CityLights (2014) User Reviews

Citylights : A film less ordinary

[ahwaan_padhee · 7/10 · 2 June 2014]

Citylights marks the collaboration of Vishesh Films and the award- winning duo of Shahid fame, director Hansal Mehta and actor Rajkummar Rao. The camp which has an enviable legacy of films portraying realistic issues and the harsh veracities of life adapts the subject from Sean Ellis's much celebrated flick 'Metro Manila'. With an unflinching inside-look at the harrowing experiences of a poor family which migrates to the maximum city for a better life, Mehta jolts the comforted.

Deepak Singh, played by Rajkummar Rao, is a poverty-stricken farmer who moves to Mumbai along with his wife,Raakhi(débutante Patralekha) and daughter Mahi with a hope for better survival. Little does he know that life is not a bed of roses, he gets duped by tricksters upon his arrival and even spends nights on the pavements. Penury forces Raakhi to take up the job of a bar girl while Deepak, trying his hands at daily wage work, eventually lands a job in an armored truck company. He befriends his seemingly compassionate superior Vishnu Sir(Manav Kaul)whose arrival signals a downward spiral for him. Mehta constructs this socially poignant drama with vivid moments only to culminate the story with a devastating end, while surreptitiously carving its way to become a thriller.

Maintaining dim-light atmospherics(Shahid Deja-vu) which gels with the mood of the plot, his treatment has a docu-drama feel. Yet the director is never impassioned. The selection processes of the protagonists for their respective jobs provides space for humor and giggle amidst the raw cruelty that they face in their daily fight for existence. Jeet Ganguly's music(a little overdone with those background scores) augments the proceedings to permeate the emotionally walled-up zones of our minds.

Lending emotional heft to the plot, Rajkummar Rao approaches his character with so much of realism that's bound to leave your feet numb. The phenomenally talented actor overcomes the lacunae evident in the form of no pressure-cooker urgency or repetitive maneuvers to project grimace.Patralekha pitches in with a sterling performance and makes her suffering palpable.Manav Kaul, who was last seen in Kai Po Che, is the real surprise package( Rajkummar and Manav teamed in Kai Po Che as well !)- quite unassuming yet ballistic.

There were days when parallel cinema reckoned with names like Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray and Guru Dutt. Citylights discreetly takes us back to those good old times where filmmakers put the truths on the table with unapologetic ferocity. Quite heavy and gut-wrenching, yet it has a soul.

Slow but Worth!!!

[ronakpatel1685 · 7/10 · 25 July 2014]

First observation is 6.6 rating under estimation for the movie review.

The movie is all about struggle of the village person moving into Mumbai for his survival, nothing more and nothing less. True to its spirit, the lead actor Rajkumar Rao delivers one of his best performances at least at par with Shahid, If nothing alteast watchable for this great acting. Arijit Singh's background one-liners and music adds onto its flavours and somehow you can't ignore those humming moments.

Some might feel that the movie is slow but whatever it may be, you won't regret watching this movie that's for sure.

Citylights : Falls short from being a classic

[shiraj-dakshy · 7/10 · 30 May 2014]

Citylights re-unites the director actor duo Hansal Mehta & Rajkumar Rao after a superb "Shahid" which won each of them the National Award this year.CityLights Citylights is an adaptation of 2013 Award winning movie "METRO MANILA" directed by Sean Elllis and Hansal Mehta does complete justice to the original. The story is credited to Sean Ellis the original writer of METRO MANILA; the adapted screenplay is by Ritesh Shah. Ritesh stays true to the original but adapts it to the Indian context of people from smaller towns who migrate to the city of dreams Mumbai expecting to make a better living. Just a piece of advice if you are looking at an entertaining movie then this is definitely not the right choice.

Citylights is the story of Deepak (Rajkumar Rao) and Rakhee (Patralekha) who come to Mumbai from Rajasthan to make a better living but become victim of the shrewd reality of city life. The story by Sean Ellis captures the pathos of a small town guy well in his story and Ritesh's screenplay captures the nuances well. At times the movie's pace becomes sluggish especially during song sequences which was unnecessary. Some of the sequences are very well written albeit I felt the climax was a bit hurried and could have been presented well.

It is the performances which make the movie memorable. Rajkumar Rao gives another brilliant performance. His portrayal of Deepak Singh is so realistic that you wonder whether he is really acting. The Dialect to the body language is all up to the mark. Another superb performance is of Manav Kaul who plays Vishnu a friend of Deepak with ulterior motives. After "Kai Po Che" Manav again shows his caliber, this is an actor to look forward to. Sadia Siddique as Vishnu's wife is good albeit her role is small. Patralekha as Rakhee does show a spark but gets overshadowed by Rajkumar and Manav.

Production Design by Rajat Poddar is realistic. Editing by Apoorva Asrani could have been sharp. Jeet Ganguli's music is good but does not gel with the narration rather it hampers the pace.

Hansal Mehta's forte is to get the human emotions bang on and he succeeds in this movie as well but fails a bit in giving it a Thriller edge and finesse in the narration which was the highlight in the original METRO MANILA.

As an individual film it works partially but as a remake, remains a weak adaptation of the powerful original.

[bobbysing · 6/10 · 17 June 2014]

After MURDER 3, here is another official remake from Vishesh Films, of a widely acclaimed gem titled METRO MANILA directed by Sean Ellis (made in Tagalog language) in the year 2013. And the end result is almost the same as I felt while watching MURDER 3, wherein also the original film remained far better and a must watch classic indeed, as compared to its weak Indian adaptation focusing more on the commercial elements.

So as the film is an adapted version, therefore we need to analyze it from two distinctive viewpoints as below:

As an individual film Watching it as a new Hindi film with some fine tracks already popular before the release, this has a mixed bag to offer, impressing the viewer only in parts. Surprisingly beginning with a sensual scene itself, it clearly gives you the message that this is not an 'Art House' kind of drama, but has got every essential ingredient of a Hindi film following the routine. So we have good well written songs, long emotional sequences, tense revolting scenes featuring the underdog and bedroom insertions too as usual.

CITYLIGHTS begins calmly focusing on the couple's poor state of living in the village and their decision to move to the city for a better future. The energy first comes in with the sequence of them being robbed on the very first day and then it all goes back to the same slow mood as per the theme. The pace returns with the dance-bar scene and when the male protagonist manages to find a job in a security firm along with a great song. So till intermission it manages to impress the viewer only partially and one expects for something explosive to come in the next half.

However sadly the post intermission film disappoints mostly due to its various downers such as a few deliberately added songs, a long avoidable (but well-acted) dramatic scene, a heist scheme mystery revealed too early, the missing logic in the proceedings, a lifeless background score, all seen before feel and a muddled unexciting climax with many sudden twists ruining the overall impact of its exceptional performances.

To put it straight, CITYLIGHTS have few outstanding acts, two great songs and a fine story base to play with. But what annoys you is the over-polished presentation of the subject wherein neither the poverty makes you feel for the couple nor the city comes out as a cruel part of the film like a major character.

Director Hansal Mehta made a masterpiece SHAHID (2013) when he didn't care about anything else and just followed his script, vision and dream. But when he tries to make a theme based commercial movie having a wide release, he again stumbles like DIL PE MAT LE YAAR (2000), with many uneven highs & lows in a project which could have been another potential trendsetter for sure.

Musically it would have been better if the director had used only one brilliant song "Soney Do" repeatedly in the film to make a larger impact. Though "Muskaranke Ki Vajah" is equally good but the song doesn't give you the expected emotional high when it gets played on the screen. The background music also could have added a lot with something innovative and DOP is not able to give the much desired dark feel to the subject as required.

Performances being the major merit of CITYLIGHTS, its really sad that the narration couldn't provide them the much needed support to shine brighter. After winning the National Award, Rajkumar Rao once again delivers a stunning act getting deep into the skin of his character & he is just 4 years old in the trade, unbelievably. Patralekhaa doesn't get much scope in the later part of the film, but she does leave a solid impression in her very first film boldly. The child artist remains the neglected one throughout but plays it well in her limited scenes and Manav Kaul makes a terrific entry as the supervisor. The supporting cast adds a decent value to the key scenes, like the owner of the firm loving silly jokes and Sadia Siddique does it well as Manav's wife.

In all, CITYLIGHTS manages to impress only partially and could have achieved a much higher status en-cashing the strong build up given by its good songs and the performers. But you can still watch it for the fabulous acts and a decent theme talking about the harsh poverty resulting in a crime in 8 out of the 10 cases in our society.

As an official remake Watching the film as the official remake of METRO MANILA directed by Sean Ellis, CITYLIGHTS is not able to give you the same feeling of empathy, suffering, love, drama and thrill, since it strangely makes many major changes in the treatment, which in fact was the real soul of the foreign film till its final scene. To give you the details, the major elements they have messed with, are its depiction of the metro city Mumbai - which doesn't become an essential character of the film as Manila becomes in the original, Background music - which has been beautifully done in the foreign gem with a minimum arrangement and exceptional use of sounds. And lastly the actual revelation of the truth, which all happens in the final 10 minutes of the film only, unlike the Indian version where everything is revealed much earlier, ruining the magical end.

Plus on a personal note, I couldn't understand why they deleted the most touching and emotional aspect of METRO MANILA, wherein the 8-9 years old daughter constantly complains about her toothache, but the couple doesn't have any money to take her to the dentist. So in case you like its basic theme then essentially watch the original at the earliest and do yourself a favour.

Real Life Struggle Excellent Portrayed

[abanat1 · 10/10 · 19 March 2015]

One of the best movies i have ever seen from Bollywood Cinema. Realty of a poor man and his struggle to get his family out of poverty. This movie simply touched my heart how well it portrayed the real life scenario's of a real person, so many difficulties and sacrifices he has to give just to achieve a roof over and three times food for his family. Even though it wasn't a typical khan movie this movie is a block buster in my list. Unfortunately it didn't get the praise it deserves. But still you should watch the movie and enjoy. Bot male and female actors have done there best. And for this they deserve an applause. Don't get deceive by the film cast just like a book by its cover. Watch and enjoy and than praise the cast.

Definitely not a bad film, watch it for the acting by everyone.

[braddugg · 6/10 · 16 August 2014]

Definitely not a bad film, watch it for the acting by everyone.

This is a film of the downtrodden families and the helplessness of the people living that life. There are lot many compulsions and obligations they shall be having. Mostly, they are in forced circumstances making them go for desperate measures to improve their life style. The protagonist Deepak Singh is one such poor should who is driven to take desperate steps to improve the living of his family.

Rajkumar Yadav becomes Deepak Singh literally. From the Rajasthani accent to the demeanor, to the attire and even body language, everything is pitch perfect with him. Its good to find a new-age actor who becomes the characters rather than just playing the part. Rajkumar Yadav has gone way beyond many of his contemporaries. The next best part was of Manav Kaul who played the tight security guard "Vishnu". Manav was damn good in his role, just refreshing to see a new face play a character with such conviction. Also, the heroine of the film Patralekha was commendable. While others did their job well. So this film was a lot about acting above all else.

This is an official remake of the British-Filipino film "Metro Manila". It's heartening to see a lot of credit being given to the original film. Never saw the original film, but this film was weak at places while it was brilliant at some places. Deepak comes back drunk and asks his wife, (who takes up the job of a bar dancer) to dance for him. That was a brilliantly performed scene I felt. Coming to the weakness, it lies in the writing that defies logic.

It's a film that tries hard to be as real as possible. Real locations, realistic characters and more-so the scenes that could have possibly happened. But, there are a few things that did not satisfy my logic. So I was a bit disappointed by what was offered by this team of "Shahid" which I think was a brilliant film.

Hansal Mehta did great job in extracting acting, but he stuck to the script so tightly, that he might have forgot to ask a few questions to the writers and producers. So thus, he had presented some flaws unintentionally. The editing should have been more precise. The film though 2 hours in length seems long with not much happening. The intimate scenes of the main leads could have been trimmed down is what I strongly felt.

It's a good film still, but not a thoroughly satisfying venture to me as a viewer. A 3/5 for a film that's good and could have been so better.

Hard Hitting!! Emotionally Moving!! Strikingly Real ..

[sagar-legendkiller3 · 9/10 · 1 June 2014]

I would certainly rate City Lights at par with Shahid as far as the intensity of the film goes.. Hansal Mehta returns with Rajkumar Rao.. to deliver yet another spectacular film experience.. the atrocities.. the hurdles .. that a poor family has to bear .. all of them have been shown wonderfully (in a sad way in fact) ..to put it simply the film shows how fortunate how lucky some of us really are that we haven't been touched by the harsh realities of life.. the conditions unimaginable which the people coming to big cities have to experience and live in..

I was left speechless at some of the scenes where the drama is so real that .. you don't even know whether you're watching a film or not. acting was out of this world.. Rajkumar Rao hands down !! another national award is awaited for this one.. Patralekha was superb.. Manav Kaul (Kai PO Che fame)another revelation and actor to look out for i feel this movie deserves as much as Queen did.

the only reason why i am cutting 1 mark is that some of the songs in the background were unnecessary !!

9 cheers!! go for this one

One of Maximum City's many Stories

[pratik-potdar · 7/10 · 2 June 2014]

Do you remember the line 'Yeh Bambai Hai Mere Bhai....'? It was the crux of Raj Kapoor's evergreen classic Shree 420. Mumbai is a city of dreams; where several dreams come true and many more are broken. Though acknowledged as a remake of a BAFTA nominated film, Hansal Mehta has managed to create his own magic in City Lights.

An ex-army Jawan decides to relocate to Mumbai with his family upon losing his source of livelihood due to indebtedness. The villager and his wife have no idea about what is in store for them. But, one thing is certain - the adjustment to a new life in a new city will be a tough learning process.

Previously, Mehta's directorial association with a Mumbai-centric theme failed when his film 'Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar' bombed at the box office. This time he has managed to correct his flaws. The film moves at a rapid pace and does not have even a single subplot. However, there could have been a limit on the number of songs. Additionally, certain scenes desperately needed background music.

Banking on the success of Shahid, Rajkumar Rao delivers a fine performance. His command on the Marwadi dialect is terrific (Is he really a Delhiite?) Patralekha too, is charming as his supportive wife. The couple's chemistry reminds you of Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab in 'Gharonda' which also had a similar theme.

I am going with three and a half stars out of five for City Lights. Watch it to know more of life in the Maximum City.

A must watch gripping thriller

[docnavneetgoyal · 10/10 · 29 May 2019]

Rajkumar Rao once again scores high in this film. Really gripping story and cinematography with a flavour of excellent acting makes this movie worth watching.

CityLight - Almost a Classic

[rahaarpit · 7/10 · 4 June 2014]

City Lights will surprise with the intent it has in itself. It has composure and a severe amount of reality. The story is about Deepak Singh (Raj Kumar Rao) who is a farmer in Rajasthan. He has debt on him. The business doesn't pick up and he finds himself in crisis. He, thus, decides to move to Mumbai to earn money accompanied by his wife and his daughter. Once they reach the city of Mumbai, the movie starts telling its real aim. The kind of money bugs a city contains kind of immoral activities they are able to do without a tinge of shame and fear is what you will find in the movie which is true in real scenario.

Starting with direction which is done by Hansal Mehta, the director of Shahid, has again tickled a chord which will echo deep into you. From the very first scene you will get to the very base of what he is trying to show in the movie. There is a certain amount of adhesiveness to the moments where he has shown his class in getting to the core of the feel, which is most of the times of pain, betrayal and helplessness. The simplicity with which he has carried out a sensitive yet common attributes of greed, dissatisfaction and immorality is simply a class of its own. The situations when you can't differentiate a right from a wrong are depicted just perfectly. Amidst all this, he had the courage to inject in few moments which were funny and yet sober. The timing and character of those moments is a tough nut to crack. Overall, he was brilliant again.

Coming to characters, the first name is Raj Kumar Rao, who seems to be getting along really well with Hansal Mehta, is doing another seriously awesome work. There is not a single moment in the movie which can make you think that this guy is an actor and not the real character. The innocence of the character was the toughest thing to portray but he did it with so much honesty that you would not be able to hold yourself from applauding him. The fear, the belief, the helplessness and the desperation are just effortlessly portrayed by him. You will love him, feel for him and hope for him.

Patralekha also played the role of his wife to a good degree of what was required. You can easily identify her as any common girl which was very important for the character. The character played by Manav Kaul of Vishnu Bhai is going to surprise you. He has done more than justice to the role and yet again after Kai Po Che he has shown the value of his acting skills.

The music by Jeet Ganguly is fantastic and it will soothe you. The background score by Raju Singh is appreciable.

The movie deals with the reality of people's desperation to earn money in order to survive in the cities. It depicts the actions which people are willing to take irrespective of those being immoral or disgraceful. The bitter truth that is present in the society and yet nothing can be done. It shows how money has become unpleasantly important.

Though the movie scores really high on almost every part, I just felt that in two scenes it hasgone a bit too harsh and far. The reaction of Vishnu's wife after his death is not digestible. Her crave for that money box at that particular moment did not fit in. Also, the reaction of Deepak Singh's(Raj Kumar Rao's ) wife when he dies is not what I could connect to. A wife who loved her husband so much cannot have an urge for a box of money exactly when she got to know about his death.

Apart from this,the movie is a must watch and it definitely paved a way for many upcoming Bollywood movies.

worth watching it

[rudra-092 · 9/10 · 19 August 2018]

Great story line as well as star cast. Good screen play. Acting is really heart touching. Such a great movie to watch.

Nice!

[shashankagarwal96 · 6/10 · 26 July 2014]

In a film of such relentless intensity, the songs (although they aren't of the lip-synched variety) and the background score seem a tad excessive, if not entirely out of place.

But CityLights is a Vishesh Films production, and hence the soundscape is anything but run of the mill. Jeet Ganguli's musical score is first- rate, but the lilt and the lyricism of the numbers appear to somewhat soften the blow that the film seeks to deliver.

In the end, what lends CityLights the power to offset its rare weaker moments is its unwavering commitment to a realistic mode of storytelling.

CityLights has its heart in the right place, and it is a heart that is backed by a ticking mind that is able to grasp the subtler shades of human behavior without tripping on over-sentimentalism.

CityLights isn't a feel-good entertainer. It is a film that shocks, provokes and seeks to prick our collective complacency and apathy. That obviously adds up to infinitely more value than the price of a multiplex ticket.

Dilemma between fictitious and realistic cinema

[dineshprakash · 3/10 · 29 May 2014]

I appreciate makers for clearly mentioning that it is official remake of Metro manila. Promo was reflecting that this film must have realistic approach and yes, movie starts on that note but after interval unnecessary thrill is tried to be incorporated, which is not well executed even. How can an agency working for delivering cash and valuable didn't stall a CCTV in headquarter , even in directors chamber? Box has extra advance security system as self detonating bomb, in case of forceful opening but it opens with just an old fashion manual key, which replica mark could have been easily copied with absolute technique of soap using as copying tool? Which era this film belongs to? Why did super wiser choose Deepak Singh between the crowd of job applicants? There are lots of such type of question, which answers I did not get. Movie is very slow. Emotional scenes are shallow. I couldn't feel much. Performance wise Raj Kumar Rao as Deepak Singh is fine. Patrelekha as Rakhi is good. Manav Kaul as super wiser is mind blowing. He is super natural and endearing. Music supports the film but so many repetitions of a track bores sometimes. Lyrics by Rashmi Singh is worthy.

A grim tale on migrant's anguishes...... dark and fearful.....

[SumanShakya · 6/10 · 16 August 2014]

"City Lights" depicts the anguishes of the migrants who come to metros like Mumbai to make a living. They become the victims of the cruelty of the city and are forced to do anything for their hunger. The film shows the darker side of the city and takes you to a fearful side of poverty and helplessness. Besides, the film also tries the desperation of a family man and his willingness to fend for his family. However, the latter comes quite weakly in the film. Based on Oscar nominated "Metro Manilla" (haven't watched it yet), the story stands quite true to life. The darkness of the city has been brilliantly portrayed and the acting from the lead stands quite remarkable. A special mention also goes to Manav Kaul's performance. The cast of the film is pretty unknown, but their performances do hold you to the edge of your seats.

The music and photography of the film suits the film. The film falls short on portraying the protagonist's family melodrama. The darkness and the length of the film might keep this film a bit away from the masses. For me, the film was pretty grim due to the backdrop of the story, but I appreciate it for the performances and direction. Perhaps, would be nominated for Best Film Award this year with slime chances to win.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4

Most consistently brilliant Hindi movie of 2014

[ragingbull_2005 · 8/10 · 25 September 2014]

4/5 Insanely brilliant. Extremely poignant. True to life. These expressions spring up in my mind as I begin to write this review. You see, I am still recovering from the emotional, thrilling and dramatic sledgehammer which is Citylights. To put it plainly, this is the most consistently brilliant Hindi movie I have watched in all of 2014. I was hooked from the first frame and loved the unpredictable turns the script took. The worst and the best of human nature are vividly portrayed throughout the length of Citylights and it makes for some heart rendering and some truly uncomfortable moments. It casts light on the plight of the rural migrant who comes to the city with high hopes. The contrast between the humane behavior of the so called vulgar elements of the society and the coldness, aloofness and predatory nature of the venerated high society is masterfully displayed.

The acting is as good as it gets. Raj Kumar is easily the best new actor in Hindi industry. He gives a superlative follow up performance to his class act in Shahid. The debutante Patralekha matches him and even manages to outshine him in some scenes. This has the best kind of music, which propels the story forward rather than acting as an impediment to the story telling. Hansal Mehta, the director, deserves the highest praise for acting on his vision and making his second path breaking film (after Shahid) in two years. This is one of those films which helped me reaffirm my faith in the present of Hindi cinema. I loved it.

Good but slow

[rahul-rdthecool-das · 6/10 · 24 February 2020]

The story and screenplay of the movie is very good but somewhere in between it loses its momentum. Rajkumar Rao is fabulous as always. Definite one time watch.

CityLights, a brutally honest, dark and melancholic film. The shocking climax re-affirms the punch line: How far will you go for the love of your family?

[binducherungath · 8/10 · 2 June 2014]

http://moviereviewsbybinduc.blogspot.in/2014/06/citilights.html

CityLights is a film with intense human drama. Hansal Mehta (Director) and Rajkummar Rao (Actor), duo of Shahid fame, have once again collaborated together to contribute a brilliant piece of art to the Bollywood. It is so painful to see how the innocence of an ordinary villager and his family gets exploited in the citylights of metro. Hansal Mehta has wonderfully and very realistically encapsulated the challenges faced by a destitute family in the metro. Various adversities faced by the family viz. loss of business in the village, rural migration, extreme poverty, exploitation by the city etc. are well captured in the movie. The movie left me with tears in eyes, rather actually broke my heart. Kudos to Hansal Mehta for making this movie so realistic, profoundly moving, tangible and believable and at the same time 'minus melodrama'.

Deepak Singh (Rajkummar Rao) moves to Mumbai after losing his Saree shop (in a village in Rajasthan) to the debtors along with wife Rakhi (Patralekha) and daughter Mahi. Great moments of family togetherness, love between Deepak and Rakhi are shown while in village, which probably gave them confidence to move to the unknown Mumbai and try for a better living. Deepak's friend Omkar, who was supposed to pick them up from the Mumbai railway station, did not turn up. Deepak is cheated and happens to lose whatever money he had. Life turns out to be really challenging for them with not having roof over their heads. Then starts their desperate efforts to survive.

Deepak manages to get a job in Active Security Bureau, a group of security force, with his background as an ex-army driver, but his job is kind of life-threatening. Life takes a mysterious turn from there with his partner / boss in job Vishnu (Manav Kaul). It is difficult to understand his intentions. One kept wondering whether Vishnu is good or bad. Rakhi lands up as a bar-dancer, although very very reluctantly.

Does life improve for Deepak and family? What all events unfold in their journey to survive in the metro Mumbai ? Who all partner with them in their journey of survival and how? Do Deepak and Rakhi lose their rustic innocence in the citylights? Are Deepak and family able to re-establish the once-happy-family image? Are they able to manage to keep going against the inimical forces that surround them? Is there any flash of light at the end of the tunnel?

There are certain heart-wrenching scenes: the manner in which Deepak sits in front of the Saree shop in the village while realizing that he has lost the same; their migration to Mumbai with hope in the eyes, but losing the same the moment they land up in Mumbai; desperate attempts by Deepak and Rakhi to seek job / accommodation; helpless / embarrassed Rakhi standing in front of the Bar-Manager who tries to scan her whole body and the last one to mention is the tragic and shocking climax.

Both Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha (his real-life girlfriend) have added so much value to the roles of Deepak and Rakhi through their effortless performances. Manav Kaul as Vishnu has also given an exceptionally well performance. The music by Jeet Ganguli is absolutely soulful and as per the genre of the movie. The songs 'Muskurane' and 'Ek Chirraiya' are very good.

A brilliant combo of Bhatts and Hansal Mehta.

[silvan-desouza · 7/10 · 3 August 2014]

When Bhatts and Hansal Mehta who won laurels for SHAHID(2013) come together, we expect a brilliant film CITYLIGHTS is simply brilliant, The film is an official remake from Vishesh Films, of a widely acclaimed gem titled METRO MANILA directed by Sean Ellis (made in Tagalog language) in the year 2013. The best part is it's realistic handling. It starts with Rajkumar Rao and his wife coming to Mumbai from Rajasthan in search of a better lifestyle, there are left homeless,all their problems are identifiable, They get cheated on the quest of getting them a house, then again he has to find a job, His wife starts working in a bar.etc There are several moving scenes like his wife's breakdown after his drunk act, The scenes with Manav Kaul who plays his friend who also makes use of him and the brilliant finale.

The film does get slow paced but it's required to be narrated slowly, such films cant be rushed.

Direction by Hansal Mehta is brilliant Music is good, Arijit's song Muskurane Ki Wajah is splendid while other songs too are good.

Rajkumar Rao is simply brilliant, in fact he conveys so much through his eyes that it's difficult to assume that anyone else could play his part Patralekha as his wife is superb, Manav Kaul is terrific, Khushboo Upadhyay as the bar girl is superb, rest are all good

Lot of Emotions

[bhavanasukhi · 9/10 · 27 July 2020]

An emotional roller coaster , full of treatment and emotions. specially poor people's life seems adorable in this film.

Awesome movie

[sagarpati · 10/10 · 12 June 2020]

I was recommended by my sweet wife to watch this incredible movie...Everything story, acting, execution seemed to be near perfect...Rajkumar Rao..true gem...has the ability to take forward Irfan khan legacy...loved your performance man...Deserves much recognition

Mechanical film utterly devoid of emotion

[boxieblue · 2/10 · 5 November 2014]

There is a moment in the film where the two lead characters find themselves utterly broke, with barely enough money to feed themselves. They are also in possession of an artifact which, if they are found with, might lead to a considerable amount of jail time. As they sit with each other, crying and consoling each other, the background score changes to a song that roughly translates into "You're the reason I smile. You're the reason I sing." This, at a moment when neither of the characters is doing either of these things. The scene then cuts to one of the most non-passionate love making scenes I've seen in cinema.

That, more or less, is what happens in the entire movie. It simply runs through scenes meant to evoke various emotions - anger, grief, humor. All the scenes, however, leave you devoid of any emotion. At no point do you connect with or sympathize with any of the characters in the movie. You don't feel angry at the bad guys, you don't feel sad when the good guys lose. When the characters cry in grief at their misfortune, you only wish they would hurry on with the story already. And when the movie ends on a positive note (surprise?), you couldn't care less.

I am not sure why that is. The story itself is pretty good. Two simpletons move into a city in search of a fortune, and soon learn the unforgiving ways of urban life. The reason none of it works might be attributed to a few things. One, the direction. The movie cuts through some of the best moments too quickly. Most of the times, you will wonder whether it really happened. And by the time you figure out that, yes, it did indeed happen, you would have moved past caring. Two, the acting. None of the actors are really convincing. In parts, they overdramatize the scene which again snaps you out of the film and makes you realize you're only watching filmed footage. Three, the background score. It doesn't matter what kind of a scene it is - love making, shooting, desperation - they all have the same romantic score (mentioned earlier) in the background.

The film was founded on a good idea. It is a shame it ended up so emotionless.

Draws you in

[mmal-93915 · 10/10 · 2 March 2020]

A wonderful performance by Rajkummar.

The harsh reality of life for many, and the lengths one family has to go through to survive.

Its worth the watch, gives you a taste of what life may be like all around the world.

Citylights is a masterpiece movie

[sagirsuroindia · 9/10 · 10 February 2020]

City lights is a masterpiece movie no words for script plot performance of rajkumar rao is mind blowing this types of movies will surely change the face of bollywood 👍👍💙

CityLights (U/A) TAMIL ------------ my Rating: ★★★★ EMOTIONAL

[yunusitboss · 8/10 · 22 September 2014]

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CityLights (U/A) TAMIL ------------ my Rating: ★★★★ EMOTIONAL

STRENGTHS :- * Rajkumar Rao performance..... * Story and Camera.... * Casting was simple and decent.... * Climax.....

WEAKNESSES :- * Few scenes were unwanted in second half "intimate scenes"...

FINAL VERDICT :- * Overall.. it is really feel good movie about a poor man... heart warming attempt from the director....

Deepak Sing is a farmer in Rajasthan. After a tragedy, he migrates to Mumbai with his wife and child to lead a better life. However, upon arriving, he soon discovers the challenges of life in a big city.

Director: Hansal Mehta Writers: Sean Ellis (original story), Ritesh Shah (adapted by) Stars: Rajkummar Rao, Mallhar Goenka, Manav Kaul | See full cast and crew »

Aspiring our ways in our life, our dreams we project, all come with the cost

[ridi-arahan · 8/10 · 21 January 2021]

What worked: The movie is brutally scary on the way the city is portrayed in the movie, which may be partially or may be not true. Either way, the movie keeps us experience the journey of nomadic innocent villagers aspiring big dreams in the city. Rajkumar and Manav as always performed great on their roles. I must say, this movie was Hansal's most commercial project considering the subject he usually practices. It's one of those movies whose title fits right with the agenda it projected. Overall, a sad, depressing movie but a fine one What did not work: Maybe one song was repetitive through out the movie, I would have wanted none of possible. Some of the scenes were melodramatic in nature. Considering the story of the movie I think viewers would have been happier if the movie ended in a happy not, but I guess that's the better ending afterall Final verdict: recommended