Director Neeraj Pandey comes out with his latest movie, Aiyaary, that doesn't star his supposedly favourite actor Akshay Kumar (there are rumours that the duo have fallen out). Instead this spy thriller stars Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpayee in the lead. Rakul Preet plays the female lead, with Pooja Chopra, Vikram Gokhale, Naseeruddin Shah, Adil Hussain, Kumud Mishra, Rajesh Tailang and Anupam Kher making for the supporting cast.  While Bajpayee is working with Pandey for the second time after Special 26 (he also starred in the Baby-spinoff, Naam Shabana, that Neeraj Pandey produced), this is Sidharth Malhotra's first collaboration with the director. Unfortunately going by the reviews, we don't think there is going to be a second time.

Aiyaary has been getting some poor reviews from the critics as it releases in theatres this Friday. While most of them have unanimously praised Manoj Bajpayee's performance and the making, the rest of the aspects, including Sidharth Malhotra, got scathing feedback. Some has even hailed it as Neeraj Pandey's weakest film till date (He has made A Wednesday. ICYMI, here's our review of the movie.

Also check out what other publications have to say about Aiyaary.

Firstpost

"Aiyaary’s first hour is engaging because it gives us reason to assume that great twists and turns will unfold at any moment. That promise is unfulfilled in the remaining 100 minutes of the film. Pace and bluster cannot compensate for lack of substance. This wannabe James Bond flick is nothing but a blast of hot air."

Scroll

"Stripped of its overweening self-importance and lack of plausibility, Pandey’s surgical strike on corruption passes muster as a cut-price version of the Mission: Impossible and Jason Bourne films. The movie is engaging enough when on the run and hopping flights and continents. Gifted with the best lines and the most rounded-out characterisation, Manoj Bajpayee makes all his scenes crackle. Aiyaary is meant to be a two-hero film, but Bajpayee ensures that it’s a solo ride."

Deccan Chronicle

"Known for making content driven films in the past, 'Aiyaary' is surely a disappointment from Neeraj Pandey. However, he has sketched his every character nicely. The good part of his writing is that he utilises each and every character in the most relevant manner. But the flak also goes to him for a poor execution. First half is too long but raises high hopes in the second half but by then it is too late to even realise it."

Indian Express

"Aiyaary, for which Pandey gets the story, script and direction credit, isn’t taut enough to qualify for an edge-of-the-seat thriller. The plot is emaciated. The narration, which revolves around deception and sense of duty, is long-winding. Even though the movie puts together an impressive ensemble cast comprising some of our best actors, it takes a lot of time to establish their characters."

NDTV

"The cast, led by the ever-dependable Manoj Bajpayee and bolstered by fine actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Adil Hussain, Kumud Mishra and Rajesh Tailang, provides occasional flashes of competence. The wishy-washy screenplay simply does not give them enough to work with. A below-par Sidharth Malhotra, playing a young, idealistic army officer who goes rogue in order to take on the establishment, does not help matters. His oh-so-cool demeanour is totally out of place in a world where danger is a constant. Having defied his bosses and challenged the system single-handedly, he should logically have been an all worked-up and shifty figure lurking in the shadows. He isn't. Malhotra comes across as a guy out on a walk in the park."

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 16, 2018 01:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).