Anupama Chopra Reviews
336 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsAnupama Chopra, founder & editor of Film Companion, is a film critic, television anchor and book author. She has been writing about Bollywood since 1993. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Hindustan Times, The Los Angeles Times and Vogue (India).
Here you can find all of her reviews for movies from across the globe.
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Episodes
49: Captain Marvel Movie Review by Anupama Chopra | Brie Larson | Samuel L. Jackson
March 08, 2019 16:10 - 6 minutes - 5.69 MBCaptain Marvel is the 21st film in the Marvel universe but it’s the first female-led film in the MCU. Her alter ego, Carol Danvers, first appeared in 1968 and was a regular supporting character in the Captain Marvel series alongside a character named Mar-Vell. Carol further came into her own in 2012 when she evolved from Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel.
48: Badla Movie Review by Anupama Chopra | Sujoy Ghosh | Amitabh Bachchan | Taapsee Pannu
March 08, 2019 11:17 - 2 minutes - 1.9 MBBadla is an official adaptation of the 2016 Spanish movie 'The Invisible Guest'. The good thing is that director Sujoy Ghosh, who also adapted the screenplay, wastes no time in getting started. We are immediately thrust into the cat-and-mouse-game with the murder-accused Naina meeting her potential lawyer, Badal Gupta. He obviously wants nothing but the truth but Naina is an unreliable narrator. What keeps Badla going are the many turns of the screw. Nothing is what it seems. And the battle ...
47: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Sonchiriya | Sushant Singh Rajput | Bhumi Pednekar | Manoj Bajpayee
March 01, 2019 13:12 - 5 minutes - 5.1 MBSonchiriya begins with the sound of flies buzzing and then we get a close-up of the carcass they are hovering on. The close-up holds for much too long, but from the first frame, director Abhishek Chaubey establishes two things – that we are in a lawless land and that he isn’t interested in making the ride comfortable for us.
46: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Luka Chuppi | Laxman Utekar | Kartik Aaryan | Kriti Sanon
March 01, 2019 13:11 - 4 minutes - 4.42 MBLuka Chuppi is a tiresome tale of a couple from Mathura, Guddu and Rashmi, who decide to experiment with a live-in relationship. They do this by pretending to be married. And all that can go wrong does.
45: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Gully Boy | Zoya Akhtar | Ranveer Singh | Alia Bhatt
February 14, 2019 14:50 - 7 minutes - 7.27 MBGully Boy is loosely based on the lives of real life rappers Naezy and DIVINE, who rose from slums to stardom. Hip hop, modern day protest music, which came out of the streets of New York, has inspired a flourishing music scene in Mumbai. But the beauty of Gully Boy is that even if you are entirely unfamiliar with this world, like I was, the film will still stir your soul.
44: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of The Wife | Glenn Close
February 14, 2019 10:54 - 4 minutes - 4.61 MBThe Wife has been adapted by Swedish director Björn Runge from Meg Wolitzer’s 2003 novel. The plot itself is a tad contrived and not always convincing but the performances power the film, giving it an emotional grip that doesn’t let up. Joan, played masterfully by Glenn Close, resembles a calm sea that has tectonic plates shifting and a tsunami brewing beneath the surface.
43: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Mary Queen of Scots | Saoirse Ronan | Margot Robbie
February 01, 2019 14:50 - 5 minutes - 5.35 MBMary Queen of Scots is a sumptuous tale of two cousins. Both are queens – one of England and one of Scotland. Elizabeth and Mary are kindred spirits but their relationship is strained by the power struggle between their two countries, between their two religions – Catholic and Protestant, and between the various ambassadors, emissaries and noblemen who flit in between their worlds.
42: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi | Kangana Ranaut
January 25, 2019 07:47 - 6 minutesHow do you convert myth into movie? Manikarnika or the Rani of Jhansi is the stuff of legend. The warrior queen led an army against the British Empire. In 1858, she died on the battlefield at the age of 29\. The first requirement to translate this to screen is to get an actor who can convince us of this incredible courage. And on that count, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi gets it absolutely right – Kangana Ranaut is on fire as the iconic Rani Lakshmibai. Her spine is erect, her eyes are unb...
41: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Why Cheat India | Emraan Hashmi | Soumik Sen
January 18, 2019 12:22 - 5 minutes - 4.72 MBWhy Cheat India, the makers tell us, is a hybrid of fact and fiction. This blend – maybe we should call it faction – seems to have become Bollywood’s favourite genre. Think of Uri, Padman, Sanju, Raazi, Raid and so many others. These films want both – the authenticity and heft of fact with the dramatic possibilities of fiction. It’s tough to do and many directors topple. In Why Cheat India, Soumik Sen manages to stay standing for some time. Subtlety is not his strength but in his own, heavy-h...
40: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of The Accidental Prime Minister | Vijay Gutte | Anupam Kher
January 11, 2019 13:50 - 5 minutes - 5.26 MBThe Accidental Prime Minister is propaganda. Strategically, it’s a smart move. In election year, the film takes us into the corridors of power and doesn’t shy away from taking names. The Accidental Prime Minister, based on Baru’s book The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making And Unmaking of Manmohan Singh, gives us Baru’s version of events. He’s not a politician but he’s a Congress insider so the unmasking comes from within the party.
39: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Uri: The Surgical Strike | Aditya Dhar | Vicky Kaushal
January 11, 2019 13:45 - 5 minutes - 5.09 MBUri: The Surgical Strike is an unabashed love letter to the Indian army. If you want nuance or insight into the hearts and minds of brave men and women who willingly put themselves in the line of fire, you won’t find it here. Writer-director Aditya Dhar positions soldiers as superheroes who might grieve but they never doubt or question their place in an increasingly complicated and polarized world.
38: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Mary Poppins Returns | Rob Marshall | Emily Blunt
January 04, 2019 13:02 - 4 minutes - 4.55 MBMary Poppins Returns doesn’t quite achieve lift-off. The sequel, which comes 54 years after the original film, is set in 1930s London. The backdrop is the Great Depression but here it is labeled the Great Slump – maybe the word depression is too depressing for Disney. It’s 25 years after the events of the original so the Banks children, Michael and Jane, who were the focus of the first film, have grown up.
37: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Zero | Aanand L Rai | Shah Rukh Khan | Anushka Sharma
December 21, 2018 13:31 - 6 minutes - 5.62 MBThe truth is that I’m still trying to understand Zero. The story begins in Meerut and somehow moves to Mars. It’s so bizarre and implausible and incoherent that I kept wondering if pages in the script went missing or too many scenes were slashed or if I’m just missing the point. Zero strains for sweep and scale. The visual language suggests a glamorous fairy tale. The VFX is convincing and I loved the Ajay-Atul ballad Mere Naam Tu. But the rest of this film left me stumped and eventually, sad.
36: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Kedarnath | Sushant Singh Rajput | Sara Ali Khan
December 08, 2018 09:17 - 4 minutes - 4.62 MBKedarnath is a film about the power of faith – faith in God, in love, in the goodness of human beings. The lead characters demanded commitment – physical and emotional – and both actors step up to the plate. Their romance reminded me of all those films in which rich girls fall hard for boys who are beneath their status. It’s old school and so is this film, which eventually becomes a hurdle. Kedarnath feels like it belongs to an earlier decade.
35: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Creed II | Steven Caple Jr.| Michael B. Jordan
December 01, 2018 14:20 - 4 minutes - 4.35 MBCreed II also firmly establishes Michael B. Jordan as a major movie star. He combines charisma with formidable acting chops. His body resembles granite but the narrative is about Adonis’ vulnerabilities and when Jordan cries, you feel his pain. Of course, Creed II is familiar ground. But it honours the genre and still has enough vitality to make us feel the thrill again.
21: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se | Dharmendra | Sunny Deol | Bobby Deol
December 01, 2018 13:18 - 4 minutes - 4.12 MBYamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se, the third film in the franchise, is an ode to Ayurveda. Yes, you heard that right. Sunny Deol plays vaid Puran Singh who can cure any ailment with an ancient herbal concoction called the 'Vajra Kavach'. Among the three of them, the Deols have over 100 years of making movies. I think it's time to reinvent.
20: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Village Rockstars | Rima Das | Bhanita Das
December 01, 2018 13:17 - 3 minutes - 3.69 MBA girl in a village with a guitar – that one image captures the spirit and originality of this charming and audacious Assamese film. Village Rockstars has been directed, produced, written, shot and edited by Rima Das. The film went on to do a stellar run at international film festivals including Toronto and Mumbai. It is India’s official entry to the Oscars. I’m telling you this because the film’s journey is one of those impossible showbiz fairy tales. And this unlikely success comes from Rim...
19: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Tumbbad | Rahi Anil Barve | Adesh Prasad | Sohum Shah
December 01, 2018 13:16 - 4 minutes - 4.42 MBTumbbad is a mysterious and magical movie. The story spans generations and decades - we begin in 1918 and end a little after Independence. The overarching theme is greed but we also witness corruption and betrayal, decadence and death. And what is it? There is horror and fantasy. But the film also works as a grim morality tale. You know how marketing folks entice you with the promise – you’ve never seen anything like this before. Well, you’ve truly never seen anything like this before – at le...
18: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Sui Dhaaga | Sharat Katariya | Varun Dhawan | Anushka Sharma
December 01, 2018 13:14 - 4 minutes - 4.2 MBSui Dhaaga: Made In India is earnest, simplistic and not entirely convincing. Writer and director Sharat Katariya immerses us into a beautifully detailed world with flesh and blood characters but halfway through, he goes into Bollywood fairy tale mode. Some scenes made me teary and others made me tear my hair out in frustration.
17: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Stree | Amar Kaushik | Rajkummar Rao | Shraddha Kapoor
December 01, 2018 13:13 - 5 minutes - 5.42 MBStree is a Trojan horse. Director Amar Kaushik and writers Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru create a horror-comedy, which turns out to be subversive commentary on the position and treatment of women in India. It’s clever and very funny. With laughs and scares, Stree delivers an important message.
16: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Satyameva Jayate | Milap Zaveri | John Abraham | Manoj Bajpayee
December 01, 2018 13:11 - 5 minutes - 5.38 MBThrough the film, John Abraham inflicts various types of punishment on corrupt cops. His biceps do the emoting for him. His towering physicality is impressively showcased – there are even close-ups of his bulging muscles as he metes out justice. Which might be why Manoj decides to act for both of them – he grimaces and glowers and works hard to make this ludicrous material convincing. It’s impossible. Satyameva Jayate is the sort of film that bludgeons you and leaves you drained and entirely ...
15: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Pataakha | Vishal Bhardwaj | Sanya Malhotra | Radhika Madan
December 01, 2018 13:09 - 5 minutes - 5.01 MBPataakha is based on a short story called Do Behnein by Charan Singh Pathik. Vishal, aided well by his actors and crew, creates a colorful, textured world. Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan, who makes her film debut, work ferociously hard to become Badki and Chhutki. Both are fine actors who nail the difficult dialect but this is also a physically demanding role – the sisters are constantly punching each other, rolling in mud or screaming. With blackened teeth and strong body language, they be...
14: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Paltan | J. P. Dutta | Arjun Rampal | Jackie Shroff
December 01, 2018 13:07 - 5 minutes - 5.48 MBFor more than two decades, J. P. Dutta has served as Hindi cinema’s lone poet of war. He finds a profound passion and pride in stories of men in combat. In Dutta’s worldview, the battleground is where real heroes are forged. It is the ultimate showcase for pride, patriotism and an overarching masculinity. With Paltan, Dutta completes his war trilogy, which started with Border in 1997 and was followed by the interminable LOC Kargil in 2003. Paltan is leaden and one-dimensional. Incidentally, t...
13: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Manmarziyaan | Anurag Kashyap | Taapsee | Vicky | Abhishek
December 01, 2018 13:05 - 5 minutes - 5 MBLove, it is often said, is a many splendored thing. In Manmarziyaan, director Anurag Kashyap and writer and creative producer Kanika Dhillon offer us a deep-dive into this splendor. For years, I’ve exited Anurag’s films raging with frustration and wondering why he inevitably becomes indulgent. Manmarizyaan is no different. He’s so damn talented but he doesn’t know when to stop.
12: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Loveyatri | Abhiraj Minawala | Aayush Sharma | Warina Hussain
December 01, 2018 13:03 - 5 minutes - 4.86 MBLoveyatri is a 1990s film being released in 2018\. Twenty years ago, Hindi cinema specialized in NRIs, Hindu festivals, Indian values, large families and strict fathers who would invariably let go of their daughter’s hand and say, "Ja beta, jee le apni zindagi." Loveyatri is all about Aayush. He gets the traditional Bollywood hero entry. And debutant director Abhiraj Minawala ensures that Aayush gets to do it all – dance, romance, shed a tear, face-off with the father and of course drop the s...
11: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Love Sonia | Tabrez Noorani | Mrunal Thakur | Richa Chadha
December 01, 2018 13:02 - 4 minutes - 4.25 MBImprisonment is a recurring motif in Love Sonia – a film about sex trafficking. Women live and work in cage-like rooms. Films like this are a tightrope act. The material is inherently ugly. And the narrative needs to convey the horror and tragedy without making the viewer turn away. Thankfully Tabrez conceals as much has he reveals. He has spent more than a decade nurturing the project and working with NGOs. Which gives Love Sonia an authenticity – the brothel is a labyrinth of corridors, roo...
10: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Pihu | Vinod Kapri | Myra Vishwakarma
December 01, 2018 12:56 - 3 minutes - 3.58 MBPihu is Trapped meets Home Alone without the anguish or the humour. A toddler, Pihu, wakes up next to her inert mother. Her father is not at home. Pihu shoves and calls and cries but her mom won’t open her eyes. It is now up to the two-year-old to survive the horrors of a modern high-rise apartment.
9: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Green Book | Mahershala Ali | Viggo Mortensen
December 01, 2018 12:54 - 4 minutes - 3.93 MBGreen Book is inspired by a true story. The title refers to a travel book for African-Americans – it advised them on places where they could stay and eat in the Southern States. The Green Book is an awful artefact of a not-so-distant past but the film barely touches upon it. The film plays like a feel-good, lightweight treatise on racism and healing, which also makes it a crowd-pleaser.
8: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | David Yates
December 01, 2018 12:53 - 5 minutes - 5.11 MBFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a frantic movie – visually and narratively. So much happens to so many characters and the film is stuffed with so many marvels that by the end, I was both confused and exhausted. But I will admit that the sight of Hogwarts made me jump with delight. I love the Harry Potter universe and I wish I could recommend this film with greater enthusiasm. It’s competent but not enchanting enough.
7: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Boy Erased | Joel Edgerton | Lucas Hedges
December 01, 2018 12:48 - 1 minute - 1.5 MBThe film, adapted from Garrard Conley’s memoir, is both efficient and effective. What I liked best about Boy Erased is that the film is driven by empathy. There are no outsized villains here – even Victor Sykes, played nicely by Edgerton himself, the bulldozer who runs the therapy program, has texture.
6: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Bhaiaji Superhit | Neeraj Pathak | Sunny Deol | Preity Zinta
December 01, 2018 12:33 - 4 minutes - 4.15 MBAt one point in Bhaiaji Superhit, we arrive at a flashback in which Sunny Deol, as the uneducated Banaras don named Bhaiaji is serenading his wife, Sapna played by Preity Zinta, by reciting Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He’s wearing a shiny, black velvet coat and stumbling over the English. It was at this precise moment that I started to feel more pain for Sunny than I was feeling for myself. Of course Bhaiaji Superhit isn’t his tragedy alone though he does do the heavy-lifting. Preity returns...
5: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of A Star Is Born | Bradley Cooper | Lady Gaga
December 01, 2018 12:32 - 3 minutes - 3.54 MBA Star is Born is a thing of beauty. It’s gorgeously romantic but also authentic and emotionally searing. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are both brilliant and heartbreaking. The film is of course a love story but it’s also a portrait of creativity and commerce and the difficulty of protecting the former from the latter. Through the film, Cooper’s character Jackson Maine talks about the importance of having something to say. But how do you get the world to listen without selling your soul and b...
4: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Helicopter Eela | Kajol | Riddhi Sen | Tota Roy Chowdhury
December 01, 2018 12:27 - 4 minutes - 4.14 MBEela, as the title tells us, is a nightmarish helicopter parent. She hovers over every aspect of her son’s life. Just like in the Melissa McCarthy film Life of the Party, Eela ends up going to college with her child. Which of course pushes her suffocating ways to the next level. The film is based on the Gujarati play Beta Kaagdo by Anand Gandhi who has co-written the screenplay with Mitesh Shah. The writers and director Pradeep Sarkar want to create a portrait of a middle-aged, middle-class w...
3: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Gold | Reema Kagti | Akshay Kumar
December 01, 2018 12:25 - 6 minutes - 6.45 MBGold is a fictional account of a real incident. I’m not sure how many people are aware of this victory so applause to Reema for bringing it to light. The film is handsomely produced. The period details are in place and despite some dull stretches, the narrative has hold. In the second half though, the wobbling becomes more precarious. The tonality alternates between dramatic and comic.
2: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of Gali Guleiyan | Dipesh Jain | Manoj Bajpayee
December 01, 2018 12:22 - 3 minutes - 3.3 MBGali Guleiyan is a film about a maze - both mental and physical. Khuddoos lives in one of the narrow lanes in old Delhi. It’s a vast and bewildering network of homes scrunched up against each other. A lesser actor would have asked more blatantly for our sympathy or given us some comfort to clutch on to. But Manoj Bajpayee understands that Khuddoos is broken irreparably. His mind is a fog of memories and punishments.
1: Anupama Chopra's Movie Review of AndhaDhun | Sriram Raghavan | Ayushmann Khurrana | Tabu
December 01, 2018 12:19 - 6 minutes - 5.85 MBSriram Raghavan is Hindi cinema’s thriller master. His films are filled with dark and dirty people – criminals and gamblers, murderers and conmen. His films are also filled with references to older Hindi films. But in Andhadhun, Sriram takes the homage further. Anil Dhawan, star of 70s pulp classics like Chetna and Darwaza, plays a version of himself – a yesteryear star who spends too much time revisiting his past glory.