Sachin Chatte

Amal Neerad’s Bougainvillea features an impressive cast, including Kunchacko Boban, Jyothirmay, and Fahadh Faasil; however, the film ultimately flatters to deceive. Faasil is relegated to a tertiary role, likely either to help out his friends or for a fat paycheck – probably the former. Pitched as a psychological thriller, the film becomes exasperating due to its screenplay and overall execution.

The Wild Robot, inspired by Peter Brown’s 2016 novel of the same name, is a film that skillfully balances its emotional elements, resulting in a gratifying experience for both children and adults. While the notion of a robot experiencing emotions is not entirely original, it is the narrative and its execution that truly set this film apart. Achieving the right emotional resonance, whether from a human or a robot, is crucial, and Chris Sanders has struck gold with this film.

Drawing inspiration from Dharma Productions’ own film Gumraah (1993), which was itself influenced by the miniseries Bangkok Hilton (1989), Jigra features Alia Bhatt in the lead role of a prison-break drama. The original source material was not particularly strong; in the earlier film, Sanjay Dutt portrayed a hero rescuing his beloved Sri Devi from a Hong Kong prison, whereas in this adaptation, the narrative shifts to a brother-sister dynamic where the sister must save her brother.