Janani K

Indian cinema in recent years has seen violent, high-octane action films attracting a larger audience. However, for those who grew up in the ’90s, rom-coms hold a special place in their hearts. Director Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s Kadhalikka Neramillai, starring Nithya Menen and Ravi Mohan, offers a respite from the flood of violent films released every week. But does Kadhalikka Neramillai have all the elements of a perfect rom-com? Let’s find out! Siddharth aka Sid (Ravi Mohan), a structural engineer, is a man against having kids. At his engagement, Nirupama (TJ Bhanu) fails to show up due to their differing ideologies. Shreya (Nithya Menen), an architect, is in love with Karan. After their marriage registry, he cheats on her. However, Shreya asks Karan for one last favor, and it’s not divorce. This leads to Shreya’s fun-filled meeting with now-single Sid.

Imagine it’s the 2010s. You are back from school, and you switch on the TV, you flip through the channels only to land on one showing comedy clips. You know which movie it is from, the dialogue by heart, and yet it brings laughter every time you watch. Now, imagine watching a typical Sundar C film, which is known for its comedy, 12 years after it was actually made. Madha Gaja Raja follows the story of Raja (Vishal) attending a wedding at his school teacher’s house, where he reunites with his school gang. One of his friends (Santhanam) is going through marriage issues, while the other two are involved in a case that concerns business tycoon Karkuvel Vishwanath (Sonu Sood).

Nandamuri Balakrishna struck a hat-trick with Akhanda, Veera Simha Reddy and Bhagavanth Kesari. Now, he is back with his next outing, Daaku Maharaaj, with director Bobby Kolli, aiming to make it four in a row. Balakrishna, fondly called Balayya by fans, is known for his over-the-top faction entertainers. Will he strike gold with Daaku Maharaaj? Govind Gujjar (Makarand Deshpande) sends a message to Nanaji (Nandamuri Balakrishna) that Baby Vaishnavi is in danger. Vaishnavi and her family face threats from local MLA, Thirumurthulu Naidu and his brother (Sandeep Raj) after they are caught cultivating cocaine on the pretext of tea production. Nanaji arrives as a driver and protects Baby Vaishnavi and her family from grave dangers.

In the 25 years of his career, director Bala has created quite a niche for himself. His films are far from the ‘ideal’ moral compass or political correctness. Violence or murder is a form of justice in most of his films, while death acts as a liberation for some of his characters. With 10 films to his credit, director Bala is back with Vanangaan, after the disastrous Varmaa, which is a remake of the Telugu superhit film, Arjun Reddy. Vanangaan follows the story of Koti (Arun Vijay) and Devi (Ridha), a brother-sister duo living a content life in Kanniyakumari. While Koti, who is hearing and speech impaired, does odd jobs to put money on the table, Devi works at a tattoo studio. Koti joins as a security guard at an orphanage where many visually impaired people live. An untoward incident happens and Koti gets to know about it. He takes up violence to offer justice.

After the monumental success of SS Rajamouli’s RRR, Game Changer marks Ram Charan’s return to a big solo release. Directed by Shankar, Game Changer is his first solo release and features him in dual roles, guaranteeing double dhamaka for the audience. After the debacle of Indian 2, Shankar is back with Game Changer, which marks his Telugu debut. Is it a ‘Game-Changing Day’ or ‘Game Over’ for Shankar-Ram Charan duo? Let’s find out! Ram Nandan (Ram Charan) is an IAS officer battling anger issues. He is an honest, upright officer who doesn’t bend to corruption. As a high-ranking official, he wants to make Visakhapatnam corruption-free. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Bobbili Satyamurthy (Srikanth), who so far has corrupted the government, undergoes a transformation and instructs his sons, Mopidevi (SJ Suryah) and Maavera Munimanikam (Jayaram), and his ministers to stop favouring anyone and run a corruption-free government for the next year while they remain in power.

Over the years, actor-director RJ Balaji established himself as a creator with a defined vision. As an actor, he explores different genres, and despite his limitations, Balaji pushes the boundaries with the scripts he chooses. Director Sidharth Vishwanath’s Sorgavaasal is one such film that highlights the 1999 riots and presents a gripping prison-break drama. Parthiban (RJ Balaji), hailing from a lower-economic background, runs a food cart. Shanmugam (Param), an IAS officer who frequents Parthiban’s food cart, helps him secure a loan to open a hotel in his locality. However, Shanmugam’s untimely death and circumstantial evidence send Parthiban to jail.

It’s been nearly two and a half years since Suriya had a big theatrical release. With Kanguva, Suriya and producer KE Gnanavel Raja made tall claims about the film’s success even before its release. While Gnanavel claimed that the film would rake in Rs 2,000 crore worldwide, Suriya went all out in promoting the film. But, has the film lived up to the massive expectations that the team set for themselves? Let’s find out! Kanguva’s story connects the past and present in two parallel timelines. Francis (Suriya) is a bounty hunter in 2024. He meets a child who reminds him of his past. A thousand years earlier, Kanga aka Kanguva (Suriya), a prince of the tribe, is facing one conflict after another. His village, Perumachi, is under threat from Romanians who want to conquer and rule them.

Director Muhammed Musthafa made his debut in the critically acclaimed Malayalam film, Kappela. The film, which is streaming on Netflix, stood out in terms of filmmaking and social message. After four years, he is now back with an action entertainer, Mura, which features Suraj Venjaramoodu and All We Can Imagine As Light-fame, Hridhu Haroon. Let’s see how the film has turned out. Local gangster Ani (Suraj Venjaramoodu) is the right hand of tough businesswoman Rema (Maala Parvathi), who entrusts him with many illegal activities. Ani, who is in touch with many rowdy gangs in the locality, reaches out to Anandhu (Hridhu Haroon) and Saji’s gang about a high-profile robbery. Anandhu, Saji, Manu and Manaf are young guns who grew up together, and know how to escape a crime scene.