Guild Reviews
The Teacher
Drama (Arabic)
A Palestinian school teacher struggles to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker.
Cast:
Saleh Bakri, Imogen Poots, Muhammad Abed Elrahman, Stanley Townsend, Paul Herzberg
Director:
Farah Nabulsi
Writer:
Farah Nabulsi
An honest portrayal of dehumanising oppression in Palestine
Tue, December 17 2024
A house, lived in for years, bulldozed by the Israeli military in front of its inhabitants, leaving behind a pile of tangible memories under the rubble. A youth resisting the burning down of an Olive orchard shot down by a settler with practised ease and nonchalance, just as if it were the most normal thing to do. Soldiers violently barging into every single home in a village in search of an Israeli military man who was abducted.
Young Hearts
Drama, Romance (Dutch)
14-year-old Elias increasingly feels like an outsider in his village. When he meets his new neighbour of the same age, Alexander, Elias is confronted with his burgeoning sexuality.
Cast:
Lou Goossens, Marius De Saeger, Geert Van Rampelberg, Emilie De Roo, Dirk van Dijck
Director:
Anthony Schatteman
Writer:
Anthony Schatteman
A heart-warming teenage gay romance
Tue, December 17 2024
Sometimes, the most gentle turns in a film can create a considerable emotional impact on the viewer. The filmmaker need not necessarily move a mountain to achieve that. Belgian filmmaker Anthony Schatteman’s Young Hearts, with its fresh take on teenage gay romance, is filled with several such moments that flow organically one after the other. Being screened in the World Cinema section at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), this rather small film about young people has gained appreciation amid a flurry of bigger films boasting wider festival play.
Pierce
Drama, Mystery, Thriller (Mandarin)
Shy and sweet-natured Zijie spends his time learning the art of fencing and listening to his widowed mother, Ai Ling, sing at a local nightclub. When Zijie’s older brother Zihan – a three-time national fencing champion – is released from juvenile prison, Zijie remains intent upon seeing him, despite his mother’s wishes. As Zihan starts mentoring his younger brother, their bond strengthens. But as Zijie develops newfound skills as a fencer and a romance with his teammate blossoms, Zihan’s innocence becomes more questionable.
Cast:
Tsao Yu-ning, Hsiu-Fu Liu, Ding Ning, Rosen Tsai, Benjamin Tsang
Director:
Nelicia Low
Writer:
Nelicia Low
Nelicia Low’s worlds of movies and fencing come together seamlessly in her debut film
Tue, December 17 2024
While watching Pierce, the debut feature of former Singapore national fencer Nelicia Low, one would assume that the sport inspired the film, for fencing is at the very centre of the narrative which deals with brotherly affection and psychopathic tendencies. The trademark moves in the sport, which one character defines as chess played with swords, also parallels the behaviour of the characters in the film, screened in the world cinema section at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) on Saturday (December 14, 2024).
Body
Drama (Hindi)
In the post covid world, Manoj, a young, struggling actor, is trying to cope with his personal trauma. On a village trip with his theatre peers he gets brutally bullied in the name of drunken fun. His friends leave him. He tries to find his way out of the village, battling shame and fear, without a stitch on. He comes back to Mumbai and starts stripping in public spaces. His life starts fragmenting to pieces. In his almost dysfunctional state he makes friends with a little boy living in the opposite apartment and finds that he is regularly abused by his father. This discovery sets him off on a complex journey of uncertainty and intrigue.
Cast:
Amol Deshmukh, Khushboo Upadhyay, Sandeep Shridhar Dhabale, Shivam Parekh, Jatin Negi
Director:
Abhijit Mazumdar
Writer:
Abhijit Mazumdar
A Hindi Indie Full of Craft, Curiosity and Naked Ambition
Tue, December 17 2024
Once adulthood sets in, and once we’ve accumulated enough years, most of us have two types of recurring dreams (and nightmares). One revolves around the terror of remembering that the exam is tomorrow and we haven’t touched the school syllabus. The other is shaped by the horror of finding ourselves naked in routine situations, while being totally helpless about it. Both of these are trauma responses to our fraught relationship with society. Both feature a link between social conditioning and shame, but Abhijit Muzumdar’s Body confronts the steeper task of exploring the second dream. It’s a testing watch, but ultimately quite a rewarding one.
Kaalratri
Mystery, Drama (Bengali)
When the chilling prophecy of the impending death of Debi's husband comes true the day after her wedding, she finds herself trapped in a web of secrets and scandals of her new dysfunctional family.
Cast:
Soumitrisha Kundu, Koushani Mukherjee, Anujoy Chattopadhyay, Indrasish Roy
Director:
Ayan Chakraborti
Soumitrisha’s OTT debut has Hoichoi written all over it
Tue, December 17 2024
Devi (Soumitrisha), who only remembers the past six years of her life, gets married to Rudra Roy Burman (Indrasish Roy) — a drunkard and lecherous son of Samaresh Roy Burman (Debesh Chattopadhyay). Devi’s mysterious friend Maya (Koushani Mukherjee) — known for her ominous presence – predicts that Rudra will die the next day after their marriage. Her prediction becomes real.
Talmar Romeo Juliet
Drama (Bengali)
A budding romance stirs up an all-out war between two rival families in the little hamlet of Talma, where a shocking twist flips everything upside down. Will love conquer all, or will history repeat its tragic end in this quirky twist on William Shakespeare's classic?
Cast:
Debdutta Raha, Hiya Roy, Anirban Bhattacharya, Anujoy Chattopadhyay, Joydeep Mukherjee
Director:
Arpan Garai
Forget Shakespeare, watch it for Anujoy Chattopadhyay and Anirban Bhattacharya’s duel
Tue, December 17 2024
Badal Majumder (Kamaleswar Mukhopadhyay) and Liyaqat’s (Joydeep Mukherjee) families harbour animosity for each other for years. Badal’s eldest son Somnath (Anujoy Chattopadhyay) and Liyaqat’s nephew pugnacious Mostaq (Anirban Bhattacharya) do not see eye to eye. However, Rana – Badal’s younger son, and Jahanara – Liyaqat’s daughter and the apple of his eye, love each other. All this drama takes place in a small town, Talma.
Zero Se Restart
Documentary (Hindi)
Offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the critically acclaimed film 12th Fail. Featuring Vikrant Massey and visionary director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the documentary reveals the untold challenges, meticulous efforts, and sheer determination that shaped the movie's success. From Massey's commitment to authenticity-aging his costumes himself-to Chopra's relentless pursuit of excellence, Zero Se Restart captures the resilience and teamwork essential to creating cinematic magic.
Cast:
Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Vikrant Massey, Anant Joshi, Medha Shankr
Director:
Jaskunwar Kohli
Zero se Restart is like a master class in Filmmaking
Tue, December 17 2024
‘ज़ीरो से रीस्टार्ट’ करने की प्रेरक कहानी
Fri, December 13 2024
अक्टूबर, 2023 में आई और बेहद सराही गई विधु विनोद चोपड़ा की विक्रांत मैस्सी वाली फिल्म ‘12वीं फेल’ को देख चुके दर्शकों को अगर यह बताया जाए कि यह फिल्म तो कभी बननी ही नहीं थी तो उन्हें कैसा लगेगा? आप को यह जान कर भी हैरानी हो सकती है कि इस फिल्म को इंडस्ट्री के पांच बड़े निर्देशकों ने यह कह कर ठुकरा दिया था कि भला यह भी कोई कहानी है, इसे कौन देखने आएगा? लेकिन यह फिल्म बनी और ऐसी बनी कि जिसने भी इसे देखा, इसकी तारीफ किए बिना न रह सका। इसी ‘12वीं फेल’ के न बन पाने और आखिर बन जाने के संघर्ष की कहानी दिखाती है ‘ज़ीरो से रीस्टार्ट’-कुछ इस अंदाज़ में कि आप फिर से प्रेरित होते हैं और आपका मन इसकी और विधु विनोद चोपड़ा की पूरी टीम की तारीफ किए बिना नहीं रह पाता।
Pushpa 2
Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime (Telugu)
As his smuggling empire grows, a brazen Pushpa longs for power and respect on his vengeful journey, while facing old rivals and new.
Cast:
Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagadeesh Bandari, Rao Ramesh
Director:
Sukumar
Thrilling, thoughtful, but troubled
Tue, December 17 2024
Why do we like Pushparaj? He doesn’t care to look conventionally attractive. His shoulders are lop-sided, his hair unkempt, his speech brimming with contempt. His work? Smuggling red sanders. His retribution? A fierce defiance of systematic oppression, making him a figure of political utility. And his manner of retribution? Ruthless. As he says, he kills “without mercy.” In this sequel, Pushpa seems almost possessed, his machete slicing through limbs as though they were branches from a tree.
Loud and Clear
Sun, December 8 2024
“Pushpa naam nahi hain, Pushpa matlab brand hain”, (Pushpa is not just a name; it signifies a brand) states Srivalli, portrayed by Rashmika Mandanna, in this sequel anticipated to shatter all box office records. This statement prompts reflection on whether it is the character speaking or if the filmmakers are conveying their confidence through her words. Following the success of Pushpa (2021), the sequel is grander in every aspect, running an exhausting 200 minutes, though it does not necessarily surpass its predecessor. The filmmakers have amplified every successful element from the first installment, leaving no stone unturned in terms of scale and ambition. However, the narrative, or lack of it, remains unchanged—if the first part emphasised “Pushpa flower nahin, fire hai main”, the second part shifts to portraying him as a wildfire, whatever that may imply.
Sun, December 8 2024
Despatch
Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
Determined to break the next big story and refashion his complicated personal life, Joy embarks on a relentless odyssey through the heart and gut of Mumbai.
Cast:
Manoj Bajpayee, Shahana Goswami, Archita Agarwal, Anand Alkunte, Mamik Singh
Director:
Kanu Behl
Writer:
Kanu Behl
कुछ ढंग का ‘डिस्पैच’ करो भई
Tue, December 17 2024
इस फिल्म का बेहद कसा हुआ, तेज़ रफ्तार ट्रेलर दिखाता है कि मुंबई के एक अखबार ‘डिस्पैच’ का क्राइम रिर्पोटर जॉय बाग एक ऐसे मामले की तह तक जाने की कोशिशों में लगा है जिसमें हजारों करोड़ का घपला है और बड़े-बड़े लोग शामिल हैं। ज़ाहिर है कि इतना सब है तो खतरे भी बड़े हैं। जॉय बाग कर पाएगा इस काम को? कैसे करेगा वह इसे?
Manoj Bajpayee steers most of the movie on his able shoulders, and occasionally his bare bottom.
Mon, December 16 2024
Tailored for Manoj Bajpayee, the searing crime drama examines the death of investigative journalism
Sat, December 14 2024
Those who have experienced Titli and Agra would vouch that Kanu Behl’s cinema is not easy to watch. Always reflecting dark shades of everyday reality, the filmmaker has this knack for scratching the soul of his desperate characters struggling to cling to their little power structures and, in the process, leaves impressions on the conscience of the audience.
Agni
Action, Adventure (Hindi)
In a city plagued by a strange rise in fires, fireman Vithal and his policeman brother-in-law Samit reluctantly team up to solve the escalating crisis. Battling personal conflicts, they race against time to crack the case and save Mumbai.
Cast:
Pratik Gandhi, Divyendu Sharma, Jitendra Joshi, Sai Tamhankar, Saiyami Kher
Director:
Rahul Dholakia
Writer:
Rahul Dholakia
Pratik Gandhi blazes a trail in this tale of courage under fire
Sat, December 14 2024
In Indian tradition, fire alludes to love and conflict, devotion and anger, eternality and death. The ever-youthful element that demands sacrifice plays the central character in director Rahul Dholakia’s ode to the unstinting spirit of the firefighters. Capturing a daze’s multiple faces and colours, Dholakia removes the smokescreen that covers the firefighters’ work and opens a window into the lives of those who keep us out of its fury but whose services are not duly acknowledged by the system and society. The action takes us into the heart of the evacuation process, the drama unravels the sacrifices firefighters make and the thriller elements seek to find the answer to the source of the firestorm.
Pratik Gandhi is excellent in Rahul Dholakia’s damp film
Fri, December 13 2024
Hindi movies have played with fire several times before. Those with long memories will remember such films as the 1980 adventure ‘The Burning Train’, which may have picked up inspiration from an earlier Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Towering Inferno’, but those who fight the flames at the risk of their own lives, have never been in the limelight.
The Faint Glimmers, and the Uncontained Wildfires of Vintage Bollywood
Wed, December 11 2024
I couldn’t help but be left with the feeling that there’s an enjoyable disaster film somewhere within Rahul Dholakia’s Agni, which surely owes a debt to The Burning Train (1980). There is more than one echo of the Ravi Chopra-directorial, where the spectacle is foregrounded by professional rivalry – Danny Denzongpa and Vinod Khanna’s in the 1980 film; emulated by Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu’s characters in Dholakia’s directorial. The innate Bollywood melodrama after an unexpected death, the high-voltage social commentary and righteous anger fuel both spectacles. Both Chopra and Dholakia’s film balance a strong ensemble, offering everyone their moment, and yet Dholakia’s film fails to stick its landing. It might have to do with what Hindi films have become in 2024 – too self-conscious, cautious, and reverential towards any uniform.
Bandish Bandits S02
Family, Drama (Hindi)
A classical singer Radhe falls in love with pop singer Tamanna and embarks on a path that forces him to compromise his classical roots. With time, both the singers try to get out of their comfort zone while trying to protect their stardom. This series tests their resolve for their passion and love.
Cast:
Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhary, Atul Kulkarni, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang
Director:
Anand Tiwari
Writer:
Anand Tiwari
Sat, December 14 2024
When ‘Bandish Bandits’ streamed on Prime Video in 2020, it was a breath of fresh air wrapped in melody and a master class in classical music. As it enters the second season, there is good news and a bit of bad news. First the downside: what it did not succumb to in the first season, it has done so in the second outing and turned into an ‘Indian Idol’ of sorts. Here, the major part of the series is devoted to the India Band Championship. Of course, on the sunny side, it is still an ode to music, now of various hues, and the master class continues. You will still learn more than a thing or two about ragas. Only, this time, we get to hear and see the exponents of contemporary music too.
Hits The Right Notes
Fri, December 13 2024
In our autograph books way back in school, a favourite verse was, “East is East, West is West. When they meet, it’s the best.” Bandish Bandits makes the same point, embellishing it with blended, mood-elevating music. There’s usually an ambience-fatigue when a fresh premise goes into a second season and struggles to say something new. Kota Factory, Mirzapur, Undekhi and Aarya are prime examples of ambience-fatigue.
Strikes the right notes
Fri, December 13 2024
The second season of the Prime Video series Bandish Bandits opens in Jodhpur, three months after Radhe (Ritwik Bhowmik) has been crowned Sangeet Samrat. In the previous season, battle lines were drawn between rival gharanas represented by Radhe and his grandfather Radhemohan (Naseeruddin Shah) on the one side and Radhemohan’s estranged son Digvijay (Atul Kulkarni) on the other. With the passing of the patriarch, the responsibility for the Rathod gharana rests on Radhe’s shoulders. Radhe is also contending with new and confusing feelings after Tammana (Shreya Chaudhry) walks away from their fusion band Bandish Bandits, and her relationship with him, to find her own voice.
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein S02
Crime, Drama, Mystery (Hindi)
Relentlessly pursued by a powerful politician’s daughter who will do anything to make him hers, a man slips down a dark, risky path to reclaim his life.
Cast:
Tahir Raj Bhasin, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Anchal Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Brijendra Kala
Director:
Siddharth Sengupta
Writer:
Siddharth Sengupta
Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saurabh Shukla show never takes its eyes off the ball
Fri, December 13 2024
The first season of ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein’ became an addictive watch in the way it bent one of the oldest genres in the book: being an obsessive lover is not just a male prerogative; women can do it just as well, if not better. It made up for all its nods to hoary Hindi movie heavies who lived in palaces overrun by armed goons, governed by old-style off-with-their-heads villainy.
Chaotic Romantic Thriller Grows Darker, Goes Back To Square One
Sat, November 30 2024
In January 2022, the Netflix series Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein introduced us to an unusual drama. The show, set in a small town, revolved around Vikrant (Tahir Raj Bhasin), who uncomfortably finds himself to be the object of affection for a gangster politician’s daughter Purva (Aanchal Singh). Instead of marrying his college sweetheart Shikha (Shweta Tripathi), he finds himself tied by matrimony to someone he doesn’t love. Sidharth Sengupta’s series took Vikrant to his limit as he found himself hiring a hitman to get rid of Purva. Now, nearly three years later, the series returns to pick up where it left off.
Cruella Gets A B(l)ack Story
Sun, November 24 2024
A recap of Season 1: Purva (Anchal Singh), daughter of ruthless neta Akheraj Awasthi (Saurav Shukla), a don-like figure with the authorities at his beck and call and an army of goons, has always obsessed over and been a thorn in the flesh of good boy Vikrant Singh Chauhan (Tahir Raj Bhasin). To add to his misery, Vikrant’s father (Brijendra Kala) has always been a servile, loyal employee of the Awasthis, afraid to go against Akheraj even if it means pushing his son towards Purva. Vikrant had instinctively and steadfastly spurned Purna’s friendship even in school and could heave a sigh of relief only when she was packed off to the UK. He had a dream future planned with Shikha (Shweta Tripathi), the love of his life, when Purva returned as an adult, obsession intact and ready to claim him as hers once again. With Akheraj willing to go to any lengths to get her what she desires, getting rid of Purva was Vikrant’s only way out of a marriage he dreaded. It was, unwittingly, Vikrant’s first step towards turning himself into an unrecognisably dark person, no different from the Awasthis.