Renuka Vyavahare

The Smashing Machine subverts the typical sports film formula, delivering a raw, intimate portrayal of survival, addiction, and self-acceptance. Rather than glorifying the triumph of the human spirit, the film dares to explore the darker aftermath of defeat — the self-doubt, the self-loathing, and the slow, painful unraveling of a once-great champion. Benny Safdie’s docudrama, based on the true story of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, begins scattered and subdued. The first half drifts through Kerr’s daily life with an almost aimless, indie-film energy that feels too loose, even frustrating at times.

In a north Indian state, best friends Chandan Kumar (Vishal Jethwa) and Mohammed Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) see the police uniform as their only escape and a shield against the caste and religion-based bigotry they face frequently. To them, the uniform symbolizes respect, access, and a rightful place at the table. Though painfully aware of the ingrained societal hierarchy, it’s their youthful zest for life, hope for a better tomorrow, and unbreakable bond that keep them going. Their persistence and optimism are tested time and again, but things reach a breaking point when a nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 separates them from their families and the place they call home.

Not-so-sharp but daringly self-aware, The Ba***ds of Bollywood* (short for Bastards of Bollywood) is less of a scathing satire and more of an edgy, meta love letter to the film industry. At its heart, it’s a forbidden love story between an outsider and a nepo kid, building towards an unhinged, glorious climax that fully justifies the show’s title. It may just be one of the boldest creative swings Bollywood has seen in recent memory. The seven-part series follows Aasmaan, a promising newcomer whose debut hit doesn’t guarantee an easy ride. He’s soon entangled in the murky politics of the industry—dodging shady contracts, tiptoeing around egoistic producers, managing superstar tantrums, tackling pesky paparazzi, and fending off competition from privileged insiders. Things only get more complicated when he grows close to his co-star, Karishma Talvar (Sahher Bambba), daughter of megastar Ajay Talvar (Bobby Deol). Ajay has his eyes set on a bigger launchpad for Karishma—preferably opposite someone like Ranveer Singh and not some rising outsider. When Aasmaan refuses to play by the industry’s unspoken rules, things spiral fast.

Set in the late 1980s, Dev (Manoj Bajpayee), an orchard owner, lives with his family in a picturesque house nestled in the Himalayas. Each morning, he steps into his workshop, straps on a massive pair of handcrafted wings, and casually heads to a nearby cliff—where he takes flight like a bird. This surreal ritual is surprisingly normalized in the household. His wife (Priyanka Bose), and children— a teenage daughter (Hiral Sidhu), and a younger son (Awan Pookot) —accept his flying routine without much fuss. They even discuss the wings with curiosity, as if they were just another part of life in the mountains. While Dev soars above the orchards during his frequent flights, he entrusts the day-to-day operations of the lush estate to his trusted manager (Deepak Dobriyal), who oversees the workers and assigns tasks. With no phones, television, or internet, the family of four embraces a slower, more intimate rhythm of life. Their evenings are spent hosting friends for intimate dinners, singing classical songs, lying under the open sky to stargaze, chasing fireflies, and listening to the whispers of the wind and mountains around them. As you get lost in the bewitching charm of this idyllic life, the orchard mysteriously catches fire. Dev suspects a foul play and holds his staff accountable. Villager also doubt the nomads-monks with horses who are seen in the region. Who wants Dev out?

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are enjoying retirement, until a chilling case in a remote Pennsylvania home draws them back into the darkness. The haunting isn’t just another possession… it has a terrifying link to their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson). The fourth movie in the Conjuring universe, also touted as the finale, is a slowburn horror that burns a bit too slow. It stays loyal to the Conjuring template— big family in a haunted house, creepy attic, and eerie musical toys delivering solid jump scares—but it takes far too long to get to the point. Overloaded with ambition, the uneven pacing may not rob its tension, but it makes the experience more exhausting than terrifying. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, the final instalment feels bogged down by its heavy-handed emotional drama. Overstuffed, this time around the demonic spirits haunt not just one home but two – the Warrens and the Smurl family. The story shuttles between these two parallel tracks until they converge in an extended climax. The fear element persists but it gets overshadowed by the family drama.

When 17 kids from the same class mysteriously disappear from their homes on the same night except for one student (Alex) and the teacher (Julia Garner as Justine), the bewildered town seeks answers. While both survivors face scrutiny, Justine becomes the prime suspect. How did the kids vanish into thin air! Who’s behind these bizarre disappearances? This gripping small town mystery is like nothing you have seen before. Shocking at every turn, it never gets predictable. Very rarely do you come across a horror film that’s smartly layered, deeply unsettling, dark and amusing, all at once. Weapons ticks all the boxes. Be it the isolated setting, camera work or performances, you feel as much a part of this eerie mystery as the characters.

Clark Kent (David Corenswet) has been leading the dual life of a journalist and Superman for the past three years. To save the world, he is forced to confront Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), a tech genius and xenophobe, whose sole intention is to destroy Superman because the world must bow down to intellect over physical prowess. Over the years, the superhero universe has become increasingly grim, and you can almost sense James Gunn’s annoyance with this trajectory. He gets Superman’s classic red trunks back for a reason - a reset. His hero radiates optimism, which explains why the caped saviour never gives up, even though he spends most of the movie getting beaten to a pulp. Gunn’s Superman is younger—aware of his power but still discovering his purpose. He turns a new page by stripping the character of its modern trappings and reuniting it with its roots – the comics. Though an alien from Krypton, Superman is a righteous superhero, an ultimate saviour, who must bear the weight of humanity’s survival.

Sanskrit teacher Shrirenu Tripathi (R Madhavan) is unhappily single at 42. He nearly loses hope of settling down until he is introduced to 32-year-old Madhu Bose (Fatima Sana Shaikh), a pretty girl proficient in French. He lives in Jamshedpur; she in Kolkata. Despite their age gap, contrasting personality and mindset, they hit it off. An arranged marriage evolving into love seems likely but there’s more to their story than meets the eye. While he’s over the moon to have finally found a companion who loves him just as deeply, a nagging fear still lingers. Why would someone as beautiful, young, and accomplished as Madhu fall for someone like him? What could she possibly see in him? His fear turns into reality when ahead of their marriage, he discovers the two have a past. The movie begins on a promising note. A single man in his 40’s, believing in old school romance is ashamed of being a virgin because society feels so. For the modern world, he is abnormal, an awkward loser, who needs to do something about his situation because there’s no way he can be happy. Madhu on the contrary, is liberal and wonders why anyone would expect women to be virgins today. Their match feels doomed from the beginning until they find a common ground amid the chaos and moral conflict.