Srivathsan Nadadhur

The Trial, the Hindi adaptation of the popular show The Good Wife, didn’t particularly have a good start with its first season, although it garnered enough viewership for Jio Hotstar to renew it for another instalment. The show struggled to rise above a collection of stray events in a middle-aged woman’s life, desperately rushing through episodes in a bid to keep a viewer hooked.

Aasman Singh is an overnight sensation, having made a remarkable acting debut and working wonders. He gets into a salty banter with Karishma, the daughter of a star, Arjun Talvar, at a roundtable interview. Cashing in on the controversy, Aasman and Karishma are paired in a new film, and love is in the air. Yet, their romance struggles to take off, thanks to an ugly tiff, an underworld deal and a long-buried secret.

The series follows the story of an SI Raja and a gambler named Murali, and how they clash and unite for a common purpose later. Giving up his past, Murali seeks redemption by helping Raja solve a crime. After Raja’s aggressive actions in a few cases, his manipulative colleague Vaavar rises to prominence. Meanwhile, Raja tries to reestablish his position by making an offer to Murali to turn a cop.

Vetri, a debt-ridden entrepreneur, turns a gigolo after seeking financial help from a college senior, Karthikeyan. In his new role, he encounters Namrata, a lonely woman dealing with a miscarriage and a broken marriage. Meanwhile, Shraddha, a rebellious college student, keeps her romance with a classmate, Adi, a secret. As they meet at her home when her parents are away, the night takes a wild turn.

Film after film, horror enthusiasts continue to get a raw deal as storytellers lazily rehash old tropes for cheap thrills — a haunted house, mysterious deaths, a ghost with a flashback, a possessed woman, and a man who braves it all to end the menace. However, Kishkindhapuri is at least forthright about not being any different, embracing its masala mishmash exterior earnestly. Kishkindhapuri, while showcasing glimpses of a tragedy at a radio station in the 1980s, shifts to a contemporary timeline with the story of a much-in-love couple, Raghav (Bellamkonda Sreenivas) and Mythili (Anupama Parameswaran), who offer spooky experiences in haunted houses through their ghost walking tours. The tours, while deceptively curated, bank more on their participants’ fears.

After a notorious serial killer, Carl Bhojraj, escapes from Tihar Jail, Mumbai cop Zende, who had previously caught him 15 years ago, is tasked to find him again. With a small team, Zende pursues the elusive criminal across cities, using his instincts and old-school policing to track him down. The cat-and-mouse chase culminates in Goa, where the team uses their wits to capture Carl. Inspector Zende puts Manoj Bajpayee in a similar spot as The Family Man – a duty-bound officer, alternating between familial priorities and work, but with stronger moral support. He lends delicate, subtle comedy touches to the role and also shows Zende’s firmness about his stance, both at home and at duty. The balance that Bajpayee brings to the part is indeed one of the film’s sweeter spots.

Samuel Umman, a businessman involved in real estate, is killed in a road accident. Antonio George, entrusted with the case, smells something fishy. An investigation into Samuel’s life leads him to a confidante, Francis. He unearths an alleged loan scam in connection with a local cooperative bank. A thug Shaji, Samuel’s own son Ebin, and a few bank employees are also under the scanner. It’s Sudev Nair and Arun Sol, who enjoy bulk of the screen-time in the show. Sudev’s past appearances in both positive/negative roles work in favour of his casting, though Arun gets better scope to deliver a portrayal with space for histrionic talents. Akhil Kavalayoor, Ajay Vasudev, and Kalfan have one-note roles, and they deliver okayish performances. The women hardly have any prominence and get to make much impact.

Cinema, a melange of art and commerce, is no exception to the rule of demand and supply. As fascination with hyper-masculine angry men, larger-than-life missions, and the love for grey shades is on the wane, there emerges a need for cinema that is more relatable and inhabited by characters who don’t hesitate to poke fun at their own flaws and vulnerabilities. A few Telugu films this year — Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, Mad Square, Single, Subham, Sarangapani Jathakam — highlight this gradual shift, which is reiterated by this week’s release, Little Hearts, directed by Sai Marthand. It exemplifies an often-quoted perception among cinephiles on social media — a film aware of its own silliness is indeed intelligent. Little Hearts is a love story about two misfits (as deemed by their families). Unable to clear his engineering entrances, Akhil (Mouli Tanuj) is compelled to undertake long-term coaching due to his father’s (Rajeev Kanakala) insistence. Khatyayini (Shivani Nagaram), daughter of a medico, is no different — except she is attempting MBBS for the fourth time. The scenario is ripe for love to blossom.