User reviews

The film, that's set in the era of 1949, welcomes the audiences with a track by Raveena Tandon Thadani (special appearance). On the other hand, while a young Balraj (Ranbir Kapoor) is busy taking his baby steps in this man-eat-man world, he also spends his time in the red light district nursing frustrations of seeing his mother getting slapped and abused. Youth throws him in the boxing ring of free-for-all fighting to earn some ready cash. He then comes across Chiman (Satyadeep Misra), who not just becomes his partner in crime, but also his friend for life. As they march ahead in life, they, gradually land up becoming the henchmen for Kaizad Khambata (Karan Johar), editor of the tabloid 'Torrent' and also a top wheeler-dealer. Impressed with his dare devil attitude, Kaizad appoints Balraj to manage his club named 'Bombay Velvet'. In addition to this, Kaizad also entrusts him with the task of wiping out the 'Communist's opposition to this 'Capitalist' plan. But he meets with a roadblock called Jimmy Mistry (Manish Chaudhury), editor of pro-labour class tabloid 'Glitz'. It is then, that the beautiful jazz singer Rosie (Anushka Sharma) is sent as a honey trap to lure Balraj by Jimmy. But the duo consummate their passionate romance and become inseparable. The henchman wants to have his share of the pie in the new money-order and that's when the drama turns bloody and what-happens-after. Meanwhile, Kaizad tries to adopt the policy of divide and rule between Balraj and Chiman. Does Rosie become successful in her role of a honey trap, does Kaizad become successful in separating the Balraj-Chiman duo and what ultimately happens to 'Bombay Velvet'... is what forms the rest of the story.

Pros - Film is visually stunning. The music and special effects are outstanding. One liners are outstanding and to be apllauded.

Cons - No matter how glamour or class you show in movies, it should have a script, screenplay and a climax which is important! BV's climax is just as awful as Roy. I was and always will be proud of Anurag K's films like Gangs of Wasseypur and Queen. I was proud to say that i'm his fan but this film has turned it down.

Last Words: *If you want to see for Ranbir, please go because his acting is outstanding. The way he delivers his role and dialogue - 5/5 stars! *If you are Anurag Kashyap fan and want to continue to have faith in him, go at your risk or please avoid!

While a lot of reviews have talked about Bombay Velvet being a disappointment (it is considering Anurag Kashyap's stellar filmography), I want to discuss what it could have done to have fared better. The biggest problem - Romance, easily the weakest aspect of the film, the story of Bombay Velvet is overambitious and tries to do a lot of things and romance spoils the entire dish. There is good in Bombay Velvet, the story of a small time crook trying to rise up the ranks to become a "bigshot" is endearing but what's irritating is that while Johnny Balraj wants to be a bigshot he is illogical, falls in love with wrong woman and doesn't realize that it's bigshot or the girl. Romance plot between the wrong woman and the young crook rising up the ranks is so clichéd and badly done it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you can't help but think that AK could have done better because HE HAS DONE BETTER. AK has done better gangster films than this (Gangs Of Wasseypur) and even better romance films (Dev D) how can such a master of both the genres fall so flat on his face while integrating romance into the gangster genre? Crime aspect often gets clumsy too but the romance is dead weight and should have been a side story not the entire film. I liked the corporate-crime aspect of the film it was interesting, I would like to mention that Johnny Balraj's awe while watching with the classic Roaring Twenties was easily the best scene of the film, the sets are gorgeous, JB's frustration at being nothing more than a hired goon is also well done, Karan Johar's gay villain would have been better if there was no Anushka Sharma and he was more blatant towards his attraction towards Blaraj that would have made him the romantic tension and the villain which would have led to a far better film. The actors are all decent, all do well but are let down by a messy almost borderline 1980's cheesy plot which was not too bad till the interval and then it takes a big nosedive in quality. This could have been a bigshot so much failed potential because there are scenes which are well done and show the brilliance of AK but the ludicrous and predictable plot let it down, while better than most Hindi movies it's not bad but it's still a disappointment. I think AK is more suited to non commercial cinema with smaller names I think there was pressure on him to turn BV into a romantic film first and a gangster film second which ultimately led to it's demise. Second Hindi period film after Detective Byomkesh Bakshy which was a letdown as far as I am concerned. P.S.- I was very angry with how they wasted Kay Kay Menon, easily the best actor in the entire cast and one of the best actors in the country and he gets such a small role.

"Bombay Velvet", Anurag Kashyap's most ambitious project riding on 90 crores, based on the "Mumbai Fables" by Gyan Prakash. It starts just after the Indian independence and tells the story of how the seven islands become Bombay, the reclamation, corrupt politician, organized crime, Jazz cafés and love story of Johnny Balraj and Rosie.

Balraj comes to Bombay with his mother and wants to become "Big Shot" and he can go to any length to achieve his dreams.

We all admire Anurag Kashyap for the cinematic brilliance and he has taken the affliction of taking the Indian Cinema to the next level. We all have seen "Black Friday", "Dev D","Gulaal", "GOW 1&2" and "Ugly". He is a man with panache and his movies deal with burning issues and fantastic subjects. However, "Bombay Velvet" fell really short on all aspects, it never embraces you as a viewer and it never connects with you.

It has a world-class art direction, awesome sets of Bombay erected in Sri Lanka, fantastic cinematography and CGI. Every nuance of 60's Bombay has been put to the detail. The background score is mostly loud but some songs compliment the scenes. It runs for 150 delirious minutes.

However, the writing is never convincing, it tries to be "Godfather", "Goodfellas" and "Scarface" altogether. The culmination is pretty sour as we never understand the sudden changes. There are many subplots which do not add anything to the story and left open.

Ranbir's character is powerful but it is confused between a gangster and a lover. Anushka Sharma doesn't have much to do except lip sync and some exaggerated scenes. Karan Johar looks phony as a slick and stylish villain but he is flat throughout the movie. Why did he laugh so much on the word "Tender", it looked awful? Satyadeep Mishra has done a good job. Kay Kay impresses as always in a small role.

We could also see Varun Grover's stand-up comedy presentation in the café.

This could have been a way better film if some more time would have been invested in writing because it has some instances of being a masterpiece.

Imagine the worst movie you have EVER seen. Now multiply that by 1000. Now put chilly powder in your eyes. The result will be this ridiculous excuse for a motion picture! Watching Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag twice back to back would be a more acceptable behaviour than liking this film! Watching Karan Johar trying to act all tough was like watching a poodle with one of those ridiculous fluffy haircuts, trying to act like a German shepherd! Vidya Balan could have played a better gangster than that fruitcake! I am sorry but a gay gangster is not acceptable. And just exactly what was Ranbir Kapoor thinking before signing a film like this is beyond comprehension! Maybe he needed money for his upcoming wedding. He is a good actor, there are absolutely no doubts about that. But his acting in this.. this.. thing.. was like a cross between his acting in rockstar and besharam. Anushka Sharma was OK, probably because she had limited dialogues. A sheer waste of talent like Kay Kay Menon. The fruitcake's wife was hot! Like really hot! After making films like the Gangs of Wasseypur Duology, Gulaal etc. this was definitely not expected from Anurag Kashyap. It makes one wonder what compelled a sort of genius like him to come up with this suicide inducing film! A very sad attempt at neo- noir. To sum up.. PLEASE DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE. DONATE YOUR MONEY. BUY A RIDICULOUS SHIRT FROM JABONG. BURN YOUR MONEY IF YOU HAVE TOO MUCH AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. BUT DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE.

I have never ever written a review (except the ones on flipkart) because I don't think I have the right to judge other people's work, but I just had to write one for this, because I feel that it is my duty towards mankind to stop y'all from wanting to give yourself a Columbian neck tie! And I just had to vent out my frustration somewhere otherwise you would have seen my picture in the papers tomorrow followed by the caption "Deranged man kills 2 cats, tries to run over at least 12 people with cars from his hotwheels collection, before trying to swim to Australia. Friends say he was OK till Friday evening".

Peace V

Bombay Velvet, with a whopping budged of INR 80 crore (800 million), marks a departure for Kashyap who over the last decade has succeeded in carving a niche for himself in Hindi cinema with low budget, highly unconventional and genre-transcending films like Dev D, Gulaal, and Gangs of Wasseypur. Based on historian Gyan Prakash's book "Mumbai Fables," Bombay Velvet stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar, Kay Kay Menon, and Manish Chaudhary in major roles. The movie presents the larger-than-life tale of a small-time but ambitious gangster Johnny Balraj, who would stop at nothing in a bid to realize his dream of becoming a "big shot" in the elite social circles of the 1960s Bombay, and his lady-love Rosieâ€"an aspiring Jazz singer with a heart of gold.

While it would be a bit far-fetched to describe Bombay Velvet as a cinematic success, it would also be unfair to deem it a failure. Yes, it's a mess of a film but a mess that's way more alluring than the trash that Bollywood churns out day in and day out. Then why complain? Well, because we expect better from Kashyap! This critic for one is devastated by the very thought of what it could have been had a filmmaker of Kashyap's caliber brought his a-game to the table. Kashyap's love for cinema and his ear for music are praiseworthy. The tone of Bombay Velvet is set from the word go: it opens up with some stock footage showing the early days of the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) which is immediately followed a jazz number featuring Raveena Tandon donning the '60s retro look. In the view of this critic, the movie touches it highest point during the early scene that shows a young Rosie, in Goa, hum a melodious song in Portuguese. The combined effect of the very song and the mystical background music (reminiscent of Krzysztof Kieslowski's films) created a sense of magic for a few fleeting moments that, alas, couldn't be recreated in the latter scenes.

Bombay Velvet features several exceptional shots but there are as many bad ones as well. Perhaps, Kashyap seems to have forgotten about the legendary American filmmaker Howard Hawks' saying that "a good movie is three good shots and no bad ones." In order to truly appreciate Bombay Velvet, one needs to be madly in love with movies, for it pays endless tributes to yesteryear films and stars with Film Noir and Classic Hollywood influences abound. Kashyap's fascination for all things cinema is evident in each and every frame.

Ranbir Kapoor looks daring and a bit over-the-top as Johnny Balraj. But, if it were Cagney he was trying to imitate then he certainly got it spot on. Of all the actors from the Hollywood's golden age, Cagney is the most unique mainly because of his over-the-top acting style. It's something that the great Stanley Kubrick took a note of when he made Jack Nicholson essay the role of Jack Torrance in his psychological horror masterpiece The Shining (1980). It certainly caught Kashyap's attention as well. Anushka Sharma is a natural when it comes to playing bold feministic roles and in Bombay Velvet she plays a jazz singer to a tee (she seems to have perfected the act of lip syncing). As Rosie she is a treat for the sore eyes and those responsible for her wardrobe certainly need to be commended. While Karan Johar's menacing portrayal of the business magnate Kaizad Khambatta is the movie's real highlight, Kay Kay Menon is solid as ever in the role of a no-nonsense cop.

Overall, Bombay Velvet is a sprawling period piece with an excess of style over substance. The film suffers from poor market segmentation and targeting for it may prove to be a bit too overwhelming for the masses and at the same time the aficionados may not find it too appealing to their palates, despite all its merits. The movie captures the period detail with painstaking accuracy. Kashyap's morbid obsession for the grotesque and the macabre just doesn't seem to let go of him. The movie gives us glimpses of the evolution of Bombay into the financial capital it is today and the scandalous roles bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen played in shaping up its map. Bombay Velvet is far from being a quintessential Anurag Kashyap but given its commercial scope it will certainly be able to reach a wider audience than most Kashyap films. The music, sets and costumes ooze with a hitherto unattained degree of resplendence, especially in the context of India cinema. Bombay Velvet is not an easy film to appreciate for the masses, mainly because of its excesses. It would take a die-hard cinema enthusiast to truly enjoy it. The movie is quite high on violence quotient and those with weak hearts would find certain sequences quite disturbing. Nonetheless, as a mere exercise in style, Bombay Velvet is a commendable attempt but its prospects at the box office appear to be rather bleak. Recommended only for cinema enthusiasts!

(This review was first published at A Potpourri of Vestiges)

I would have given it a 1, but the cinematography and music were good. That is why I gave it a 3. Well, I am a big fan of Anurag Kashyap. In fact, he is one of the few directors in Bollywood who make good movies. I loved Black Friday, Dev D, GOW and Ugly was nice but with this movie he has disappointed me. It started with a good premise but soon turned itself into a really slow film. It seems like he didn't know what to do with the rest of the film. First of all, the story is clichéd. We have seen this thing many times where a guy wants to do something big and he gets all the necessary help from a guy who is big. It takes bits and pieces from Hollywood classics like Goodfellas, scarface, Godfather 2, Mean streets etc. Most of these are directed by Martin Scorsese who is an inspiration for Anurag so it can be assumed that he did it on purpose. The good things about this movie are Cinematography, Music by Amit Trivedi and the set design. Ranbir is OK, and Anushka plays her character nicely, but the surprise here is, Karan Johar. In the end, I would like to say that don't spend your money on this film. Go and watch Mad Max: Fury Road instead which is one of the best movies I have seen this decade.Anurag should do small budget films and that is what he does best. I don't want him to make money with this film otherwise he will start making sh*t like other Bollywood directors and I don't want that to happen.

I read a lot of negative reviews and jokes about this movie.Saw it just to see how bad it really is.I am shocked! This was one of the best movies I have ever watched. From the sets, cinematography to amazing performances from all actors this movie was a treat to watch.

I loved everything including Karan Johar as a badass gangster!

This movie is way better that usual brainless garbage that comes out of Bollywood and deserves to appreciated not ridiculed the way it has been.

If I try to draw comparisons between Martin Scorsese's 1990-blockbuster Goodfellas and our very own Kashyapish Bombay Velvet, they will look like twins, though born in different eras. While the former has already proved itself a masterpiece, the latter simply looks like a wanna-be to that classic.

No wonder that Director Anurag Kashyap credits Mr. Scorsese during the initial credits. He seriously attempts to replicate the master's magic in order to weave out a rather clichéd film. The 60's era looks spectacular; the jazz music (wonderfully composed by Amit Trivedi) throws in an indispensable nostalgia; the Italian costume designs nudge us back to the good-old mobster classics -- everything looks gorgeous in this fantastical post independence Bombay.

But how long you could stare at something beautiful without being talked back to. Bombay Velvet lays itself somewhere in that category, where a beautiful art fails to form a viable communication with its spectator.

The problem lies within the screenplay, oddly written and interweaved with no complex empathy towards the characters. The First Act seems to be the only good asset, where characters are build impressively; wonderfully focusing on traits and motives that build up the next act.

But it is where the narrative loses its pace. Writers -- Vasan Bala, Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash and Thani -- fails to live up to our expectations of genuine conflicts (something Kashyap spectacularly created in the Gangs of Wasseypur duo-logy). We therefore face a regular Bollywood-clichéd tale, where twins arrive out of no where, murders get overdone, songs take over the impressions, and suspenses are injected for the sake of injecting.

Even the ride seems slow and boring at places, the actors make sure to impress us whenever they are allowed to. Ranbir Kapoor (as Johnny "Big Shot" Balraj) conveys madness with style, never losing the grip of the character and giving us a memorable performance. Anushka Sharma (as Rosie) plays a perfect eye-candy amid the distasteful mafia wars. Watch her emoting a sad song with such conviction that it might have reminded Ranbir of his Jordan act in Rockstar. She owns the voice of her playback singer, literally.

Among the supporting actors, only Satyadeep Mishra (as Balraj's childhood friend Chimman) makes a long lasting impact. While other talents (Kay Kay Menon, Manish Chaudhary, and Vivaan Shah) amply justify their skills in their limited screen time. A special mention for Karan Johar for pulling out a calm and restraint act. The script however doesn't allow his Kaizad Khambatta to emote further than a relaxed homosexual mobster.

On whole, I do not want to call Bombay Velvet a bad movie; in fact it is far better than the regular nonsense we are served on most of the Fridays. But being a true Kashyap fan, I believe Bombay Velvet to be only an iota of his previous works, created to prey further on the mainstream audience, with only style but no substance.

If you get a string of frames where crude ambitions with raw lust for opulence & perennial conspiracies interlace with impeccable crescendo of trumpets in the background, what do you create? That's right! An era of newly-independent India hustling with 'Influencers' & anti-socialists; an era where white collars outshone black deeds & an era where crime was more suave & sexy and less brutal & violent. Welcome to Bombay Velvet! The perfectly 'CGI-ed' backdrop creates a credible establishment to foster Johnny Balraj's big shot dream & offers a charismatic collision with Rosie's edgy life. What's probably missing in this mammoth movie is the tightening of the screenplay (specially in the 2nd half) which would have made it gripping and would've raised more 'oompphss' or 'yeaaahhs' in the minds of the audience. Ranbir Kapoor is nifty but misses out (by an inch) on the 'hunger' which Emraan Hashmi had in OUATIM. If you go without any pre-conceived notions, then Karan Johar makes a formidable acting debut. But the star? Amit Trivedi. Pure brilliance who has managed to add favourable taste to the moods. All in all, this high-budget experiment of Anurag "Common Man's Scorsese" Kashyap is definitely worth a watch! ‪#‎bombayvelvet‬ ‪#‎bollywood

There just isn't any other explanation! Nobody in a sober state could like this pathetic piece of junk!! I am absolutely positive that the people who like this movie are smoking up or are being offered money to write positive reviews! I am open to both the scenarios! If I am offered either i'll give this movie 10 stars or a positive review too! And if that is not the case then to those people's families I say.. please get them checked into an asylum! They (likers of this useless movie) are definitely out of their minds! this movie is 10 degrees of pathetic! nothing is right about this film! even for a fiction! It is so bad that it made want to hit something hard! made me want to pull my hair out or poke something sharp in my eyes! I wish i knew some curses or hexes to put on the makers and all the useless actors in this movie! I want my money back! In fact i want more than what i paid for!

It has become quite a trend nowadays where everyone declares the next project as "dream project" but it is totally unacceptable for director of Kashyap's caliber to be a part of this queue. Bombay Velvet is a result of being impatient and excited, AK was in excitement to show that he could also be a so called 100cr. club director or he could also handle the big commercial stars. I enters with a lot of expectation and it was neither for Ranbir nor for Anushka but just for AK. Bombay Velvet is a movie that takes you in to Bombay of 1960's and just the time when you start understanding the things around you ...it left your hand and you find yourself lost. The movie really starts on a good note and you feel the breeze of AK's special but it is the loose script and small plot that give something is missing kind of a feeling and then you start to think that may be the climax will change all this but your assumptions remains fails. The only thing that you could appreciate is the art direction, it is perhaps the best among what we have seen so far in this year. the team had did everything to make you believe that this the Bombay of 60's and they succeeded in this. The only stand out performs in the movie is of Ranbir Kapoor, this man definitely shows his charm and as the surprise package Vivan Shah stands up. KJo also gives sudden sparks in some scene. All and All the movie BV is like that beautifully crafted arrow that misses its targets but it happens especially with dream projects.

Visuals are outstanding. Credit goes to cinematographer #RajeevRavi and art director #SameerSawant . I wish movie could have complimented that. Starting few minutes promise to offer something new and interesting but then movie slips down and entangles in its complexity. It tests your patience in climax. You need director by your side to explain lots of things. Director shows the smoking warning signs throughout the movie to show his protest of Censor baseless instruction, which I support. Initially boxing ring intrigues you but after so many repetitions, it bores. Same happens to the songs coming between scenes. Surprisingly most of the times protagonist gets hurt on his right eye and left cheek as if all opponents know his weakness!? Film is been promoted as love story but I could not get this emotions in a single scene even. After all its lengthy and slow. Performance wise Anushka Sharma is very good and she easily fits herself into the character. Ranbir Kapoor is impressive. Karan Johar is surprise packet. In the scene where he controls his laughter, he is too good. Rest are just OK. Music is soothing but somehow its in overdose.

Movie has two halves; the first half is good and agreeable. The second half is bad and vexing.

I can't believe this was directed by Anurag Kashyap. The entire movie is just plain boring and nobody seem to be emoting or acting including KK Menon. Anushka Sharma is wasted in a role with sucking music and songs.

If you want to watch a movie well made portraying olden days, go watch "Detective Byomkesh Bakshi" instead - it is amazing.

Stay away from this movie if you want to save frustration and annoyance. Unless you are sleep deprived and want to catch a nap, this will give you a good nap. You will keep asking yourself, when it will be over.

One of the crappiest movies I've ever watched. Over 2 hours wasted that I can never get back. I can't believe people are rating this movie with 10 stars. Such people never watched great art movies in their lives.

A day before watching Bombay Velvet i saw Brazil 2nd time. First time watching it was like okay something is happening on big sets and the director is trying to show me some world of his imagination and in the end i thought it is pretentious, the first time i saw it i was not exposed to much of cinema. So i was getting bored and had nothing to do so i thought lets watch it. The second time i was blown away and was like this one of the best films ever made. The same fate it had when it was released as i have heard.

Now coming to Bombay Velvet, let me be clear its not the usual narrative which is seen in Kashyap's movies. The narrative to be honest is like Brazil but its Brazil with historical contexts of Bombay the city of dreams as it is called in India, what it was, how it came to its current shape. It doesn't have dream like or dream sequences like Brazil. I mean Brazil how the characters are detailed, how the story moves forward and how the background and atmosphere plays a big role in the film With the historical contexts the film shows a person who has dreams and aspirations and how the people in his life are introduced and how in the changing shape of the city his life also changes and problems he starts facing and what he gets involved with.

Its a dream project of director and he has invested a lot of time in the film. But when it finally got released it was not able to connect with the audience as they were not ready with the sudden change and the new form of narrative which is not for everybody as Brazil cannot be liked by everyone. It has to face a lot of thrashing on the Internet.

This film is not flawless as i feel Brazil was. There are some flaws and a bit of exaggeration at the end but it's OK as rest of the film overpowers it. The performances are great but the film really gets you into the world like Brazil does and keeps you holding if you know what you are watching and have an open mind.

Right now as of 17-05-15 this film turned out to be a disaster and people wont like me for this review but in future or someone who has discovered Anurag Kashyap or will do and look at this film and maybe feels a bit let down as you have created an image of Kashyap's style or the narration, re watch it with an open mind when you get time, you will love it. I guarantee! Also who hated it and felt it bored them to death try it again but with an open mind, you will understand that you misjudged and misunderstood the film

What works:

• The immaculate detailing in recreating the 1960s Mumbai - Few bright moments - Ranbir Kapoor as Johny Balraj - Kay Kay Menon

What could have been better:

• There's nothing new in the story or the script. Umpteen times you get

the feeling 'I have seen this before'. - Trying to create the magic of Godfather, but failing to do so - Karan Johar (better stick to production and direction!)

What fails miserably: - More attention to the 'velvet' than to the soul of the story!

In Bombay Velvet, Anurag Kashyap — jumping from a mid-budget-indie scale to no-holds-barred mainstream mode — does this exceptionally well. As the opening credits roll, a nostalgic surprise from the '90s greets you against the backdrop of Amit Trivedi's jazz score, and the world of Bombay Velvet becomes yours before you can blink. The atmosphere is intoxicating; the sets, costumes and scope are far beyond anything done so far in Bollywood. The film is supposed to borrow from Gyan Prakash's book, Mumbai Fables, which is a look at the city's recent history. But Bombay Velvet is no historical sermon. It's a love story, pure and simple. Ranbir Kapoor is Johnny Balraj, a boxer turned mobster. It's a showy role and he looks great in a boxing vest. He also looks extremely cool as he chats up Rosie, the girl of his dreams, played by an equally attractive Anushka Sharma. Then there's Karan Johar as the villainous newspaper baron Khambatta, pulling off an unlikely, uncontrollable snigger when you least expect it, and Satyadeep Mishra as Balraj's pal, Chimman, who can own the screen with just his stare. In the second half of Bombay Velvet, there's a sequence featuring a massively long buildup, with sexy lighting and music, that develops into a dazzling slow motion shot of a vengeful man firing dual guns in slow motion. The walls are peppered with holes, the furniture explodes into pieces — it's so powerful it seems like he's spraying the whole world with spitfire. He ends up killing two, inconsequential and faceless people and you're left wondering what the buildup was for. This scene accurately reflects the essence of the second half of Bombay Velvet, and the effect it has on the audience. Post-interval, the story wilts and Kashyap dedicates himself to making everything look cool, but losing sight of the narrative. for more info visit : http://bit.ly/1Hktmkw

First things first, BOMBAY VELVET is Anurag Kashyap's weakest film till date. Made on a hefty budget of 120 crores, I as a cinema lover is feeling cheated. The film industry runs on the money paid by the audience which the production houses earn from previous films. And later these production houses sign various directors with whom they think that they have the potential to deliver. But with the same budget Anurag Kashyap could have made a much greater film in terms of style and substance.

Well to be honest, I am confused about Ranbir Kapoor's character in the film as Johnny Balraj. I mean who is he in the film, yes, we know that he wants to become a Big Shot but who is he? Coming to Anushka Sharma as Rosie, she excels! For me she is the saving grace for this horrendous film. She is absolutely gorgeous and her act in equally disappointing climax is absolutely fantastic. Karan Johar as Khambata in his debut, makes up a good villain as per the script demanded, but what was the script?

Anurag Kashyap has big films to his name like Gangs of Wasseypur, Ugly, DevD etc but he fails miserably this time. He attempts to make a commercial entertainer which falls flat on his face. No doubt, he has presented the movie very well, but the nutrients like entertainment, story, style, content, etc are thoroughly missing. Music by Amit Trivedi grows slowly upon you. Songs like Dhadaam Dhadaam and Behroopia are my favorite. Due to clichéd plot the background score didn't intensify my viewing experience.

On the whole, BOMBAY VELVET is a huge let down. Unnecessary violence plays a huge contribution in its letdown. Audience will reject it, because for me GOW had set a benchmark but this one was not even near Anurag Kashyap's credentials! Watch it if you want see how Anushka Sharma is the saving grace of this film. Otherwise skip it! DISASTER!

Although Bombay Velvet has not been doing well, it is a movie that you must watch. The story is very interesting; you keep anticipating what will happen next. The movie is made extremely well; the characters are believable, and the sets make you feel you are in the '60s. The storyline is a bit slow in the first half, but the second half picks up speed. The love story between Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor is one of my favorite elements of the story. I was a little hesistant to watch this movie based on the reviews, but I do not regret watching it at all. This movie makes up for Ranbir Kapoor's last two flop movies, Besharam and Roy. Overall, this movie is a must watch and you will regret it if you do not watch it.

A much awaited movie of Anurag Kashyap has been released today. And a lots of expectations are bad for the film, any film. Bombay Velvet has everything that can make it a blockbuster, but, it isn't that. I'm writing this with very heaviness that BV is not a good watch. Ranbir Kapoor is charming, in the depth of the character, as usual, but, it's not his career best. This role may not be recognize longer time in future. He is not as good as he was in Barfi or Rockstar. Anushka Sharma is good. But, she doesn't that good to touch my heart. Though, she looks gorgeous in 60's costumes while singing jazz songs. Sidhhartha Basu, Vivan Shah & Satyadeep Misra - all are suitable and also act well as per their roles. Special mansions to Kay Kay Menon as a scrupulous police officer & Manish Chaudhary as an undaunted crime reporter. These two men, especially Manish smokes very passionately. But, the villain of BV steals the show. Yes, Karan Johar has acted unexpectedly. He is too good as Khaizad Khambata. He will probably get debut awards of this year. Story is no very well written. One man, is called by destiny to Bombay, to become something, the Big Shot, meets a smuggler, joins him, murders many, hunts many, than demands him to fulfill his dream, demands more, than smuggler's deny, and than fighting to take his quota. That's all. In between, Rosie Narona's character is just to song in the club, the jazz songs. This type of stories are very old fashioned. Even if you heat the last night's dinner in microwave, it should remain stale. So, disappointment with the story department. And because of that, no twists and turns, no excitements, only moving movie on 1st gear. So people get easily bore. Dialogues are fine. My most favorite one is "Footpath pe sangemarmar lagaane se wo Taaj-Mahaal nahi ban jaati!" I found that music is the only hope survived in the movie. All songs are awesome. Kudos to Amit Trivedi. He will surely gets nomination for best music in the ceremonies. But, I think I'm sure that Neeti Mohan will get best singer's award. She sings marvelous. Through her voice, she made me her zany lover again. Fifi, Naak Pe Gussa, Baheroopiya, Dhadam Dhadam - mind-blowing! Cinematography is very good. No one can imagine that the Bombay city they are watching is actually a film set in Sri Lanka. Kudos to the entire crew. The cars, the costumes, the guns from Germany, the scotches, the trams - everything looks expensive and well & good. And how can I forget to mention the grandiose set of Bombay Velvet club! Speechless to describe it. Anurag Kashyap's weakest direction so far. No crisps, no twists, no turns, only one feeling like a swimmer who swim to cross the river. It runs very slowly that you can't control yourself to take a glance in your phone many times. On the whole, for the luxury which it's showing, for jazz music, and for Karan and RK's performance (only if you are a die hard fan of him), you can afford BV. Others don't waste time and money, just go for Piku.

One feels slightly intimidated and/or browbeaten to review Anurag Kashyap's films. His films are like the songs of American rock band Coldplay - most of them don't make much sense and because they don't make much sense, they can mean anything. Bombay Velvet is one such product.

Set between the late 40s and the late 60s in Bombay, story of a migrant, Balraj (Kapoor), who lives his life to grow exponentially on his own terms is hardly convincing. He begins his life with the monies hauled through pickpocketing and starts living his puzzling dream when he falls into the clutches of a bootlegger called Khambata (Johar). The build-up is faint as the story picks up pace to set the theme, which is about greed for power and fame that fixates our little, glam-doll protagonist.

Fear of anachronism is visible from frame one, and the brutal attention to details - to recapture (one prefers "reinvent" though) 50s'-60s' Bombay - is the greatest highlight of the film. This means the story is absorbingly clichéd.

The history of Bombay is heavily dealt with as the plot carves itself out, ending the crime drama with an epilogue that has a punctuation error in it. The touch of politics that drives the crime genre in the film is a cooler depiction of the developments that led to a city now called Mumbai, which became of Bombay and, is where I sit now and write this review. Now, THAT is fun to watch. Few familiar twists and turns drive the screenplay to a highly cribbed climax. Humor, if you can detect it, is wicked and forced.

Kapoor is phenomenal as the hero of the film, but my heart hardly ached for the lad as he went about gun-wielding to rip off men who denied his own way of maddeningly narcissistic life. The whole cast, including Sharma, Menon, and Basu do a beautiful job by staying in their characters. Debutante (that's what the intro credit says) Johar seems to have borrowed his natural effeminacy into the screen as he puts up a rather bad show at being a cool tycoon. His character is like a headless chicken who flounders (sic) after having pecked for cereals with other characters of the film. Pardon me for using a dialog from the film. If the makers can plagiarize (sorry, the right phrase is "be inspired"), why can't I?

I am tired of watching rip offs of that Godfather gun-in-the- flushbin idea, and that is when the film starts to fumble. With a soundtrack for the climax that reminds you of the Oscar Best Picture Birdman (2014) and FX TV show Fargo (2014), one can confirm the imagination quotient of the film. But do watch out for the mildest anti-smoking statutory warning in the history of Bollywood.

All said and done and having used few superlatives to describe the film's richness, I cannot use the word "original." And at a time when people go and die by originality, and partake in copyright fights, does a film made from ripping off old cult classics and popular ideas work? The audience have to decide. And boxing, if you wonder, from the trailers and the posters, is a gimmick. Apart from that, it is exhaustive at 150 long minutes.

BOTTOM LINE: Bombay Velvet, as an ambition, can be lauded for its art setup, which it never fails to brag about. But, with a phony villain and an over-smart hero, their joint saga is as raw as the blood that glimmers off the bodies of the men they kill. 5/10 - average.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

This review was sponsored by ProdNote (www.prodnote.com)