The Dirty Picture - External Reviews

Thumbs up by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review ...The Dirty Picture plays on its much preached about mantra of entertainment, entertainment and entertainment, delivering what it had promised, and at the same time making it thought provocative, teasing you to find out a lot more of the real Silk Smitha and the films and era that she had crafted in her heyday. ... full review

Thumbs up by Anna Vetticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies ...I also enjoyed the way language has been used in this film. The costumes and car number plates make it clear that the story is set in Tamil Nadu, but director Milan Luthria (who earlier collaborated with Balaji on Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai) has wisely chosen not to get his cast to desperately struggle with accents.... full review

Thumbs up by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice ...Vidya Balan makes the Dirty sublime!... full review

Thumbs down by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express ...The true feminism in a film like The Dirty Picture is off-screen, in its indication that a major actor today, who could be playing romantic interests for another five years, is not only willing to play these parts but is also finding the films to play these parts in... full review

Thumbs up by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...A brave & bold masterpiece showcasing 'Life As It Is' with its four aces - an exceptional script, an intelligent direction, fabulous dialogues and an extraordinary Vidya. (Movies To See Before You Die - Biographical) ... full review

Thumbs up by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...HE DIRTY PICTURE not only draws attention to the life of a sex goddess, but also makes us responsive of the catastrophe behind the facade.... full review

Thumbs up by Malvika Rao, BookmyShow ...Gutsy, high-powered, and held together by crisp & laudable dialogue, the film definitely makes for a riveting watch. ... full review

Thumbs up by Charu A Mahesh, Buzz in Town ...when you hear the dialogue - “Humein public ko titillate karna hai,” you know they have nailed it!... full review

Thumbs up by Mallika, DearCinema ...And at last, Kudos to Balaji telefilms’ schizophrenic range of Productions! Right from creating Devi like Bahus even sleeping in kanjivarams and kilos of gold to creating a Babe like Silk who is teased by a man for wearing clothes lesser than a new born child is Path breaking.... full review

Thumbs up by Rony D'costa, Desi Martini ...The screenplay is more of an entertainment show and works if viewed from that perspective. ... full review

Thumbs up by Payal Khanna, Desi Martini ...Full marks go to film-makers for giving crisp screenplay, apt characterization and sharp dialogues making viewers stay glued to the screen and enjoy every bit of what they are watching.... full review

Thumbs up by Yusuf Poonawala, Desi Martini ...It is in the performances, the dialogues and the taut screenplay where the heart of this film lies. ... full review

Thumbs down by Ankur Pathak, Desi Martini ...Somehow, Silk, even with her consistently unapologetic celebration of sexuality, which is further strengthened by her naturally witty banter, doesn`t manage to make her carnival, a revelry for us, neither do her tragedies shed their melancholia.... full review

Thumbs up by Mehul Suri, Desi Martini ...Finally a film that will see the masses and the classes sing the same tune. Oh La La Oh La La!... full review

Thumbs up by Soumyadipta Banerjee , DNA ...The film ends exactly the way you thought even though it seems that the filmmakers tried to make it look like an abrupt ending.... full review

Thumbs up by Aniruddha Guha, DNA ...It’s a masterstroke, buying the rights to the song, and it continues to ring in your ears much after you’ve walked out of theatre.... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions ...Silk's tragedy does come through on account of Vidya's fearless performance which prompts you to overlook her occasional lapses into Convent-educated Bombay diction and cheer for the fact that finally a film led entirely by its heroine is likely to become a big draw at the box-office—sadly, for all the wrong reasons.... full review

So-So by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions ...The period details are recreated well, and also glimpses of Tamil films of that period are authentic; but you see the industry only from the point of view of one star, one writer, one producer, one director and one journalist—oversimplifying everything to the point of dilution.... full review

Thumbs up by Swati Rohatgi, Film Impressions ...The Dirty Picture is in-your-face entertainment that should not be ignored. A must watch especially for the first half.... full review

Thumbs up Free Press Journal ...Theres no denying that Ekta Kapoor and team, with this film following closely on her other successes like 'Sex, love aur Dhoka'and 'Ragini MMS'have created yet another window of opportunity for mainstream filmmakers who were hitherto afraid to peddle bolder themes and content.... full review

Thumbs up by Somak, Gomolo.in ...Focuses On The 'Dirt' In Our Minds... full review

Thumbs up by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...It starts to match the film within the film! This irony is oddly intriguing. It won’t be lost on anyone.... full review

So-So by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live ...Gutsy Vidya makes 'Dirty Picture' watchable... full review

Thumbs up by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...She may not be earthy enough for critics who have lusted after the real Silk in their youth. But she is all woman, and she is all sensuousness in a performance that is brave, bold and completely natural.... full review

So-So by Shubhra Gupta, indian express ...she lets her stomach spill over without sucking it in, knowing full well that the male gaze mostly and willingly switches between boob and butt. But, and this is where the film falters, not going where it should have, into the rage-and-pain-and real-feeling territory. ... full review

Thumbs up by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...Business rating: 4 / 5 stars... full review

So-So by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint ...A casual celebration of the worst of the Eighties. But the remarkable lead performances lift ‘The Dirty Picture’ from mediocrity... full review

Thumbs up by Shubha Shetty-Saha, MiD DAY ...While Naseer is fantastic as Surya, it is Emraan Hashmi who actually manages to steal some of the scenes, in spite of Vidya's presence.... full review

So-So Mixed Bag ...An evident experiment to be somewhere between being an art film and a commercial film, TDP tilts more towards the latter... full review

Thumbs up Movie Talkies ...Whether it's in gaining rolls of extra weight for her role, turning the heat on onscreen, or whether it's in mouthing double-entendres in Rajat Arora's dialogues, it's clear that Balan is living her role as Silk with aplomb... full review

Thumbs down by Karan Anshuman, Mumbai Mirror ...The film’s look is a mishmash of aesthetics, the camera uninspired. There are too many tight takes early on in what seems to be an effort to ease the task of making it look like a period setting.... full review

Thumbs up by Mansha Rastogi, Now Running.com ...reiterates that bold is beautiful.... full review

Thumbs up by Raja Sen, Rediff ...forsakes much potential nuance in its urge to please crowds but is still far more engaging than most Bollywood produce... full review

Thumbs up by Sukanya Verma, Rediff ...just draws an outline of Silk's character instead of painting a layered portrait but Vidya Balan makes it awe-inspiring with her performance.... full review

Thumbs up by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters ...Like its subject, the tone of Luthria’s movie is slightly over-the top and tends to caricaturize certain characters, but the lead performance is so all-encompassing that you don’t mind these flaws.... full review

Thumbs up by Ruchi Mehta, Roochster ...Ekta Kapoor knows what works and what doesn’t. She’s made a smart move and created a film that will be remembered not only for Vidya Balan’s acting and passion to be the character she plays, but everything about the movie replicates a person’s life we knew nothing about. To me that is a big deal. ... full review

Thumbs up by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...Is director Milan Luthria trying to comment on corny, titillating films of the past or is he using the premise to make a sophisticated version of the same? ... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com ...Vidya’s item number ‘Ooh la la’ is superb and its credit goes to Bappi Lahiri. ... full review

Thumbs down StarBoxOffice ...Filthy picture... full review

So-So by Sudhish Kamath, The Hindu ...For all that talk of feminism, the film regresses a little towards the latter part when it strays into Madhur Bhandarkar territory when a broke heroine of dirty films has to resort to porn to save her house.... full review

Thumbs up by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ...The Dirty Picture is definitely not only your film for the week, but is a seminal work that will be studied in feminist discourses. ... full review

Thumbs down by The ThirdMan, Upper Stall ...is body, body, all body and no soul! ... full review

Thumbs up by SpiceZee Bureau, ZEENEWS.COM ...Kudos to Rajat Arora for his brisk screenplay that never loses its sight from the storyline and characterization. ... full review