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Kshitij Rawat

Lifestyle Asia

Kshitij Rawat did not unleash himself to the world as a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. He has been reviewing films and TV shows since 2017. Growing up in different parts of the country, he has been exposed to a variety of cultures, something that informs his criticism. He currently works at Lifestyle Asia.

All reviews by Kshitij Rawat

Image of scene from the film Chhorii 2

Chhorii 2

Horror, Drama (Hindi)

What happens to Sakshi in the final scene?

Sat, April 12 2025

When Chhorii 2 begins, it doesn’t just pick up where the original story left off. It drags us deeper into a mythology soaked in fear, grief, and generational trauma. Seven years have passed since Sakshi escaped that cursed village. She’s now a mother and someone who’s tried very hard to build a life from the wreckage of what she survived. But as fate would have it, she gets dragged back, literally in one sense, to the village. Here is all you need to know about Chhorii 2, its plot, ending analysis, release date, cast, reviews, where to watch, and more. Sakshi is now raising her daughter, Ishani, a quiet child with a mysterious condition — her skin burns in sunlight. It’s not fully explained, but it seems to be photosensitivity. It reminds one of the Nicole Kidman-starrer psychological horror movie The Others (2002). Except instead of a Victorian mansion, this one is set against the backdrop of rural superstitions and unresolved trauma.

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Image of scene from the film Sikandar

Sikandar

Action, Thriller (Hindi)

Does Sanjay defeat Pradhan’s sinister plans in the end?

Sun, March 30 2025

Sikandar is the latest action-packed gift by Salman Khan to his fans on Eid. But unlike most movies starring the Bhai of Bollywood, this one is a lot more emotional than you would expect. It has a pretty hefty runtime, but moves at a blistering pace, and you hardly notice the length. Directed by A. R. Murugadoss, known mainly for his Tamil films, Sikandar also features several twists along the way. Here is all you need to know about the Sikandar movie, its plot and ending, which are all explained here, as well as its release date, budget, director, trailer and a brief review. It appears with age, Bhai is mellowing down a little. In this Bollywood action thriller, the fans can expect the usual, such as the hero taking on dozens of goons on his lonesome, but there is also a beating heart at the centre of the movie. Salman Khan is firing on all cylinders in the Sikandar movie. And he’d better, for he was paid 60 per cent of the entire budget of the movie if we look at the movie’s cast salaries. He portrays the role of the king of Rajkot, Gujarat, who earns the ire of a powerful ruling party politician in Mumbai after he beats up his son. And then, a tragedy in his life causes him to lose his sense of purpose for a while. It all ends in an explosive showdown in the end. Let’s dive deep into the plot and ending of the movie.

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Image of scene from the film L2: Empuraan

L2: Empuraan

Action, Crime, Thriller (Malayalam)

What happens to Khureshi Ab’ram and Baba Bajrangi?

Fri, March 28 2025

L2: Empuraan is the sequel to 2019’s Lucifer and the second instalment in a planned trilogy. The movie, which is now in theatres, continues the tale of the dreaded criminal Khureshi Ab’ram (or Stephen Nedumpally), who we learned in the first movie is not the axis of evil as many had thought. In fact, he and his gang fight injustice all over the world. The movie’s ending and that post-credit scene leave more questions than answers. Here is all you need to know about L2: Empuraan, its plot, ending, cast, release date, trailer, and a review. The film brings superstar Mohanlal back in the titular role. The film is once again about the intersection of politics, religion, and crime. The plot is set about five years after the original. Five years is also the length of a Chief Minister’s full term in India.

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Image of scene from the film Adolescence

Adolescence

Drama, Crime (English)

The haunting ending of Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ explained: Why did Jamie really kill Katie?

Sat, March 22 2025

Adolescence is a crime drama, yes, but one that isn’t about the crime as much as the boy at its centre, the world that shaped him, and the people left reeling in his wake. If you thought it would be a murder mystery, the idea is put to rest at the ending of the first episode itself (it’s a miniseries and features four episodes) when the said mystery is revealed. It is revealed that (spoiler alert, but not really, for the trailer itself let it slip if one watched it closely) Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) did really kill the victim, Katie. No, Adolescence series is more interested in the motive behind the crime, and it is revealed piecemeal in the rest of the three episodes. Like Kareena Kapoor Khan-starrer The Buckingham Murders, Adolescence capably uses its small British town setting to paint a picture of a community simmering with quiet tensions. But while The Buckingham Murders leaned into grief and personal reckoning, Adolescence sharpens its gaze on something far more insidious, which is the slow radicalisation of a young mind through figures like Andrew Tate.

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Image of scene from the film Khakee: The Bengal Chapter

Khakee: The Bengal Chapter

Drama, Crime (Hindi)

The Bengal Chapter’ ending explained: Does Arjun Maitra finally bring down Barun?

Sat, March 22 2025

Neeraj Pandey’s Khakee: The Bengal Chapter is a sequel series to his own Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022). As you can undoubtedly guess, the action shifts from Bihar to Kolkata (or Calcutta as it was called then). Across seven episodes, the series tells a pretty focused story about the perils of policing in a volatile sociopolitical environment such as West Bengal, the nexus between politicians and the mafia, and a lot more. Here is everything you need to know about the story and ending of Khakee: The Bengal Chapter’s ending, as well as its release date, cast, and more. The crime thriller series is mostly the story of IPS Arjun Maitra (Jeet) and his struggle against the criminal elements in the city. He is transferred to Kolkata to replace his recently murdered predecessor, Saptarshi Sinha (Parambrata Chatterjee). Now, he is a pretty straightforward cop who deals with crime and its perpetrators as he sees fit, without worrying as to whether the criminal is an offspring of some big-shot politician. However, now he is in Kolkata, where the criminals and politicians are virtually indistinguishable from each other. Is he equipped enough to survive, or will he end up shot dead on the street like Saptarshi?

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Image of scene from the film The Electric State

The Electric State

Science Fiction, Adventure, Drama (English)

What happens to Michelle’s brother?

Sat, March 15 2025

In the grand tradition of Hollywood throwing mountains of cash at sci-fi epics, The Electric State arrives with a budget so colossal it could fund a small nation — or at least a few more seasons of Stranger Things. Directed by the dynamic duo of Anthony and Joe Russo, the film is based (loosely, because of course it is) on Simon Stålenhag’s hauntingly beautiful 2018 illustrated novel of the same name. It has a cast packed with well-regarded names. But does the star power mean the movie works? Let’s dive into everything we know about The Electric State, including its plot, ending, cast, trailer, and a brief movie review. We mentioned Stranger Things above because this film stars Millie Bobby Brown in the lead. If you are waiting eagerly for the fifth and final (sob) season, this might serve as an amuse-bouche if you are a fan.

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Image of scene from the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

Horror, Comedy (Hindi)

Who is the real Manjulika?

Mon, November 4 2024

It has been 17 years since Bhool Bhulaiyaa released and introduced to the world the unforgettable mystery of Manjulika, supposedly a vengeful spirit that wandered around the halls of an ancient palace. But the appeal of the movie lay not in the scares, but the twist at the end: that Avni was not possessed at all and, in fact, there was no ghost, just superstition masking the reality of mental illness. But in the sequel, and now Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Manjulika is no longer a psychological manifestation but a genuine spirit.

In this horror comedy movie, Kartik Aaryan returns as Ruhaan or Rooh Baba, a self-proclaimed ghostbuster. We find him swindling people out of their money by claiming to get rid of evil spirits possessing their family members or haunting their houses. However, his pretty profitable career brings him to a new case in which he comes face to face with something he is not prepared to deal with an actual, honest-to-goodness ghost.

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