Azhar review round-up: Biopic that is not a biopic? This is what critics have to say

Azhar, a 'biopic' on cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, starring Emraan Hashmi in the titular role, is finally out! And Emraan has bowled everyone over with his terrific performance.

The film has been getting mixed reviews, however, Emraan's acting has been appreciated by almost everyone. 

Azhar, directed by Tony D'Souza, also stars Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri and Lara Dutta in the lead roles and revolves around the life and times of (including the fixing scandal) Mohammad Azharuddin. 

DNA Review (***1/2)

"Emraan Hashmi gets the character perfect to the core – from the body language to the attitude. It's a credit to Emraan that you feel the pain of Azhar going from the most loved man to the most hated man in the country."

Read our full review here: Whether you’re a cricket fan or not, Emraan Hashmi's performance keeps you glued

Hindu Review:

"Azhar lacks spine. It is evident in the long disclaimer preceding the film in which the team seems to be making a claim on cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin’s colourful and controversial life as a source material yet maintaining that it is a fictional account. All to escape the legal battles the film could land them in." 
Read the full review here. 

NDTV Review:

"Emraan Hashmi as Azharuddin has a tough task at hand, as his body type is entirely different from the real character that he's playing. However, Emraan plays it with so much sincerity that at times he is the only one who seems to make any sense in this forgettable movie. Full points to him for admirably aping the stylish gait that Azhar was popular for."
Read the full review here.

Indian Express review: (*1/2)

"This could have been a great cautionary tale about a great sport at a time when it was just becoming the arena it has grown into—full of big money and glamour, bigger endorsements and never-ending temptations : it is, instead, an inept ‘tamasha’, not very different from the stuff Bollywood churns out, the cricket just the superstructure for tired song-and-dance and melodrama, in living rooms and court-rooms."
Read the full review here. 

India Today Review:

"Emraan Hashmi delivers a solid century, a la Azharuddin. The actor metamorphoses into Azhar on screen, living every bit of his life. The film works for most parts due to Emraan's brilliant performance. "
Read the full review here. 

Hindustan Times Review:

The Emraan Hashmi charm mixed with shy Azharuddin mannerism makes it a heady cocktail. You wouldn’t want to put it down without giving it a try. Read more here.

Watch this romantic number from Azhar here: