Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao starrer Roohi is finally here. The ghost-comedy, next in the Stree franchise, had promised a fun ride. However, going with the reviews, it doesn't seem to have matched the level of Stree. The Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma starrer film has received average reviews by critics. Let's take a look at what they have to say.
Indian Express went with 1 star out of 5: Neither is the reliable Rao's presence, usually a guarantee of quality. Sharma's brand of dialogue delivery already feels jaded. Kapoor tries gamely, but never gets a break-out right till the end. The climax is a real cracker. Finally, you get why the film was made. What a waste of an ending.
NDTV went with 2 stars out of 5: Roohi is the first Hindi theatrical release in well over a month. The question is does it have the force to pull audiences back to the multiplexes. Unlikely. It certainly isn't the vaccine of hope and delight that filmgoers, starved of big-screen entertainment for a whole year, need at this hour.
TOI went with 3.5 stars out of 5: What the film lacks is a deeper narrative. There is a passing mention of what the main characters do with a back story, but very little sticks on in your mind. At over two hours, the film could definitely do with a tighter edit. Apart from all the entertainment, the film promotes the concept of self-love and self-belief, which works to a certain degree, but the ending seems a tad bit convenient, haphazard and lacks the punch that one is fed right from the start.
News18 went with 3 stars out of 5: You may not remember this 145-minute film for its ideas but you'll remember it for high entertainment quotient. Just like Hera Pheri, Thank You and Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare, Roohi too establishes an instant connect in spite of outrageous situations and extremely over the top comedy.
Hindustan Times: With a plot that's too convoluted and takes the entire runtime of the film to establish itself, Roohi terribly falters at storytelling, and fails to give out the message it intends to. If nothing else, the two dance numbers--Nadiyon Paar in the opening credits and Panghat at the end--could make Roohi worth your while.
Koimoi went with 2.5 stars out of 5: Rajkummar Rao did set a benchmark for himself in Ludo; he now needs an extremely brilliant movie to match that, and Roohi isn't that. It's a dual-duel for Janhvi Kapoor as she's spirit as well, and she has nothing much to do as her human form. There's no good humour without Varun, and that says a lot about what he could bring in as a performer.
