Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders
Thriller, Mystery, Crime (Hindi)
When members of the Bansal family are found murdered, Inspector Jatil Yadav uncovers a trail of greed, betrayal and secrets tied to a deadly conspiracy. (more…)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy (English)
In the wake of the devastating war against the RDA and the loss of their eldest son, Jake Sully and Neytiri face a new threat on Pandora: the Ash People, a violent and power-hungry Na'vi tribe led by the ruthless (more…)
Single Papa
Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
When Gaurav finds a baby in the back of his car, he must defy his eccentric family, the adoption agency and societal norms to become a single papa. (more…)
Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri
Romance, Comedy (Hindi)
When a carefree NRI wedding planner and a headstrong novelist collide during a wild summer in Croatia, sparks fly in ways neither expected. What begins as playful clashes soon transforms into something deeper – only to be tested when love, (more…)
Guild Reviews
LBW: Love Beyond Wicket
Drama, Comedy (Tamil)
A washed-up PT teacher, a legendary coach and a generation of misfit students come together to save a legacy.
Cast:
Vikranth, Niyathi Kadambi, Sindhu Shyam, Nikhil Nair, Akshathaa Ajit, Harish, Naveen, Karthi, Ayaz Khan
Director:
Ganesh Karthikeyan
Writer:
Aruna Rakhee
Fri, January 2 2026
Growing up in the 1990s, I spent many summer evenings fiddling with a Panasonic remote and searching for a very specific brand of TV entertainment. My father had his old movies and news channels, my mother had her Hollywood soaps, but my obsession with sports led me to expect that elusive beast on the small screen: an Indian cricket-themed serial. There were plenty of army stories, family sitcoms, horror shows, mythological dramas, campus romcoms. But not enough cricket stories were being told in a decade where Sachin Tendulkar had elevated the game to mythical heights; it’s almost like filmmakers were afraid to mess with India’s newest religion. So I settled for Bodyline reruns instead. LBW: Love Beyond Wicket is probably the kind of serial my 11-year-old self was craving for — a slice-of-life, tacky, tropey, clumsy, but oddly sweet college-cricket television serial (not web series, mind you) with bite-sized episodes, Disney-coded stakes and a soap-opera aesthetic.
Mindiyum Paranjum
Romance, Drama (Malayalam)
A man and woman navigate the highs and lows of a long-distance relationship.
Cast:
Unni Mukundan, Aparna Balamurali, Jude Anthany Joseph, Maala Parvathi, Jaffer Idukki, Sanju Madhu, RJ Murugan, Sohan Seenulal, Vijitha Vijayakumar, Geethi Sangeetha
Director:
Arun Bose
Writer:
Mridul George, Arun Bose
Aparna Balamurali and Unni Mukundan's Long-Distance Relationship Drama is a Thing of Joy
Mon, December 29 2025
Rain isn’t just a character in Mindiyum Paranjum as much as it is this film’s entire ensemble cast. It has moods and meanings, faults, and feelings, all of which keep drifting in based on how Leena (Aparna Balamurali) or Sanal (Unni Mukundan) perceive it. For Sanal, rain is a happy sight for tired eyes. He lives in Dubai where it rains once a year. In the song that plays in the background, Sanal associates the rain with the imagery of being able to see Leena again, his wife who lives in Kerala. During their conversations, Sanal asks Leena if it’s raining and if it’s cold; more than worry, these questions come with a bit of mischief, that of a husband who has forgotten what it felt like to touch his wife.
Goodbye June
Drama (English)
Four siblings' lives change drastically when their ailing mother takes a turn for the worse over the holiday season.
Cast:
Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Stephen Merchant, Fisayo Akinade, Jeremy Swift, Raza Jaffrey
Director:
Kate Winslet
Writer:
Joe Anders
Clunky but charming and held together by a top-notch cast
Sun, December 28 2025
Though it may not qualify as a typical feel-good, mushed-up Christmas watch, Goodbye June is a well performed and sincerely mounted family drama, which, however, springs no surprises. Sometimes clunky, but mostly charming and held together by a bunch of memorable performances, Goodbye June is the directorial debut of Kate Winslet, who works out of a script written by Joe Anders, her 22-year-old son with ex husband and filmmaker Sam Mendes. Winslet also stars as one of the principal characters.
Anaconda
Adventure, Comedy, Horror (English)
A group of friends facing mid-life crises head to the rainforest with the intention of remaking their favorite movie from their youth, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
Cast:
Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Ione Skye, Selton Mello, Ben Lawson, Ice Cube, John Billingsley
Director:
Tom Gormican
Slithering again
Sun, December 28 2025
One might not expect that a film released in 1997, centered around a giant snake, would spawn four sequels and a Mandarin version that premiered earlier this year. Anaconda was a light-hearted and entertaining film that captivated audiences at the time. Some films and all snakes should be left alone – Anaconda is certainly one of them- the film and snake, both.
Paul Rudd, Jack Black film is all hiss, hardly any bite
Fri, December 26 2025
Anaconda movie review: Help, the ssssnake is back. Not just any old wriggly creature, but the giant anaconda, which is out hunting humans again in the jungles of South America. Those who’ve seen the 1997 original, starring Jennifer Lopez-Owen Wilson-Jon Voight-Ice Cube and the reptile with a monstrous maw, will remember just how scary it was. The relentless chase– this is a snake which hunts in water, over land, and on tall tree-tops– was all kinds of scary with people falling off boats, thrashing in the jaws of the snake, turning the water bloody.
Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri
Romance, Comedy (Hindi)
When a carefree NRI wedding planner and a headstrong novelist collide during a wild summer in Croatia, sparks fly in ways neither expected. What begins as playful clashes soon transforms into something deeper – only to be tested when love, family, and tradition pull them in opposite directions.
Cast:
Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Arjan Panwar, Neena Gupta, Jackie Shroff, Mahima Chaudhry, Tiku Talsania
Director:
Sameer Vidwans
Writer:
Karan Shrikant Sharma
What's luv got to do with it?
Sun, December 28 2025
Directed by Sameer Vidwans, the film Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri is proof that a film and it’s title can be overwhelmingly long. The title itself gives us adequate warning and feels like an endurance test, and the film faithfully lives up to it. By the midpoint, which feels like an eternity, one realizes that only half of the title has been addressed.
Lovely locales is all there is to fall for
Sat, December 27 2025
For some time, Dharma Productions has been wearing its progressive heart and beliefs on its sleeve. That’s all very well, what more do you want from the proponents of ‘rich lives matter’? Like the typical gloss and shine signature of its cinema, it can’t quite bid adieu to its glitzy USP. Any wonder then that the storyline spends the first half in picturesque Croatia. The ‘to-die-for’ locales of the European nation on the coast of the Adriatic Sea is where love blossoms between our two lovebirds.
Flip, Frivolous, And Not As Much Fun
Fri, December 26 2025
Flip, frivolous and not as much fun as it aspires to be: that about sums up the first half of Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri. If you get through that phase of the film without switching off, the rom-com, post-intermission, stumbles with intent into family drama territory. The turnaround is as striking as it is surprising. The emotional core that Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri finds in the second half pushes the narrative out of a monotonous loop and towards a radical new direction. But that is not to say that everything that the film attempts, lands.
Sarvam Maya
Mystery, Comedy (Malayalam)
A man who loses his belief in God meets the spirit of a young woman unable to remember what happened to her.
Cast:
Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese, Preity Mukhundhan, Riya Shibu, Althaf Salim, Madhu Warrier, Janardhanan, Anand Ekarshi, Arun Ajikumar, Raghunath Paleri
Director:
Akhil Sathyan
Writer:
Akhil Sathyan
Nivin Pauly Anchors A Clumsy But Heartfelt Horror-Comedy
Fri, December 26 2025
Prabhendu (Nivin Pauly) is an atheist. Belonging to a Namboothiri family of priests, he abandoned this life, along with the sacred thread and its material comforts, to become a dirt-poor musician. Directed by Akhil Sathyan, Sarvam Maya (Everything is an Illusion) puts a quandary to him—what if he sees a ghost? Will he, then, believe in god, believe that things which cannot be sensed can exist and apply pressure on our lives, regardless?
Nivin Pauly's ghost story is irresistible, full of charm
Thu, December 25 2025
Sarvam Maya translates to “everything is an illusion,” and it is perhaps the perfect title for this Nivin Pauly-starrer that blends horror, comedy and fantasy. Releasing on Christmas, the film is an antidote to all the extra-violent, hyper-masculine films that rely on over-the-top theatrics. But, Sarvam Maya leaves you laughing out loud despite tackling sensitive topics like faith, belief and grief.
Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders
Thriller, Mystery, Crime (Hindi)
When members of the Bansal family are found murdered, Inspector Jatil Yadav uncovers a trail of greed, betrayal and secrets tied to a deadly conspiracy.
Cast:
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Chitrangada Singh, Radhika Apte, Rajat Kapoor, Revathi, Deepti Naval, Sanjay Kapoor, Ila Arun, Akhilendra Mishra, Priyanka Setia
Director:
Honey Trehan
Writer:
Smita Singh
A Spotify Review
Fri, December 26 2025
Is Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders more than just a way for director Honey Trehan to pay the rent, or is it actually worthwhile? We talk about the film’s differences from and similarities to the first one, and the sociopolitical commentary that Trehan and writer Smita Singh are able to sneak into it. We also discuss how the movie didn’t face any trouble despite naming and shaming the Uttar Pradesh administration. Along the way, we touch upon Radhika Apte’s pointless presence, and wonder if the movie would’ve benefited from some more character development for the suspects.
A layered exploration of crime and entitlement
Fri, December 26 2025
As we wait for Honey Trehan’s Punjab 95, which is still under Censor scrutiny, the filmmaker transports us to the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow-Kanpur axis, spinning a sharp crime thriller with a throbbing conscience. The spiritual sequel builds on the original’s noir aesthetic, using its atmospheric whodunit structure to examine how power dynamics and moral corruption shape justice and revenge in an unequal society. By asking what happens when victims and perpetrators trade places, Honey brings emotional depth to the unraveling of the mystery. Through vivid symbols — bulldozers and shallow graves — he critiques how power conceals exploitation and shields the corrupt.
A Spotify Review
Wed, December 24 2025
Is Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders more than just a way for director Honey Trehan to pay the rent, or is it actually worthwhile? We talk about the film’s differences from and similarities to the first one, and the sociopolitical commentary that Trehan and writer Smita Singh are able to sneak into it. We also discuss how the movie didn’t face any trouble despite naming and shaming the Uttar Pradesh administration. Along the way, we touch upon Radhika Apte’s pointless presence, and wonder if the movie would’ve benefited from some more character development for the suspects.
Scenes From a Situationship
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
A contemporary couple drift through a situationship where intimacy comes easily but commitment is endlessly postponed, revealing how modern love survives on closeness while quietly eroding under unspoken expectations.
Cast:
Vaishnav Vyas, Shreya Sandilya
Director:
Vaibhav Munjal
Writer:
Vaishnav Vyas, Vaibhav Munjal
A Minor-Key Blast From The Past
Fri, December 26 2025
He’s a pop-culture geek, a trivia nerd, an aspiring (and annoying) YouTuber, and a relationship seeker. She’s a go-with-the-flow-er, a commitment-phobe, a covert romantic, and a situationship enthusiast. Their chatty first date ends in his smokey bedroom. He thinks they’re dating, she thinks they’re not; he needs certainty, she needs ambiguity. “I want more than just animal sex” competes against “Why do you care for labels?”. Most of Vaibhav Munjal’s 90-minute indie is composed of vignettes of this clash: he pines and whines, she grinds and minds. In between the escalating resentments, they find happy pockets. Their intermittent moments of intimacy unfold as if they’re fuelling themselves to survive the fights. Breakup hugs and bitter accusations fly thick and fast. Apparently Udit (Vaishnav Vyas) and Tanisha (Shreya Sandilya) are soulmates, but the whims of modern love are stopping them.
The Copenhagen Test
Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery (English)
When an analyst discovers his eyes and ears have been hacked, he's drawn into a controlled world designed by his agency to draw out their enemies.
Cast:
Simu Liu, Melissa Barrera, Sinclair Daniel, Brian d'Arcy James, Mark O'Brien, Kathleen Chalfant
Simu Liu, Melissa Barrera's Spy Thriller Leaves You Unsure Of Who To Trust
Fri, December 26 2025
The latest spy thriller on the block, The Copenhagen Test, wonders if a person’s brain can be hacked. The high-concept drama for Peacock, created by Thomas Brandon, adds extra layers to the story with the spy in question being a child of immigrants. Starring Simu Liu as Alexander Hale, The Copenhagen Test on JioHotstar mixes the spy thriller with sci-fi and adds in covert organisations and political threats. The heart of the series remains with Simu’s Alexander, who is not only trying to prove himself as a spy but also asserting his loyalty as an American after the hack.
Vrusshabha
Action, Drama (Malayalam)
What happens if two sworn enemies from a previous life are reborn as father-son in a new birth?
Cast:
Mohanlal, Samarjit Lankesh, Srikanth, Nayan Sarika, Zara Khan, Ramachandra Raju, Ragini Dwivedi, Neha Saxena, Ayyappa P. Sharma
Director:
Nanda Kishore
Writer:
Janardhan Maharshi, Nanda Kishore
Mohanlal's reincarnation drama lacks novelty, is endlessly long
Thu, December 25 2025
Mohanlal has had a phenomenal 2025 with three consecutive hits. He started the year strong with L2: Empuraan, followed it up with a delicious crime thriller, Thudarum and struck a hat-trick with the heartwarming Hridayapoorvam. Vrusshabha is his fourth film as a hero (barring cameos in Kannappa and Bha Bha Ba). Did the film succeed in impressing the audience? Let’s find out!
Single Papa
Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
When Gaurav finds a baby in the back of his car, he must defy his eccentric family, the adoption agency and societal norms to become a single papa.
Cast:
Kunal Khemu, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Prajakta Koli, Ayesha Raza Mishra
Director:
Shashank Khaitan
Kunal Kemmu lights up a fun fatherhood comedy
Wed, December 24 2025
A man with a baby in his arms is strangely sexy. I’ve read that they get more swipes on dating apps, irrespective of whose baby it is. This aesthetic existed long before older and/or burlier men entered the “Daddy” tribe. The next best thing, I guess, is the visual of a man who cooks. These are territories our fathers and grandfathers rarely ventured into, and when men step into anything non-traditional, the attractiveness meter (sometimes) fires up.
Kunal Kemmu's Comedy is a Flimsy Revision of the Man-Child Template
Sat, December 13 2025
Given Hindi cinema’s long-standing relationship with hypermasculinity, it’s almost refreshing to come across a life comedy named Single Papa. Even the premise is a neat change — a single-parenthood story revolving around the kind of North Indian man-child character who would usually be the tortured hero of a romantic Bollywood film. The icing on this gluten-free cake is that Kunal Kemmu plays this man. For anyone who has followed Hindi film in the last few decades, it’s hard not to have a soft spot for former child star Kemmu — an underutilised, immensely likable and flexible performer who’s made a career out of not fitting into the conventional-star mold. I, for one, am always happy to see him on (or off) the screen. The vibes are just right, and there’s an authenticity about him that’s easy to enjoy.
सिंगल पापा के रूप में चमके कुणाल खेमू
Sat, December 13 2025
मां की ममता पर तो हमने बहुत कहानियां देखी हैं, मगर बाप की ‘बापता’ यानी बच्चे की परवरिश में पिता की अहमियत पर किस्से कम ही हैं। समाज के इसी स्टीरियोटाइप को तोड़ने की अच्छी कोशिश करती है वेब सीरीज सिंगल पापा। यह सीरीज एक सिंगल मर्द के बच्चा गोद लेने के संघर्षों, अकेले उसकी परवरिश की चुनौतियों की कभी गुदगुदाती, तो भावुक करती दास्तान है।
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy (English)
In the wake of the devastating war against the RDA and the loss of their eldest son, Jake Sully and Neytiri face a new threat on Pandora: the Ash People, a violent and power-hungry Na'vi tribe led by the ruthless Varang. Jake's family must fight for their survival and the future of Pandora in a conflict that pushes them to their emotional and physical limits.
Cast:
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco
Director:
James Cameron
A Spotify Review
Tue, December 23 2025
Avatar: Fire and Ash is the weakest instalment of James Cameron’s trilogy. We discuss the many ways in which the movie betrays the franchise’s core values, the illogical directions that Cameron sends Jake Sully in, and the loose ends that the film ends with. We also talk about the lack of humour and self-awareness, the poor dialogue, and the incomprehensible third act action sequences.
A Spotify Review
Mon, December 22 2025
Avatar: Fire and Ash is the weakest instalment of James Cameron’s trilogy. We discuss the many ways in which the movie betrays the franchise’s core values, the illogical directions that Cameron sends Jake Sully in, and the loose ends that the film ends with. We also talk about the lack of humour and self-awareness, the poor dialogue, and the incomprehensible third act action sequences.
Does the Unthinkable by Making James Cameron Look Ordinary
Sun, December 21 2025
Has James Cameron been trapped in the metaverse longer than we have? The 71-year-old director reportedly spent over a decade working on what eventually became Avatar (2009), and has been involved in making its sequels Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022), the latest Avatar: Fire and Ash released on Friday (December 19), and another film in the making – making it a cumulative 30 years spent on four films, set on the faraway planet of Pandora.