Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...As for this being Ms Bachchan’s Mother India, I am not too sure if hyperbole is an option here. Sarbjit has immense poignancy at its heart. But the execution of the theme of a homesick dying man imprisoned in a hostile country often tends to lean dangerously close to populism. Sarbjit manages to keep its head above the water even while the proceedings frequently revel in crowd-wooing conventions like singing dancing and rabble-rousing rhetorics. ... full review

Thumbs up, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, SARBJIT is a landmark film with great performances and a superbly told narrative. The entertainment quotient is missing which is compensated by the phenomenal manner in which the story is told. At the box office, it will be appreciated by matured audience. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...Director Omung Kumar's intentions are novel and he tries his best at keeping Sarbjit both an entertaining and authentic film. Sadly, the balanced approach doesn't work. This subject needed bare, gritty intensity like that of Neerja or Masaan. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Srijana Mitra Das, Times of India : ...Yet, the story deftly weaves in a larger backdrop, from Pokhran to Parliament, 26/11 to Kasab, the editing sharp, the visuals - blue-green skies, grim dark cells, Sukh's red 'lapstick', Sarbjit's blackened ankles - memorable. The direction depicts a human being and a human truth - individuals often face prisons of politics where the innocent can be shackled in darkness. Yet, the story deftly weaves in a larger backdrop, from Pokhran to Parliament, 26/11 to Kasab, the editing sharp, the visuals - blue-green skies, grim dark cells, Sukh's red 'lapstick', Sarbjit's blackened ankles - memorable. The direction depicts a human being and a human truth - individuals often face prisons of politics where the innocent can be shackled in darkness. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Pallavi Patra, Zee News : ...The biopic will strike a chord for its genuine attempt to share a story not told on the celluloid before, coupled by stellar performances of its lead, particularly the man himself – Randeep Hooda. Once again, Randeep has proved what a gem of an actor he could be. ... full review

So-So, by Sreeju Sudhakaran, Bollywood Life : ...Sarbjit should have been the film that could have brought out issues of human rights being oppressed in favour of political games, but what it turns out to be is a nearly three hours of inconsistent and flawed storytelling. Watch the film purely for the performances, especially Randeep’s and the core plot! ... full review

So-So, by Mehul S Thakkar, Deccan Chronicle : ...Overall, the film takes you on an emotional ride and makes you question a lot about the political crisis between two countries. It is up to the audience to judge whether Sarabjit was an Indian spy or an innocent farmer. However, his journey is something that must be experienced in the theaters. ... full review

So-So, by Ameet Bhuvan, Desi Martini : ... Sarbjit is a good movie to watch to get an insight into Indo-Pakistan relationships. It is also a story of strength of spirit and determination. Worth a watch if you can get over the disappointment of Aishwarya Rai, look past her and see the real Daljit. ... full review

So-So, by Smita Vyas Kumar, Desi Martini : ...If you like tear jerkers, the kind JP Dutta made about wars in the past, then Sarabjit might move you. If you like cinema that at least attempts to tell a story, well you shall move out of the hall showing this film. Eitherways, one thing everyone would agree on is that Ash looked much better with purple lips in a picture- silent pretty- most importantly, silent. Sigh! ... full review

So-So, by Shubha Shetty-Saha, MiD DAY : ...She, more or less, gets into character and brings in a lot of energy and required aggression to the table. But, there are points when she simply goes overboard with her display of rage and emotions. The ever dependable Richa Chadha as Sarabjit's wife doesn't have much scope for performance, but she does a good job of being the timid, trusting woman that she's supposed to play.... full review

So-So, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...Another issue we have with this film is the way it stretches in the second half of the film and some crisp editing would have surely worked wonders for the film, which goes on and on after the interval. ... full review

So-So, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...Director Omung Kumar picks up a real-life story yet again, after his debut film Mary Kom. Sarabjit is an ambitious story to pick for a second film, riddled as it is with undertones of Indo-Pak political tensions, human rights issues and the like. Kumar does a fair job, but the film bears the brunt of melodrama rearing its head in the form of flashbacks and over-the-top dialogue. And honestly, the director quoting himself at the end of the film is bizarre. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Anna MM Vetticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies : ...Omung Kumar debuted with Mary Kom in which, despite the grievous offence of casting Priyanka Chopra as a Manipuri woman, he pulled through on the strength of Saiwyn Quadras’ solid script, Chopra’s acting talent and his own firm directorial hand. Here though, he seems scattered and star-struck. It is as if he zeroed in on a star and built a film around her. Big mistake. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...This is a remarkable real-life story, with remarkable emotional peaks. When Sarbjit receives his first letter in prison, his name is struck out, and the name “Ranjit” is written over it – that’s whose crimes he’s being accused of.... full review

Thumbs down, by Johnson Thomas, Free Press Journal : ...Omung Kumar and team should have worked harder on fashioning a believable and much more grittier script. The camerawork by Kiran Deohans isn’t able to overcome the superficiality that underlines this enterprise. The editing attempts to add complexity by going back and forth in time but instead makes it even more untenable. And the loud and obviously ingratiating background score and songs adds to the film’s many woes. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Sweta Kaushal, Hindustan Times : ...Despite the heavy, tragic air of the film, there are a few breathers – the mini flashback scenes of Sarabjit with his family are touching. In one of the initial sequences, we also see a grieving Aishwarya clinging on to her still-born child. Randeep convinces her to give up the infant’s body. Delicately done, this is one of the rare winning subtle moments. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Suhani Singh, india today : ...The director's decision to end the film with his own didactic quote than with Kaur's words is unfortunate and denies the real Kaur a platform to speak about her battle or her brother. Instead we get are photos of the man himself and his family which will make viewers more mournful for the clan than the film itself.... full review

Thumbs down, by Surabhi Redkar, koimoi : ...Sarbjit fails to rise above its commercial nature to actually hit you in the gut with its real story. I am going with a 2/5 for the film. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Uday Bhatia , Live Mint : ...There’s little doubt that Rai Bachchan is moved by the character she’s playing. You can see her get lost in the emotion—voice hoarse, eyes red, body quivering with rage. The result is a lot of visible hard work, but not quite a great performance. Chadha, catatonic for the most part, still manages to inject a few shades of doubt and jealousy into her under-written character. Rai Bachchan shows us Dalbir’s determination and little else. She attacks every scene with such hoarse fervour that she turns Dalbir into something less than a character and more of an ideal. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...With the star not shining all that bright and the actors in the mix not allowed to play the game their way, Sarbjit is a well-meaning outing that fails to do justice to its subject. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...A better-written script would encapsulate the impact of all the harassment and isolation on his desperate psyche, the response of his loved ones on seeing a healthy man in a damaged state like that haunting final encounter between Chandrachur Singh and Tabu in Maachis. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...This time around, the director tries too hard to get things to flow, starting with much cross-cutting only to end up with a highly linear and disjointed narrative with ill-suited songs. ... full review