and just for her, this film which releases in India today, is worth every minute of your time.
Fri, Nov 22, 2024
November 22,2024 11:42:11 AM
Waack Girls review: Some of the most engaging parts of the show, co-written by Taraporevala, Iyanah Batlivala, and Ronny Sen are those, ironically, when there’s no dancing.
Fri, Nov 22, 2024
November 22,2024 09:39:58 AM
I Want to Talk movie review: Abhishek Bachchan lets go of vanity, revealing a thickened gut, and scars-on-the-belly, and an ability to bare. But Shoojit Sircar's film leaves you wanting more.
Fri, Nov 22, 2024
November 15,2024 16:08:56 PM
The Sabarmati Report movie review: After jumping down the throat of those who speak for balance, the Vikrant Massey-Raashii Khanna-starrer tries hard at doing a balancing act. How’s that for more irony?
Fri, Nov 15, 2024
November 15,2024 11:50:58 AM
Freedom At Midnight review: Sprawling yet pacy, the Nikkhil Advani series brings to life the story of India, and Pakistan, which came into existence at that stroke of the midnight hour immortalised in the haunting words of Nehru.
Fri, Nov 15, 2024
November 13,2024 14:39:06 PM
This is very much a 1994 film, with its anti-classist cheap-and-cheerful aesthetic, presenting a time of idealised innocence, teetering on the brink of a just-liberalised India.
Sat, Nov 16, 2024
November 08,2024 12:59:55 PM
Vijay 69 movie review: Want someone to play old in the movies? Anupam Kher is your man. He’s got the age, and the mileage. All he needs are films that mean something.
Fri, Nov 08, 2024
November 07,2024 10:39:30 AM
Citadel Honey Bunny review: So, where does that leave Varun Dhawan? Why, readying for his Terminator avatar, which looks as if it is going to kick-start the next season. But in this one, it is Samantha Ruth Prabhu all the way.
Thu, Nov 07, 2024
November 01,2024 17:06:31 PM
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 movie review: Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 suffers from the same things that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 did: stereotypes instead of characters, forced humour which refuses to land, and tasteless lines bordering on the risible.
Sat, Nov 02, 2024
November 01,2024 16:04:13 PM
Singham Again movie review: It’s all so same-old in Ajay Devgn-Rohit Shetty's Singham Again that even the new locations don’t help. Neither does all the blatant-referencing-and-copy-pasting of Ramayan.
Fri, Nov 01, 2024
November 01,2024 08:30:19 AM
Mithya The Darker Chapter review: The first season wasn’t perfect, but it had a degree of freshness. The new season is such a drag.
Fri, Nov 01, 2024
October 26,2024 07:07:39 AM
Kajol and Kriti Sanon on their journey, the changing role of women in the industry, trolling and why super stardom is dead. The session was moderated by Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, and Shubhra Gupta, Film Critic.
Sat, Oct 26, 2024
October 25,2024 13:08:12 PM
Do Patti movie review: There’s enough in Kriti Sanon-Kajol film for a juicy, substantive drama. But the unpacking turns more into an unravelling, mainly because the writing is shallow, and the characters lack depth.
Fri, Oct 25, 2024
October 25,2024 12:04:44 PM
Bandaa Singh Choudhary movie review: Arshad Warsi is such a pleasing performer that he manages to lift even the worst things he is in. Playing a central character usually gives a good actor something to do. Not here.
Fri, Oct 25, 2024
October 20,2024 11:47:35 AM
Rajkumar Hirani and Vijay Varma spoke to The Indian Express at the Screen relaunch on their craft, the numbers game and why scale doesn’t matter
Sun, Oct 20, 2024
October 11,2024 17:28:23 PM
Zindaginama review: Not all six are equal in depth and complexity, but it doesn’t stop us from acknowledging the importance of these kinds of stories, which go a long way in keeping informed conversations around mental health in play.
Fri, Oct 11, 2024
October 11,2024 14:32:55 PM
Jigra movie review: Alia Bhatt’s performances usually have at least a couple of distinctive notes. Here, badass replacing vulnerability, those edges are blunted. Jigra becomes a stretch, of both patience and credulity.
Fri, Oct 11, 2024
October 11,2024 10:10:29 AM
Vicky Vidya Ka Voh Wala Video movie review: Starring Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri, the comedy film has exactly five lines that make you chuckle.
Sat, Oct 12, 2024
October 04,2024 13:58:55 PM
Ctrl movie review: While both Ananya Panday and Vihaan Samat do their job well, the film truly feels potent only when it comes off the screen.
Fri, Oct 04, 2024
October 04,2024 13:06:55 PM
Manvat Murders review: The show takes its time to come to its conclusions, and by the fifth episode, you can feel the stretch, even if the duration of each episode is around 35 minutes.
Fri, Oct 04, 2024





