Fri, August 21 2026

Streaming on Waves OTT, directors Navneet Behal and Vibhu Kashyap bring a film seeing a delayed release of almost a decade, but still appears incomplete.

There is a long history of small-budget films that escaped the limitations of finance and showed the world what true innovation really is. Generations of filmmakers have relied on techniques indistinguishable from magic tricks to make up for budgetary constraints. Scores of these movies are now regarded as classics. Dial 1975, which dropped on the OTT platform Waves this week, isn’t one of them. The film features a trio of talented actors and traps them in a production so amateurish that it could be mistaken for a student project. The starting premise is familiar. It’s the Emergency (of the ‘70s) and civil rights have been greatly restricted by the administration of a prime minister, who, however, is never seen or heard in the film. It is up to the prime minister’s loyal aides to ensure that even the mere thought of rebellion is quelled before it can morph into something more damaging.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

इस फिल्म ‘डायल 1975’ की कहानी कुछ यूं है कि… यार, मैं न बता रहा कहानी। पूरी फिल्म देख ली, इत्ती लंबी और उलझी हुई कहानी है कि देखने में माथा खराब हो गया, अब बताने में भी होगा। एक काम कीजिए, खुद ही ट्रेलर में देख लीजिए, अगर वह भी समझ में आ जाए तो। हां तो, अब आपकी समझ में आ गया होगा कि… बताइए क्या समझ में आया? नहीं आया न कुछ? चलिए मैं कोशिश करता हूं। जून 1975 में तब की ताकतवर प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी ने भारत में इमरजैंसी लगवा दी थी। उन दिनों हर तरफ नज़र रखी जा रही थी, फोन-शोन रिकॉर्ड हो रहे थे, ऐसे में एक फोन-कॉल रिकॉर्ड होता है कि जर्मनी से एक ब्रीफकेस आ रहा है जिसमें आने वाले ज़माने का एक यंत्र है। इसकी डील चार लाख रुपए में एक होटल में होगी। अब बहुत सारे लोग इस डील के आगे-पीछे घूम रहे हैं। किसी को उस कॉल-रिकॉर्डिंग की टेप चाहिए, किसी को वह ब्रीफकेस, किसी को चार लाख रुपए तो किसी और को कुछ और। इन सारी चाहतों को पूरा करने के लिए अलग-अलग लोग, अलग-अलग लोगों को ज़िम्मेदारी देते हैं और ये अलग-अलग लोग बहुत सारे अलग-अलग लोगों को मारे जा रहे हैं।

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

இழப்பிலிருந்து மீள முடியாமல் தவிக்கும் நாயகன், புதிதாக அந்த ஊருக்கு வரும் நாயகி, இவர்களுக்கு இடையே மலரும் உறவு, அங்குள்ள மனிதர்களிடையே வெளிப்படும் நகைச்சுவை தருணங்கள் என்பதாகத் திரைக்கதையை நகர்த்தியிருக்கிறார் இயக்குநர் கிரிஷ் ஏ.டி.

எர்ணாகுளத்தில் வசிக்கும் ஜஸ்டினின் (நிவின் பாலி) வீட்டுக்கு அருகே தன் குடும்பத்துடன் புதிதாகக் குடிவருகிறார் ஆஷ்லி (மமிதா பைஜு). அங்கே கேட்ரிங் தொழில் செய்துவரும் ஜஸ்டினை ஊரே மதிக்கிறது. அவருடைய சகோதரன் ஜோயல் (சங்கீத் பிரதாப்), ஒருபுறம் குறும்படம் எடுப்பதாக அலப்பறைகள் கொடுத்துவர, ஜஸ்டின் பொறுப்புடன் ஊருக்கு உதவுகிறார். கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக ஆஷ்லிக்கு ஜஸ்டினைப் பிடித்துப் போகிறது. இருவருக்கும் இடையே இருக்கும் 12-13 ஆண்டுகள் வயது வித்தியாசம் முதலில் ஜஸ்டினை யோசிக்க வைக்க, அவர்களின் காதலை ஊர் எப்படிப் பார்க்கிறது, ஜஸ்டின் என்ன முடிவெடுத்தார் என்பதை நல்லுணர்வுமிக்க காமெடி படமாகக் கொடுத்திருக்கிறார் `பிரேமலு’ புகழ் இயக்குநர் கிரிஷ் ஏ.டி.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

Director Girish AD's Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju, is a wholesome rom-com with several laugh-out-loud moments. The film celebrates the small joys in life while gently exploring grief, love and the mental blocks that hold us back.

There are films that make you fall in love with love. There are films that make you fall in love with cinema. And then there are films that feel like a warm hug. Director Girish AD’s Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is one such film — full of little moments, innocence, laughter and heart. Ashley (Mamitha Baiju), her parents and her brother Alan move into a new home opposite Justin’s (Nivin Pauly) in Ernakulam. Justin is the kind of man the entire neighbourhood loves because he is always there for everyone. He runs a catering business and also produces his brother Joel’s (Sangeeth Prathap) short films. Still sad about leaving the home she grew up in, Ashley looks out of her new window and catches sight of Justin seemingly threatening a man. It is hardly the first impression you’d expect of the neighbourhood’s favourite guy.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

In a shack nestles Salman Khan as a small-time informer called Johar; in a bigger shack, Sanjay Dutt holds court as flamboyant goon Ranjit. They’re both big draws in the Middle-East, Salman being the bigger one, but their parts are nothing but glorified cameos.

A global cartel called 7 Dogs. A super-strong drug called Pink Lady. Good guys. Bad guys. And a billion-dollar budget. Make that billions. And there’s your Big Arabic Blockbuster, studded with international stars and locations, its India release buoyed by the presence of Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. I must confess that I went into the movie mostly to see what the two Bollywood superstars would do in a film like this one, whose plot-line resembles countless films they’ve been part of. Clearly, the Belgian-Moroccan director duo of two of the ‘Bad Boys’ capers– as well as a couple of episodes in the enjoyable series ‘Ms Marvel’– are capable of mounting films on scale, creating kinetic set-pieces with a high degree of entertainment.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

Elan makes his acting debut with a fun, crisp take on gender reversal. Starring Saanve Megghana, the film raises interesting questions about marriage and equality, but falters with a shallow climax.

Choices and freedom are equally important for men and women in a relationship built on respect, love and true companionship. But here’s the uncomfortable question that lingers: when it comes to marriage, are men and women really given the same freedom to choose their own lives? Or are some choices still reserved for one gender more than the other? Director Elan’s Pyaar Prema Kalyanam toys with this idea and presents some genuinely interesting arguments around role reversal. Elan (Elan) is a reckless young man with little sense of responsibility. After losing the job in Dubai that his strict, conservative father got him, he returns to India with a simple life goal: fall in love and get married.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

Director Vysakh's Khalifa, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Neil Nitin Mukesh, is a template masala entertainer that lacks heart and conviction. The film relies heavily on Prithviraj's swag rather than a compelling story.

Prithviraj Sukumaran needs a win, and Khalifa: The Ruler arrives at just the right — or perhaps the most crucial — moment. After Vilayath Buddha and I, Nobody failed to make a mark at the box office, all eyes are now on Vysakh’s action thriller to turn things around. But does Khalifa have what it takes to end Prithviraj’s box-office dry spell? Let’s find out! Khalifa opens with a grand wedding, after which the bride’s brother, Samad, is detained by the police. From there, the narrative unfolds around Aamir Ali (Prithviraj Sukumaran), who has taken refuge in London. With a warrant issued against him for murder and a notorious reputation as a gold smuggler, the film explores the circumstances that led Aamir to this point.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

It’s only so many ways that you can take this story about the Further farther, told as it has been in four films before.

If the thought of lying defenceless on a chair as a dentist pokes around inside your mouth leaves you queasy, you are in kindred company. This latest chapter in the Insidious franchise does draw on teeth, the full rotting spectrum of them, to add bite to its howls. And who better than beings suspended between life and death (the “Further” world, in the film’s words) for a specimen of ghastly pearly whites)? However, as and when it pulls out, the film is only passingly effective. It’s only so many ways that you can take this story about the Further farther, told as it has been in four films before. And the effort to do that shows, though as mother and daughter, the pair of Amelia Eve (in the role of Gemma) and Island Austin (Maya) are pretty good.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

Sparks indeed fly and the film becomes an equal parts comedy as the desperate search for consummation leads Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner into several sticky situations.

In One Night Only, Allie (Monica Barbaro) says it’s the “build-up” that is the best part of sex for her. Owen (Callum Turner) says it’s the “after”. Quite like those predictable responses, this latest film by Will Gluck (with other bawdy modern romances behind him, such as Anyone But You, Friends with Benefits, Easy A) is a nice-enough rom-com that pretends very hard to be somewhat radical. And while it is beating about the bush, the film’s “build-up” — despite all the kissing and petting and lovemaking going on around the two leads — is hardly a turn-on. While the “after” is not the movie’s concern.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

Directed by Jason Hehir, who previously made Netflix’s viral 2020 sensation The Last Dance, the Djokovic documentary not only falls short in its efforts to capture the life and times of one of tennis’ most controversial stars, but it also fails as a piece of filmmaking.

It would be safe to surmise that if you want to stand a chance at beating Novak Djokovic, you play him in an empty stadium, or better yet, fill it with fans. The tennis star will be thrown off track by all the love! Djokovic, widely regarded as the “greatest tennis player in the sport’s history”, famously thrives under pressure. He weaponises the disdain that crowds often show him and turns it into fuel that has pushed him farther than any tennis player in history. He has now reached that stage in his career where a documentary can be made about him. But the one we’ve been presented with by Prime Video is hardly the tribute that the champion deserves.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

Directed by Jean-François Richet, Mutiny races along like a speedboat across 95 breathless minutes, but there’s little that sets it apart from the dozens of other action movies that Statham churns out on an annual basis. Indeed, Mutiny is a lot like an extended level of a Hitman video game, played by a child who has no interest in stealth, but would rather complete the mission with brute force.

A week after Emraan Hashmi utilised visa-free entry privileges in Thailand (in last week’s Bollywood release Awarapan 2), it’s Jason Statham’s turn. What’s more unexpected is that Statham’s new movie, Mutiny, has essentially the same plot as that of Awarapan 2 — minus the songs of yearning, of course. Both films involve unpredictable scions of Bangkok businessmen, women and children in need of rescuing and a spunky heroine who teams up with the protagonist. Unfortunately for Statham, his new film is as disposable as its Bollywood counterpart. Directed by Jean-François Richet, Mutiny races along like a speedboat across 95 breathless minutes, but there’s little that sets it apart from the dozens of other action movies that Statham churns out on an annual basis.

Continue reading …

Fri, August 21 2026

Jason Statham is back with Mutiny, another action film that gives him exactly the kind of role his fans expect. Statham plays Cole Reed, a former Special Forces operative framed for his billionaire boss's murder — and his search for the truth leads to a massive ship and a much bigger conspiracy.

Jason Statham is back with Mutiny, another action film that gives him exactly the kind of role his fans expect from him. Statham plays Cole Reed, a former Special Forces operative who is now working in private security. His billionaire boss is murdered and Cole is quickly made the prime suspect. He knows he has been framed and sets out to find the people responsible. His search eventually takes him to a massive ship, where he discovers that the murder is connected to a much bigger conspiracy. The story is familiar, and the film doesn’t really try to reinvent the action genre. There is a lot of chasing, fighting and shooting, with Statham moving from one dangerous situation to another.

Continue reading …

Thu, August 20 2026

Do we really need to see another film on Partition? Especially one that comes right on the heels of Main WapisAaunga? Yours truly certainly had her doubts. After all, it’s not the first time Sunny Deol has crossed over to Pakistan. Who could ever forget the jatt driving the truck in Gadar? What was he going to do this time? Fortunately, all questions are answered and all doubts assuaged after watching Batwara 1947. To say that we “enjoy” the film feels perfectly fine as a sentence.However in the context of a movie dealing with Partitionthe word becomes problematic. How can anyone truly “enjoy” a film that spotlights the most painful chapter of our history? How do we grasp the enormity of a tragedy where millions were uprooted and forced to leave overnight leaving behind scars that remain raw to this day?

Continue reading …

Mon, August 17 2026

Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi takes the road less travelled, but the crusade for inclusivity loses potency to in-your-face treatment and hammy performances

The first dialogues of period drama Batwara 1947 resonate with the mood of the nation at present. A crowd chants ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ on the eve of Independence. Sunny Deol’s Sikander Mirza, a factory owner in Meerut, is enthused, distributing sweets and decorating the neighbourhood to celebrate the occasion. His is the Nehru jacket-wearing Muslim with no kohl under eyes or cap on head. Soon, he realises that his allegiance to the new nation is irrelevant as his loyalty is only determined by his faith. Muslims, he discovers in disturbing manner, are no longer wanted in Bharat. A reluctant, forced migration via train happens.

Continue reading …

Sun, August 16 2026

Rajkumar Santoshi's ‘Batwara 1947’, about Muslim refugees from India in Lahore after Partition, has neither the curiosity nor courage to break new ground

Halfway through Batwara 1947, bored out of my mind, I started to wonder how the film might be if instead of Shabana Azmi playing the old homeowner it was Naseeruddin Shah channeling his Ishar Singh from Main Vaapas Aaunga. It’s not that Azmi isn’t effective, just that Mai—a Lahori Hindu who’s lost her family in the tumult of Partition and whose house is allotted to Muslim refugees from India—can only ever be an object of pity. On the other hand, a cranky, rude old timer who resents the Muslims occupying his home… now that might be a challenge to the audience. Rajkumar Santoshi’s film isn’t interested in challenges. It wants to appear bold without actually being bold. It’s adapted from a broad, didactic play by Asghar Wajahat, Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai, and the film ends up even more of a sermon. Aamir Khan, co-producer with Aparna Purohit, has never stopped lecturing viewers since the 2000s, but at least he usually does his own preaching. Here, confusingly, it’s Sunny Deol, who’s calling for universal brotherhood one minute and horse-whipping a dozen men the next.

Continue reading …

Thu, August 20 2026

Most urban relationship dramas often confuse emotional honesty with high volume !Writer-director Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy goes the other way. There are no explosive confrontations engineered for applause. No manipulative background score insisting you cry. No characters screaming their feelings because the screenplay doesn’t know how else to express them.The film is entirely deliberate in its rejection of cheap melodrama opting instead to observe a splintered family slowly stitching itself back together. This film has the confidence to whisper. The narrative engine is deceptively simple. Young adults Max (Siddharth Menon) and Min (Medha Shankar) are navigating the messy wreckage of a breakup . As they divide up their shared life one sofa and book shelf at a time the ultimate battleground becomes the custody of Meowzaki, a rescue kitten named after their favourite animation maestro, Hayao Miyazaki. The sagacious feline here is a narrative anchor to explore a tender meditation on grief, loneliness and the different ways people survive both.

Continue reading …

Sat, July 25 2026

Sidharth Menon is a constant presence, and does well as the coming-of-age young man. It is Adil Hussain, as the man who takes the longest, most difficult steps towards self-awareness, who holds this film.

A film made four years back, releasing only now, suddenly feels current. Mention of protests and placards woven into the plot around an unravelling couple makes you feel that it’s reflecting the times we are passing through. But then, who is to say that thorny relationships and problem-ridden times aren’t the story of us, decade upon decade? Max (Siddharth Menon) and Min (Medha Shankr), a pair whose relationship is heading south, find themselves connecting over their cat. Or is it just the handsome creature that draws Min back to Max, especially when things aren’t quite as smooth with the new man in her life? The feelings are relatable: if you’ve been together for a while, parting is never easy, and could perhaps encompass residual warmth alongside resentment and sadness.

Continue reading …

Sat, July 25 2026

A heartfelt drama about grief, dad issues and complex societal prejudices, ‘Max, Min and Meowzaki’ impresses with its emotional restraint and performances, but some of its messaging feels self-conscious and didactic.

Against the backdrop of a soft monsoon, Max, Min & Meowzaki unfolds as an elegant symphony of human vulnerability. Waiting in the wings for quite some time, at the heart of this coming-of-age, slice-of-life drama are three generations of single men, each carrying a heavy yet silent sorrow. They are men who have forgotten how to speak to one another. Yet to recover from the death of his mother, jingle singer Mahesh or Max (Siddharth Menon), is negotiating with the wreckage of a love story that has just collapsed into a bittersweet breakup with Minara Hussain, or Min (Medha Shankr). His father, Ramesh (Adil Hussain), a man tightly wound in rigid armour, is suffocating under a sleepless, unconfessed grief for his deceased wife and societal biases. The grandfather, an eminent Carnatic singer, Sridhar (Nassar) navigates the fading twilight of his memories, carrying a guilt of not being able to take his son along in the song of life.

Continue reading …

Mon, August 17 2026

Indian male superstars have a difficult time from their 40s onwards. From soft romances and emotional dramas in their youth, they graduate to violent action films, with VFX often taking care of their once-famous physiques. These trends originate from society’s age-old belief that one is supposed to behave a certain way after a certain age. For sure, things are changing, which is why rare attempts like Vishwanath & Sons, with a major star like Suriya looking and playing his age, are welcome. Is Venky Atluri’s film the game-changer we need in 2026?

Continue reading …

Sun, August 16 2026

It feels like it’s been forever since we saw Suriya in a film where he’s finally allowed to relax and just be. If not anything else, this could be reason enough to indulge in the corny world of 'Vishwanath & Sons'

What you’re likely to feel about Venky Atluri and Suriya’s Vishwanath & Sons will largely depend on how you feel about Mamitha Baiju’s performance in it. She plays Maddy, a surrogate mother who enters the life of Vishwanath’s titular son when he’s emotionally blackmailed into finding an heir to his $5.4 billion fortune. Atluri could have used several descriptors to explain Maddy’s character to Mamitha Baiju, but there’s no denying the hangover of a thousand loosu ponnus of Tamil cinema who had to walk, just so Mamitha could run.

Continue reading …

Sun, August 16 2026

hings happen in Vishwanath & Sons. Lots of things, in fact, but you never learn about their weight. A young woman subjects her body to pregnancy just so she can fund her education. Later, almost on a whim, she decides to give up this hard-earned education. Meanwhile, a man who seems perfectly content being single is rather quickly persuaded to get himself a child. These are momentous choices with profound ramifications, and yet, we are never truly allowed to understand their emotional significance, the marks they leave on the interior lives of these characters.

Continue reading …