Guild Reviews
Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani
Romance, Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
Follows a freshly-engaged Amar who goes on a trip to London and falls heads-over-heels with Prem, a handsome man whose charm threatens to put Amar's marriage in danger.
Cast:
Sunny Singh, Aditya Seal, Pranutan Bahl, Diksha J. Singh, Chetan Mohture, Tarsem Paul, Baljinder Kaur, Sanju Solanki, Rajinder Sethi
Director:
Hardik Gajjar
Writer:
Rupinder Inderjit
Queer Romance Gets Slapstick Treatment
Sat, October 5 2024
Amar, who’s yet to come out as gay to his family, is off to London to meet his uncle. Over a flight, he falls in love with a flamboyant Prem. Despite initial friction, the two are inseparable and hit it off as a couple. As Amar returns to India, his conservative family is desperate to get him married. Prem decides to surprise him at the event and when they make their relationship official, all hell breaks loose.
Devara Part 1
Action, Drama (Telugu)
Devara, a fearless man from a coastal region, embarks on a perilous journey into the treacherous world of the sea to safeguard the lives of his people. Unbeknownst to him, his brother Bhaira is plotting a conspiracy against him. As events unfold, Devara passes on his legacy to his mild-mannered and timid son, Varada.
Cast:
N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Saif Ali Khan, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Kalaiyarasan, Shruti Marathe, Janhvi Kapoor, Shine Tom Chacko, Ajay, Zarina Wahab, Narain, Murali Sharma, Abhimanyu Singh, Rameshwari Talluri, Sudev Nair, Tarak Ponnappa, Sana, Getup Srinu, Hari Teja, Sonakshi Verma, Manasi Verma, Younus Howlader, Latha Reddy, Kamal Krishna, Nihal Kodhaty, Rohan Surya Kanuma Reddy, Himaja, Sana, Princy George, Chaitra Roy, Nareshraj Narasimha
Director:
Koratala Siva
Writer:
Koratala Siva
NTR and Anirudh amp up the intensity in an overstretched action drama
Sat, October 5 2024
Nine years after SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali – The Beginning left viewers curious about why Kattappa killed Baahubali, a spate of films have been mounted ambitiously, with scope for sequels. This has turned out to be a double-edged sword. While filmmakers get the scope to present in-depth character delineations and build the world in which the story unfolds, there has also been a tendency to overstretch the narrative. A few questions are left unanswered, with the hope that the audience will wait in anticipation of a sequel.
Sat, October 5 2024
Sat, October 5 2024
The Signature
Family, Drama (Hindi)
Arvind’s life comes crashing down when his wife Madhu falls into a coma and is put on life support. Will situations hold him back, or will he be able to save his wife with the hope of a life together?
Cast:
Anupam Kher, Nina Kulkarni, Annu Kapoor, Mahima Chaudhry, Manoj Joshi, Sneha Paul, Sangita Jain Bokadia, Kevin Gandhi, Varun Seth, Herman D'Souza, Pranit Kher, Kavya Raj, Anushka Jadhav, Ranvir Shorey, Naval Shukla
Director:
Gajendra Ahire
Writer:
Gajendra Ahire
संदेश और उपदेश ‘द सिग्नेचर’ में
Sat, October 5 2024
अरविंद और मधु अपनी शादी की 35वीं सालगिरह मनाने विदेश जा रहे हैं। अचानक मधु बीमार होकर वेंटिलेटर पर पहुंच जाती है। अरविंद जैसे-तैसे कर के अस्पताल के लाखों रुपए का बिल भर रहा है। लेकिन मधु के बचने की अब किसी को उम्मीद नहीं है, खुद इनके बेटे को भी नहीं। हर कोई चाहता है कि अरविंद उस फॉर्म पर सिग्नेचर कर दे जिसके बाद मधु का वेंटिलेटर हटा दिया जाएगा। लेकिन अरविंद का सवाल है कि मधु के मरने-न मरने का फैसला मैं क्यों लूं? कुछ अलग-सी कहानी है ‘द सिग्नेचर’ (The Signature) की, संजीदा किस्म की। इस कहानी को लेखक गजेंद्र अहीरे ने फैलाया भी बहुत संजीदगी के साथ है। गजेंद्र के निर्देशन में भी उतनी ही संजीदगी दिखाई देती है। दरअसल यह 2013 में आई गजेंद्र की ही मराठी फिल्म ‘अनुमति’ का हिन्दी रीमेक है जिसमें विक्रम गोखले ने मुख्य भूमिका निभा कर सर्वश्रेष्ठ अभिनेता का राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार पाया था। अब इस हिन्दी फिल्म में उसी भूमिका को अनुपम खेर ने निभाया है।
To Pull the Plug Or Not
Fri, October 4 2024
It is a poignant dilemma familiar to most families. When a loved one is on life support, and prolonging it is unaffordable, can you bring yourself to sign the Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form? For retired librarian Arvind Pathak (Anupam Kher), it is unthinkable. It’s easier for his pragmatic son (Kevin Gandhi) and daughter (Sangeeta Jain) who have their own lives to lead.
Heartstopper S03
Drama (English)
Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love in this coming-of-age series.
Cast:
Joe Locke, Kit Connor, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Rhea Norwood, Jenny Walser, Leila Khan
Director:
Andy Newbery
Writer:
Alice Oseman
Queer Teen Romance Is Unapologetically Heartwarming And Meaningful
Sat, October 5 2024
Nick and Charlie are back with a summer to remember. The third season of Heartstopper, based on the best-selling graphic novel by Alice Oseman, continues with the love story between Kit Connor’s Nick and Joe Locke’s Charlie as their relationship grows stronger despite their fears and insecurities. There is a whole new vibe to the series (the teens are now allowed to curse and become sexually active) that shows how the material has evolved along with its characters. At its heart, Heartstopper is a sweet romance with depth, especially due to the sparkling chemistry of its leads.
Meiyazhagan
Family, Drama (Tamil)
Twenty-two years after losing his home, Arulmozhi Varman returns to his native Thanjavur to attend his cousin's wedding. Amidst the celebrations, Arul is reintroduced to an upbeat man whom he cannot recall. With the help of the unknown man, Arul reconnects with his past.
Cast:
Arvind Swamy, Karthi, Rajkiran, Jayaprakash, Sri Divya, Devadarshini, Swathi Konde, Rajkumar, Ilavarasu, Karunakaran, Raichal Rabecca Philip, Antony, M. S. Bhaskar, Vetrivel Raja, Saran Shakthi
Director:
C. Prem Kumar
Writer:
C. Prem Kumar
Karthi and Arvind Swami shoulder this spirited bromance drama
Sat, October 5 2024
While most filmmakers focus on the bigger aspects of their story to substantiate the so-called big-screen experience, C Prem Kumar belongs to a niche group of directors who like to concentrate on the finer, intimate moments of life. Probably because of his time spent behind the viewfinder as a cinematographer, Prem’s scenes look like animated still photographs, and just like his directorial debut 96, his sophomore outing Meiyazhagan is a series of moments in motion.
Hitler
Action, Drama (Tamil)
A man and his new love are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict between a tough detective and a tyrannical politician.
Cast:
Vijay Antony, Riya Suman, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Vivek Prasanna, Redin Kingsley, Tamizh, Aadukalam Naren, Charan Raj
Director:
Dhana
Writer:
Dhana
Vijay Antony’s revenge drama is outdated and ordinary
Sat, October 5 2024
Vijay Antony is on a spree with his recent films. While his contemporaries rarely churn out a couple of releases each year, the music director-turned-actor starred in four films last year and his latest release Hitler marks his third outing of 2024. But given how almost all of them turned out to be underwhelming, it feels like he’s shooting for quantity over quality, and Hitler, unfortunately, is the latest addition to that list.
Swag
Comedy, Drama (Telugu)
The eternal battle of the sexes is played out across several generations of a family who seek to obtain a fortune.
Cast:
Sree Vishnu, Ritu Varma, Meera Jasmine, Saranya Pradeep, Daksha Nagarkar, Goparaju Ramana, Vadivukarasi, Sunil Varma, Ravi Babu, Kadambari Kiran, Rajyalakshmi, Harsh Roshan, Inturi Vasu, Getup Srinu, Prudhviraj, Anand, Sripathi, Kireeti Damaraju, Gangavva
Director:
Hasith Goli
Writer:
Hasith Goli
Hasith Goli and a brilliant Sree Vishnu strike again with a deceptive, layered satire
Sat, October 5 2024
When a man who wears his masculinity on his sleeve laments at how his son is growing up, displaying feminine traits, his wife tries to make him understand the importance of accepting an individual’s natural expression of gender. This segment and the portion that follows gives writer-director Hasith Goli’s Telugu film Swag the much-needed emotional anchor. Until then, the narrative is like a satire, with elements of farce and ‘absurd theatre’ as the several characters played by Sree Vishnu and the dual characters of Ritu Varma slug it out to assert the power of male versus female.
Superman
Comedy, Crime, Thriller (Malayalam)
Nithya is the deputy commissioner of the city who lives with her uncle since both her parents were killed in an accident. She was put on to investigate a corruption case done by the Home Minister and his friend a businessman called Rajan Phillip. Unknowingly she was helped in the investigation by a criminal nicknamed Superman.
Cast:
Jayaram, Shobana, Jagadish, Siddique, Sphadikam George, Cochin Haneefa, Janardhanan, Innocent, Nedumudi Venu, Zeenath, Vinduja Menon, T. P. Madhavan, Bindu Panicker
Director:
Mecartin, Raffi
Writer:
Mecartin, Raffi
Hundred Days Hundred Films Ep 5
Tue, October 1 2024
Sector 36
Crime, Thriller, Drama (Hindi)
When several children disappear at the hands of a serial killer in Sector 36, a corrupt cop is forced to pursue the chilling case at all costs.
Cast:
Vikrant Massey, Deepak Dobriyal, Akash Khurana, Darshan Jariwala, Baharul Islam, Ivana Kaur, Mahadev Singh Lakhawat, Ajeet Singh Palawat, Kacho Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Subir Bisawas, Arindol Bagchi, Varun Bhiletia, Raj Singh Rawat, Anushree Das, Trimala Adhikari, Vijay Wanchoo, Ipshita Palawat, Monu Khatri, Prisha Srivastava, Krishiv Nanda, Deepti Kumar
Director:
Aditya Nimbalkar
Writer:
Bodhayan Roychaudhury
Revisiting the house of horrors
Mon, September 30 2024
Sector 36, based on the gruesome murders of Nithari village in Noida, which were uncovered in 2007, follows a serial killer who lives in plain sight. In Aditya Nimbalkar’s crime drama, Prem (Vikrant Massey) is the house-help of Balbir Bassi (Akash Khurana), an affluent businessman from Karnal. Bassi rarely visits his palatial bungalow in Delhi’s Sector 36, but when he does, his actions are also creepy. Prem, taking advantage of his unsupervised existence, far from his own family that lives in a village, abducts children from the neighbouring migrant settlement, mercilessly killing them to satisfy his deviant appetite.
Young Woman and the Sea
History, Drama (English)
This is the extraordinary true story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel. Through the steadfast support of her older sister and supportive trainers, she overcame adversity and the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete the 21-mile trek from France to England.
Cast:
Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Jeanette Hain, Glenn Fleshler, Sian Clifford, Christopher Eccleston, Ethan Rouse, Olive Elise Abercrombie, Lilly Aspell, Raphael J. Bishop, Alex Hassell, Alexander Karim, Sebastian Griegel, Doc Butler, Yordan Angelov, Robert Eades, Hyoie O'Grady, Devina Vassileva, Tessa Bonham Jones, Vanina Yordanova, Saskia Vinkhuyzen, Siobhan O'Connor, Andy Sellers, Dennis Billingsley, Trevor Van Uden, Cat Haave, Iliyana Koleva, Paolina Popova, Owen Davis, Brian Caspe, Nicholas Colicos, Michael Fleming, Velizar Binev, Meglena Karalambova, John Carew, Petar Stoychev, Dimo Alexiev, Kiril Efremov, Kexin Wang, Anton Poriazov, Michael Amiar, Bashar Rahal, Sava Dragunchev, Simon Balcon, Roy Hill, Rosen Rosenov, Martin Lyamov, Justine Viotty, David Calvitto, Derek Morse, Paul Boichat, Laila Barwick, Tsvetan Marinov, JR Esposito, Lylianna Eugene, Quinn Patrick, Ivan Panev, Laura Hinton, Howard Chadwick, Mariyan Stefanov, Jana Yakovleva, Clive Sawyer, Robert Chapman, Euan Macnaughton
Director:
Joachim Rønning
Writer:
Jeff Nathanson
Daisy Ridley's Predictable Yet Inspirational Sports Biopic Has Plenty Of Heart
Mon, September 30 2024
Young Woman and the Sea is a typical sports drama, like the ones that were made often in Hollywood two to three decades ago. The period drama, directed by Joachim Rønning, follows the real-life story of Trudy Ederle, a young American who set some extraordinary records and inspired a whole generation of women after her.
Raghu Thatha
Comedy, Drama (Tamil)
Story of a rebellious young woman, Kayalvizhi, who is forced to choose between principle and patriarchy.
Cast:
Keerthy Suresh, M. S. Bhaskar, Devadarshini, Ravindra Vijay, Rajeev Ravindranathan, Chu Khoy Sheng, Aadhira Pandilakshmi, Rajesh Balakrishnan, Anand Sami, Ismath Banu, K. S. Mippu, Aadhira Pandilakshmi, Janaki, Mukesh, Jayakumar
Director:
Suman Kumar
Writer:
Suman Kumar
Keerthy Suresh stands tall in this light-hearted satire
Sun, September 29 2024
The opening stretch of Raghu Thathatakes us back to the ‘60s. Even as the opening credits roll, we are shown newspaper clippings of important developments in that period. Anti-Hindi slogans and protests are rampant in Tamil Nadu, a state that is furiously vocal against the imposition of Hindi. Indira Gandhi has taken over as the first woman Prime Minister of the country, something that should ideally given women across the country a lot more confidence and freedom.
Keerthy Suresh's film on Hindi imposition is superficial
Thu, August 15 2024
When Keerthy Suresh’s teaser and trailer for Raghuthatha were released on social media, they generated a positive buzz around the film. The intriguingly cut trailer suggested that the film would address Hindi imposition in Tamil Nadu. Additionally, Kayavizhi’s (Keerthy Suresh) attempt to challenge patriarchy with her bold and upfront attitude piqued everyone’s interest. Did Suman Kumar manage to weave a successful story around these two sensitive topics? Let’s find out! Kayal (Keerthy Suresh) and her grandfather (MS Bhaskar) protest against Hindi imposition and are responsible for shutting down the Hindi organisation Ekta Sabha in their village, Valluvanpettai. She is a feminist who slams everyone who says, “ponna adaka odukama iru” (Be coy and obedient like a woman). One day, her grandfather’s cancer diagnosis and his three wishes push her towards marriage, which she has never been interested in.
Sucha Soorma
History, Thriller (Punjabi)
An uncompromising folklore figure of the early 20th century faces a dilemma when his best friend and his sister-in-law are caught in an illicit relationship.
Cast:
Babbu Mann, Suvinder Vicky, Mahabir Bhullar, Jag Singh, Sameksha Oswal, Sukhwinder Raj, Harinder Bhullar, Gurdev Dhaliwal, Gurinder Makna
Director:
Amitoj Mann
Writer:
Gurpreet Ratol
A Sloppy Film Unworthy of the Punjabi Folk Legend
Mon, September 23 2024
Watching a Punjabi film, let alone reviewing it, even for a diehard Punjabi, comes with its own set of misgivings. Sadly enough, as we sit through Sucha Soorma — touted as famous singer-actor Babbu Maan’s comeback film after a gap of four years — doubts turn into a deep, gnawing realisation about said misgivings and a discomfiting feeling. It’s near impossible to rationalise why we are making such films in this day and age, which do not reflect upon the changing matrix of our society; or if they do, god help us. Undoubtedly, this Amitoj Maan directorial is a period film set sometime during the British rule in India, in the early 20th century, even though the only date definitively stated in the film is the year in which the hero, Sucha Soorma (Babbu Maan), was hanged. The very first scene deludes you to believe that here, perhaps, was a warrior who stood up for the downtrodden.