Srivathsan Nadadhur

After a security breach in a small jail, a thief sneaks inside to steal a locked donation box. Two very different police officers, Anbuchelvan and Arjun, try to solve the crime, but things get messy when local YouTubers start filming everything for views. Between the weird prisoners and the media circus, the officers struggle to catch the clever thief who is using all the noise and confusion to stay hidden. Munishkanth appears at home as a laidback officer on the verge of retirement; it’s a role tailor-made for him. He’s alright, but it honestly doesn’t feel like a surprise. Subash Selvam, playing an ambitious constable, is more agile and enjoys stepping into the shoes of his role, hardly going overboard.

A couple in Pune loses their way in an intense but toxic romance that collapses under the weight of ego and ambition. Seven years after their breakup, they unexpectedly reunite in Japan. Against the backdrop of Mount Fuji, they must confront their painful past and the possible road ahead. The film predominantly revolves around the couple, and both the leads, Lalit Prabhakar and Mrinmayee Godbole, hold the fort with assurance. Lalit plays the more complex role with a better character graph; he’s efficient because you ultimately understand the man’s trauma and also despise him for his abusive behaviour towards his partner. Mrinmayee Godbole, as the woman bearing the brunt of mounting debts and an insensitive love interest, delivers an intense yet delicate portrayal that lingers long after the film ends. Omprakash Shinde is not left with much to do. The child artiste Kabir Jueelee Deven makes a mark with his happy-go-lucky presence.

Alakh Pandey struggles to keep his small coaching centre alive while massive corporations try to buy him out. He faces constant betrayals, teacher resignations, and mounting debts. Meanwhile, his students battle poverty and academic failure, fighting a system stacked against them. Refusing to sell his soul, Alakh takes his mission online, sparking a high-stakes revolution to make education a right for the masses. There is no discrediting the value that Viineet Kumar Singh, Vikram Kochhar, and Girija Oak Godbole bring as performers, but this is definitely not a show that gives much value to their mettle. It simply takes their presence for granted, offering them toothless characters. Viineet’s awkwardness in his performance is quite palpable; he struggles to bring Alakh Pandey alive due to the flat writing. The supporting cast is formidable, though their stories lack any impact.

Gopal and Anasuya, a couple married for 50 years, suddenly announce they are getting a divorce. The news creates an immediate crisis for their grown children and extended family. As the legal process begins, Gopal’s stubbornness clashes with Anasuya’s need for independence. The home becomes a battlefield of old secrets and modern grievances, forcing everyone to question their equation.

It is not often that women-led mainstream films find their way into theatres in Telugu cinema. When they do, they are mostly directed by men and turn out to be cautionary statements about social ills women confront on a daily basis. Though this is understandable given the crime rate against women and children, it also indicates how such films become a limiting portrait of the lives of women and seldom tap into the essence of their lives beyond victimhood. S Saraswathi, which marks actress Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s directorial debut and is produced by her sister Pooja Sarathkumar, falls prey to this very trope where a woman’s story is largely equated with her suffering. Charting the journey of Lakshmi (Varalaxmi), who works as a nurse in a metropolis, the film is a thriller drama with a non-linear screenplay and the story nearly makes a case for revenge as a necessity.

Retired Subedaar Arjun Maurya returns to his hometown, seeking to mend the bond with his daughter, Shyama. His peace is shattered when a sand-mafia heir, Prince, comes in his way. Pushed to his limit, the soldier reawakens his military instincts. Arjun must navigate a personal war of redemption and a battle against Babli Didi’s criminal empire to protect his family and honour. Anil Kapoor’s raw intensity, brought alive with his physicality and sharp dialogue delivery, is easily the film’s lifeline. If you manage to take the film seriously, it is all about his visceral screen presence. Radhika Madan has a decent character arc as the rebellious, grieving daughter, though the performance is hardly her best.

Kartik, a man from Ujjain, falls obsessively in love with the mysterious Charu. When she suddenly vanishes, his life turns into a relentless search. He soon finds himself entangled in the dangerous world of a ruthless politician, Huntry Chauhan. As Kartik travels from India to Georgia to find the truth, he must navigate a web of deception, violence, and changing loyalties where love comes with a price. For the masala genre to click, besides writing and direction, you want the actors to submit to the world fully without chasing logic. The viewer can catch glimpses of it in Tejasswi Prakash and Anud Singh Dhaka’s performances. One hoped the writers invested the same thought in giving substantial characters for Srishti Shrivastava and Tejasswi as much as they did for Anud and Kishan’s parts.

Twenty years after her parents’ love story began, Amrita faces a sudden family collapse. Following the tragic deaths of her mother, Vasudha, and her father, Neeraj, she must step up as the eldest sibling. Amidst overwhelming debt, legal crises and family grief, Amrita stops relying on her partner Aditya and takes over her father’s business to fight her battles alone.