Thumbs up, by Meena Iyer, DNA : ...Verdict: Watch BGMC because it throws light on the issue of electricity, which is a fundamental human right. If we sit like frogs in a well, we may never learn what ails the real India. Jaago guys, jaago.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rajeev Masand, News18.com : ...For the most part, Batti Gul Meter Chalu keeps you engaged because the story has enough to chew on. The film is crippled however by excess. Clocking in at nearly three hours, someone clearly left the meter chalu too long.... full review

So-So, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, BATTI GUL METER CHALU is an average, one-time watch entertainer that appeals only in parts. The film has lot of flaws and loose ends and Shahid Kapoor’s entertaining performance saves the day to an extent. At the box office, it will require a really strong word of mouth to attract footfalls.... full review

So-So, by Dishya Sharma, Bollywood Life : ...The story has loopholes and is extremely slow. While Shahid tries his best to keep the batti chalu, the lights of this movie keep flickering and doesn’t give the shock it was meant to deliver. If you’re a Shahid Kapoor fan, the film is a treat. Otherwise, you could give this movie a skip.... full review

So-So, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...All-in-all, Batti Gul Meter Chalu is a film which has its heart in the right place. Better editing and a shortening of length by twenty minutes would have made the film more impactful.... full review

So-So, by UDITA JHUNJHUNWALA, FirstPost : ...The trailer of this film tells you almost all there is to know. Take that three minutes and add another 172: The main feature is a bloated narrative that skirts almost three hours. If the filmmaker had cut out the vapid first 15 minutes, and the black and white scenes (a narration device), think how much electricity and time could have been saved – not to mention how much more tolerable this film would have been.... full review

So-So, by "Jyoti Sharma Bawa ", Hindustan Times : ...Butti Gul Meter Chalu had a lot of promise, but just like the government it targets, it fails to deliver.... full review

So-So, by R.M. Vijayakar, India West : ...Performance-wise, this is a Shahid Kapoor show, and he is correctly hyper, uncouth and, in his own way, ruthless. Divyenndu is alright but shows limitations. Shraddha Kapoor connects well, but remains, thanks to the writing, nice without being extraordinary. Yami Gautam is a surprise, though. From scene one, she is extraordinary, given her limited scope. From the rest, Atul Srivastava as Sundar’s father makes a mark. The rest are average.... full review

So-So, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...This kind of film can turn too preachy for its own good, but Batti Gul Meter Chalu is careful not to get too much in lecture-mode. The rest of it made me smile, and gave me pause: how do you expect people to live without ‘bijli’ in today’s world? It is, as SK says thunderously, a fundamental right.... full review

So-So, by Umesh Punwani, koimoi : ...All said and done, Batti Gul Meter Chalu says a very important thing but the treatment messes all up. It’s high time Shahid Kapoor gets his due in Bollywood but this is not that film. Watch it for its intent & Shahid Kapoor!... full review

So-So, by Letty Mariam Abraham, MiD DAY : ...What worked in Batti Gul Meter Chalu is that Singh establishes the outage at the onset by his use of darkness throughout the film. Cinematographer Anshuman Mahaley captures the serene locations around Uttarakhand beautifully. But the film is too peripheral to serve as a social drama. Neither does it entertain as a courtroom drama nor leave you feeling empowered.... full review

So-So, by Nandan Kini, Mumbai Mirror : ...Overall, Batti Gul Meter Chalu is a film that does seem to have its heart in the right place with the subject it wants to deal with, albeit with a mild case of cardiac arrhythmia – perhaps a little shock is in order to set its pace back in order?... full review

So-So, by Shrishti Nagi, News18.com : ...The court scenes, which were supposed to be the highlight of the film, take away the sheen of an otherwise watchable film.... full review

So-So, by Troy Ribeiro, Sify Movies : ...Overall, despite excellent production values, the film does not cut the mark of distinction.... full review

So-So, by Rachit Gupta, Times of India : ...With a tighter runtime and more focus on the crux of the story, this social drama had the potential to shine bright. The cinematography by Anshuman Mahaley manages to capture the beauty of Uttarakhand’s hills very well. The movie also has a parallel track of two characters named Vikas and Kalyan, narrating the story, but the metaphor doesn’t quite click. BGMC loses power under the load of its heavy-duty screenplay.... full review

So-So, by Rummana, yahoo! India : ...We keep hearing about the electrification of India’s remote villages, but do we actually know how frequently rural households experience a single evening that isn’t plunged into absolute darkness by power cuts? Watch and find out.... full review

Thumbs down, by Shaheen Irani, Deccan Chronicle : ...To sum it up, Shahid is the gravy of a spicy misal while Shraddha, Yami, Divyendu and other actors are just the toppings which make it delicious when added in lesser quantity.... full review

Thumbs down, by Rahul Desai, Film Companion : ...This is just shabby filmmaking all around. It goes to show that today’s producers don’t care for the craft either, as long as there’s a “message,” a digital revolution (you know how most new-age filmmakers depict the power of the internet – a video goes viral, and the nation and news channels react in phases?) and a rousing monologue. So what if a few thousand screens squeeze the region’s power stations dry to broadcast this three-hour-long exercise of crippling nobility? It’s the thought that counts.... full review

Thumbs down, by Johnson Thomas, Free Press Journal : ...The same sharpness of purpose cannot be felt in the characterisations or the narrative assay though. Singh appears to have lost interest midway through this film and it shows. The unbearably long runtime (at close to 3 hours) also takes its toll on the likeability of this enterprise. After a point, even the fairly amiable actors fail to enthuse. Their every dialogue sounds overbearing and their actions, totally passé. It’s a pity that Shree Narayan Singh did not give up editing rights to a circumspect, far more refined editor. By wielding the scissors himself, he has put paid to any interest in this loud, unpalatable attempt at social activism.... full review

Thumbs down, by T J Reddy, fullhyd.com : ...Divyendu Sharma looks as defeated as the audience in every scene he is in, and the music scoring his journey does him no favours. The SAD music plays over his plights, the PEPPY music plays over SK's antics, and everything in between plays well before a scene conveys its intended message to the audience. The locales of Uttarakhand look gorgeous, though. We've decided where to embark on our next vacation.... full review

Thumbs down, by Charu Thakur, india today : ...Talking about performances, Shahid Kapoor is the only saving grace in this otherwise dull social drama. The 37-year-old actor does go overboard at times during the so-called funny scenes, but he manages to keep the hinterland flavour intact with his act. Shraddha, on the other hand, still needs to go a long way as far as her acting skills are concerned. Divyendu manages to win himself a few glances.... full review

Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...Shahid has a sense of coming timing, Shraddha is occasionally fetching and Divyendu is steady, but the film tries to pack in more than it can comfortably hold. The slippages stick out in spite of the fact that Batti Gul Meter Chalu makes the right noises for the most part. If only it took less time and fewer detours to get to the point, it might have dodged its frequent blackouts.... full review

Thumbs down, by Manisha Lakhe, Now Running.com : ...Shraddha Kapoor promises us that she'll tell us why she wears a saree to court, but Shahid Kapoor walks off in the end without wanting the answer. And we are so fed up as audience and so relieved that the three hour long ruining of a good idea is over, we too leave without caring about the answer.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...The actor gives his all to the part, smoothly swinging between the stand-up and speech-y tone of its courtroom scenes. Unfortunately, his comic ease and contagious energy are not enough to brighten up this dim-witted slog.... full review

Thumbs down, by SHILPA JAMKHANDIKAR, Reuters : ...If you really want to watch a film about how an inflated electricity bill can play havoc with the life of a common man, watch Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar’s delightful “Ek Cup Chya” instead. It makes the same point in a much more subtle and effective way.... full review

Thumbs down, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Buried beneath the melodrama, grandstanding and quick-fix approach is the very real issue faced by millions of Indians. Sushil articulates the problem only at the very end: too many Indians still don’t have access to regular electricity despite the tall claims of governments. But the solution to this problem isn’t to be found in Batti Gul Meter Chalu, which works neither as a social issue film nor a triangular romance.... full review

Thumbs down, by Namrata Joshi, The Hindu : ...Despite belonging to the region I must confess that I haven’t heard so many “thehra” and “bal” in a lifetime as I have in 175 minutes of the film. Hammering it in to make things seem more rooted? The forced tone, then actually ends up making highly annoying caricatures of the cast.... full review