Wed, October 21 2026

The story of the first successful conquest of Everest is handled with sensitivity and respect towards local culture.

Jennifer Peedom’s Tenzing has many echoes of Damien Chazelle’s First Man (2018), including the at-first seemingly underwhelming premise for their respective films. We know how it ended. They scaled Mount Everest. They landed on the moon. What’s the point? Chazelle managed to turn his film into an urgent family drama, around a grieving father. One of the towering achievements of First Man was underlining how the triumph of the space race ventured through a series of funerals. Many paid with their lives or were exposed to significant mortal danger, while working with technology that was still not as state-of-the-art as it is today.

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Fri, October 16 2026

Films like Tenzing don't come very often, because people like Tenzing Norgay don't come very often. A deeply moving portrait of the man who climbed many mountains before Everest.

Films like Tenzing don’t come very often, because people like Tenzing Norgay don’t come very often. Most of us know his biggest achievement. In 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. We know the historic story, we have seen the photographs, and we know how significant that climb was. But do we really know Tenzing? What did he have to go through before he finally reached the top of the world? That’s where this film makes a difference. Available on Apple TV, Tenzing, directed by Jennifer Peedom, takes us beyond the famous climb and tells us about the man behind it. And what I found most interesting is that Tenzing’s biggest challenges did not begin on Mount Everest. They began much earlier in his life.

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Tue, October 20 2026

Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 is a thoroughly unhinged and deeply misogynistic sequel that trades a coherent plot for a never-ending parade of celebrity cameos and slow-motion walking. The film’s baffling second half transforms Rajinikanth’s character into a CIA-level director operating at Fast & Furious levels of absurdity. We discuss the frustratingly low bar for mass masala entertainers, particularly the script’s reliance on outdated male gaze tropes, item songs, and bizarrely exposing costumes for female fighters. Additionally, we poke holes in the film’s 1960s-era James Bond villain logic, where antagonists willingly explain their plans. We also wonder if the franchise has completely lost its emotional core, relying entirely on its addictive background music and an Om Shanti Om-style conveyor belt of guest stars to keep audiences engaged.

Sun, October 18 2026

‘Jailer 2’, like the first film, is a rare late-stage Rajinikanth work that doesn't demand kinetic stunts and cuts around him, and allows the actor to project an easy magnetism

Two months have passed since the events of Nelson Dilipkumar’s Jailer (2023). After dissolving Varman’s (Vinayakan) body in acid, Tiger Muthuvel Pandian (Rajinikanth) is quietly living as a supermarket supervisor somewhere in the hills near Coimbatore. He doesn’t look for trouble, but it tends to follow him, first in the form of a young man picking up a street fight and then by way of a government officer who, in a petty show of might, simply torments the family by supplying dirty water. All this is in keeping with Nelson’s low-key treatment of Rajinikanth’s star wattage, making him a leaner, meaner family man who prefers to delegate action rather than wield it himself. Muthuvel solves the water issue on his own and when push comes to shove, a mild thrashing does the job. Nothing life-threatening. Nelson maintains the same somber beginnings of the first film.

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Sun, October 18 2026

Mon, October 19 2026

The Yami Gautam starrer gives her the spotlight, but the tale and its telling feel too contrived, with tone shifting from sitcom to mythological grandstanding

In Nayyi Navelli, what you see is not what you get. Bantu (Anurag Thakur) is convinced that his bhabhi Mohini (Yami Gautam) is “Ramsay Bros wali daayan” a.k.a. witch and sets out to convince everyone in the Awasthi household that there’s more to her than meets the eye. This is when audiences are supposedly watching a horror comedy but what they get is only a few laugh-worthy moments and next to zero scares. The way these scenes unfold with scores of family members seated in the aangaan (courtyard) at times listening and wondering, and at other times berating and taunting Bantu in an exaggerated way, it almost feels more like a sitcom than a feature film. It doesn’t help that for most of the first half, Yami’s Mohini is seen only through Bantu’s dubious eyes and unending narration. So far so meh.

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Sun, October 18 2026

Yami Gautam and Anurag Thakur do the heavy lifting in a film that has a convoluted screenplay. While the first half entertains, post-interval, the film nosedives into a deep illogical pit.

The flight of fancy scales unimaginable heights with this one. In director Balaji Mohan’s supernatural-meets-mythology comedy caper Nayyi Navelli, Yami Gautam plays a mysterious woman with special powers. On the onset, the film appears to mix comedy and horror- a template well established by the Stree franchise. But the film’s punchlines and wit soon segue into mythology. No harm there either, considering the film is one of the big Dussehra releases this year in India. However, the film quickly spirals thanks to a convoluted plot that infuses too many things into one story, making the second half extremely tedious to watch. The story of Ramayan has been a source of inspiration for filmmakers for decades. The entire concept of good vs evil is a theme that never goes out of fashion and can be interpreted in multiple ways. Nayyi Naveli, to its credit, takes a lesser-known part of the Ramayana and spins an intricate tale. It may not always make sense, but it still makes for an interesting plot.

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Sun, October 18 2026

Mon, October 19 2026

This is no straightforward biopic of Ujjwal Nikam, but the film has wider ambitions that don’t get fulfilled.

Avinash Arun’s Prahaar, being marketed as “the untold story of Ujjwal Nikam”, might not be the most accurate description of the film. And that’s because it has little first-hand insight on the much-chronicled public prosecutor in the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts case. This is consistent with the Hindi film biopic, where the subject rarely has to work hard to become the protagonist. It’s something that is consistent here as well, where Rajkummar Rao (playing Nikam) gives a speech at a celebration, after the verdict of the 1993 bomb blasts case. “The foot soldiers faced the consequences, but the main conspirators are still free,” he says, “The job is not finished” and an inspirational score fills the background. I braced myself for yet another hagiography, where the subject is next to God. However, soon enough, Arun’s film zooms out from Nikam, introducing supporting characters, who, reluctantly, express the film’s larger ambitions.

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Sun, October 18 2026

Avinash Arun's heavy-handed ‘Prahaar’ stars Rajkummar Rao as Ujjwal Nikam, public prosecutor in the Ajmal Kasab trial

The trial for Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has just begun when public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam (Rajkummar Rao) plays his first hand. He refers to the defense attorney, Abbas Kazmi (Sikandar Khen), as “terrorist lawyer”; when Kazmi objects, he says he meant “terrorist’s lawyer”. Later in the film, Kazmi brings this up with Nikam, tells him how it stings to be called that when you’re Muslim. Nikam says it wasn’t personal and that’s the last we see of Kazmi. Unwittingly or not, the lawyer’s strategy is echoed by the film. Nikam knows his wordplay will be censured but says it anyway, for the drama and the swarm of reporters. Prahaar, directed by Avinash Arun and written by Sumit Roy, is careful to explain that Kazmi is just doing his job, that he’s taking a huge risk as a Muslim lawyer accepting this case. But there in the trailer, attention-grabbing and meme-ready, is “terrorist lawyer”. It’s a little jab in the film, but it feels more significant out of context. For the many who’ll see the trailer but never get around to watching the film, it might be the one thing they remember about Prahaar.

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Sun, October 18 2026

The Avinash Arun directorial might present a utopian vision for the country at the moment, but it is still a vision worth fighting for

There’s nothing better than a film that surprises you. I admit, I did preemptively box Prahaar: The Ujjwal Nikam Story as another propaganda piece– a subtler one if not of the blaring loud type. It wasn’t an unfounded opinion. If you read up about Ujjwal Nikam you will find an impressive CV. Before getting on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial, the Maharashtra-based lawyer had already served as a special prosecutor on high-profile cases like that of the 1993 Bombay bombings and that of T-series head Gulshan Kumar’s murder. If you research a layer deep, you will find that the lawyer was a candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Maharashtra state assembly elections. A Caravan article details how the BJP played up Nikam’s image as the lawyer who delivered the death penalty to terrorist Ajmal Kasab and reduced the whole campaign to be either for or against terrorism. Nikam lost the election but was given a Rajya Sabha seat by the ruling party in 2025.

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Sun, October 18 2026

Created by Debora Cahn, the political thriller kicks into second gear as the US and UK relations are especially fraught in the fictional series.

The addition of Allison Janney, who just won an Emmy Award for her supporting role, may be the best thing The Diplomat has done. The Debora Cahn series is back for a tense fourth season which deals with the fallout of the events from the Season 3 finale when the US covertly takes a nuclear machine from a Russian submarine that’s lying in UK territory. Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), the American ambassador to the UK, and her husband, Vice President Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), balance not only their marriage but also the growing tensions between the two countries. The result is a delicious interplay of politics and diplomacy as the US leader, President Grace Penn (Janney), establishes her presidency.

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Sun, October 18 2026

‘Street Fighter’ is better at recreating the experience of the game than making a case for its characters

Translating a video game into a feature film requires more than recreating its characters and signature moves. In Street Fighter, the appeal of the arcade game lies in its colourful fighters, distinctive techniques and the immediacy of one-on-one combat. A film, however, needs to give these characters a reason to occupy the same space beyond the prospect of a fight. The latest adaptation of Capcom’s video-game franchise understands the spectacle better than the storytelling. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, this is the third live-action feature film based on Capcom’s video-game series, which began in 1987 and became a landmark in the fighting-game genre with Street Fighter II in 1991. Sakurai’s film draws on this legacy, though familiarity with the game does not necessarily translate into an interest in the lives of its characters.

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Sun, October 18 2026

Marvel Television's family trilogy revolving around the Maximoffs ends in an emotional and satisfying flourish.

To launch their streaming service, Disney+, in 2020, the series WandaVision came out the gate with a bang. Created by Jac Schaeffer, it set the standard for all other shows to follow. The limited series featured Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) dealing with the death of Vision after Infinity War. To overcome her grief, she creates a suburban haven in Westview until reality sets in. The second part of the trilogy, Agatha All Along (2024), introduced one more part of the puzzle with her son Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke). Now, with the final instalment, VisionQuest, created by Terry Matalas, reveals two more pieces as Vision (Paul Bettany) and Tommy Maximoff (Ruaridh Mollica) reunite. But what happens when Ultron (James Spader) interferes in the long-awaited father-son reunion?

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Sun, October 18 2026

Inspired by the Mattel toys, John Cena plays an undercover agent who unwittingly involves his friends in an uninteresting adventure across the world.

Following in the footsteps of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Matchbox The Movie tries to replicate the formula. However, it falls flat in its execution. The only thing impressive about the spy thriller is its high-octane action stunts and sequence envisaged by Extraction director Sam Hargrave. John Cena is the spy in question as he reunites with old friends to go down memory road and instead takes them as hostages in a plot to save the world. The Matchbox IP never properly lands, and the narrative doesn’t even connect.

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Sun, October 18 2026

Sohla, revolves around a school going kid Prasad aka Pashya (Devdatta Ghone). He stays in a small village in Maharashtra named Sudkoli with his father Ramdas (Pravin Dalimbkar), a farmer, mother Nirmala (Varsha Malwadkar) and elder sister Gauri (Vaishnavi Ghodke). Ramdas is having a tough time financially since his produce isn’t fetching him much money. Pashya is all set to turn 13 in two months. As per the tradition in the village, the 13th birthday of boys is celebrated through a ceremony called ‘Sohla’. It is a symbolic ritual indicating that the boy is now ready to take on the responsibility of the family. Pashya can’t wait for his sohla. As he is a die-hard Salman Khan fan, he wants to buy the expensive kurta endorsed by him for the event. Ramdas agrees to Pashya’s demand despite his financial condition. However, soon, a major incident occurs in Pashya’s life out of nowhere, which brings a major change in him.

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Sat, October 17 2026

Director Rahul Sankrityan’s Telugu film uses Burra Katha and the 1876-78 famine to give the narrative a fresh look, but some portions struggle under the weight of history, devotion and myth

For a long time, there has been an overarching image of how Telugu cinema has portrayed the Rayalaseema region, with tales of faction wars and machismo where subtlety is a forgotten trait. Some of these films, blockbusters of the 1990s and 2000s, have become pop culture references. However, a fresh look at this region and its stories was needed. Director Rahul Sankrityan’s Ranabaali, headlined by Vijay Deverakonda and co-starring Rashmika Mandanna, is an attempt in that direction. In this film, too, the leading man is portrayed as a fierce, warrior-like figure. The difference lies in its history-inspired setting, with a mix of folklore. The result is an interesting concoction. Some portions genuinely pique interest in the history and folk tradition of Rayalaseema, while others struggle to rise above the done-to-death mainstream cinema framework.

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Sat, October 17 2026

Ultimately, Drishyam: The Conclusion isa pragmatic victory.The franchise was clearly running out of steam and a lesser creative team would have milked it until it became a parody of itself. By choosing to wrap it up now, the makers have given Vijay Salgaonkar the crafty; dignifiedexit hisbrilliant mind deserved.

For over a decade, Vijay Salgaonkar hasn’t just been a movie character. He’s been a permanent resident of Indian pop culture. Mention the date October 2nd and our minds instantly race to Panjim, Guruji’s satsang, and a plate of pav bhaji. It is a testament to the franchise’s grip on our collective imagination that a simple alibi became an immortal meme. Naturally, Drishyam: The Conclusion arrives not just as another theatrical release, but as a high-stakes farewell tour for a family we’ve watched navigate hell.

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Mon, October 5 2026

Sat, October 3 2026

The final Drishyam chapter returns to Vijay Salgaonkar’s world of lies, memory and moral ambiguity, writes Arnab Banerjee, as Abhishek Pathak explores whether a carefully constructed story can ultimately overpower the truth itself while testing memory and justice.

Ajay Devgn returns as Vijay Salgaonkar in Drishyam: The Conclusion, the third and final chapter of the Hindi-language Drishyam franchise, directed by Abhishek Pathak. Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta and Rajat Kapoor reprise their roles, while Jaideep Ahlawat and Prakash Raj join the ensemble as the story moves towards its promised denouement. The franchise has always revolved around a deceptively unsettling question: if a lie is constructed convincingly enough, can it eventually become indistinguishable from truth? The concluding chapter now has the unenviable task of giving that question a final dramatic meaning.

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Fri, October 16 2026

Austin Abrams, a fine actor, does what he can to convey fear in many forms, and Josh Brolin’s rippling-muscled, tattooed frame fits right into this world

In this film, the way to a father’s heart lies literally through a whale’s stomach. Literally. As if Austin Abrams wasn’t put through enough hell in the recent Resident Evil, he returns for Whalefall, adapted from a book, where he spends 90% of the time being tossed around in the belly of a beast which is a sperm whale. It’s an ambitious project for sure, and director Brian Duffield is seriously committed to it, not giving us a break from all that could lie in that giant mammal’s insides, from digestive acids to the remains of things swallowed up by it, to a lot of other floating and hanging stuff that it’s best left to one’s imagination. What it boils down to is Abrams’s Jay being squeezed multiple times between sinewy, slithering, throbbing walls and – you guessed it right – surviving.

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