Reviews & Ratings for
मुक्काबाज़ (2018)

Mukkabaaz is a film co-written and directed by Anuragh Kashyap. From the trailers itself, the film looked very interesting and I was dying to see the film. And finally when I saw the film, I was overjoyed.

Plot: The story follows Shravan's struggle towards fulfilling his dream and winning his love while facing hardships in form of uphill castiesm and corruption of the Boxing Federation which is heightened by the political atmosphere of Uttar Pradesh.

Story and direction: From scene one itself, the film hooked me. The film is not only about an underdog rising to become a great boxer but is about much more. The film has so many layers to it and it ticked off all the boxes for me. For normally a film with so many writers, the film looks very aimless. But in this film (which has 6 writers credited), the film is very neat and tidy. It's like all the writers were in sync. The social issues highlighted were also not in a very conventional manner. Kudos to Anurag Kashyap and team, for bringing such a film to the spotlight. The characters are also so rich and deep, that you feel for each of the people present on screen. Even the jokes cracked were spot-on and didn't seem forced. The cinematography was awesome. And so were the boxing scenes. They felt so real. But I had a small little issue with the film. And that is the length. I felt that if it would have been a little above 2 hours, it would have been the masterpiece of this year.

Performances: Vineet Kumar is the star of this vehicle. With every scene, he is so impactful, that I have no words to describe his performance. Zoya Hussain was impressive too. Although she doesn't have dialogues, the facial expressions spoke lot more than words would express. JImmy Shergill was the bad-as and he nailed his character to the T. Ravi Kishan was awesome too. Therest of the supportimg cast were also very much impressive in their performances.

Music: This film had some great music too. Normally, I would not listen to such music. But since the songs are mostly situation driven, I could very easily connect with them. I would say 'Paintra' and 'Hatthapai' were my favorites.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where Shravan argues with his father as to why is he expecting so much from him when he himself (Shravan's father) didn't achieve anything in life. The jokes cracked as well as the performances and the realism of the scene is what make me think about it.

Verdict: For all Anurag Kashyap fans out there, please watch this film. This is one of the best so far in 2018.Films like these need our support, so that India can be at par with world cinema.

I am going with a 9/10.

A Zordaar... Mukkabaaz
This movie stands on your expectations for an Anurag Kashyap Film. From the very starting till the end, you will not feel bore. Really it is a full entertainment pack for everyone; and specially for we UPites. Watching UP in such closer will must be entertaining for you.
Talking about the storyline, as in the beginning it says to be a true story, it seems very realistic and fascinating. The storyline is capable of sticking you with the seat. It is a story of a boxer and his struggle for his love & his passion. There is action, drama , romance, comedy everything in it. The first half is easy going, happy ending type phase. Right at the end of it, a curiosity generates about the second half. Then in the second half we see the actual struggle in a darker phase. It shows the reality of life.
It is a salute for Vineet's acting... the film reality seems to be his real story, and doubtlessly I can say that no one could have done the role better than him. Zoya Hussain has traced her impression on viewer's minds. It was a good inning by Ravi Kishan. And Jimmy Shergill's performance is excellent and anomalous. I think he is made for UPite roles.
I loved all the songs very much, especially "Bahut hua sammaan" & "Mushkil hai apna".

Only once in a while does a film release that is so beautiful, so engrossing, so intelligent and so well crafted, that it becomes impossible to avert your eyes from it. The Lunchbox is one such rare film that must be seen to inhale its genius and beauty.


The beauty of this film lies not in the story but in the telling of it which sweeps you off your feet and transports you into a world where words and a Dabba(tiffin-box) pulls two strangers together. One of them is Sajan Fernandez (Irrfan), a widower who is on the verge of his retirement. He is a lonely man who is isolated from the world at his own will as if he no longer wishes to be a part of it. The other stranger is a married woman, Ila (Nimrat Kaur), whose husband has lost interest in her. She wants to be a part of his life but he seems to not care. In a bid to win her husband's heart, Ila, one fine afternoon cooks his favorite meal but the local Dabbawala's of Mumbai makes a beautiful mistake by delivering the tiffin to Sajan's office.
The letter thus acts as a catalyst for a timeless romance between these two lonely and desperate souls. But this is not a Rom-Com even though the plot sounds like it, far from it. Writer, director Ritesh Batra cleverly uses this simple plot and weaves a beautiful, grieving, and witty tale of lonely hearts. Apart from these two central characters, two more characters are caught in between this romance. One is the voice of a neighborhood woman, Deshpande Aunty (Bharati Achrekar) who lives above Ila. She never appears on-screen but she acts as a fairy godmother to Ila. Another is, Aslam (a terrific Nawazuddin) a trainee who will replace Sajan. He is a fellow who becomes friends with Sajan. Irrfan Khan delivers his best performance as a loner widower. His simplistic performance speaks volumes. There's a scene in which he eats food all alone while reading a book. That scene alone will break your heart. It is a revelation. Matching shoulders with his tall talent is the debutant Nimrat Kaur, who plays Ila with a rare innocence that it becomes impossible to not root for her. She presents Ila with beautiful dignity and makes herself one with the character. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a revelation in the role of Aslam. He is the sole character who provides some comic relief to the story. It is his presence that ultimately saves the film from becoming dull. Ritesh Batra debuts with a rare romance that leaves you with a lump in your throat while making you smile throughout the film. I am going with 5 stars. A masterpiece indeed!

Anurag Kashyap is redefining himself. I didn't like his last two films Bombay Velvet and Raman Raghav 2.0. But I like this one.
I was amazed to see the whole story which was shown to us in trailer was there in first half itself. I got excited to think what the film will tell in the second half. First half was full of love, songs, romance, fight, and happy ending. Second half contains the issues in Government sectors, offices, sports and above all Uttar Pradesh.
I wish Ravi Kishan's character had been written more. He suits in his perfectly. Debutant actress Zoya delivers superb expressions. Jimmy Shergil is as usual outstanding.
Vineet Kumar Singh is terrific. He is now become star. Everyone knows that he can act superbly. But after this film, everyone would know that he can hold the entire film too.
Songs are superb. Mushkil Hai Mel, Pantra, Bahut Dukha hai - Every song has its own charisma.
Overall, a very good start of this year with this film. Kashyap, take a bow!