Anupama 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.
The Disciple is a meditative character study of a Hindustani classical vocalist named Sharad Nerulkar. The film might be set in the esoteric world of Indian classical music but its concerns are universal.
Without Remorse is an adaptation of Tom Clancy’s bestselling 1993 novel. The film attempts to speak to the reality of contemporary polarised America but the plot is too formulaic and the commentary too thin to underpin the high-octane thriller with gravitas.
Sheela might be frail and mellow but she still knows how to deliver a memorable sound byte. Searching for Sheela is a minor companion piece to the mesmerising Wild Wild Country.
The dastaan in Ajeeb Daastaans is plural. There are plenty of ajeebs here, but what stayed with me was the expression in Bharti’s eyes in the last shot of Geeli Pucchi.
Jathi Ratnalu starring Naveen Polishetty, Rahul Ramakrishna & Priyadarshi, is the infusion of good cheer you need right now. Writer-director Anudeep K.V. stitches together a sparkling comedy that is cheerfully silly without being lazy.
Hello Charlie on Amazon Prime Video India starring Jackie Shroff, Aadar Jain & Shlokka Pandit, is one of those films that defies reviews. Because I’m not sure I can properly explain how excruciating it is to watch.
Joji is a reworking of Macbeth and while these words might suggest a period setting, Shakespeare’s tragedy has been reimagined in contemporary times, on a sprawling rubber plantation in Kerala. But Joji, the youngest of three brothers, is very much a subject of his father’s kingdom.
The Big Bull, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Ileana Cruz, Sohum Shah, and directed by Kookie Gulati, is contrived in the old-school Bollywood way. Props to Abhishek Bachchan for sincerely trying to hold the fractured screenplay together.
Director Chloé Zhao constructs Nomadland like a mournful, sublime poem. The film stars Oscar-winning actor Frances McDormand who acts alongside real-life nomads who were featured in Bruder’s book, who play themselves. Listen to the full review to know more about this globally-acclaimed film.
The film Pagglait, starring Sanya Malhotra among others, reminds us of the many ways in which society and men control women. The word becomes an aspirational state, suggesting a woman crazy enough to break the rules and take on the world. Listen to Anupama Chopra's review to know more.
In the film Saina, starring Parineeti Chopra, writer-director Amole Gupte hits each of the usual sports film beats but also bungs in woman empowerment. Listen to Anupama Chopra's review to know more.
Mumbai Saga is apparently inspired by true events. I think there is a compelling story here of how the contours and conscience of the city shifted in 1996 and what was lost when Bombay became Mumbai. But Sanjay isn’t really interested in that. Listen to Anupama Chopra's full review to know more.
Be warned that Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, starring Parineeti Chopra & Arjun Kapoor in titular roles, doesn’t have the pacing that you might expect in a chase film. But ultimately, filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee steers it to a climax that is both stinging and satisfying. Listen to Anupama Chopra's full review to know more.
The film Roohi tries to continue in the tradition of feminist horror forged by films like Pari, Stree and Bulbbul. Director Hardik Mehta and writers Mrighdeep Singh Lamba & Gautam Mehra use Roohi’s story to deliver a message of self-acceptance and finding your inner strength.
MeToo, menopause, menstruation, motherhood, sex, adultery – it’s all here in Netflix India's Bombay Begums. These women, played by Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur & Aadhya Anand, lead fabulously messy lives filled with compromises and regrets. Here's Anupama Chopra's review of the series, to know more.
The Mohanlal starrer Drishyam 2: The Resumption on Amazon Prime Video India directed by Jeethu Joseph, is a genuine sequel as opposed to the ones in which characters or worlds continue with minimal connection to the earlier work. Here's Anupama Chopra's review of the film.
The strength of Unfinished is that it’s in Priyanka Chopra’s voice. At one point, she writes: "I get to choose what I share and when I share it." Of course she does, but there are several places in which you wish the curation had been less sharp. Here's Anupama Chopra's take on the memoir.
Debutant director Karishma Dube’s film Bittu is inspired by an infamous poisoning accident that took place in a government school in Bihar in 2013. Watch Anupama Chopra’s review to learn more about the film that has been shortlisted in the top 10 list in the Short Film in Live Action category for the 93rd Academy Awards.
Don’t go into the film expecting a retread of Slumdog Millionaire. In fact, the film positions itself as anti-Slumdog. Here's Anupama Chopra's full review of Ramin Bahrani's The White Tiger on Netflix India, starring Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra Jonas & Rajkummar Rao.
Ali Abbas Zafar's Tandav, starring Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub among others, has too much Bollywood masala in its DNA. Which makes it intermittently entertaining but also shallow and not very smart.
Ramprasad ki Tehrvi is a family drama directed by Seema Pahwa bursting with taujis, chachis, bhabhis and nanands. When they all gather after their father – the titular Ramprasad – dies, the gloves come off. But the arguments, old hurts and bitchy asides don’t lead to any earth-shattering confrontation. Just the understanding that human beings are flawed, relationships are fragile and yet, we must strive, as best as we can, to be happy.
The earlier Coolie No. 1 had a cheery lunacy and a degree of innocence that allowed the ridiculous plot to play out as an extended joke. But in 2020, the narrative is dated and offensive on so many levels. Here's Anupama Chopra's review of the Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan starrer.
In AK vs AK on Netflix, director Vikramaditya Motwane and writer Avinash Sampath construct a narrative that consistently crisscrosses the boundaries of artifice and truth. Listen to Anupama Chopra's review to know more.
Unpaused, an Amazon Prime Video India anthology directed by Raj & DK, Nikkhil Advani, Nitya Mehra, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Avinash Arun Dhaware is a snapshot of a time when the world paused. Listen to Anupama Chopra's review to find out more.
Durgamati The Myth on @Amazon Prime Video India (https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC4zWG9LccdWGUlF77LZ8toA) starring Bhumi Pednekar, Arshad Warsi, Magie Gill & Jisshu Sengupta among others, is a horror/thriller film which is the remake of 2018 Telugu film Bhaagamathie. Listen to the full review to know more.
Can a zombie movie make you cry? Yes, if it’s been directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Listen to Anupama Chopra's review of the South Korean film Peninsula, to know more.
Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, directed by Abhishek Sharma, saddles its solid cast, Diljit Dosanjh, Manoj Bajpayee, Fatima Sana Sheikh among others, with lame jokes, inane plot twists and dull storytelling.
In Chhalaang, director Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao, alongwith Nushrratt Bharuccha and Zeeshan Ayyub attempt to tell the uplifting story of a PT teacher in small-town Haryana, who finds his purpose in life through coaching the weakest kids in the school into a winning team.
Using the game of Ludo as metaphor and structural skeleton, writer-director & DoP Anurag Basu constructs four interlocking stories, starring Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, Pearle Maaney & Inayat Verma.
Laxmii is the remake of a Tamil film called Kanchana, written and directed by Raghava Lawrence. Watch the review of the film, starring Akshay Kumar & Kiara Advani.
