Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous
Documentary, Drama, Music (Hindi)
He was an ordinary boy with extraordinary dreams. This intimate documentary traces the rise, fall and comeback of Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh. (more…)
Guild Reviews
Thiru. Manickam
Drama (Tamil)
In today's digital world, Manickam, a man determined to live an honest life, is tested and troubled by his family, relatives and many others. What did Manickam do to find himself in such a situation? How does he overcome the trials that question his integrity? This story unfolds in a simple yet engaging and thrilling way, keeping you hooked till the very end
Cast:
Samuthirakani, Ananya, Bharathiraja, Nassar, Thambi Ramaiah, Ilavarasu
Director:
Nandha Periyasamy
Writer:
Nandha Periyasamy
Samuthirakani’s Film On Doing The Right Thing Gets A Lot Wrong
Fri, December 27 2024
Thambi Ramiah’s role in Thiru. Manickam is the best example to tell what is wrong with the movie. He plays the role of an NRI from the UK, who happens to travel with Manickam (Samuthirakani), who is on a mission to do the right thing when the whole world is against him. Remember MR Radha from Ratha Kaneer (1954), a snobbish foreign return, who disses everything Indian? Thambi Ramaiah channels this outdated acting style for Thiru.Manickam. He lacks the philosophical depth MR Radha had even for the caricature of the role, but Ramaiah is an eyesore who just has emulated the exaggerations. When working abroad has become commonplace in 2024, the film is stuck in some distant past where such NRIs are still treated as a rare breed. Take the scene where Ramiah gloats a ‘foreign chocolate’ on the face of a small kid. That’s the nature of the entire film. It brims with outdated tropes, characters, and execution.
Ncuti Gatwa, Nicola Coughlan Make Dashing Team To Save Humanity During Holidays
Thu, December 26 2024
The Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, has settled in nicely as the latest Time Lord. The Sex Education star took over the role from David Tennant this time last year. This year, for his second Doctor Who Christmas Special, the actor embarks on a new phase as he leaves behind his old companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). In the time in between, he saves humanity once more, with a little help from Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan. The story of this Christmas special titled Joy to the World moves around to different eras, past, present, and future. All of this becomes important to the narrative, which hinges upon the holiday of Christmas and a Villengard briefcase with a seed star, which is a ticking bomb in itself. A young woman named Joy (Coughlan) checks into a Sandringham hotel, and she ends up being key to the Doctor’s latest mission to save the world during the holidays. But how do they manage to save humanity from destruction? By using every loophole when it comes to time. Doctor Who Christmas Special: Writing and Direction Former showrunner and Sherlock writer Steven Moffat pens this new Christmas special. The opportunity allows us to see a slightly different side of Gatwa’s Doctor as he goes gung-ho on a mission that seems doomed to fail. The holiday episode also grows sentimental, as Joy has an emotional outburst, explaining how she lost her mother during the COVID crisis in 2020.
35: Chinna Katha Kaadu
Drama, Family (Telugu)
A young mother faces challenges when her son fails to secure passing marks in mathematics, inciting events that test the family's resilience and unity.
Cast:
Arundev Pothula, Nivetha Thomas, Vishwadev Rachakonda, Priyadarshi Pullikonda, Abhay Shankar, Ananya Maadgula, Pawan Kumar, Raja Prajwal, Gautami Tadimalla, Krishna Teja
Director:
Nanda Kishore
Writer:
Nanda Kishore
Nivetha Thomas and a bunch of children in an uplifting tale of triumph
Wed, December 25 2024
Ever questioned why zero, which has no value on its own, is bigger than nine when it is preceded by 1 and becomes 10? This question recurs through the Telugu family drama 35: Chinna Katha Kaadu (not a small story), directed by debutant Nanda Kishore Emani. Are Mathematics fundamentals not to be questioned? Should a student accept the norm, learn the syllabus and pass the examinations? The film starring Nivetha Thomas, Viswadev, Priyadarshi, child actors Abhay and Arun and more than 50 children is a heartwarming and a well thought out story that encourages its viewers to look within and take that first step towards overcoming setbacks. 35 portrays children as realistically as possible and feels like a return to an age of innocence.
What If S03
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy (English)
Taking inspiration from the comic books of the same name, each episode of this animated anthology series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments.
Cast:
Jeffrey Wright
Once Imaginative Marvel Animated Series Ends With Whimper Not Bang
Tue, December 24 2024
The final season of What If…? Season 3 highlights Marvel characters, big and small, in unexpected ways. Honouring both the comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it allowed the story to be taken further. Once more, Jeffrey Wright returns as the voice of The Watcher as he narrates these eight new stories from the multiverse, where characters from different worlds and times converge. While previous seasons were strong, this last season is a mixed bag. It starts off muddled and ends on a high note, leaving us wishing this season had a bit more substance. Each of the eight episodes of What If…? looks at an alternative universe where characters who wouldn’t ordinarily meet are featured. And of course, the casual fan or newbie will be extremely lost, as the series requires you to do your homework (watch all the stuff) before enjoying this even more. Some of the stories explored here include the Hulk accidentally creating a gamma monster that the Mech Avengers must battle with, Agatha Harkness going Hollywood and meeting up with Bollywood star King, the Watcher disappearing, and the most bizarre of all, Howard the Duck having a baby with Darcy Lewis!
Avengers Return As The Multiverse Gets Weirder
Mon, December 23 2024
What If…? returned with season 3 sharing a deep dive into the 5th dimension and hinted at what we can expect from the future of the multiverse. The show does show Sam Wilson as the new Captain America on a world saving mission with Bruce Banner and others. Meanwhile, more magical and mystical creatures come to life as the Watcher guides more superheroes to save their universes. With every season of What If…? Marvel continues to surprise their fans with something unexpected, the same is true for season 3 as the multiverse gets more weird and messy. Each episode shared a piece of a story from a different universe and what canon event may have shaped it. It also reveals how The Watcher sees it, and experiences it, the changes he would have expected and wished for. In the past seasons, The Watcher had gotten himself involved in the multiverse by saving lives and reshaping the world. As he continues to do so, it leaves The Eminence unhappy. That too shapes a path for the mortals to move on to a new dimension and turn their fate over.
Jigra
Crime, Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
When Ankur is wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to death in a foreign country, his steely sister Satya is driven by a lethal resolve to break him free.
Cast:
Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Vivek Gomber, Akashdeep Sabir, Harssh A. Singh, Aditya Nanda, Adhiraj Singh, Rahul Ravindran, Ankur Khanna
Director:
Vasan Bala
Writer:
Debashish Irengbam
A Spotify Review
Mon, December 23 2024
Jigra, the new film by Vasan Bala, combines his trademark cine-literate sensibilities with mainstream Bollywood tropes. The odd combination makes for an interesting discourse about the film’s broad sentimentality, its genre credentials, and storytelling that is both contrived and confident. We discuss Bala’s balancing act and whether it works. Along the way, we talk about Alia Bhatt’s strong central performance, the action set-pieces, and the film’s emotional core.
Vasan Bala weaponises Alia Bhatt in one of the best Hindi films of the year; Karan Johar better have his back
Wed, October 16 2024
Getting an audience to detest a movie villain isn’t difficult. People are cynical; all they want is someone to project their frustrations on. But getting the same viewers to genuinely empathise with the protagonist of your film isn’t as easy as it might seem. It requires them to lower their guards and shed their egos; to allow moments of vulnerability in the presence of absolute strangers. Most of all, it requires them to ignore the objectively lunatic act of developing a connection with a made-up person, as if they are real. But Vasan Bala has cracked the code in Jigra — a film that pulls off this almost impossibly difficult feat by getting you, the viewer, to participate in the grandest act of collective empathy crafted on a Bollywood screen this year.
Alia Bhatt is the real 'jigra' of Vasan Bala's film
Tue, October 15 2024
Will the real ‘Jigra’ please stand up? In Vasant Bala’s film, Vedang Raina might be portraying the titular character, but it’s Alia Bhatt, who is the heart and soul of the film. Turns out she is a shield not just for her brother, but also for the movie, even as the revenge thriller rests too heavily on Bhatt.
Dune: Prophecy
Science Fiction, Adventure (English)
Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Cast:
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux
Director:
Denis Villeneuve
Tabu Steals The Show With Her Graceful Performance
Mon, December 23 2024
HBO has wrapped for the first season of Dune Prophecy which also starred our very own Tabu in the role of a Sister working with The Sisterhood aka Bene Gesserit, widely known in the Dune Universe. The show takes place 10,000 years before the current films directed by Denis Villeneuve. But the prequel is still connected to the current storyline as it explores the lore of how the Bene Gesserit prophecy about Paul Atreides came into being. The show begins with the story of two Harkonnen sisters who have been accepted into the sisterhood. One of them, Valya Harkonnen had special powers which let me control the will of others on her command, she goes on to teach the same to others in the sisters who followed the same values as her. Meanwhile, another has her own secrets to protect. The sisterhood also has factions, while one believes in nurturing the good in humans and use the power of truth sense to lead humanity towards a better future after the War with Thinking Machine which destroyed the world. The other faction believes, that humans need a genetically enhanced leader to take them to the right direction.
Emily Watson, Olivia Williams' Ambitious Prequel Sci-Fi Series On Control, Power Feels Familiar
Sat, November 30 2024
The prequel series, Dune: Prophecy, opens with an interesting quote that lays the foundation for its narrative ahead. It states, “Victory is celebrated in the light, but won in the darkness.” The HBO show is set around 10,000 years before the existence of Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides from Dune; a powerful organisation called the Sisterhood aims to guide humanity to its correct path. Easier said than done.
OutHouse
Drama, Romance (Hindi)
Nana, a retired single adamant old man, has no idea that an unwelcomed guest on his four - a puppy is going to change the course of his life. Aadima, a senior graphic designer artist, doesn’t have the faintest inkling that the same puppy is going to force her to go on adventures she otherwise wouldn’t. And Neel, her grandson has no clue that he is going to help Nana and Aadima understand the needs of elderly singles.
Cast:
Mohan Agashe, Sharmila Tagore, Jihan Hodar, Neeraj Kabi, Sonali Kulkarni, Sunil Abhyankar, Pradeep Joshi
Director:
Sunil Sukthankar
Writer:
Sumitra Bhave, Sunil Sukthankar
Sweet & Not-so-simple
Mon, December 23 2024
We’re in leafy Pune, the idyllic city of the retired. Aadima (Sharmila Tagore), graphics novel illustrator, has her grandson Neel (Jihan Jeetendra Hodar) visiting her while his parents (Sonali Kulkarni,Neeraj Kabi) grapple with their work schedules, their roles as mom and dad and with their marriage. Nana (Mohan Agashe) lives on his own, has his own routine and brushes off his son (Sunil Abhyankar) who wants dad to transfer his flat to his name to facilitate a loan, and move to Mumbai. Not quite lonely, companions like a cat who steals his milk and friendly banter with neighbour Londhe (Pradeep Jeshim) keep life moving for Nana.
Vanvaas
Drama (Hindi)
Explores the dynamics of familial relationships, focusing on themes of sacrifice, emotional bonds, and the challenges of sustaining unity in modern times. The story delves into the lives of its central characters as they navigate conflicts and rediscover the importance of family values.
Cast:
Nana Patekar, Khushboo, Suman Nidhi Sharma, Utkarsh Sharma, Rajpal Yadav, Simrat Kaur, Hemant Kher, Bhakti Rathod, Kettan Singh, Snehil Dixit Mehra
Director:
Anil Sharma
Writer:
Anil Sharma
Human Drama Overshadowed by Verbosity
Mon, December 23 2024
The core premise is potent with possibilities for an empathetic experience. When elderly Deepak Tyagi (Nana Patekar), battling dementia, is abandoned in crowded Banaras by his hard-hearted family of three sons and their wives, his journey back home and comeuppance for the callous is an emotional space. Co-writing with Amjad Ali and Sunil Sirvaiya, director Anil Sharma places the family property named Vimla Sadan in a picturesque, snow-laden Palampur in Himachal Pradesh. Tyagi has plans of turning it into a trust. His sons and daughters-in-law who want to get their hands on the money, would rather desert him in faraway Banaras with no papers to identify him than let him sign the deed. It is tough for a man with memory lapses to survive.
The Six Triple Eight
Drama, War, History (English)
During World War II, the US Army's only all-Black, all-women battalion takes on an impossible mission: sorting through a three-year backlog of 17 million pieces of mail that hadn't been delivered to American soldiers and finish within six months.
Cast:
Kerry Washington, Sam Waterston, Susan Sarandon, Oprah Winfrey, Ebony Obsidian, Shanice Williams, Kylie Jefferson, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Milauna Jackson
Director:
Tyler Perry
Writer:
Tyler Perry
Kerry Washington Leads Meandering WWII Story About Forgotten All-Black Battalion
Mon, December 23 2024
Prolific filmmaker Tyler Perry’s latest is a departure from his usual fare. The actor-director tells the story of the inspiring women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black unit of the Women’s Army Corps that served in Europe. It is a tale not many were aware of, and the movie highlights how the women endured and served with dedication despite the odds against them.
Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous
Documentary, Drama, Music (Hindi)
He was an ordinary boy with extraordinary dreams. This intimate documentary traces the rise, fall and comeback of Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh.
Cast:
Yo Yo Honey Singh
Director:
Mozez Singh
Netflix Documentary Is Cursory Exploration Of Singer's Life
Mon, December 23 2024
The new music documentary Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous attempts to show the darker side of fame. It prods and probes, but eventually, it allows the artist to be. The Netflix documentary is engaging enough, showing how an ordinary young man from Punjab rises to become the Indian music industry’s most well-known artist and goes on to open doors for others as well. The real truth of the docu-film lies when it features the man himself and those closest to him to open up about what he went through during his self-imposed break.
Honey Singh spits venom, bares his soul in faintly damning Netflix documentary
Sun, December 22 2024
The standard for Indian documentaries about cultural icons is so low that Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous, out now on Netflix, comes across as a refreshing change of pace. The streamer is itself guilty of lowering the bar with glorified PR exercises like Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale, Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli, and the worst of them all, The Romantics. They functioned more like corporate orientation films than the genuinely engaging journalistic profiles that they’re supposed to be. Not that the Honey Singh doc provides any real insight into his artistic process, barring the hilarious scene in which he is stumped by none other than Salman Khan. It does, however, do a decent enough job of giving audiences a peek inside his troubled mind. And for his fans, that will be enough. Many of them appear on camera, either commenting on his well-publicised fall from grace, or expressing their dismay at the lacklustre music that he has been releasing recently. In one scene, a woman tails him on a bike, and weeps openly as he stops to interact with her. A highly sensitive person himself, Honey recognises the emotions that she is experiencing, and begins serenading her with his biggest hit, “Blue Eyes.” Any cynical suspicion that you might have had about the woman being a plant disappears instantly. In another scene, a couple of flower sellers attempt to sell him a garland at the traffic signal. Honey quips that he needs a woman in his life to gift it to. They recognise him, and comment about his past troubles. “You’re looking smart now,” the young flower seller says to him. Honey is ecstatic.
An intimate portrayal
Sat, December 21 2024
At best, documentaries on celebrities tend to be an ode to their stardom; at worst, these end up as an exercise in image makeover for those who have fallen from grace. Rare is a documentary, especially of a living person, that dares to look truth in the eye and provides a balanced, insightful account. Is Sikhya entertainment’s Netflix film that endeavour? Maybe yes, maybe no, but while documenting the story of Punjabi singer Yo Yo Honey Singh, who has seen both dizzying heights of fame and the lows of infamy, director Mozez Singh does address the elephant in Honey’s life from the word go.
Mismatched S03
Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
After a disastrous set-up by their families, two teens strike up a tentative friendship at their summer program - but deeper feelings aren't far behind.
Cast:
Prajakta Koli, Rohit Saraf, Rannvijay Singha, Vidya Malvade, Muskkaan Jaferi, Abhinav Sharma, Taaruk Raina, Dipannita Sharma, Lauren Robinson, Ahsaas Channa
Rohit Saraf, Prajakta Koli's Young Adult Romance Presses A Messy Restart Button
Mon, December 23 2024
The ‘mismatched’ couple Dimple and Rishi is back for another season in the popular Netflix series. Mismatched Season 3 returns with a three-year time jump as viewers are plunged back into the long-distance couple’s lives, with updates on their friends and family. Against the background of the virtual versus real world, the show puts its characters through new sets of problems that often feel misplaced. Focusing on its large cast and some faces, the new season feels like an odd reset back to its first season.
Tue, December 17 2024
किरदारों का ग्राफ आगे बढ़ाने में भी कंजूसी बरती गई है
Mon, December 16 2024
एक टेक्नॉलजी को जी-जान से चाहने वाली अंबाला की मिडल क्लास लड़की डिंपल आहूजा (प्राजक्ता कोली) और एक टूटकर प्यार करने वाला जयपुर के रजवाड़े घराने का सच्चा आशिक ऋषि सिंह शेखावत (रोहित सराफ), यानी एक बिल्कुल ही मिसमैच्ड जोड़ी और जब ये दोनों मिलते हैं, तो क्या होता है यही कहानी है वेब सीरीज ‘मिसमैच्ड’ की। लेखिका संध्या मेनन की किताब ह्वेन डिंपल मेट ऋषि पर आधारित इस सीरीज के दो सीजन पहले ही आ चुके हैं और युवा दर्शकों के बीच डिंपल और ऋषि यानी प्राजक्ता कोली और रोहित सराफ की जोड़ी पहले ही काफी पसंद की जा चुकी है। उनकी केमिस्ट्री तीसरे सीजन में भी सुहाती है, मगर कहानी के मामले में सीरीज बेहद कमजोर और सतही साबित होती है।
Inside Out S02
Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family (English)
Teenager Riley's mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
Cast:
Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu
Director:
Kelsey Mann
Inside Out Animated Spinoff Series Is A Clever, Funny Hollywood Satire
Mon, December 23 2024
Inside Out 2 returned this year to theatres with great fanfare as the sequel took audiences back to Riley’s life as she begins high school. The new animated series, Dream Productions, is set slightly before the film and follows Riley as a pre-teen adjusting to the time in-between being a kid and a teenager. Instead of the core gang of emotions that we are used to, the miniseries focuses on bubbly dream director, Paula Persimmon, who finds herself being obsolete.