Sanyukta Thakare

Rajkummar Rao’s film is an action drama that falls into the same trap of several other releases from the same genre. The film has very little uniqueness to offer as compared to other OTT films and shows based in the same region, with similar dialogues, political issues with violence at the center of it all. From Mirzapur to now Panchayat, Maalik fits right in, without much setting it apart, other than Rajkummar Rao’s performance. But the film’s violence heavy screenplay leaves little focus on his emotional moments. Maalik begins with Rajkummar Rao’s character Deepak punishing and killing a police officer for stopping his trucks at a check point. Without wasting much time, the filmmaker clears the air about who the film will follow and how the events will take place. For the next 30 minutes the makers focused on the political environment of Allahabad and how Maalik intends to make a space for himself.

The film begins with a flashback of Shuvankar’s birth in Chandrapur during a Durga Puja. While everyone is happy about the news of the birth of a son, the tone changes when it’s revealed that a twin daughter is born. Due to the traditional practices of the family and a belief that girls of the bloodline bring ill fate to the world, the daughter is sacrificed in front of a tree. The tree is believed to have been possessed by a very old and powerful demon. Years later, Kajol as Ambika explains a mythological story depicted in a painting about Goddess Kali and her battle with the demon Raktabeeja (Bloodseed). She reveals to the kids in her daughter Shweta’s class how gods had to seek help from Goddess Parvati, who took the avatar of Kali and helped take down the demon to reign over Heaven once again. Inspired by the mythological stories and more history of her dad, Shuvankar’s home town, Shweta wishes to visit their native home for summer vacation, but both parents refuse to take her there. They later discuss how important it is for them to share the truth with her about Chandrapur and why they decided to keep her away from the place.

The makers have returned with another season explores the culinary world through the restaurant and its highly talented staff. The show has been around for three seasons and always give at least 3-4 perfect episodes per season. Can the same be said for this one? Yes. Season 4 takes a little while to kick off but it does. And when it does there is so much more to look for. The new episodes begins right after season 3 as they begin to feel the wrath of a countdown which could decide the future of the restaurant. After finding out about uncle’s diminishing finances, a running clock is added to the restaurant as a reminder how they need to win a star or break even in 4000 hours. However, to do that Carmen and others have to first get through layers of emotional, their own and others. With a wedding and a new baby in the mist, the family drama also continues the influences the decisions in the kitchen.

F1 directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruge is a film of simpler times. The makers for F1 have chosen to focus on the filmmaking more than its story, but the screenplay doesn’t fall short of theatrics and drama. For a story about racing and its team, there is much to offer from conflict between players, past emotional trauma to new beginnings and team bonding. F1 gives almost everything a 2000s film could present with even better direction and cinematography. F1 begins with Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes stepping in as a nomad driver for hire at a Daytona racetrack for the overnight shift. He takes over the car towards the end of the line, but leads the game by the morning driver change. 5 minutes into the film, the makers clear the air that Sonny Hayes isn’t in it for the glory. Despite offers to stay on the team full time, Sonny picks up his cheque and moves on to the next one. Dubbed as “the greatest that never was,” he was Formula 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s.

Panchayat season 4 settles down more into its tone after an intense conclusion to season 3. At the end of the previous season we witnessed the politics in the village taking a new turn as violence grew into an everyday occurrence. Over the years, the show has changed a lot. It first started with everyday adventure format where different incidents took place in the village and explored how it affected Abhishek. Now, the series in more about two political parties fighting against each other to rule the village. The season begins in the aftermath of Pradhanji being shot at. With the village elections coming closer, both parties try to pull each other down and de-influence the villagers. On the other hand, Abhishek appears for his MBA exam and is awaiting the results. The show does explore his dilemma about his future outside the village. However, he is determined to stay back and help Pradhanji and his family for as long as he can. His relationship with Rinki also grows steadily with an imminent separation in the future.

Directed and acted in by Donnie Yen as the lead, the film explores the story based on real events. It follows a former cop who joins the department of justice (law) to ensure the criminals pay for their crimes and innocents walks free. His first case as a prosecutor tests him and the people around him as he goes against the department and he sets out to prove the accused in not guilty. The film begins with a celebrated cop on a trial with the state trying to prove the man they caught is the leader of a drug mafia. However, after several attempts and risking the lives of his own team, the criminal walks free. The incident leads him to retire as cop and put his next three years into becoming a lawyer and joining the department of justice. His experience as a celebrated cop does garner him much love and respect in the department, but it also adds to his loyalty for the job. In turn helping the people around him also learning about the same and dedicating their lives to the work and the wellbeing of the public.

The film is being raved for one of the best adaptations in the recent years, and for good measure. Even with the additional content added to the runtime, great VFX/CGI, and the impeccable IMAX transitions, the film still have much more to offer. The live action does not stray from the original in terms on concept, context or plot, but it adds more to the lore and the emotional range of the characters, including the dragons. Toothless and the other four legged stars all get moments to shine, but the musical score, not so much. How To Train Your Dragon begins with its iconic monologue about Berk and its perks. Hiccup leads his way to the swordsmith’s store right after a Dragon attack on the village. In his path he leaves behind a lot of destruction not for the dragons but his own people. Despite everyone warning him to get inside, Hiccup takes his design to catch a Night Fury all by himself, but again ends up with destruction in his path. While he does hit something in the dark of the night, body is ready to belive him that its a Night Fury, even worse his father, the Chief of the village completely gives up on him and gets out to find the dragon’s nest with the rest of the village.

Directed by Karan Tejpal, Stolen isn’t your usual film that sets out to tell the story of based on true events. But it follows the events as they unfold and upends the life of two brothers. On their way to their mother’s wedding, the two estranged brother begin a journey willingly and unwillingly to find a women’s stolen kid. On this journey they end up finding themselves, a bit of humanity and their love for each other. Abhishek Banerjee played by Gautam Bansal, is asked to pick up his depressed younger brother Raman (played by Shubham Vardhan) from the train station. However, the delayed train makes matters worse when Raman gets off the train right as Champa, a few months old girl is stolen off the platform. The mother Jhumpa played by Mia Maelzer finds him with her daughter’s beanie, accusing him of stealing her. It leads to more chaos between the two brothers, a group of cops and the mother.