Mardaani 3
Action, Crime, Thriller (Hindi)
Officer Shivani Shivaji Roy returns to hunt down those behind the disappearance of young girls, risking everything to bring them back alive. (more…)
Guild Reviews
Paro Pinaki Ki Kahani
Drama, Romance, Crime, Thriller (Hindi)
A manhole cleaner and vegetable vendor fall in love during secret meetings in a train bathroom. When she stops appearing, he begins a dangerous search to find her.
Cast:
Eshita Singh, Sanjay Bishnoi, Hanuman Soni, Dhananjay Sardeshpande, Madan Deodhar, Lalit Kumar, Ramdas Andhare, Sanjiv Bage, Pratap Bhosale, Sanjay Dole
Director:
Rudra Jadon
Writer:
Rudra Jadon
When Love And Intent Are Not Enough
Mon, February 9 2026
“A manhole cleaner and vegetable vendor fall in love during secret meetings in a train bathroom” is a great one-liner. Especially for an indie made on a shoestring budget. Especially in an India that’s gotten too real and complicated for love stories to make sense. It’s even better if said India then gatecrashes the love story, revealing why the title contains the term “Ki Kahani (the story of)” rather than the Bollywood-coded “Ki Prem Kahani (the love story of)”. With those like Pinaki (Sanjay Bishnoi) and Mariyam (Eshita Singh), it’s not falling for each other that’s the conflict; it’s the audacity to fall for each other that is.
Vadh 2
Crime, Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
A police officer's pursuit of truth in a shocking prison crime intertwines with the lives of a widowed prison guard and a soon to be released inmate, unravelling a web of morality and redemption.
Cast:
Sanjay Mishra, Neena Gupta, Kumud Mishra, Amitt K Singh, Akshay Dogra, Shilpa Shukla, Yogita Bihani, Akanksha Ojha
Director:
Jaspal Singh Sandhu
Writer:
Jaspal Singh Sandhu
(Writing for The Daily Eye)
EXPLORES JUSTICE AND AGING
Mon, February 9 2026
A sequel is always a perilous undertaking. Once a film has established its tonal register and moral grammar, the space for reinvention narrows considerably. The past looms large, often shackling imagination and circumscribing execution. Jaspal Singh Sandhu’s Vadh 2 negotiates this terrain cautiously. While it is not a narrative continuation of Vadh (2022), it inhabits the same ethical cosmos, tethered by mood rather than plot. The connection is atmospheric, not anecdotal, and viewers are best served by leaving memories of the earlier film at the threshold.
Star duo ensures sequel does justice
Mon, February 9 2026
Justice, we all know, by and large eludes the powerless. On screen, however, poetic justice as well as its vigilante variant has been delivered time and again. At times with a loud thump and less often in a quiet, restrained tone. ‘Vadh’, as the name suggests, is about killing. Since the word has much significance in mythology, we know it would be for the right reasons. Enter a jail in Madhya Pradesh. Now the much-acclaimed series ‘Black Warrant’ and many other Indian films have already shown us what all the innards of a jail possibly entail. So you bet the presence of a despicable criminal like Keshav (Akshya Dogra), with deep political connections, hardly comes as a surprise. What does is the tender love story brewing between a criminal serving life sentence and one of the jail’s guards. Trust both Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra to breathe life into their characters of Manju Mishra and Shambhunath Mishra.
An emotionally resonant thriller where restraint is over-stated
Sun, February 8 2026
Over the years, carceral imagery has been an important creative device for shaping tales of confinement and social control. This week, Shambhunath Mishra (Sanjay Mishra), a prison guard struggling with financial burdens and personal isolation, forms an unlikely bond with Manju Singh (Neena Gupta), an inmate serving a life term for crimes she may not have committed. The intimacy amid isolation gets a jolt when one night a politically-connected predator disappears from prison, triggering an investigation. As a determined officer, Ateet Singh (Amitt K. Singh) takes charge, and elements of caste dynamics and power struggles surface, involving a strict but prejudiced superintendent (Kumud Mishra) and a perverted inmate (Akshay Dogra).
Sthal
Drama (Marathi)
It chronicles the experiences of a young woman yearning to determine her own future in a world where patriarchal traditions deprive women of agency and arranged marriage is presented as the only option for self-betterment.
Cast:
Nandini Chikte, Taranath Khiratkar, Sangita Sonekar, Suyog Dhawas, Sandip Somalkar, Sandip Parkhi, Swati Ulmale, Gauri Badki, Mansi Pawar, Sachin Tonge
Director:
Jayant Digambar Somalkar
Writer:
Jayant Digambar Somalkar
A Spotify Review
Mon, February 9 2026
Sthal, the Marathi-language feature from debutante director Jayant Digambar Somalkar, is one of the best films of 2025. It’s a deftly written, confidently shot, and expertly performed psychological drama about the commodification of women. We discuss the anger at the film’s core, its bleak view of Indian society, and the catharsis it provides with an instant-classic climax.
A Spotify Review
Sat, February 7 2026
Sthal, the Marathi-language feature from debutante director Jayant Digambar Somalkar, is one of the best films of 2025. It’s a deftly written, confidently shot, and expertly performed psychological drama about the commodification of women. We discuss the anger at the film’s core, its bleak view of Indian society, and the catharsis it provides with an instant-classic climax.
Marathi Film Shining Again
Sun, March 9 2025
Euphoria
Drama (Telugu)
A young woman and her family seek justice after she is raped by a group of young men who come from powerful and influential backgrounds.
Cast:
Sara Arjun, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Naveena Reddy, Ravi Prakash, Rajsekhar Aningi, Nassar, Aadarsh Balakrishna, Bhumika Chawla, Keshav Deepak, Nara Rohith
Director:
Gunasekhar
Writer:
Gunasekhar
Gunasekhar’s part gritty social drama raises relevant questions
Mon, February 9 2026
Euphoria is a difficult watch that demands viewer discretion; its ‘A’ certification is justified. Eschewing the mindless violence common in mainstream cinema, writer-director Gunasekhar delivers a sharp fictional drama rooted in a harrowing true story that shook Hyderabad. The film uses its narrative to pose urgent questions through three interconnected lenses: a survivor reclaiming her life, a mother desperate to reform her son, and the perpetrator’s uneasy and long path toward redemption.
With Love
Romance, Comedy (Tamil)
Sathya reluctantly agrees to a blind date arranged by his sister and meets Monisha. They discover they attended the same school years ago. Bonding over shared memories and old crushes, they reconnect with their past and grow closer.
Cast:
Abishan Jeevinth, Anaswara Rajan, Harish Kumar, Kavya Anil, Sacchin Nachiappan, Saravanan, Theni Murugan, RJ Ananthi, Sudharshan Gandhy, Sachana Namidass
Director:
Madhan
Writer:
Madhan
(Writing for OTT Play)
Can't Quite Balance The Rom & The Com
Sun, February 8 2026
IN Madhan’s directorial debut, With Love, Monisha (Anaswara Rajan) and Sathya (Abishan Jeevinth) meet on the arranged marriage circuit. Sathya is a designer, and Monisha is an influencer with over a million Instagram followers. If there is anything particularly modern about this film, it is that Monisha asks about his “boring” design job. While her job is indeed one with the times — monetising social media — design apparently is already boring. It is a harmless word, but, wonder what choicest descriptors she would have used for the more common arranged marriage qualifications in the Tamil family circuit: engineering. Not pretty, one imagines. Having said that, we don’t get films that skirt the arranged marriage route often in Tamil cinema, at least in recent times. While the practice would have been a more common fixture on screen four decades ago or so (think 1986’s Mouna Ragam), the more famous contemporary (using the word loosely) examples include Dum Dum Dum (2001), Parthiban Kanavu (2003) and a few more. All those films begin with conflict, either the couple actively hating each other or the idea itself abhorrent to one of them (usually the hero, the man).
Scarlet
Animation, Action, Drama, Science Fiction (Japanese)
After failing to avenge her father's murder, Princess Scarlet, wakes up in the "Land of the Dead." In this world filled with madness, if she does not achieve her revenge against her nemesis and reach the "No End Place," she will become "Void" and cease to exist. Can Scarlet find a way to live at the end of her endless journey?
Cast:
Mana Ashida, Masaki Okada, Yutaka Matsushige, Kotaro Yoshida, Koji Yakusho, Masachika Ichimura, Yuki Saito, Shota Sometani, Munetaka Aoki, Kazuhiro Yamaji
Director:
Mamoru Hosoda
Mamoru Hosada's Ambitious Hamlet Retelling Is Visually Gorgeous But Muddled
Sat, February 7 2026
Mirai director Mamoru Hosada’s newest offering is a genderbeat version of Hamlet. In Scarlet, a pink-haired princess travels through the Otherworld to avenge the death of her father at the hands of her own uncle, the king who has usurped his throne. Battling trials and obstacles, Scarlet has help from an unlikely ally and travels to enter the Infinite Land. Mashing up a new mythology created for his film with the classic tragedy by William Shakespeare, Scarlet is action-filled and visually stunning. However, the Japanese anime feature falters in its message of self-discovery versus revenge.
Mayilaa
Drama (Tamil)
Mayilaa embarks on a journey as a travelling salesperson in Southern India to fulfil her expensive obligations. The only problem: she doesn’t know how to sell. A sharp yet heartwarming tale of a mother-daughter duo finding their feet on the road.
Cast:
Melodi Dorcas, Shudarkodi V, Sathya Maruthani, Geetha Kailasam, Auto Chandran, Janaki Suresh
Director:
Semmalar Annam
(Writing for OTT Play)
Semmalar Annam's Debut Feature Intertwines Work, Faith & Fury
Mon, February 2 2026
If you possess above average knowledge of contemporary Tamil cinema, Semmalar Annam might be familiar. Maybe you cannot place the name, but you will recall the face, a face unfortunately stereotyped by Tamil filmmakers. She is an actor with such ferocious presence that if you give her half a decent role, she will single-handedly lift a film. Films like Leena Manimekalai’s Maadathy and Jaikumar Sedhuraman’s Sennai are a testament to this talent, but my favourite Semmalar performance came in a short film, Arikarasudhan’s Ullangai Nellikkani, an adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s The Woman Who Came at Six o’clock. She has also directed short films, and now her debut directorial feature, Mayilaa, premieres at the International Film Festival Rotterdam this week in the Bright Future section. The 97-minute feature, produced by Newton Cinema and presented by Pa. Ranjith, is quite indicative of the promises in this section full of debutantes.
Mardaani 3
Action, Crime, Thriller (Hindi)
Officer Shivani Shivaji Roy returns to hunt down those behind the disappearance of young girls, risking everything to bring them back alive.
Cast:
Rani Mukerji, Mallika Prasad, Janki Bodiwala, Jisshu Sengupta, Mikhail Yawalkar, Jaipreet Singh, Sachin Negi, Jimpa Sangpo Bhutia, Prajesh Kashyap, Indraneel Bhattacharya
Director:
Abhiraj Minawala
(Writing for The Daily Eye)
RETURNS WITH GRIT AND LIMITS
Mon, February 2 2026
The inherent dilemma of a successful franchise lies in its creative confinement. Once a central premise has been firmly established, subsequent chapters often circle familiar terrain, offering variations rather than reinvention. Mardaani 3 is no exception. Shivani Shivaji Roy returns once more—unyielding, razor-sharp, and morally incandescent—to dispense justice, this time in pursuit of girls who vanish without a trace.
Rani Mukerji-led crime thriller retreats into familiar territory
Mon, February 2 2026
Abhiraj Minawala’s Mardaani 3 begins where the franchise is most comfortable: with a crisis that demands urgency. Two girls are kidnapped from a farmhouse in Bulandshahar. One is the daughter of an Indian diplomat. The other belongs to the domestic worker employed by the family. The distinction is not subtle, and neither is the film’s point. What initially appears to be a mistake quickly escalates into a national-level crisis, exposing the familiar fault lines of power and urgency. Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji), now with the National Investigation Agency in Delhi, is called in to handle the case. She takes charge instantly.
Ungendering the mass action hero
Sat, January 31 2026
Are female cops different from male cops? At least in the way they are shown in commercial films and series? An example of this can be found halfway through Mardaani 3. Top cop Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) is tense in a hospital lobby after her husband was attacked by the antagonist Amma (Mallika Prasad). What should she ideally do as both a woman and an officer? When Shivani receives a tip about the villains, the scene pauses for a microsecond, the camera glances at the emergency room, and then she gets up and walks out. She does so because Shivani is the hero of the franchise, not the heroine. Minutes later, she is seated in the same fashion but outside a morgue. It’s not her husband but somebody else that’s the victim this time, and Shivani has tears in her eyes – something that a Chulbul Pandey (Dabangg) never would.
Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi
Comedy (Telugu)
Prashanthi gives up her dreams for love, only to fall into abusive relationships first with her lecturer and later with her husband, Omkar, who pretends to support her but turns violent and manipulative. After enduring trauma, betrayal, and a heartbreaking miscarriage, she secretly strengthens herself, escapes his control, and rebuilds her life by starting a successful business. When Omkar's abuse becomes public and reaches court, she refuses divorce, not out of love, but to ensure no other woman suffers the same fate
Cast:
Eesha Rebba, Tharun Bhascker, Brahmaji, Sivannarayana Naripeddi, Bindu Chandramouli, Goparaju Vijay
Director:
Sajeev AR
Writer:
Vipin Das
Eesha Rebba, Tharun Bhascker shine in this sharp critique of patriarchy
Sun, February 1 2026
The 2022 Malayalam film Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey was not subtle in its take on patriarchy, opting instead for an intentionally over-the-top reversal of power. In adapting the film into Telugu and relocating it to the Godavari region, director A.R. Sajeev stays largely faithful to the original. Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi is a partly fun, partly simmering emotional drama, shouldered by compelling performances from Eesha Rebba and Tharun Bhascker. While it does not always strike the right note, the film effectively captures the many ways patriarchy continues to stifle women, and how both men and women often enable it.
Mayasabha
Fantasy, Thriller (Hindi)
The monsoons have washed Mumbai. RAVARANA has just come out on parole. He is nothing but a security guard in Mumbai. He, along with his sister Zeenat, lives a life in Chawl. Every day is a struggle and existence is hand to mouth. Both are in their late 30s and life seems to be an exercise in defeat.One day they meet a bizarre boy, Vasu.
Cast:
Javed Jaffrey, Veena Jamkar, Deepak Damle, Mohammad Samad
Director:
Rahi Anil Barve
Writer:
Rahi Anil Barve
जावेद जाफरी चमके, पर फिल्म फीकी
Sat, January 31 2026
लोककथा पर आधारित ‘तुम्बाड’ जैसी शानदार पीरियड हॉरर फिल्म के निर्देशक अनिल राही बर्वे करीब 8 साल के लंबे इंतजार बाद लौटे हैं। उनकी इस दूसरी फिल्म का नाम ‘मयसभा: द हॉल ऑफ इल्यूजन’ है। शुक्रवार, 30 जनवरी 2026 को सिनेमाघरों में रिलीज हुई यह फिल्म कुछ मायनों में ‘तुम्बाड’ की यादें भी ताजा करती है, क्योंकि इसकी दुनिया भी सोना और इंसानी लालच के इर्द-गिर्द ही बुनी गई है। हालांकि, बावजूद इसके यह तुम्बाड वाला असर नहीं छोड़ पाती।
An Original But Less-Than-Affecting Psychological Drama
Fri, January 30 2026
In Tumbbad director Rahi Anil Barve’s second film, stories are told in a cinema hall. Quite literally. A few characters reminisce, rage, narrate, perform and lie in a decrepit Mumbai movie theater named Mayasabha; they may be projecting, but the blank screen is witness to the telling and untelling of their stories. The place looks halfway abandoned between suffocating reality and misty mythology: like a penniless single-screen auditorium that gave up on its own allegorical significance (as Mahabharata’s Hall of Illusions). It is also “home” to a once-famous and now-unhinged film producer, Parmeshwar Kumar (Jaaved Jaaferi). He lives in the past but scoffs at history.
Movies as puzzles, brought to you by Rahi Anil Barve.
Fri, January 30 2026
Bridgerton S04 Part 1
Drama (English)
Wealth, lust, and betrayal set in the backdrop of Regency era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family.
Cast:
Ruth Gemmell, Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Florence Hunt, Will Tilston, Adjoa Andoh, Julie Andrews, Golda Rosheuvel
Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha's Magical Chemistry Drives Cinderella Story
Sat, January 31 2026
Bridgerton Season 4 turns its attention to the fourth sibling and second son, Benedict (Luke Thompson), who has put off the marriage mart for too long. He finds a mysterious Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball, but she vanishes without leaving her name or address. Based on the romance novels by Julia Quinn, each sibling’s love story follows a different trope. Season 4 is about love at first sight and follows an emotional Cinderella story where the couple has to overcome a few obstacles towards their happily ever after. While the narrative does get a bit overstuffed at times, the central couple sells this season with their magical chemistry.
Shrinking S03
Drama, Comedy (English)
Jimmy is struggling to grieve the loss of his wife while being a dad, friend, and therapist. He decides to try a new approach with everyone in his path: unfiltered, brutal honesty. Will it make things better—or unleash uproarious chaos?
Cast:
Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley
Jason Segel, Harrison Ford's Comedy Gets Personal, Sets Up Endgame
Sat, January 31 2026
The therapists at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center and their loud and wacky friends are back for a new season of Shrinking. The Apple TV comedy series, created by star Jason Segel and Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, started out about a man coming to terms with his grief after his wife’s death. It has since evolved into a series about found family and friendship when dealing with life issues such as death, illness, and relationships. This season, the makers have amped all these storylines and set up a way for the show to say goodbye and leave fans happy with where we leave them.