Dominic and the Ladies' Purse
Thriller, Action (Malayalam)
Dominic, a former Circle Inspector dismissed due to a hidden color blindness that led to a crucial error, now struggles as a broke, divorced ex-cop living with an old landlady he can't pay. A seemingly simple case of lost property (more…)
The Storyteller
Drama (Hindi)
After decades of working in the printing industry in Kolkata in eastern India, Tarini has reached retirement age. He spends his days at home, having declined his son’s invitation to come to the United States. Then a friend shows him (more…)
Vidaamuyarchi
Action, Thriller (Tamil)
Arjun and Kayal, an Indian couple living in Azerbaijan, set out on a journey to visit her parents. Their peaceful trip takes a terrifying turn when Kayal mysteriously disappears. With time running out, Arjun must navigate a web of danger (more…)
Hisaab Barabar
Drama, Thriller, Comedy (Hindi)
Radhe Mohan, an honest TC working for Indian Railways and a self-proclaimed accounts expert, sets out to uncover a massive financial fraud by banker Mickey Mehta. As Mickey puts the entire system against Radhe, what lies next for him? (more…)
Guild Reviews
Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal
Drama (Malayalam)
Three distanced, discordant brothers strive to put aside their differences as they reunite after decades at their ancestral home to give their dying mother a peaceful send off, but soon are at loggerheads as the house brings up painful memories of their tumultuous past.
Cast:
Alencier Ley Lopez, Joju George, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Shelly Kishore, Garggi Ananthan, Thomas Mathew, Shelly Nabu Kumar, Sajitha Madathil, Sarasa Balussery
Director:
Sharan Venugopal
Writer:
Sharan Venugopal
Sat, February 8 2025
“Going home again" is a cinema trope that continues to string hearts despite being around for a while. It never becomes dated as everyone–even the ones staying in their hometown–longs to go back since home is never a place. It is a collection of memories of a place and time with people that’s lost. Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal (Narayani’s Three Sons) explores the popular adage: “You can never go home again." It isn’t there anymore because even the one, who is missing it, is not the same individual who once lived there. Sethu (Joju George), the middle son of Narayani, learns it the hard way when he tries to bring back his estranged brothers to their hometown, when their mother is on her deathbed, counting her days. The family reunion brings to the fore the old scars, nostalgic memories, and new problems, making up for an immense experience of laughter, tears, and profound thoughts.
Thandel
Romance, Action, Drama, Thriller (Telugu)
Fisherman Raju is deeply in love with Satya. However, at one point, she urges him to stop going to the sea and look for other jobs. Ignoring her plea, Raju ventures out and accidentally drifts into Pakistani waters, where he is arrested.
Cast:
Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Sai Pallavi, Sundip Ved, Prakash Belawadi, Kalpalatha, Karunakaran, Parvateesam, Mahesh Achanta, Babloo Prithiveeraj
Director:
Chandoo Mondeti
Writer:
Chandoo Mondeti
Sat, February 8 2025
Some films focus less on plot and more on character-driven narratives. Thandel, the Telugu film directed by Chandoo Mondeti, is a prime example. Based on true incidents from a few years ago, in which fishermen from Andhra Pradesh unknowingly crossed international waters into Pakistan, the film weaves a love story that transcends all odds. The storyline, penned by Karthik Theeda, is straightforward, but Chandoo’s screenplay immerses viewers in the world of the fisherfolk, with an emotionally stirring romance — between Raju (Naga Chaitanya) and Satya (Sai Pallavi) — at its core. The poignant love story comes alive through the lead actors’ performances, complemented by Devi Sri Prasad’s evocative music, which serves as the film’s emotional anchor. But is that enough to overlook the weaker, more turbulent portions? Almost.
Fri, February 7 2025
Thandel becomes the much-needed breakthrough for Naga Chaitanya, who establishes himself as an able actor, something he has been striving for a while now. The Telugu actor plays the role of Raju, a fisherman from a coastal village in Andhra Pradesh, named Machidesam. The fishermen in the town make a living off travelling to the Gujarat coast and fishing in the treacherous waters, which borders a Pakistan-controlled region. Raju, the Thandel, the captain of the village’s fisherman, is deeply in love with Sathya (Sai Pallavi), another pillar of the film. Together the two actors make Thandel a moving love story about perseverance and aid hugely in letting go of the blemishes, that are scattered in the movie.
Fri, February 7 2025
In Chandoo Mondeti’s Thandel, distance makes romance sing harder before it combusts into a residue of tears. Raju (Naga Chaitanya) and Satya (Sai Pallavi) have been together since childhood and now their love blossoms through the stray mobile tower. Raju is a seafarer, a fisherman who works the waters around Gujarat while Satya in Srikakulam looks longingly at her mobile phone to hear a syllable in his voice. He holds the phone aloft and so does she at home. He, with ocean on all sides and, she, on land but not far from the beach. We see a fisherfolk community that toils in the waters, the men away for long and the women waiting and working at home. We know that this frequent separation will not end well and as expected, Thandel doesn’t hold its cards too close to its chest. It presents everything without a facade. Raju is our regular Telugu film hero, and this is as mainstream as it gets so he is introduced romancing and fighting at the same time. The first half coasts along and nothing really happens for much of Thandel’s runtime. Physical distance gives way to emotional distance between the lovers but the way the film narrativises these events is toothless. The film places itself in melodramatic territory, the star-crossed lovers’ separation is the whole point, but the writing is flat and we never feel for any of these people. Apart from Sai Pallavi, everyone and everything is artificial including the filmmaking. It is probably forgivable to use a green screen for scenes atop a lighthouse, but Satya is staged in front of what looks like a green screen even for a scene on the terrace of her tiny dwelling. The film looks cheap and when even basic scenes are given this little attention then what to make of stormy seas where there are both fights as well as lifesaving action.
Vidaamuyarchi
Action, Thriller (Tamil)
Arjun and Kayal, an Indian couple living in Azerbaijan, set out on a journey to visit her parents. Their peaceful trip takes a terrifying turn when Kayal mysteriously disappears. With time running out, Arjun must navigate a web of danger and deception, facing a ruthless gang determined to keep him from uncovering the truth.
Cast:
Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Regina Cassandra, Trisha Krishnan, Aarav Kizar, Nikhil Nair, Dasarathi Narasimhan, Ganesh Saravanan, Ravi Raghavendra, Jeeva Ravi
Director:
Magizh Thirumeni
Writer:
Magizh Thirumeni
Fri, February 7 2025
Ajith Kumar’s Arjun isn’t a “hero” by any stretch of the imagination, especially in the Tamil cinema ecosystem. In fact, if the film wasn’t a gripping action drama, Arjun would have been a certified loser with nothing going for him. In fact, even in this movie, for a really long time, Arjun is never a facilitator of action, but just a responder to the consequence. And that’s what makes it all the more special because it is an action film featuring one of the biggest stars of Tamil cinema, and it features a star stripped of all his stardom… almost. Magizh Thirumeni takes the premise of the 1997 film, Breakdown, and remains largely faithful to the plot, giving it a few necessary changes to suit Indian sensibilities. And the most important change is in the relationship dynamics between Arjun and his wife Kayal (Trisha), which adds gravitas to this equation that drives large portions of the film. The movie starts off by establishing the romance between the couple and the gradual falling out that happens over years of marriage. We are shown glimpses of their journey, right from the first meet-cute to falling heads over heels in love to the first cracks in the relationship, and the seemingly irreparable ones. And point to Magizh and editor NB Srikanth for deciding to tell all these through two beautiful Anirudh Ravichander numbers to ensure the pacing isn’t sacrificed for showcasing the romance part.
Fri, February 7 2025
There are lovely additions Magizh Thirumeni makes to Breakdown (1997) to humanise what was otherwise a straightforward Hollywood action movie. This begins right with the way he re-interprets the title ‘Breakdown’. Not only does this mean that Magizh’s version begins way before Arjun’s (Ajith Kumar) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere as he travels with his wife to Tbilisi, but the title also alludes to the ‘breakdown’ they are experiencing in their marriage. It’s middle of the road in a sense, but the not the kind you’re thinking about. They’ve been together for 12 years and they’ve lost the magic that had once brought them together. In another awkward meet-cute that we’ve now come to expect from Magizh Thirumeni, we’re told that Arjun once sent “Happy Birthday” messages every day to Kayal (Trisha) for six consecutive months. But after 12 years, Arjun doesn’t even remember the date anymore, even when the world stays up to wish Kayal.
Fri, February 7 2025
Magizh Thirumeni’s Vidaamuyarchi, starring Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan, Arjun Sarja and Regina Cassandra, adapts from Jonathan Mostow’s 1997 film Breakdown. The premise and several plot events are similar, but Magizh’s additions and adornments do stand out as one would expect in an Indian version with a huge star in the lead. Just look at the length of both the films: Breakdown clocks at a crisp 93 minutes. Vidaamuyarchi is 150 minutes. Make of that what you will. This film places itself in the highways, cafes and rest stops of Azerbaijan with Ajith’s Arjun living in Baku with his wife Kayal (Trisha). Their relationship is 12 years old, and we get some quick flashbacks, choppily written, to establish history. Magizh wants to present an adult relationship, something his mentor Gautham Vasudev Menon managed to do in Yennai Arindhaal with the same actors. It works to an extent in the present-day portions when the relationship is crumbling, they deal with slow erosion like mature individuals. But in the flashback, it is unwieldy. The dialogues don’t pop the way adult romantic lines should; it is edited to be concise, but the pattern is shoddy, the cadence is off, and it is clear that the actors are working with mediocre material.
Anuja
Drama (English)
When a brilliant nine-year-old working in a sweatshop gets a chance to attend school, she must make a difficult choice for her and her sister's future.
Cast:
Sajda Pathan, Ananya Shanbhag, Nagesh Bhonsle, Gulshan Walia, Sushil Parwana, Sunita Bhadauria, Rudolpho Rajeev Hubert, Jugal Kishore, Pankaj Gupta
Director:
Adam J. Graves
Writer:
Adam J. Graves
Fri, February 7 2025
Anuja begins with a girl telling her tween sibling a Panchatantra story about how a faithful mongoose saved a farmer’s child from a poisonous snake yet was mistaken for an attacker because of his master’s impetuous impulses. Making a thoughtful decision is central to writer-director Adams J Graves’ Oscar-nominated live-action short film – backed by the likes of Guneet Monga, Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra Jones – about a pair of orphaned sisters inhabiting Delhi’s grimy, shabby slums.
Fri, February 7 2025
On paper, Anuja is a noble project. It’s made in association with Salaam Baalak Trust, a Delhi-based non-profit organisation that supports street kids. It stars one of its children, Sajda Pathan, as a gifted nine-year-old garment factory worker who is conflicted between earning a livelihood and getting an education. It’s an Indian American production. It is backed by diaspora-global celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Guneet Monga Kapoor. And it’s about spirited orphans in a big bad world. Which is to say: Anuja is so noble that it’s only a project. At its best, it’s a creative presentation slide. At its worst, it’s less of a short film and more of a look-poor-people-hungry-people aesthetic. It brings back memories of the famous and infamous Slumdog Millionaire (2008) — and not in a good way.
Wed, February 5 2025
Written and directed by Adam J Graves, Anuja is one of five shorts nominated for an Oscar in the Best Live Action Short Film category. Backed by producers Guneet Monga, Mindy Kaling, and Priyanka Chopra, it gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of two young girls trying to survive in the city without much support. There is hope for the younger girl Anuja, and the film highlights the hard choice the little one must face: choosing herself or supporting her beloved sister Palak. In just 22 minutes, the short film takes us on an emotional journey. The short film focuses on two orphaned sisters, Anuja (Sajda Pathan) and Palak (Ananya Shanbhag), who work in a garment factory in Delhi. Child labour is illegal, but the owner, Mr Verma (Nagesh Bhonsle), flaunts the rules by lying about the ages of the younger children. An educator, Mr Mishra (Gulshan Walia), comes to the factory with the opportunity of a lifetime for the bright Anuja. If she can take and pass an admission test for a boarding school, she’ll receive a scholarship. But the fee for the test is Rs 400, which is a large sum for the sisters. Writer-director Graves straddles both the fictional and real worlds in this story. Made in conjunction with the Salaam Baalak Trust, which supports the street children of Delhi, Anuja turns a spotlight on the still-persistent issue of child labour. Poverty and a lack of education give rise to the problem that has been prevalent in India for decades. Still, Graves gives us a touching story about the unbreakable bond between the two sisters. The film begins with a fable about a farmer’s family and a pet mongoose, highlighting the virtues of bravery and sacrifice.
The Storyteller
Drama (Hindi)
After decades of working in the printing industry in Kolkata in eastern India, Tarini has reached retirement age. He spends his days at home, having declined his son’s invitation to come to the United States. Then a friend shows him a help-wanted ad. Although he has never published a book, Tarini used to tell made-up stories to his friends in his youth, and the ad for a storyteller in Ahmedabad in western India piques his interest.
Cast:
Paresh Rawal, Rajarshi Nag, Adil Hussain, Jayesh More, Anindita Bose, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Revathi, Rohit Mukherjee, Pratik Dutta, Senjuti Roy Mukherji
Director:
Ananth Narayan Mahadevan
Fri, February 7 2025
Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, in partnership with writer Kireet Khurana, has extended Satyajit Ray’s short story Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro into The Storyteller, a 116-minute drama available on Disney+ Hotstar. Tarini Bandopadhyay (Paresh Rawal) is a recently retired writer, whose longest assignment lasted 13 weeks. He’s a widower who is content with his Calcutta life and takes meticulous care of his Ambassador car. Conversations with his fellow comrades, over fish fry and fish curry, are rarely without mention of Capitalism and its ills and almost always end with ‘Tarini tales’. Tarini is a wonderful storyteller. Even after his wife gifted him a pen to encourage him, Tarini never recorded his imaginative and original stories.
Sun, February 2 2025
Tarini Bandyopadhyay, a widowed elderly Bengali man with a son, has long stints at many publishing houses, but never takes it upon himself to be an author, despite being a gifted communicator and storyteller. After his retirement, he’s hired by an Ahmedabad-based businessman Ratan Garodia, suffering from chronic insomnia, to tell stories in the hope of finding sleep.
Fri, January 31 2025
A Satyajit Ray short story becomes the basis of ‘The Storyteller’, an unhurried unspooling of an unlikely relationship between two men, separated by geographies, backgrounds, and, most crucially, intent. The result is a film which takes its time to lay out its wares, demanding your patience, which does get a trifle stretched, but overall rewards you for it. Tarini Bandhopadhyaya (Paresh Rawal) is a 60-something Bengali gent who loves fish and hates capitalism with equal passion. Ratan Garodia (Adil Hussain) is a Gujarati businessman who has everything except the comfort of sleep.
Conclave
Drama, Thriller (English)
After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with managing the covert and ancient ritual of electing a new one. Sequestered in the Vatican with the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders until the process is complete, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could lead to its downfall.
Cast:
Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz, Sergio Castellitto, Brían F. O'Byrne, Merab Ninidze, Thomas Loibl
Director:
Edward Berger
Writer:
Peter Straughan
Fri, February 7 2025
In a sense the ending in brilliant where the audience ends up judging themselves on the reaction as they were judging each character through out the runtime of the film, but it may not be enough. Directed by Edward Berger of All Quiet On The Western Front, the film is based on a book by Robert Harris released in 2016. The story sets forward a simple premise but stirs up major socio economic discussion in a religious setting. Conclave isn’t about ideology how much to maintain it while also trying to exist in the same world filled with national and economic borders. The film follows Dean Lawrence arriving after the death of the Pope and then tracking his last moments of the day. Early on the film builds suspense around his death but instead of turning into a crime thriller or drama the film explores several plots and subplots at the same time with much fineness. Much of it can be seen through the screenplay while other can be seen in the performance of the actors and through the direction aka Edward Berger’s point of view. He also explores the contradiction in Vatican’s world, the orders it operates on, the way it is perceived and even tries to break down those notions.
The Secrets of the Shiledars
Action, Adventure, Drama (Hindi)
A secret society unravels a hidden treasure belonging to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with Rajeev leading the quest to protect it from falling into wrong hands, ultimately becoming the chief of the Shiledars.
Cast:
Rajeev Khandelwal, Sai Tamhankar, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Dilip Prabhavalkar
Director:
Aditya Sarpotdar
Sun, February 2 2025
After losing his parents in an accident in childhood, Ravi is raised by the Bhatts and has a loving brother in Aditya. He grows up a history enthusiast and bumps into a judge Dixit, who reminds him of his duty as a Shiledar and reveals the mystery behind his parents’ death. Soon implicated in a crime, Ravi embarks on a quest to uncover a hidden treasure.
Hisaab Barabar
Drama, Thriller, Comedy (Hindi)
Radhe Mohan, an honest TC working for Indian Railways and a self-proclaimed accounts expert, sets out to uncover a massive financial fraud by banker Mickey Mehta. As Mickey puts the entire system against Radhe, what lies next for him?
Cast:
R. Madhavan, Kirti Kulhari, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rashami Desai, Faisal Rashid, Jitender Hooda, Manu Rishi Chadha, Shaunak Duggal, Himanshu Malik, Rajesh Jais
Director:
Ashwni Dhir
Writer:
Ashwni Dhir
Sun, February 2 2025
Radhe Mohan Sharma, a railway ticket checker, stumbles upon a minor discrepancy in his bank account, setting off a chain of events, leading him to uncover a massive financial fraud orchestrated by a powerful banker named Micky Mehta, the founder of Do Bank. While unearthing a billion-dollar scam and facing immense pressure and threats, Radhe does what it takes to expose the truth.
Fri, January 24 2025
Have you spared a minute to check if your bank balance has an insignificant discrepancy? Would you invest precious time and energy to make the bank accountable for Rs 27.50? It’s precisely this common customer lethargy that makes suave and merry Micky Mehta (Neil Nitin Mukesh) make dizzy sums like Rs 20,000 crore. Small amounts that don’t tally, interest credited just a day later, inconsequential figures that account holders ignore. Micky preys on just this customer ignorance to live life like a party. But there’s always one aam insaan whose brain works like a calculator. Senior Ticket Collector Radhe Mohan Sharma (R Madhavan) arrives laden with oranges that he generously shares with passengers. “I don’t touch stolen goods,” huffs passenger P Subhash (Kirti Kulhari). His enthusiastic reply about taking oranges to balance what the fruit seller owed him as change, delightfully introduces Radhe’s quirk. Debits and credits must tally. He’d once rejected a marriage proposal too because the girl was weak in Maths.
Fri, January 24 2025
An honest-to-a-fault, maths-whizz ticket collector gets embroiled, unwittingly, in the doings of a greedy banker: this one-line premise may have sounded exciting on paper, but the execution comes off contrived and clunky. Madhavan plays Radhe Mohan Sharma, who brings his affable self and a razor sharp brain to his job, whose first encounter with a comely cop (Kirti Kulhari) isn’t exactly a meet-cute. She rebuffs his offer of an orange bought from a fruit-seller at the station: ‘main chori kiye santare nahin khati’, she says.
Sky Force
Action, Thriller (Hindi)
Skyforce unravels a gripping tale inspired by true events from one of the deadliest air strikes between India and Pakistan. A hero lost, a comrade's quest for truth-an epic tribute to bravery, sacrifice, and unbreakable courage.
Cast:
Akshay Kumar, Veer Pahariya, Nimrat Kaur, Sara Ali Khan, Sharad Kelkar, Mohit Chauhan, Manish Chaudhary, Naisha Khanna, Soham Majumdar
Director:
Sandeep Kewlani, Abhishek Kapur
Writer:
Sandeep Kewlani, Carl Austin, Niren Bhatt
Sun, February 2 2025
A group of Indian fighter pilots, led by Om Ahuja (Akshay Kumar), is tasked with the destruction of a fleet of modern American F-104 Starfighters at the Sargodha airbase in the 1965 war. Meanwhile, a young pilot T Krishna Vijaya (Veer Pahariya), disobeys orders and ventures into enemy territory to rescue his fellow pilots. Haunted by the disappearance of his protégé, Ahuja embarks on a quest to uncover the truth while facing resistance and bureaucratic hurdles.
Sat, January 25 2025
A film releasing close to Republic Day and starring the new-age Bharat Kumar, the poster boy of patriotism Akshay Kumar, and you enter the cinema halls with a bit of dread. But you are pleasantly surprised both by the storyline and the fact that though the film harks back to the 1965 Indo-Pak war, there is no overt Pakistan-bashing or screechy jingoism. ‘Sky Force’, based on true events — actually the Indian Air Force’s retaliatory attack on Pakistan’s Sargodha airfield — tells the story simply, without too many theatrical excesses. Prior to the release, it has been drawing comparisons with last year’s Republic Day release, ‘Fighter’. However, except for some finely executed aerial action set pieces and dogfights, there isn’t much to compare, both in good and bad ways.
Sat, January 25 2025
पहले एक सच्ची कहानी सुन लीजिए। 1965 में हुई भारत-पाकिस्तान की जंग में भारतीय वायु सेना ने पाकिस्तान के भीतर तक घुस कर उनके सरगोधा एयर-बेस को न सिर्फ बुरी तरह तबाह कर दिया था बल्कि अमेरिका से उन्हें तोहफे में मिले बहुत सारे लड़ाकू जहाजों को भी नष्ट कर दिया था जबकि वे जहाज भारत के लड़ाकू जहाजों से कई गुना बेहतर थे। इस अभियान में एक भारतीय लड़ाकू विमान भी नष्ट हो गया था और उसका पायलट लापता। वायु सेना ने उस पायलट ए.बी. देवैया को ’मिसिंग इन एक्शन’ घोषित कर दिया लेकिन उसके करीबी विंग कमांडर तनेजा को हमेशा लगता रहा कि वह पायलट जीवित है। क्या हुआ था उस पायलट के साथ…? क्या वह सचमुच लापता हो गया था…? मर गया था…? या फिर…!
Sweet Dreams
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
A tale that blurs the line between fantasy and reality, Sweet Dreams captures the magic of serendipity and the intensity of love that transcends the ordinary. It’s a film that asks: do we find love by chance, or does love find us? The answer might just lie in the dreams we dare to dream.
Cast:
Mithila Palkar, Amol Parashar, Meiyang Chang, Sauraseni Maitra, Faye D'Souza, Mohini Shimpi, Ayesha Adlakha, Sukkarann Vats, Vandana Pathak, Pragati Mishra
Director:
Victor Mukherjee
Sun, February 2 2025
Kenneth Fernandes, a recycling artist in Mumbai, and Dia, an aspiring songwriter in Pune are strangers who have never met, yet share identical dreams. While Kenny finds a true friend in an acquaintance Roop, Dia struggles to be herself in a strained relationship with her long-time boyfriend Ishant. The duo’s search for dream partners leads them on a whimsical journey, filled with unexpected encounters and humorous mishaps.
Sun, January 26 2025
From the title itself, it’s a giveaway that this romcom is going to be rife in clichés and oozing cheesiness. In that sense, writer-director Victor Mukherjee’s 107-minute-long film does not disappoint. Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Fernandes (Amol Parashar) is a recycle artist and social media influencer who is nursing a broken heart and often posts philosophical and pensive posts about dreams, feelings etc. These read like memes or the kind of ‘good quotes’ one could Google up. But what is baffling Kenny at this time, is a recurring dream featuring a date with an attractive young woman in a coffee shop. Said woman does exist. Somewhere else, an aspiring and ambivalent musician called Diya Jaisingh (Mithila Palkar) is experiencing the same dream, featuring Kenny and the same coffee shop.
Fri, January 24 2025
Sweet Dreams has a sweet premise. It begins with a J.R.R. Tolkien quote, setting the stage for a fantasy-coded romcom. And it opens with a dreamy date between a flirty Diya (Mithila Palkar) and the cool Kennith (Amol Parashar) at a cafe. We soon learn that this is a shared dream between two strangers — a recurring habit for both — leading completely different lives. Kennith, an influencer and recycle artist, is newly single and he speaks to his psychiatrist (Faye D’Souza; a surprise-but-meek cameo) about this mysterious girl he keeps meeting in his dreams. He’s convinced she exists. Diya, a career drifter who writes and sings, is in an autopilot relationship with Ishant (Meiyang Chang); she, too, is baffled by how real and tangible her dreams feel. The film follows their attempts to find each other and (re)unite.
Sivarapalli
Comedy (Telugu)
Shyam, an engineering graduate from Hyderabad, reluctantly takes up the job of Panchayat Secretary in Sivarapalli, a remote village in Telangana, due to a lack of job options. The show follows Shyam as he navigates the idiosyncrasies and absurdities of village life and his job while preparing for the GMAT, hoping to leave the village and move to the USA.
Cast:
Rag Mayur, Muralidhar Goud, V. S. Roopa Lakshmi, Uday Gurrala, Sunny Palle, Pavani Karanam
Director:
Bhaskhar Maurya
Writer:
Shanmukha Prasanth
Sat, February 1 2025
While remakes are commonplace in feature films, the concept of targeting hyper-local markets using already successful material is gaining traction in the OTT space as well. The digital medium has thrived on the idea of ‘overcoming the two-inch barrier’ (subtitles), allowing stories to transcend language barriers. Yet, platforms continue to commission near frame-by-frame adaptations to attract a new set of viewers Over the years, villages have served as backdrops for various genres, ranging from political sagas to dramas, comedies, thrillers, action-packed entertainers, and romances. Amazon Prime Video’s eight-episode series Sivarapalli, a remake of TVF’s hit show Panchayat, takes a middle path, exploring the familiar terrain of rural drama through the perspective of an urban youngster.
Dominic and the Ladies' Purse
Thriller, Action (Malayalam)
Dominic, a former Circle Inspector dismissed due to a hidden color blindness that led to a crucial error, now struggles as a broke, divorced ex-cop living with an old landlady he can't pay. A seemingly simple case of lost property draws him into a complex murder mystery.
Cast:
Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Viji Venkatesh, Wafa Khadeeja Rahman, Siddique, Vijay Babu, Lenaa, Sushmitha Bhat, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan, Shine Tom Chacko
Director:
Gautham Vasudev Menon
Writer:
Sooraj-Neeraj, Gautham Vasudev Menon
Sat, February 1 2025
Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse is an unlikely Gautham Menon film in a positive sense, from the way it’s visualised, shot and edited. The leisurely yet consistently engaging investigation thriller is built on a juicy premise centred around a lost ladies purse that leads a former cop-turned-detective to a missing couple, a mystery that only gets murkier with time. Even while catering to the star in Mammootty, the film doesn’t lose its way and culminates with a pulpy, edge-of-the-seat finale. Sushmitha Bhatt is a surprise find, with Gokul Suresh, Viji Venkatesh and Vineeth chipping in with impressive performances.
Sat, January 25 2025
Malayalam superstar Mammootty and his film choices in the last couple of years have been incredible and eye-opening. From doing a Kaathal to Bramayugam, the actor is all in for experimental films and giving his all to every choice he makes. And when he chooses to join hands with Tamil filmmaker Gautham Menon, it certainly excites every film buff who has followed their career paths. Has Dominic and The Ladies’ Purse lived up to expectations? Let’s find out! Dominic (Mammootty) is a former police officer who now runs a detective agency. He is a laid-back guy with a quirky sense of humour. As he undergoes some financial issues, his landlady gives him a task to find the owner of a purse she found. In return, she will waive the rent. Dominic and his aide (Gokul Suresh) go on a mission to find the owner of the purse.
Fri, January 24 2025
Private eye Dominic, like all wannabe Sherlocks, has a habit of making quick deductions about other people just from their appearances. But, unlike in most other films, the protagonist of Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Dominic And The Ladies’ Purse gets it wrong in the opening sequence when he makes assumptions about a person aspiring to be his assistant. It is a delightful subversion of the overused detective trope, which fills one with hope for what is to follow. Unfortunately, the film does not always live up to this early promise except in a few interesting patches. Gautam Menon, in his first Malayalam outing, appears to be in a bit of a dilemma as to how to treat the star at the centre of his film. While there are a few scenes lampooning the pompous private detective Dominic (Mammootty), there are an equal number of scenes of his assistant (Gokul Suresh) being amazed by his investigative abilities.