Sachin Chatte

Priyadarshan’s Bhooth Bangla opens with a disclaimer stating that it doesn’t promote superstition - a sensible inclusion on paper. But over its nearly three-hour runtime, the film seems to do the exact opposite. From chants that supposedly ward off demons (and, when played in reverse, conveniently summon them - more on that backmasking later) to bizarre attempts at linking quantum physics with the aatma (soul), the narrative is packed with so much mumbo-jumbo it could fill a tanker crossing the Hormuz.

Directed by Mohit Takalkar and written by Irawati Karnik, Toh, Ti Aani Fuji explores a turbulent relationship set against the backdrop of Japan. Mount Fuji may be dormant, but the relationship between Toh (Lalit Prabhakar) and Ti (Mrinmayee Godbole) is anything but — constantly simmering, erupting, and impossible to ignore.

The Drama, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, certainly lives up to its title—but not in a way that works to its advantage. There is no shortage of drama here, but what value does it hold when you feel absolutely nothing for the people at the center of it?

Based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir (of The Martian fame), Project Hail Mary is a mixed bag. It promises a lot but doesn’t quite deliver. The film relies more on the charm of its lead actor than on the screenplay by Drew Goddard, which reportedly remains very faithful to the book.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge arrives with unprecedented hype, accompanied by chatter about it creating and breaking new box office records. However, such numbers are not always indicative of a film’s merit—many good films often pass by without making a mark at the box office.

Director Suresh Triveni’s Subedaar walks down a fairly beaten path, but to its credit, it does so with considerable style. The story leans on a familiar cinematic catharsis: an apparently ordinary man—quiet, restrained, and carrying emotional baggage—ultimately takes on a group of villains and single-handedly brings them to justice. It’s a trope audiences have seen many times, yet the film manages to make it engaging

There is no gentle way to say this—Anubhav Sinha’s Assi hits you hard. It is, at times, an uneasy watch—and therefore, a very good film. To be clear, the unease does not come from graphic visuals; it comes from statistics read aloud by a lawyer, from stark statements that linger long after they are spoken. If merely listening to these details causes discomfort, one can only imagine the horrors endured by the victims. Sinha not only stabs us in the heart; he twists the knife—quietly, deliberately.

Inspired by Ping Lumpraploeng’s Thai film The Pool (2018), Tu Yaa Main shifts between Mumbai and a 20-foot-deep swimming pool somewhere along the Goa–Mumbai highway. The story of a couple trapped in an empty pool with a crocodile for company offers a solid premise for a survival thriller.