Shomini Sen

Ayan Mukerji- the man who gave us the brilliant Wake Up! Sid and enjoyable Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani takes a leap of faith to give us the most massy film of his career, YRF-backed War 2. Part of the studio’s Spyverse, War 2 picks up from where War (2019) had ended and gives us two new heroes- Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) and Vikram (Jr NTR, making his Bollywood debut in this one). The result should have been electrifying -considering it combines the best of North and South cinema- but falls into the usual trappings of an illogical, larger-than-life spy film that Bollywood- particularly YRF- has been feeding us for the past few years. War 2 thrills but also gives a sense of Deja Vu, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Somewhere near the climax of Dhadak 2, tired of fighting back constantly to claim his position in society, Neelesh- the male protagonist of the film- states, “Haalat badal sakte hai, jaat nahi (situation may change, but caste won’t)". The line hits you hard. Even as India progresses, the discrimination and politics that come along with it- will never end. Filmmaker Shazia Iqbal’s film Dhadak 2, featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, addresses the age-old caste politics that persist in Indian society to date, through reservation and quotas, disrespect, vote banks, and more. Backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, it takes up the same theme that Dhadak was set in, of star-crossed lovers, one from the marginalised section and the other from the privileged class, and the problems they face in their love story. Both films are remakes. However, Dhadak 2 soars due to its sharp writing and superb performances by the lead.

There has been enough representation of The Fantastic Four in pop culture. My earliest memory is of the animated series on TV. Of course, there were some underwhelming films too that came out in the early 2000s. In the post-pandemic era, as Marvel tries to reboot and revive its lost glory, The Fantastic Four: First Steps fits well in the larger scheme of things. It takes the audience, new and loyalists included, back in time and narrates the story of Marvel’s first family. It changes some of our earlier perceptions of the four superheroes from Earth 828, adds certain new elements, and makes it a formidable franchise that hopefully will see more films in the future. Does it make for a thrilling ride, though? Let’s find out.

Bollywood is going back to classic romances after years and it feels refreshing. The audiences in the past month have been treated to love stories and anthologies in Anurag Basu’s Metro In Dino and Vivek Soni’s Aap Jaisa Koi recently, and now Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara focuses on young love. Suri, who has made a name for creating musicals and angsty love stories, returns to his comfort zone and collaborates for the first time with Yash Raj Films- another name synonymous with Bollywood romances. The film marks the debut of Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda and looks and feels like Aashiqui 3 with similar romantic ballads, drama, angst, and love. But is Saiyaara a Gen Z version of Aashiqui? Let’s find out.

He is 42, a virgin and desperately in need of female company. R Madhavan’s Shrirenu Tripathi is unlike a Bollywood hero, especially at a time when leading heroes flex their muscles and wield machetes in heavy-duty actioners. Filmmaker Vivek Soni’s Aap Jaisa Koi, stands apart from regular Bollywood films on many accounts. At its core is a man who is unsure of himself, and thus shy to make friends with the opposite gender. The film has shy and conservative men pitted against liberal, free-thinking modern women. The premise holds promise, but does Aap Jaisa Koi deliver? Let’s find out.

The heart has been craving for a good old love story amid heavy actioners that Bollywood has been churning out for some time now. Amid the clutter of Pan-India gruesome bloodied action thrillers and sappy family dramas that the viewers have been fed the past few years, Anurag Basu’s Metro…In Dino manages to break the clutter with a fresh take on the oldest emotion in the universe -Love. Basu takes four distinct love stories set in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore and spins an intricate tale, typical of the filmmaker’s style of storytelling. The result is an engaging musical 2 hr 42 minutes long ride at theatres.

When you combine two of the most popular entities of the world – Brad Pitt and Formula One racing- in a film, you can expect it be a big blockbuster hit. One of the most popular stars of Hollywood, Pitt has been credited with some of the biggest hits of all time and earned an Oscar award for his performance. The man splashing comes back in F1: The Movie as a Sony Hayes, a rule breaker, a has-been driver who left the circuit years back after a freak accident. When Sony is pulled back into the circuit- this time by an old friend and fellow rider (Javier Bardem in a delightful role) and Sony has to face his demons, move past personal setback, and even befriend a weary rookie driver (Damson Idris) to win F1.

When the first season of Panchayat was released on Prime Video back in 2020, it brought the simplistic village life to our screens in the cities. At a time when the nation was binge-watching a lot of content on the OTT space, thanks to the forced lockdown during the first phase of the COVID-19 lockdown, the story of Phulera Village and its people felt like a breath of fresh air. From the reluctant, MBA aspirant Abhishek Tripathi or Sachivji finding home among the people of Phulera, to Pradhan and his family, to Vikas and Prahlad Cha- Panchayat’s characters felt unique yet very rea,l and people sitting in the comforts of their homes could resonate with their simple, often humorous village life. The success of the show ensured more seasons, which led to the greater exploration of each of the characters-with a romance track thrown in the third season between Sachivji and Rinki, the Panchayat head’s daughter. In its fourth season, the characters remain but Phulera has been infiltrated with politics as Panchayat Elections are round the corner and as it happens in most cases- politics ruins and corrupts the simplicity of Phulera here too, making Panchayat Season 4 a drab in comparison to its previous series.