Arnav Thakur – Google

Had posted a detailed review about the movie which, for reasons known only to Google, was removed by its automated system. The irony! The movie is quite good. On the same screen-life narration format as that of Searching and Missing. Gave a very realistic and non-Bollywood-ish ending to the movie which might not be appreciated by all. If the internet and social media presence take up a major chunk of your everyday life, this movie is made for you. All in all, it surely is worth 2 hours of your mundane life. Do give it a watch!

Bollywood equivalent to Gulab Jamun and Ice cream. Oh, what a refreshing plot, coalesced with rich cinematography and interesting characters. Though it is a simple storyline, but what made it stand out from the rest was the way it was woven beautifully by the powerful performance of the characters. Everyone, and yes I mean every single one of them, justified their roles brilliantly with their flawless acting. The makers ensured that the movie should be drenched in said and unsaid emotions, the passion of independence and dreams. It wanted to convey all this, and it surely did. The movie came to me like a warm hug on a cold night and I cannot recommend it enough to you. Give 2 hours of your busy life to this movie and watch them melt into the silent chaos of Deepak, Phool, and Jaya. A solid 8/10.

Oh, what an adrenaline-treat this movie was. I am a huge fan of Dev Patel and a movie in which he's not just the protagonist but also the writer and the director, that sure was not something for me to skip. A drop-dead revenge tragedy that justifies every genre and sub-genre it touches. Dev played safe by adopting the tried and tested "revenge for my mother's murder" plot with his share of dramatic ups and downs, but the factor that made it stand out for me from the other films of the same area was the execution. The way the Hindu mythological and Indian social elements were infused into the story, made me stick my eyes permanently to the screen for those two hours. The title "Monkey Man" very boldly borrows the physical and moral aspects of Lord Hanuman. It was a tasteful play with Hindu mythology and unlike some other critics, I nowhere found it crossing the line into being demeaning and offensive. Sincere cinematic efforts were put into the movie and yes, it showed. Sequential parallels of the storyline with cultural as well as religious imagery were strategically placed at certain intervals in the movie which showed how brilliant of a composer Dev is. He wanted the person sitting on the other side of the screen to taste the blend of mythology and modern reality (which I surely did). Even the choreography of every action sequence was top-notch. Not even once I felt that since Monkey Man is the protagonist of the movie, he possesses the plot armor that made him immune to the bullets and the beatings. He was shown as a common man who not just lands good punches, but can also get the same in return. So if you are a fan of projects like John Wick, Equalizer, Ong Bak, or The Raid, do not let this movie fly past you. Grab it with both your hands and savor every second of this brilliant masterpiece. A solid 8/10.

Ok so what people are not trying to understand is that this movie is the birth of a new genre of Bollywood. All this time you've been criticizing this industry of producing the same monotonous movies. They heard you. They tried changing the course of Bollywood movies but instead of applauding their efforts, people came back with the same mindset of mocking their work without even taking time to actually see the movie. I loved the movie. But yes, I won't say it was their best. There was definitely a scope of improvement, be it in dialogues or tuning down the overall plot down with adding the romantic masala. But isn't this the beauty of first attempt. You learn from your mistakes, rectify them and come back much stronger. Show this movie a little support and watch Bollywood reach the level of big dogs like your DC and Marvel Studios. (I know it sounds unreal but atleast let them try na) And to the "Boycott Gang", I would simply say that even though you guys are aiming at the big stars, but its the small artists, workers, spot helpers that are getting hurt. These Khans, Kapoors and Bhatts are swimming in their wealth, with or without you, loving them. They made money off of their movies, they will continue making the same. Its the artists that work behind the camera that are taking the fall for them. Give this movie a chance. Let your beliefs and ideals rest for three hours and go watch this movie and try enjoying it without comparing it with any other cinematic universe. "Judge the art, not the artist."