If the horrors of mass migration of migrant labourers in the first year of Covid-19 in India can be termed as one of the darkest hours in the nation's history, Bheed sheds a light on that darkness. It puts a human face to the tragedy and shakes you up from the gut in a bid to refresh your memory of what happened in those fateful days when thousands of labourers were left stranded, forced to walk down hundreds of miles back home to their villages, with no provisions for food, water or even basic sanitation. 

The story begins thirteen days after the announcement of the first lockdown, in 2021. There are migrant families with little children, women and the aged, who decide to walk back home several thousand miles to their villages in Uttar Pradesh from Delhi, in the absence of any form of transport. Why do they choose to do that? Well, "if we have to die, it's better to die in the presence of our loved ones back home. Here in the city, we have no home because there is no work and no money to pay for rent or for food," says a labourer on screen. On the way, they rest the night on railway tracks thinking that the trains wouldn't ply. The night goes by, but the day isn't forgiving. At the crack of dawn, all of them are crushed to death by a speeding train. This chilling representation right at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the film. Shot in greyed out black and white format, the film is touching, humanising and deeply moving. 

Sinha handles the subject with sensitivity, as his script and direction give voice to the voiceless. He brings to the fore the depravity that leads a civilised society and community to transform into an impersonal, dispassionate and inhuman mass of people, which he calls Bheed (crowd). The narratives are layered - there's caste, class, social stigma and religion at play here, as people go over each other to secure the basics. The setting is placed about 1,200 kilometres from Delhi, near the Tezpur Highway where a checkpost has been placed to stop the movement of people and goods and close all borders. The in-charge of the checkpost is Suryakumar Singh Teekus (Rajkummar Rao), who must ensure that nobody escapes the nakabandhi and that everyone settles down in the dry and deserted areas around. "Apne hi desh mein border laga diye hain?" asks Trivedi (Pankaj Kapur), a security guard who's travelled miles with hundreds others from the city, to enter his village which is barely a few kilometres away. "We've been treated like dogs," he says, infuriated. 

Anubhav Sinha, Saumya Tiwari and Sonali Jain bring a crisply edited and tight screenplay to work with hard-hitting visuals by Soumik Mukherjee's and Atanu Mukherjee's sharp editing. Bheed keeps you engaged right from the first scene to the last - you do not want to miss anything because every character is poignant and every story within the story is compelling. Here, there's a Brahmin security guard from Mumbai pitted against a Dalit policeman manning the checkpost, an upper caste politician who looks down upon Muslim samaritans who face humiliation when they distribute food packets among stranded and starving migrants and more. 

A follow-up to Sinha's Mulk, Article 15, and Faraaz, a recent Hansal Mehta film which Sinha co-produced, Bheed is as impactful as his previous works were. At the heart of the story is Surya who watches in alarm as hordes of travellers turn up at the barricaded check post. He is assisted by Ram Singh (Aditya Srivastava), and his upper-caste girlfriend Renu (Bhumi Pednekar), works as a medical officer, handling the load of Covid cases that come up. She throws a light on how girls use newspapers as sanitary pads are scarce, how people decide to break into the mall nearby to get food for the starving, and more such stories that continue to pull at our heartstrings as we watch in shock at how the whole episode turned out. The film does not comment on the way it was handled by the governments, but it does show how misinformation and rumours spread fast, far and wide on WhatsApp and Facebook in those tragic times. 

Bheed is a must-watch as it throws light on how far we have come as a society and where we are headed.

Director: Anubhav Sinha

Rating: 5/5

There is an important moment in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway in which during a courtroom scene, Debika Chatterjee (Rani Mukerji) makes an emotional appeal to the judge ‘Main achhi maa hu ya buri, ye toh nahi pata, par maa hu’. This entire courtroom sequence that happens towards the end of the film, like many other moments in the film, is crafted well lto make the audience feel the character's trials and triumphs. 

Bollywood, every now and then, comes up with a motherhood drama that tugs at your heartstrings, like Sridevi’s Mom and English Vinglish, Kajol’s Tribhanga, and Vidya Balan’s Paa. Rani Mukerji’s Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway, directed by Ashima Chibber, is a worthy addition to this line-up.

Every few years, Mukerji steps out of her comfort zone and attempts a character that only she could bring to life – Black’s Michelle, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’s Vibhavari, the unabashed and brave cop in Mardaani and Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway’s Debika. Mukerji outshines herself and is natural in the role of a mother seeking justice, based on the true story of Sagarika Chatterjee and her husband Anurup Bhattarcharya.

Debika Chatterjee, her husband, and their two young children are settled in Norway. Debika’s world revolves around her children. Her occasionally abusive and self-centered husband, vying for the green card, does little to help her raise children. 

Debika’s world is shattered when her children are taken away as the state alleges misconduct in handling the children due to cultural differences. How a single woman fights a country to get her children back forms the story. Her husband abandons her, labelling her ‘mentally unstable’ to protect his citizenship while her in-laws create trouble in her fight to win back her children. 

Mukherji is in fine form as a distraught mother up against a culture and system that she is alien to. The makers of the movie have managed to make the audience cry and feel as the mother onscreen battles the pain of separation from her children.

Directed by: Ashima Chibber

Starring: Rani Mukerji, Anirban Bhattacharya, Jim Sarbh, Neena Gupta

When it comes to the most hyped movies of the DC Universe, let’s be honest. Shazam isn’t really way up in that list. Understandably, it is the story about a teenager – Billy Batson – who, after acquiring superpowers via magical means, transforms into an adult whenever he shouts the name "Shazam!”

Even so, when compared to his fellow heroes, Shazam! is one of the oldest of the DC Universe. Few superheroes were created as early as Shazam by the comic book giant, which debuted in February 1940. Considering the character’s ties to the Greek gods – one of the most ancient and culturally significant mythologies – Shazam! deserves to be acknowledged right alongside Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

In the light of the new appointment of CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, there has been a lot of buzz about their plans for DC lately. According to social media, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods is an adequate sequel. The movie isn’t exactly a total game changer, but it’s watchable enough.

Bearing in mind the financial situation, where the successor of Shazam! was given the same budget of a modest 100 million as before, the movie seems to have compensated here and there. Following the events of the initial film, Billy Batson (Zachary Levi) has settled into his new family but struggles to balance his normal day-to-day with his superhero alter ego. As traction rises among the family, they find themselves facing quite the threat from the Daughters of Atlas, who have escaped from their supernatural imprisonment and are on a mission to regain the power taken from their gods. With the fate of the world at risk, it’s up to Billy and his family to save the day and stop the Daughters from unleashing chaos on the world. Taking on 3 powerful gods and one gigantic dragon isn’t exactly a visual treat – the result of some questionable VFX work.

Although there are a few good attempts to give it a comedic essence, most of the movie is seemingly bland. It may have been an attempt at creating a spiderman-esque feel, but they do not compare to their competition, Marvel Studios. The other siblings get hardly any attention as most of the starlight falls on Batson and Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer). They are (barely) joined by Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler as the Daughters of Atlas, and Adam Brody, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Faithe Herman, and Meagan Good as the Shazam family (The Shazamily, if you will).Djimon Hounsou, however, excels in his act of the Wizard, brimming with the perfect concoction of humour and seriousness.

Whilst the storyline remains mostly predictable, there are elements that keep us hooked. The CGI is not exactly stupendous, but the idea of a live dragon being wooden is simply unimpressive. It doesn’t really portray the depth of the original Greek mythology the story is based on. The movie lacks the life and rawness you’d expect from DC.

As so often is the case with these sorts of films, Shazam! Fury of the Gods becomes monotonous with its excessive spectacle relying, combined with the not-so-spectacular CGI that make you long for a little more movement. By the time an army of unicorns are recruited by young Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman) with a fistful of Skittles, you’re all set to slap your own forehead in exasperation. Yes, the Shazam films are geared to a younger comic book movie audience, but this leans more to the pre-schooler/cartoon terrain.

Which leads us on to the million dollar question: Is the movie a total bust? Well, somewhat. If you really want to keep up with the DC storyline, it’s worth a watch. There are two juicy post credit scenes you do not want to miss. But do not go into the theatres with high expectations, as this one does not deliver.
 

Movie: Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel,Jack Dylan Grazer,Marta Milans,Faithe Herman

Rating: 1.5/5

In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, a dehumanising labour recruitment and discipline practice called the 'chappa' system was operational in Cochin. It was a system controlled by a network of port authorities, shipping agents, and worksite supervisors known as 'mooppans', who held power over thousands of manual labourers and porters.

The 'chappa' system was such that copper coins would be thrown by the mooppen’s men, and labourers would fight each other to grab one to gain work for that day. Every day this ordeal would repeat.

Later, mooppans were replaced by labour unions like Cochi Thuramukha Thozhilali Union (CTTU), which started assigning jobs only to those affiliated with them. The condition of the ordinary labourers remained the same, and the labourers associated with Port Cargo Labor Union (PCLU) went on a massive strike in 1953. On September 15, 1953, the 75th day since the “chappa samara” started, workers, refused to unload a ship of P.G. Khona company that was anchored at the Cochin port. The PCLU workers had a scuffle with the CTTU leaders. They believed that the CTTU settled the strike in favour of the shipping agents and prevented the effort of the agents to unload the ship using PCLU-affiliated workers. This soon led to the arrest of a major leader of CTTU.

Provoked by the arrests, the CTTU members stopped the police vehicle and tried to get the leaders out of it. Soon, it became a street fight between the police and the workers, and three CTTU members—Syed, Saidalvi, and Antony—were shot dead. This incident known as Mattancherry Vediveyppu (Mattancherry firing) forms the backbone of Rajeev Ravi’s film Thuramukham. However, the film’s focus is not on the tragic incident but on the socio-economic and political factors that led to that incident.

The film is an adaptation of a 1968 namesake play by K.M. Chithambaram. The play, which was one of the few literary accounts of the tragic firing incident, won the Kerala Sahitya Parishad Award in 1973. In 2018, Chithambaram’s son Gopan Chithambaram revived and brought back the play to the stage with the help of Collective Phase One, a production house of which Ravi is also a part. Gopan, who was the co-scenarist of Amal Neerad’s period drama, Iyobinte Pusthakam, wrote the screenplay for Ravi’s version of Thuramukham too.

Ravi is a cinematographer-filmmaker who blends the uniqueness of his locations into his narrative as well. Such a treatment could be visible in Thuramukham too. Though the film tells the story of a land, everything is seen from the perspective of a Muslim family in Mattancherry.

When the Cochin port was opened in 1928, people from different parts of Malabar and the princely state of Travancore flocked to Kochi in the hope of finding jobs. The film opens with the narrative of this early phase. It shows how the exploitative system worked while portraying the daily struggles of Maimu (Joju George) and his wife (Poornima Indrajith). This portion offers some beautiful black-and-white frames and tricks of light and shades.

Then comes a perspective shift from Maimu to his sons, Moidu (Nivin Pauly) and Hamsa (Arjun Ashokan), who also become part of the labour force in the port like their father. But the similarity between the two brothers ends there. Moidu becomes a hand of the oppressors, while Hamsa stays with the oppressed labourers, and they cross paths at various junctures.

The film conveys the idea that the biggest impediment to the progress of labour movements is the lack of unity among the labourers. It also explores how the bourgeoisie class uses—and later snubs—those from the working class to oppress others from the same class. Thuramukham also touches upon various other issues—debt traps, early marriages, illiteracy, and lack of awareness about rights—that were part of the lives of ordinary men and women in Mattancherry. The film’s script and narrative are faithful to the period it portrays.

Poornima delivers a powerful performance as the mother of Hamsa and Moidu. She handles the different phases in the life of a woman—who had seen multiple tragedies—with ease. Joju uses his nuanced expressions to deliver a wonderful performance in the first phase of the film. Like Poornima, Sudev Nair, too, delivers a nuanced performance as a character that evolves over the course of the film. Nivin uses his physique to the advantage of his alcoholic and lousy character. However, in certain scenes—especially action scenes—his physique becomes an impediment to giving a fine-tuned performance. Arjun delivers a believable performance as Hamsa.

Nimisha Sajayan plays the role of an orphan girl Ummini, and Darshana Rajendran plays the role of Moidu and Hamsa’s sister Kaachi. Both characters were unimpressive, as the actors could not bring a Mattancherry flavour to them.

Thuramukham’s runtime is 2 hours and 54 minutes. The story is spread over the lives of many different characters. The film employs a linear and slow-paced narrative, closer to a documentary-style treatment. However, too many subplots (though all related) in the narrative ruin the focus on the main plot. Also, tighter editing would have worked in the film's favour to become a theatrical hit.

The film sees the struggle of the working class as a continuous event. This is seen in the narrative, too, which portrays the different phases of the rights protests. However, the film offers a bland climax that fails to shake the minds of the audience.

The film’s art team deserves a huge round of applause for recreating Mattancherry of different decades. The music by Shahbaz Aman also gels well with the narrative. Thuramukham was a film that was supposed to hit theatres in 2021. However, its release was postponed multiple times—first because of Covid and later because of certain financial issues faced by the producer. But this was a film that deserved a theatrical release, though it is more likely to be appreciated when released on OTT.

Film: Thuramukham

Director: Rajeev Ravi

Cast: Nivin Pauly, Joju George, Poornima Indrajith, Arjun Ashokan, Nimisha Sajayan, Darshana Rajendran, Sudev Nair

Rating: 3/5

The hit spin-off of the Rocky franchise is back for round 3, with Michael B. Jordan reprising his role as champion boxer Adonis Creed. Jordan also put on the director’s hat for this flick – the first time. The ninth instalment of the Rocky series is visually pleasing, which somehow makes up for the lacklustre narrative. But what the movie does achieve is a new dynamic, setting it apart from the repetitiveness of the earlier ones.

Creed’s major hurdle was to step out of the shadows of his mentor Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and his father Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Creed 3 does it.

In fact, it is the first movie in the franchise without Stallone.

Jordan doesn’t modify the format, but like any commendable sports movie protagonist, he portrays how he had a thirst to quench; that he’d had been mulling over the ideas on how to make one of these movies for the past eight years. Jordan’s co-star Jonathan Majors spoke about how Jordan had made him formulate the persona of Diamond Dame by watching anime. One can easily discern that Jordan had a vision. There are obvious influences from anime shows like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto. Jordan feels like he’s directing his own movie, rather than “a Rocky movie”, and that is another crucial distinction.

Speaking of Majors, whose career has taken him from The Last Black Man In San Francisco to Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He’s an electrifying presence, with one of those effortlessly expressive faces that you cannot help searching for an underlying meaning, quite like observing renaissance art.

Creed 3 paints a picture of Donnie’s wealthy post-boxing lifestyle. He lives in an exquisite mansion, where his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), produces music in her private studio, and similarly nurtures upcoming artistes rather than performing onstage herself, though her career choices weren’t entirely in her control. (Bianca’s hearing loss, established in Creed and the sequel, has worsened.)

The backbone of Creed 3 is the fact that it stars a bunch of people who are interesting to look at, even when they aren’t doing much. Majors joins Thompson and Jordan, and with Stallone gone (his absence is neither addressed nor explained in the film), there’s room for even more of Wood Harris—as Creed’s trainer, Duke.

“Diamond” Damian Anderson was once like a brother to Adonis “Donnie” Creed. They grew up together in a violent group home. Before Donnie was adopted by Apollo’s widow Mary-Anne and became a securities broker, to then quit to become a boxer and eventually become a champion, we learn of the history and connection between the two: Donnie’s mentor in both boxing and life. Then Damian got incarcerated for 18 years, presumably shadow-boxing the walls around him and cursing his bad luck while Donnie was being crowned a champion. But now that Damian’s out, he’s trying to make up for the time he has lost. At first Donnie helps him, out of guilt, whose origins will become clear much later, but there’s always a sense of thanklessness and an undertone of menace with which Damian accepts Donnie’s help.

But what’s challenging about Creed 3 is the way Adonis’s rage colours even his most seemingly gentle and caring moments as Amara’s father. The Creed series began with the question of what Adonis inherited from his father, and what these films inherited from the Rocky franchise. But three movies in, the cynosure has pivoted to what Adonis himself will pass on, and what the Creed movies stand for outside of Rocky’s shadow. The story is about violence as a medium that stifles true expression and reunion, and as a character trait that Adonis has to be careful about when training his daughter in self-defence.

Although several opportunities present themselves for an emotionally charged scene between Adonis and Mary Anne, what we get whizzes by too quickly in a mechanical way, not leaving the depth we expect.

The movie's fighting frames are constructed as though it were in a specific mode of manga or anime where the action is intertwined with the character drama that it’s as if they’re almost inseparable.

Jordan and cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau zoom in on the fighters’ body parts to emphasise the confrontation. (There are several anime-type close-ups of sharp glowering eyes.) They warp the fabric of action scenes around the characters, shaking the frame and blurring the focus during intense movement accustomed to stylised anime fights.

Jordan taking over the direction from Stallone is indeed a way of passing the torch and moving forward, as Jordan works to sever ties with the Rocky series in Creed 3.

The movie’s tale of glory and riches, of facing retirement, of bottled-up emotions, and of dealing with open wounds head on, is all completely distinct from Rocky’s sequels . Creed 3 instead roots these themes in the specifics of Black Americans and their experiences within unforgiving systems.

Over the course of the original series, Rocky’s biggest enemy was time, and the unpredictable shape of his future. Adonis’s villain has always been the past, and the ways they chain him in the present. The way Jordan addresses it in Creed 3 makes it as definitive a chapter as the character’s fierce initial appearance. If Jordan continues working behind the camera, another stop or two with these characters and their story would be much awaited.

Film: Creed 3

Director: Michael B. Jordan

Cast: Michael B Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad and others

Rating: 4/5

Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu, the comeback movie of Bhavana after a six-year hiatus, is a refreshing tale about family and ‘lost and found’ love, with plenty of fun and emotions thrown in.

The movie focuses on the love story of Jimmy (Sharaf U Dheen) and Nithya (Bhavana). Jimmy, a middle-class man in his 30s, with a failed love story of 12 years, revisits the sweet moments of his lost love when he accidentally bumps into his childhood sweetheart Nithiya, who is now a mother and on the verge of divorce.

The story is told from the perspective of a young girl, Marriam, played by Saniya Rafi who aced the role of Jimmy’s younger sister, taking us through the life of her ‘ikkakka’. Her character stands out as a vibrant, and supportive sister, and the bond between Jimmy and his sister is fun to watch.

Although she comes into the scene only in the second half of the movie, Bhavana has come up with a wonderful performance in her comeback movie, as she plays a school teacher struggling to get out of a toxic and abusive marriage of nine years.

Sharaf U Dheen comes across as a perfect lover boy with his excellent performance. Even as he portrays a character with some emotional baggage, he does manage to entertain the audience with a few witty dialogues. Other standout performances include Ashokan, who plays Jimmy's father, and Anarkali who plays Fida.

Although it is Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu is a love story, with plenty of lighter moments, it also deftly deals with a few serious themes like domestic abuse, child abuse, women empowerment, and mental health. Through Nithya, the movie talks about the struggles of a single mother and a woman dealing with divorce. Of course in the end, Jimmy and Nithya have a happily-ever-after with Nithya’s villainous ex-husband out of the picture.

The directorial debut of Adhil Maimunath Ashraf is powered by a neat screenplay that stays away from melodramatic scenes and cliche dialogues. The soulful songs composed by Paul Mathews, Nishanth Ramteke and Joker Blues, and a lovable background score by Bijibal add to the overall tone of the movie.

Of course, there are no surprises in the movie and there is a bit of a lag in between. Besides, a fight between Nithya and Jimmy towards the end appears to be shallow and unconvincing. These minor flaws aside, Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu is a complete family entertainer.

Director: Adhil Maimoonath Ashraf

Starring: Bhavana, Sharaf U Dheen, Ashokan, Anarkali, Shebin Benson

Rating: 3.5

Akshay Kumar is back with yet another remake, and fans have been thrilled about his face-off with Emraan Hashmi since the trailer dropped. Selfiee, directed by Raj Mehta, is the remake of 2019's Malayalam hit Driving Licence, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu. But the engaging script of the much-loved Malayalam movie doesn't find a match in the Hindi remake.

The movie starts by introducing the character of Emraan Hashmi, an RTO sub-inspector named Om Prakash Aggarwal, who, along with his son, is a devoted fan of superstar Vijay Kumar (Akshay). As fans, Aggarwal and his son hope to click a selfie with their superstar someday. Vijay Kumar, who is in urgent need of a driving licence, arrives at the RTO office in Bhopal to meet Om Prakash in the hopes of collecting it and continuing the shoot for the climax scene that requires a car sequence. What appears to be a fanboy moment quickly turns into a clash between the two as the media intervenes for a piece of sensational news about a celebrity.

From petty ego clashes to social media manipulation and #BoycottBollywood debates, Selfiee gives a glimpse into the other side of stardom. But the main theme centres around the fan-turned-foe moment, and the extent to which two men with bruised egos can go.

Akshay pulls off the aura of a superstar, complete with swag and style. But, unlike the original movie, there is a lack of emotion that captures the audience's attention. Writer Rishabh Sharma has tweaked the story to suit the Bollywood audience—this leaves someone who has watched the original wanting to be just done with the remade version. The original, written by late Malayalam director Sachy, showcased two men who are neither the hero nor the villain. It is up to the audience to choose a side—much like in Sachy’s National Award-winning Ayyappanum Koshiyum, which revolved around ego and dignity that both the characters held onto tight. Selfiee has tried its best to match up to Driving License, but in one way or another has failed to do it.

While the original gave equal space to both characters, Selfiee has been written as an out-and-out Akshay show. Although the script was decent, Mehta could have avoided overly focusing on a superstar's "mass" performance. The film does not give ample space for Emraan's character or his perspective to come through. Although Emraan has done a decent job in his role as an RTO officer, the character does not have the depth of Kuruvila, played by Suraj Venjaramoodu, in the original movie.

Nushhratt Bharuchha, who plays the role of Om Prakash’s wife Minty, and Diana Penty, who essays Vijay Kumar's wife Naina, have just a few scenes as they support their spouses in this clash between the star and his biggest fan. Meghna Malik, who plays a local politician, has been a refreshing character. Abhimanyu Singh also makes a cameo appearance as Suraj Diwan, a self-proclaimed rival to superstar Vijay Kumar.

While there was much hype around Yo-Yo Honey Singh's songs, they fail to make an impact. The loud background score also interferes with the movie-watching experience.

Selfiee may not be a disappointment for Bollywood fans who haven’t watched the original. It is a decent entertainer, but too shallow.

Movie: Selfiee

Direction: Raj Mehta

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi, Diana Penty, Nushhratt Bharuchha

Rating: 2.5/5

With Kang, a Thanos-level villain, and a new universe in the Quantum Realm, the two hours of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is packed with plots that keep the audience engaged. After bringing it up in the Loki series, the MCU has reintroduced the concept of branching timeliness and multiverse through the third Ant-Man movie.

Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania begins with the happily settled Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, who is relishing the attention after being revealed to be an Avenger. He has also released an autobiography, detailing his adventures with the Avengers. We are then introduced to a grown-up Cassie, Lang’s daughter, who along with Hope and Hank, is secretly creating a portal to connect with the Quantum Realm. Cassie’s method is a success but also a disaster as it shrinks all of them and lands them in the quantum world.

In Quantumania, a world beyond time and space, they meet Marvel’s next big villain 'Kang, the Conqueror’, who conquers and destroys timeliness. As Janet, Hank and Hope try to find Scott and Cassie who got separated, Janet reveals her past encounter with Kang, establishing the new plot.

Another plot twist is revealed when Darren Cross from the first Ant-Man movie reemerges with a ‘big head’ as ‘MODOK’(Mechanised Organism Designed Only For Killing). It is revealed that he was saved by Kang who weaponized him.

The first half of the film is a bit slow, taking its time to introduce the viewers to the visually not-so-appealing 'Quantumania', with the VFX team creating a rich subatomic world of weird and strange creatures. The too much talking and slow narration may seem quite irritating and the dialogue between Hope, Hank and Janet becomes repetitive.

The second half leads us to the terrifying performance of Jonathan Majors who plays the villain ‘Kang’, and is perhaps the saving grace of the movie. ‘Kang’ is the variant of ‘He Who Remains’, from the Loki series. His weird calmness and unpredictability make him the central character who keeps the movie alive.

The film also brings out an emotional quotient when the father-daughter bond between Lang and Cassie is shown. Though the jovial and fun Lang from the first two Ant-Man movies is missing in the third one, a few of his one-liners have managed to enliven the audience. The Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd, has maintained his performance with some thrilling action sequences.

Michele Pfeiffer’s Janet also plays a key part with more meat to her character than in the previous film. Kathyrn Newton as Cassie gets plenty of screen time, including some action sequences.

The last 15 minutes with two pre- and post-credit scenes sow the seed for the future Marvel movies with Kang.

The Director, Peyton Reed, has made a concerted effort to live up to the standards set by his first two Ant-Man films. It did not succeed to reach that level as it lacked the fun element but has proved to be a head start for phase 5 of MCU.

Movie name: Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Directed by: Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton and Jonathan Majors

The trailer of Dhanush's latest flick 'Vaathi' was pretty straightforward. A school teacher, who was part of a private institution earlier, visits a government school in a humble village and tries to revive a government school and help the students there understand the importance of education.

'Vaathi', a bilingual, seems to be inspired from a dialogue delivered by Dhanush himself in his earlier film 'Asuran': “Padippu mattum namaka kitairunthu eduthukve mudiyathu,” roughly means “no one could snatch education from you.” Dhanush plays a mathematics teacher, Balamurugan, who hails from a middle-class family, and is sent to teach at a government higher secondary school in Chozhavaram by a private institution run by Thirupathi, played by Samuthrakani. The incidents there and how Balamurugan succeeds in his 'challenge' form the rest of the story.

The film is set in the late 90s. Though the screenplay is predictable, director Venki Atluri tries his best to stay away from the usual narrative of private vs government school education theme. The film draws enough parallels between education and divinity. Samyuktha, who plays a biology teacher, Meenakshi, working in the same government school, is the female lead. Though she gets noticeable screen space in the first half of the film, it becomes minimal in the second half.

Though there are 'heroic' moments, Dhanush and director Venki Atluri have portrayed Balamurgan a bit modestly, with less 'mass hero' moments. The technical crew of the film has done a good job, and music director G.V. Prakash Kumar adds soul to the film through his background score. While the first half of the film is pretty engaging, the second half, feels elongated, as the audience are pretty sure of how the film would end.

Vaathi works as an one-time watch.

Rating: 3/5.

As expected from the trailer and tagline, Malayalam film Christopher is the biography of a vigilante cop. Like most other formulaic films about justice, Christopher features a protagonist who takes matters into his own hands after being duped by the system.

The B.Unnikrishnan-directorial starts by introducing the antagonist, Sitaram Trimurthi Aiyer, played by Vinay Rai. The plot then jumps back a few months to introduce Christopher (Mammootty), handling a case. Following a series of events, Christopher is suspended and an investigation is launched against him. The investigation is overseen by Amala Paul’s Sulekha. What follows are incidents that leave the viewer perplexed and disturbed.

The first half of the movie delves into Christopher's past, depicting who he is and how he works on the cases that come to him. Right before the intermission, Christopher is seen delivering a message to the audience: "Justice delayed is justice denied," dropping a hint about what's to come in the second half.

Characters essayed by Aishwarya Lekshmi and Shine Tom Chacko come in only in the second half. The movie goes back and forth between Christopher's past and present, weaving in the many encounters he has had in life. Although these add depth to the character, it confuses the viewer who struggles to keep track of the plot. Amala Paul, Sneha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Dileesh Pothan, Siddique, Shine Tom Chacko and Aditi Ravi have done justice to their parts. But too many characters being introduced through the runtime add to the confusion. Mammootty's performance as a vigilante cop stands out in the film. However, even when his character goes through some serious life-altering events, the scenes fail to elicit the expected emotions from the audience.

Graphic scenes of sexual assault can be really disturbing.

Faiz Siddik has done a great job with the cinematography. Slow-motion shots, particularly in the action scenes, will appeal to Mammootty fans. Though the film's beautiful background score, especially in scenes that focus on Christopher, could generate fans of its own, the continuous use of the music at regular intervals is irritating.

The movie might work fine as an entertainer for fans, but the storyline could have been developed better.

Movie: Christopher

Language: Malayalam

Director: B. Unnikrishnan

Cast: Mammootty, Sneha, Aiswarya Lekshmi, Amala Paul, Siddique, Dileesh Pothan, Shine Tom Chacko

Rating: 3/5

The plot of Romancham is set in 2007 in Bengaluru and follows the lives of seven bachelors who share a house. The first moments of the film give us a glimpse into their lives and the dynamic of friendship they share. Things change when one of them, Jibi (Soubin Shahir), decides to use the Ouija board, and the events that follow determine the rest of the narrative.

Though the storyline is primarily focused on the series of events that follow, the story is delightfully seasoned with laid-back comedy that appears casual, owing to the dynamic the friends have. The movie brings in some refreshing and relatable fun that helps the audience instantly connect with all the characters.

The tension that certain scenarios create is easily matched with one-liners or comments that are certain to make you chuckle. The film's humour is refreshing since it is never over-dramatic or forced. It was truly simple situations that had the entire audience in stitches.

A noteworthy feature was that the movie was not just humorous at the beginning or finish, but the team managed to have evenly distributed amusing parts throughout the film.

There was no struggle in having so many characters to keep up with, thanks to the well-written characters. Sajin Gopu, Anatharaman Ajay, Siju Sunny, Jagadeesh Kumar, Afzal PH along with the others displayed realistic performances.

Their one-liner jokes and facial expressions that were engaging ensured that the audience feel connected to them. A special mention has to be Arjun Ashokan who played his ‘interesting’ character in the best way possible.

The characters of all the seven were so well-rounded that each of their personalities stood out in their own unique way. This ensures that none of them is left behind and gives them all the space to freely move around in the dynamic. The actors who played supporting roles delivered well even in their limited screen time.

The movie has a set of catchy songs brilliantly made by the Sushin Shyam, that are bound to get stuck in your head. The promo song 'Aadharanjali' is a real banger with over 7 million views on YouTube.

Jithu Madhavan, the director-writer of the movie, ensures that the pace of the plot does not lag at any point and has succeeded in leaving the audience wanting for more.

Film: Romancham

Language: Malayalam

Director: Jithu Madhavan

Cast: Soubin Shahir, Anantharaman Ajay, Sajin Gopu, Arjun Ashokan and others

Rating: 4/5

"It takes merely a day for someone to become Nathuram Godse, but it takes an entire lifetime to become a Gandhi," says Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in Rajkumar Santoshi's recently released Gandhi Godse Ek Yudh.

The film depicts an ideological battle between Gandhi and his assassinator Godse, and in effect presents a narrative from Godse's perspective, giving him the stage to explain himself, to present his own ideologies and to defend the assasination on the basis of 'saving Hindutva, saving the Hindu Rashtra and saving the Hindu Dharma.'

Basically, the film appears to elevate the image and stature of Godse from the bad guy, the assassin and radical to that of a "nationalistic patriot', and Gandhi as an 'anti-Hindu, pro-Muslim, anti-Hindutva figure.' The narrative is fictionalised in a way that Gandhi and Godse come face to face, after the former survives the latter's attempt to assassinate him and insists on meeting Godse in order to 'forgive him.'

But Godse never considered it to be a mistake in the first place. 'I was only doing what any proud nationalist would do. You're against Hindus, Hinduism. I will always be grateful to you for giving a direction to the country towards freedom but that's about it. Right now what you're doing by siding with the Muslims is unpardonable and you must die," says Godse to Gandhi, when they meet for the very first time inside the Central prison jail.

The film moves on from there and the two are shown to engage in dialogues on ideology, nationalism and policy. Within the restricted time-span of 110 minutes, the film deftly touches various issues, yet, it seems it only scrapes through. The film tries to ignite an unbiased debate between the conflicting ideologies of Gandhi and his killer via a dialogue between the two on diverse issues, yet, somewhere the screenplay keeps tilting off and on, more on the side of Godse than Gandhi's. But there is no denying that a crisply written script and a watertight editing carry the viewer along with its lead characters all the way right till the end. You do not want to miss anything here, because there is no unnecessary drama anyway.

The focus here is Nathuram Godse, not Gandhi. Even when the spotlight is on Gandhi, it is through Godse's eyes. At best, the intention of the film seems to be to show Godse in different hues - for a man who has all through history primarily been known as Gandhi's assasinator, there must be a reason for what he did; he must be a well read man with an ideology (mainly driving on Islamophobia, as evident in the film), someone who was ready to die for the nation and he should be someone who must be respected for what he did.

This seems to be the premise of the film and the intention. The film highlights Gandhi's leadership in various struggles across the country, raises questions about his celibacy and then right at the end, shows how after spending time with Gandhi and learning more about him, Godse undergoes a change of heart - he saves Gandhi from another assassination attempt that takes place inside the jail while the two are serving their term. Really? It just seems so hard to believe.

Written by Rajkumar Santoshi (this is his comeback films after a long hiatus) the film seems to echo the sentiment of the currently ruling political party. "Remember Gandhi, one day the entire nation will be coloured in saffron," says Godse to Gandhi in the film. In the role of Gandhi, Deepak Antani is convincing as ever, but Chinmay Mandlekar seems too over-the-top to be identified as Godse, despite his stark resemblance to the assasinator. His high pitch and excessive dramatics, takes away from the ingenuity of the character.

Towards the end, Santoshi shows how there could have been a world where the ideologies of both Gandhi and Godse would have co-existed. Even if the idea in itself might sound too far-fetched, it would have been interesting nevertheless to see how that would have panned out.

Film: Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh

Director: Rajkumar Santoshi

Cast: Deepak Antani, Chinmay Mandlekar, Tanisha Santoshi

Rating: 2/5

Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, is a city known for its ardent love for gold. With over 2,000 workshops that make gold ornaments, Thrissur supplies more than 80 per cent of the gold ornaments sold in Kerala. Gold ornaments made in Thrissur are sold not just in Kerala, but in other states, as well. The journey that certain gold agents of Thrissur make to supply the product (read unaccounted gold) to other state businesses got a nickname—‘gold ride’. Thankam (which means gold in Malayalam) is a movie that investigates a tragedy faced by a gold agent named Kannan (Vineeth Sreenivasan), who had gone on a gold ride to Mumbai.

The one-liner of the plot looks simple; however, Thankam had a narrative that was not easily executable. The plot development happens mainly in three locations—Thrissur, Coimbatore and Mumbai. And, its characters speak five different languages. Also, the nuances of the gold business are not something that common people are familiar with. All these challenges were handled decently by director Saheed Arafat and writer Syam Pushkaran to build up a decent murder mystery.

The film starts at a slow pace. As it enters into an investigation phase, the pacing gets better. Pushkaran has a great talent for integrating dry-wit into serious moments; he has shown that skill in Thankam's script, too.

The film is, in a way, formulaic—it uses some of the most common tropes in murder mystery films such as a mysterious injury, a go-getter and keen investigator and an absent murderer. The film is almost a success in taking the audience also in a ride along with the investigators to solve the tragedy faced by Kannan. It also has a final deduction scene where the investigator would finally puts all the missing pieces together. Then there is another commonly used trope of murder mysteries which is used in the climax of the film. But revealing it would be a spoiler. As the film enters its final act, this reviewer, however, felt a sudden drop of energy—a kind of sluggish treatment that killed the thrill!

Vineeth Sreenivasan was an apt choice for the character of Kannan. His inherent innocence and warm smile are used effectively to create an image of Kannan in the audience's collective mind. Kannan is presented as an overtly religious person—who would even subject his body to a controversial temple ritual, garudan thookkam. Religious faith is a coping mechanism for many who are in financial hardship and psychological distress. However, Thankam does not make Kannan’s big financial troubles obvious to the audience until the final act. And, this made it hard for this reviewer to connect or empathise totally with Kannan and the fatally absurd decisions in his life.

Muthu (Biju Menon) who plays the role of Kannan’s partner has the maximum screentime in Thankam. Menon, who is one of the finest actors in contemporary Malayalam cinema, essays his character—which demands controlled acting—with ease. However, it is two-time national award winner Girish Kulkarni (who plays a Maharashtra cop) and Vineeth Thattil David (who plays the role of a friend of Muthu) who steal the show in Thankam. Aparna Balamurali, who plays the wife of Kannan, does not have much screen time. However, she has some fine emotional moments in the plot. And, she delivers them perfectly.

The background score of the film was kind of irritating, overdramatic and loud at certain junctures. Editing and creating the final form of this film was not an easy task. Though the film follows a linear narrative, it does have a slew of flashbacks. And, editor Kiran Das decently integrated them into the plot without many jumps or jerks.

Bhavana Studios which created critically-acclaimed movies like Kumbalangi Nights and Joji—and is jointly owned by director Dileesh Pothan, actor Fahadh Faasil and Pushkaran—produced Thankam. The film does have an interesting premise, however, it is unlikely to become a film that will earn a place on par with the previous films from Bhavana Studios.

Thankam director: Saheed Arafath

Thankam caste: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Biju Menon, Aparna Balamurali, Girish Kulkarni, Vineeth Thattil David

Thankam rating: 3/5

The plot of the Malayalam film Alone is set in 2020 when India witnessed a frightening surge in the number of Covid-19 cases and the protagonist, Kalidas (Mohanlal), a motivational speaker, is the only character seen on screen. He has just relocated to a flat in Kochi from Coimbatore.

Kalidas starts to hear conversations between a mother and a daughter in his head. Soon after, a series of strange occurrences indicate the presence of someone else in the flat. Despite the fact that his friend Yamuna (Manju Warrier) blames it on his excessive drinking, he resolves to pursue the spirits and secrets behind the sounds.

Many of Kalidas’s acquaintances are introduced to the audience through their voices and their elaborate exchanges describe their relationship with Kalidas. These dialogues are useful, but they end up bombarding the viewers with background information that may or may not be pertinent to the main narrative. There are several opportune coincidences that give the necessary momentum for Kalidas's investigation.

Everyone he talks to promptly obeys his directions and accomplishes whatever Kalidas requires of them. All of these people appear to either give him all of the information he requires, no matter how confidential or to perform precisely what he wants them to do, no matter the repercussions.

Though Kalidas would start explaining ideas or philosophies at random, his eccentric demeanour and Mohanlal's entertaining acting alone keep the interest of the audience for the majority of the film due to the slow pace of its storyline. The other characters were merely placed in practical positions to assist Kalidas with something or to inspire him to delve deeper into the mystery.

The film does lag at times when the events divert away from the core of the plot. Attempts to create an eerie or unsettling atmosphere did not add anything substantial to the storyline. Though the whole movie is set inside a flat, the view of the sky and time-lapses of the city come are welcome changes in visual settings.

The background soundtrack created by 4 Music was used to develop tension while occasionally interfering with the actions on screen. Director Shaji Kailas has creatively employed unstable camera shots to vividly communicate the protagonist's emotions of uncertainty or panic.

The transitions from one scene to the next were creative and seamless. Even though Rajesh Jayaraman's script struggled to keep the audience hooked, it was an admirable effort. Voice actors such as Prithviraj, Manju Warrier, Zeenath, Renji Panicker, and others deliver excellent performances and even manage to connect with the audience.

Film: Alone

Director: Shaji Kailas

Onscreen Cast: Mohanlal

Voice cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Renji Panicker, and others

Rating: 3/5 

Who thought that the king of romance, who taught the Hindi moviegoers how to love, could also sweep us off our feet as an action hero? With his flowing tresses, signature impish smile, an eight-pack chiselled body and twinkling eyes that talk straight from the screen, Shah Rukh Khan is thunderous in this action-packed film. 

Long back, Khan had admitted in an interview that he came into the industry wishing to be an action hero, "but romance happened." Pathaan, it seems, is his dream project come true and YRF pulled all stops to give the Baadshah a free reign to launch himself as the face of their Spy Universe.

Pathaan is a dishoom-dishoom joy ride between Khan and his perfectly beefed up antagonist John Abraham, that takes place in exotic locales from Spain to Russia to France to Dubai, on land, atop cars and bullet trains, in the skies and on the ice, basically everywhere and anywhere. There is no point looking for an eye-opening storyline or the most unusual narrative because the intention is not to let the narrative drive the story forward, but to let the larger-than-life magic of its lead superstars cast its spell. 

The story begins with the revocation of J&K's special status by the Indian government on August 5, 2019. A general somewhere in Pakistan wants to avenge this, and hires Jim (John Abraham), a former RAW agent gone rogue, to execute a dastardly attack on India that will result in devastation. And so, the plan is to get on board Shah Rukh Khan's eternally patriotic and nationalistic jawaan, as he is the only one who can stop Jim. 

Jim is on a mission to unleash a deadly virus in New Delhi and Pathaan is tasked with stopping him. Aiding him is Deepika Padukone as Rubiya, an ex-ISI agent.

Sadly, in the 146 minutes that the movie runs for, one cannot help but notice how abruptly scenes and sequences are cut short to move on to the next, leaving quite a few loose ends. Yet, one of the many heartwarming aspects in the film is that the villain isn't painted as a bad Muslim. In fact, he has his own shades of grey that make us want to root for him. Deepika it seems was mainly required to execute the image of a smart, sexy and seductive agent, and she aces the game there. Dialogues aren't punchy or impactful, and Khan's sardonic humour takes the cake. 

Pathaan has reignited the desire to watch more of Shah Rukh Khan on the big screen, especially at a time when the echo of his "need for retirement" from Bollywood have created a din. "Yea, I think we should retire. But then who will replace us? Is there anyone out there? Sadly, no. So yes, we will continue," says Khan on the screen as if in an epilogue, alongside Salman Khan who plays a cameo in Pathaan. So yes, Shah Rukh Khan isn't going anywhere. In fact, this is only the beginning, and a rather electrifying one at that, of Bollywood's own spy universe. 

Pathaan director: Siddharth Anand

Pathaan Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham

Pathaan Rating: 3.5

Pathaan Runtime: 146 minutes

This very first and much-anticipated Bollywood film of the new year sadly feels more like a video game in which both cops and goons are chasing big bags of cash and small packets of powder and everyone's on a shooting spree. Arjun Kapoor emerges as the last man standing to walk away with the booty, only to later lose it all away to demonetisation. In Kuttey, all one hears are expletives and all one sees is blood, gore and dance bars. Dialogues are bland, lacking both emotions and depth. The last time we saw a similar concoction of this kind on celluloid - a loud and hectic drama with crooks chasing a booty - was in 2009 with Kaminey, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj.

With Kuttey, the father handed over the reign to his son, Aasmaan, and made his launch much easier by giving him the same set trope to play with. Sadly, the result was a dull, boring, languorous stretch of a film that seems to have been haphazardly put together, without any consideration for an engaging screenplay or a gripping storyline. Not even an ensemble with Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kumud Mishra, Arjun Kapoor, Radhika Madan, Shardul Bhardwaj, could save the film in the face of a listless script.

So, in gangs of Kuttey (Dogs), we have Konkona who is a Naxalite leading an army, Kumud and Arjun, both unscrupulous cops, Radhika as a rich brat who wishes to elope with her lover and Shardul as someone who chases crores in the hope of starting a new life with his girlfriend and Naseeruddin as a lead gangster who's bounded to the wheelchair. Among all these, the only character who stays with the audience even after the film is over is that of Tabu, who excels in the role of a no-nonsense lady cop; her electrifying screen presence outwitting and outsmarting everyone else's lackadaisical performance. Naseeruddin Shah hardly has any role to play, nor does Konkona.

Arjun is seen moving around like a headless chicken, exactly the way his career is moving in real life. Kuttey was to be a crucial film that could salvage his fledgling career, which began with a smashing hit Ishaqzaade in 2012 but went downhill with each film after that. The plot is interestingly divided into four parts, an epilogue followed by three chapters – Sabka Maalik Ek, Aata Kya Canada and Moong Ki Daal. The film opens with Arjun and Kumud getting a contract to kill a politician's rival, but the plan goes kaput. Suddenly, their job is at stake and to rescue themselves out of the mess they need money. That money will come from a heist - looting a van full of cash meant to be loaded in ATM machines across the city - and what follows is a chaotic mess.

Kuttey makes one believe that perhaps Aasmaan failed to incorporate his father's inputs in the film, because had the latter directed this one, there's no doubt that the output would have been far different than what it is right now. Unfortunately, Kuttey fails to carry Vishal Bharadwaj's legacy forward. And even if one were to judge Aasmaan's work independent of his father's influence, Kuttey comes across as a big disappointment. A film one might watch to see where it goes, but definitely not a second time.

Movie: Kuttey

Cast: Tabu, Arjun Kapoor, Kumud Mishra, Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Madan, Naseeruddin Shah, Shardul Bhardwaj

Director: Aasmaan Bhardwaj

Rating: 1/5

As I entered a crowded theatre full of Vijay fans, a friend of the man sitting next to me came near the exit gate. He shouted at his friend. “Dei, why do you want to watch a mega serial? Come with me, let us watch some action.” The man just smiled and said, “Soda. Ithu Thalapathy Vijay. Unga Thala illa.” (This is Thalapathy vijay. Not your Thala Ajith). 

In the beginning, I never thought I was in a theatre to watch a mega serial filled with family sentiments. In the recent past, Vijay had starred in different genres of movies—Bigil was a sports drama, Master was about a man trying to reform a corrupted juvenile system even as he battled a drug lord, and Beast was a hostage drama. Varisu, his latest, as the name suggests is a family drama about a succession war.

The movie begins by showcasing the rivalry between two businessmen, Jayaprakash (Prakash Raj) and Rajendran (Sarath Kumar). Rajendran has three sons, but he avoids talking about his third son, Vijay Rajendran, played by Vijay. 

Vijay is reluctant to take support from his father, wants to live on his own, and leaves home. However, circumstances force him to be back in the family. What responsibility the family expects him to shoulder? Will he take over his father's business empire? 

As expected, the movie has plenty of mother, father, and brother sentiments. Of late, Tamil cinema has been witnessing Sivakarthikeyan playing the dutiful son taking over the responsibility of saving a big family. In Varisu, Vijay does something similar. However, if you have watched the actor's movies in the late 90s, like Poove Unakkaga and Minsara Kanna, you realize that Vijay has already done better family dramas than Varisu. Of course, there are a few engaging scenes like Vijay's phone conversation with his mother, his return home, and his equations with the domestic help played by Yogi Babu. 

Varisu is a Vijay show all the way, with some lengthy dialogues that are overly preachy. Although the music is sufficiently peppy and there are some emotional scenes, the movie has nothing new to offer and may disappoint even hardcore Vijay fans.

'Varisu' movie director: Vamshi Paidipally

'Varisu' cast: Vijay, Rashmika Mandanna, R. Sarathkumar, Prabhu, Prakash Raj and Yogi Babu

'Varisu' rating: 1.5/5

Beginning with a deep dive directly into the narrative, Thunivu opens with scenes of a local gang organising a major heist on Yours Bank with help from a police officer.

Everything goes as planned until a mysterious stranger overtakes the robbery and proclaims that he is now robbing the bank. The true name, identity, and intentions of the protagonist, played by Ajith Kumar, remain a mystery. The takeover of the theft is quickly shown to be a part of the sophisticated scheme, while the purpose behind these actions remains unknown.

The second part of the film veers in and out of the past, bringing in events that provide explanations and shed light on true motives and more. The aspect of amusement dropped substantially as the narrative progressed to focus on plot development. The subsequent events develop to expose a lot of deeper and uglier problems that emerge from under the surface. Because the true villain of the story is not revealed until the end, these twisted tactics and cryptic motives keep the plot's goals in a state of uncertainty.

Ajith's character gets a spectacular introduction that is sure to amaze fans. Apart from the gangster swag that the character manoeuvres, he even displays hints of nuttiness as he literally dances through the bank that’s being robbed with a gun. His new baddie appearance was much praised even before the film's premiere, and it undoubtedly contributes significantly to the authentic essence of his character, called "Dark Devil" in the film. The all-guns-and-action technique and his frequent use of violence to get things done his way fail to establish an emotional connection.

One powerful comment he makes against suicide is especially noteworthy. The film's double-crossing makes a connection with one of his previous roles in Mankatha, as he portrays the perfect hero-kind villain once more.

Kanmani, the female lead played by Manju Warrier, impresses with her brave demeanour, action, and stylish all-black outfits. Though the supporting cast delivered excellent performances, they were cast in mostly functional roles in the storyline and lacked character roundness. A notable mention would be the senior journalist, who is a comic relief character— well executed with witty dialogue paired with his problematic personality.

Thunivu is the third collaboration of the iconic trio of Boney Kapoor, Ajith Kapoor, and H. Vinoth. It is undoubtedly a fast-paced film that focuses on deeper themes such as financial fraud and political propaganda that exploits the unsuspecting public and their money. Elements of political power abuse and the thirst for money serve as important undertones throughout the story. This 140-crore film throws in some high-octane action, including helicopters and ships employed by the National Forces when they intervene.

With so many flaming firearms and violence, the film loses its sense of reality and comes off as a little exaggerated in terms of the number of bullets a human can take. Even at the film's finale, elements of humor and animated acting are present, slightly disrupting the intensity and momentum of the story. Ghibran, the film's music composer, has created catchy songs like "Gangster" that strongly support and contribute to the overall mood of the film. The background soundtrack is fantastic and wonderfully complements the onscreen action. Sundar Supreme's choreography for the fight scenes in the film is exceptionally clear-cut and crisp. The strategic placement of characters brings dimension and depth to the majority of frames in the film.

Thunivu is an action thriller that has its fair share of flaws and loopholes, but is surely a treat for Ajith fans as the film brings back the familiarity from his hit films while also offering something refreshing.

Film: Thunivu

Language: Tamil

Director: H. Vinoth

Cast: Ajith Kumar, Manju Warrier, John Kokken and others

Rating: 3/5

Two persons in their 20s, pursuing higher education, meet, like each other and get married. Lakiro (Lines) takes off from there and revolves around small conflicts the couple has in their day-to-day lives.

Lakiro is a movie that will go well in any language as it is a story of a newly-married working couple. However, the charm is watching the movie in your mother tongue. And what sets apart this movie in Gujarati is its treatment.

A Darshan Ashwin Trivedi directorial, Lakiro is pathbreaking in more than one way and raises the bar of Gujarati films. It isn’t a typical story in which you expect the two families to give suggestions.

The couple, Raunaq Kamdar (Hrishi) and Deeksha Joshi (Richa), takes the decisions and both the families mainly stay out of it. As Deeksha says, “It isn’t a preachy movie.”

The conflict starts when Richa takes up a job whereas Hrishi thinks she does not need to, as he earns well and that she should enjoy life. Richa, on the other hand, feels she should take up a job since she is a topper.

The next set of problems begin when Hrishi wants a baby and Richa does not at that point in time due to their work schedules. These are arguments that several working couples will be able to relate to.

As the story progresses, what takes you by surprise are the intimate scenes between the lead actors, something unheard and unseen in Gujarati movies. Set in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, the movie, including cinematography, has been treated like a Hindi movie.

Trivedi told THE WEEK, “The story line demanded these scenes. I told the actors and they were fine with it.”

Richa loses her patience when Hrishi accuses her of sleeping with her boss Nikhil, played by Vishal Shah. She decides to file for divorce. Does the couple end up getting separated? Watch it, to know it.

Another first in Gujarati movies is the use of jazz music. It is good and the title song of the movie and other songs have made it to the top 10 charts. Another first is Warner Music India having its first Gujarati album.

At times, the movie seems a bit stretched. However, given the experimentation, it is definitely worth a watch.

Film: Lakiro

Language: Gujarati

Director: Darshan Ashwin Trivedi

Cast: Raunaq Kamdar, Deeksha Joshi, Vishal Shah, and others

Rating: 3.5/5