The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
Crime, Mystery (Hindi)
Follows the events leading up to the tragic 1991 assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the intense manhunt that unfolded after , unraveling a complex web of espionage, intelligence failures, shifting allegiances, and the profound human cost involved (more…)
Metro... in Dino
Drama, Romance, Comedy (Hindi)
Follows interconnected stories of several different couples, each facing a crossroads at different stages in their lives and relationships. (more…)
Uppu Kappurambu
Comedy, Drama (Telugu)
A fictional village faces an extraordinary crisis as the cemetery runs out of space. Uproarious chaos ensues as the community rallies together, finding inventive solutions to overcome this unusual predicament. (more…)
Heads of State
Action, Thriller, Comedy (English)
The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. (more…)
Jurassic World Rebirth
Science Fiction, Adventure, Action (English)
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world's three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora's operation intersects (more…)
Guild Reviews
Freedom
Family, Action, Thriller (Tamil)
In 1991, refugees wrongly accused in a high-profile assassination were jailed in Vellore Fort. Though later proven innocent, many remained imprisoned. In 1995, 43 escaped—some recaptured, others fled abroad seeking freedom.
Cast:
M. Sasikumar, Lijomol Jose, Bose Venkat, Malavika Avinash, Manikandan, Mu Ramaswamy, Sudev Nair, Ramesh Khanna
Director:
Sathya Siva
Writer:
Sathya Siva
Sasikumar's action drama, based on true story, is lost opportunity
Fri, July 11 2025
The early 90s were testing times for Sri Lankans. For those who grew up listening to the gut-wrenching stories of torture and killings amid a civil war. Any story that’s centred on Sri Lanka will always hold high emotional intensity. When a filmmaker crafts a story based on Sri Lanka, political correctness aside, the film should encapsulate the trials and tribulations that the people went through. ‘Freedom’ is one such film which is inspired by true events, which have ample scope to move you, shock you and enthral you. But, did the film manage to make the desired impact? Let’s find out! In 1991, many Sri Lankan refugees sought shelter in Tamil Nadu and were put in camps all across the state. However, when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, these refugees became suspects to the police. The police took some of the men and women into the camps for investigation and held them captive at the Vellore Fort. They chose Vellore Fort because of the high walls and trenches surrounding the old fort.
The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
Crime, Mystery (Hindi)
Follows the events leading up to the tragic 1991 assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the intense manhunt that unfolded after , unraveling a complex web of espionage, intelligence failures, shifting allegiances, and the profound human cost involved in the pursuit of justice.
Cast:
Amit Sial, Sahil Vaid, Bagavathi Perumal, Danish Iqbal, Girish Sharma, Vidyuth Gargi, Shafeeq Mustafa, Anjana Balaji, Sai Dinesh Badram, Sruthi Jayan
Director:
Nagesh Kukunoor
Writer:
Rohit G. Banawlikar, Sriram Rajan
All FCG reviews of The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
राजीव गांधी हत्याकांड पर सधी हुई ‘द हंट’
Thu, July 10 2025
21 मई, 1991 की रात तमिलनाडु के श्रीपेरंबुदूर में एक महिला ने अपनी कमर में बंधे बम से अपने साथ-साथ वहां चुनाव प्रचार करने के लिए पहुंचे पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री राजीव गांधी को भी मार डाला था। पूरे विश्व को चौंका देने वाली इस घटना के तुरंत बाद भारत सरकार ने एक स्पेशल इन्वेस्टिगेशन टीम (एस.आई.टी.) बनाई थी जिसने कदम-दर-कदम आगे बढ़ते हुए और एक सिरे से दूसरा सिरा जोड़ते हुए 90 दिनों में इस हमले की साज़िश रचने वालों को अपनी गिरफ्त में ले लिया था। इस पर पत्रकार अनिरुद्ध मित्रा ने एक किताब ‘90 डेज़’ लिखी थी जिस पर निर्देशक नागेश कुकुनूर ने यह वेब-सीरिज़ ‘द हंट-द राजीव गांधी एसेसिनेशन केस’ बनाई है जो सोनी लिव पर रिलीज़ हुई है। एक ऐसी घटना जिसके पल-पल का ब्यौरा दस्तावेजों में, खबरों में मौजूद है, जिसके बारे में सब जानते हैं कि पड़ोसी देश श्रीलंका में अपने लिए अलग क्षेत्र ‘तमिल ईलम’ की मांग कर रहा हिंसावादी संगठन ‘लिबरेशन टाइगर्स ऑफ तमिल ईलम’ (लिट्टे) राजीव गांधी से इसलिए खफा था कि उन्होंने वहां भारत से शांति सेना भेज कर उन्हें काफी नुकसान पहुंचाया था। राजीव गांधी ने ऐलान किया था कि 1991 के चुनाव जीतने के बाद वह फिर श्रीलंका में सेना भेजेंगे। लिट्टे ने इसीलिए उन्हें मारने की योजना बनाई थी जिसमें वे सफल भी हुए। उस घटना के बाद इस साज़िश और तफ्तीश पर ढेरों किताबें लिखी गईं और कुछ एक फिल्में भी बनीं। लेकिन इस वेब-सीरिज़ ने जो दिखाया है वह जैसे इतिहास को जीने जैसा अनुभव देता है।
Nagesh Kukunoor's Investigative Drama Is An Invigorating Page-Turner
Mon, July 7 2025
The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is exactly what the title describes. The new SonyLIV series, helmed by filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor, is focused on the ninety-day period in which a Special Investigation Team (SIT) pieces together who was behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. The investigative thriller is based on Anirudhya Mitra’s book Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassins and unfolds just like a book you can’t put down as the SIT members figure out which LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) operatives carried out the deadly plan. The show dives right into the main event with the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, played here by Rajiv Kumar, attending a campaign rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991. He is killed by a suicide bomber, Dhanu (Shrutie Jayan), and The Hunt wastes no time with the investigation moving from Madras to Colombo to Delhi and more as the suspects grow and the conspiracy deepens. The series’ strength lies in the extensive groundwork the SIT undertakes to launch a manhunt to find the plot’s leader and his accomplices.
(Writing for M9 News)
Compelling Investigation Drama
Sat, July 5 2025
After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in Tamil Nadu, a Special Investigation Team, headed by Kaarthikeyan, discovers vital clues. Despite a leaked press photo compromising the case, key operatives are identified, and the team learns of a foiled second assassination bid. The high-stakes confrontation culminates with Sivarasan, who led the group of assassins, being traced to Bangalore. Amit Sial delivers a commanding performance as the face of the show, portraying Kaarthikeyan, the officer leading the SIT investigation. Despite the precise, firm nature of his character, he brings an innate appeal to his portrayal through his dialogue modulation and body language. Sahil Vaid and Bagavathi Perumal are also afforded ample scope to shine, and their on-screen camaraderie is particularly delightful. Vidyuth Gargi’s firm, stately screen presence works in his favour; the likes of Danish Iqbal, Girish Sharma, and Saurabh Dubey do the needful with their assured acts. The host of actors on the other end of the spectrum, essaying the LTTE operatives, namely Shafeeq Mustafa, Shruty Jayan, Gouri Padmakumar, Nishan Nanaiah, Anjana Balaji, and others, make their presence felt too.
Uppu Kappurambu
Comedy, Drama (Telugu)
A fictional village faces an extraordinary crisis as the cemetery runs out of space. Uproarious chaos ensues as the community rallies together, finding inventive solutions to overcome this unusual predicament.
Cast:
Keerthy Suresh, Suhas, Babu Mohan, Shatru, Rameshwari Talluri, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Ravi Teja Nannimala, Vishnu Oi, Duvvasi Mohan, Sivannarayana Naripeddi
Director:
Ani I. V. Sasi
Writer:
Vasanth Muralikrishna Maringanti
An interesting idea undone by an overdrawn narrative
Mon, July 7 2025
It is a scenario straight out of the wildest dreams, or nightmares. An entire village, dressed in festive finery, gathers around a specially constructed stage. There is anticipation in the air, a celebratory mood. But the master of ceremonies (Vishnu Oi), a man summoned from a neighbouring town, is left stunned when he learns the purpose of the event: a lucky draw to determine who will win slots in the village burial ground, now perilously close to running out of space. Director Ani IV Sasi, who previously helmed the offbeat Telugu romance Ninnila Ninnila, returns with Uppu Kapurambu — a madcap satire that takes on the politics of death, land, and legacy. Screenwriter Vasanth Maringanti weaves in layered subtexts touching upon gender, caste, money, and power, exposing the absurdity of fighting over land meant for one’s final rest.
(Writing for M9 News)
This Rural Comedy Is a Royal Mess
Sat, July 5 2025
Chitti Jaya Puram, a village, faces a shortage of burial plots in its graveyard. Apoorva, the newly appointed village head, is struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her father, Subbaraju. She teams up with Chinna, the graveyard caretaker, to resolve the crisis. However, as time progresses, the village descends into chaos, losing its way, fighting over the right to a dignified burial. Keerthy Suresh struggles to find her element in a part as half-baked as her performance. She should’ve been the powerhouse that salvaged the film from its weak spots, yet her portrayal makes you feel quite the opposite. There’s no doubt about Suhas’s abilities, but one can’t simply make a career by doing different versions of the same role – the marginalised, vulnerable man craving for identity.
Keerthy Suresh, Suhas's quirky comedy works despite flaws
Sat, July 5 2025
Prime Video’s latest offering, ‘Uppu Kappurambu’, revolves around an interesting premise, albeit set in a fictional village. A quirky comedy, the Ani IV Sasi-directed film is a clever social commentary on dignity in death and how people are now easily divided over communal differences. Has ‘Uppu Kappurambu’ hit the right notes? Let’s find out! Chitti Jaya Puram, a fictional village, is full of zany characters who follow age-old practices that reek of ignorance, patriarchy and what not. Apoorva (Keerthy Suresh) becomes the village head following the death of her father, who died on duty. But, Apoorva’s father fully prepares her to take on duties and calls it the easiest job ever. One day, the village’s graveyard caretaker, Chinna, approaches Apoorva with a real problem. The graveyard is now short of space, and she is stuck figuring out a solution. Meanwhile, there are influential people in the village, Bheemayya (Babu Mohan) and Madhubabu (Shatru), who want to bring down Apoorva because they do not want to be under a woman’s leadership. How does Apoorva deal with these patriarchs amid a brewing cultural problem that forms the crux of the story?
Thammudu
Action, Comedy, Family (Telugu)
A troubled man reunites with his sister to protect her and a group of villagers from the brutal plans of a violent criminal businessman.
Cast:
Nithiin, Sapthami Gowda, Laya, Varsha Bollamma, Swasika, Saurabh Sachdeva, Hari Teja, Srikanth Iyengar, Temper Vamsi, Chammak Chandra
Director:
Venu Sriram
Writer:
Venu Sriram
Nithiin struggles in an excruciating survival thriller
Mon, July 7 2025
There is a fine line between inventive and outright bizarre. On paper, Thammudu might have seemed like a gripping watch —blending complex family dynamics, childhood friendship, and a good-versus-evil survival thriller. But in execution, it is more of an endurance test than an immersive film. Written and directed by Venu Sriram, starring Nithiin, Varsha Bollamma, Sapthami Gowda and Laya, the film tries to juggle too much, and drops most of it. Nithiin plays Jai, an archer chasing gold at the world championship. His struggle, we are told, is not about fitness or skill, it is emotional baggage. He confides in childhood friend Chitra (Varsha) about his broken bond with his sister (Laya) and the regret that has been weighing him down. Chitra, meanwhile, is apparently a successful entrepreneur who wins ‘Start-up of the Year’. What does her company do? The film does not tell us. On stage, she announces her love for Jai, tearfully calling him “more than just a boyfriend.” Logic takes a backseat, and so does character depth.
Heads of State
Action, Thriller, Comedy (English)
The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, they must find a way to thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world.
Cast:
Idris Elba, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paddy Considine, Carla Gugino, Stephen Root, Jack Quaid, Sarah Niles, Richard Coyle, Aleksandr Kuznetsov
Director:
Ilya Naishuller
Action film plays to its stars’ strengths
Mon, July 7 2025
Heads of State is exactly what it promises: a fast-paced, action-packed buddy comedy that leans into its absurdity with style, big laughs and big action set pieces. Ilya Naishuller directs a script by Harrison Query, John Applebaum and Andre Nemec, which clearly understands the assignment—pair two mismatched but magnetic leads, toss them into a high-stakes international mess, and let the chemistry and chaos unfold. John Cena and Idris Elba headline the action-comedy as two political powerhouses. Cena plays Will Derringer, a former action movie star whose latest job is as President of the United States, while Idris Elba plays Sam Clarke, the current Prime Minister of the UK. The latter’s calm, calculating exterior hides a former life in the British special armed forces, whereas Derringer relies on his celebrity to skate through his tenure. When a diplomatic visit to England almost goes off the rails (over a plate of fish and chips, among things), a little diplomatic engineering provides the perfect photo-op to change the narrative surrounding their public discord. Derringer and Clarke travel on Air Force One together, but things go sideways while they are en route to a NATO meeting in Italy.
Action In A Punny World
Fri, July 4 2025
Agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) does it first. “We’ll ketchup with you…” British Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) later ketchups up with her. “Everything harpoons for a reason,” he says self-consciously after they’ve emerged from a series of set action pieces with multiple weapons. But it’s weapons’ lord Viktor Gradov (Paddy Considine), a Russian arms dealer with more money to burn than the security budgets of the US and UK put together, topped with a personal revenge agenda, who’s set off the action all over. Especially targeting the President of the United States of America Will Derringer (John Cena), a Reagan type actor-turned-politician, and PM Clarke. Director Ilya Naishuller (Russian filmmaker) with writers Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Harrison Query, make a punny, funny, action film where the end’s obvious but the ride is lighthearted.
Priyanka Chopra’s average action-comedy is like Main Hoon Na with a bigger budget
Wed, July 2 2025
A key part of movie promotions these days involves the lead cast going on the talk show circuit (as they normally would), and instructing the audience to essentially lower their expectations. In fact, it’s almost as if Priyanka Chopra remembered all those times that she and her fellow Bollywood stars sold their movies by telling viewers to leave their brains outside the theatre, and introduced this strategy to her new friends in Hollywood. She’s been going around saying that her new action film Heads of State is an undemanding Friday night watch, but, unsurprisingly, it fails to meet even those standards. Directed by Ilya Naishuller, who previously made Hardcore Henry and Nobody, Heads of State is the kind of Prime Video programming that enters your eyeballs, bypasses your brain, and leaks out of your ears. Like his previous films — Hardcore Henry was presented in first person, while Nobody transported a middle-aged man into a John Wick-style world — Heads of State works better as a concept than in execution. It stars John Cena as the President of the United States and Idris Elba as the British Prime Minister, while Chopra plays an MI6 agent who might as well have been airdropped into the movie from Citadel.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Science Fiction, Adventure, Action (English)
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world's three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora's operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that's been hidden from the world for decades.
Cast:
Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain
Director:
Gareth Edwards
Writer:
David Koepp
Torn between homage and reinvention
Mon, July 7 2025
More than 30 years ago, Steven Spielberg directed the action adventure Jurassic Park, based on Michael Crichton’s novel about genetic modification, paleontology and the dangers of man meddling with nature. Jurassic Park, the movie, in which velociraptors first darted across our screens and into our nightmares, premiered in 1993, and was a blockbuster. Crichton wrote another novel and Spielberg directed its adaptation. The Lost World: Jurassic Park released in 1997. Neither did Crichton write any more Jurassic Park novels, nor did Spielberg direct further sequels though though he remained on as executive producer for the franchise’s subsequent films—five of them, including the latest instalment: Jurassic World Rebirth.
(Writing for OTT Play)
Who Let The Dinos Out (Again)?
Mon, July 7 2025
Genetically altered freaks. Engineered entertainment. Responding to audiences. These are some of the phrases used to describe mutated dinosaurs and the programme that ‘created’ them in Jurassic World: Rebirth. But these phrases apply better to the long-running film franchise itself — so genetically altered from its original DNA, so engineered to entertain younger audiences, that they’ve become big dumb monster movies rather than the poignant sci-fi adventures that Steven Spielberg introduced to the world. The best part of Rebirth — the seventh of the long-running series and the first following the doomed Jurassic World trilogy — is the pre-film teaser of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey. Wait, who am I kidding? The teaser didn’t even play before my matinee show in Mumbai. But even the anticipation of the teaser is the best part of this prehistoric movie.
Hybrid Models
Sat, July 5 2025
When Steven Spielberg directed Jurassic Park (1993), inspired by Michael Crichton’s novel, it marked a significant turning point in cinema. Never before had such visual effects been used combined with a thrilling story told in a masterly manner. Although technology has advanced over the years, the depiction of dinosaurs remains largely unchanged, and the storytelling has not seen any remarkable enhancements.
Metro... in Dino
Drama, Romance, Comedy (Hindi)
Follows interconnected stories of several different couples, each facing a crossroads at different stages in their lives and relationships.
Cast:
Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Saswata Chatterjee, Veerendra Saxena
Director:
Anurag Basu
Love feels a tad dated in Anurag Basu's multi-city saga
Mon, July 7 2025
Seventeen years after he tugged heartstrings with Life in a… Metro, Anurag Basu and Pritam are back navigating love in the big city, or should we say cities. The stories this time shift between Bengaluru, New Delhi and Calcutta. For Metro… In Dino, Basu adopts a less-seen, interesting narrative device to lure viewers into the world: characters introducing themselves by way of sing-song dialogue delivery. There’s Sara Ali Khan’s Chumki professing she’s confused and unsure; there’s Konkona SenSharma’s Kajol discussing her insipid marital life; there’s Anupam Kher, playing a widower, opening up about losing his loved ones in an accident; there’s Ali Fazal’s aspiring singer sharing his struggles. And there’s Pritam, Papon and Raghav Chaitanya, the travelling troubadours in the backdrop. Offering a peek into a character’s current state of mind and establishing their world, the first half breezes past.
(Writing for OTT Play)
Anurag Basu’s Musical Throbs With Longing
Sun, July 6 2025
Few filmmakers aim as high as Anurag Basu. The striving is driven more by curiosity than ambition — the desire to see what can be achieved when a story is set to music and punctuated with whimsy. The symphony is rapturous but not guaranteed, making his storytelling both messy and distinct. Inconsistent as this might be, it can also be rewarding: the highs in his films are so potent that the lesser moments are frustrated and elevated in anticipation Metro… In Dino is no exception. Basu’s feature is characteristically chaotic, buzzing with the cacophony of a crowd and beating with a single heart. It has the levity and longing of his later style and bleeds more than builds. It carries the hurt of unspoken words and the humour of saying it aloud. A spiritual sequel to Life in a… Metro, Basu’s latest has similar vibes but differs in spirit. If the 2007 film was concerned with the loneliness of citied existence then Metro… In Dino is about the cities we carry within ourselves.
(Writing for The Daily Eye)
Love in the time of urban chaos
Sat, July 5 2025
In the ceaseless hum of city life, where buildings scrape the skies and dreams stretch further still, Anurag Basu returns to familiar terrain—with unfamiliar faces and untold tales. Metro… In Dino is less a sequel than a kindred spirit to Life in a… Metro (2007), that elegiac hymn to urban loneliness and love. Where the earlier film rode on the late Irrfan Khan’s quiet gravitas, this one blooms with a new ensemble of characters—a tapestry woven with fresh threads but dyed in the same bittersweet hues of metropolitan melancholy. If love is a constant, it is so not because of its predictability, but because it defies time, space, and season. That is the foundational pulse of Metro… In Dino: the unbelievable becomes believable, the mundane profound. Basu doesn’t just craft stories—he paints atmospheres, where cityscapes become emotional landscapes, and each window, each narrow alley, tells a tale of yearning. This spiritual successor traces the contours of contemporary relationships—fractured, ephemeral, tender, and quietly devastating—against the backdrops of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore, cities not just as settings but as sentient beings. They breathe, they pulse, they ache along with the lovers they cradle.
Dheeran
Drama (Malayalam)
A man’s experiences of being a hero and an outcast in his village lead him to taking justice into his own hands.
Cast:
Rajesh Madhavan, Shabareesh Varma, Jagadish, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Manoj K Jayan, Vineeth Radhakrishnan, Sudheesh, Ashokan, Aswathy Manoharan, Unnimaya Nalappadam
Director:
Devadath Shaji
Writer:
Devadath Shaji
Rustic humour works, but film loses its way midway through
Sun, July 6 2025
Right from the title Dheeran (brave), which defines the protagonist, almost every other character in Devadath Shaji’s debut directorial has a defining trait. From a Hindi-obsessed welder to a local don who is more interested in his perfume business to an illicit liquor brewer who has a penchant for stirring up trouble even in the most peaceful of circumstances, it is a motley crew of oddballs. Eldhose (Rajesh Madhavan), the protagonist, gets that unlikely name which he struggles to live up to from an act of bravery in childhood, that also becomes a moment of tragedy in his life. Director Devadath Shaji, who wrote the screenplay of Bheeshmaparvam, gives a wrapping of humour to convey all that he wants to. Beneath its surface layer of easy humour, which keeps the film engaging atleast until the halfway point, Dheeran is also about the long-lasting impact of certain events in the lives of people. One particular incident leaves all those who are involved in it deeply scarred, some physical while for some others it is mental. The incident also dictates the whole village’s perception of a particular character.
3BHK
Family, Drama (Tamil)
A middle-class family battles financial hurdles and personal setbacks while pursuing their dream of owning a home in the bustling city.
Cast:
Siddharth, R. Sarathkumar, Devayani, Meetha Raghunath, Chaithra J Achar, Yogi Babu, Subbu Panchu, Vivek Prasanna
Director:
Sri Ganesh
Tells the story of a house, but misses to paint a tale of what it takes to make it a home
Sun, July 6 2025
(Writing for OTT Play)
Director Sri Ganesh Makes A Film That's Inauthentic To A Fault
Fri, July 4 2025
Over an hour into 3 BHK, director Sri Ganesh stages a scene in a restaurant that is completely disconnected from the rest of the film. It occurs out of nowhere and sticks out like a stray limb out of a burning pyre. Prabhu (Siddharth) and his sister Aarthy (Meeta Raghunath) take their parents, Vasudevan (Sarath Kumar) and Shanthi (Devayani), to a fancy restaurant for their wedding anniversary. The restaurant is way out of their middle class means. As a flabbergasted Vasudevan looks at the menu and his surroundings, Prabhu turns to him and says “kaalam maari pochu (times have changed)”. It is a regular aphorism, but it is also the title of a popular 1996 film from the stables of V Sekar, the ‘90s kingpin of middle-class family dramas. Dramas that might be lowbrow on the surface but have a remarkable level of honesty and clarity. They shoot straight and are seldom disingenuous. That moment really clicked into place what is not working with 3 BHK, ostensibly a similar film but one that takes itself way too seriously and has very little authenticity to deserve our attention.
Siddharth, Sarathkumar power through feel-good drama that hits home
Fri, July 4 2025
For a middle-class family, owning a house is a distant dream – one that not many can afford. For some, this dream is their sole identity. For others, it is a mark of respect. But how long must a middle-class family of four toil to own a 3BHK flat in a high-rise building, especially when life keeps throwing curveballs their way? That’s exactly what director Sri Ganesh’s ‘3BHK’ explores. Vasudevan (Sarathkumar) is the sole breadwinner of a middle-class family of four. He and his wife Shanthi (Devayani), along with their son Prabhu (Siddharth) and daughter Aarthy (Meetha Raghunath), move from one rented house to another as he continues to save for a home of their own, because for Vasudevan, house = respect. ‘3BHK’ chronicles several decades of Vasudevan and his family’s life and their struggle to fulfil their dream. Every time they get inch closer to it, life intervenes – where needs become more important than wants. Vasudevan invests in Prabhu’s education, so he can share his dream and the burden of saving money with him. But, Prabhu, like Vasudevan, is fighting his own battle – one that drains him physically and mentally. When will Vasudevan’s dream come true?
Paranthu Po
Music, Comedy, Drama (Tamil)
Gokul’s financial reach far exceeds his reality, but juggling unpayable loans and dodging debt collectors, he tries his best to provide for his pampered son, Anbu. With his mother away on business, Anbu persuades his father to go on a motorcycle trip through the countryside – a welcome break from everyday hustle, that helps Gokul realise that his son’s tantrums have a far deeper root than he thought.
Cast:
Shiva, Grace Antony, Mitul Ryan M, Anjali, Vijay Yesudas, Aju Varghese, Jess Sweejan, Balaji Sakthivel, Sreeja Ravi
Director:
Ram
Writer:
Ram
An enjoyable and poignant pursuit of happiness that never forgets to have fun
Sun, July 6 2025
Charming family film teaches joy in life's simple things
Fri, July 4 2025
What does an eight-year-old want? His parents, who enroll him in a prestigious elite school, give him access to everything. He has access to a computer, Zomato/Swiggy, expensive waveboards, all materialistic things, and has enrolled him in all classes and extracurricular activities. Yet, the eight-year-old is not happy and craving something that is beyond his and his parents’ understanding. What more can the parents do? This is what Ram’s ‘Paranthu Po’ is all about. Gokul (Mirchi Shiva) and Glory (Grace Antony) lead a hustling life, bound by countless EMIs and their dream of giving ‘everything’ to their fussy son, Anbu (Mithul). Gokul is a man who is struggling to set up a shop, while Glory owns a saree shop to sustain their life. When they are at work, Anbu, who is on his half-yearly holiday, is locked up inside his home and forced to take part in the classes his parents have enrolled him in.
Hebbuli Cut
Drama (Kannada)
Hebbuli Cut is a tender and timely reflection on social injustice, childhood desires, and the immense strength required to claim one`s dignity in an unequal world. Told with warmth, humour, and heartache, it`s a poignant story for anyone who has ever dared to dream.
Cast:
Mounesh Nataranga, Mahadev Hadapad, Uma Yg, Punith Shetty Allama, Mahanthesh Hiremath, Ananya M.K
Director:
Bheemarao P
Writer:
Anantha Shandreya
(Writing for The NEWS Minute)
Incisive, engaging take on simple desires derailed by caste
Sat, July 5 2025
At a very basic level, Bheemarao P’s debut film Hebbuli Cut, set in Chandrabanda in the North Karnataka–Telangana border, is about a young boy’s aspiration to get a fashionable haircut, like Sudeep’s in Hebbuli, and the path he takes to get it. At a deeper level, it is about how society and its obsession with class and caste kill spirits, bit by tiny bit, even as someone is in quest of dignity. This is probably one of those very rare Kannada films that speak about caste without couching it in pleasant, acceptable language. But, to its credit, it does so without being preachy. Vinaya (a brilliant Mounesh Nataranga) is the heart and soul of the film, keeping things going with his hope, joy, silent anger, and shy smiles. His parents are Mallanna (Mahadev Hadapad is pitch-perfect as dad, who is afraid for his son), who repairs shoes for a living, and Kanaka (the lovely Uma YG of Cinema Bandi fame). Vinaya grows his hair long, and all he wants is to get it cut by Channa (Mahantesh AS), the curly-haired wonder of Modern Men’s Buty Parlar, the go-to person for a good haircut. But he has to make do with the local barber, who is summoned home when the deed has to be done. The mother is constantly complaining about the unruly mop, the father does not mind, because they are not raising it with fertiliser or water.
The Old Guard 2
Action, Fantasy (English)
Andy and her team of immortal warriors fight with renewed purpose as they face a powerful new foe threatening their mission to protect humanity.
Cast:
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Uma Thurman, Henry Golding, Kamil Nożyński
Director:
Victoria Mahoney
Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman chew each other up in Netflix’s cheap-looking sequel
Fri, July 4 2025
We had no idea how good we had it in July 2020. Little did we know, for instance, that the pandemic just… wouldn’t end. Petrol was cheaper, the air was cleaner, and we were getting used to life at home. Plus, you could still count on Netflix to occasionally produce an impressive film or two. Extraction remains one of the slickest action movies of the last five years; in fact, it basically cannibalised The Old Guard, an equally good Netflix original that debuted only a few weeks later. Starring Charlize Theron alongside an overqualified supporting cast, the movie screamed for a sequel, which was quickly approved. But did you know that The Old Guard 2 was shot three years ago? The movie had been sitting on the shelves for quite some time before being released this week, and it shows. In case you weren’t aware that The Old Guard 2 existed, don’t blame yourself; it’s not your fault. Netflix has been suspiciously quiet about it, perhaps because the finished movie resembles a work-in-progress — a film that hasn’t yet been streamlined on the edit table. It retains the hyperreal gloss of ungraded raw footage, while giving the strong impression that what we’ve been presented with is some kind of unfinished cut. Among the film’s many flaws — we’ll get to the rest momentarily — is Barry Ackroyd’s flat cinematography.