Thaai Kizhavi
Comedy, Drama (Tamil)
Pavunuthaayi is a fiercely independent, intimidating elderly woman in a rural village, known for being tough, ruthless, and blunt-especially as a moneylender whose strict enforcement of dues makes her feared by locals. (more…)
Jab Khuli Kitaab
Comedy, Drama, Family (Hindi)
When Anusuya confesses to her husband, Gopal, that she cheated on him with another man a few months into their five decade-long marriage, all hell breaks loose. Angry and hurt, Gopal decides to seek divorce while he struggles to keep (more…)
Hello Bachhon
Drama (Hindi)
A physics teacher sets out to make quality education accessible to all students through online learning. (more…)
Guild Reviews
Boong
Drama (Manipuri)
In the valley of Manipur, Boong (*a little boy) plans to surprise his mother with a gift. In his innocence, he believes that bringing his father back home would be the most special gift. His search for his father culminates into an unexpected gift – a new beginning….
Cast:
Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar, Hamom Sadananda, Jenny Khurai, Nemetia Ngangbam
Director:
Lakshmipriya Devi
Writer:
Lakshmipriya Devi
Thu, March 12 2026
More than once while watching Lakshmipriya Devi’s Boong, I was reminded of Aijaz Khan’s Hamid (2018) – another Indian film that used the ruse of a “children’s film” to examine a region riddled with conflict. In Khan’s film, a serendipitous phone call between a seven-year-old local (Talha Arshad Reshi) searching for his‘disappeared’ father and a CRPF jawan (Vikas Kumar) became an unintentional humanitarian bridge in the midst of Kashmir’s paranoia. In Devi’s film, the unrest in Manipur remains an undercurrent, filling even the ‘cute’ scenes with an unease.
Sun, March 8 2026
At a moment when Indian theatres are increasingly crowded with spectacle — pan-Indian actioners, franchise filmmaking and historical epics — Boong arrives as something radical: a children’s film that trusts the intelligence and emotional acuity of its young protagonist. That it is returning to theatres after becoming the first Indian film to win the BAFTA award for Best Children’s & Family Film (defeating Disney’s Zootopia) is both a milestone and a small indictment. A milestone because a Manipuri-language film has found global recognition; an indictment because the film needed that recognition to be rediscovered by Indian audiences.
Sat, March 7 2026
Marked by a keen eye for detail, a gentle rhythm and controlled buoyancy, Boong, Manipuri writer-director Lakshmipriya Devi’s remarkably accomplished debut feature, probes a climate of discord and disquiet in the garb of a story of a boy, his mother and her absent husband. The deceptively simple but marvellously evocative and wonderfully well-crafted film views life in a strife-torn region through the prism of a fractured family that hopes against hope of becoming whole again. Boong, produced by Excel Entertainment, is a tale of love, loss, longing, and a tenacious spirit rooted in a child’s innocence and innate ebullience in the face of adversity. The film just won a BAFTA Award in the “children’s and family film” category. But it breaks the confines of the genre with intent.
Made in Korea
Romance, Drama (Tamil)
A woman from a small town in Tamil Nadu moves to South Korea — a place she always dreamed of — but struggles to find her footing in a foreign land.
Cast:
Priyanka Arul Mohan, Park Hye-jin, Rishikanth, Thirunavukkarasu
Director:
Ra. Karthik
Writer:
Ra. Karthik
Thu, March 12 2026
HALLYU is all encompassing — so universal that there isn’t a generation for which it is alien, and not many cultural exports can boast of that. Across millennials, Gen Z, and every Greek alphabet in between, the Korean Wave cuts across age groups and class with equal ease, taking the form of films, K-Dramas, and K-Pop — be it BTS to Blackpink and beyond. It is therefore not surprising that the Korean influence itself becomes a key element in storytelling, for it is such a big part of the lives of anyone who has consumed the internet and media in the last decade. It also lends naturally to Tamil, which shares curious similarities with Korean — enough to have sparked both linguistic scholarship and colourful folklore about their shared origins.
Adamya
Drama, Thriller (Bengali)
After a political assassination fails, 23-year-old Palash becomes a fugitive, hunted by the very system he once believed in. As he flees through the conflict-ridden Sundarbans, his understanding of ideology, resistance, and identity begins to shift. Caught between labels of extremist and revolutionary, anti-national and patriot, his journey becomes a gripping character study of belief, survival, and an unbroken spirit that refuses to die.
Cast:
Aryuun Ghosh, Senjuti Roy Mukherjee, Sourya Madrajee, Subham Dutta, Arjo Giri, Relish Khan
Director:
Ranjan Ghosh
Thu, March 12 2026
Set in the Sunderbans and shot entirely in natural light, or in its absence, Adamya is about a young rebel who will neither be tamed nor be reined in. Akin to a matchstick that aspires to burn like the sun, he is up against the firepower. It may be a losing battle, but he will fight the good fight no matter what.Depending on what one’s political stance is, the ‘unbreakable’ protagonist, Palash, a twenty-something boy on the run after a failed attempt to assassinate a minister, is a dangerous malcontent who must be weeded out at all cost or an inspired renegade worthy of our attention and support. Adamya, which is now in its fourth week in cinema halls in Kolkata, is a hyper-indie film shot by a skeletal crew. It made it to the multiplexes against all odds. That it is holding firm a month on is no mean feat.
One Piece S02
Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy (English)
With his straw hat and ragtag crew, young pirate Monkey D. Luffy goes on an epic voyage for treasure.
Cast:
Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Gibson, Jeff Ward, Taz Skylar
Wed, March 11 2026
After a two-and-a-half year wait, the next chapter of the live-action One Piece is ready to set sail on the Going Merry. Based on the beloved manga by Eiichiro Oda, Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) returns to lead his Straw Hats crew on the quest to find the One Piece treasure hidden on the Grand Line by pirate Gold Roger. Navigator Nami (Emily Rudd), first mate Zoro (Mackenyu), marksman Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), and chef Sanji (Taz Skylar) join him as they face all sorts of adversaries and friends. Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 is that rare show that has gotten better in its return.
Thaai Kizhavi
Comedy, Drama (Tamil)
Pavunuthaayi is a fiercely independent, intimidating elderly woman in a rural village, known for being tough, ruthless, and blunt-especially as a moneylender whose strict enforcement of dues makes her feared by locals.
Cast:
Radikaa Sarathkumar, Singampuli, Aruldoss, Balasaravanan, Munishkanth, Muthukumar, Raichal Rabecca Philip, Ilavarasu, George Mariyan
Director:
Sivakumar Murugesan
Writer:
Sivakumar Murugesan
Wed, March 11 2026
In Tamil Nadu, there’s something called the kadamba maalai (mixed garland). It might look like a splotch of colours, but there’s synchrony in terms of colour and math involved in the frequency of a flower being used. Watching Thaai Kezhavi, that’s what I thought of the writing. Writer-director Sivakumar Murugesan handles multiple strands, but knows what to do with each, many minutes after the first reference. The floral reference? Watch the movie, and you’ll know why. Everyone has been raving about Radhika Sarathkumar’s performance and rightly so. The rest of the team hits it out of the park too, conveying a mix of yearning, small-mindedness, jealousy, mindless anger, and the like. But the root for all of that is the layered writing that has something for everyone, and which transports you to rural Tamil Nadu, where life moves at a different pace and where even a house where someone has died or is going to, can become a venue for entertainment.
Sun, March 1 2026
Sat, February 28 2026
From Disney’s Snow White to our own Vidaathu Karuppu, the evil grandma stereotype shines, making an old woman the face of terror and crudeness. Indian TV and its serials have furthered this trope of this evil old matriarch harassing the hapless daughter-in-law. On the other hand, there’s another popular archetype of a benevolent old woman, who “melts like a candle” to produce light for those around them. Manormama has been the quintessential choice of Tamil filmmakers for this cardboard cutout. The scene from Shankar’s Gentleman, of her telling her son (Arjun Sarja), “Naan irukaen pa” (“I’m there for you”). She is the all-giving mother, and men are supposed to find her godly love and care in their potential mates.
Tighee
Drama (Marathi)
Swati has built a respectable life in Mumbai, but everything is unravelling. Her predatory boss exploits her financial condition while her husband drowns in debt. When Swati comes to know her ailing mother Hemalata is not long for this world, Swati returns to a house that once was home. Her childhood home in Pune with her scorned younger sister Sarika, who has cared for their difficult mother alone for the last three years. The sisters' reunion is brutal, filled with accusations of abandonment. Fighting guilt, rage, and helplessness, the three find peace, until a fateful night when Swati discovers her old wedding video. The film explores how families survive through silence, sacrifice, and secrets that both save and destroy them.
Cast:
Bharati Achrekar, Neha Pendse, Sonalee Kulkarni, Jaimini Pathak, Pushkaraj Chirputkar, Nipun Dharmadhikari, Shrirang Deshmukh, Sanjay Mone, Mrinmayee Godbole, Siddharth Menon
Director:
Jeejivisha Kale
Tue, March 10 2026
Dramas about dysfunctional families or families with grudges have been a regular feature in various languages in Indian cinema. Tighee is also a family drama that tackles issues between three family members. However, it stands apart as it’s a modern saga that takes a contemporary route. While the yesteryear family dramas mostly revolved around conflicts between sons, this one features two daughters. Even the issues between them are new age as they are independent in their own journeys. Apart from the characters and the storyline, what makes Tighee a product of 2026 is its making. Debutant director Jeejivisha Kale has presented the drama in a new-age manner. Even the high points in the narrative are devoid of any melodrama. She has displayed maturity in her first feature film itself. She is ably supported by the nuanced and mature writing.
Subedaar
Action, Crime, Drama (Hindi)
Haunted by loss and drifting away from his daughter, a retired Subedaar Arjun Maurya’s newly found civilian life is jolted by one reckless act. As old wounds reopen, he must summon the warrior within to face a new kind of war - one that hits too close to his heart.
Cast:
Anil Kapoor, Radhikka Madan, Aditya Rawal, Saurabh Shukla, Mona Singh, Faisal Malik, Khushboo, Nana Patekar
Director:
Suresh Triveni
Writer:
Suresh Triveni, Prajwal Chandrashekar
Sun, March 8 2026
Director Suresh Triveni’s Subedaar walks down a fairly beaten path, but to its credit, it does so with considerable style. The story leans on a familiar cinematic catharsis: an apparently ordinary man—quiet, restrained, and carrying emotional baggage—ultimately takes on a group of villains and single-handedly brings them to justice. It’s a trope audiences have seen many times, yet the film manages to make it engaging
Sat, March 7 2026
Sat, March 7 2026
Does Indian cinema really suffer from a shortage of ageing men in action roles? With the nation’s average male superstar age steadily inching towards 60, the familiar “chacha-buddha” slander hardly makes sense today. But when director Suresh Triveni steps in with Anil Kapoor as the tough action hero, in a setup that offers no ‘Dabidi Dabidi’ to dance to, the proposition becomes instantly intriguing. That curiosity fuels Subedaar, a film that attempts to place Kapoor’s enduring screen energy within a rugged, massy canvas. Triveni has previously delivered two compelling films – the sparkly Tumhari Sulu and the humane, unsettling Jalsa. Both were anchored by women and explored their emotional landscapes very well. Which raises an intriguing question: can the filmmaker channel the same insight into a testosterone-charged universe unfolding in the lawless heartland?
Oh Butterfly
Thriller, Drama (Tamil)
A woman brings her partner to an isolated hill house for a retreat. She plans to reveal a life-changing secret, but strange events begin to occur. This mystery thriller uses butterfly imagery to explore hidden truths.
Cast:
Nivedhithaa Sathish, Ciby Bhuvana Chandran, Attul, Nassar, Lakshmi Priyaa, Geetha Kailasam
Director:
Vijay Ranganathan
Writer:
Vijay Ranganathan
Sat, March 7 2026
There is an evolutionary completeness in Vijay Ranganathan’s debut feature Oh Butterfly. We see larvae, chrysalis and the whole butterfly lifecycle. We also see other insects and ants and as if to attract them, and us, there are breadcrumbs. They take the form of a book, a golf ball, a club, a glass and other objects. Ranganathan lays them out in the beginning like multiple Chekhov’s guns, objects that will eventually come into play. Not all of them wait till the third act to fulfil their destiny, some aid in dialing up the stakes midway amidst casual as well as torrid conversation, and some in fatalistic action. There is considerable therapising and some psychobabble, not all of it interesting but the drama remains compelling, not necessarily due to the writing (by Ranganathan and Harish Rajagopal) but mostly down to the direction.
Fri, March 6 2026
There are a hundred metaphors to choose from in Oh Butterfly; even the “butterfly” in the film’s title is open to multiple interpretations. For one, you may think of Gowri (Nivedhithaa Sathish) as the titular butterfly as she struggles through the fag end of her metamorphosis. Her cocoon is a trap laid out by her mind because she believes she was responsible for her husband’s death. She lives in perennial guilt, fuelled by intrusive thoughts when we meet her for the first time. Right from a tennis ball to a kitchen knife, everyday household objects have the power to trigger something catastrophic in her. As the movie progresses, what we could be seeing in Gowri slowly emerges from this trap as she finally finds a way to fly away, primarily from her old self.
Hello Bachhon
Drama (Hindi)
A physics teacher sets out to make quality education accessible to all students through online learning.
Cast:
Vineet Kumar Singh, Vikram Kochhar, Girija Oak
Director:
Pratish Mehta
Writer:
Abhishek Yadav, Ankit Yadav
Sat, March 7 2026
‘शिक्षा हर बच्चे का हक है। उसकी आर्थिक स्थिति उसके पढ़ने, कुछ बनने के सपने के आड़े नहीं आनी चाहिए।’ इस नेक सोच से एजुकेशन टेक्नॉलजी की दुनिया में क्रांति लाने वाले बच्चों के चहेते टीचर अलख पांडे और उनके सपने, संघर्ष और सफलता की कहानी है वेब सीरीज ‘हैलो बच्चों’। वैसे, अलख पांडे और उनके ऑनलाइन कोचिंग संस्थान के सफरनामे पर पहले भी एक सीरीज ‘फिजिक्स वाला’ बन चुकी है, लेकिन ‘हैलो बच्चों’ अलख पांडे के साथ-साथ उन बच्चों की कहानी भी दिखाती है, जिसकी जिंदगी इस एक टीचर ने बदल दी। कहानी फिजिक्स वाला की नींव रखने वाले अलख पांडे (विनीत कुमार सिंह) और उनके साथ प्रतीक माहेश्वरी (विक्रम कोचर) के संस्थान के विस्तार के लिए फंड जुटाने की जद्दोजहद से शुरू होती है। कम की तंगी के चलते इंस्टिट्यूट अपना नेटवर्क सिस्टम अपग्रेड न कर पाने से लेकर अच्छे टीचर्स को गंवाने की चुनौतियों से जूझ रहा होता है। इन्वेस्टर फंड देने को राजी भी हो जाते हैं, मगर ज्यादा मुनाफे के लिए कोर्स की फीस बढ़ाने की मांग करते हैं, जिस पर अलख कतई राजी नहीं होता, क्योंकि उसका तो उद्देश्य ही हर बच्चे को सस्ती शिक्षा उपलब्ध कराना है।
Sat, March 7 2026
Alakh Pandey struggles to keep his small coaching centre alive while massive corporations try to buy him out. He faces constant betrayals, teacher resignations, and mounting debts. Meanwhile, his students battle poverty and academic failure, fighting a system stacked against them. Refusing to sell his soul, Alakh takes his mission online, sparking a high-stakes revolution to make education a right for the masses. There is no discrediting the value that Viineet Kumar Singh, Vikram Kochhar, and Girija Oak Godbole bring as performers, but this is definitely not a show that gives much value to their mettle. It simply takes their presence for granted, offering them toothless characters. Viineet’s awkwardness in his performance is quite palpable; he struggles to bring Alakh Pandey alive due to the flat writing. The supporting cast is formidable, though their stories lack any impact.
Fri, March 6 2026
To be honest, I went into this show because of Vineet Kumar Singh, In and As Alakh Pandey, who is world-famous as Physics Wallah, the teacher whose one-point agenda was to teach, baaki sab baad mein. Directed by Pratish Mehta, and written by Abhishek Yadav, Vernaali, Sandeep Singh Rawat, Hello Bachchon puts its love for Physics front and centre. In these times, when the importance of scientific temperament itself is under such pressure, to have a series outline its beliefs so clearly is heartening.
Jab Khuli Kitaab
Comedy, Drama, Family (Hindi)
When Anusuya confesses to her husband, Gopal, that she cheated on him with another man a few months into their five decade-long marriage, all hell breaks loose. Angry and hurt, Gopal decides to seek divorce while he struggles to keep the rest of the family oblivious to his and Anusuya’s blistering secret. What follows is an impassioned, often hilarious deep-dive into the lives of Gopal and Anusuya while they manoeuvre the rocky roads of their relationship, rediscovering the meaning of love and togetherness.
Cast:
Pankaj Kapur, Dimple Kapadia, Aparshakti Khurana, Manasi Parekh, Samir Soni, Nauheed Cyrusi, Sunil Palwal, Devyani Ratanpal, Abuli Mamaji, Kyra Kumar
Director:
Saurabh Shukla
Writer:
Saurabh Shukla
Sat, March 7 2026
Sat, March 7 2026
Gopal and Anasuya, a couple married for 50 years, suddenly announce they are getting a divorce. The news creates an immediate crisis for their grown children and extended family. As the legal process begins, Gopal’s stubbornness clashes with Anasuya’s need for independence. The home becomes a battlefield of old secrets and modern grievances, forcing everyone to question their equation.
Fri, March 6 2026
It’s comforting to watch something like Jab Khuli Khitaab. It’s a bit like going to a small circus in the age of curated theme parks. It’s clumsy at times, you can see the strings, some of the treatment is dated, but there’s an old-fashioned goodness seeping through its veins. Based on his play of the same name, Saurabh Shukla’s film opens with a 70-something man, Gopal Nautiyal (Pankaj Kapur), going about his morning routine with his wife Anusuya (Dimple Kapadia). He catches her up on the news, helps her get dressed, jokes around, and discusses their adult children who are now visiting them at their family home in the mountains. They’ve been together for ages. Except this is a one-way conversation: Anusuya has been in a coma for two years. He misses her; all she can do is listen. The story kicks into gear when Anusuya suddenly wakes up from her coma, and her husband’s unconditional care guilts her into confessing to an affair 50 years ago. The rest revolves around a mopey Gopal wanting a divorce, Anusuya resisting, even as they try to keep their ‘spat’ a secret in the busy household.
Mrithyunjay
Thriller, Crime, Action (Telugu)
Cast:
Sree Vishnu, Reba Monica John, Nellore Sudharshan, Racha Ravi, Ayyappa P. Sharma, Sijju Menon, Nanda Gopal, Baladitya, Krishna Koushik, Mrinchi Madhavi
Director:
Hussain Sha Kiran
Writer:
Hussain Sha Kiran
Sat, March 7 2026
Some films try to punch above their weight while others play to the strengths of their core team and work within set limits. Mrithyunjay, the Telugu film written and directed by Hussain Sha Kiran and led by Sree Vishnu, falls into the latter category. Designed as an investigative thriller, it builds intrigue in parts. A few smart stretches, however, are undercut by convenient writing choices that keep the film from becoming fully engaging. On the positive side, Mrithyunjay stays focused on its core story and characters across its 122-minute runtime. It avoids needless frills. The comedy is situational and blends smoothly into the narrative, and the film resists forcing in a romantic track. Sree Vishnu plays Jay, an aspiring crime reporter, while Reba Monica John appears as Sita, a police officer. Their paths cross solely during the investigation. The story keeps her personal life out of the frame, while Jay’s past trauma is revealed only enough to lend the narrative emotional weight.
Fri, March 6 2026
Investigative thrillers have been done to death in cinema. They hit screens every week, follow familiar beats, and more often than not, blur into each other. The rare ones that stand apart share one quality — they never take the audience for granted. They treat viewers as intelligent, engaged participants in the puzzle rather than passive observers waiting to be told the answer. The question Mrithyunjay raises from the outset is a simple one: does it earn its place among those films?
Nukkad Naatak
Drama (Hindi)
After being caught robbing the college canteen, best friends Molshri and Shivang are expelled. To be reinstated, they must enroll five children from an impoverished slum into a local school.
Cast:
Molshri, Shivang Rajpal, Danish Husain, Nirmala Hajra, Lalit Saw, Monita Sinha, Mayank Shandilya, Kishore Kumar, Jay DeYonker
Director:
Tanmaya Shekhar
Writer:
Tanmaya Shekhar
Fri, March 6 2026
It’s quite a responsibility to be trusted to engage with a debutante’s fragile creation. Operating outside the ‘system’ with few resources, featuring yet-to-be-proven faces – a newbie ‘indie’ film crew might be among the purest underdogs out there. It can colour the judgement of most fiercely ‘objective’ critics. Despite how much one might be rooting for a film, the experience of it rarely lies. The good intentions are visible, the rawness of craft is rationalised, the obvious missteps grate the senses, and the naive sincerity can be disarming. You want to be mindful of the limitations of a production like this, but also will kid-gloving the undertaking breed a level of indolence in the crew’s next outing? Will there be a next outing, if one employs the brutal honesty extended to other films out there? Is it fair to measure all films by similar yardsticks?
Fri, February 27 2026
t’s bittersweet when you learn of an independent film releasing against all odds. The more inspirational the journey is, the more complicated it gets for film critics who must approach it objectively. What if it’s not good, despite the sincerity and courage? What if the inventive process of making it is the best part of its legacy? What if the craft is consumed by underdog hype and passion? What if the behind-the-scenes story is more interesting than the film’s story? What sort of euphemisms might one have to use to be kinder to gutsy ‘outsider’ art? The anxiety is more heightened with a film like Tanmaya Shekhar’s Nukkad Naatak: a crowd-funded, self-promoted and self-distributed indie whose guerrilla marketing campaign features a recent cross-country road trip in a rented caravan. It wears its defiance on its sleeve. The premise is even designed to be curious and socially expressive — a sign that commentary might be used to offset a lack of depth.