Gustaakh Ishq
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
Gustaakh Ishq is a heartwarming, quirky tale that explores the complex dynamics of love, art and self-discovery, set against the vibrant backdrop of Old Delhi and the quiet streets of Malerkotla, a city in Punjab. The story follows Pappan, a (more…)
The Family Man 3
Drama, Action & Adventure (Hindi)
The story of a middle-class man who works for a special cell of the National Investigation Agency. While he tries to protect the nation from terrorists, he also has to protect his family from the impact of his secretive, high-pressure, (more…)
120 Bahadur
Action, War (Hindi)
Valiant Indian soldiers fight against Chinese troops during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, preventing a potential occupation of Ladakh region in the Battle of Rezang La. (more…)
Tere Ishk Mein
Romance, Drama, Action (Hindi)
A psychology student attempts to rehabilitate a volatile young man, before evolving into a doomed romance. (more…)
Guild Reviews
Kaisi Ye Paheli
Mystery, Thriller (Hindi)
In a sleepy hill town in northeast India, a lonely mother tries to reconnect with her estranged policeman son by channeling her inner detective to help him solve a murder.
Cast:
Sukant Goel, Sadhana Singh, Rajit Kapoor, Chittaranjan Giri, Rahul Nawach Mukhia, Nishu Dikshit, Rinchen Sherpa, Bindhiya Dhamala, Rajendra Maskey, Ujjaini Deb
Director:
Ananyabrata Chakravorty
Writer:
Ananyabrata Chakravorty
Technical Glitches Mar A Good One-Liner
Sat, November 29 2025
Conceptually, Kaisi Ye Paheli goes for broke. The 95-minute independent film, written and directed by Ananyabrata Chakravorty, wears the cloak of yet another small-town whodunnit. There’s a death in misty Kalimpong; sullen cop Uttam (Sukant Goel) and his boss, Tamang (Chittaranjan Giri), are flummoxed by the details: a religious girl poisoned by a holy sweet? The theatrical Bondo (Rajit Kapur, always) is summoned from Kolkata by the powers that be; the senior sleuth has a direct line to “Didi,” and behaves like he’s an amalgamation of Byomkesh Bakshi and Feluda in his head. Meanwhile, Uttam’s home situation is complicated — he resents his widowed mother (Sadhana Singh) for various reasons, not least because she constantly recalls their past life and late husband. The mother-son bond is strained, she aches for his attention, so it’s amusing when Tamang and team unofficially recruit her to be part of the investigation because of her passion for Bengali detective novels. Uttam’s colleagues confide in her like sons in their downtime; it’s a quirky touch without the energy of a quirky touch.
Tere Ishk Mein
Romance, Drama, Action (Hindi)
A psychology student attempts to rehabilitate a volatile young man, before evolving into a doomed romance.
Cast:
Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, Priyanshu Painyuli, Prakash Raj, Sushil Dahiya
Director:
Aanand L. Rai
Writer:
Himanshu Sharma, Neeraj Yadav
When ‘Raanjhanaa’ and ‘Animal’ Enter A Toxic Relationship
Sat, November 29 2025
Animal’s Rannvijay, Kabir Singh’s Kabir, Rockstar’s Jordan, Tamasha’s Ved and Haseen Dillruba’s Rishu walk into a bar. There is no punchline here, because they are no joke. They participate in a victimhood-measuring contest. Rannvijay declares he had to sleep with a female agent knowing who she was and cheated on his wife to make his dad proud; it was very difficult. Kabir claims he slapped a girl to make her love his alpha masculinity; it was very hard. Jordan says he quotes Rumi and chose to meet his dead soulmate in a field beyond; it wasn’t easy. Ved claims his girlfriend fixed him by rejecting his alter-ego; it was terrible. Rishu declares he chopped off his hand to be with his bad-boy-craving wife; it’s been a sacrifice. In walks Tere Ishk Mein’s Shankar, who lights a cigarette and scoffs at them all.
Intense, Different & Convoluted
Sat, November 29 2025
Director Aanand L. Rai gets it better this time, after serious missteps in his three previous outings, Zero (2018), Atrangi Re (2021) and Raksha Bandhan (2022). To begin with, the title tune (AR Rahman) lingers. Aanand also makes a film that’s well-shot with powerful moments. Like the one where Shankar Gurukkal (Dhanush) tells Mukti (Kriti Sanon) that such a beautiful girl’s hand must land on a cheek and slaps himself hard with her hand. It was there in the promo.
An angry, self-pitying slog
Sat, November 29 2025
Mukti’s stalker has just turned up at her engagement party and thrown Molotov cocktails. She responds by hugging and trying to reason with him. He blames her for everything, threatens to kill her, kill himself, suggests the two of them die by suicide. When he’s finally dragged off by the police, she breaks down in the arms of her fiancé, tells him their tortured history. What manner of comfort might Jassi offer his future wife? The first thing he says is, “Shouldn’t you apologize to him?"
Gustaakh Ishq
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
Gustaakh Ishq is a heartwarming, quirky tale that explores the complex dynamics of love, art and self-discovery, set against the vibrant backdrop of Old Delhi and the quiet streets of Malerkotla, a city in Punjab. The story follows Pappan, a man with a history of failures, who dreams of reviving his father’s legacy.
Cast:
Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sharib Hashmi, Natasha Rastogi, Rohan Verma, Lilliput (M. M. Faruqui), Shashi Bhushan, Jaya Bhattacharya, Samiksha Tripathi
Director:
Vibhu Puri
Writer:
Vibhu Puri
Let There Be Poetry
Sat, November 29 2025
The test of an effective Hindi film these days is the post-screening afterglow. If it’s a loud historical, the chaotic traffic and fumes outside feel like a relief. If it’s a button-pushing social thriller, some walk out with big chests and a renewed passion to blame someone. If it’s a patriotic biopic, there might be wet eyes and a desire to be very Indian. If it’s a love story, men stride out with an inflated sense of self-worth, corny grins and cloud-nine-sized delusions. At different points in life, I’ve been guilty of doing all of the above. Add Gustaakh Ishq to the list, a period drama about poets and lovers that’s so immersive and committed to its setting that I was overcome by an urge to speak in chaste Urdu and rhyme idioms with emotions. The cab driver did not appreciate my use of “qaatil” to describe the waiting time. He sped away the second I started waxing lyrical about English being a flight and Urdu being the nest we come home to.
Languorously Old World
Sat, November 29 2025
Director Vibhu Puri with co-writer Prasshant Jha deftly creates the charm of an old world where men and women battle not with swords but with words, some of it poetic. It is delightful most of the way as Nawabuddin Saifuddin Rehman alias Babban (Vijay Varma) goes out of Old Delhi in search of poet Aziz (Naseeruddin Shah), retired and keen on keeping his passion private. Publishing Aziz will perhaps revive Rehman’s father’s dying printing press, the son on a mission to get that rare writing and turn it into a book.
जाड़ों की नर्म धूप-सा
Fri, November 28 2025
1998 का वक्त। पुरानी दिल्ली में बंद होने के कगार पर खड़ी अपनी प्रिंटिंग प्रैस को बचाने के लिए नवाबुद्दीन रिज़वी जा पहुंचा है पंजाब के मलेरकोटला में शायर अज़ीज़ बेग के पास। सुना है किसी ज़माने में अज़ीज़ मियां मुशायरे लूट लिया करते थे। लेकिन एक ज़ख्म मिला और उन्होंने लिखना ही छोड़ दिया। उनके कलाम भी कभी छप न सके, या कहें कि उन्होंने छपवाए ही नहीं। नवाब चाहता है कि अज़ीज़ साहब उसे अपनी शायरी दे दें। सीधे नहीं कह सकता, सो उनकी शागिर्दी में शायरी सीखने लगता है। लेकिन अज़ीज़ बेग का कहना है कि वो फनकार ही क्या जिसे अव्वल कहलाने के लिए खुद पर बाज़ार की मुहर लगवानी पड़े। इधर अज़ीज़ साहब की शागिर्दी करते हुए उनकी बेटी मन्नत और नवाब का इश्क परवान चढ़ रहा है तो उधर दिल्ली में तंगहाल मुंह बाए खड़ी है। क्या बच पाएगी नवाब की प्रिंटिंग प्रेस? क्या अज़ीज़ बेग अपने कलाम छपवाने पर राज़ी हो जाएंगे? आखिर लिखना क्यों छोड़ा था उन्होंने? क्या नवाब का झूठ पकड़ा जाएगा? मन्नत और नवाब का इश्क मुकम्मल होगा या…!
Nishaanchi 2
Drama, Crime (Hindi)
After another stint in jail, Tony finds that Rinku, his one true love and hope, has been taken by his brother Dabloo. This shocks him into reforming, but Ambika drags him back into crime, with Kamal on his trail. How Manjari gets to have the last laugh, with Tony, Ambika and Kamal at the forefront, forms the rest of the two-part gangster drama.
Cast:
Monika Panwar, Aaishvary Thackeray, Vedika Pinto, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Kumud Mishra, Raghav Juyal, Gaurav Singh, Saharsh Kumar Shukla, Prateek Pachori, Girish Sharma
Director:
Anurag Kashyap
Writer:
Prasoon Mishra, Ranjan Chandel, Anurag Kashyap
A Spotify Review
Fri, November 28 2025
Zootopia 2
Animation, Family, Comedy, Adventure, Mystery (English)
After cracking the biggest case in Zootopia's history, rookie cops Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake arrives and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.
Cast:
Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson
Director:
Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Writer:
Jared Bush
(Writing for OTT Play)
The Snaky Path To Greatness
Fri, November 28 2025
Of all the Disney movies over the years with PG-13 racial metaphors and diversity parables, Zootopia 2 faces the most uphill battle there ever was. For it takes on the task of doing the near-impossible: the destigmatisation of Snakes. The fear and distrust of this reptile is so historically and genetically entrenched in human systems that the real-world subtext is almost secondary. In Zootopia 2, the unlikely police pairing of hyper-rabbit Judy Hopps and red fox Nick Wilde try their darndest to unscramble snake propaganda — a pit viper named Gary De’Snake emerges in the mainland, and everyone is terrorised. Except Judy, who trusts that the snake is the good guy whose ‘people’ have been maligned by the ruling family of lynxes. Gary wants to prove that the land was theirs to begin with (duh), and the patent was stolen by the sly lynxes. History students, unite.
Stranger Things S05
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery, Action & Adventure (English)
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.
Cast:
Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton
Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown Starrer Has Slow Start Yet Ups Emotion And Action
Thu, November 27 2025
After three and a half years, Stranger Things is back, promising a return to the Upside Down and a conflict with Vecna, the big bad who has been controlling the alternate dimension underneath the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. Co-created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is an ode to the 1980s, with terrific references to its music, movies, and pop culture moments. But at its heart, the Netflix story is about friendship and the lengths they will go to save one another. With the first batch of episodes dropping on November 27, it’s time to check back in with the Hawkins gang.
Though far from perfect, jaw-dropping action meets heartfelt emotion in Vol 1 of Stranger Things 5
Thu, November 27 2025
Stranger Things is engaging TV. It is affecting TV. It is emotive TV. And nine years, four seasons and 34 episodes later, we know that Stranger Things is no longer simply TV. What more can be said about this Netflix phenomenon that first came into our lives in the summer of 2016, bringing in a potent mix of science-fiction, horror and mystery packaged in a coming-of-age drama that evoked unbridled ’80s nostalgia, that hasn’t been said before? As the seasons have rolled, the adventures of a rag-tag team of teens taking on forces mythical and supernatural have only grown bigger in scope, scale and storytelling. It has spurred a booming universe of merchandising, live experiences, a Broadway show, a fandom that has made it a pop culture landmark, resurrected interest in things as diverse as Dungeons & Dragons and Eggos, brought Kate Bush back to the top of the charts and rocket-launched the careers of the majority of its young actors. The launch of every season of Stranger Things has been an event, eliciting the kind of tingling-in-the-neck sensation — we know that could be a stretch, but hey, this is Stranger Things — that Will experiences every time he feels Vecna (or as we know by now, is Vecna).
Cast:
Ram Pothineni, Upendra, Bhagyashri Borse, Rao Ramesh, Murali Sharma, Satya, Rahul Ramakrishna, VTV Ganesh
Director:
Mahesh Babu P.
Writer:
Mahesh Babu P.
Ram Pothineni and Upendra lead this feel-good tribute to cinema
Thu, November 27 2025
Some bonds defy rational explanation, like the devotion an ardent fan feels for a film star. What drives someone to go to extraordinary lengths for an actor who may never know they exist? Andhra King Taluka, written and directed by Mahesh Babu P, frames itself as a “biopic of a fan” to explore precisely this question. Through the fictional journey of Sagar (Ram Pothineni), an admirer of superstar Surya Kumar (Upendra), fondly called the “Andhra King”, the film examines how fandom shapes identity and ambition.
120 Bahadur
Action, War (Hindi)
Valiant Indian soldiers fight against Chinese troops during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, preventing a potential occupation of Ladakh region in the Battle of Rezang La.
Cast:
Farhan Akhtar, Raashii Khanna, Sparsh Walia, Ankit Siwach, Vivan Bhatena, Dhanveer Singh, Brijesh Karanwal, Sahib Verma, Eijaz Khan, Ajinkya Deo
Director:
Razneesh Ghai
(Writing for The Daily Eye)
A BAttle Remembered Forever
Mon, November 24 2025
In the last decade, Hindi cinema has witnessed a surge of patriotic historical dramas, each striving to present tales of courage rooted in pivotal moments of India’s past. Within this landscape, 120 Bahadur, directed by Razneesh “Razy” Ghai, sets its sights on one of the most stirring chapters of the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict. Farhan Akhtar steps into the challenging role of Major Shaitan Singh, the charismatic commander whose steadfast leadership during the Battle of Rezang La has long been revered but insufficiently explored on film. The result is a work that marries emotional solemnity with the visceral spectacle of war, aiming to honour a legacy that remains vital to national memory.
मिट्टी पर मिटने वालों की अमिट कहानी
Fri, November 21 2025
1962 का समय। हिन्दी-चीनी भाई-भाई के नारे को ठोकर मारते हुए चीन ने भारत की पीठ में खंजर भोंका था। उसी युद्ध में 18 नवंबर, 1962 को लद्दाख के रेज़ांग ला में एक ऐसी अनोखी लड़ाई लड़ी गई थी जिसमें 120 वीर सिपाहियों की चार्ली कंपनी ने मेजर शैतान सिंह की अगुआई में तीन हज़ार चीनी सैनिकों से भिड़ते हुए उन्हें पीछे हटने पर मजबूर कर दिया था। उस लड़ाई में मात्र 6 सैनिक जीवित बचे थे और मेजर शैतान सिंह समेत बाकी वीरों ने मौत को गले लगाया था। बाद में मेजर शैतान सिंह को मरणोपरांत परमवीर चक्र और उनके सिपाहियों में से आठ को वीर चक्र, एक को अति विशिष्ट सेवा मैडल, चार को सेना पदक व अन्य सम्मान दिए गए। अगर उस दिन ये लोग वहां डट कर नहीं रहते तो चीन भारत में काफी अंदर तक कब्ज़ा कर चुका होता। उन्हीं वीर अहीर सिपाहियों और राजपूत मेजर शैतान सिंह भाटी के अदम्य साहस को सलाम करती है निर्माता फरहान अख्तर की यह फिल्म ‘120 बहादुर’। फरहान अख्तर इसके लिए प्रशंसा के हकदार हैं।
Indo-China war film has a surprisingly soft edge
Fri, November 21 2025
Partly by choice, partly through circumstance, 120 Bahadur is out of sync with the times. Razneesh Ghai’s film, about a famous battle in the Sino-Indian war of 1962, chooses to be stirring, even square. Most Hindi war films adopt a very different tone now. Some viewers might be reminded of the wholesomeness of Lakshya, directed by Farhan Akhtar, 120 Bahadur’s lead actor. That film was made 21 years ago but it may as well be 40 considering how little it has in common with hard, cynical, triumphant films like Uri and Shershaah and Fighter.
The Family Man 3
Drama, Action & Adventure (Hindi)
The story of a middle-class man who works for a special cell of the National Investigation Agency. While he tries to protect the nation from terrorists, he also has to protect his family from the impact of his secretive, high-pressure, and low paying job.
Cast:
Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Vedant Sinha, Ashlesha Thakur, Darshan Kumaar, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nimrat Kaur
The Audacious Mischief of the Earlier Parts is Missing
Sun, November 23 2025
In episode four of the third season of The Family Man – Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) gets nostalgic. He asks JK (Sharib Hashmi) if he remembers Kareem – a dissident Kashmiri student who was killed in the first season because of Srikant’s misplaced suspicion. I might be reading too much into it, but it almost felt like creators Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K. and Suman Kumar were getting wistful about a time during the first season when there was endless possibility.
Same ‘Family Man’ elan
Sat, November 22 2025
Gifted actor Jaideep Ahlawat is not the only common factor between the second season of ‘Paatal Lok’ and the third outing of ‘The Family Man’. At first glance, the plot too seems achingly similar. The storyline is set in the beauteous Northeast — Nagaland, to be precise. A peace accord with the rebels is in order and a grandfather-grandson conflict forms a solid leitmotif. Despite these familiarities, creators Raj & DK are on top of their game once again.
Manoj Bajpayee-Jaideep Ahlawat show is frantic yet obvious
Fri, November 21 2025
The Family Man Season 3 starts from where Season 2 had left off, with top TASC agent Srikant (Manoj Bajpayee) finding himself embroiled in a snowballing crisis in Nagaland. The stakes are higher than ever. Serial bombs have claimed lives. A major casualty can be the high-profile ‘Project Sahakar’, which we are told is on the verge of being signed by ‘all rebel leaders’ in the North East: it is an initiative close to pro-active PM Basu’s (Seema Biswas) heart, meant to address long-standing grievances, and hold out promise of lasting peace and prosperity.
Theeyavar Kulai Nadunga
Crime, Thriller (Tamil)
An Investigative Police officer teams up with an autism school teacher to solve the mystery of a cruel murder happened in a school for autistic children.
Cast:
Arjun Sarja, Aishwarya Rajesh, Ramkumar Ganesan, Abhirami Venkatachalam, Prankster Rahul, Guruappa Krishna Reddy, Praveen Raja
Director:
Dinesh Lakshmanan
Questionable choices drown out the superficially good intentions
Sun, November 23 2025
Theeyavar Kulai Nadunga opens with the gruesome murder of writer Jebanesan (Logu NPKS) on a lonely road, in the middle of the night, by someone wearing a black suit, black shades, and a black helmet. Is it a serial killer? Why was the writer in tears when talking to his daughter? Why was he killed so brutally? Even as these questions crop up, we are introduced to Inspector Magudapathy (Arjun), a no-nonsense cop, who casually reads the book, “Hidden Evidence”. The film wastes no time in plonking Magudapathy right in the middle of this murder, and he is assigned the case since it happened in his jurisdiction. So far, so good, and I hoped this feeling would stay longer… Alas!
Mask
Comedy, Crime, Thriller, Drama (Tamil)
Cast:
Kavin Raj, Andrea Jeremiah, Ruhani Sharma, Vetrimaaran, Kalloori Vinoth, Nelson Dilipkumar
Director:
Vikranan Ashok
Writer:
Vikranan Ashok
Ungainly detours hide a delectable dark comedy
Sun, November 23 2025
Mask opens with a heist done by a masked gang, and a quirky voiceover by director Nelson. He introduces the players in a rather whimsical way. We have a gang of robbers. We have the philanthropist Bhoomi (Andrea Jeremiah), who needs to find the robbers. We have politician Manivannan (Pawan Krishna), who also needs to find the robbers. And then… we have Velu (Kavin), who… You guessed it right… has to find the robbers. And what do the robbers have to do? Exist in plain sight and wait for the various players to find their way to them. But Mask doesn’t build up to a crescendo as most of the films in this genre do. Instead, it is happier giving brief bursts of energy that might not stay for long, but it is entertaining while it lasts.
(Writing for OTT Play)
One Of The Worst Tamil Films Of 2025
Sat, November 22 2025
Vikarnan Ashok’s Mask begins in chaos. Not of the good cinematic kind. It’s not a film with a handful of characters overwhelmed by their own endgames. It’s not the cinema where chaos is orchestrated to give the audience a high, one where so many things happen so fast that we hold our breath in unison, only for that single moment to strike when we let loose. Mask inadvertently orchestrates chaos. It has a narration voiced by director Nelson Dilipkumar. It has overlapping dialogues, layer over layer, along with this narration. It also has GV Prakash’s incongruent score. We witness a loot, Money Heist style but with MR Radha masks and then Nelson introduces us to a host of characters, chiefly Velu (Kavin), who has caused two deaths thanks to his paramour Rathi (Ruhani Sharma), and Bhoomi (Andrea Jermiah), a philanthropist who saves children from human trafficking but she might also be into the flesh trade and probably moonlights as a power broker. Confused much? Mask is one such hurriedly put-together meal of different cuisines with no flavour profile.
Mastiii 4
Comedy (Hindi)
Three frustrated husbands seek freedom from their dull marriages. A wild idea promises escape and excitement. But what follows is anything but expected.
Cast:
Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani, Ruhi Singh, Shreya Sharma, Elnaaz Norouzi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shaad Randhawa, Nishant Malkani, Arshad Warsi
Director:
Milap Zaveri
Writer:
Milap Zaveri, Farrukh Dhondy
Brain-Dead, Aimed Solely At Killing You
Sat, November 22 2025
As someone in her 30s, I have a lot of worries: ageing parents, climate change, whimsical world leaders and the growing cost of living. But late at night, when struggling to sleep, one thought plagues me the most: how is Milap Zaveri still making films? This isn’t a personal affront, at least no more than what his films unleash on us. But really, lesser filmmakers have dwindled into oblivion and here’s Zaveri with two films in one year, and while one seemed like the worst, the other has somehow surpassed it.
Eternal Sunshine of the Stunted Male Mind
Fri, November 21 2025
It’s only noon and I’ve already had three showers today. Under normal circumstances, I’d say it’s because I had to step out in the morning and Mumbai’s AQI is beyond redemption. Under normal circumstances, that’s a perfectly valid reason. But these are extraordinary circumstances. I stepped out to watch a morning show of Mastiii 4, a cinematic pollutant so noxious that I’ve been frantically trying to wash off its fumes after reaching home. Say what you may about a Milap Zaveri film, but it works wonders for my personal hygiene.