3589 Reviews ● 1078 Films ● 56 Top Critics & Growing

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Srivathsan Nadadhur

Independent Film Critic

Srivathsan Nadadhur is a senior entertainment journalist with over 11 years of media experience who writes about movies, literature, culture, and lifestyle and has contributed to The Hindu, Times of India, Deccan Herald, The NEWS Minute and Film Companion in the past.

All reviews by Srivathsan Nadadhur

Image of scene from the film Deva
Director:Rosshan Andrrews
Cast:Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Pavail Gulati, Pravessh Rana, Girish Kulkarni, Kubbra Sait, Sahidur Rahaman, Meenal Sahu, Shivraj Walvekar, Upendra Limaye
Writer:Sumit Arora, Arshad Syed, Hussain Dalal, Abbas Dalal

Deva

Action, Thriller, Mystery, Crime (Hindi)

(Written for M9 News)

Shahid Fire, Director Misfire

Sun, February 2 2025

Dev Ambre, a no-nonsense fiery cop, meets with an accident while nearly cracking a high-profile investigation involving a fellow officer and a dear friend Rohan. After a partial memory loss, he returns to work and is asked to piece together crucial details around the case. He needs to come to terms with himself and his problematic past to find answers. Where does this quest lead him?

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Image of scene from the film The Storyteller
Director:Ananth Narayan Mahadevan
Cast:Paresh Rawal, Rajarshi Nag, Adil Hussain, Jayesh More, Anindita Bose, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Revathi, Rohit Mukherjee, Pratik Dutta, Senjuti Roy Mukherji

The Storyteller

Drama (Hindi)

(Written for M9 News)

Relatable, Gentle, Masala-Free

Sun, February 2 2025

Tarini Bandyopadhyay, a widowed elderly Bengali man with a son, has long stints at many publishing houses, but never takes it upon himself to be an author, despite being a gifted communicator and storyteller. After his retirement, he’s hired by an Ahmedabad-based businessman Ratan Garodia, suffering from chronic insomnia, to tell stories in the hope of finding sleep.

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Image of scene from the film The Secrets of the Shiledars
Director:Aditya Sarpotdar
Cast:Rajeev Khandelwal, Sai Tamhankar, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Dilip Prabhavalkar

The Secrets of the Shiledars

Action, Adventure, Drama (Hindi)

(Written for M9 News)

Thrilling Historic Ride

Sun, February 2 2025

After losing his parents in an accident in childhood, Ravi is raised by the Bhatts and has a loving brother in Aditya. He grows up a history enthusiast and bumps into a judge Dixit, who reminds him of his duty as a Shiledar and reveals the mystery behind his parents’ death. Soon implicated in a crime, Ravi embarks on a quest to uncover a hidden treasure.

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Image of scene from the film Hisaab Barabar
Director:Ashwni Dhir
Cast:R. Madhavan, Kirti Kulhari, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rashami Desai, Faisal Rashid, Jitender Hooda, Manu Rishi Chadha, Shaunak Duggal, Himanshu Malik, Rajesh Jais
Writer:Ashwni Dhir

Hisaab Barabar

Drama, Thriller, Comedy (Hindi)

(Written for M9 News)

Madhavan Drowns in a Hopeless Film

Sun, February 2 2025

Radhe Mohan Sharma, a railway ticket checker, stumbles upon a minor discrepancy in his bank account, setting off a chain of events, leading him to uncover a massive financial fraud orchestrated by a powerful banker named Micky Mehta, the founder of Do Bank. While unearthing a billion-dollar scam and facing immense pressure and threats, Radhe does what it takes to expose the truth.

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Image of scene from the film Sky Force
Director:Sandeep Kewlani, Abhishek Kapur
Cast:Akshay Kumar, Veer Pahariya, Nimrat Kaur, Sara Ali Khan, Sharad Kelkar, Mohit Chauhan, Manish Chaudhary, Naisha Khanna, Soham Majumdar
Writer:Sandeep Kewlani, Carl Austin, Niren Bhatt

Sky Force

Action, Thriller (Hindi)

(Written for M9 News)

Force Missing, Soft Landing

Sun, February 2 2025

A group of Indian fighter pilots, led by Om Ahuja (Akshay Kumar), is tasked with the destruction of a fleet of modern American F-104 Starfighters at the Sargodha airbase in the 1965 war. Meanwhile, a young pilot T Krishna Vijaya (Veer Pahariya), disobeys orders and ventures into enemy territory to rescue his fellow pilots. Haunted by the disappearance of his protégé, Ahuja embarks on a quest to uncover the truth while facing resistance and bureaucratic hurdles.

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Image of scene from the film Sweet Dreams
Director:Victor Mukherjee
Cast:Mithila Palkar, Amol Parashar, Meiyang Chang, Sauraseni Maitra, Faye D'Souza, Mohini Shimpi, Ayesha Adlakha, Sukkarann Vats, Vandana Pathak, Pragati Mishra

Sweet Dreams

Romance, Drama (Hindi)

(Written for M9 News)

Bittersweet but Watchable

Sun, February 2 2025

Kenneth Fernandes, a recycling artist in Mumbai, and Dia, an aspiring songwriter in Pune are strangers who have never met, yet share identical dreams. While Kenny finds a true friend in an acquaintance Roop, Dia struggles to be herself in a strained relationship with her long-time boyfriend Ishant. The duo’s search for dream partners leads them on a whimsical journey, filled with unexpected encounters and humorous mishaps.

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Image of scene from the film Sivarapalli
Director:Bhaskhar Maurya
Cast:Rag Mayur, Muralidhar Goud, V. S. Roopa Lakshmi, Uday Gurrala, Sunny Palle, Pavani Karanam
Writer:Shanmukha Prasanth

Sivarapalli

Comedy (Telugu)

(Written for The Hindu)

A loyal remake uplifted by solid performances

Sat, February 1 2025

Although ‘Sivarapalli’ is an easy weekend watch, it remains content to be a mere replica of ‘Panchayat’

While remakes are commonplace in feature films, the concept of targeting hyper-local markets using already successful material is gaining traction in the OTT space as well. The digital medium has thrived on the idea of ‘overcoming the two-inch barrier’ (subtitles), allowing stories to transcend language barriers. Yet, platforms continue to commission near frame-by-frame adaptations to attract a new set of viewers Over the years, villages have served as backdrops for various genres, ranging from political sagas to dramas, comedies, thrillers, action-packed entertainers, and romances. Amazon Prime Video’s eight-episode series Sivarapalli, a remake of TVF’s hit show Panchayat, takes a middle path, exploring the familiar terrain of rural drama through the perspective of an urban youngster.

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Image of scene from the film Dominic and the Ladies' Purse
Director:Gautham Vasudev Menon
Cast:Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Viji Venkatesh, Wafa Khadeeja Rahman, Siddique, Vijay Babu, Lenaa, Sushmitha Bhat, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan, Shine Tom Chacko
Writer:Sooraj-Neeraj, Gautham Vasudev Menon

Dominic and the Ladies' Purse

Thriller, Action (Malayalam)

(Written for All in a Frame)

Sat, February 1 2025

Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse is an unlikely Gautham Menon film in a positive sense, from the way it’s visualised, shot and edited. The leisurely yet consistently engaging investigation thriller is built on a juicy premise centred around a lost ladies purse that leads a former cop-turned-detective to a missing couple, a mystery that only gets murkier with time. Even while catering to the star in Mammootty, the film doesn’t lose its way and culminates with a pulpy, edge-of-the-seat finale. Sushmitha Bhatt is a surprise find, with Gokul Suresh, Viji Venkatesh and Vineeth chipping in with impressive performances.

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