This almost feels like a documentary. One that jumps from time to time (no pun intended),but one that is very engaging and very brutal (in its honesty and portrayal). Kidnapping is not a light thing of course, especially when it comes down to children. But in this case it's also the complicated relationships between characters, the inability to overcome certain things/feelings to come closer to a solution.

And of course evil people plotting and scheming. The question is, who is going to "win"? It is down and dirty, but that is not a clue of the direction the movie might go at the end. Then again, it might be. Whatever the case (and I am deliberately not pointing in the "right" direction) maybe, the movie is really worth while. Especially because there is no singing and dancing going on (which really wouldn't fit into the movie anyway - not that is stopped them before)

Anurag Kashyap delivers a disturbing & unsettling tale with 'Ugly', a film that's raw & realistic. Kashyap also aces with superb performances, led by Ronit Roy & Rahul Bhat.

'Ugly' Synopsis: A terrible tale of corruption, indifference, and systemic violence starts when 10 year old daughter of an aspiring actor disappears.

Throughly engaging & interesting, Kashyap creates a world of deception & cruelty, with absolutely no inhibitions. 'Ugly' is entirely grim & bleak, a film that has an atmosphere of its own. The characters are Grey, while the narrative is blunt & on-your-face.

Kashyap's Screenplay is excellent. Its entirely twisted & serious. I'd like to point out, the last scene of the film, it's haunting & the Screenplay peaks itself then. Kashyap's Direction is suitably creepy & eerie. Cinematography & Editing are perfect

Performance-Wise: Ronit Roy is outstanding as the cop. Displaying anger & frustration, with zeal. Rahul Bhat is a revelation. His performance here, deserves distinction marks. Tejaswini Kolhapure is brilliantly restrained. Vineet Kumar Singh is fabulous, yet again. Girish Kulkarni is highly effective. Surveen Chawla is effective, in a brief role. Siddhanth Kapoor is impressive. Late Abir Goswami is decent.

On the whole, 'Ugly' is a massive winner from Kashyap! He ends 2014, with a roar! Very Strongly Recommended!

Anurag Kashyap has never stopped intriguing me, making films that are not only bold and beautiful but also strong in themes and fables. With Ugly, which he promised to be his most honest work, he succeeds in making a point the same haughty way, but ends up saying nothing more than we already know.

A young child, already in a predicament due to her parents' (her father, mother, and stepfather) frequent fights, is kidnapped in broad daylight. What follows is a mixture of the continuation of those fights and a jumpy attempt at searching for the girl. While the focus should have been at zeroing in on the kidnapper, if at all she was kidnapped and not gone naturally missing, the three main characters of this quasi-real-time drama are busy trying to bury the hatchet between themselves. And what do they receive at the end of the whole spectacle is a pure consequence of their combined follies.

Almost each and every major character in the film uses the abduction incident to earn few monies and that is the best element Kashyap conveys in the film. The climax marks the grave reality we live in, not caring for things that should be actually cared for. Delete the drama and you will find police custodial torture, adultery, escapism & sociopathy in the storyline, enacted marvelously by Ronit Roy and rest of the cast.

The plot is said to be inspired from true events, and while I don't wholly believe the claim, there is no doubt in it either. Because we read such types of incidents everyday. The sheer brilliance of capturing silent paranoia in the characters, and cussy dialogs is the essence of Kashyap's Ugly. He also captures the apathy of policemen, which talks volumes about our justice system. But the effect soon fades after you leave the hall, with only the moral staying with you for couple more hours.

BOTTOM LINE: While Ugly is a must watch this year, one shouldn't expect gleaming frames of polished drama, but a raw chronicle of human enterprise.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

Vulgarity: Strong | Profanity: Infinite | Violence/Gore: Medium | Alcohol/Smoking: Light