
Akhil Arora
Akhil Arora has been covering the intersection of TV, movies, video games, technology, and sociopolitics since 2015. As such, he is a vocal proponent of IMAX, home theatre systems, and agency for female characters. Akhil is the co-founder and co-host of the weekly film podcast The Long Take, a member of the Film Critics Guild, a jury member for the Critics Choice Awards, a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic, and a ‘top critic’ at video game reviews aggregator OpenCritic. Akhil is a former The Game Awards juror and head of entertainment, video games, and podcasts at NDTV Gadgets 360. Akhil Arora has covered series premières, tech unveilings, and product and service launches across three continents and a dozen cities, including Seoul, London, New York, Singapore, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Akhil received an M.A. in International Journalism from City St George’s, University of London.
All reviews by Akhil Arora
Made in Korea
Romance, Drama (Tamil)
A Spotify Review
Sat, March 14 2026
Netflix’s new Indian original movie, Made in Korea, is a lazy excuse of a film made by an inept group of people with no idea what they’re doing. The very existence of such slop is a slap in the face of talented filmmakers who struggle for decades trying to do honest work. This is an insult not only to them, but also to audiences who pay hard-earned money to Netflix every month. Here is proof that the unemployment crisis isn’t restricted to men. We discuss the film’s clueless protagonist, her pointless motivations, and the aimless narrative that she is confined to. We also raise questions about the plausibility of such a premise, and the movie’s cartoonish attempts to “honour” Korean culture.
| Director: | Ra. Karthik |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Priyanka Arul Mohan, Park Hye-jin, Rishikanth, Thirunavukkarasu |
| Writer: | Ra. Karthik |
Subedaar
Action, Crime, Drama (Hindi)
A Spotify Review
Thu, March 5 2026
Subedaar fools you into watching a ‘70s-style neo-Western about corruption and caste by presenting it as a South Indian remake. We discuss Anil Kapoor’s refreshingly muted lead performance, the film’s pointed nods to John Wick, and whether its disguised social commentary makes up for its tonal missteps. We also discuss Mona Singh and Aditya Rawal’s characters and who they represent in the context of contemporary India.
| Director: | Suresh Triveni |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Anil Kapoor, Radhikka Madan, Aditya Rawal, Saurabh Shukla, Mona Singh, Faisal Malik, Khushboo, Nana Patekar |
| Writer: | Suresh Triveni, Prajwal Chandrashekar |
Accused
Thriller, Mystery, Drama (Hindi)
A Spotify Review
Mon, March 2 2026
Accused, the tone-deaf “feminist” film on Netflix, is the equivalent of Neha Dhupia going “It’s her choice” on Roadies. We discuss the film’s utterly misguided defence of a serial harasser, groomer, and all-around toxic human being, and its baffling attempts to pass her off as “ambitious”. We also question the film’s understanding of sexual harassment as a concept, and disapprove of anybody trying to make a movie about false allegations in a post-#MeToo world. Additionally, we poke holes in the film’s central mystery, the decision to have not one but two eccentric detectives, and an irrational villain reveal that disregards the laws of the genre.
| Director: | Anubhuti Kashyap |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Konkona Sen Sharma, Pratibha Ranta, Aditya Nanda, Sukant Goel, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Anuj Sachdeva, Mashhoor Amrohi, Monica Mahendru, Kallirroi Tziafeta |
| Writer: | Sima Agarwal, Yash Keshwani |
Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri
Romance, Comedy (Hindi)
A Spotify Review
Wed, February 25 2026
Once again, we find ourselves watching a Kartik Aaryan movie and wondering why… We discuss Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri’s pointless travel vlog first half, which unexpectedly transforms into a combination of Baghban and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. We also discuss the film’s awkward projection of seemingly progressive values, which happens to be filtered through a deeply regressive lens. We conclude by wondering if Croatia even knows what it has gotten itself into by inviting the Kartik Aaryans of the world to visit.
| Director: | Sameer Vidwans |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Arjan Panwar, Neena Gupta, Jackie Shroff, Mahima Chaudhry, Tiku Talsania |
| Writer: | Karan Shrikant Sharma |
Kennedy
Crime, Thriller (Hindi)
A Spotify Review
Wed, February 25 2026
It took three years for Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy to secure a release after its Cannes premiere, and that, too, on the D-list tier streaming service ZEE5. We discuss the film’s baffling narrative, vague rumination about corruption and power, and long stretches of inaction that don’t feel authentic to Kashyap. We also spend way too much time discussing the ill-fitting costumes of Rahul Bhat and the underused Sunny Leone, and end with unverified rumours about the movie’s long-delayed release. Hint: It had something to do with a certain ‘Bade Papa’.
| Director: | Anurag Kashyap |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone, Mohit Takalkar, Megha Burman, Haripriya Manish Lodhia, Shrikant Yadav, Abhilash Thapliyal, Jeniffer Piccinato, Benedict Garrett, Aamir Dalvi |
Sabar Bonda
Drama, Romance (Marathi)
A Spotify Review
Fri, February 13 2026
Sabar Bonda, the Marathi film that won a prestigious honour at Sundance last year, is either a poetic exploration of the road not taken or a pretentious try-hard desperate to feel important. We discuss the film’s unconventional dramatic choices, the effects of its stillness, and the lacklustre quality of the central performances. We also debate its performative nature and wonder how it turned out to be so divisive.
| Director: | Rohan Kanawade |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Bhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman, Jayshri Jagtap, Dhananjay Jambar, Sandhya Pawase, Hemant Kadam, Vidhya Joshi, Ram Daund |
| Writer: | Rohan Kanawade |
Sthal
Drama (Marathi)
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.
| Director: | Jayant Digambar Somalkar |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Nandini Chikte, Taranath Khiratkar, Sangita Sonekar, Suyog Dhawas, Sandip Somalkar, Sandip Parkhi, Swati Ulmale, Gauri Badki, Mansi Pawar, Sachin Tonge |
| Writer: | Jayant Digambar Somalkar |
Tere Ishk Mein
Romance, Drama, Action (Hindi)
A Spotify Review
Thu, January 29 2026
Tere Ishk Mein, the new film from director Aanand L. Rai and his longtime writer Himanshu Sharma, might be more offensive than anything Sandeep Reddy Vanga has ever made. A misogynist, hate-mongering pile of slop, the movie exists to validate its incel male audience’s opinions about all womankind. It would be foolish to question why Dhanush and Kriti Sanon agreed to make this film, but for A.R. Rahman and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub to participate in something like this says a lot about their politics. We talk about the film’s unhinged story, the poor acting by the two leads, and its overall disdain for the audience.
| Director: | Aanand L. Rai |
|---|---|
| Cast: | Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, Priyanshu Painyuli, Prakash Raj, Sushil Dahiya |
| Writer: | Himanshu Sharma, Neeraj Yadav |
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