Seldom do we come across a week when three Bollywood mystery thrillers all release together. We’re talking about Vodka Diaries, Nirdosh and My Birthday Song, which are all mystery thrillers. However, seeing phenomenal actors like Kay Kay Menon, Mandira Bedi, Raima Sen and Sharib Hashmi in pivotal roles, we decided to see what critics all over had to say about Vodka Diaries. The film is directed by debut ad-filmmaker Kushal Srivastava, and while several expectations were pinned on this first time director, reviews suggest that he has failed to impressed the movie critics who call it a “sobering slog”. Well, let’s find out what the leading dailies have to say about the film.
Hindustan Times ( 2 stars ) :
“You try to see some meaning in all this, but Vodka Diaries remains true to its name. It never becomes anything other than a trippy story written after a bottle of vodka. It might have looked brilliant in the writer’s head, but it’s not more than an average take on the concept of alternative reality. Kushal Srivastava is promising and brave though. His camera handling and use of characters don’t strike as that of a first-timer. It seems he expected more from a predictable story. Vodka Diaries is about under-utilised actors and losing a promising opening. It probably needed a more thorough approach.”
Scroll.in :
Alert viewers will guess the big twist in Vodka Diaries within the first five minutes. What is to be done with the remaining 113?Vodka Diaries has more false moments than the mighty eye-lashes of Raima Sen, playing a femme fatale. The screenplay loses its way after the angle of Shikha’s disappearance is introduced. The ones who have guessed the direction in which the plot is going will have all the time in the world to ponder over why the talented Menon agreed to be a part of such dross. They might stay on till the bitter end, propelled by sheer wonder at how the plot will untangle itself.
Firstpost (2 stars) :
If you have watched enough films of the genre (Shutter Island, Mr. Robot, Fight Club, etc), you can figure out one big plot twist within the first few minutes. First-time director Kushal Srivastava’s effort is evident as he attempts to make the most of this messy material, building suspense in some scenes, but dropping the pace in others. It’s no surprise that ACP Dixit is unable to get a grip on the plot either, because the plot of ‘Vodka Diaries’ was already lost. Despite their best efforts, the moments between Bedi and Menon are awkward and though the seasoned Menon throws in all he’s got, even his handlebar moustache looks weary by the end of this sobering slog.
Zoom (1.5 stars) :
Though Menon tries his best to salvage the show, this is his most average performance till date. The less said about the rest of the cast, the better. The talented Sharib Hashmi is the only one who manages to shine a bit. In fact, his confrontation scene with Menon (shot in a single take) is the best-enacted scene in the movie. Sadly, he is saddled with some poor dialogues in the movie, that were meant to be funny but fails at humour.If you have watched the original movie, not even 10 shots of vodka can help you go through these Diaries. With an okayish direction and a silly script, this is a mystery best left unsolved for the sake of our senses.
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