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Anupama Chopra

Anupama Chopra is the editor and founder of Film Companion.

Articles by Anupama Chopra

Seeds of change

How can a patch of vegetables change a life? In After My Garden Grows, Oscar-winning director Megan Mylan shows us.

entertainment

Updated on Nov 25, 2014 09:30 PM IST

ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Happy Ending isn’t half as clever as it needed to be

Yudi Jaitley, the hero of Happy Ending, is described by one of his many ex-girlfriends as ‘a thoughtful jerk’. Played by Saif Ali Khan, Yudi is a commitment-phobic philanderer who simply can’t bring himself to say ‘I love you’.

entertainment

Updated on Nov 21, 2014 10:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, New Delhi

A thorough trial

Court is a severe indictment of the Indian judiciary, but it’s also an insight into the various divides — class, money, caste, region, religion, writes Anupama Chopra.

entertainment

Updated on Nov 15, 2014 04:56 PM IST

ByAnupama Chopra

Anupama Chopra's review: Court room drama

Twenty-one years ago, in a film called Damini, Sunny Deol delivered a memorable diatribe against the Indian judicial system. The tamasha has been captured with a chilling matter-of-factness in Court, the brilliant debut of 27-year old Chaitanya Tamhane. Read Anupama Chopra's review.

entertainment

Updated on Nov 15, 2014 04:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Mumbai

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Govinda shines in Shaad Ali's Kill Dil

Director Shaad Ali's film is its own thing - basically a pulpy, retro-cool, Bollywood Western set in Delhi, with dollops of romance, comedy, and the one and only Govinda.

Govinda-is-making-a-comeback-to-films-with-Kill-Dil

entertainment

Updated on Nov 14, 2014 09:01 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, New Delhi

The Shaukeens review by Anupama Chopra: Akshay's spoof on himself is best part

Today, it’s hard to find laughs in three lecherous old men. The situation is so inherently icky that even three first- rate actors – Anupam, Annu and Piyush – can’t redeem it. The Shaukeens improves when it is more about Akshay and less about the buddies

entertainment

Updated on Nov 08, 2014 10:38 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Mumbai

Filmi fix: A Most Wanted Man is a story that doesn’t end well

There are many reasons to watch A Most Wanted Man. Director Anton Corbijn’s take on John le Carré’s 2008 novel is tense, twisty and compellingly gloomy. The film offers genuine suspense but also an over-arching grimness.

entertainment

Updated on Nov 01, 2014 07:13 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Mumbai

Super Nani review by Anupama Chopra: This is special kind of awful

Super Nani is based on the Gujarati play Baa Ae Maari Boundary. It's not clear how much writer Vipul Mehta has deviated from the original source but the film is painfully dated. Under the wafer-thin garb of women empowerment, Super Nani is offensively regressive.

Rekha-and--Sharman-Joshi-in-a-still-from-Super-Nani

entertainment

Updated on Nov 01, 2014 01:43 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, New Delhi

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Happy New Year is a slog

Happy New Year exists for one purpose — to entertain. And, Farah Khan has proved that she is more than capable of giving us a good time. But in Happy New Year, the desire to entertain overshadows everything else.

entertainment

Updated on Oct 26, 2014 02:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, New Delhi

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Haider is deeply stirring

There is much in Haider that deserves a standing ovation. Let’s start with the courage of director Vishal Bhardwaj. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most difficult and ambiguous texts. It’s also his longest - it takes over four hours to deliver.

entertainment

Updated on Oct 02, 2014 08:12 AM IST

ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Daawat-e-Ishq is a flavourless feast

Daawat-e-Ishq is the equivalent of an elaborate meal that begins with a mouth-watering appetiser but slowly loses flavour, aroma and deliciousness, so that by the time you reach dessert, you are exhausted, disappointed and badly in need of fresh air.

entertainment

Updated on Sep 20, 2014 06:53 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Mumbai

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Khoobsurat is pretty plain

Khoobsurat, the official remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1980 hit about an effervescent girl who enters a strict household and teaches everyone how to laugh and live life to the fullest is sweet, benign and bland, writes Anupama Chopra

entertainment

Updated on Sep 20, 2014 01:37 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Bipasha Basu's Creature 3D is foolish

What is a brahmarakshas? According to Vikram Bhatt’s Creature 3D, it’s a cross between a lizard and a dinosaur, with a splash of Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean thrown in. It is also one of the many reasons why this is one of those supremely foolish films.

entertainment

Updated on Sep 19, 2014 11:34 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Priyanka shines in Mary Kom

Despite some flaws, Mary Kom is a worthy attempt. The film has sincerity and has been crafted with care. Apart from Mary herself, it gives us a terrific male role model — Onler, who encouraged Mary to return to boxing while he looked after their twin sons.

entertainment

Updated on Sep 07, 2014 02:33 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Mumbai

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Raja Natwarlal isn’t an actively awful film

If you can get past the foolishness of the plot, director Kunal Deshmukh’s film is mildly engaging. Emraan Hashmi plays Raja, a charming, street-smart hustler. The big climactic twist is also interesting.

entertainment

Updated on Aug 30, 2014 01:45 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, New Delhi

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Watch Mardaani for Rani Mukerji's performance

Post-interval, the story derails considerably. By the time we get to the climax, we are fully in avenging angel territory. And, just like in Singham Returns last week, the solutions suggested are problematic.

entertainment

Updated on Aug 24, 2014 10:24 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review: Singham Returns is enjoyable but plot is a retread

Singham Returns is a potent but problematic ode to the Mumbai policeman. Writer-director Rohit Shetty and leading man Ajay Devgn have created a superhero who, quite literally, packs a punch, writes Anupama Chopra.

entertainment

Updated on Aug 16, 2014 01:06 AM IST

ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review: Entertainment is a sitcom with random gags fixed in a story about a dog

The most charitable thing I can say about Entertainment is kutte ka kaam bahut accha hai. The jokes are purposefully mindless, but they come at you at such a furious pace that you are lulled into an exhausted laughter, writes Anupama Chopra.

entertainment

Updated on Aug 09, 2014 04:52 PM IST

ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Salman Khan's Kick is all charisma, logic-free story

Kick is an outrageously silly film. It lurches from a thwarted love story to infantile comedy to slick action to shamelessly manipulative melodrama without any attempt at coherence or consistency, writes Anupama Chopra. Kick biggest opener of 2014, earns Rs. 53 crore in 2 days

entertainment

Updated on Jul 27, 2014 12:46 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Fugly is a misguided mess

As writer Rahul and director Kabir try to stir up Rang De Basanti-style patriotism, Fugly becomes more and more preposterous. By the end, anything is possible, including a patient with third-degree burns fighting it out with the mighty Chautala on a hospital bed.

entertainment

Updated on Jun 14, 2014 06:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Mumbai

I've beaten Gandhari's record of producing kids: Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan is not frowning and fuming at pregnancy rumours besieging her anymore. Instead, she’s only enjoying them with the best of her sarcasm, as she takes a break: “But actresses have a shorter shelf-life anyway, so how can you take a break?”

Vidya-Balan-bagged-the-best-actress-award-for-The-Dirty-Picture

entertainment

Updated on Jun 12, 2014 02:54 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Filmistaan will sneak into your heart

Filmistaan is a delightful film. It has heart, imagination and intelligence. It is a celebration of our enduring love affair with Hindi cinema. And it is a touching exploration of the shared humanity between Indians and Pakistanis, writes Anupama Chopra.

entertainment

Updated on Jun 07, 2014 12:30 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: watch Citylights for Rajkummar Rao

In a short span of four years, Rajkummar Rao has gone from being one of the many actors in Love Sex aur Dhokha to a National Award-winning leading man. Watch his performance in Citylights to understand why.

entertainment

Updated on Jun 01, 2014 05:50 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

I have this adrenalin junkie thing: Nicole Kidman

Hollywood star Nicole Kidman says being in uncomfortable places helps her push her boundaries. In an interview with Anupama Chopra she talks about her new film Grace of Monaco.

Nicole-Kidman-makes-quite-an-appearance-on-the-Cannes-red-carpet-in-her-sparkly-black-dress-and-strappy-heels-Check-out-her-photos-AFP-Photo

entertainment

Updated on May 26, 2014 06:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, New Delhi

I am really important: Sonam Kapoor

"Only when I say something, it gets picked up. I’m like, ‘Okay, maybe what I say is important. Maybe I should use it constructively next time'," says Sonam in an exclusive chat with Anupama Chopra.

entertainment

Updated on May 25, 2014 01:57 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Cannes

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Tiger Shroff starrer Heropanti is comically bad

Heropanti is designed to do exactly one thing- make us like Tiger Shroff, and that it does exceedingly well. The film is a showcase for Tiger’s talents; he is an incredible acrobat who does backflips in dance sequences and effortlessly leaps off walls in action scenes.

Tiger-Shroff-and-Kriti-Sanon-in-a-romantic-scene-from-Heropanti

entertainment

Updated on May 24, 2014 01:35 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

I am doing Sanjay Gupta, Mani Ratnam's films: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

In a chat with Anupama Chopra at her 13th Cannes Film Festival appearance, Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan speaks of the two films she has signed and her Cannes experience so far.

entertainment

Updated on May 23, 2014 10:10 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra, Cannes

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Hawaa Hawaai is a heavy-handed tale

While Hawaa Hawaai isn’t entirely satisfying, I still recommend that you see it. It is a timely reminder of the intractable horrors that children in this country face on a daily basis.

entertainment

Updated on May 10, 2014 12:26 AM IST

ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Central Station has 'emotional voltage'

Central Station is the story of a retired school teacher who writes letters for illiterate people at Rio de Janeiro’s central railroad station.

entertainment

Updated on May 10, 2014 12:55 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Kya Dilli Kya Lahore gets too monotonous

If good intentions were enough to make a good film, then Kya Dilli Kya Lahore would be a winner. It’s a compelling idea, laid low by ineffectual execution, writes Anupama Chopra.

entertainment

Updated on May 03, 2014 11:34 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnupama Chopra

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Anupama Chopra

Anupama Chopra is the editor and founder of Film Companion.

How can a patch of vegetables change a life? In After My Garden Grows, Oscar-winning director Megan Mylan shows us.

Yudi Jaitley, the hero of Happy Ending, is described by one of his many ex-girlfriends as ‘a thoughtful jerk’. Played by Saif Ali Khan, Yudi is a commitment-phobic philanderer who simply can’t bring himself to say ‘I love you’.

Court is a severe indictment of the Indian judiciary, but it’s also an insight into the various divides — class, money, caste, region, religion, writes Anupama Chopra.

Twenty-one years ago, in a film called Damini, Sunny Deol delivered a memorable diatribe against the Indian judicial system. The tamasha has been captured with a chilling matter-of-factness in Court, the brilliant debut of 27-year old Chaitanya Tamhane. Read Anupama Chopra's review.

Director Shaad Ali's film is its own thing - basically a pulpy, retro-cool, Bollywood Western set in Delhi, with dollops of romance, comedy, and the one and only Govinda.

Today, it’s hard to find laughs in three lecherous old men. The situation is so inherently icky that even three first- rate actors – Anupam, Annu and Piyush – can’t redeem it. The Shaukeens improves when it is more about Akshay and less about the buddies

There are many reasons to watch A Most Wanted Man. Director Anton Corbijn’s take on John le Carré’s 2008 novel is tense, twisty and compellingly gloomy. The film offers genuine suspense but also an over-arching grimness.

Super Nani is based on the Gujarati play Baa Ae Maari Boundary. It's not clear how much writer Vipul Mehta has deviated from the original source but the film is painfully dated. Under the wafer-thin garb of women empowerment, Super Nani is offensively regressive.

Happy New Year exists for one purpose — to entertain. And, Farah Khan has proved that she is more than capable of giving us a good time. But in Happy New Year, the desire to entertain overshadows everything else.

There is much in Haider that deserves a standing ovation. Let’s start with the courage of director Vishal Bhardwaj. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most difficult and ambiguous texts. It’s also his longest - it takes over four hours to deliver.

Daawat-e-Ishq is the equivalent of an elaborate meal that begins with a mouth-watering appetiser but slowly loses flavour, aroma and deliciousness, so that by the time you reach dessert, you are exhausted, disappointed and badly in need of fresh air.

Khoobsurat, the official remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1980 hit about an effervescent girl who enters a strict household and teaches everyone how to laugh and live life to the fullest is sweet, benign and bland, writes Anupama Chopra

What is a brahmarakshas? According to Vikram Bhatt’s Creature 3D, it’s a cross between a lizard and a dinosaur, with a splash of Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean thrown in. It is also one of the many reasons why this is one of those supremely foolish films.

Despite some flaws, Mary Kom is a worthy attempt. The film has sincerity and has been crafted with care. Apart from Mary herself, it gives us a terrific male role model — Onler, who encouraged Mary to return to boxing while he looked after their twin sons.

If you can get past the foolishness of the plot, director Kunal Deshmukh’s film is mildly engaging. Emraan Hashmi plays Raja, a charming, street-smart hustler. The big climactic twist is also interesting.

Post-interval, the story derails considerably. By the time we get to the climax, we are fully in avenging angel territory. And, just like in Singham Returns last week, the solutions suggested are problematic.

Singham Returns is a potent but problematic ode to the Mumbai policeman. Writer-director Rohit Shetty and leading man Ajay Devgn have created a superhero who, quite literally, packs a punch, writes Anupama Chopra.

The most charitable thing I can say about Entertainment is kutte ka kaam bahut accha hai. The jokes are purposefully mindless, but they come at you at such a furious pace that you are lulled into an exhausted laughter, writes Anupama Chopra.

Kick is an outrageously silly film. It lurches from a thwarted love story to infantile comedy to slick action to shamelessly manipulative melodrama without any attempt at coherence or consistency, writes Anupama Chopra. Kick biggest opener of 2014, earns Rs. 53 crore in 2 days

As writer Rahul and director Kabir try to stir up Rang De Basanti-style patriotism, Fugly becomes more and more preposterous. By the end, anything is possible, including a patient with third-degree burns fighting it out with the mighty Chautala on a hospital bed.

Vidya Balan is not frowning and fuming at pregnancy rumours besieging her anymore. Instead, she’s only enjoying them with the best of her sarcasm, as she takes a break: “But actresses have a shorter shelf-life anyway, so how can you take a break?”

Filmistaan is a delightful film. It has heart, imagination and intelligence. It is a celebration of our enduring love affair with Hindi cinema. And it is a touching exploration of the shared humanity between Indians and Pakistanis, writes Anupama Chopra.

In a short span of four years, Rajkummar Rao has gone from being one of the many actors in Love Sex aur Dhokha to a National Award-winning leading man. Watch his performance in Citylights to understand why.

Hollywood star Nicole Kidman says being in uncomfortable places helps her push her boundaries. In an interview with Anupama Chopra she talks about her new film Grace of Monaco.

"Only when I say something, it gets picked up. I’m like, ‘Okay, maybe what I say is important. Maybe I should use it constructively next time'," says Sonam in an exclusive chat with Anupama Chopra.

Heropanti is designed to do exactly one thing- make us like Tiger Shroff, and that it does exceedingly well. The film is a showcase for Tiger’s talents; he is an incredible acrobat who does backflips in dance sequences and effortlessly leaps off walls in action scenes.

In a chat with Anupama Chopra at her 13th Cannes Film Festival appearance, Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan speaks of the two films she has signed and her Cannes experience so far.

While Hawaa Hawaai isn’t entirely satisfying, I still recommend that you see it. It is a timely reminder of the intractable horrors that children in this country face on a daily basis.

Central Station is the story of a retired school teacher who writes letters for illiterate people at Rio de Janeiro’s central railroad station.

If good intentions were enough to make a good film, then Kya Dilli Kya Lahore would be a winner. It’s a compelling idea, laid low by ineffectual execution, writes Anupama Chopra.

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