Guild Reviews
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Action, Thriller, Crime (English)
An assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organization sets out to seek revenge after her father's death.
Cast:
Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Keanu Reeves, Norman Reedus, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ian McShane, Gabriel Byrne, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Robert Maaser
Director:
Len Wiseman
Writer:
Shay Hatten
Mon, June 16 2025
Knives, Guns, Action!
Sat, June 14 2025
A spin-off of the John Wick films, Ballerina represents the fifth installment in the franchise known for its unrestrained action. Additionally, the extended title (From the World of John Wick: Ballerina) indicates that the filmmakers intended for audiences to recognize this as a John Wick film, rather than a standalone entry.
An Effective Origin Story That Expands The John Wick Universe
Sat, June 14 2025
Set around the third installment of the John Wick film series, Ballerina is the story of another assassin from that world who defies the rules and faces consequences. With action set pieces that are increasingly bloody and creative, a well-etched character arc, and a similar philosophical core to its parent series, Ballerina turns out to be an effective companion piece to the John Wick films. However, if you are someone who finds yourself in the theatre unaware of the franchise’s legacy, Ballerina might come across as an excuse for a series of incredibly sophisticated fight sequences stitched together by a semblance of a story. As an origin story, Ballerina takes a familiar route: an orphaned child, robbed of her innocence, with a burning vengeance deep in her heart, that doesn’t let her choose a path that would save her from getting her hands bloody. Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), as a child, witnesses her father die at the hands of a cult while saving her from their grasp. She grows up with her father’s family, which turns out to be the Ruska Roma, the same criminal organisation that John Wick belongs to. Under the mentorship of its Director (Anjelica Huston), Eve is taught to become an assassin and, more importantly, to “fight like a girl." However, that’s the extent to which the film explores gender politics, as there isn’t a lot of depth to Eve, and she does almost everything John would have done in her place.
Stolen
Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
The five-month-old baby of impoverished tribal woman Jhumpa Mahato is stolen. Two brothers, Gautam and Raman, who witness the kidnapping, try to help her and become embroiled in the complexities of the investigation.
Cast:
Abhishek Banerjee, Shubham, Mia Maelzer, Sahidur Rahaman, Harish Khanna
Director:
Karan Tejpal
Writer:
Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra
Mon, June 16 2025
The Great Divide
Sun, June 15 2025
Stolen is a rare film in Hindi cinema that maintains a clear focus on its central issue and is executed with precision. There is no unnecessary meandering, nor are there any subplots that detract from the main narrative – this is a meaty film.
A Spotify Review
Fri, June 13 2025
After producing two movies about a hyper-masculine cop who literally lynches people, Nikkhil Advani has attached himself as an executive producer to Stolen, the new survival thriller on Prime Video. In addition to Advani, the movie needed the support of heavy hitters such as Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, and Vikramaditya Motwane in order to get a release after a festival run that began in 2023. Fortunately, it did, because it’s one of the better-made Hindi features of the year. We talk about the film’s many layers, and how director Karan Tejpal weaves them into a tight narrative. We also discuss the film’s larger commentary about contemporary India, and some of the writing missteps that it makes.
Second Chance
Drama (Hindi)
After experiencing the first major trauma of her young life, Nia retreats to her family summer home in the Himalayas where time, nature and unlikely friendships help her heal.
Cast:
Dheera Johnson, Thakri Devi, Kanav Thakur, Rajesh Kumar, Ganga Ram
Director:
Subhadra Mahajan
Writer:
Subhadra Mahajan
Assured debut takes the time to sit with grief
Sun, June 15 2025
Writer-director Subhadra Mahajan demonstrates remarkable confidence in her debut feature—a lyrical film that explores grief, loss and healing in the spiritual setting of a hill town, characterised by silence and stillness. Set in the Pir Panjal mountains of Himachal Pradesh during winter, the film follows 25-year-old Nia (Dheera Johnson), who takes refuge in her family’s remote summer home after experiencing personal loss. This escape from family, city, and a painful reality offers Nia the opportunity to work through her turmoil and emerge from the darkness. Rather than surrounding Nia with noise or heavy backstory, Mahajan distils the narrative down to essentials. Nia lives alone in the cosy house, blanketing herself from the cold and her own pain, until she begins to forge an unlikely bond with the caretaker Bhemi (Thakri Devi) and her playful grandson Sunny (Kanav Thakur). In spite of class differences, three generations coexist and build human connection through small chores, simple joys, and wordless understanding—spurred by rustic cricket games, local delicacies, and a cute kitten.
A Poetic Feature Debut About Revival & Unlearning
Sat, June 14 2025
The idea of a second chance is often linked to redemption, an opportunity to right a wrong. In Subhadra Mahajan’s stunningly shot, monochrome feature, Second Chance, the prospect gathers a restorative quality. The filmmaker slows down the immediacy, making second chances more about unlearning than learning. The difference is slight but lends ingenuity to a familiar premise. Nia (Dheera Johnson) is an affluent young woman who has retreated to the hills. Not much information is laid out, but not much is required. The film opens with a black screen, punctuated with her voice – shaky, disillusioned and desperate. She is trying to reach out to someone called Kabir over the phone to inform him that she has taken the pills. The next moment, Nia stands facing the snow-clad mountains. The juxtaposition of her frail being with the towering silhouette informs the narrative context, conveying her existential confinement. Still, the possibility of the ice thawing underlines the spiritual subtext of the film. Mahajan’s feature is as much about finding light at the end of the tunnel as it is about scouring light in the tunnel.
Grab first chance for Second Chance
Sat, June 14 2025
We all deserve a second chance. Does life offer it easily enough though? In the lands where nature blooms, time stands still, simplicity reigns and humanity is not a casualty, nothing is impossible. Thus, when a young girl, Nia (Dheera Johnson), returns to her hill home in the Himalayas, coping with personal trauma, heartbreak and more, her journey also transforms into one of self-awareness and self-realisation. ‘Second Chance’ is as much about personal healing as offering comfort to those who have been instrumental in making Nia feel whole again. Far away from the hustle and bustle of city life, as she spends idyllic time in a small village in the mountains, the baggage that urbanisation and modern lifestyle choices often impose is shed. First through her interactions with a young boy, Sunny (Kanav Thakur), son of the caretaker of her home, and more strongly with his grandmother (Thakuri Devi). Slowly, Nia not only finds closure but also ways to refresh, rejuvenate and connect with those far removed from her urban reality.
Predator: Killer of Killers
Animation, Action, Science Fiction (English)
While three of the fiercest warriors in human history—a Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a WWII pilot—are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent: the ultimate killer of killers.
Cast:
Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn, Doug Cockle, Damien C. Haas, Lauren Holt, Jeff Leach, Cherami Leigh, Alessa Luz Martinez
Director:
Dan Trachtenberg
A dazzlingly animated gore-fest with heart, humour, and horrific violence
Sat, June 14 2025
While many people have tried to project meaning onto Steven Spielberg’s Jaws — some have called it a parable about the Vietnam War, others have described it as a post-Watergate examination of the American middle-class — the movie is perhaps best enjoyed as a piece of pulp, devoid of any subtext at all. It is, after all, about a people-eating shark. Some things should remain uncomplicated. Nothing, for instance, would suck the joy out of a Predator movie more than trying to extract a deeper meaning from it. The franchise’s surprise new instalment, the animated offshoot Predator: Killer of Killers, embraces the simplicity at its core. And although it’s written by two grown men, it has the giddy energy of something concocted by teenage boys.
Bhool Chuk Maaf
Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction (Hindi)
Ranjan, a small-town romantic boy from Banaras, lands a government job to marry Titli, but forgets to vow to Lord Shiva, causing him to be trapped in a time loop. A hilarious tale of love, fate, and redemption unfolds, as Ranjan tries to end the loop and get married.
Cast:
Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Raghubir Yadav, Seema Pahwa, Zakir Hussain, Anubha Fatehpuria, Himanshu Kohli, Sanjay Mishra, Ishtiyak Khan, Dhanashree Verma
Director:
Karan Shrikant Sharma
Rajkummar Rao has become the poster boy for losers; he plays the same character over and over again
Sat, June 14 2025
Nobody is above being typecast, not even Shah Rukh Khan. But while the Badshah of Bollywood has broken hearts and weakened knees with his culture-defining romance movies, Rajkummar Rao has become the patron saint of losers. Far too many times in the last decade, the once-promising star has played versions of the same person: a small town layabout whose overwhelming uselessness is inexplicably presented as innocent charm. The secret behind these characters’ appeal is never revealed, nor does Rao play them as particularly irresistible. In fact, in most of these movies, not only are the protagonists indistinguishable from each other, they’re positively repulsive. Even Rao would’ve struggled to bring freshness to his performance in Bhool Chuk Maaf, the latest in this long line of films.
Fri, May 30 2025
Why cinemagoers may be unforgiving
Mon, May 26 2025
Ranjan (Rajkummar Rao) and Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi) want to get married. Time won’t allow them to. Funnily, it’s running time which the makers struggle to move along in this comedy about Ranjan’s tryst with time to reach his final destination. The plot is the least of problems for Bhool Chuk Maaf. In fact it’s the only ingenious bit in the film. It’s the characterisation of the lead hero, Ranjan, which makes this a hard pill to swallow. If one is to root for this guy’s predicament, one’s unable to because on paper there’s not much appealing about him. His ambition is simple: get a government job so as to marry his sweetheart; the means to go about it are questionable and ultimately off-putting. It makes Titli’s penchant for him all the more puzzling. Love does have mysterious ways, but surely idiocy isn’t one.
Rana Naidu S02
Crime, Drama, Mystery (Hindi)
Rana Naidu can solve any problem in Bollywood. But when his father is suddenly released from prison, the one mess he can’t handle may be his own.
Cast:
Rana Daggubati, Venkatesh, Arjun Rampal
Rana Daggubati show keeps it kinetic as fists and bullets fly
Sat, June 14 2025
Rana Naidu is back for a second-go-round, and this season is as kinetic as the first, fists and bullets flying. It also dials down the crassness, which is a good thing. The close ties that keeps the Naidu parivaar together are still intact, though, and that gives this heavy-on-action saga the occasional emo touch, which we saw in the first season. This franchise, adapted from American crime drama ‘Ray Donovan’ for India by Karan Anshuman, is shaping up to deliver on what it promises: a family man trying to do his best to keep his embattled flock safe even as he goes full tilt at what he is paid to – fix things for powerful people.
कहानी के झोल नहीं फिक्स कर पाया राणा नायडू
Sat, June 14 2025
बाहरवालों के लिए अमीरों के लफड़े फिक्स करने वाला नंबर वन फिक्सर, मगर परिवार के लिए जान छिड़कने वाला फैमिली मैन राणा नायडू एक बार फिर दर्शकों के बीच आ चुका है। ‘बाहुबली’ के भल्लालदेव यानी साउथ स्टार राणा दग्गुबाती की मुख्य भूमिका वाली सीरीज का पहला सीजन सेक्स सीन, गालियों और हिंसा की भरमार के लिए आलोचना झेलने के बावजूद स्टाइलिश एक्शन, थ्रिलर और फैमिली ड्रामा की वजह से पसंद किया गया था। लिहाजा मेकर्स अब उन्हीं मसालों के साथ ‘राणा नायडू’ का दूसरा सीजन लेकर आए हैं। सीरीज में इस बार भी जोरदार एक्शन, मारधाड़, हिंसा, बोल्ड सीन जैसे पुराने तड़कों के साथ सियासत, सिनेमा, क्रिकेट का कॉकटेल परोसा गया है। हालांकि, इन सारे मसालों के बावजूद मूल सामग्री यानी कहानी की मात्रा गड़बड़ाने के कारण सीरीज का स्वाद फीका रह गया है। अमेरिकी क्राइम थ्रिलर सीरीज ‘रे डोनोवन’ का देसी अवतार यानी अपना राणा नायडू (राणा दग्गुबाती), अब वह दूसरों की गंदगी साफ करने वाले फिक्सर के अपने पुराने धंधे को छोड़कर पूरी तरह फैमिली मैन बनने का फैसला करता है। हालांकि, वह ऐसा करने की सोच ही रहा होता है कि उसका अतीत रऊफ मिर्जा (अर्जुन रामपाल) का रूप धारण करके उसके सामने आ जाता है और उसके बेटे का किडनैप हो जाता है। जाहिर है राणा को वापस अपराध में उस दलदल में उतरना पड़ता है। इस चक्कर में उसकी मुठभेड़ होती है, काले धंधे करने वाले सफेदपोश रईस विराज ओबरॉय (रजत कपूर) से।
(Writing for M9 News)
Toned Down, Watchable
Sat, June 14 2025
Rana faces a deadly mission to rescue his kidnapped son Ani, reluctantly teaming with his estranged father Naga. His conflict with underworld kingpin Rauf escalates, involving family tensions, a dangerous heist, and brutal attacks on his allies. As betrayal looms, Rana joins hands with a business honcho, Viraj Oberoi, to protect his family and confront Rauf’s forces, going on the offensive. Rana Daggubati is totally in his zone as the angsty, middle-aged fixer and family man. He’s solid as a flawed character willing to do whatever it takes to protect his people. With his action-hero vibe, natural ease in family scenes, and steady presence around shady power players, he once again delivers strong, impactful screen presence. Surveen Chawla, as his troubled partner, delivers well in a meatier role this time.
How to Train Your Dragon
Action, Family, Fantasy (English)
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Cast:
Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz
Director:
Dean DeBlois
Writer:
Dean DeBlois
Dean DeBlois's Fantasy Drama Is Redundant Yet Thoroughly Enjoyable
Sat, June 14 2025
Some tales are beyond redundancy. Despite the utmost familiarity and success, they get retold again and again throughout history, and we call them classics. Hence, a question about the purpose of a new iteration of an age-old classic is unnecessary, to an extent, absurd. How To Train Your Dragon, written by Cressida Cowell, is one such story. Hence, despite the tremendous success of its animated adaptation of the same name that was released in 2010, we now have a live-action version. However, DreamWorks Studio’s decision to do a live-action remake has more to do with easy profit than anything else. Following Disney’s route, the studio has ventured into this new space, and one should say they have hit a jackpot. Despite being a faithful remake of the original, the live-action remake retains the joy and visual spectacle that is a treat to both sets of audience: those who are and are not aware of this delectable world of dragons and Vikings.
Materialists
Romance, Drama, Comedy (English)
A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
Cast:
Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoe Winters, Marin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova, Emmy Wheeler, Louisa Jacobson, Eddie Cahill, Sawyer Spielberg
Director:
Celine Song
Writer:
Celine Song
प्रेम त्रिकोण के बहाने भौतिकवाद पर कटाक्ष
Sat, June 14 2025
कहते हैं कि जोड़ियां आसमान में बनती हैं, मगर जब जमीं पर जीवनभर का रिश्ता जोड़ने यानी शादी की बात आती है, तो ज्यादा अहम क्या होना चाहिए? दिलों का तार जुड़ना या रूप-रंग, पढ़ाई-कमाई, उम्र-कद जैसी कैलकुलेशन? इस जटिल सवाल का बड़े ही सरल तरीके से पड़ताल करती है, डकोटा जॉनसन, क्रिस इवांस, पेड्रो पास्कल की बेहतरीन अदाकारी से सजी फिल्म ‘मटीरियलिस्ट्स’। कहानी एक स्मार्ट और महत्वाकांक्षी मैच मेकर लूसी (डकोटा जॉनसन) की है। अपने काम में बेहद माहिर लूसी का मानना है कि शादी एक डील है, जहां लड़के-लड़की की चेकलिस्ट का मैच होना ज्यादा मायने रखता है। इस चेकलिस्ट मिलान में अपनी काबिलियत की बदौलत वह 9 जोड़ों की शादी करवा चुकी है। लूसी का अपने लाइफ पार्टनर के लिए एक ही मापदंड है कि वह बेहिसाब पैसे वाला हो। उसे हैरी (पेड्रो पास्कल) के रूप में 12 मिलियन डॉलर के अपार्टमेंट में रहने वाला पैदाइशी रईस, साथ में सज्जन, स्मार्ट और छह फिट से भी लंबा, यानी मैचमेकिंग की दुनिया में यूनिकॉर्न बंदा मिल जाता है। पर एक झोल है।
Celine Song Elevates the ‘Fluffy’ Romcom Genre Piece with Her Curiosity
Sat, June 14 2025
“Dating is not (a) serious (business),” John (Chris Evans) tells Lucy (Dakota Johnson) at one point in Celine Song’s sophomore directorial venture, Materialists. He could try telling this to those in their 20s and 30s who spend an inordinate amount of time on dating apps, matrimonial sites, and social media – consuming other people’s proposals, cocktail parties, pre-wedding shoots, gender-reveals. While most (especially those in proximity to the therapy discourse these days) are able to articulate their likes and dislikes, identifying socio-economic backgrounds and political leanings, one also risks being almost hyper self-aware (and self-indulgent) while searching for a partner. In the history of mankind, this is arguably the most cynicism we might have seen around concepts like love, marriage, fulfilment through a partner. The wild, wild west is nothing compared to modern dating – something Lucy knows better than most. Few people are willing to compromise on preferences, making their mental checklists that much more knotty.
(Writing for OTT Play)
How Can You Not Be Romantic About Love?
Sat, June 14 2025
CELINE SONG’S Materialists opens in a cave. In a past life, perhaps. A caveman offers a ring made of flowers to a cavewoman; she is moved by his proposal. All they need is love — and a tiny material consummation of it. It’s a sweet and wordless sequence. The film instantly switches to the high-tempo Manhattan life of 35-year-old matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson). She is a master at “dating math”: ticking boxes, reducing surnames to alphabets, catering to clients’ dreams, perpetuating the dehumanisation of modern dating. The abrupt cut from the past to the present — or the present to the future — reveals both evolution and the erasure of it. Back then, it was a symbol. Now it’s a status symbol. It’s a swift but suggestive transition. Somewhere along the way, capitalism in the age of love slowly repositioned itself as love in the age of capitalism.
Alappuzha Gymkhana
Action, Drama, Comedy (Malayalam)
A group of youngsters, after failing their plus two exams, aims to join a common college through the sports quota. They choose boxing as their sport. By luck, they manage to survive the district-level competitions. But what will happen at the higher levels?
Cast:
Naslen, Lukman Avaran, Ganapathi S Poduval, Sandeep Pradeep, Anagha Maya Ravi, Franco Francis, Baby Jean, Shiva Hariharan, Shon Joy, Karthik
Director:
Khalid Rahman
Writer:
Khalid Rahman, Sreeni Saseendran
(Writing for M9 News)
Quirky Sports Saga Minus Clichesalappuzha-gymkhana-8
Sat, June 14 2025
Five friends who fail their 12th-grade exams seek college admission through sports quota (boxing). Led by Jojo Johnson, they join the local Alappuzha Gymkhana boxing school under coach Salim, and later, Antony Joshua. What begins as a casual effort to bide their time evolves into a tale of friendship, self-discovery, and grit as they train and compete in district/state championships. Though Naslen is the most recognisable face in the film, the story wisely avoids overly distracting itself to give him more prominence. It still makes the most of his goofy persona, and the actor fits the role of Jojo perfectly. Lukman Avaran is well-cast as the hot-blooded coach, while Anagha Ravi has a lot of fun in her brief appearance.
Why Alappuzha Gymkhana's best punches are its jokes
Tue, April 15 2025
The heroes of Malayalam sports comedy Alappuzha Gymkhana are more laughing punching bags than lean and mean fighting machines. In the adept hands of co-writer-director Khalid Rahman, it’s what makes them worth rooting for. Never has following failure been this much fun and worth reflecting on. Jojo Johnson (Naslen Gafoor), Cheruth (Franco Francis), DJ aka David John (Habish Rahman), Shanu (Shiva Hariharan) and more are a bunch of good-for-nothing fellows struggling to clear school grade 12. Failure, though, doesn’t dent their confidence. Jojo comes with a bright idea of taking up boxing to get into college through sports quota. Little do the boys know what they have signed up for. So begins a film where Rahman lands more punches of the humorous kind as he follows guys big on ambition and short on experience, and in a few cases boxing talent, struggle in the ring.
The most fun you’ll have at the cinema this year
Sun, April 13 2025
Five skinny dudes turn up at the Alappuzha gym and announce that they want to learn boxing. The man at the desk says, that’ll be a thousand in advance, plus monthly fees. The boys murmur about not being able to afford it. Fine, the official says, how about 300? There’s a chorus of assent, but one of them hopefully asks, EMI? They say you shouldn’t put a hat on a hat, place a joke on top of another. Khalid Rahman’s Malayalam film Alappuzha Gymkhana is the exception to this rule. There are jokes within jokes, jokes appended to jokes, jokes hanging off other jokes like the last commuter on a packed bus. And it all works. This is a slacker comedy that’s works hard, a babbling stream of slapstick, non sequiturs, sight gags and general silliness. Along the way, it also manages to be a damn good boxing film.
The Traitors
Reality (English)
Here 20 players will openly betray each other for daily eliminations to compete for a grand prize. Hidden amongst the innocent players are the traitors who are out to murder each night. In this ruthless game, trust is rare and betrayal everywhere
Cast:
Karan Johar, Karan Kundra, Jannat Jubair, Mukesh Chhabra, Jasmin Bhasin, Raj Kundra, Raftaar, Harsh Gujral, Uorfi Javed, Sahil Salathia
(Writing for M9 News)
Bigg Boss Meets Roadies
Sat, June 14 2025
Based on the popular Dutch reality show De Verraders, The Traitors is hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar. In this psychological game, 20 players are stationed at the grand Suryagarh Palace in Rajasthan, openly betraying each other to compete for a prize of ₹1 crore. Hidden among the innocents are the traitors, who secretly ‘murder’ players. The contestant line-up includes Karan Kundrra, Anshula Kapoor, Sudhanshu Pandey, Jasmine Bhasin, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Chhabra, Raftaar, Jannat Zubair, Sahil Salathia, Uorfi Javed, Harsh Gujral, Maheep Kapoor, and Raj Kundra. The Traitors, in its Indian debut, could be labelled a social deduction game – a classier hybrid of Bigg Boss and Roadies, where players are housed in a royal mansion, pitted against each other, guarding their true identities and undertaking adventurous tasks that lead to eliminations every episode.
Gamerlog
Comedy, Drama, Family (Hindi)
A teen gaming prodigy joins an underdog Mumbai esports team challenging the champion Wolfclan. As they pursue glory, Raghu seeks Joanna's love while hiding secrets from his past.
Cast:
Kunal Bhan, Anjali Sivaraman, Darsheel Safary
(Writing for Binged)
A Light-Hearted Ode to Game Freaks
Sat, June 14 2025
Raghu, a Surat boy, flees home to join a Mumbai esports team for the Tournament of Champions, where they’ll challenge the elite Wolf Clan. The team faces internal struggles, including Joanna’s mounting debt and the shocking revelation of Raghu’s minor status, which leads to her arrest. Despite multiple setbacks, Gamerlog overcomes adversity, ultimately reaching the finals to face their formidable rivals. Darsheel Safary makes a convincing return to the screen as an adult, playing a confused yet passionate kid, eager to prove himself, yet unsure of how to connect with his gaming peers. But the real standout is Anjali Sivaraman as Joanna. She’s the emotional core of the show, essaying a layered character whose inner conflicts never overshadow her fierce loyalty to her team.
Ronth
Crime, Drama (Malayalam)
Two patrol officers face mounting tensions during a night shift as they navigate dangerous calls while confronting their strained partnership and personal demons.
Cast:
Roshan Mathew, Dileesh Pothan, Sudhi Koppa, Rajesh Madhavan, Jitin Puthanchery, Krisha Kurup, Nandan Unni, Arun, Lakshmi Menon, Roshan Abdul Rahoof
Director:
Shahi Kabir
Writer:
Shahi Kabir
A Humane Buddy Cop Thriller About the Loss of One’s Innocence
Sat, June 14 2025
During certain passages in Shahi Kabir’s Ronth , we do not feel like we’re watching the story of two separate police officers, played by Roshan Mathew and Dilesh Pothan. Instead, the sparks in Shahi Kabir’s writing give us the feeling that we’re watching one person on two opposite ends of a character arc with each character representing a before and an after scenario of what serving in the police force can do to you. On one end of this arc is Roshan’s Dinnath, a junior officer at the Dharamshala police station in Idukki, still naive and open-eyed about the kind of upright police officer he wants to be. On the other is his senior Yohannan (Dileesh Pothan), decades into his service and closer in form to the pot-bellied police officer we’re used to seeing in real life. ohannan appears to be far more practical and real, almost to a fault. At one point, we see him taking money from a priest after an accident. Yohannan figures by going close to the priest that the latter’s had a glass of wine, but instead of letting him go easy, Yohannan asks the priest to cough up a certain an amount of money. Yohannan is quick to clarify that this amount is not a bribe. He explains to Dinnath about the money he needs to pay the garage for fixing up their police jeep and how difficult it is to be able to get a refund from the police department. When Yohannan ends up giving us his side of the story, we needn’t fully agree with his point, but we understand where he’s coming from.
An engrossing cop drama that does not miss a beat
Sat, June 14 2025
One day might not be enough to get to know a person inside out, but Shahi Kabir’s Ronth almost achieves the impossible of giving us a peek into the deepest recesses of the hearts and minds of not one, but two people over the course of a single night. The writer-director pulls this off not through grand scenarios, but the crucial little details, which are sprinkled throughout the film. These are the kind of details that can be absorbed only by those who have actually lived through similar scenarios, which Kabir has, as a former police officer. Like, the scene where a senior policeman accepts a bribe to let off an inebriated priest involved in a road accident. In most films, such a scene, meant as part of character delineation without much connection to the larger narrative, would end there. Instead, here, it spills over into the next scene in the police jeep, where the policeman explains to his junior that the money is not meant for him, but to pay for the repairs of the jeep, since the reimbursements from the department take a long time to come. The scene thus gently transforms into a commentary on the system, just like the rest of the film.