While Valentine's Day release "Gunday" kickstarted on a big note, it received mediocre review from critics.
The action thriller film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar features Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan in the lead roles. The film is about the friendship between Bala and Bikram (played by Arjun and Ranveer).
While some critics say that Arjun and Ranveer stood out in the film, some have said that its Irrfan who stole the limelight.
Check out the critics review here:
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV said: "Sadly, Gunday delivers only on bits and pieces of that promise. A large part of the story actually unfolds in the mid 1980s but the film makes a complete hash of the period details.
"Gunday is smartly mounted and studded with a few lively song and dance routines. But the parts do not quite come together to create a gripping whole. Written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film suffers in the end owing to slipshod editing and a hackneyed storyline that runs out of steam all too quickly.
"The eye candy on liberal display in Gunday isn't buttressed with enough narrative energy. It really is difficult to keep a two-and-a-half-hour film from losing its wheels when its engine room is bereft of the propellant of genuine inspiration. Gunday is like the dusty minefields it is set in. Its loud explosions deliver loads of coal, but no trace of any diamonds."
Mohar Basu of Koimoi.com said: "Ali Abbas Zafar's film Gunday couldn't even near the tautness promised in the film's crisply made trailer. Despite Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor's camaraderie living up to the expected measure of outstanding and Priyanka looking every bit heavenly as Nandita, the screenplay is plagued with predictability. Gunday is not a bad film but falls miles short of what was expected of it. It was a dampener as I went in looking for passion and exhilarating enjoyment but rather was meted out with a film that was too superficial to engage audiences in a vehement narrative. It is Irrfan Khan's hypnotic cameo which works off the sole whiff for magic for this clumsy film that indulges in superfluities more than substance. A sexy show gone dull but nevertheless deserves to be watched for the oomph show and bombastic dialogues that have gone missing from films now-a-days.
"Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar is clearly cinema crazy but the amateur guy with the experience of barely two films cannot do justice to magnanimity of the tapestry his innovatively filmy mind had weaved.
"I won't question the novelty of the attempt because the film was clearly an ode to an extremely inspiring era of crackling work in cinema. But Ali Abbas Zafar doesn't match up to the tall promises of giving us a wholesome lip smackingly satisfying commercial film that is not sloppily written."
Sneha May Francis of Emirates 24/7 said: "Despite being packed with liberal servings of kitsch and colourful quirks from the flamboyant 70s, three good-looking actors and incredible tunes reminiscent of a glorious past, Ali Abbas Zafar's visual extravaganza 'Gunday' doesn't have enough soul to have us hooked.
"Even the lead cast of Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, emerge genuinely earnest and flash their six-abs with enough flourish. They grunt, grin and romance with aplomb but unfortunately their efforts are wasted in a lacklustre movie.
"Although the run-up to 'Gunday', what with foot-tapping music tracks and tightly edited trailers, was promising, the movie didn't quite match our expectations."
Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News said: "Gunday, led by Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, is Bollywood's scruffier version of Baywatch. And boy, can Bikram and Bala run. Instead of pristine sandy beaches shown in the American show, the Gunday men are soot-kissed and are seen dodging bullets in Kolkata's coal mines.
"Of the two boys, it's Singh who shines like a diamond. His act is comparatively polished, while Kapoor comes across as a petulant boy who needs some sense to be shaken into him. Chopra can work a sari like nobody else and tries to pump some pizzazz into a predictable role. Be sure to watch out for Irrfan Khan as a conniving, ruthless cop. He belongs to the subtle school of acting and we wish that our boys (who refuse to grow up into men) had taken a few pointers from him.
"If you dig those loud '70s capers, Gunday is right up your street."
Rohit Vats of IBNLive said: "Gunday begins with a high voltage action sequence. Jashn-e-ishqa is one energetic number. Ali Abbas Zafar has concentrated a lot on creating drama and that is paying well. #Gunday
"Priyanka Chopra raises the temperature. She looks super glamorous. Bappi Da croons Assalaame E Ishqum. #Gunday. The story is predictable so far, but the director is successful in creating drama. #Gunday
"#Gunday is high on entertainment quotient but will it survive the curse of second half? A bit cheesy but cheese is not a bad word for a Valentine's Day release. #Gunday. The length of #Gunday is a problem. It could have been better edited. The screenplay also has some flaws.
"#Gunday has an interesting premise but overacting hampers its chances. But, it is still capable of provoking whistles and jeering. You can watch #Gunday if you are a big fan of 'masala' flicks. But be patient till the end as it is really long."
