Tubelight

wogma rating: Switch channels if it's on cable (?)

quick review:

Too many “issues”, too many morals. Much little acting, much little story.

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Director: Kabir Khan
Running time: 135 minutes
Genres: Family, Social, War
More Movie Info

“Believe that the right thing will happen”, society's outlook towards people who are developmentally challenged, Gandhian values, futility of war, misdirected nationalism, judgements based on looks – these are the themes Tubelight goes over. All lofty, all preachily approached, all boring.

portrayed as “faith in self” but all the situations that test faith are actually testing hope and not self-belief

The first thing you do when you see an adult with a developmental challenge is patronize him/her, right? Ok, a few ridicule them. Tubelight takes both the patronization and ridicule to a whole new level. When people laugh at him, the entire village laughs at him except for a handful (just one in one scene) who sympathize. When the village isn't around these sympathizers treat him like you wouldn't treat a five year old. The meta patronization is that the entire crew encouraged Salman Khan as he when around doing what he thought was acting.

Sure, it can be argued that developmentally challenged people do believe whatever they are told and are rather innocent. But, what Laxman (Salman Khan) does in all his innocence is amusing if not outright annoying! The forced baby tone used by Salman Khan, especially in the voiceover is plain painful.

Fortunately, you have Om Puri to bring a grounded feel to the performances even though he is preaching (because you know, he is a Gandhian). Matin Rey Tangu and Zhu Zhu bring about a calm by their presence. You might disagree with Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub's Narayan with as much he makes his argument, but he convinces you of his hate. Similarly, Sohail Khan, makes us believe that a straight face with expressive eyes are emotions enough for his character Bharat. I actually caught myself thinking, Sohail Khan should taken up more films as an actor. Hopefully, non-Salman films.

Writing is to blame here as much as his performance though. An actor can look only as believable while mouthing a line, “Where can you find the strength of faith?” And that is his signature line. It is even more frustrating when the line is portrayed as “faith in self” but all the situations that test faith are actually testing hope and not self-belief.

Similarly, you wonder what they are trying to do with the other issues the film raises. The main theme of the mental disability is botched completely. The other theme that runs thick through the film is that of judging people who look different. When the general attitude of characters in the film is that of ridicule or hatred, it is understandable. That is what the film wants to highlight. However, if the protagonist himself pokes fun at things like different-sounding names, it doesn't seem right. Especially, given what the film is trying to say otherwise about the situation.

To add to the misery, the scenes drag. While thankfully slow-motion has been avoided, the other tool used to create drama – silences and pauses are way too long. Instead of adding to the intensity of the scene, they make you wait for it to make a move. The songs too add to the run-time almost making you wonder if the makers knew the material didn't have enough to hold attention. The music and lyrics are lacklustre and reminded me of the dreadful music from the 90s.

The meta patronization is that the entire crew encouraged Salman Khan as he when around doing what he thought was acting.

It is strange that Tubelight has so many things to say and yet felt like it said nothing. I don't expect to be impacted by the manner in which issues are raised. But I expect the makers to at least try. It actually felt like, they thought what they saw on the paper had loads of mean, but when they got down to making the film, they lost faith.

- meeta, a part of the audience

35 reviewers(?) - 6 yays 13 so-so 16 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Tushar P. Joshi, Bollywood Life : ...Tubelight has a message that resonates with current times – keep the faith and believe in the good. Salman’s sincere and heartfelt performance in the film will definitely move you. Keep that box of tissues handy! ... full review

Thumbs up, by Sarthak Mehta , Desi Martini : ...This movie brings a turmoil into you emotional quotient and I recommend to carry a bag of tissues cause you’re in for a emotional roller coaster toughing every emotion from fun to gloominess.... full review

Thumbs up, by Sarita A Tanwar, DNA : ...The whole follow-Gandhi bit seemed forced. It reminds you of Lage Raho Munnabhai and the comparison hurts Tubelight. Watch it for the love of your brother. Or Bhai. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Imran Mohammad, FirstPost : ...Tubelight does have a great message: hope pulls us through in any situation we may find ourselves in. A worthwhile watch. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Rohit Vats, Hindustan Times : ...I will leave you with a dialogue from the film that may give you a better idea about Tubelight’s overall ‘look and feel’. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...Still, contrary to likely audience expectations, this is a film rather subdued on drama, hysteria, and action, although it remains coherent, entertaining, and sincere throughout. More importantly it does not preach to the choir. ... full review

So-So, by Dev Raj Gulati, Desi Martini : ...Still Tubelight is watchable as a low key subdued drama with no fanfare... full review

So-So, by Samedha Arora, Desi Martini : ...Tube Light is light weekend watch, and Sallu’s fans should defiantly watch this movie but not his critics. The cinematography and supporting cast will not leave you disspointed but maybe your expectations from the story will. And Hey! It’s Eid, give yourself a movie weekend treat! ... full review

So-So, by Pallavi Jaiswal, Desi Martini : ...फिल्म का म्यूजिक प्रीतम ने दिया है, जो कानों को सुकून देता है। इस फिल्म से सलमान और कबीर की जोड़ी दर्शकों को सिनेमा हॉल तक खींचने में असफल हो सकती है। शुरू से लेकर अंत तक आप फिल्म में कुछ इंटरेस्टिंग ढूँढने की कोशिश करते हैं, लेकिन सिवाए यकीन के आपको इस फिल्म में कुछ नहीं मिलेगा। फिल्म में एक ही बात आपको खुश करती हैं और वो है सलमान और सोहेल की केमेस्ट्री जो आपका दिल जीत लेगी। इस फिल्म को एक बार देखा जा सकता है। ... full review

So-So, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ... This is a sweet little film alright, but the emotional inconsistencies just don’t iron out. It’s a classic case of what could've been a great film, settles for much less.... full review

So-So, by Anna MM Vertticad, FirstPost : ...Still, with Tubelight, my glass is half full and not half empty. When your head points out several exasperating aspects of a film and you still find yourself weeping with it, there is something to be said about the director’s ability to touch an emotional chord. Whatever be my reservations, the big takeaway for me from Tubelight is that Salman Khan and Kabir Khan have once again teamed up in trying times to deliver a resounding snub to bigotry. ... full review

So-So, by Vaishnavi Kulkarni, fullhyd.com : ...Unless you are a fan of Bhai who has yakeen in the entertainment value of Salman Khan's face, it would be wise to skip this one. This Tubelight may leave you in a darker mood than Lights Out ever could. ... full review

So-So, by Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Gulf News : ...The supporting cast including the late actor Om Puri, the endearing Chinese star Zhu Zhu and child actor Martin Rey Tangu are on call to complement the hero. ... full review

So-So, Indicine : ...Tubelight is a good movie which is technically of the highest standard. The budget is high, the scale is huge, the production design is almost perfect. But somewhere down the line it fails to do its most important job..... full review

So-So, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...All said and done, Tubelight is a worth watch, though it may not come across as a worthy successor to Bajrangi Bhaijaan.... full review

So-So, by Kunal Guha, Mumbai Mirror : ...Director Kabir Khan admitted in an interview that the objective of this cinematic tribute was to make the inspiring story accessible to a larger audience. And while Salman fans across the world would make for a substantial target, inflicting them with this preachy tale of leaning on 'yakeen' to get through life could be a tad misleading. But then again, we're addressing hardcore Bhai fans, who feel that hanging one's shades over the back of one's collar is the path to ultimate glory. ... full review

So-So, Sify Movies : ...Overall, Tubelight has the tempered magic of cinema but it fails to ignite the emotional quotient. ... full review

So-So, by Meena Iyer, Times of India : ...When it comes to performances--Salman laughs and cries unselfconsciously, showing his audience the less-seen side of his macho screen image. He cannot move mountains with his performance but he tries hard to keep the faith alive. Sohail is sincere. Zhu Zhu shows spunk and young Matin entertains. And, Om Puri reminds you of the mettle unsung heroes are made of. ... full review

So-So, by Rummana, yahoo! India : ...‘Tubelight’ flickers, but doesn’t shine as brightly as I had hoped it would. ... full review

Thumbs down, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, TUBELIGHT come across as a colossal disappointment as it fails to engross the audiences due to its wafer thin plot. At the Box-Office, the movie will take a jumpstart due to Salman Khan’s star power and accelerate over the weekend and the extended weekend [due to the Eid festivities], post which, the business will see a sizeable drop. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Rohit Bhatnagar, Deccan Chronicle : ...Overall, Tubelight is a major disappointment. It is unlike any Kabir Khan film, and not in a good way. Watch Tubelight since you have no other film to watch over this long weekend as Salman has managed to block 4000 screens for his film. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Ameet Bhuvan, Desi Martini : ...It is not the first film where Salman has attempted to tailor his image to suit the good at heart irrespective of what he does otherwise narrative. What started with movies like Jai Ho, reached a crescendo with Bajrangi Bhaijaan, has reached a severe low in Tubelight. Avoid at all costs. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Disha Dhingra, Desi Martini : ...Hence, the only problem in the film is Salman Khan, who fails to ignite a spark in the film. The movie, thus can be skipped... full review

Thumbs down, by Johnson Thomas, Free Press Journal : ...This film is so low on wattage that it’s liable to shut down even the electrical surge of a Salman Khan fan following!... full review

Thumbs down, by Vishal Verma, Glamsham.com : ...The theology of TUBELIGHT is vast like an ocean but Kabir Khan has so cloyingly handled the Yakeen (faith) factor that it turns boringly 'Yuck'in. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Suhani Singh, india today : ...For a change, Salman Khan, often accused of playing larger-than-life hero far too often on screen, is pushed to his limits, but Kabir Khan's yakeen in him pulling off this part is misplaced. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Ahana Bhattacharya, koimoi : ...This Tubelight flickers; fails to shine brightly. The film fails to leave an impact. Surely, a little more was expected from the actor-director duo who has delivered a film like Bajrangi Bhaijaan in the past! 2 stars for this. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Uday Bhatia, Live Mint : ...A Salman Khan film in which anything is displaced by the power of thought is almost too much irony to bear. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Rajeev Masand, News18.com : ...A film like Tubelight which espouses the power of faith and belief through the uncorrupted eyes of a man-child needed a lightness of touch that is conspicuous by its absence here. Tubelight is well intentioned but overtly manipulative and doesn't so much tug at your heartstrings as it punches you in the face demanding that you care. It's also over-long at nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, and excruciatingly slow and boring in parts. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Manisha Lakhe, Now Running.com : ...Give me a good Dabanng over this pretence emotional film any day. The best moment of the film? When Laxman realises the soldiers giving Guao's mum the evil eye and he holds her hand to protect her. That's the Salman we love.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sreehari Nair, Rediff : ...He feels it in his stomach, the horrors, and tries to throw up. But then, he only manages to work up a spit. In a weird way, that scene becomes a perfect summation for what the performance aspires for, and what it finally delivers.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...Alas, not enough to be dazzled by the boring, bogus naiveté of Tubelight. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...There is also an attempt to address historical wrongs, such as the shameful incarceration of Indian-Chinese residents during the war, but this is eclipsed by the sluggish pace, Salman Khan’s risible performance, and the untenable idea that faith can make anything possible.... full review

Thumbs down, by Namrata Joshi, The Hindu : ...Kabir Khan tries hard to score political points but Tubelight fails to light up as an engaging film... full review

Thumbs down, by Raghav Jaitly, Zee News : ...At the end, we would just like to say that 'Tubelight' lacks entertainment. It struggles throughout to make you realise the importance of faith and belief. Some sequences will definitely entertain you. However, it is definitely not what we sought... full review

112 tweeters(?) - 46 yays 6 so-so 60 nays

Zulfikar_AKhan: "Full Light Kar Diya" TUBELIGHT mind Blowing Movie Ignore KRK & TARAN ADRSH type review makers... Wonderful movi… https://t.co/7OzAJQVt6G

wicked_mEEr: Critics are being harsh on #Tubelight for no reason..just watched it with 3 frnds and we all loved it..Surely one time watch.

vijethbalila: Definitely well-intended beautifully crafted anti-war flick. And in a special mention, a pure Gandhian film in the heart. #tubelight

VijayByadwal: Tubelight must watch.. Love you bhai.

Turjow1: Tubelight Must Watch Full light kardiya

Tubelight321: Finally watched #tubelight.. Just one word Dont miss this. what an emotion! ATBB..Full Light Kar Diya @TubelightKiEid @kabirkhankk

tasirkazi007: Tubelight movie is awesome @BeingSalmanKhan has done a great job

tamalikachaudhu: Watch #Tubelight with my family today. What a great film. Thanks all the actors who did a wonderful job.@BeingSalmanKhan @SKFilmsOfficial

SurajKu73015611: I like this tubelight movies

SubhadipRoy777: Watched the movie today and I guess its one of Salman's best movie so far. This is an emotional movie with a good s… https://t.co/Ke8EL9le6C

shuklashashank9: Yakeen ek tubelight ki tarah hota hai der se jalta hai lekin jab jalta hai, toh full light kar deta hai.Full Light Kar Diya @TubelightKiEid

Shanawa54900795: Full Light Kar Diya

Shaadrandhawa: Loved #Tubelight #believe #love #nowar @BeingSalmanKhan u are brilliant @SohailKhan so natural @kabirkhankk a great film ,super intentions!

satishkakarla7: #Tubelight is Heart I loved it

rupeshjha07: #Tubelight will be a Disappointment for Typical @BeingSalmanKhan fans but a proud Film for Salman in future,Grown up so well as an actor

ratsverma: #Khans rocked it! Powerful storytelling @kabirkhankk n colossal performances @BeingSalmanKhan @SohailKhan Take a bow guys

rahulpa43569128: Excellent movie

PARMARJIGNESH93: I m proud to be @BeingSalmanKhan fan. He did something new & did it very well.. Loved it @TubelightKiEid.Fu_k off bad reviewers..#Tubelight

NilopharA: Tubelight movie is the best movie in the world, in movie Salman khan asLakshman and Sohil Khan as bharat, its a… https://t.co/Zy40HTREbN

MythicalPAUL: Full Light Kar Diya Salman Khan's performance in Tubelight, https://t.co/qBZz8GSkxU

mystery0725: #SalmanKhan: This is that kind of a film, where you need to take your parents, grandparents and families. #Tubelight

MRPARMAR198: Tubelight is super movie.... Love u bhaijaan......

movieshuvie: Nice sweet emotional movie that could have been made crisper. But still very good #tubelight @BeingSalmanKhan

mirani_meet: Just Watched #Tubelight... Loved it... We Love you SALMAN ❤ @BeingSalmanKhan

manish_pani: Two minutes silent for those who thinks #Tubelight movie is a bakwaas movie.Grt work by @BeingSalmanKhan @kabirkhankk and dlegendary#OmPuri

mahir_abdullah: Overall, #Tubelight is one of @BeingSalmanKhan's best films and is definitely amongst his top 3 best films list from 2010-2017.

lilmiss_muffet: Salman Khan is soo Adorable!! #Tubelight Full Light kar Diya

KamranK01: The only minus point I had for #Tubelight was that in the awesome 2nd half,the conversations between Zhu Zhu & Salman went for too long.

Ishaan_Conor: Don't waste your time on bakwas things ..Just watch n enjoy ! #Tubelight [ Full Light Kar Diya ]

Imranpa08394719: Tubelight osm https://t.co/7HQEE67Q1V

geetahuja5: TUBELIGHT IS NOT A FLOP MOVIE A BETTER STORY MOVIE MUST WATCH BHAI APNI EIDI EID PR HI LENGE LOVE UHH @BeingSalmanKhan

DabanggSKhan: Watched #Tubelight. OUTSTANDING film...#BowDown But I've only one complaint, FOR WHAT REASON MAKERS CAST SHAHRUKH KHAN FOR 3 LONG MINUTES?

celbs2025: #Tubelight very nice movie

Beingshuvam: Aj vaijaan ne hasaya aur bahut rulaya but 1k baat sikha di ki yekin rakkho. #Tubelight #TubelightDay

beingfanforever: Yuppp!! Awesome movie

BeingDivyaa: ❤❤❤❤❤❤ #Tubelight https://t.co/i1VdCqpT5B

beingDevilCr7: Just loved #Tubelight every part of it

BeingAnubhavV: #Tubelight is such a superbb movie I think critics should go to hell.

Being_Shanty: Yakeen ka #Tubelight Aisa jala ke Full Light Kar Diya! Masterpiece! @BeingSalmanKhan @SohailKhan #Bhaihood

bappi1211: Review #Tubelight - Just go watch the movie. If ur not a @BeingSalmanKhan Fan u will become one

badmashtoka: #Tubelight the only drawback of the movie is that the second half went quite slow. Above all it's a really heart warming movie. Good watch!

amkebina: #tubelight ❤️❤️❤️ the movie.

akshitchawla04: Watched #Tubelight A nice film. Don't know why people are complaining. Some really emotional moments.

akriti_kataria: "Kya tumhe yakeen hai?" #blueeyedsalman #amazingmovie #tubelight #mustwatch #gonwatch #lovesalman @BeingSalmanKhan https://t.co/mQGcjlJF96

AamirZargar: I still cant understand hv they released different version of #Tubelight in India.USA version is awesome. how can 1 gv bad reviews to this??

aamir__71: https://t.co/0SzWrk4JIP #OmPuri is the pillar of #tubelight sad he is no more .My #review don't miss 5/5

YoSe_VFxWala: Let me put up dis vry simply that this aint no regular salman movie but 2b honest its a gud 1 time Watch with Family 4sure #Tubelight

Thalaaivannaan: This Week Movies Ratings #AAA - 2.5 #Vanamagan - 3.0 #Tubelight - 2.75 #DJMovie - 3.0 Which is Best You Have Watched Today!!?

Shivaji_555: Movie utni bhi buri nahin hai, if the comparison standards are Bhai's last few movies or even the entire filmography. #Tubelight

BeingTeJan: Exactly. #Tubelight is not a bad film, its a one time watch. Loved the efforts that @kabirkhankk and team has put i… https://t.co/f134fVsxwf

balaji_pspk: salman steals the show. an one time watch. Very slow emotional,No boring stuff 2.75/5 #Tubelight not a salman range movie

am_Migrade: #Tubelight is a slow paced movie !! Some visuals are good !!

yadav_ind: जिस देश की जनता ट्यूबलाइट देखने के लिए लाइन में खड़ी वह विकास कैसे कर सकता है! #Tubelight

viral011: #MovieReview #Tubelight #TubelightReview - below average, disappointed. @BeingSalmanKhan @SohailKhan. Rating 4/10 https://t.co/0IYXPTZgs7

umsalelkar: #Tubelight @BeingSalmanKhan you could not entertain me Bhaijaan. #EidMubarak

strthechamp: Plz don't dare to watch Tubelight.. One of the worst movie ever nd ever ...I

SonaliKandari: The movie #Tubelight was really boring to me and even is more emotional for no such reasons. @BeingSalmanKhan Sir's acting is so amazing.

smart_geek2: Tubelight review : surya bulb is better . #Tubelight

siddheshkamath1: #Tubelight Boring

Shaiq_IqbalArif: Hazard Alert ⚠ Don't become #Tubelight Urslf For Blind fans, link is

SaurabhWarekar: #TUBELIGHT is Dim light... Such a boring movie.

sanjib_dreamer: Waste of time and money, movie without any storyline. One of the worst movie of Kabir khan and bhaijaan #TubeLight

samyak93: Tubelight is such a Tubelight movie that Twitter trolls are better. AVOID!

Saffron_Rocks: #Tubelight इस कदर #घटिया है कि देश के सबसे घटिया #आदमी फर्जीवाल ने भी उसे देख कर रिव्यु देने से #मना कर दिया है… https://t.co/iXdVDVvwMl

RVenkat_India: Atrocious Movie!! @TubelightKiEid Was @kabirkhankk in Coma when he made #Tubelight @BeingSalmanKhan looks like an Oaf! #MeraPaisaWapasKaro

roshninayak_: Tubelight's # is full of disappointment and abusive words

RohaanKPatel: When was the last time audience started leaving 15mins after the interval in a Salman Movie . #Tubelight #Flop #AdhocScript

Ravilodha17: Very slow salmaan bhai boring movie tubelight..rv

rakapiyush: The best thing about TUBELIGHT is that it never lights so that you can sleep peacefully

rakacts: Itihaas gawah hai Salmaan- Sohail combination is a Flop Combo . #Tubelight

Rahulg143love: Iss Se acha Salman bhai footpath pe bulaake gaadi chada dete humare upr #tubelight #review

notagujju: My room's tubelight has a higher rating than the movie. #Tubelight

NawtyVampire: Tubelight movie ka fuse udaa hua Hai. Thoda Sambhal ke jaana.

mkskumar298: #Tubelight made me realize importance of chemistry in a film which unfortunately this film hasn't. An actor can't pull it off all by himself

madnesspawned: The choke and starter fused #tubelight

luckyforhuman: #Tubelight bhai bulb bhi nhi jla or tube ki to inverter lane ke Baad bhi nhi jla #KabirKhan tu ek kaam kr tubelight bhechna start kr de.

LifeNeedsMovies: This is truly disappointing

Kuptaan: #Tubelight भी फेल हो गयी. उसको भी पहले बैटिंग करना चाहिए था.

kumarnirmalpras: Agar kisi se badla lena ho to ushe #Tubelight ki ek ticket kharid kar de. 2 hours and 16 mins me aapka badla pura ho jayega.

KuldeepNirulkar: #Tubelight dekhne ke baad toh ghar pe bhi tubelight lagane ka mann nahi karta!!!!

kritam_dutta: Borring movie hey..sir... #Tubelight @BeingSalmanKhan

kd_jk91: Tubelight is not even a one time watch even though Kabir Khan managed to extract a lot from Salman. Didn't make the cut. Sad.

KaushikBora17: I saw Tubelight is not so good... sorry

kapiltyagi7042: #Tubelight bhai se movie bilkul pasand nahi aye na iss movie ki koi story h or na hi kuch khass dramma or action to h hi nahi 5/1.5

jpalash_: भले हाथी चींटी वाले जोक्स सुना देना लेकिन #Tubelight देखने को ना कहना ।

iTwinkleRKapoor: Tubelight ka fuse udd Gaya hai!

imaavi: But Surprising thing is even my Friends who're Salman fans didn't like it

Im_Monjil: Tubelight has been one of the worst movies I've seen in a while. Left the theatre before 45 mins from end. Waste of money

iAnkurMishra: This Eid please focus on Moonlight, not on Tubelight.

IamP00ja: So what if Tubelight is horrible?Salman runs Being Human and he will repair all the damaged brains of people who watched it. Bhai roxXx.

HumorouslyVipul: Tubelight movie ka fuse udaa hua Hai.

himrulz: #Yakeen ho gaya, #Bhai ko acting nai aati #Tubelight

gulshanlassi: Movie theater** Bhaiya movie ke paise wapas chaiye... #Tubelight https://t.co/l7TgRiel4L

ganeshmawai: No light in #Tubelight very bored #movie #Bollywood

diptikapoor: Watched #Tubelight as reviews it was really let down, very slow boring movie. If salman has guts like SRK he should come without HOLIDAY !!

chintan20: Itni horrible movie

cartoonistpai: Indian's will waste 300 Crs on Tubelight

BluntIndianGirl: Director ruined everything. #Tubelight

Bhayankur: You could've criticised recent Salman Khan films for anything but not for being slow and boring. Tubelight is. What a drag! Painful watch.

bhaagbosedk4: #Tubelight dekh k kitno k dimaag ki dahi hui ? @BeingSalmanKhan #floplight

bawak2000: Yaar Tubelight Kharaab Hai !!!

BadshahRahul: Tubelight aakhir #Tubelight he nikliii

babyygirl07: #Tubelight #SalmanKhan hats off u fr making such baseless movies...

AnushLad: Yeah, but overall, Tubelight wasn't that good. Waited the entire time like kuch hoga, kuch hoga. magar kuch nahi hua

anjalimani909: Tubelight dekhne wale sach me tubelight hai..

ameyaagrawal: #Tubelight dekh Kar Yakin pe se Yakin uth gaya :p #TubelightDay #TubelightReview

AdityaMohrir: #Tubelight is a big let-down. Disappointing. @BeingSalmanKhan @kabirkhankk

abhi_3csspeaks: Tubelight Is Seriously Tubelight.. Waste of Time..#Tubelight #TubelightReview

aamirkingBW: Biggest flop of this year #Bank_chor and #Tubelight

16pratikpandey: Watched Tubelight..Salman Bhai,pkaa Diya pora..bkwaas @BeingSalmanKhan #Tubelight

_MKGandhi: किसने गलती से मिस्टेक करी #Tubelight बनाकर? https://t.co/0sAGuIxugE

_kanwardhillon: Well,yes TUBELIGHT is a disappointing film and doesnt live up to the expectations at all! Nevermind,i still adore n love Salman Khan.❤

4 readers - 1 yays 3 so-so 0 nays

Not Interested in Watching, by fanofcfc8 : definitely a painful watch if you arent a salman fan

Yay! Thumbs Up, by Umair Hussain : 2 Star out of 5

So-So, by Anuj : 6/10 on a repeat viewing

So-So, by Anup

So-So, by Fan

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: A few fist fights. A few war scenes
  • Language: Clean
  • Nudity & Sexual content: None
  • Concept: A brother believes that the right thing will happen to him
  • General Look and Feel: The beautiful Himalayas. The setting is supposed to be the 60s, but I doubt you would be able to tell.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

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Tubelight - Cast, crew, links

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135 minutes
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Comments (8)

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ANuP

had seen the original LITTLE BOY , a day before watching Tubelight , didn't find it worth remaking. Infact American critics totally crashed that movie with critism , also was a box office flop. Don't know whose idea it was to remake it.
I have to agree that Tubelight was improvement on LITTLE BOY. But still they didn't elevate much. Story is still bad. Message is still manipulative. And turning a 1hr49min movie into 2hr30min movie with longer scenes and songs is a really bad idea.
Still I would say z I didn't thought that Indian critics will dislike it so much. Little shocking for me.

First things first, it's great to see Om Puri one last time. Puri was one of the very finest actors our country ever produced, and Kabir Khan's Tubelight marks his last filmed performance. Sure, he looks like he's walked straight off the logo for Kentucky Fried Chicken, and is given trite platitudes to mouth instead of actual dialogue, but it's still wonderful to watch him chew on watermelon and tell us how faith can move mountains. In fact, say I, we should all be grateful to Khan and Tubelight for illustrating to us just how true it is that dear Mr Puri is, indeed, now in a better place.Watch TubeLight Movie
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Fan

I don't know where to start the review. But since it is a Salman Khan film, let us start with him.

Salman plays a dim witted guy, thus the reason for the name of the film. His act is horrible, to say the least. Clearly he has not even bothered to spend some time with mentally handicapped people to observe their mannerisms. In the 70s style he just plays an exaggeratedly stupid act. Nevertheless he cries well, and frequently he makes you cry with him. The previous time Salman did a good crying act it was in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Apart from acting, Salman (and Sohail) look over bloated and middle aged guys. I don't think that was intended, and so it reflects more their actual physical conditions. Flabby everywhere, and age appearing on the faces.

Let's move to the others. Personally I was tremendously impressed by Isha Talwar (Maya) and Zhu Zhu. Isha's presence was sheer sunlight. She is extremely delightful to watch, a natural act be it in happy situations or less happy situations. And Zhu Zhu was another gem. That her character was made to speak Hindi throughout the film is admirable. Her lip formations were perfectly aligned to what she was speaking, very commendable if in real life she is not from India. And her expressions were following the words being said in the dialogues. Thus a doubly difficult act if in real life she is not an Indian and new to Hindi. Kudos.

All the rest of the cast, including Matin, are alright. Matin is adorable mainly because he is a child and has oriental features. Beyond that nothing great on the acting front.

The special effects, if they could be called that, are the worst to see in recent times.

The movie in itself over simplifies a complex problem of war. The message of 'in a war nobody is right, and nobody is left' is there but gets buried under lots of other things. An overt attempt to continue on the Bajrangi saga, but not with solid material it simply fails to deliver the goods.

As a pure cinematic experience the film is average or even below average. But being Eid time, and being a Salman film, it will do fairly well commercially. Even though it might fall far behind the Bahubalis and Bajrangi Bhaijaans.

Anuj

This film had no commercial value to begin with, uninspiring promos & music and nothing going for it apart from the fact that it was an Eid release starring Salman Khan. Neither does it have a "selfie le le" moment for the core Salman fanbase and nor does it have the emotions and content of a Bajrangi Bhaijaan or even a Sultan for the neutral audience. This is something like Salman's version of Mohenjo Daro. Just that such is the man's popularity that even a Tubelight might end up in the 125-150 cr range!

ehinome okojie

Tubedark is being trashed more by the audience than the critics.

Anuj

All said & done, this is certainly not as bad a movie as some ridiculous and completely baseless reviews are making it out to be. Yes it suffers from a strong Bajrangi/Forrest Gump hangover and yes the writing and performance are uneven, however its nowhere near being unwatchable. For all the senseless negative propaganda by the trade & media, Tubelight still makes a lot more sense to me than Ra1, Happy New year, Dilwale, Bodyguard, Dhoom 3 & Fan. Its unfortunate that Salman Khan's fanbase is unwilling to accept him in a vulnerable humane character & always wanna see him as a bravado larger than life on screen figure. Perhaps the curse of having a fanbase that consists of mostly "blind star worshipping fanatics" than genuine cinematic fans!

www.bollywoodreviewguide.blogspot.com

Bibs

:D u decide to watch "tubelight" and "behen" and this guest jeet gets to review "death in Kunj"!...why meetu..why ??...I've been following your reviews for couple of yrs now and it seems now, the choice of films are no longer yours to make..I visited the site after a while to read your thoughts on "hindi medium" n "kunj" but had to be content with some Salman bashing..i liked that though :)

Hi Bibs, well, I was on a vacation when some of those released. And others, Jeet happened to watch before me, so he reviewed it. :)

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