Vodka Diaries (2018) User Reviews

This vodka is a good mental excersice.

[maulin5 · 7/10 · 19 January 2018]

Debutante director Kushal Shrivastava brings to us a murder mystery thriller film starring Kay Kay Menon in the lead.

Film is set in Manali, where few murders happen in a Hotel called Vodka Diaries. ACP Ashwini Dixit starts his searching for the murderer. Meanwhile, lot's of complexities happen in his life or you can say in his mind. The answer of Who is the murderer becomes really tricky and complex due to lot's of twists and turns.

The snowy mountains have been shown superbly. Kudos to the cinematographer for using the beautiful place as a haunted one. Similarly, the background score gives you a feeling like these incidents are happening in front of you. My favorite piece of music was when Ashwini enters in happening market in night.

Sharib Hashmi plays the role of sub-inspector. He is good. Mandira as ACP's wife is average. May be another actress can be able to pull the role better. Raima suits in her role perfectly.

Kay Kay Menon is the reason I went for. He is absolutely fantastic as usual. I am sure you will connect to him from the very first frame. He has done a fabulous job. Also, I liked the setup of the conversations between husband and wife with the usage of poems and ghazals.

This film is watchable for the performance by Kay Kay and the complexity created by director Kushal. He, as a debutante, is superb. Though, I find the plot similar to a Bollywood movie (I will not write the name, else you will get the theme of this film if you have seen that) starring Rajiv Khandelwal. That is the reason why I am reducing the rating. But, having said that, the situations created in this one are far different and more fast-paced. You can surely feel the thrill during the runtime.

On the whole, this film is definitely worth a watch. But, I guess, it won't make money, because the 2 big Ps are coming next week. Anyway, if you have time, go for it.

be'LIE've

[ucsaurabh · 5/10 · 21 March 2019]

The movie revolves around the series of murders happening in Manali and all these murders have some connection with a night club named Vodka Dairies. The movie goes quiet slow in pace and the thriller for every next shot remains.The story is framed in a nicest way but i feel that the way of convincing could have been better. Finally a good script with a debutant director doesn't do a complete justice with the screenplay.

It's remake of Hollywood Shutter island..

[ihsanali-87012 · 6/10 · 7 July 2018]

By the way I didn't knew that this movie is the remake of shutter Island until 1 hour every thing was same

Could have been better

[docnavneetgoyal · 6/10 · 9 June 2019]

Start to finish was perfectly planned, but the ending was too loose. Tried to replicate Shutter Island but no where near to it.

Good attempt to offer some thriller to audience

[prafullasrivastav · 6/10 · 20 January 2018]

Kay Kay Menon 's brilliant excellence gave some oxygen to debut-ant director Kushal Srivastava's thriller. Good support from Raima Sen and Mandira bedi in short role. Filmistaan fame Sharib Hashmi 's role was not well written hence under-utilized. Script can be better if worked on poetry section as well. Although Climax was good. Cinematography is another good one as Maneesh Chandra Bhatt brilliantly captured Manali. However Sandesh Shandilya's music was disappointed the audience.

Copy/ remake of Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio

[thebhaskarroy · 3/10 · 11 July 2018]

The concept is exact copy/ heavily inspired of Shutter Island, with a little modifications in the story and script here and there. Better to watch the psycho thriller Shutter Island again.

Great movie, good acting and measurably okay cinematic scenes.

[Surender_Yadav · 7/10 · 11 November 2019]

Kay kay menon's acting is what will get you going through this movie, the plot is okay but you will find the movie somewhere moving slowly. Apart from that the cinematic scenes are well taken.

So if you're a fan of Kay Kay menon. Go ahead Looking for a different concept film. Go ahead Admires acting and cinematic process. Go ahead. If you can't watch slow paced movies. Don't go ahead.

Disappointing.

[hrhkalways · 1/10 · 31 January 2018]

What a waste of time. Such a brilliant actor like Kay Kay wasted in the movie. Utter waste of time and effort to watch to movie. Took sheer effort to see it through the end. Unnecessary unnatural suspense created for namesake. Seriously, I wonder just why Kay kay decided to do this movie.

decent suspense thriller

[beevenkat · 6/10 · 22 January 2020]

#VodkaDiaries is a decent suspense thriller, starring the ever dependable Kay Kay Menon. What happens if u r a successful writer n if u have no time for ur attractive wife? What if u catch her in a hotel room with another guy? U kill her in a fit of rage n then start feeling guilty. U also lose ur mental balance n start living another life. But what happens finally? R u cured? R u set free? The film has been shot on beautiful Himachal locations. Bedi, as the wife, is good. Raima Sen is wasted. Worth watching. Rating 3/5.

doesn't even succeed in becoming a good pseudo intellectual film

[mokevarun · 1/10 · 28 July 2018]

I agree, they have tried to do something new from what you watch every friday. But at the same time you cant torture your audience and make them regret the two hour that they have invested in watching your film. I am not even talking about money, its purely the time that is gone and you will never be able to get it back. Like wow, how can you make such a bad film. watch at your own risk, and if you like your self even a little. STAY AWAY FROM THIS FILM! ITS A PURE WASTE OF TIME!

WHAT A FILM!

[aayushmaan-40407 · 10/10 · 21 January 2018]

The ending was well thought, well done. Such an intriguing film throughout with excellent use of relationships and interaction. Cinematography is of it's own kind. This film is a gift to the eyes for the thrill it gives you . NO masala like the typical bollywood (stupid comedy, dancers , weird action in Tiger zinda hai, judwaa2) And i'm proud that such films are finally being made and there are intelligent filmmakers in the industry

Boring, no logic at all

[anubhavtechie · 1/10 · 9 May 2021]

Unnecessary suspense, easy to guess for smart audience of thriller and suspense movies. No relationship with reality.

Capsule Review: Vodka Diaries (3 Stars)

[nairtejas · 3/10 · 29 July 2018]

Director Kushal Srivastava's debut feature film Vodka Diaries starts off well with Kay Kay Menon's character gearing up to solve a mystery surrounding at least five murders in the chilly city of Manali. That all of these murders are associated with a local pub by the name of the film is interesting, and makes the cop character look for leads. But somewhere after the first hour, Vodka Diaries slips and falls into a territory of fantasy. The narrative is chiefly from the perspective of the protagonist who starts to forget things to the point that his wife (Mandira Bedi) goes missing. It reminded me of Shane Carruth's 2013 confusing drama Upstream Color, and in both the films, I suffered a lot before getting the point. In Vodka Diaries, thankfully the characters speak for themselves and tell us what's happening at the end, but that in itself is a failure for the film. I don't want the characters to talk to me to simplify the story; that's the job of writer Vaibhav Bajpai. Add to that the usage of unnecessary songs and an overall dull atmosphere, Vodka Stories jumps deeper into the cliff of meaningless and pretentious drama. I don't know what Raima Sen was doing here, but she seems to be the only confident actor. Menon looks lethargic in his performance while Bedi seems to have done this film for free, putting near to zero effort in doing her part. Except the starting power of suspense and the locales of Manali, there is nothing much to relish in Vodka Diaries, and despite a clarified climax, I ended up feeling robbed. TN.

Not Worthy of Watching

[rahulgirdhar-65925 · 3/10 · 13 September 2020]

This was an extremely poor script. It was nothing like a murder mystery movie generally is. Everyone overacted which was quite irritating. The way mystery unfolded in the end was extremely disappointing. Not worth watching in my opinion.

This movie is inspired/copied from the movie mentioned below in my review; no need to watch this if you have watched that

[manubhatt3 · 5/10 · 23 July 2018]

This movie is a copy or heavily inspired from 'Shutter Island'. If you have already watched 'Shutter Island', then no need to watch this movie - it will be a waste of time.

Superb Vodka Diaries

[srivastavamadhur · 10/10 · 21 January 2018]

Vodka Diaries has amazing direction. It's a totally different movie from the ones that are upcoming. The idea is very unique. You are going to like it if you want something that is exciting, thrilling and fresh in Indian cinema. The treatment is very different from other films. One must watch it at least once. Kay Kay's performance is mind-blowing! Good cinematography.

Poor copy of Shutter Island

[ashishkumar-11771 · 3/10 · 27 August 2018]

Not a bit originality. Ripped off from Shutter Island

If you have a lot of time to waste , then go ahead

[karimnazmulrobin · 1/10 · 16 August 2018]

70% copied from Shutter Island. I would have appreciated if they could keep the mark of Shutter Island. Unfortunately they lost it and disrespected Shutter Island. Making is terrible !!!

Watch this movie:

1. If you have too much patience to watch it till the end

2. if you have nothing else to do in your life

3. if you do not know how to use your time because you have too much of it and you love to waste your time

4. If you have a useless brain

5. If you do not understand what a good movies is and you just need to watch something random

If you still want to watch, then best of luck !

Starts off with bang, ends with whimper

[jaicrsnabaticar · 1/10 · 3 March 2024]

Starts with a build-up of tension, is watchable for the first 30 minutes and then rapidly descends into nonsense. Corpses turn up one by one very quickly in and near a hotel. There is no investigation, unless yelling at hotel staff threateningly counts as investigation. The chemistry between the lead investigator and his partner seems forced. Like the storyline, it starts off with sparks but there is no fire. The movie just fails to grip from any angle - investigative or interpersonal or scenic. You will miss nothing by giving this one a miss. Perhaps it just tries too hard to be what it cannot, copying Scandinavian thrillers in an Indian setting with vastly different systems and cultural context.

Nice attempt but too many loopholes !

[roblew · 3/10 · 29 July 2018]

Nice attempt by the writer but the story has too many loop holes. I am not sure if it tried to copy Shutter Island but it is no where close to it. The Director and Editor didn't get me hooked and at one point it felt too confusing...The story needed a tighter direction and even tighter editing. As a thriller enthusiast I watched it fully but felt let down.

Fullfils International cinema demands

[shadow_ranger_don · 9/10 · 21 January 2018]

I am very happy that Indian cinema is finally coming up with it's masterpieces. Vodka Diaires will keep you intriguing with it's fine pace and excellent acting. This film is based primarily in Manali, and the filmmaker makes excellent use of the location. It is very much like an international film and the direction complements the screenplay. The film is like none other, watch it for a wonderful experience to your eyes.

Fantabulous Thriller... 2018 starts with the bang.

[royalkhan · 9/10 · 19 January 2018]

What a superb experience after watching Vodka Diaries. The film is very different and there is no reference point for this film. Its a must watch if you are a lover of good cinema. With above par excellence in Direction, Visuals and Background score its a treat for any movie goer!!!

Good beginning for 2018 with Vodka Diaries

[rishabh_jatin · 9/10 · 19 January 2018]

Suspense thrillers are difficult to conceptualise on paper but it's even more difficult to execute on screen, but I must say Vodka Diaries has lived up to it on both fronts. Kay Kay is treat to watch. The beginning of the film feels like you are in some Scandinavian territory (I guess it's Rohtang pass) with some breathtaking aerial shots. Film starts with a certain pace and I am glad there is not a single dull moment in the course of the film.

Spoiler alert ----

ACP Ashwini Dixit (Kay Kay) is an investigating officer solving the complex murder mystery which takes place in the misty town of Manali. During these investigation he comes across certain things or certain facts which would boggle your mind for sure.

It's good to see Mandira Bedi (wife of ACP) justifies the character of poetess. Sharib is a treat to watch. Raima's eyes does most of the work.

Dialogues are very real and fresh, and I request to all at the end credits please stay back to experience the mesmerising Rashid Khan and Rekha Bhardwaj's Sakhi ri song. Glad to see Kay Kay has been doing these kind of films.

superb underrated movie

[anuragshirpurkar · 8/10 · 22 January 2018]

Vodka diaries is very different movie from other Bollywood films. the concept of the movie is good and it reminds me of one of the best Hollywood movie "shutter island " .once again good acting by kay kay menon ..... this film is thousand times better than the some movies which u will find in 100 cr clubs...shame on Indian audiences as well as critics...this underrated film deserves a lot...

Watch it to believe it!

[ankitaawasthi-46653 · 10/10 · 20 January 2018]

One has to really watch the film to believe what they have seen. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Full of suspense and thrill! One does not even remotely expect the film to turn out the way it does. It kept me intrigued and made me curious about what will happen next. The film is full of rollercoaster rides. Transitions for every scene are unexpected. Beginning with the story, it's mind-blowing! It's woven in such a complex manner that one cannot spot loopholes after watching the film carefully. There is an answer for every question raised. The film has a complete circle in terms of the story, where all the open knots are then tied. The direction seems quite mature. It is the best part of the movie. It is well orchestrated. The cinematography is also out of the world! The shots are breathtaking. Hands down performances of Kay Kay Menon and all the other actors. Each one fits in their character effortlessly. The background music adds to the thrill. The end leaves us stunned. The end song gives us a sweet contrast . Coming out of the theatre, the film continues to stay with us. A must watch! Second viewing will definitely give more interesting points.