Jolly LLB 3
Drama, Comedy (Hindi)
The third part of the Jolly LLB trilogy brings back Jagdish Tyagi and Jagdishwar Mishra for the biggest face-off as Janki Devi Solanki awaits justice against industrialist Khaitan in a satire on the judiciary, justice and the gulf between the (more…)
Guild Reviews by Film
Jolly LLB 3
Drama, Comedy (Hindi)
The third part of the Jolly LLB trilogy brings back Jagdish Tyagi and Jagdishwar Mishra for the biggest face-off as Janki Devi Solanki awaits justice against industrialist Khaitan in a satire on the judiciary, justice and the gulf between the privileged and the people on the other side of the spectrum.
Cast:
Arshad Warsi, Akshay Kumar, Saurabh Shukla, Gajraj Rao, Seema Biswas, Amrita Rao, Huma Qureshi, Ram Kapoor, Shrikant Verma, Sushil Pandey
Director:
Subhash Kapoor
Writer:
Subhash Kapoor
Sun, September 21 2025
olly LLB 3’s backstory dates to 2011 in Parsaul, a remote village in Rajasthan. An aged farmer Rajaram Solanki doesn’t agree to sell his land to India’s richest businessman Haribhai Khetan (Gajraj Rao) for his ‘Bikaner To Boston’ residential complex project. He is then framed in a fake case about non-payment of dues. He loses the case. Dejected, he dies by suicide. But his wife Janaki (Seema Biswas) vows to get justice, not just for Rajaram but also for various other farmers, whose lives are negatively affected by the project. The story moves few years later in Delhi, where advocate Jagdishwar Mishra aka Jolly (Akshay Kumar) from Lucknow and advocate Jagdish Tyagi aka (also) Jolly from Meerut are always seen fighting over stealing each other’s cases in a lower court. The two can’t see eye to eye. One day, Janaki approaches them with her late husband and other farmers’ case. However, she no fees to pay to any of the two Jollys.
Sun, September 21 2025
Film ideas often originate from a simple “spark”—a personal experience, a keen observation, or even an arbitrary thought—that is subsequently nurtured through creative techniques such as brainstorming, research, and writing. Once an idea takes root and begins to blossom, there’s no turning back for the creator. Following the phenomenal success of Jolly LLB (2013), writer-director Subhash Kapoor drew inspiration from the complexities of the Indian legal system, rather than from a specific case, and capitalized on this concept with the sequel Jolly LLB 2 (2017). Now, the third instalment in the series, Jolly LLB 3, continues this tradition, promising yet another legal comedy-drama that blends elements from real judicial cases into entertaining, and often humorous, narratives that highlight both the legal system and its human side. Directed by Kapoor, the film stars Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, and Saurabh Shukla, with Amrita Rao and Huma Qureshi reprising their roles from the previous films. The plot is inspired by the 2011 land acquisition protests in Uttar Pradesh.
Sat, September 20 2025
Most of us grew up with elders who constantly chimed, “Do not waste food.” On one hand, it was the sentiment that a wasted serving could have fed someone poor. On the other hand, they knew the effort it takes to harvest a basket full of cauliflowers or tomatoes. Having grown up (and past these ideas), we now casually discard food if the preparation isn’t to our liking. But where do the raw materials come from? After all, a typical Indian dish requires ten ingredients, including oil. In Subhash Kapoor’s Jolly LLB 3, we take a riveting trip down those lanes – into the thankless lives of Indian farmers, steeped in poverty and systemic neglect. As we know, Jolly LLB 3 is a franchise film where a not-so-smart lawyer (Arshad Warsi and/or Akshay Kumar) takes on the system and earns justice for a needy person or community. Also, the guys share a common name. Jolly No. 1 (Arshad Warsi) and Jolly No. 2 (Akshay Kumar) practice in a Delhi court, and their squabbles over hijacking each other’s clients are a running joke.
Police Police
Comedy, Drama (Tamil)
A cop hires a criminal to become a cop illegally. How long will they manage to get away with it?
Cast:
Sujitha Dhanush, Jayaseelan, Shabanaa Shahjahan, Senthil Kumar
Sat, September 20 2025
The series follows the story of an SI Raja and a gambler named Murali, and how they clash and unite for a common purpose later. Giving up his past, Murali seeks redemption by helping Raja solve a crime. After Raja’s aggressive actions in a few cases, his manipulative colleague Vaavar rises to prominence. Meanwhile, Raja tries to reestablish his position by making an offer to Murali to turn a cop.
Don't Tell Mother
Family, Drama (English)
Aakash, a 9-year-old boy is subjected to physical violence at school by his Math teacher and ends up hiding it from his strict but caring mother. When tragedy arises, irreplaceable bonds are forged between Aakash, his mother and his innocent younger brother, Adi in this tender family drama set in the 90s Bangalore.
Cast:
Siddarth Swaroop, Aishwarya Dinesh, Anirudh P Keserker, Karthik Nagarajan, Sachit Murthy
Director:
Anoop Lokkur
Writer:
Anoop Lokkur
Sat, September 20 2025
Writer-director Anoop Lokkur’s debut Kannada feature had its world premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival
Maybe the Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz was right—“When a writer is born into a family, the family is finished.” Artists look at their past as grist they can reframe on their terms. And this anxiety of re-writing one’s personal history sometimes shines through—the best memoirs are, after all, shameless and transgressive, and timid are those that cave under the weight of this trespassing anxiety. or writer-director Anoop Lokkur’s debut Kannada feature Don’t Tell Mother, which had its world premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, this anxiety has been swept aside and muscled under by nostalgia. Set in Jayanagar, Bangalore in the 1990s—a significant Brahmin bastion—the film follows two siblings, Akaash (Siddharth Swaroop) and Adi (Anirudh P. Keserker), young boys inching towards self-hood, as they make space for their childhood alongside punctures of parental influence and interference, school-day routines, classmate cacophony, and the sudden calls and catfights with neighbourhood friends. They live next to a mosque, so the azaan becomes part of their life’s sounds—one the film makes forceful, by cutting to images of the chanting minarets. (In a post-Babri 1990s, when the Infosys IPO is being launched, you feel the film will say more about this, but it doesn’t, and lets these images, like that of Muharram, puncture the proceedings as a form of spectacle without discourse.)
Beauty
Romance, Drama (Telugu)
A moving and suspenseful tale of a father's unshakable love. When his daughter suddenly goes missing, his world is turned upside down. What begins as a desperate search soon becomes a gripping journey filled with questions of trust, innocence, and the true meaning of unconditional love. A film that belongs to everyone, Beauty explores a parent's relentless hope and the lengths they will go to for their child.
Cast:
Ankith Koyya, Nilakhi Patra, Naresh, Vasuki Anand, Prasad Behara, Nithin Prasanna, Muralidhar Goud, Nanda Gopal, Nagendra Medida
Director:
J S S Vardhan
Writer:
J S S Vardhan
Sat, September 20 2025
Director JSS Vardhan’s Telugu film is an aching tale of parental bonds, a woman’s quest for love, and the danger that lurks at the corners
At a time when Telugu cinema often leans on grand canvases and visual effects to mask weak storylines, it is refreshing to find reminders that storytelling still matters, even in modestly budgeted films. Little Hearts, released recently, captured the innocence of young romance and parental bonding with crackling humour. This week’s release, Beauty, written by RV Subramanyam, takes a darker path. Director JSS Vardhan, credited with additional screenplay and dialogues, slowly peels back the layers to deliver an unexpected jolt. Led by Ankith Koyya, Nilakhi Patra and VK Naresh, the film gradually assembles what first appears a frustrating puzzle into a striking whole.
Mirage
Thriller, Drama (Malayalam)
A woman joins forces with a journalist to investigate secrets her fiancé was keeping from her after she is informed he has died in a tragic train accident.
Cast:
Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, Sampath Raj, Hakkim Shajahan, Hannah Reji Koshy, Arjun Gopan, Saravanan, Deepak Parambol
Director:
Jeethu Joseph
Writer:
Srinivas Abrol, Jeethu Joseph
Sat, September 20 2025
The absence of a coherent, believable screenplay and the compulsion to deliver one shocking twist after another drains ‘Mirage’ of any impact
Sometimes, the final moments in a movie suddenly brings its title to mind, making us marvel at the ingenuity of naming it that way. Jeethu Joseph’s Mirage attempts something similar, only that one is left wondering how the titular warning was not fully understood. The final act of the movie is filled with mirages, one scene after another, each of which misleads us into thinking that this is the big reveal, only for the screenwriter to throw another ‘twist’ in the tale at us. After encountering several such mirages, one huffs and puffs to reach the real climax of the film, vowing never to trust any character in a film. In the larger scheme of things, screenwriters Jeethu and Srinivasan Abrol are also seeking a mirage — that of the perfect thriller climax which no one would guess. Red herrings, convoluted stories and obscure incidents tenuously connected to the narrative are thrown at us with this sole aim. That also proves to be the film’s undoing.
Sat, September 20 2025
Asif Ali stars in a Jeethu Joseph film that’s surprisingly devoid of thrills.
It must have been some sort of a cruel in-joke to name the company Ashwin Kumar (Asif Ali) runs ‘Pure Facts’. It’s an online media company based out of Coimbatore, and we listen to Ashwin talk repeatedly about how he doesn’t believe in sensationalism or emotions, believing in a brand of objective journalism that provides pure facts to its viewers. You assume that he’s the stereotypical idealist but there’s always a dissonance between what he says and how he behaves. A few scenes later, after he’s tried to convince us of his ethical ways, he nonchalantly reveals how his modest operation makes money. Without making it sound like blackmail, he says he investigates the inner workings of big corporates and agrees to not reveal them on his platform for a “fee”.
Cast:
Dinesh Ravi, Kalaiyarasan, Riythvika, Vinsu Rachel Sam, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Muthukumar, Balasaravanan, Yuvan Mayilsamy, Saranya Ravichandran, Aruldoss
Director:
Athiyan Athirai
Writer:
Athiyan Athirai
Sat, September 20 2025
Fri, September 19 2025
Despite a powerful premise and timely themes, the film is over-scored and underwritten. Moments never have room to breathe, resulting in a highlight reel that struggles to leave a lasting impact.
In Athiyan Athirai’s sophomore film, Thandakaaranyam, the eponymous forests become a MacGuffin that is forever out of reach of the protagonists. It’s a story that’s ostensibly about the fault lines and simmering tensions between the state, comprising a nexus of the police, paramilitary forces that collude with politicians and conglomerates, and the tribal population that is given the unqualified title of Naxalites. The forests remain in the margins in Athirai’s film (his Irandam Ulagaporin Kadaisi Gundu remains one of the best debuts in Tamil cinema of the last decade); they are not landscapes for conspiracy, separatist forces or ambushes — it comes across as a conscious decision. The forest is more life and livelihood, one that is as one with the self as skin. But the forest security offices and the training camps, the locations where injustices truly roost, are the places of interest.
Sshhh
Drama (Tamil)
SSHHH, an anthology series, Features four stories about love, choices, and personal struggles. A teacher grapples with sex education, a woman reunites with an ex, a wife waits for her missing husband, and a young man faces temptation while preparing for his future. Each story explores the impact of difficult decisions.
Cast:
Aishwarya Dutta, Srikanth, Iniya, Sonia Agarwal, Hamaresh, Krisha Kurup, Mime Gopi, Upasana Rai
Fri, September 19 2025
Vetri, a debt-ridden entrepreneur, turns a gigolo after seeking financial help from a college senior, Karthikeyan. In his new role, he encounters Namrata, a lonely woman dealing with a miscarriage and a broken marriage. Meanwhile, Shraddha, a rebellious college student, keeps her romance with a classmate, Adi, a secret. As they meet at her home when her parents are away, the night takes a wild turn.
Swiped
Drama (English)
Whitney Wolfe uses extraordinary grit and ingenuity to break into the male-dominated tech industry.
Cast:
Lily James, Ben Schnetzer, Myha'la, Jackson White, Dan Stevens, Ian Colletti, Mary Neely, Ana Yi Puig, Aidan Laprete, Pedro Correa
Director:
Rachel Lee Goldenberg
Writer:
Kim Caramele, Rachel Lee Goldenberg, Bill Parker
Fri, September 19 2025
Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, the biopic on Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd sticks to the surface of what it wants to tell.
Swiped recounts the history of the dating app explosion of the 2010s, which was led by Tinder and followed by Bumble. Whitney Wolfe Herd was at the center of both, and the Hulu film explores her journey from someone who started out wanting to make a difference with charitable work to the woman who ended up changing the face of dating. The biopic benefits from having the likeable Lily James star in this average retelling of the rise of startup culture, which only dips into the more controversial points. Swiped follows Whitney (James) as she goes from a 24-year-old marketing director to the CEO of Bumble/Badoo at 31. The film shows the early days of Tinder and how it evolved into the biggest dating app on the scene. Whitney had a big hand in its success, but it is her word against the founders, who block her out of the company. She picks up the pieces to start her own app, Bumble, which puts the safety of women above all.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
Romance, Fantasy, Drama (English)
Sarah and David are single strangers who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding and soon, through a surprising twist of fate, find themselves on a funny, fantastical, sweeping adventure together where they get to re-live important moments from their respective pasts, illuminating how they got to where they are in the present... and possibly getting a chance to alter their futures.
Cast:
Colin Farrell, Margot Robbie, Jennifer Grant, Hamish Linklater, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Kevin Kline, Jodie Turner-Smith, Lily Rabe, Billy Magnussen, Chloe East
Director:
Kogonada
Fri, September 19 2025
The Morning Show S04
Drama (English)
A behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the men and women who carry out this daily televised ritual.
Cast:
Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Greta Lee, Nicole Beharie, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Jon Hamm, Marion Cotillard
Fri, September 19 2025
Created by Jay Carson, the network drama once again addresses topical subjects, but once again the show suffers from having too many characters to focus on.
The Morning Show was launched in 2019 as a vehicle for stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. The show also reflected on the changing landscape of TV journalism with topical issues like the MeToo movement, the COVID-19 pandemic, and even the January 6th riots at the Capitol. This season, the Apple TV+ returns with a focus on the 2024 Olympics in Paris while also tackling AI (artificial intelligence). Already crowded with pending storylines, The Morning Show adds fuel to the fire by introducing several new conflicts for its burdened characters. Alex Levy (Aniston) and Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon) have survived the events of the last season of The Morning Show. The new season returns two years after the events of the last, with Alex as a top executive at the new UBN network and Bradley seemingly retired as a journalist. So what reunites the two again? The TV anchors face it all this time around with deepfakes, conspiracy theories, and corporate cover-ups that keep threatening them and those around them. The stakes are even higher, as this time the two women battle a hidden enemy.
Slow Horses S05
Crime, Drama, Comedy (English)
Follow a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.
Cast:
Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas
Fri, September 19 2025
Created by Will Smith, the British espionage drama has plenty of juice in its tank to power several seasons.
It may not get enough awards love or attention, but Slow Horses is quietly plodding on as one of the most dependable and exhilarating spy series on streaming. With Season 5 about to premiere, the sixth and seventh seasons are already in the works at Apple TV+. The fifth season brings yet another puzzle to Gary Oldman’s spymaster, Jackson Lamb, who proves to the MI5 heads why he’s the best they’ve got. With strong performances by Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Saskia Reeves, the newest season is another thrilling ride. The rejected MI5 agents of Slough House get yet another opportunity to save the day and one-up the headquarters at Regent’s Park. This time, a terror plot links back to one of their own, as tech guy Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) has been honey-trapped. The British intelligence organisation gets a taste of their own medicine as potential terror incidents take place all over London, rattling those in power. It’s up to Lamb and his underutilised and underarmed team of ‘rejected’ spies to step in with their wits to avoid a larger catastrophe.
Bayaan
Drama, Crime, Thriller (Hindi)
When a letter accuses a revered cult leader of abuse, rookie detective Roohi Kartar is sent to a small Indian town to investigate. Confronted by a wall of silence and blind devotion, she must uncover the truth before it's too late.
Cast:
Huma Qureshi, Chandrachur Singh, Sachin Khedekar, Swati Das, Vibhore Mayank, Sampa Mandal, Perry Chhabra, Avijit Dutt, Aditi Kanchan Singh, Paritosh Sand
Director:
Bikas Ranjan Mishra
Writer:
Bikas Ranjan Mishra
Fri, September 19 2025
In India, the concept of godmen — spiritual leaders elevated to the status of demigod — has spawned a series of narratives. Fiction (Aashram ) and non-fiction (My Daughter Joined a Cult, Cult of Fear: Asaram Bapu, etc) alike have responded to the peculiarity of the culture. Bikas Ranjan Mishra’s new film, Bayaan, a loosely wound police procedural that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a frustrating reiteration of the template. To be fair, Bayaan is largely effective and well-made with slight exceptions. The plot is rooted in Rajasthan, where a godman, ‘Maharaj’ (Chandrachur Singh), runs an ashram full of young girls. When one of them tips off about his sexual abuse, a Delhi-based police officer, Roohi (Huma Qureshi), is assigned to the case. She might be a novice, but she knows the way. Her father (Sachin Khedekar) has been in the profession for a long time and is celebrated by peers. Mishra’s film outlines the way in which an anonymous tip opens a can of worms for the godman, only for Roohi to realise that she, a privileged urban woman, inhabits a world as compliant as that of the rural women.
Mon, September 15 2025