Fri, October 2 2026

Drishyam 3 may not reinvent the game, but it knows exactly how to keep you playing. Unlike the previous instalments, this film is not a remake of a Malayalam original. Instead, it features an original Hindi script developed independently to give the Bollywood franchise a definitive finale.

Drishyam 3 walks a dangerous line. How many times can you revisit the same crime, the same family and the same cat-and-mouse game before the formula begins to show? The film doesn’t reinvent the franchise, but it does just enough to keep you invested. A new police officer, Rajveer Tomar (Jaideep Ahlawat), arrives with one mission, to do what everyone before him failed to — bring Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) to his knees. Rajveer is convinced he has fresh evidence that can finally crack Vijay’s carefully constructed defence. His philosophy is simple: “System ka darr bana rehna chahiye.” And unlike the cops before him, he believes he has the ammunition to make Vijay pay. But Vijay has survived this game before. As he puts it, “Agar hero jail mein gaya, toh audience ko accha lagega?” It’s a line that perfectly captures the franchise’s biggest trick: making you root for a man whose actions are, at best, morally debatable.

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Fri, October 2 2026

Only the sluggish pace one has to endure to get there elicits more yawns than yays

Vijay Salgaonkar’s mind hasn’t stopped ticking for over a decade now. Thinking two steps ahead of the law every living second, he expects the Damocles sword hanging above his head to drop any day and destroy the people he so intently protects. It’s a dysfunctional dynamic to function in but the Salgaonkars don’t mind so long as they survive the storm as a close-knit family. At what cost? The makers of Drishyam do not ask. Over the course of these 11 years, they’ve started to resemble apparitions going around in circles and conning the cops as a team. The ghost of Sameer Deshmukh’s unresolved mystery continues to loom large over the franchise, which arrives at its conclusion in the final instalment of the trilogy.

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Fri, October 2 2026

‘शब्दों में झूठ छुपने की जगह ढूंढ़ लेते हैं, लेकिन दृश्य कभी झूठ नहीं बोलते।’ लोगों की आम धारणा यही होती है कि आंखों देखा कभी झूठ नहीं होता। इसी सोच का फायदा उठाकर साल 2015 में गोवा के विजय सलगांवकर ने ‘दृश्यम’ का ऐसा खेल रचा कि सारी पुलिस और सिस्टम के सच धराशाई हो गए। दर्शक इस चौथी फेल के जबरा फैन हो गए। अब ‘दृश्यम’ के उसी चक्रव्यूह के साथ विजय आखिरी बार पर्दे पर उतरा है। इसलिए, लोगों का उत्साह चरम पर है और सच कहें तो थोड़ा गिरते-पड़ते, बाल-बाल बचते, आखिर में इस बार भी उसने बाजी मार ली है।

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Fri, October 2 2026

Think Ricky Gervais’ legendary Golden Globes monologue, ruthlessly shaming the rich and privileged sitting in the same room, colliding with the manic energy of a lovestruck Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch. If you’re game for this strange and lethal concoction of roast and reality, Digger is quite a ride.

Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise), an aging American oil tycoon, lives in an isolated mansion with his ailing white cat. Accustomed to getting his way and surrounded by people too afraid to disappoint him, Digger is not easily rattled. However, when the consequences of his reckless actions in Greenland threaten to unleash a climate catastrophe across Northern Europe, he is forced to confront a crisis of his own making. With the help of Dr. Ganesh (Riz Ahmed) and the President of the United States, Digger must race against time to contain the damage and halt the unfolding disaster. But can a man who spent his life exploiting the planet and people, find a way to save it?

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Fri, October 2 2026

जैसे हर सिक्के के दो पहलू होते हैं, वैसे ही हर किसी का अपना सच होता है। एक ही बात को अलग-अलग इंसान, अलग-अलग नजरिए से देखते हैं। इसलिए, सवाल यह है कि किसके सच पर भरोसा किया जाए और इसी उलझन में दर्शकों को डूबने-उतरने पर मजबूर करती है हॉलीवुड फिल्म ‘वेरिटी’। ऐनी हैथवे और डकोटा जॉनसन जैसे दो बेहतरीन और हसीन एक्‍ट्रेसेस से सजी यह साइकोलॉजिकल थ्र‍िलर फिल्‍म मशहूर लेखिका कोलीन हूवर के चर्चित उपन्यास पर आधारित है। सच की धुंध इस थ्रिलर की ताकत भी है और कमजोरी भी, क्योंकि कहानी का रहस्य आपको तो बांधता है, पर कंफ्यूज भी करता है।

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Thu, October 1 2026

Verity is one of those psychological thrillers where, once it starts, you find yourself glued to the screen, waiting to see what happens next. And honestly, how often does a thriller manage to do that?

Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel of the same name, the film has been directed by Michael Showalter, who keeps the suspense alive through a steady stream of twists, secrets and revelations. Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who gets an unexpected opportunity when she is hired to complete the bestselling series of Verity Crawford, a successful author who is now bedridden and unable to continue writing. Verity’s husband Jeremy and her publishers want Lowen to take over the series, but there’s a catch: she has to move into the Crawford family home in Vermont and go through Verity’s work — her manuscripts, notes, documents and everything she has left behind.

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Fri, October 2 2026

लड़के ने लड़की को सरे-स्टेज शादी के लिए प्रपोज़ किया। लड़की भीड़ में तो कुछ कह नहीं पाई लेकिन दो मिनट बाद कमरे में उसने साफ इंकार कर दिया, अंगूठी उतार फेंकी। लड़का बोला-मैं मर जाऊंगा। लड़की बोली-मेरी बला से। लड़का झूल गया। सब लोग लड़की के पीछे पड़ गए-दोस्त, पड़ोसी, मीडिया, समाज और कानून भी, कि उसी ने लड़के को आत्महत्या के लिए उकसाया था। अब बताइए, कौन सही है कौन गलत…? बरसों पहले ‘पिंक’ (Pink) के रिव्यू में मैंने लिखा था, ‘छोटे कपड़े पहनने वाली लड़कियां। दोस्तों के साथ शराब पीने और नॉन-वैज चुटकुले सुनने-सुनाने वाली लड़कियां। रात को पार्टियों में जाने वाली लड़कियां। पर क्या ये होती हैं ‘खराब’ लड़कियां? आसानी से बिस्तर पर जाने को तैयार लड़कियां? क्या हक नहीं होता इन्हें ‘न’ कहने का? और अगर ये राजी न हों तो क्या हक मिल जाता है लड़कों को, समाज को इन्हें दबाने का, कुचलने का, मार देने का?’

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Thu, October 1 2026

Whenever this film moves away from the train and indulges in a fairy tale about a man and a woman finding themselves and falling in love again and again, Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai shows what it could have been...

Eternal. There is so much positivity to the idea of something being eternal. But is it always a great thing? Experiencing a love that transcends time and space is a beautiful feeling, but what if it comes with the pain of separation, the angst of yearning, and the burden of repetition? In fact, the nameless protagonist (Nivin Pauly) of director Ram’s latest, Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai, is an immortal being who has been walking through the sands of time for over 8,000 years. He is worldly wise, weary, and anything but winsome. But one can’t blame him for his irritable demeanour because, as Kamal Haasan wrote in Uttama Villain, “Saagavaram pol sogam undo…” (Is there anything sadder than being immortal?) What keeps him walking on the face of the earth? Love. So an immortal falls in love with someone (Anjali); he has met her five times over 8,000 years, and between each meeting, he craves her and lives his life searching for her. Now, this timeless love story has all the makings of a… let’s say timeless love story. But even with the backing of a whimsical idea, it is perplexing to see Ram try to ground his film in a moving train that, unfortunately, chugs around in circles.

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Thu, October 1 2026

The latest retelling of John Steinbeck's classic novel by Zoe Kazan is an ambitious, sprawling saga that attempts to do justice to the author's work.

In 1955, Elia Kazan directed the James Dean starrer, East of Eden, which followed the last part of John Steinbeck’s semi-autobiographical 1952 novel. Dean played Cal Trask, who fights for his father’s love alongside his perfect brother Aron. A new Netflix limited series on the material, written and showrun by Elia’s granddaughter, Zoe Kazan, goes deep into the novel, exploring the Biblical themes, characters and the promise of America at the turn of the century. Backed by a strong cast, East of Eden follows the doomed marriage of Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Cathy (Florence Pugh) that spills over its sins to the next generation. Finely acted, the ambitious and largely faithful period drama really gets into the characterisation from the novel, while also immersing viewers into its self-righteous world.

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Wed, September 30 2026

Don’t Be Shy, the new Prime Video original movie directed by Sreeti Mukerji and produced by Alia Bhatt, is a coming-of-age drama that fundamentally undercooks its characters. We discuss how the film’s bloated, two-hour-plus runtime wastes the potential of its unlikable protagonist and buries meaningful character development under unnecessary musical numbers and low-stakes college fest drama. We also talk about the frustratingly dated, millennial-coded writing that relies on tired “gym bro” tropes, superficial relationships, and corporate internship aspirations. Along the way, we lament the underutilisation of Kunaal Roy Kapur’s professor character, question the afterthought inclusion of chapter markers, and wonder when Bollywood will finally level up to the standard of Hollywood coming-of-age films from the 2000s, let alone the modern era.

Sat, September 26 2026

Don't Be Shy, backed by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, and directed by Sriti Mukerji, tells the story of an ambitious and controlling Shy. While the film is well-intended, the makers never go the extra mile to tell an effective story

Ever so often, Bollywood wants to speak the language of the youth. However, in an attempt to address their issues and growing pains, the industry often ends up stereotyping Gen Z and making them look superfluous. In Don’t Be Shy, director Sriti Mukerji attempts to tell a Gen Z story, but sets it in the early 2000s and delivers a very run-of-the-mill, coming-of-age campus tale. While it begins on a promising note, the film eventually becomes predictable and rather silly by the end. Produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy introduces fresh faces to the film industry. The cast delivers credible performances, but does that salvage the film? Only in parts.

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Fri, September 25 2026

1998 में जब करण जौहर ‘कुछ कुछ होता है’ लेकर आए थे तो दर्शक सोचते थे कि अपने देश में कहां पर होते हैं ऐसे कॉलेज जिनमें इतनी रंगीनी हो, इतनी चमक-दमक हो, जहां पढ़ाई के अलावा सब कुछ होता हो…? लेकिन वह फिल्म सुहानी हवा के झोंके की तरह आई थी। आर्चीज़ कॉमिक्स से निकली कहानी, कसी हुई स्क्रिप्ट, सधा हुआ निर्देशन, बड़े सितारे, शानदार म्यूज़िक और… फिल्म सुपरहिट। इसके 14 बरस बाद एक बार फिर करण जौहर ‘स्टूडैंट ऑफ द ईयर’ लेकर आए तो हम दर्शक फिर हैरान हुए कि यार, कहां होते हैं ऐसे स्कूल-कॉलेज जिनमें इस तरह की भौंडी हरकतें होती हों, इस तरह के चमकीले जीव ‘पढ़ाई’ के नाम पर फूहड़ता करते हों। लेकिन यह फिल्म भी अपनी चमक-दमक और रसीले एंटरटेनमैंट के चलते युवा दर्शकों को ही सही, पसंद आ गई थी।

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Mon, September 28 2026

If the 2017 original was a euphoric, barefoot sprint through childhood fantasies, this luminous sequel is a melancholic exhale of coming of age.

In contemporary Indian cinema, few voices capture the anguish and alchemy of rural survival quite like Rima Das. With Village Rockstars 2, the auteur returns to the flood-bitten plains of Assam, proving that lightning can indeed strike twice in the same muddy field. If the 2017 original was a euphoric, barefoot sprint through childhood fantasies, this luminous sequel is a melancholic exhale of coming of age. The cardboard guitars have given way to real strings. Her Apu’s melody is now weighted down by the weight of adulthood, but Dhunu isn’t the tragic sister left behind to fade away.

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Mon, September 28 2026

Sat, September 26 2026

Acceptance is a hard pill to swallow. Perhaps that is why “tolerance” survives in the lexicon of diversity. Here, the word feels almost offensive. Who are we to tolerate someone simply because they fall outside a dictionary definition of who they are supposed to be? Early in Dorothy, Subbu (Sananth) quotes a line about gender discrimination being the worst form of bias. The film treats that not as a slogan but as a first cut. The binary comes first: male or female. Only after that hurdle do caste, class and the other divisions get their turn. Karthik Subbaraj starts with those smaller divisions. When Subbu befriends Karthi (Rishikanth), a young boy from a lower-caste, lower-class family, the film looks ready to walk a familiar road. This is still a Subbaraj film, though, and it is not heading towards a hackneyed triangle, least of all one built around a woman named Dorothy (Keerthy Suresh).

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Sat, September 26 2026

Mon, September 28 2026

Aneet Padda stars in this limited series about a young woman who accuses a powerful godman of rape

A young woman and her parents are at a police station. They’re trying to file a complaint, but the officer they’re speaking to is distracted. Another cop comes by with a box of sweets, says they’re from Saburi, that Baapji makes them with his own hands. The family are offered these as well; the daughter is uncomfortable but is told it’s aashirvaad. She tells the officer again that she wants to report a crime done to her. Badsaluki, she says first, then corrects that to zabardasti. The perpetrator is Baapji. There’s a temple bell, a cry of ‘Baapji ki jai’, and we go into the opening credits.

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Sat, September 26 2026

Fri, September 25 2026

Aneet Padda, Fatima Sana Shaikh remain largely convincing, and own the best moments of the six-episode show.

The rampage of dhongi babas, spellbound bhakts and shell-shocked victims continues apace. The fresh spate began in 2020 with Bobby Deol spreading his beatific smile and vile ways through the multi-season ‘Ashram’ . In 2023, we saw Manoj Bajpayee fighting a lone battle against a powerful self-styled godman, based on the real-life Asaram, in ‘Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai’. That was followed by Jaideep Ahlawat jumping into the role of the rapacious ‘Maharaj’ in a film of the same name in 2024. Now comes ‘Hunkkaar’, in which the excellent Raghubir Yadav plays Baapji, the all-seeing seer who preys upon young girls. While the casting seems, at first glance, to be inspired – I mean, the always likeable Yadav turning into a monster, can you imagine – not being able to overcome the utter familiarity of the subject never allows Hunkkaar to become its own beast.

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Mon, September 28 2026

‘Heart of the Beast’ uses the conventions of the survival genre, but the film’s sincerity is difficult to resist

There are movies that make you jump out of your seat, and then there are movies that make you sit very still, your shoulders slowly tightening, waiting for something terrible to happen. Heart of the Beast belongs to the latter category. Brad Pitt leads this affecting survival drama in which the bond between a retired soldier and his service dog becomes the heart of the story. Director David Ayer’s film is remarkably spare. There is very little dialogue, few characters and, for long stretches, just Brad Pitt and Odin, a German Shepherd, navigating an unforgiving wilderness. Yet the film rarely feels empty. Its silences become part of the storytelling, allowing the landscape, the sounds of the forest, Jared Michael Fry’s evocative score and the two central performances to carry the weight.

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Sun, September 27 2026

A story about a man and a dog—that one line is enough for suckers like me to get excited about a film, and David Ayer’s Heart of the Beast doesn’t disappoint. Ayer is known for his action films (The Beekeeper, Fury, Suicide Squad), and even though the human protagonist is a retired army man, this film is really about the bond between him and his dog.

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Fri, September 25 2026

My five minutes of joy — and, more importantly, of peace — are when I lay my head on my furry baby’s stomach and talk her through my day. The highs, the lows, the mundane and the momentous… I talk to her about everything. She responds with a few grunts (if I am lucky), but I am mostly greeted with an unstifled yawn. But her eyes tell me she understands. That she shares and cares. That alone is enough to help me power through yet another day.

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Sun, September 27 2026

Directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, Bandkhor deals with the emancipation of women across generations. While it occasionally takes a sledgehammer approach to make its point, it never strays from its central theme—the main plot and subplots all revolve around women. As for the sledgehammer approach, given the state of affairs in society, some messages are perhaps best conveyed that way.

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