Janani K

Days before the massive release of ‘Good Bad Ugly, the makers dropped a fun-max trailer. It was deliciously cut and featured old film references and songs of Ajith Kumar, giving the much-needed high. Naturally, the trailer got the fans excited. After the subdued ‘Vidaamuyarchi’, how exciting would it be to see Ajith Kumar transform into a ‘bad boy’? Did the film deliver what the trailer promised? Let’s find out! AK (Ajith Kumar) plays the invincible gangster Red Dragon in Mumbai. When his wife Ramya (Trisha) gives birth to their son, Vihaan, she refuses to let him touch the baby and instructs him to correct all his mistakes and meet them as Ajith Kumar, not as Red Dragon. For AK, family is of the utmost importance. He quits all his illegal activities and surrenders to the police, agreeing to serve 18 years in prison.

“The world doesn’t exist in binary, it’s f*****g unreasonable,” says Madhavan in one of the important scenes in ‘Test’. This statement stands as a testament to all the characters in the world of the film. In retrospect, it also defines everyone’s life. A person is not just black and white, they have all shades of grey. ‘Test’ explains this well in dealing with the lives of Arjun, Saravanan and Kumudha over two hours and 25 minutes. Kumudha (Nayanthara) is a teacher, a housewife, who supports her husband Saravanan (Madhavan). Sara, who claims to run a canteen, is also trying to get his alternate fuel technology project sanctioned by the government. Meanwhile, there’s cricketer Arjun Venkatraman (Siddharth), an out-of-form batsman, who is looking at playing the iconic India vs Pakistan test match in Chepauk, which could be his last match. There are also local people involved in match fixing based on orders from the syndicate head. The police officials are acting on a tip-off from sources about match-fixing. During the crucial match, Kumudha, Saravanan and Arjun’s lives converge, making for an intense drama about right and wrong.

It was 2019. It was when actor Prithviraj Sukumaran turned director for the first time. When Lucifer, starring Mohanlal, one of the big Ms of Mollywood, hit theatres, it transcended borders. Lucifer found love not just in Kerala, but in other parts of the country, thanks to its layered storyline, which helped audiences find new details with every re-watch. Five years later, Lucifer’s sequel Empuraan has hit theatres with a big budget and bigger expectations. Kerala Chief Minister Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) is facing multiple charges of corruption and failure to uphold the values of his late father Ramdas (Sachin Khedekar). Meanwhile, the people of Kerala are disappointed, and he is facing opposition from a new political party with Hindutva ideals. Then there is Khuresh Ab’raam (Mohanlal), with his mysterious persona tackling the Kabuka clan. The local unrest in Kerala and the dwindling political climate make room for Ab’raam’s entry into the state to set things straight.

Director duo Pushkar and Gayatri were pioneers in making the Tamil web series space a flourishing one. Cashing in on the success of Suzhal - The Vortex, the makers created a sequel to it, which is currently streaming on Prime Video. Suzhal - The Vortex is one of the most celebrated web shows in Tamil. Has Suzhal - The Vortex 2 lived up to expectations? Let’s find out! Nandhini (Aishwarya Rajesh) is sentenced to jail after killing her abuser, while SI Chakravarthi aka Sakkarai (Karthir) is helping her from outside. He is also closely working with activist and lawyer Chellappa (Lal) to fight in court for Nandhini. However, Chellappa is found dead at his cottage with a gunshot to his forehead.

What happens when a mistake you commit uproots the life of an already struggling person? How do you overcome this? Does it make you realise your mistake or does it push you into the depths of depression? Director Ashwath Marimuthu’s ‘Dragon’ is a film that provides definite answers to these questions. D Ragavan (Pradeep Ranganathan), a archetypal ‘good boy’, is a gold medallist in school. He confesses his love to a girl after he gets awarded the gold medal. However, she rejects him, stating that she sometimes prefers ‘bad boys’, who are unruly and roam around the school with gethu (swag). Cut to his college days, D Ragavan becomes Dragon because of the rejection and has 48 standing arrears. What he earned in college was the love of Keerthi (Anupama Parameswaran).

That Dhanush is an extraordinary actor is known to everyone. He also proved his mettle as a director with his debut film, Pa Paandi, and Raayan. His third directorial venture is Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam aka NEEK, a romantic comedy centred on a bunch of youngsters that generated positive buzz. Will it help Dhanush strike a hat-trick? Let’s find out! Prabhu (Pavish Narayan) is an aspiring chef who is in love with failure. His best friend, Rajesh (Mathew Thomas) has been by his side through ups and downs. Prabhu’s parents (Saranya Ponvannan and Aadukalam Naren) inform him about a potential match and force him to visit the girl’s home with them. With reluctance, he ends up at his school friend Preethi (Priya Prakash Varrier’s home. Prabhu and Preethi decide to date for a week before they can decide on moving forward.

A few minutes into director Sreejith Babu’s ‘Painkili’, you see a petite Sheeba Baby (Anaswara Rajan) jumping off the terrace and eloping from home after being pressured into marriage. But, she is unsuccessful. She gets caught by her father and casually walks into her home as if nothing happened. This opening scene is just enough to tell you that you are in for a quirky ride with Painkili. Painkili is the story of two different individuals. On one hand, we have Suku Sujith Kumar (Sajin Gopu), who posts ‘cringe’ poetry on Facebook. His trip to Coimbatore changes his life, where he had to obtain a fake mental health certificate to prove his innocence. Meanwhile, Sheeba is a happy girl who wants to study. But, her parents insist on getting her married and pressure her to do so at every opportunity.

Indian films about same-sex love are far and few. The ones with the right portrayal of homosexuals are even fewer. Director Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan’s recent release, Kadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai, is the latest entrant to the list of films on queer love. Starring Lijomol, Anusha Prabhu, Vineeth and Rohini, the film is a deeply moving and heartwarming film about love that goes beyond boundaries, societal acceptance, prejudice and personal traumas. Kadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai begins with Sam (Lijomol Jose) having a heartfelt chat with her mother Lakshmi (Rohini Molleti). She confesses that she is in love and Lakshmi suggests she take the ‘man’ home for lunch on a Sunday. Lakshmi conveys the news to her estranged husband Devararaj (Vineeth) and asks him to join them.