Indu Sarkar review roundup: This is what Bollywood critics say about Madhur Bhandarkar's film

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar's Indu Sarkar, which released on Friday, July 28, has received positive reviews from Bollywood critics.

The film is set during the Emergency period (from 1975-77) under the rule of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A large section of the critics is impressed by Bhandarkar's focus on minute details. After a stupendous performance in Pink, Indu Sarkar lead actress Kirti Kulhari has once again proved that she is here to stay. Neil Nitin Mukesh too has delivered a praise-worthy performance, said a few critics.

SC gives nod to Indu Sarkar's release; Sanjay Gandhi's 'secret daughter' says game not over yet

Indu Sarkar has been embroiled in controversies over its subject and some political parties had also objected to its release. Congress party workers in a few cities have warned theatre owners against the screening of the film. They threatened to burn effigies of director Bhandarkar and vandalise movie theatres in case theatres fail to oblige to their demand.

Priya Singh Paul, who claims to be the biological daughter of Sanjay Gandhi, had also filed a plea to stall the movie's release. However, a day prior to Indu Sarkar's release, Supreme Court cleared the film highlighting that the movie is an "artistic expression" within the parameters of law.

Besides Kirti and Neil Nitin Mukesh, Indu Sarkar also features Anupam Kher in other key roles. The trailer and song Dilli Ki Raat have received good response from viewers.

Below is the trailer of Indu Sarkar:

Check out the Bollywood critics review of Indu Sarkar:

Nihit Bhave of the Times of India said: "Indu Sarkar is at its best when it focuses on its protagonist's emotional struggles and dilemmas, leaving the politics behind. Indu and Navin's story by itself is far more palatable than the elaborate political schemes surrounding them. Kirti Kulhari shoulders the responsibility of the central role with a lot of earnestness and keeps you interested. Tota Roy Chowdhury makes for a good foil to Indu. With Indu Sarkar, Bhandarkar drops most gimmicks and turns the page. But he is still far from Page 3"

Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express said: "Being forced into hiding fact and passing it off as fiction weakens the film. Indu has an interesting back story, and her romance and marriage with an ambitious civil servant, the very sarkaari Sarkar (Tota Roy Chowdhury) is a nice early diversion. Indu is both an insider and outsider. But here's the thing: how can you make a film on the Emergency without calling Indira and Sanjay by their names? Kulhari works hard at getting into her character, and her earnestness is a good fit. But she's made to do too much, and the others around her too little."

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV said: "Lack of genuine creative acuity and a cavalier attitude to period details are the film's biggest drawbacks. The eponymous heroine - a woman with a stammer (Kirti Kulhari) - claims that the Emergency lasted 19 months. And that is only one of the many liberties that Indu Sarkar takes with factual accuracy under the guise of being a film that it is only fiction. Indeed, little in this hopelessly clumpy film rings true. It is pure Bollywood - peppered with ingredients that only draw attention away from the avowedly serious business at hand."

Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in said: "Bhandarkar's strengths – strongly written characters, a bold and blunt exploration of corruption, and a clearly delineated morality – have always been at odds with his chintzy production design, poorly attired characters and melodramatic excess. Indu Sarkar is as tacky as any Bhandarkar production, but the filmmaker has pared down the bombast that has characterised some of his previous films and allowed Kirti Kulhari's assured and sensitive performance to set the tone."

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