Is Udta Punjab worth the hype? We find out

Perhaps the most controversial Bollywood film in recent times, Udta Punjab finally hit theatres on Friday

Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab finally hit theatres on Friday. Following a series of controversies that have contributed to the film's hype, we find out if the Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer based on Punjab's drug abuse, is worth your time.

Here's what Indian critics have to say.

Meena Iyer from Times of India gave the Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer four stars, calling the film "sometimes too indulgent and sluggish", however stating that "its victory lies in making you empathise with its characters."



PHOTO: FILMIBEAT

Troy Ribeiro from IANS wasn't impressed, and gave the movie three stars.

"The plot is pretentious, dramatised and far-fetched... The characters are well-defined, but their graphs are poorly etched, especially Tommy Singh. His journey though exposed realistically, is unconvincing."



While unimpressed with the plot, Troy applauds the dialogues as well as Shahid and Alia's performance.

"The dialogues, replete with cuss words, are as vibrant as the performances. Shahid Kapoor, with his tattooed physique and funky hair style, portrays Tommy Singh to the T. He lives the character of an artiste constantly under the influence of drugs and he demonstrates it with his meteoric moods, which he displays with alarming, bone-chilling precision," wrote Troy.

Alia was "consistent and brilliant in her performance," according to Troy.

Blockbuster-Kiss: An overjoyed @MaheshNBhatt expresses his joy towards @aliaa08 's performance in #UdtaPunjab pic.twitter.com/ATE2vQb2Vp

— Faridoon Shahryar (@iFaridoon) June 17, 2016

"Overall, Udta Punjab, with all the hype it created in the media for its 'expression of creative freedom' is worth a watch, only for the performances and social message," concluded Troy.

Screengrab from Udta Punjab trailer.

Blown away by the acting, Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters writes, "It is, by far, one of the best-acted Bollywood films in the last few years."

Shubhra Gupta from Indian Express gave the film three stars, but noted that Udta Punjab is absolutely worth the fuss. "Not because it is a perfect film," explains Shubhra but because it "has something to say, and it says it with both flair and conviction."

Screengrab from Udta Punjab trailer.

Miss Malini's film critic Swagata Dam writes, "Udta Punjab is loaded with many high-points – there are some gut-wrenching moments, some comical ones, some that will make you angry, some that will leave you teary-eyed and some that will make you smile. There’s  not a single emotion that this movie won’t make you feel."

While its plot has mixed reviews, it seems like the star-studded cast has made Udta Punjab worth the hype through their killer acting.

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