Janani K

‘Bomb’ begins with a bedtime story about a fictional village, Kallakammaipatti, which splits into Kallapatti and Kammaipatti due to superstition, faith, and perceived superiority. This separation sparks a rivalry that is the film’s primary conflict: the ongoing division between the two communities shaped by these beliefs. The story sets the tone for a quirky social commentary, but raises the question: Does director Vishal Venkat execute this central conflict effectively? Let’s find out! Mani Muthu (Arjun Das) and Kathiravan (Kaali Venkat) belong to different communities. Kathiravan, an atheist, looks beyond local politics and dreams of bringing water, electricity, and education to the village. Fighting a lonely battle, he often takes refuge in alcohol. His sister (Shivathmika Rajasekhar) cares for him and secretly harbours feelings for Mani Muthu.

For debutant director Varsha Bharath, ‘Bad Girl’ is a product of labour and passion. When the teaser was released earlier this year, it was caught in a web of controversies. So much so that the court ordered the makers to remove it from YouTube over its portrayal of Brahmins and young children getting addicted to cigarettes and alcohol (It was later uploaded with minor cuts). But, five minutes into ‘Bad Girl’, you forget all these controversies and get hooked on the film. That’s what a refreshing filmmaking voice does to you! Ramya (Anjali Sivaraman) belongs to an orthodox Brahmin family, where women have to be the primary caregivers. If you have periods, you become untouchable. But Ramya, right from her young age, defies these practices and rebels. And certainly, she earns the wrath of her grandmother and mother, too. Irksome parents, grandparents, pimples, and disciplinarian rules do not and cannot break Ramya.

Much before Nayanthara, who is now called Lady Superstar, it was Anushka Shetty who first earned the title. She headlined female-led films and created a market for such stories. But, after ‘Baahubali’, Anushka Shetty has been struggling with her film choices. As the end credits suggest, The Queen – Anushka Shetty is back with another offering with ‘Ghaati’. But does the Krish Jagarlamudi directorial gift her the much-needed comeback? Sheelavathi (Anushka Shetty) is a bus conductor in Koraput, while her childhood sweetheart Desi Raju (Vikram Prabhu), works as a lab technician. The couple live a simple life, but their past isn’t as simple as they look. Meanwhile, two cannabis business tycoons, Kundala Naidu (Chaitanya Rao) and Kaastala Naidu (Ravindra Vijay), discovert a new form of liquid-based cannabis being smuggled and are determined to secure it. This leads them to the Ghaatis, a community inhabiting the Ghats, who act as local porters helping smuggle cannabis across the mountains. Sheelavathi and Desi Raju’s past is intertwined with Kundala and Kaastala’s dream. This sets the stage for a face-off, a tale of exploitation, oppression and revenge.

Sivakarthikeyan, despite being one of the celebrated mainstream heroes in the Tamil film industry, continues to surprise everyone with his script choices. His last few films, while fitting into the commercial tropes, have also stood out for their storytelling. Will ‘Madharaasi’, his latest collaboration with director AR Murugadoss, add to his success streak? Let’s find out! Raghuram (Sivakarthikeyan) is an orphan with a traumatic past. While battling delusion syndrome, love strikes him. As Malathi (Rukmini Vasanth) enters his life, he changes for good. Meanwhile, NIA officer Prem (Biju Menon) and his team are on a mission to stop a notorious North Indian gang involved in a weapon smuggling syndicate. Virat (Vidyut Jammwal) and Chirag (Shabbir Kallarkal) are leading the syndicate’s plan to smuggle arms into Tamil Nadu. Prem’s failed mission and Raghu’s unsuccessful suicide attempt bring them together. Prem hatches a plan to stop the arms from entering the state. Raghuram gets entangled in this mission. Will he be helpful to Prem? Will Raghuram and Malathi end up together? What happens to Virat and Chirag’s mission? All these and more are answered over the course of two hours and 48 minutes.

Mohanlal’s ‘Hridayapoorvam’, one of the popular Onam releases this year, featured a scene where a fan claiming to know Malayalam cinema talks highly of Fafa aka Fahadh Faasil. He tells Mohanlal, one of the legends of Malayalam cinema, that FaFa is the best. A day later, FaFa’s ‘Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira’ hits theatres. You expect everything the fan said. Eyes, expressions, and everything. But Fahadh’s film bores you so much that you contemplate walking out of the theatre. Now, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say as a critic. The night before the wedding, Nidhi (Kalyani Priyadarshan) tells her fiance Aby Mathre (Fahadh Faasil) about a dream that she has been having for the past few days. Nidhi is a woman who looks at dreams as signs and goes to the extent of realising them. The dream is about Aby arriving at the wedding on a white horse. Aby gives in to her fancies and finds a horse with the help of his coworker Anurag (Anuraj OB).

Superhero thrillers in Malayalam are rare to come by. After the phenomenal success of ‘Minnal Murali’, the genre was nowhere to be seen. Now, director Dominic Arun has revived it with ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’. He blends a Malayalam folklore with the superhero genre, more prevalent in the West, to gift viewers the best of both worlds. Is ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’ a worthy addition to the superhero genre? Let’s find out! Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan), a mysterious woman with superpowers, arrives in Bengaluru on a mission involving Moothon. The city faces a spate of missing person cases linked to organ trafficking. Chandra takes a bakery job and displays odd habits, while three curious young men living opposite her become fascinated by her.

It’s always heartwarming to see your yesteryear stars, who once made you fall in love with cinema, still continue to give you movies that not only achieve commercial success but are also backed by powerful content. 2025 has been phenomenal for Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who gifted ‘L2: Empuraan’ - a film that took on right-wing politics - and followed it up with ‘Thudarum’, a delicious thriller based on a father-son duo. ‘Hridayapoorvam’ is his third release of the year and a potential hat-trick. But has it struck gold? Let’s find out! Sandeep Balakrishnan (Mohanlal) is a heart transplant survivor living in Kerala, where he runs a cloud kitchen. Months after his recovery, Haritha (Malavika Mohanan), daughter of his heart donor (Colonel Ravi), arrives in Kerala to invite him for her engagement in Pune. Chaos strikes, the engagement gets called off and Sandeep along with his attender Jerry (Sangeeth Prathap) are forced to stay at Haritha’s home.

A police officer on suspension. A serial killer is on the loose. A murder that hits home. A personal tragedy that blinds the police. All these plot points could set the foundation of a gripping crime thriller, if done well. Director Sabarish Nanda’s ‘Indra’ has all of it, yet the film only reaches for the low-hanging fruit, so much so that the makers seem content with the bare minimum. Indra (Vasanth Ravi) struggles with alcoholism. His addiction and rage get him suspended, and he even leads to the loss of his eyesight. He and his wife Kayal (Mehreen Pirzada) are facing marital troubles. However, the loss of eyesight brings them closer as they wait for a transplant. During this time, Kayal is murdered at home while Indra sleeps in another room. The pattern of the killing points to a serial killer.