Idhayam Murali
Romance, Comedy, Drama (Tamil)
A young man navigates the complexities of unrequited love, finding that even as years pass and life takes unexpected turns, certain emotions remain deeply embedded in his heart. (more…)
Pritam and Pedro
Crime, Drama, Mystery (Hindi)
The dynamic between the two contrasting personalities, a seasoned cop who prefers old-school methods and a tech-savvy cop who relies on modern technology for investigations, as they navigate their partnership in solving crimes. (more…)
Guild Reviews by Film Page 16 of 111
The India Story
Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
A community confronts the devastating impact of pesticide contamination as industrial negligence threatens public health. The fight for accountability exposes systemic failures in regulatory oversight and corporate responsibility.
Cast:
Kajal Aggarwal, Shreyas Talpade, Murali Sharma, Manish Wadhwa, Sham Mashalkar, Kamlesh Sawant, Trisha Sarda, Atul Tiwari
Director:
Chettan D K
Writer:
Sagar B Shinde
Fri, July 24 2026
फिल्मों के बारे में भले ही ये मशहूर है कि सिनेमा मतलब एंटरटेनमेंट, एंटरटेनमेंट, एंटरटेनमेंट। लेकिन कुछ फिल्में ऐसी भी होती हैं, जो आपको जागरूक करती हैं, कचोटती हैं, आंखें खोलती हैं और झकझोर कर रख देती हैं। साउथ इंडियन फिल्मकार चेतन डीके की पहली हिंदी फिल्म ‘द इंडिया स्टोरी’ का उद्देश्य भी मनोरंजन की बजाय फसलों में कीटनाशकों के बढ़ते उपयोग से सेहत पर पड़ रहे दुष्प्रभाव के प्रति लोगों को जगाना है। फिल्म शुक्रवार, 24 जुलाई को देशभर के सिनेमाघरों में रिलीज हुई है। आइए, जानते हैं कि यह कैसी है-
Heartstopper Forever
Romance, Drama (English)
It's a new school year for the Truham-Higgs gang. As Nick and Charlie's relationship deepens, their thoughts turn to life after the last bell rings.
Cast:
Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Jenny Walser, Rhea Norwood, Leila Khan
Director:
Wash Westmoreland
Writer:
Alice Oseman
Sat, July 18 2026
Directed by Wash Westmoreland, the award-winning series wraps up with a bittersweet movie that allows fans a proper goodbye
While it is disappointing that Heartstopper never got a fourth season, viewers should be satisfied that the new movie Heartstopper Forever allows the coming-of-age tale to grow up and go out on its own terms. Writer Alice Oseman has adapted the sixth and final volume of their own webcomics. Over the past four years, we’ve watched characters Nick and Charlie met, become friends and fall in love. In the final movie, the two teenagers take tentative steps towards their futures and tackle misunderstandings in their relationship. The movie is a bittersweet ending to a show that makes audiences feel like part of this supportive world.
Oh! Sukumari
Comedy, Romance, Drama (Telugu)
Follows an aspiring politician who falls in love with Sukumari, a beautiful and soft-natured woman, while her father conceals a secret that threatens their relationship.
Cast:
Thiruveer Reddy, Aishwarya Rajesh, Jhansi, Vishnu Oi, Anjaiah Milkuri, Srinivas Gavireddy, Kranthi Balivada
Director:
Bharat Dharshan
Writer:
Bharat Dharshan
Sat, July 18 2026
Set in rural Telangana, director Bharat Dharshan’s Telugu film turns a familiar tale of family dynamics and personal dreams into a partly engaging dramedy with a quirky central hook
In the opening portions of Oh! Sukumari, a young girl hears her teacher describe happiness as a large family bound by love and togetherness. Having lost her mother, she quietly holds on to the hope of finding that kind of home someday. Elsewhere, an ageing patriarch mourns a family that seems to value him more for his wealth than his presence. Their shared longing for love and belonging forms the emotional core of the film. Director Bharath Dharshan brings these seemingly disparate lives together with humour. Oh! Sukumari belongs to the recent wave of low-stakes rural comedies that find charm in the everyday lives, dreams and struggles of ordinary people.
Varavu
Action, Thriller (Malayalam)
A family falls victim to the powerful elite in a small town. Time passes, wounds fester. One man's return forces a confrontation that will expose decades of lies and corruption.
Cast:
Joju George, Vani Viswanath, Murali Gopy, Arjun Ashokan, Saniya Iyyappan, Sukanya, Baburaj, Vincy Aloshious, Ashwin Kumar, Abhimanyu Thilakan
Director:
Shaji Kailas
Writer:
A K Sajan
Sat, July 18 2026
Every plot point is told from a broad, generic standpoint with nothing left to guess
If Shaji Kailas began his career today, he would wrestle with the idea of starting out as a celebrated food vlogger. Even when he’s setting up major action sequences, he seems obsessed with the idea of staging confrontation around food. Speaking strictly of its novelty, this could be something as inane as framing an intro shot while placing a hot, steaming glass of lemon tea at the foreground. But the ideas that cracked me up in his new film were the subtle innuendos he’s packed in to trigger a conflict. Take the instance of five masked assassins walking into a small restaurant with the intention of creating trouble. One of them looks at the waitress and shadily asks if she will give him some “buns and milk”. It’s meant to sound as off as it does, but the dialogue delivery of the actor makes it sound crass. When the film’s hero, Paulson (Joju George trying his best), walks in upon hearing this, he sends the bad guy flying with a kick to his groin. As he flies across the screen, we see two eggs flying with the same velocity, landing at the centre of a frying pan. A second later, Paulson slashes a sword across another bad guy and instead of zooming in on the damage this causes, we cut to a shot of a banana that gets sliced into two.
Thu, July 16 2026
Though the typical Shaji Kailas elements appear in ‘Varavu,’ with an added dose of gore, much of it fails to leave a mark due to the lack of emotional underpinnings
Varavu is the kind of film that gives one the feeling that the action sequences were probably planned out first, with an excuse of a storyline added later. Well, there should be a reason for the fights. Can there be a better reason than a good old revenge story of 1990s vintage set in the high ranges? The film is too eager to showcase its fights that by the time we get to know even the name of the protagonist, Paulson (Joju George), two long fight sequences are over.
Ikka
Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
With a loved one's life at stake, a celebrated lawyer must defend a man he suspects is guilty — battling his conscience every step of the way.
Cast:
Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Tillotama Shome, Dia Mirza, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Jyoti Mukherji, Shishir Sharma, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, Vijay Vikram Singh, Daria Bedi
Director:
Siddharth P. Malhotra
Writer:
Suparn Verma
Sat, July 18 2026
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a star’s person eventually subsumes every character that they play on screen. With Sunny Deol, it’s never about whether he is good or bad in a film. It’s about Sunny Deol playing Sunny Deol in a Sunny Deol film! The necessary accoutrements are all in place. The slow-motion entry, the clenche d f ist , the admonishing finger, the fiery stare, the high-octane roar and of course, the “dhai kilo ka haath”. Together, they provide the intended comfort of familiarity. As for Akshaye Khanna, the Dhurandhar hangover continues to loom large. The hair is still there, though not quite as glorious as before, but recognisably similar. The tilted neck, the inverted smile and the studied mannerisms are even more pronounced. Bookended by these two larger-than-life performances is a story struggling to breathe and say something of its own. A young girl is brutally assaulted under mysterious circumstances. As she battles for her life in the hospital, the action shifts to the courtroom. Enter Arjun Mehra (Deol), a lawyer whose reputation precedes him.
Sun, July 12 2026
A lot is at stake in Ikka, and we are aren’t just talking about the receding hairlines of its main men. Almost three decades after they came together on screen for Border, Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna feature in this commercial Bollywood-style courtroom thriller that cranks up melodrama to the max, but is nostalgically old-school enough to make for some guilty-pleasure viewing. Unlike Border, where they batted for the same team, Sunny and Akshaye are at loggerheads in this Siddharth P. Malhotra-directorial, though they do join forces — unwillingly for the former — for a large part of this film that throws in enough twisty plot points but isn’t particularly smart or sleek.
Sat, July 11 2026
kka revolves around the celebrated Public Prosecutor Arjun Mehra (Sunny Deol). He is known for fighting for the truth and that too by adhering to ethics. He stays in Mumbai with his wife Avantika (Dia Mirza) and daughter Samaira (Daria Bedi). One day, Shouryamann Gaur (Akshaye Khanna), son of a wealthy industrialist and politician Harshvardhan Gaur (Shishir Sharma), gets accused of attempting to murder Soma Mittal (Akansha Ranjan), a young girl he met at a night club. Arjun is offered to fight Shouryamann’s case as a Defense Lawyer this time. He plainly refuses because of the past equation between both of them. However, circumstances force Arjun to fight Shouryaman’s case.
Pritam and Pedro
Crime, Drama, Mystery (Hindi)
The dynamic between the two contrasting personalities, a seasoned cop who prefers old-school methods and a tech-savvy cop who relies on modern technology for investigations, as they navigate their partnership in solving crimes.
Cast:
Vir Hirani, Arshad Warsi, Vikrant Massey, Mona Singh, Rajesh Sharma, Mohit Chauhan, Shruti Marathe, Naina Sareen, Satyadeep Misra, Harshika Kewalramani
Director:
Amir Satyaveer Singh, Avinash Arun
Thu, July 16 2026
தனது டிரேட் மார்க் நகைச்சுவை கலந்த எதார்த்தமான நடிப்பால் அர்ஷத் வார்ஸி கவர, அறிமுக நடிகர் வீர் ஹிரானியும் சிறப்பான பங்களிப்பை வழங்கியிருக்கிறார். வில்லனாக விக்ராந்த் மாஸேவும், சிறு வேடத்தில் போமன் இரானியும் ஈர்க்கின்றனர். சைபர் குற்றங்களை எந்தவிதமான சிக்கலான தொழில்நுட்ப வார்த்தைகளுமின்றி, நகைச்சுவையும் மனித உணர்வுகளையும் கலந்து, அனைவருக்கும் எளிமையாகப் புரியும்படி கொடுத்திருக்கிறது இயக்குநர் ராஜ்குமார் ஹிரானி தலைமையிலான எழுத்தாளர் குழு. ஆனால், சீரியஸான குற்றப் பின்னணியில் நகைச்சுவையை அதிகம் திணித்திருப்பது சில இடங்களில் கதையின் தீவிரத்தைக் குறைக்கிறது. ஆங்காங்கே எழும் லாஜிக் கேள்விகளையும் மறந்தால், ராஜ்குமார் ஹிரானி டெம்ப்ளேட்டில் ஓர் உணர்வுபூர்வமான பொழுதுபோக்குத் தொடர் இது!
Sat, July 4 2026
Despite capable performances, Pritam and Pedro struggles with predictable writing, muted emotional impact, and storytelling that never rises above polished mediocrity.
There are certain names in cinema that arrive long before the credits roll. They carry with them not merely recognition but a formidable burden of expectation—a promise of excellence painstakingly accumulated over decades. Rajkumar Hirani belongs comfortably to that rarefied league. His films have consistently blended humour with humanity, wit with wisdom, and entertainment with emotion, creating stories that linger long after the curtains have fallen. From the irrepressibly charming Munna Bhai series to the socially resonant 3 Idiots, the delightfully irreverent PK, and the emotionally layered Sanju, Hirani has fashioned a cinematic identity that is at once distinctive and deeply endearing.
Sat, July 4 2026
Bringing his magical touch to long-form storytelling, Rajkumar Hirani turns a cold, clinical cyber-thriller into a heartwarming buddy-cop comedy where old-school muscle beautifully collides with modern computer code.
Moving past a heavy-handed Dunki, Rajkumar Hirani finds his deft touch, imbuing a warm soul into the Over-The-Top streaming space where even empathy feels algorithmic these days. Instead of adding to our daily anxiety, Hirani, who works as a series creator, along with director Avinash Arun, takes the clinical world of cybercrime and wraps it in an engrossing buddy-cop comedy that educates and comforts the audience. Reflecting the anxiety of the times when a single digital mistake can ruin a life, the series effectively uses the theme of forgiveness to heal people and relationships. Led by Arshad Warsi, who balances his signature effortless humour with a tougher tone, and debutant Vir Hirani as his father’s creative voice of the outsider who questions the absurd rules of the world, the narrative finds its sweet spot when the points of view of Pedro, an old school policeman nursing a young wound and Pritam, a modern hacker, living with his grandfather under an assumed identity, collide.
Isakapatnam
Drama (Telugu)
Set in the 1990s, in the ruthless port town of Isakapatnam, three forces collide—a woman driven by justice, a henchman torn by loyalty, and a common man hungry for revenge—each closing in on the empire built by the port’s most powerful man, Naidu.
Cast:
Aishwarya Rajesh, Samuthirakani, Sunil Varma, Naresh Agastya, Merin Philip, Sudhakar Komakula, Rajiv Kanakala, Mime Gopi, Rohini, Raja Chembolu
Director:
Garry BH
Writer:
Prashanth Babu Ragathi
Thu, July 16 2026
அதிகாரவெறி பிடித்தவராக சமுத்திரக்கனியும், ஆழமான கதாபாத்திரத்தில் ஐஸ்வர்யா ராஜேஷும் சிறப்பான நடிப்பை வழங்கியிருக்கின்றனர். ஆனால் சுனில் கதாபாத்திரம் முற்றிலும் வீணடிக்கப்பட்ட உணர்வையே உண்டாக்குகிறது. 80-களின் துறைமுக நகரத்தை நம்பகத்தன்மையுடன் கண்முன் நிறுத்தும் கலை இயக்கம் மற்றும் ஒளிப்பதிவு தொடருக்குப் பெரும் பலம். தந்தை - மகள் இடையேயான முரண்பாடுகளும், நடிகர்களின் தேர்ந்த நடிப்பும் ஆங்காங்கே திரைக்கதையைத் தாங்கிப் பிடிக்கின்றன. ஆனால், தொடரின் ஆன்மாவாக இருக்க வேண்டிய இந்தக் காட்சிகள் குறைவாக இடம்பெற்றிருப்பது வேண்டிய தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தவில்லை. அதோடு எந்தவிதப் புதுமையுமின்றி மெதுவாக நகரும் திரைக்கதை, எளிதில் யூகிக்கக்கூடிய திருப்பங்கள் தொடரின் சுவாரஸ்யத்தைக் குறைக்கின்றன. முன்னணி நடிகர்களின் எதார்த்த நடிப்பு மட்டுமே இந்த இசாகப்பட்டினத்தைக் கரைசேர்க்கிறது.
Thu, July 2 2026
Isakapatnam aspires to be a sprawling crime saga in which every murder has consequences, every betrayal shifts the balance of power, and every character carries old wounds. Directed by Garry BH from a script by Prashant Ragathi with dialogues by Tajuddin Syed, the Prime Video series stars Samuthirakani as feared gangster Naidu and Aishwarya Rajesh as his daughter Bharathi. Sunil, Naresh Agastya, Merin Philip, Sudhakar Komakula, Rajeev Kanakala, Raja Chembolu and Banerjee round out an ensemble of characters including henchmen, townsfolk, cops and businessmen. The Prime Video series is set in the fictional coastal town of Isakapatnam. The town owes its prosperity to its docks, shipping trade, trucking business and steel plant – a fertile setting for a story about the nexus between crime, commerce and politics. Oddly, though, the series barely uses any of it. The docks have little bearing on the story, which unfolds mostly in houses, police stations, hideouts, and an occasional boat scene.
Muthassi
Mystery (Malayalam)
In a remote village haunted by ancient secrets, a mother's love is put to the ultimate test when her son becomes entangled in a terrifying supernatural curse.
Cast:
K.P.A.C Leela, Amith Chakalakkal, Akhila Bhargavan, Orhan Hyder
Director:
Nandulal M S
Writer:
Nandulal M S
Thu, July 16 2026
கேரளத்தின் அடர்ந்த காட்டுப்பகுதியில் இருக்கும் ஒரு சபிக்கப்பட்ட கிராமத்தில் வசிக்கும் ராஜனை (அமித் சக்கலக்கல்) மணந்து, அந்த ஊருக்கு மருமகளாக வருகிறார் லீலா (அகிலா பார்கவன்). அவர்களின் வீட்டிலேயே வசிக்கும் முத்தச்சி (கே.பி.ஏ.சி.லீலா), ஒரு முன்னாள் சூனியக்காரி என்பதால் அவரின் அமானுஷ்ய நடவடிக்கைகள் லீலாவை அச்சத்துக்கு உள்ளாக்குகின்றன. இதற்கிடையே லீலாவுக்கு ஒரு மகன் பிறக்க, அவனை முத்தச்சியின் குணமும் அமானுஷ்யமும் பின்தொடர்வதாக உணர்கிறார் லீலா. முத்தச்சியின் முன்கதை என்ன, அந்தச் சிறுவன் அவரைப்போலவே மாறினானா, தாயாக லீலா எடுக்கும் முடிவு என்ன என்பதே இந்த ஜி5 மலையாள ஹாரர் சீரீஸின் கதை.
Little House on the Prairie
Drama, Western, Family (English)
The close-knit Ingalls family builds a new life on the Western frontier, where the joys of nature and the struggle for survival are deeply intertwined.
Cast:
Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald, Alice Halsey, Skywalker Hughes, Kowen Cadorath
Thu, July 16 2026
Rebecca Sonnenshine's take on Laura Ingalls Wilder's book series starts off as faithful and hopeful.
The 1970s series of the same name was an American classic and this Netflix retelling introduces the story by Laura Ingalls Wilder through her semi-autobiographical books. The Ingalls family heads out to the American prairie and finds steady challenges in their decision to relocate. Showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine establishes the mood for the family drama that hints of both adventure and conflict. With young stars Alice Halsey and Skywalker Hughes, the new Little House series is both nostalgic and optimistic for a time gone by that was once filled with promise.
Lucky
Drama, Crime (English)
When a multi-million-dollar heist goes sideways, con artist Lucky is forced to go on the run. Pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss, Lucky must fight for her life—and a way out.
Cast:
Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clifton Collins Jr., Drew Starkey, William Fichtner, Mo McRae
Thu, July 16 2026
The gritty limited series features Anya Taylor-Joy on the run and fighting for her life
Lucky’s leading lady, Anya Taylor-Joy, has the word ‘resilience’ written all over. Which is why she was perfectly cast for the projects Furiosa: A Mad Max Story and The Queen’s Gambit. Now, Taylor-Joy leads Apple TV’s Lucky both as star and executive producer in a wild and thrilling chase in which she is the emotional heart. Playing the vulnerable but wily con artist, the actress is the best part of the series adaptation of Marissa Stapley’s novel. The limited series by Jonathan Tropper and Cassie Pappas makes sure that viewers are kept on the edge of their set as Lucky reaches the end of her nine lives. With a cast of veteran actors, Lucky manages to captivate.
Dhamaal 4
Comedy (Hindi)
The Dhamaal boys are back for another treasure hunt, facing hilarious challenges in their quest for the Treasure of Life.
Cast:
Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, Javed Jaffrey, Sanjay Mishra, Ravi Kishan, Upendra Limaye, Anjali Anand, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Esha Gupta
Director:
Indra Kumar
Sat, July 11 2026
2007 में आई पहली वाली ‘धमाल’ में गोआ के एक पार्क में ‘डब्ल्यू’ आकार में खड़े पेड़ों के नीचे खज़ाना दबा था। इस बार एक वीरान टापू में ‘एम’ आकार में खड़ी पहाड़ियों के नीचे खज़ाना है। खज़ाना भी किसका, सौ साल पहले एक डाकू शैतान सिंह का जो वह अंग्रेज़ों से लूटा करता था। अब इस खज़ाने को खोजने निकली हैं तीन टीमें-गुड्डू और जॉनी, आदि और मानव व आदि की पत्नी, लल्लन और उसकी पत्नी। साथ ही इनके पीछे पड़े हैं डाकू अधूरा और उसके साथी। इस सफर में हैं ढेरों मुसीबतें, उनसे बचने की कसरतें और इन सब की लल्लुआना हरकतें। ज़ाहिर है मकसद आपको हंसाना है, ठहाके लगवाना है। ‘धमाल’ सीरिज़ की फिल्में दर्शकों को किसी वीडियोगेम या कार्टून कॉमिक्स के भीतर ले जाती रही हैं। एक ऐसा संसार जहां फिज़िक्स-कैमिस्ट्री के नियमों की धज्जियां उड़ा कर उनसे हास्य उपजाया जाता है। किसी ने घर की घंटी बजाई और उससे आने वाले करंट ने बंदे का तंदूरी मुर्गा बना दिया या किसी के बम में चाकू घुसने के बावजूद खून न निकलना जैसे ये सीन हमें डोनाल्ड डक, मिकी माउस या टॉम एंड जैरी की दुनिया में ले जाते हैं। उनमें जो होता है वह कहीं से भी तार्किक नहीं लगता, लेकिन उसे देख कर आप हंसते हैं, ठहाके लगाते हैं, आपको मज़ा आता है और आपका दिल-दिमाग हल्का होता है। यह फिल्म भी आपको वही मज़ा देती है। बस, बच्चे बन जाइएगा इसे देखते हुए।
Sat, July 11 2026
The Dhamaal franchise is now almost twenty years old — which is quite an achievement for a series built on a storyline thinner than a Bollywood hero’s patience before the interval. The makers managed to squeeze out two films in the early years (2007 and 2011), but when fresh ideas became as rare as logic in a slapstick comedy, the obvious solution was simple: recycle the old ones.
Sat, July 11 2026
Indra Kumar's motheaten franchise entry crashes out in the opening minutes, then keeps on crashing
You’re scrolling through BookMyShow on a breezy Friday afternoon. It’s been a stressful week, and the rains have let up, so you decide to unwind with a brainrot Bollywood comedy. But which one? Should you go watch Welcome to the Jungle, still running in theatres, or Dhamaal 4, the latest in the long-running treasure hunt franchise? These things are subjective, but let me present a quick comparison. Welcome to the Jungle is directed by Ahmed Khan. Dhamaal 4 is directed—in the kindest sense of the term—by Indra Kumar. Welcome to the Jungle is a spoof about the making of movies. Dhamaal 4 shows why some movies should never be made at all. Welcome to the Jungle has satirical ambitions. Dhamaal 4 has hysterical collisions. Welcome to the Jungle is a loose rehash of Tropic Thunder. Dhamaal 4 is a hard retread of the first, second and third Dhamaal.
Idhayam Murali
Romance, Comedy, Drama (Tamil)
A young man navigates the complexities of unrequited love, finding that even as years pass and life takes unexpected turns, certain emotions remain deeply embedded in his heart.
Cast:
Atharvaa Murali, Fahadh Faasil, Preity Mukhundhan, Kayadu Lohar, Natarajan Subramaniam, S. Thaman, Niharika NM, Malavika Mohanan, Rakshan, Dravid Selvam
Director:
Aakash Baskaran
Sat, July 11 2026
Aakash Baskaran's film, starring Atharvaa, is indulgent of its wayward protagonist, and expects the viewer to be so as well
Raja (Murali), from Kathir’s debut film, Idhayam (1991), may have become iconic over the years, partly due to the grating niceness and tragic innocence of the character (and mostly due to Ilaiyaraaja’s music). But in a contemporary world in which we reevaluate gender, misogyny and the obsessive nature of love, the idea of unrequited romance makes the conversation feel like the colloquial phrase we use to describe it—one-sided. Rathna Kumar’s superior Meyaadha Maan (2017), refracts the idea through a class lens, where the disparity in economic positions chokes the character out of expressing his true love. This year’s Hollywood phenomenon Obsession reimagines extremities of a nice-guy-dream realized to the point of stifling one life for the other’s wishful fantasy.
Fri, July 10 2026
The Atharvaa, Kayadu Lohar, Preity Mukhundhan-starrer is frivolous and proud of it; a Gautham Menon-flavoured romance that trades depth for charm and heart
There are several hilarious chunks in Idhayam Murali, but the funniest one is unintentional. In the second half, Sam (Preity Mukundan) tells Idhaya (Atharvaa), in the same breezy tone you’d use to describe wrapping up a work call, “Ippa thaan oru mission mudichom. So konjam naalaiku rest” (We just finished off one mission. We will rest for a while). By this point, it is well established that Sam is a NASA astronaut, which is exactly why the line lands as comedy rather than drama. It’s a very specific kind of silliness, one Tamil cinema has flirted with before. The film doesn’t hide that it’s chasing a Gautham Menon-ish vibe, and this scene recalls a bit from Neethaane En Ponvasantham: a throwaway line establishing that Varun’s (Jiiva) family has grown rich and posh, simply by mentioning that his retired parents are now off travelling the world. Both moments reach for a big, specific, hard-to-verify detail and use it as shorthand for status or drama, without doing any of the narrative work to earn it.
Fri, July 10 2026
Atharvaa headlines Idhayam Murali as a man who cannot confess his love. The film lands its biggest laughs through cameos and comedy but struggles to deepen its relationships.
Tamil cinema fans from the ’90s have grown up hearing Idhayam Murali in their everyday life. For those who don’t know the context, late actor Murali acted in a film titled Idhayam, where his love remains one-sided as he never confesses his feelings. Little did anyone know it would become a pop culture term. Decades later, Murali’s son Atharvaa is headlining Idhayam Murali, playing a character who just cannot bring himself to confess his love.