Thumbs up, by Rahul Deo Bharadwaj , Desi Martini : ...Go watch Banjo but keep your expectations in check. It’s a simple tale for the simple audience ! ... full review

Thumbs up, by Smita Kumar, Desi Martini : ...Banjo is an entertaining film with a heart. You see how difficult life is for a large section of our population-the daily fight for basic necessities-water, shelter, education came through to you subtly. It is a celebration of street culture and music that may be looked down upon in a fancy nightclub but that strikes a chord with the masses as they dance at festivals like it’s a big open air disco. You won’t be disappointed with this movie and next time even join in a visarjan procession and dance to the beats of a banjo band. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Renuka Vyavahare, Times of India : ...If you are familiar with Mumbai's working-class neighbourhoods, where the hearts of the poor are bigger than the pay packages of those residing in the mushrooming high-rises, you'll be able to notice the beauty of Banjo. It also makes you respect the street musicians a little more. ... full review

So-So, by Subhash J Jza, Bolly Spice : ...Interesting music pieces (Vishal-Shekhar), a furiously implosive background score (Sourav Roy) and a principal cast that believes in the plot’s quintessential rags-to-riches logic tends to keep the storytelling afloat.HoweverBanjo is unlikely to set the boxoffice on fire. Its energy remains half-doused by over-statement. ... full review

So-So, Bollywood Hungama : ...The film's cinematography (Manoj Lobo) is decent. The film's editing (Devendra Murdeshwar) is average. On the whole, BANJO fails to strike the right notes on account of its low hype, confused second half and bizarre culmination. At the Box-Office, it will struggle for decent footfalls.... full review

So-So, by Sreeju Sudhakaran, Bollywood Life : ...Banjo would have been a really good entertainer, if the film had stuck to what the title had promised, instead of straying to other subplots. If you are a Mumbaikar then this is a one time watch for you. ... full review

So-So, by ROHIT BHATNAGAR, Deccan Chronicle : ...'Banjo' is a light-hearted entertainer which is just like any other music based film. Looks like, the filmmaker was trying hard to match up to the standards set by 'Rock On' but fails to do so. The film is certainly a one time watch. ... full review

So-So, by Jaiwantika Dutta Dhupkar, fullhyd.com : ...Banjo tries to recreate the mania of the local Ganpati band - the wild drums, the wilder dancing, the drunken smiles and the riot of colours, and actually makes a convincing effort. Go watch. ... full review

So-So, by Vishal Verma, Glamsham.com : ...Unfortunately, one of the main reason for watching BANJO (after Riteish Deshmukh) is Ravi Jadhav and he turns out to be the elephant in the room. He seems to be not in his perfect sync to make that zing we loved in NATRANG, BALAK PALAK. ... full review

So-So, by Rohit Vats, Hindustan Times : ...A good musical drama suddenly changes into an average formula tale of a hero with a golden heart, villains who can consider a sudden change of mind, heroine with a knack for dancing and stretched dialogue-baazi. ... full review

So-So, Indicine : ...Conclusion: The well-meaning nature of Banjo cannot be debated, but that means nothing when the movie doesn’t entertain as much as it should. And it is unpardonable when a movie gets boring. Riteish Deshmukh is in great form and gives it his all, but the movie itself stretches on for 20 minutes too long. Having said that, the director Ravi Jadhav has a good track record and Banjo should be considered nothing more than a temporary setback. We would be interested in seeing what he does next. ... full review

So-So, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...If you love a good underdog story and are a true Mumbaikar at heart, 'Banjo' will surely strike the right note for you... ... full review

So-So, by Manisha Lakhe, Now Running.com : ...The climax is good fun. The movie ends rather well. Great song, and ending of rivalries. Yes, yes, there's a rival band there too. Go watch them, and dance in the aisles. And hope Riteish stops acting in the awful sex comedies and gives us such happy frothy romances. ... full review

So-So, by IANS, Sify Movies : ...Banjo could have been a story well told, sans the customary cliches of the lives of slum dwellers, but nevertheless, it has its moments of earnestness and Riteish and the music of the film are certainly among them. You may not love it, but you will definitely not hate this film. ... full review

So-So, by Saumil Gandhi, Upper Stall : ...Banjo is a good attempt as a film. Embellished with a lot more craft and savvy, it could have been a full-blown orchestra instead of a pleasant tune that is heard and forgotten. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...In all, in this musical film called BANJO, there is neither any music nor any fresh storyline or execution to justify its chosen title. So just play some good music on your audio system instead and leave this BANJO alone, may be to be tried later when aired on a channel soon. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Merkwürdige Liebe, Desi Martini : ...Banjo is just as stupid a film, but it doesn't give you even base pleasures - the soundtrack is shrill and the sheer pointlessness of the songs the way Ravi Jadhav uses them doesn't make things easier either. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...Banjo gets a bit lost in its ambition. This movie aspires to be a marriage of Marathi and Hindi culture, it even tries to tie in International music culture with traditional Indian values. But in its attempt to be so many things all at once, it never manages to focus on one aspect – the core story. The underdog story is a proven winner in cinema, but this movie just misses the right note. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Renil Abraham, FirstPost : ...Banjo does have a few catchy songs to which you can groove, but some parts of the plot are cliched and the others are too random. Don't be surprised if you switch your brain cells off in the first 30 minutes. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Johnson Thomas, Free Press Journal : ...This could well have been a desi version of ‘A Star is Born’ but the poor conceptualisation and unappealing narration leaves one listless and dissatisfied. ‘Banjo’ is quite an unrequiting experience especially with the music so abysmally unappetising- and to think this was meant to be a musical drama. Phew!... full review

Thumbs down, by Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Gulf News : ...While Banjo should ideally have been a showcase for Deshmukh to flex his acting muscles in a solo hero project, this film struck all the wrong notes for me. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Tatsam Mukherjee, india today : ...But those are still the little details. The makers of Banjo should have focused on the bigger issues like a less contrived script, a better-acted film, and a movie slightly closer to what Mr Jadhav would have made in the parallel universe.... full review

Thumbs down, by Surabhi Redkar, koimoi : ...Vishal-Shekhar’s music is high on beats and does make sure you’re left foot tapping in the theaters but additions such as ‘Pee Paa Ke’ are a complete waste of time. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...The hero opposite Nargis is Riteish, of course, the tanned sadak-chaap mawaali, with a pony tail, thick beard, looking a shade of Shah Rukh Khan from Happy New Year, which this movie seems so similar to as well. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Kunal Guha, Mumbai Mirror : ...Riteish's signature line, which his character mumbles throughout the film, has a consistent prefix, "Life tumhe do choices deti hain..." For the audience, there's an option to skip this film or perish in a multiplex near you.... full review

Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...Rarely does a film press so much noise into service to achieve so little in the end. Heed this warning: don't get within the earshot of Banjo. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Rajeev Masand, News18.com : ...In the end, the notion of a film about an undervalued genre of musicians is more compelling than "Banjo" itself. It starts out from a promising place, but fails to make any leaps or strides. I'm going with a generous two out of five. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...By the time Banjo serves its dark horse comeback to a pounding Vishal-Shekhar spectacle laced in unabashed Maharashtrian pride, indifference has seeped in. ... full review

Thumbs down, Zee News : ...Music composers Vishal-Shekhar contribute a few foot-tapping numbers to Banjo, but everything else in the film is a drag. Only for Riteish Deshmukh fans. The rest can give Banjo a miss. ... full review