Janani K

There are very few mainstream Indian shows willing to build an entire story around sex education without reducing it to awkward jokes or moral sermons. Super Subbu, Netflix’s first Telugu original series, deserves credit for attempting exactly that. Directed by Mallik Ram, the seven-episode dramedy takes an inherently uncomfortable subject and wraps it in humour, family dynamics and small-town eccentricities. For a while, it works beautifully. But just when it seems ready to say something meaningful, the series retreats into safe territory, leaving several of its strongest ideas hanging.

In 2018, director Venkatesh Maha waltzed into Telugu cinema with the path-breaking C/o Kancharapalem, one of the industry’s finest films of the decade. After Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya and an episode in Modern Love Hyderabad, the filmmaker is back with Rao Bahadur – a film that Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar saw enough potential in to present. It hit theatres on July 3.

In a span of two months, we saw Samantha, Preity Mukundhan and Abhirami ace action like no one in Maa Inti Bangaaram and Blast. But Aishwarya Lekshmi did it back in 2022 when she wrestled her way into the hearts of audiences with her role in Gatta Kusthi. Four years later, the team reunites for a sequel that promises to delve deep into the lives of Veera, Keerthi and their daughter, Mathi Malar.

There was a time when romantic dramas offered a comforting escape, especially amid the flood of hypermasculine action thrillers dominating the screens. Over the years, however, the genre has evolved to reflect changing relationships and sensibilities. Director Kishore Kumar’s Heartin is one such attempt to tell a love story rooted in modern-day relationships. Shiva (Sananth) is the head chef and partner at a Jaipur restaurant owned by his close friend Mani (WhatsApp Mani) and Mani’s wife, Ankita. During a heritage walk, he crosses paths with Sadhana (Emaya). A series of charming meet-cutes blossoms into friendship, which eventually turns into love. Yet, even as their relationship deepens, Shiva remains emotionally guarded: he rarely smiles, carries a brooding aura, and initially hesitates when Sadhana confesses her feelings.

Over the years, films centred on scams have found love among fans in Tamil cinema. From Sathuranga Vettai to Doctor to Lucky Baskhar to Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, several such films have remained favourites with fans. This week, Arjun Das, Anna Ben, Yogi Babu and Vadivukkarasi are exploring this genre with director Harish Durairaj’s Con City. Did they succeed? Let’s find out! Saravanan (Arjun Das) and his wife, Mithra (Anna Ben), run a humble mess in Mangalore. They are the parents of a young, physically challenged Jeeva (Akilan) and live with Mithra’s brother, Jackie (Yogi Babu), and Janaki (Vadivukkarasi). We are shown that Saravanan and Mithra are not on talking terms, but they continue to co-parent their kid. One day, Jeeva goes missing from school, and a look at the CCTV video reveals a dark secret that unravels everyone’s backstory and how they found each other.

Ananthan Kaadu takes us back to the Sri Lankan civil war, when several crores of people were beaten, killed and raped. The initial stretches, featuring rebel group leader Vetri (Arya) and his gang being ambushed by the Sri Lankan Army, show officers behaving like sexual predators and killing machines. Right when you gear up for a film on one of the darkest chapters in Sri Lankan history, it turns into a formulaic revenge thriller. In 1989, during the Sri Lankan war, Vetri (Arya) loses his family and escapes to Kerala seeking a life where his identity is hidden. Krishnan Kutty (Indrans) and his team take him in. The group, which works as mercenaries for Kerala Chief Minister KK Menon (Vijayaraghavan), also run a music troupe as a cover.

Director Sasi and actor-composer Vijay Antony reunited for Nooru Sami, 10 years after Pichaikkaran, a film that ended up as a sleeper hit for the actor. Pichaikkaran is an emotional drama about a mother and son, while Nooru Sami explores the concept of remarriage for a widow in a conservative world. Selvi (Swasika), a widowed mother, raises her two sons Bhaskar (Ajay Dhishan) and Vivek (Sakthi) on her own. She watches them come up in their lives only for them to be consumed by ego and hating each other. One day, Selvi, in passing, mentions that she might like to remarry, much to the shock of her two sons.

An orthodox family preparing for a wedding. A couple who eloped three years ago returns to the family and their village, hoping for acceptance. The protagonist is worried if all will go well. Meanwhile, the protagonist’s past comes to haunt the family. And the character, backed by a massy background score, is ready to put her life on the line to protect the family. Sounds like a usual commercial drama, isn’t it? Now, picture a woman, in a saree, holding guns, and machetes and sickles, all for her family. That’s what Maa Inti Bangaaram is all about. Swarna (Samantha) and her ‘green forest’ husband Anirudh (Diganth Manchale) arrive at her in-laws village home to attend her sister-in-law’s wedding. The couple is meeting their family for the first time in three years after getting married against their parents’ wishes. In an attempt to win the family’s acceptance, Swarna does everything to impress her new family.