Thumbs up, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...Thankfully Vishal Bhardwaj’s PATAAKHA is that rare film offering an original, novel storyline revolving around two constantly fighting sisters, never adapted before in a Hindi film.... full review

Thumbs up, by Dishya Sharma, Bollywood Life : ...BL Verdict: Pataakha is a firecracker that leaves behind a trail of power-packed performances. Make sure you book this ticket right away.... full review

Thumbs up, by Shaheen Irani, Deccan Chronicle : ...Overall Pataakha is very good but it could have been great if the plot was stronger than just a story about two sisters with dreams. However we are not complaining much since it is a full-on entertainer for the masses. And oh, did I mention, Sanya has shown her feminine side in this film and comes out way bolder than Dangal? So it might be the right time to transfer her name from the ‘Dangal girl’ to the ‘Pataakha’.... full review

Thumbs up, by SUPARNA SHARMA, Deccan Chronicle : ...Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan, who are continually spitting hate at each other in a coarse, mohalle-ki-ladaaki mode, make Pataakha a riveting watch. They are both truly excellent. Sanya has that bitchy sharpness to her performance which reminded me of Ratna Pathak, if she were on speed, and Radhika Madan transcends her sweet, soft looks to take the avatar of a scary, angry chudail in a way that’s making me want to go to the theatre and watch the film again. I had a smile pasted on my face for the entirety of Pataakha. And I want to smile again while savouring the delights of fighting sisters once again.... full review

Thumbs up, by Meena Iyer, DNA : ...Vishal Bhardwaj's black humour shines in this rural drama... full review

Thumbs up, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...Why do the sisters hate each other -- is the question that pops up in your mind time and again. Sometimes, there is no reason either to love or hate and that’s Bhardwaj’s approach as well as the sudden transformation of their feelings towards each other is just as inexplicable. But these brief niggles aside, Pataakha is a cracker of a watch indeed, total paisa vasool on the strength of the acting alone.... full review

Thumbs up, by Vishal Verma, Glamsham.com : ...Energetically quirky, amusingly raw & superbly performed... full review

Thumbs up, by Raja Sen, Hindustan Times : ...India claims to loathe Pakistan, but with the kind of undying vehemence that is reserved exclusively for family. We may, for instance, crow about conquering Pakistan in every World Cup cricket match we’ve played, but back when they faced England in the 1992 final, India cheered Imran Khan’s boys in green. If you want to beat them, get in line. They’re ours.... full review

Thumbs up, by Mohar Basu, MiD DAY : ...Yet, akin to Bhardwaj's films, Pataakha often meanders towards subplots with little relevance to the entire picture. The editing could have been crisper, but the film is worth a watch for its actors. Hell, you may even begin to ponder about whether the strained relation between India and Pakistan has any meaning.... full review

Thumbs up, by Nandan Kini, Mumbai Mirror : ...Simply put, with sparkling performances and a colourful setting, Pataakha shines on screen like a proper boxful of crackers!... full review

Thumbs up, by Shrishti Nagi, News18.com : ...Overall, Pataakha is a well-crafted adaptation of Charan Singh Pathik’s short story Do Behnein, which ends with something that’s quite clearly wishful thinking.... full review

Thumbs up, by Urvi Parikh, Rediff : ...In the second half, Vishal tends to go overboard and you grow impatient. How I wish Pataakha had been trimmed by about 25 minutes. Still, Pataakha deserves a watch... full review

Thumbs up, by Troy Ribeiro, Sify Movies : ...Overall, the film is an above average entertainer.... full review

Thumbs up, by Kennith Rosario, The Hindu : ...Even during their courtship, the women are in charge, as much as the men are made to believe otherwise. The characters and their situations are definitely an exaggeration, but sometimes it takes hyperbole to drive a point home with humour.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Times of India : ...Vishal Bhardwaj, as he always does with his films, has tried to put many quirky spins into this comedy. The music is rustic, but very pleasing. He has also provided an interesting background score. During the second half, as the film briefly explores a psychological reason for the sisters’ tendency to fight, the sci-fi sounding background music adds a delightful touch to the proceedings. But for all its wonderful and creative touches, Pataakha still feels like a story that stretches a short concept, for a little too long.... full review

Thumbs up, by Swetha Ramakrishan, yahoo! India : ...Pataakha is an oxymoron. It's explosive but subtle; it's emotive but doesn't take itself too seriously as a film. It could have benefited with a tighter edit, but for the most part I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. Pataakha is an indulgence worth investing in.... full review

So-So, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, PATAAKHA is a decent entertainer which has its moments but the post-interval portions are quite unconvincing. At the box office, it will need to rely on word of mouth to register decent collections.... full review

So-So, Free Press Journal : ...his sort of writing is better suited to Television dramas- cinemas need a much stronger framework to keep the pot boiling. It’s really the viscerally rousing performances that keep you invested here.... full review

So-So, by Suhani Singh, india today : ...What Bhardwaj does get right is the rural setting (the costumes and production design standout) and the ensemble. Madan and Malhotra are perfectly matched as little women with big personality and bigger aspirations. Grover, also the narrator, revels in calling the shots and Raaz lights up the screen with his haplessness. By the end Badki and Chutki's clashes remind one of Bono's famous lyrics "I can't live, with or without you". They are different sides to the same coin.... full review

So-So, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Bharadwaj’s touch with names is in evidence here too. One of my all-time favourites, Billo Chaman Bahaar, from Omkara, is almost trumped here by Dipper, called thus because he has a lazy eye, which keeps ‘dipping’. And in the way Genda is called ‘Marigold’ by her besotted lover.... full review

So-So, by Umesh Punwani, koimoi : ...All said and done, Pataakha is not the kind of explosion you wish from an entertaining film. The leads does their job well but they are not led towards anything substantial. Full points for performances but it requires grace marks when it comes to the story.... full review

So-So, by UDITA JHUNJHUNWALA, Live Mint : ...Some short stories are brief for a reason, and Pataakha squanders its material advantage to pad out a fable that splutters and grunts before it gains momentum. There is so much idleness in the early chapters that even the background music hurts.... full review

So-So, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...For sure, Pataakha isn't for all palates. Some of its passages flirt with excess, but the shrillness that informs them seems in order when seen in the context of the film's larger message. Take it or lump it, Pataakha packs exaggerated flourishes of the kind that aren't all that common in Bollywood films that aren't strictly driven by mainstream impulses.... full review

So-So, by Piyush Chopra, Now Running.com : ...I exit Pataakha more tired than the physical effort I have put up recently warrants. I wonder if it has something to do with people on screen constantly screaming in my ears or with my crushed hopes for a layered portrayal of the love-hate relationship between two sisters. There will not be a rewatch to find out.... full review

So-So, by SHILPA JAMKHANDIKAR, Reuters : ...“Pataakha” should have been a short film, but it got inexplicably extended into a 136-minute full length feature. Much like his protagonists, Bhardwaj doesn’t know when to cut it short and walk away.... full review

So-So, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Bhardwaj’s screenplay sets up the action well, but the movie slumps in its middle section, which follows Champa and Genda as they grow older and not necessarily wiser. There isn’t enough material to warrant 134 minutes, and the tone gets uneven in the later sections. The characters of the husbands, ably played by Namit Das and Abhishek Duhan, get barely any play. A crisper running length would have ensured a more explosive impact for Bhardwaj’s latest, and welcome, foray into black humour with a political subtext.... full review

So-So, by Madhuri V, yahoo! India : ...On the flip side, the plot gets a tad repetitive in the second half and seems dragging. Thankfully, Sunil Grover comes to the rescue and pulls up the strings.... full review

Thumbs down, by Anupama Chopra, Film Companion : ...But the metaphor weighs too heavily on the thin narrative. Vishal’s music with lyrics by Gulzar beautifully captures the boisterous, vibrant atmosphere of the film – I especially enjoyed ‘Balma’ and ‘Gali Gali’. There are a few laugh-out-loud lines but mostly Pataakha hurtles forward like a runaway train, which derails in the second half. Once the sisters are married, the story alternates between scheming and screaming. The narrative becomes even more repetitive and labored.... full review

Thumbs down, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...However, as far as the plot goes, ‘Pataakha’ is at best a fable that has been stretched for more than an hour. The narrative in the first is whatever has been shown in the trailer so you can imagine how much the plot has been stressed. As for the second half, ‘Pataakha’ goes on and on and the film seems more about gimmicks than substance.... full review