'Akira' review round-up: Here is what critics have to say about Sonakshi Sinha's film

Sonakshi Sinha-starrer "Akira," which was released on Friday, Sept. 2, has received mixed reviews from critics.

"Akira" is an action flick, directed by A R Murugadoss, who has earlier worked with Sonakshi in "Holiday." The film has created a huge buzz among movie-goers, considering that the actress plays the central character in this out-and-out action film.

Akira stills | Akira Promotions | Movie poster

The plot of the film revolves around Akira Sharma (played by Sonakshi) who comes to Mumbai from Jodhpur to get herself enrolled in a college but gets into a major tiff with the goons of the college.

This is the first time Sonakshi is seen in a strong female-centric film and the "Dabangg" actress has nailed it with her action stunts and power-pack performance.

"Akira," which is the remake of Tamil hit film "Mouna Guru," features Konkana Sen Sharma and Anurag Kashyap in supporting roles. Akshay Kumar's cameo role is something which the audience would definitely love in the film.

We bring you some critics' verdict for the movie. See them below in the "Akira" review round-up:

Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News said: "While the first half is thrilling and moves at a fast pace, the second half spirals down a rocky path. The turns are sinister and makes you wonder whether cops can truly get away with multiple murders in Mumbai. You may have to suspend belief to take in some of the haphazard twists in the second half. But it isn't all bad. It's invigorating to see a woman take charge and do what Bollywood heroes have been doing for decades. There's a bit of chest-thumping, but Murugadoss doesn't let it run wild."

Lokesh Dharmani of Masala.com said: "Don't get me wrong. The film was gripping in the first half. There is nothing sexier than a woman kicking some serious butts, but it slips into Singham mode way too easily and way too quickly. You applaud the fight sequences for the first time, cheer for her the second time, get bored soon and feel like kuch bhi dot com towards the end of it."

Koimoi said: "Akira is an entertainer. It will surely manage to get you intrigued right from the start. But there's too many theatrics to sit through here. Plus, the script as well as the acting performance are not strong enough to make you invested in the lead character, Akira. This film is a good one-time watch, but like we said, if you're tired of clichéd situations and unneeded drama, you can skip this one."

Namrata Joshi of The Hindu said: "The plot is utterly long-winded and tortuous with plotholes and weird coincidences strewn all over. Add A.R. Murugadoss's Akira to that rather long list of films in which the woman pretends to, but never quite kicks serious butt, where being strong essentially means having to suffer and sacrifice."

Tatsam Mukherjee of India Today said: "All in all, Akira is a dumb commercial potboiler, with a superlative performance by Anurag Kashyap. Your only wish in the end is Sonakshi find material good enough to do justice to her acting abilities. She badly needs to step away from the preset Bollywood templates."

Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost said: "The film may be called Akira, but Akira is the most poorly fleshed out character in the entire story. The director seems at a loss about how to deliver a credible female character. So he gives her some neat fight scenes and builds her up as a Hulk-type creature who is best left unprovoked. Sinha is believable while she punches people, but a shadowy figure without substance in the rest of the film."

Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times said: "Akira isn't an out and out action film. In fact, the makers are too concerned about making it look like a family drama. Lacklustre supporting cast and depthless writing make it even duller. Despite some shots of acid attack survivors and specially-abled children, Akira fails to evoke any solid emotion."

Meena Iyer of the Times of India said: "Murugadoss, you can see, started with honourable intentions of trying to impart self-defence lessons to girls. But besides that one noble thought, he couldn't manage a cohesive plot. His cops-and-Akira chase runs out of steam much too early in the film. Post interval, things get so convoluted, you want to kick and punch."