Srivathsan Nadadhur

Rehan, a con artist, is forced by a gangster Rajan to steal a valuable diamond – The Red Sun – to save his dad. Meanwhile, Rajan’s wife, Farrah and Rehan are attracted to each other. A street-smart cop, Vikram, is on the hunt for Rehan. Rehan’s pursuit of the diamond gets trickier with time, as he tries to outsmart Rajan while dealing with his feelings for Farah. In the ultimate showdown, who has the last laugh? The hackneyed script gives the capable cast very little to work with. Saif Ali Khan looks mostly disinterested, coasting through emotional beats with his natural charm but little commitment. Jaideep Ahlawat is a major disappointment; his character and dialogues feel stuck in a bygone era of 70s cinema.

After distancing himself from his family and having just broken up with his girlfriend Smriti, Instagram influencer Pratyush lives alone in his apartment. He’s under pressure to reach the 10 million mark on the platform while competing with a rival. However, his plans go kaput one night when he loses his phone, only to realise that an obsessed female fan stole it. Babil Khan may not be getting the opportunities he deserves, but he is definitely making his presence felt in the digital space with his consistency, representing realities that mainstream cinema often tends to ignore. Logout is no different and is a story apt for his age, driven by a strong screenplay and eliciting a good performance out of him.

Leaving her hometown, Gwalior, Madhu seeks a fresh start in Delhi, unaware that her hostel room harbours a sinister presence, alarming the other residents. They urge her to leave before it’s too late. While the warden brings in a shaman (doctor), Madhu pursues her assailant. She confronts him while the hostel women ally with the doctor. Madhu’s rage escalates as she unleashes vengeance. Monika Panwar effectively steps into the shoes of a small-town woman in a vulnerable phase in her life, struggling to find her way in a misogynistic world. Rajat Kapoor, in an unusually creepy role, generates adequate fear and tension through his portrayal of Hakim.

Advocate Sankaran Nair, a key member of the Viceroy’s Council, remains staunchly loyal to the British Crown in his professional tenure—until the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre changes everything. Branded as terrorists, thousands of innocent civilians are slaughtered in cold blood, shaking Nair to his core. As the truth unfolds, he joins forces with a young advocate, Dilreet Gill, determined to hold the British accountable for what they believe to be an act of genocide. Akshay Kumar has always been a perfect foil for plot-driven sagas that have no space for flabby distractions. In the shoes of Sankaran Nair, the seasoned actor delivers a classy performance – his subtle humour, ease with dialogue delivery help him immensely. Ananya Panday, without doubt, is steadily finding her rhythm as a performer, and her portrayal of Dilreet is a firm indicator of her evolution.

The 2022 film Odela Railway Station, directed by Ashok Teja and featuring Vasishta Simha and Hebah Patel, was a rural thriller focusing on sexual crimes in a quiet Telangana village. The narrative followed a woman’s chilling revenge after discovering that her husband was the perpetrator. With its use of graphic visuals and a voyeuristic lens on violence, the film, despite its disturbing tone, garnered significant viewership on OTT (Aha Telugu). Ashok Teja and writer Sampath Nandi reunite for its sequel, Odela 2, led by Tamanaah Bhatia, reimagining the story as a supernatural thriller. After meeting with a horrific end at the hands of his wife, Tirupathi (Vasishta N Simha) returns as a vengeful spirit, undeterred and more dangerous. His spirit manipulates a new set of men, reigniting a similar pattern of crimes in the village. As chaos escalates, the stage is set for the arrival of Bhairavi (Tamannaah), a mythical force destined to restore order. A conventional good-versus-evil showdown ensues.

The Legend of Hanuman, which enters its sixth season this week, has consistently pushed the bar in retelling the Ramayana through animation on OTT across age groups, supplemented by its new-age visualisation, playful storytelling and impactful writing, exploring major events, the traits of each of its pivotal characters (apart from Hanuman too) with equal sincerity. The new season is about the fall of Ravan as much as the rise of Hanuman. Greed and ego get the better of Ravan. Emerging victorious over Ram is no longer his only priority, he wants the world for himself. While losing the support of Vibheeshan (and Mandodari partially), he misses being with his other brothers, sons (who’re no more) and hopes to meet them on the other side of the world.

Seven years after the harrowing events of Chhorii, Sakshi leads a peaceful life with her daughter, Ishani. The latter suffers from a rare condition where exposure to sunlight can prove fatal. Their peace is shattered one night when a ghostly figure appears and lures Ishani away. When Sakshi returns home to find her daughter missing, she desperately seeks help from Inspector Samar. In terms of performances, Chhorii 2 is an out and out Soha Ali Khan show. She brings an undeniable authority and composure to the portrayal of Daasi Maa, a key architect behind an archaic ritual that usurps the lives of girls. While Nushrat Bharucha is effective as a mother who leaves no stone unturned to protect her daughter, the film doesn’t demand anything significantly different from her as a performer (in comparison to the first part).

Prasad, father to teenagers Jyothi and Srikanth, runs a small-time photo studio in a quaint town in Telangana, struggling to make ends meet. Yet, he does it all without complaints, helped significantly by his homemaker wife Devi. While Srikanth wants to work in films, Prasad is adamant about sending him to the US. In contrast, Jyothi wants to study further, but her parents try to get her married. The casting, while familiar, still evokes some freshness with the pairing of Rajeev Kanakala and Jhansi. As expected of him, Rajeev Kanakala fits the part of the seemingly tough dad with a heart of gold and delivers a warm, affecting performance with a good sense of humour and use of body language. Jhansi is as expressive as ever, acing the Telangana slang like a queen without missing the core emotion of the character.