Sachin Chatte

A decade is a significant interval between the release of the first and second feature film - it took a long time coming but it arrived well. After he made his debut with Masaan (2015) which resonated deeply with audiences, Neeraj Ghaywan has produced another remarkable film with Homebound, a work that is rich in empathy and emotion.

In Euclidean geometry, or on a flat surface, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. However, in Bollywood films, the journey from point A to point B often involves a detour around point A for a considerable duration, followed by a series of convoluted twists before finally arriving at the destination. Ek Chatur Naar, directed by Umesh Shukla, exemplifies this tendency, taking an unnecessarily lengthy path to reach its conclusion. In doing so, it becomes overly clever for its own good.

The opening scene, filmed in a single continuous shot, establishes the atmosphere for a film aptly named Jugnuma – The Fable. We observe the main character, Dev (Manoj Bajpayee), as he washes his face, prepares himself, dons his wings, and leaps off a ramp from a mountain, just like that. This film by Raam Reddy, who previously entertained us aplenty with Tithi (2015), encompasses a bit of everything.

Directed by Tushar Jalota, Param Sundari is a romantic comedy that possesses a very flimsy base, like a papad. This base disintegrates quickly, leading to a succession of familiar scenes that unfold over a duration of two hours. With the lingering influence of Chennai Express (2013), Param Sundari emerges as yet another narrative exploring the cultural divide between North and South, interspersed with some contrived romantic elements.

Similar to numerous Hollywood films, Nobody 2 was produced due to the success of Nobody (2021), which performed well at the box office. The concept was interesting – an unremarkable office worker is actually a skilled assassin and capable of taking on a horde of thugs and defeating them decisively. It was a light-hearted film filled with action.

Following the releases of Weapons and Together earlier this month, the series of top notch horror/thriller films persists. It is safe to say that Bring Her Back stands out as the most terrifying of them all, due to its staging and unfolding – complemented by an exceptional performance from the ever-dependable Sally Hawkins. You will find yourself reluctant to visit her home, even if she extends an invitation

It is challenging to identify any redeeming qualities in this high-budget, multi-crore disaster. From the action sequences to the storyline, particularly the action, this film disrespects the audience’s intelligence, even if one assumes that the audience possesses a wide range of sensibilities.

Uske paisa hain izzat hain, SUV hain aur apni hi caste ka hain to kyun na karu shaadi” (he has respect, wealth, an SUV and he is from our caste so why shouldn’t I marry him), remarks the sister of the protagonist. The theme of caste is prominently featured in Dhadak 2, a remake of the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal (2018) directed by Mari Selvaraj. This film serves as a spiritual sequel to Dhadak (2018), which itself was a remake of Sairat (2016).