India's prominence at the ongoing 66th Cannes Film Festival could be gauged not just by the star turn outs but also films getting rave reviews from major trade publications.
'Dabba', 'Bombay Talkies', 'Monsoon Shootout', 'Ugly' are films that have tried to make the global audience realise that contemporary Indian films have much more to offer than the regular song-and-dance-sequences and receive praise from The Hollywood Reporter, Variety among others.
Director Amit Kumar's 'Monsoon Shootout' had a midnight screening at the ongoing 12-day fest. The film starring Nawazuddin Siddique and Tannishtha Chatterjee is set against the backdrop of corruption in the police force in Mumbai and has garnered positive reviews.
The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as being 'a colourful Indian cops and gangsters tale that gets a successful makeover as an international art film.'
"Though the idea of Dirty Harry meeting Sliding Doors may sound abstract, writer-director Amit Kumar pulls it off gracefully, without losing the sense of heightened drama that earned the film a Midnight Movie slot in Cannes," it said.
The Guardian said, "It's an entertaining popcorn-movie with a twist, for which commercial success is on the cards. There should be space for pictures like it in Cannes."
Ritesh Batra's debut film 'Dabba' (The Lunchbox) starring Irrfan Khan and Siddique, also received unanimous praise from critics.
Variety said that the film is 'an indie Indian film with the crossover appeal of Monsoon Wedding.'
"Ritesh Batra's debut is sure to be gobbled up by audience-friendly fests before heading into niche cinemas," it added.
