India Tamasha garnered mixed reviews from critics upon its theatrical release, praising the film's music, production values, cinematography & lead performances, but criticism was for the complexity of its plot & narration. Critic Mehul of
Deccan Chronicle awarded 4 stars (out of 5) and stated, "Imtiaz Ali, in this film, creates a different world and makes you believe in it till the last shot of the film." Ananya Bhattacharya of
India Today gave the film 3.5 stars (out of 5), writing, "In all,
Tamasha is vintage wine. There are inhibitions that keep you from falling head-over-heels in love with the film the first time you watch it. Once done away with the initial hesitation,
Tamasha is an experience." For
The Times of India, critic Priya Gupta said, "The route
Tamasha takes is long-winded and plain boring at times." She gave the film 3 stars (out of 5). For
The Huffington Post, critic Supratik Chatterjee writes, "
Tamasha is, in many ways, a culmination of the recurring themes in Ali's filmography. It is tonally messier than his last film,
Highway, but more emotionally satisfying than
Rockstar and brings together elements from many of his films in a pleasing-enough manner." Writing for
CNN-IBN, film critic
Rajeev Masand called
Tamasha an uneven film that oscillates between inventive and indulgent, never quite striking a consistent tone. He criticized the script but praised the performances of Kapoor and Padukone. He gave the film 2.5 stars (out of 5). A film critic based at
Bollywood Hungama gave the film 2 stars (out of 5) and wrote, "On the whole,
Tamasha comes across as a colossal disappointment in spite of towering performances and chemistry between the lead stars." In his review for
NDTV, Saibal Chatterjee gave stars (2.5 out of 5) writes, "
Tamasha is at best a one-time watch because of the sparkle the leads lend to it. It could have been so much more." Surabhi Redkar of
Koimoi pointed out, "
Tamasha is different but not perfect. Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone deliver fine performances." However, she awarded the film 2.5 stars (out of 5). Critic Shubhra Gupta of
The Indian Express reviewed in positive stating, "Deepika is luminous, and she is much more sure-footed in her part. Even though Ranbir gets more space, Tara is drawn with welcome depth." However, she gave the film 2 stars (out of 5). Critic
Anupama Chopra, in her review to
Hindustan Times writes, "
Tamasha starts to feel indulgent and predictable. The writing also gets lazy — Imtiaz settles for stereotypes and simplistic resolutions." In her review for
The Hindu, critic
Namrata Joshi called the film "ponderous and protracted". Rachit Gupta of
Filmfare mentioned, " Ironically, it has a story that tries to ward off mediocrity in everyday life, and yet the film only manages to evoke mixed reactions. Satya Kandala who gives the film 3 (out of 5 stars) in her review, stated, "
Tamasha fall short of true greatness is Ali's indulgence with the characters and situations, which at times makes the film look like it is trying too hard and a little too kitschy."
Overseas Andy Webster for
The New York Times emphasized reviewing the characters and the direction. In his review, he mentioned, "Imtiaz Ali actually celebrates two love affairs: Ved and Tara's, and (given Ved's universal adulation) with his own self-aggrandizing vision of his calling." In her review for
Gulf News, Manjusha Radhakrishnan wrote, "The lead actors and Corsica look picture-perfect, but the movie isn't free of blemishes." Sneha May Franics of
Emirates 24/7 opined, "Imtiaz Ali's indulgent narrative isn't quintessential Bollywood, and that's not necessarily bad". In a review for
The Guardian, Mike McCahill wrote, "Imtiaz Ali's film is a surprising meta-narrative of archetypal star-crossed lovers, but its cool trickiness leaves little room for surrendering to the story." Deepa Gauri of
Khaleej Times awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "
Tamasha is un-Bollywood in its rhythm and pace, yet endears you with its essential simplicity." Lisa Tsering of
The Hollywood Reporter stated, "The film is a moving meditation on what it means to find out who you really are." In his review for
The Express Tribune, Rafay Mahmood gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5, stating: "Great music, exceptional performances and a different take on love don't prevent Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha from culminating in a disappointment." Jay Seaver of
Online Film Critics Society noted, "So it's a little bit bigger than a romantic comedy, although still enough of one that the story of a guy finding what he wants to be doesn't overwhelm it. It's not a perfect film, but it's consistently a bit better than expected." Giving the film 2.5 stars out of 5, Mohaiminul Islam's review in
The Daily Star opined, "This is Ali's most complex story, teeming with ideas, and gives us Ranbir back again, along with the lovely Deepika, even if the plot keeps losing sight of her." == Box office ==