Srivathsan Nadadhur

Seventeen-year-old Roslin is haunted by recurring nightmares of a mysterious shadow. Reality blurs when Jerry, a charming but enigmatic paying guest, moves in, winning over her family despite Roslin’s growing dread. As Shobha uncovers unsettling truths, Jerry is forced to leave, briefly restoring peace. However, the terror is far from over, with Jerry returning for one final, dark confrontation.

Celebrated surgeon Geetika Sen sees her life collapse after anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct surface at her hospital. As an official inquiry begins and social media outrage intensifies, the mounting suspicion creates a severe crisis of trust between Geetika and her partner, Meera. While fighting to save her career, Geetika must navigate a web of secrets and past professional rivalries to prove her innocence.

We live in times when filmmakers are increasingly insecure about keeping restless viewers invested in a story. This has resulted in storytellers shaping narratives that frenetically jump from one sequence to another, without context or substance, so that distraction may not be an option. The characters do not talk; they shout. And the bombastic background score screams for attention. Every scene turns into a loud statement. ZEE5’s Telugu web series D/O Prasad Rao Kanabadutaledu (Prasad Rao’s daughter is missing), helmed by Krishna Poluru, takes this desperation to new heights. While leaving little to a viewer’s imagination right from its title, the show shifts between three timelines that influence the events in the life of a missing girl. The crime scene is visualised as a narrative hook to unpack discussions on conservative parenting, the dreams and aspirations of a girl child, intergenerational trauma and vigilante justice.

Preet Bajwa is found dead on her family’s poultry farm. Cops Dhanwant Kaur and Amritpal Garundi soon discover the family has been hiding a dark secret for twenty years: they were keeping people as slaves. As the police get closer to the truth, the family takes desperate, violent steps to hide their crimes. The story shows how old secrets eventually catch up to people and destroy their lives.

Until the early 90s, Chennai (then Madras) served as a common backdrop for Telugu films. However, the subsequent industry shift to Hyderabad gradually altered the geographical canvas of its stories. Despite Chennai remaining a preferred destination for the Telugu community in nearby regions of Andhra Pradesh for livelihood for years, modern-day filmmakers have seldom explored their enduring connection with the city through a contemporary lens.

Jathi Ratnalu director KV Anudeep’s latest film, Funky, is set in a bubble—the Telugu film industry, a world the filmmaker has immediate access to. The premise itself—where an emerging director falls for the daughter of an eminent producer—is a fictional take on the love story of industry couple, director Nag Ashwin and producer Priyanka Dutt (who are often referenced in the film).

Police officer Hemant’s week off is cancelled due to two urgent cases: the disappearance of MLA Jagtap’s brother, Sarju, and a gold theft. A mutilated corpse is found, forcing a desperate search for the missing head. Suspects are arrested, beaten, and confess, but the mystery deepens. The trail shockingly leads to Hemant’s ally, whose confession reveals more layers to the crime.

After a crushing setback in a crucial match, Nikku’s team finds its reputation on the line. As a key player departs, the team descends into disarray, struggling to find its footing. They must overcome these internal conflicts and face a formidable rival in a final showdown. This decisive match will determine not only the tournament’s winner but also their future, both on and off the field.