Renuka Vyavahare

Following the murder of her father, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) is trained to be an assassin by criminal organisation Ruska Roma. Once on field, she goes rogue in pursuit of the man who destroyed her family. To achieve that, she needs to fight his entire tribe on her own. Hollywood has generated a spade of female-led badass babe-action thrillers. Angelina Jolie in Salt and Wanted, Scarlett Johansson starrer Black Widow, Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow, Linda Hamilton in Terminator, the examples are plenty. What sets Ballerina apart, beyond its terrific action choreography, is its casting. Ana de Armas’ Eve is fierce yet feminine. She’s hardened by life but not bereft of emotion. The softness of her past isn’t eroded by the brutalities of her present. She kills like an assassin but empathises like a woman–she fights like a girl. Director Len Wiseman creates a distinct lead that doesn’t aspire to be a John Wick and Ana de Armas’ casting is a cherry on top. The actress blends pulsating action and vulnerability flawlessly. She is one woman army who only trusts her instincts.

A school teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his ex-wife (Karen Gillan), reunite under mysterious circumstances. The internet is down; cellular network, TV are about to crash… the world is about to end. Strangely, in their final moments of uncertainty, they stumble upon billboards celebrating an ordinary 39-year-old accountant called Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) aka chuck. Who is he, what is his story and why is he being hailed as a hero? The film then follows Chuck, his childhood, grief and growing up years. As an adult, dressed in a corporate suit at 39, he breaks into an impromptu dance in the middle of the road. It makes him happy and gets him to think. ‘Why do we wait for an opportunity to be happy? There’s no such thing as the right time. There’s time and what you do with it. You will veer towards art, dance and music in crisis but there’s art to Maths also. There’s beauty and joy in every little thing you do.

The death of an ageing billionaire (Ranjeet) on his luxury cruise brings chaos to the lives of those aboard the ship. His will names his son ‘Jolly’, as an heir to his property. Chaos turns into frenzy when three Jollys (Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh) show up to claim the wealth. If the plot wasn’t crowded enough, there’s a masked killer on the loose and everyone’s a suspect. Who’s the killer and who’s the real Jolly? Housefull franchise‘s existence is rooted in slapstick comedy, so you walk in knowing what to expect. Akshay Kumar slapping CGI monkeys, girls blatantly objectified and Riteish Deshmukh gobbling a parrot as annoying as the one in ‘Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon’, don’t surprise you. You snigger at lines like ‘Thokte raho……. Taaliya’, ‘mera popat kabhi nahi uthega’, but overlook the cringe because that’s what the brand is all about. What surprises you is the utter lack of humour, even dirty humour if we may say so in the script and sheer wastage of a zillion actors who are known for their comic timing.

Both hopeless romantics, Ranjan (Rajkummar Rao) and Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi) are desperate to get married. When they pull all the strings to make it happen, Ranjan finds himself stuck in a time loop. He keeps waking up on the same day – a day prior to his wedding day. Bhool Chuk Maaf’s release drama strangely and accidentally paid ode to its theme. From a theatrical release to OTT and back to theatrical release, it kept going in circles too. The film’s story tests your patience equally, but the outcome compensates for the scattered and meandering build-up. Oblivious to the demands of adulting, Banaras sweethearts Ranjan (Rajkummar Rao) and Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi) are obsessed with each other. He doesn’t have a job, and she is too reckless to care. They decide to elope but abort the plan midway because she realises it’s unfair for their parents to face the repercussions. They want to be together but not at the cost of their families’ wellbeing.

After the untimely death of her parents, little Lilo (Maia Kealoha), wanders around a Hawaiian island wreaking havoc. Unable to process loneliness and grief, she gets along with fishes and frogs, but makes the life of her elder sister Nani miserable. Looked upon as a misfit by girls her age, Lilo’s wishes of finding a true friend are answered when an equally troublesome alien Stitch, (voiced by Chris Sanders) bumps into her. It’s interesting when characters aren’t likeable per se and yet you weep for them. Both the lead characters (Lilo and Stitch) are destructive and don’t regret the bad behaviour one bit. It is people around them who must get used to it and find their way around these two. While the film revolves around the little girl and her alien pet, it is Lilo’s relationship with her sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) that lies at the heart of the story.

Relentless Patnaik (Devgn) is a thorn in the lives of the corrupt. He is the party pooper of the privileged who think they can evade law and hence, the chemistry and conflict that unravel once he goes digging has a comic-thrilling element to it. One does not expect efficiency or honesty from public servants let alone heroism and hence the anomaly makes for an interesting watch. The second time around, Raj Kumar Gupta mounts his crime drama on a bigger scale. A brooding Patnaik dressed in formals, enjoys Singham like slowmo entry, glamour and clout. He can be transferred or suspended but he is always in power much against the odds. Ritiesh Deshmukh makes for an interesting no-nonsense, white collared antihero Dadabhai. He is a prodigal son, revered philanthropist and a powerful political leader. He is too good to be true and that leads Patnaik to go sniffing after his massive empire and assets. The two outsmart each other in a series of deceitful activities but only one can emerge victorious.

A year after her sister Melanie goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Clover (Ella Rubin) and her friends decide to trace her journey. This leads them to an abandoned house in Glore valley, where an hourglass sand timer decides their fate. As the clock starts ticking, each one is haunted and slaughtered by a masked killer. However, as time passes, they are resurrected and made to relive the evening that seals their death. They are horrified to discover that they will be killed over and over again until they find a way to survive the night and escape this death loop.

After Adolescence’s single take technical brilliance, Warfare’s impeccable sound design, intense storytelling, cinematography and atmospherics will leave you shaken. There is no music, the enemies are barely shown and the entire film is shot at one location. This no-frills innovative approach creates a film so immersive, terrifying and gripping that you want to be evacuated, let alone have popcorn or coffee! Alex Garland’s spectacular war movie can be classified as horror for its edge of the seat, relentless and raw onslaught of terror. He leaves you no room to relax or catch a breath. It strips off the glamour and chest-thumping heroism of war films to give you the real picture. There’s also brotherhood and empathy, surfacing when there’s no expectation. Warfare is a technical masterpiece that never overlooks human emotion and horrors of war. This one’s bound to blow your mind.