<p>Stephen King’s <i>Carrie</i> has long remained one of the most recognisable and enduring stories in modern horror. First published in 1974, the novel’s tale of teenage isolation, bullying, family control and supernatural power has continued to connect with audiences through different adaptations over the years. Now, Mike Flanagan has revisited the beloved classic with a major new twist, expanding <i>Carrie’s</i> story into a contemporary series that brings cyberbullying, social media and a stronger science-fiction edge into the world of King’s original.</p><h2>Plot of Carrie</h2><p>The show follows the story of Carrie White, a teenage girl, who has spent most of her life isolated from the outside world under the strict control of her mother, Margaret. After the death of her father, Carrie is introduced to public high school, which becomes her first real exposure to the world, experiencing friendships, teenage relationships and bullying.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/paramount-completes-110-billion-warner-bros-discovery-takeover-here-s-what-changes-now-1791300321118"><strong>Paramount completes $110 billion Warner Bros Discovery takeover</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In the meantime, she begins to understand her telekinetic abilities, the power to move objects and affect her surroundings with her mind. In this modern setting of Mike Flanagan's vision, Carrie's old-fashioned upbringing, home-sewn clothes and lack of social cues make her an instant target for cruel classmates like Chris Hargensen. Her humiliation goes viral, turning her into an online meme, and she is subject to intense cyberbullying.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As social pressures reach a boiling point, a guilt-ridden student named Sue Snell tries to make amends by having her boyfriend take Carrie to the prom, setting the stage for a manipulative prank involving pig's blood that pushes Carrie to unleash a fiery, supernatural revenge on her tormentors and the community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/bachelorette-weekend-kylie-jenner-to-make-major-acting-debut-in-mystery-thriller-series-1791291841943"><strong>Bachelorette Weekend: Kylie Jenner makes acting debut in mystery-thriller series</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Rather than presenting everyone simply as good or evil, Flanagan attempts to explore what drives their behaviour and how fear, insecurity and social pressure can influence people. At the centre, however, remains Carrie's struggle to understand herself and her powers while dealing with a mother who has controlled almost every aspect of her life and classmates who make her feel like an outsider.</p><h2>What works?</h2><p>The biggest strength of the series is Summer H Howell as Carrie. She brings vulnerability to the character while gradually allowing Carrie to become more confident and aware of herself.</p><p>Flanagan's version moves the story into the present day, allowing the original themes to intersect with cyberbullying, social media pressure, school violence, conspiracy culture and the complicated dynamics of modern teenage life. Samantha Sloyan's Margaret is another strong element. Rather than making her a straightforward monster, Flanagan gives the character more complexity.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/marvel-star-simu-liu-reportedly-ties-the-knot-with-allison-hsu-in-france-1791297266257"><strong>Marvel star Simu Liu reportedly ties the knot with Allison Hsu in France</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The series incorporates social media, viral videos, school violence, conspiracy thinking and other contemporary concerns. For viewers familiar with previous adaptations, the biggest attraction is seeing Flanagan explore corners of the story that a two-hour film simply couldn't.</p><h2>What does not work?</h2><p>The biggest issue is also the show's experiment, ie, the decision to turn into an eight-episode series. The expanded format creates unnecessary side plots and makes the story feel stretched. The series introduces and expands several characters and storylines. While that gives the world more texture, it occasionally pulls attention away from Carrie herself.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p>Mike Flanagan's <i>Carrie</i> is not a perfect adaptation, but it is an ambitious and largely successful attempt to give Stephen King's classic a new identity. Its biggest achievement is treating Carrie as a character rather than simply a horror icon, with Summer H Howell delivering a compelling performance at the centre of the story.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The series is at its strongest when it explores bullying, isolation, motherhood and the complicated emotions behind teenage cruelty. Its modern updates also make King's themes feel relevant without completely abandoning the original premise.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/that-s-a-great-merger-donald-trump-hails-paramount-warner-bros-merger-calls-ellison-s-terrific-people-1791341501409"><strong>'That’s a great merger':Donald Trump hails Paramount-Warner Bros merger, calls Ellison's 'terrific people'</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A thoughtful, well-acted modernisation of Stephen King's classic that sometimes stretches the material too far but ultimately gives Carrie a fresh life of her own. In overall, with strong performances, thoughtful updates and Mike Flanagan's clear understanding of King's storytelling, Carrie makes a convincing case for why this story continues to resonate.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The show stars Summer H Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette and Josie Totah, among others. Based on the 1974 novel by Stephen King, it is developed by Mika Flanagan and produced by Amazon MGM Studios. <i>Carrie</i> is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.</p>

Mike Flanagan's series Carrie gives a twist to Stephen King's horror classic with a blend of cyberbullying, teenage alienation and much more. The show stars Samantha H Howell in the titular role, while Samantha Sloyan stars as Margaret. 

Stephen King’s Carrie has long remained one of the most recognisable and enduring stories in modern horror. First published in 1974, the novel’s tale of teenage isolation, bullying, family control and supernatural power has continued to connect with audiences through different adaptations over the years. Now, Mike Flanagan has revisited the beloved classic with a major new twist, expanding Carrie’s story into a contemporary series that brings cyberbullying, social media and a stronger science-fiction edge into the world of King’s original. Plot of Carrie The show follows the story of Carrie White, a teenage girl, who has spent most of her life isolated from the outside world under the strict control of her mother, Margaret. After the death of her father, Carrie is introduced to public high school, which becomes her first real exposure to the world, experiencing friendships, teenage relationships and bullying. Also Read: Paramount completes $110 billion Warner Bros Discovery takeover In the meantime, she begins to understand her telekinetic abilities, the power to move objects and affect her surroundings with her mind. In this modern setting of Mike Flanagan's vision, Carrie's old-fashioned upbringing, home-sewn clothes and lack of social cues make her an instant target for cruel classmates like Chris Hargensen. Her humiliation goes viral, turning her into an online meme, and she is subject to intense cyberbullying. As social pressures reach a boiling point, a guilt-ridden student named Sue Snell tries to make amends by having her boyfriend take Carrie to the prom, setting the stage for a manipulative prank involving pig's blood that pushes Carrie to unleash a fiery, supernatural revenge on her tormentors and the community. Also Read: Bachelorette Weekend: Kylie Jenner makes acting debut in mystery-thriller series Rather than presenting everyone simply as good or evil, Flanagan attempts to explore what drives their behaviour and how fear, insecurity and social pressure can influence people. At the centre, however, remains Carrie's struggle to understand herself and her powers while dealing with a mother who has controlled almost every aspect of her life and classmates who make her feel like an outsider. What works? The biggest strength of the series is Summer H Howell as Carrie. She brings vulnerability to the character while gradually allowing Carrie to become more confident and aware of herself. Flanagan's version moves the story into the present day, allowing the original themes to intersect with cyberbullying, social media pressure, school violence, conspiracy culture and the complicated dynamics of modern teenage life. Samantha Sloyan's Margaret is another strong element. Rather than making her a straightforward monster, Flanagan gives the character more complexity. Also Read: Marvel star Simu Liu reportedly ties the knot with Allison Hsu in France The series incorporates social media, viral videos, school violence, conspiracy thinking and other contemporary concerns. For viewers familiar with previous adaptations, the biggest attraction is seeing Flanagan explore corners of the story that a two-hour film simply couldn't. What does not work? The biggest issue is also the show's experiment, ie, the decision to turn into an eight-episode series. The expanded format creates unnecessary side plots and makes the story feel stretched. The series introduces and expands several characters and storylines. While that gives the world more texture, it occasionally pulls attention away from Carrie herself. Final verdict Mike Flanagan's Carrie is not a perfect adaptation, but it is an ambitious and largely successful attempt to give Stephen King's classic a new identity. Its biggest achievement is treating Carrie as a character rather than simply a horror icon, with Summer H Howell delivering a compelling performance at the centre of the story. The series is at its strongest when it explores bullying, isolation, motherhood and the complicated emotions behind teenage cruelty. Its modern updates also make King's themes feel relevant without completely abandoning the original premise. Also Read: 'That’s a great merger':Donald Trump hails Paramount-Warner Bros merger, calls Ellison's 'terrific people' A thoughtful, well-acted modernisation of Stephen King's classic that sometimes stretches the material too far but ultimately gives Carrie a fresh life of her own. In overall, with strong performances, thoughtful updates and Mike Flanagan's clear understanding of King's storytelling, Carrie makes a convincing case for why this story continues to resonate. The show stars Summer H Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette and Josie Totah, among others. Based on the 1974 novel by Stephen King, it is developed by Mika Flanagan and produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Carrie is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

<p>Mike Flanagan's series Carrie gives a twist to Stephen King's horror classic with a blend of cyberbullying, teenage alienation and much more. The show stars Samantha H Howell in the titular role, while Samantha Sloyan stars as Margaret.&nbsp;</p>

Carrie review: Mike Flanagan elevates Stephen King’s classic with a fresh sci-fi take

<p>Episodes 11 and 12 of the South Korean show <i>Four Hands, Two Sonatas</i> deliver the emotional payoff the series had been building towards. Pi-o finally confronts the consequences of his mother's actions, while Jeong-yo has to deal with the anger and hurt that have shaped his relationship with his former friend. Their painful history eventually gives way to understanding, allowing the two musicians to reconnect through the one thing that has always linked them — music.</p><h2>What happens in the episodes 11 and 12 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas?</h2><p>In episode 11, Kang Pi O attempts a public confession after performing "Nemesis", aiming to steer Jeong Yo away from his path of vengeance and shield his mother from the consequences of orchestrating the kidnapping. Jin and Jae Ne confront Jeong Yo about his emotional distance and his false belief that Pi O was directly involved in his disappearance, urging him to recognise that Pi O searched for him across Europe when everyone else stopped.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/four-hands-two-sonatas-ep-5-8-review-song-kang-lee-jun-young-elevate-the-emotional-stakes-after-a-tragic-turn-1790012683132"><strong>Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (5-8) review: Song Kang Lee, Jun Young elevate the emotional stakes after a tragic turn</strong></a></p><figure class="image"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/leisurebyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Four-Hands-Two-Sonatas-Episode-11-Review-6.jpg?resize=696%2C392&amp;ssl=1" alt="Four Hands, Two Sonatas Episode 11 Review: Revenge Controls Jeong-yo |  Leisurebyte"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Pi O secretly enters Jeong-Yo's practice room and plays a piece in a breakthrough style, demanding Jeong Yo acknowledge that only the two of them can properly perform the music together, which shakes Jeong Yo's resolve. Jeong Yo deals with mounting pressure from Lone Shark Kim, who threatens to leak compromising information and forces an intense meeting. Tension escalates between&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/four-hands-two-sonatas-ep-9-10-review-music-revenge-and-raw-emotions-shine-in-song-kang-lee-jun-young-s-k-drama-1790587168543"><strong>Four Hands, Two Sonatas Ep (9-10) review: Music, revenge and raw emotions shine in Song Kang, Lee Jun Young’s K-drama</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Jin and Sun, as the truth about Jihi’s actions comes to light, causing Jihi to spiral into hysteria and blame her father for failing to acknowledge Pi O sooner.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTzg6fkWgAIQhUZ?format=webp&amp;name=large" alt="ً on X: &quot;— Four hands Two sonatas, 2026 (episode 12)&quot; / X"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In episode 12, Pi O takes responsibility for his family's actions but is devastated after his grandfather's death and decides to give up music. Jeong-yo helps him reconnect with the piano but soon disappears. Three years later, Pi O learns that Jeong Yo's hand never fully recovered and that he had left the country. Pi O eventually finds him in the Czech Republic, where the two reunite, giving their friendship and musical journey a hopeful ending.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/leisurebyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Four-Hands-Two-Sonatas-Episode-12-Review-7.jpg?resize=696%2C392&amp;ssl=1" alt="Four Hands, Two Sonatas Episode 12 Review: Bromance At Its Finest |  Leisurebyte"></figure><h2>What works?</h2><p>The drama takes its time bringing Pi O and Jeong Yo to this point, so their eventual reconciliation carries genuine weight. The final episodes understand that forgiveness cannot happen instantly and allow the characters to sit with the damage caused by their past. In addition, the emotions showcased through music is one of the strongest moments of the show. The final four-hands performance is especially effective because it reflects how far their relationship has come.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/four-hands-two-sonata-ep-1-4-review-song-kang-lee-jun-young-s-show-showcases-a-slow-burning-story-of-music-rivalry-and-friendship-1788766277409"><strong>Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (1-4) review: Song Kang-Lee Jun Young's show showcases a slow-burning story of music, rivalry and friendship</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>After several episodes filled with secrets and emotional turmoil, the finale does not attempt to outdo itself with an unnecessarily explosive ending. Instead, it focuses on closure, relationships and the possibility of moving forward. That choice works in the drama's favour.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read:</strong></p><h2>What does not work?</h2><p>The kidnapping storyline, family secrets, revenge plot and musical rivalry sometimes compete for attention. The final episodes manage to bring most of these threads together, but some developments feel heavier than they need to be. With so much attention placed on Pi O and Jeong Yo, some of the supporting characters and their individual journeys receive less emotional closure than they could have.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2026/09/14/960x540/Four_Hands_Two_Sonatas_1789377123733_a4591b6a-7200-47cf-b101-3090a58537e5_1789377123864_d5293693-0a6a-4f77-af18-160120e16947_4d33dc09-1d5a-4985-a6fa-ff18afd0e086_af4bb052-2a61-45eb-94eb-48b070af030b.jpg" alt="Four Hands, Two Sonatas review: Song Kang and Lee Jun Young deliver a tense  battle of talent, trauma and ambition | Web Series"></figure><h2>Final verdict</h2><p><i>Four Hands, Two Sonatas</i> ends on a warm and emotional note rather than chasing a shocking finale. Episodes 11 and 12 work best when they focus on Pi O and Jeong Yo's complicated friendship and allow music to carry the emotions that the characters struggle to express.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Song Kang and Lee Jun Young are the heart of the ending, and their final musical connection gives the series a fitting conclusion.</p>

The story of Four Hands, Two Sonatas, featuring Song Kang and Lee Jun Young in lead roles, has come to an end with 12 episodes. The show has brought in the story of music, rivalry, friendship and complicated family relationships to an emotional ending.

Episodes 11 and 12 of the South Korean show Four Hands, Two Sonatas deliver the emotional payoff the series had been building towards. Pi-o finally confronts the consequences of his mother's actions, while Jeong-yo has to deal with the anger and hurt that have shaped his relationship with his former friend. Their painful history eventually gives way to understanding, allowing the two musicians to reconnect through the one thing that has always linked them — music. What happens in the episodes 11 and 12 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas? In episode 11, Kang Pi O attempts a public confession after performing "Nemesis", aiming to steer Jeong Yo away from his path of vengeance and shield his mother from the consequences of orchestrating the kidnapping. Jin and Jae Ne confront Jeong Yo about his emotional distance and his false belief that Pi O was directly involved in his disappearance, urging him to recognise that Pi O searched for him across Europe when everyone else stopped. Also Read: Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (5-8) review: Song Kang Lee, Jun Young elevate the emotional stakes after a tragic turn Pi O secretly enters Jeong-Yo's practice room and plays a piece in a breakthrough style, demanding Jeong Yo acknowledge that only the two of them can properly perform the music together, which shakes Jeong Yo's resolve. Jeong Yo deals with mounting pressure from Lone Shark Kim, who threatens to leak compromising information and forces an intense meeting. Tension escalates between Also Read: Four Hands, Two Sonatas Ep (9-10) review: Music, revenge and raw emotions shine in Song Kang, Lee Jun Young’s K-drama Jin and Sun, as the truth about Jihi’s actions comes to light, causing Jihi to spiral into hysteria and blame her father for failing to acknowledge Pi O sooner. In episode 12, Pi O takes responsibility for his family's actions but is devastated after his grandfather's death and decides to give up music. Jeong-yo helps him reconnect with the piano but soon disappears. Three years later, Pi O learns that Jeong Yo's hand never fully recovered and that he had left the country. Pi O eventually finds him in the Czech Republic, where the two reunite, giving their friendship and musical journey a hopeful ending. What works? The drama takes its time bringing Pi O and Jeong Yo to this point, so their eventual reconciliation carries genuine weight. The final episodes understand that forgiveness cannot happen instantly and allow the characters to sit with the damage caused by their past. In addition, the emotions showcased through music is one of the strongest moments of the show. The final four-hands performance is especially effective because it reflects how far their relationship has come. Also Read: Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (1-4) review: Song Kang-Lee Jun Young's show showcases a slow-burning story of music, rivalry and friendship After several episodes filled with secrets and emotional turmoil, the finale does not attempt to outdo itself with an unnecessarily explosive ending. Instead, it focuses on closure, relationships and the possibility of moving forward. That choice works in the drama's favour. Also Read: What does not work? The kidnapping storyline, family secrets, revenge plot and musical rivalry sometimes compete for attention. The final episodes manage to bring most of these threads together, but some developments feel heavier than they need to be. With so much attention placed on Pi O and Jeong Yo, some of the supporting characters and their individual journeys receive less emotional closure than they could have. Final verdict Four Hands, Two Sonatas ends on a warm and emotional note rather than chasing a shocking finale. Episodes 11 and 12 work best when they focus on Pi O and Jeong Yo's complicated friendship and allow music to carry the emotions that the characters struggle to express. Song Kang and Lee Jun Young are the heart of the ending, and their final musical connection gives the series a fitting conclusion.

<p>The story of Four Hands, Two Sonatas, featuring Song Kang and Lee Jun Young in lead roles, has come to an end with 12 episodes. The show has brought in the story of music, rivalry, friendship and complicated family relationships to an emotional ending.</p>

Four Hands, Two Sonatas finale (11-12) review: Song Kang and Lee Jun Young deliver an emotional goodbye

<p>Oscar-winning director Alejandro G Iñárritu’s latest film Digger strips Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise of all the frills and presents him in one of the actor’s most experimental films to date. In recent years, the audience has witnessed Cruise perform death-defying stunts in action thrillers. The man who, in innumerable films, refused to age and gave actors half his age a major complex by performing risky stunts, ages and how in Digger plays a character who is self-aware of his misdeeds and even wants to come clean.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Buried under heavy prosthetics, Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon in Iñárritu’s climactic satire, which talks of power and politics and how it influences society at large. The satire, while highlighting some pertinent issues, is also indulgent with its storytelling, making Digger a very complex film which is not palatable for regular film watchers.</p><h2>What’s the plot of Digger</h2><p>Wealthy oil tycoon Digger Rockwell finds himself in the middle of a global climate crisis after one of his oil rigs explodes in Alaska. The repercussions are tsunami-level and can affect all of Europe. Digger is initially is internally optimistic about the situation and not ready to take the blame, despite the fact that many of his employees had already warned him of this day before. He eventually realises that he has to face the consequences and wants to come clean. However, the US President (John Goodman) and his advisors are myopic about the catastrophe at hand, despite Dr Ganesh, Digger’s chief scientist, constantly pushing facts about the crisis at hand. &nbsp; The President is more concerned about his future; Digger’s half-sister Emma (Sandra Huller), who runs the greener side of the family business, is concerned about her image and Digger now has to take the lead to handle the global crisis. The narrative not only focuses on the climate crisis, but also focuses on American politics, family dynamics and even art, as the plot is set within a play, making each actor play dual characters.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p> </p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>Let’s just say Digger is not for everyone. It commands your attention, makes you think and makes you dig deeper. A regular cinema watcher, who is used to commercial thrillers and linear story format, may find the narrative extremely complex. The filmmaker goes all out in taking jibes at the powerful and the rich who often have a myopic view when dealing with global crises. A scene in the beginning shows the US Army head sizing up Dr Ganesh and asking where he is originally from, pompous about his white skin and condescending toward the brown man who is easily the most intelligent in the room. Moments later, a group of white men plot vague plans of how to make America look good and be the saviour amid this catastrophe, not realising that it's they who have created the crisis in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>Iñárritu’s vision is indulgent, and you have to go with the flow as he creates a massive canvas. It's a story within a story. A play about Digger and the global climate crisis where Cruise plays an actor retelling a similar incident from the past that has had an actual effect on him and his family. With a non-linear narrative and metaphors galore, it is tough to keep up. The makers also reiterate a lot of the plot points, making the story repetitive.</p><p>While the film and story are indulgent and complex, it is Tom Cruise who makes it worth your time. We are all so used to watching Cruise play a larger-than-life national hero saving the world in most of his films that his portrayal as the flawed Oil tycoon in Digger takes time to settle in. But once you get used to it Cruise takes you on a very interesting ride. With a prosthetic belly and a thick Southern accent, Cruise charms you and engages with you. Riz Ahmed as Dr Ganesh also complements Cruise well on screen. While Digger is eccentric, Ganesh grounds him every so often. Similarly, John Goodman plays the megalomaniac president well.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>The film, while being a satire on the climate crisis and the politics behind it, also touches upon corporate greed, the honesty of art and actors, white supremacy, and more. The result is a very complex film that will have very divisive viewpoints from its audience.  Digger may not be fully cohesive, but it still makes a powerful commentary about the world we live in, where the rich and the powerful often sideline pertinent issues about the environment, which in fact need urgent attention. With Digger, filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu holds up a mirror to the world to make everyone sit up and take notes about the environment around us. However, the message is delivered through a very convoluted story.</p><p> </p><p>Digger is now running in cinemas.</p>

Digger is perhaps Tom Cruise's most experimental role to date. For a man who has featured in multiple Hollywood blockbusters over 4 decades, his portrayal of a flawed oil tycoon in Digger comes as a refreshing change. But the film is a complex story that commands your attention. 

Oscar-winning director Alejandro G Iñárritu’s latest film Digger strips Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise of all the frills and presents him in one of the actor’s most experimental films to date. In recent years, the audience has witnessed Cruise perform death-defying stunts in action thrillers. The man who, in innumerable films, refused to age and gave actors half his age a major complex by performing risky stunts, ages and how in Digger plays a character who is self-aware of his misdeeds and even wants to come clean. Buried under heavy prosthetics, Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon in Iñárritu’s climactic satire, which talks of power and politics and how it influences society at large. The satire, while highlighting some pertinent issues, is also indulgent with its storytelling, making Digger a very complex film which is not palatable for regular film watchers. What’s the plot of Digger Wealthy oil tycoon Digger Rockwell finds himself in the middle of a global climate crisis after one of his oil rigs explodes in Alaska. The repercussions are tsunami-level and can affect all of Europe. Digger is initially is internally optimistic about the situation and not ready to take the blame, despite the fact that many of his employees had already warned him of this day before. He eventually realises that he has to face the consequences and wants to come clean. However, the US President (John Goodman) and his advisors are myopic about the catastrophe at hand, despite Dr Ganesh, Digger’s chief scientist, constantly pushing facts about the crisis at hand. The President is more concerned about his future; Digger’s half-sister Emma (Sandra Huller), who runs the greener side of the family business, is concerned about her image and Digger now has to take the lead to handle the global crisis. The narrative not only focuses on the climate crisis, but also focuses on American politics, family dynamics and even art, as the plot is set within a play, making each actor play dual characters.

<p>Digger is perhaps Tom Cruise's most experimental role to date. For a man who has featured in multiple Hollywood blockbusters over 4 decades, his portrayal of a flawed oil tycoon in Digger comes as a refreshing change. But the film is a complex story that commands your attention.&nbsp;</p>

Digger movie review: Tom Cruise strips away the hero persona in a complex climate satire

<p>What happens when you find yourself caught in a situation where nothing is quite as it seems? When people around you appear trustworthy, but their words, actions and intentions leave you questioning what is actually true? Manipulation can be difficult to recognise when it is carefully disguised as affection, concern or honesty. And sometimes, the more you try to uncover the truth, the more uncertain everything becomes. In a world built on secrets and shifting perceptions, certainty isn't always the wisest decision.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><i>Verity</i> takes that uncertainty and turns it into a psychological thriller filled with secrets, complicated relationships and questions about whom to trust. Starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett in lead roles, the Colleen Hoover's adaptation has an intriguing premise and a cast capable of bringing plenty of intensity to it. But does the mystery manage to stay gripping once the secrets begin to unfold?</p><h2>Plot of Verity</h2><p>The story begins with Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway), a renowned author, giving an interview before the scene suddenly shifts two years later to Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a struggling writer attending a session at a bookshop. Corey (Ismael Cruz Cordova), who handles her projects, tells her that a publishing group wants to bring her on board. On her way to the publishing company's office, Lowen meets Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett) under unusual circumstances.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/verity-new-york-premiere-anne-hathaway-takes-charge-as-dakota-johnson-joins-the-fun-watch-1790825004381"><strong>Verity New York Premiere: Anne Hathaway takes charge as Dakota Johnson joins the fun | Watch</strong></a></p><figure class="image"><img src="https://people.com/thmb/tweqHyvKnDOVQ69e2qZ7A-J_jbM=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/Dakota-Johnson-and-Josh-Hartnett-on-Verity-set-83_03122025tout-57c9ba49761344b5b5ea05a05c6d1839.jpg" alt="Dakota Johnson Gets Splattered with Fake Blood Filming Colleen Hoover's  Verity"></figure><p>Things take an unexpected turn when Lowen meets Jeremy again and learns that she has been approached to write for his wife, Verity Crawford, who is unable to work after suffering a serious accident. After some hesitation and persuasion, Lowen agrees to take up the project and stays at the Crawford family's home to go through Verity's notes for the upcoming novel.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/mysterio/api/810ff523827672f495d1598a2a7cb17405ac4a040b2be532d9b138dfeebcf8f1/lightyear_networkapi/resizefill_w976%3Bquality_80%3Bformat_webp/https%3A%2F%2Fd29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net%2Fimages%2Fuser-uploaded%2Flead-verity-details_5791.jpg" alt="Behind the scenes of 'Verity': Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson on  improvising a 'sexy scene,' that headboard bite and more"></figure><p>While looking through Verity's belongings, Lowen discovers what appears to be a private autobiographical manuscript. Its contents are deeply disturbing and present a very different picture of Verity from the one known to the outside world.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As Lowen becomes more involved with Jeremy and the family, questions surrounding Verity's past begin to grow. What initially appears to be a straightforward writing assignment slowly turns into a psychological mystery involving attraction, manipulation, grief and competing versions of the truth. The central question becomes increasingly difficult to answer: How much of what Lowen has discovered is actually true?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/anne-hathaway-reveals-why-she-hasn-t-done-hot-ones-despite-her-verity-character-taking-the-challenge-1790592074439"><strong>Anne Hathaway reveals why she hasn’t done Hot Ones despite her Verity character taking the challenge</strong></a></p><h2>What works?</h2><p>Anne Hathaway is arguably one of the film's biggest strengths. Her performance allows <i>Verity</i> to remain an unsettling presence even when she is physically unable to communicate in the conventional sense. While Dakota Johnson's understated approach gives Lowen an ambiguous quality, Josh Hartnett keeps Jeremy difficult to read.&nbsp;</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZK1ALr9NEHxHZd-P1Uf0E9dJAc2TZDT5FnMF1gvGZvcli0SihcLQBQP8H&amp;s=10" alt="Verity Review: Hathaway and Johnson Have Fun. The Movie Doesn't"></figure><p>In addition, Dakota Johnson, Hathaway and Josh Hartnett make an interesting combination. Their shifting relationships are important because the story constantly asks viewers to reconsider whom they can trust. Moreover, the Crawford home, costumes and overall production design give Verity a polished visual identity. The lavish interiors and darker atmosphere suit the psychological thriller setting and create an appropriately isolated world for the characters.</p><h2>What does not work?</h2><p>One of the biggest problems is how long the film takes to build momentum. The movie takes too long to reach its dramatic payoff while also describing its structure as halting. For a thriller built around secrets and revelations, the slow progression can make some scenes feel more drawn out than suspenseful.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/theatrical-releases-in-october-2026-drishyam-the-conclusion-jailer-2-verity-10-latest-movies-hitting-cinemas-this-month-1790780378942"><strong>Theatrical releases in October 2026: Drishyam: The Conclusion, Jailer 2, Verity- 10 latest movies hitting cinemas this month</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film keeps introducing questions and possible explanations, but some of its twists can feel more complicated than genuinely surprising. Instead of creating constant tension, the repeated attempts to misdirect the audience can make the story feel overworked. The screenplay occasionally leans heavily into melodrama, making certain conversations feel unnatural.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p><i>Verity</i> has all the ingredients of a juicy psychological thriller — a bestselling source novel, a mysterious mansion, complicated relationships and three recognisable stars. Unfortunately, the execution is not consistently strong enough to turn those ingredients into a gripping film.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/verity-trailer-out-from-anne-hathaway-to-dakota-johnson-here-s-the-cast-s-net-worth-1777436657761"><strong>Verity trailer out: From Anne Hathaway to Dakota Johnson, here’s the cast’s net worth</strong></a></p><figure class="image"><img src="https://images.thedirect.com/media/photos/verity4.png" alt="Verity Movie: 5 Big Spoilers From the Book - Plot Summary &amp; Ending Details  To Expect For Anne Hathaway Film"></figure><p>Anne Hathaway gives the movie much-needed energy, while Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett add ambiguity to the central relationship. The production design also gives the film a glossy, atmospheric quality. But the uneven pacing, melodramatic dialogue and increasingly complicated mystery hold it back. Overall, <i>Verity</i> is a mixed bag — watchable for its cast, atmosphere and outrageous twists, but not a particularly satisfying thriller.</p>

Verity is helmed by Michael Showalter and stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. The film works better when it embraces its melodramatic angle, but its mystery ultimately feels less satisfying than expected. Read to know more. The thriller releases on screens today.

What happens when you find yourself caught in a situation where nothing is quite as it seems? When people around you appear trustworthy, but their words, actions and intentions leave you questioning what is actually true? Manipulation can be difficult to recognise when it is carefully disguised as affection, concern or honesty. And sometimes, the more you try to uncover the truth, the more uncertain everything becomes. In a world built on secrets and shifting perceptions, certainty isn't always the wisest decision. Verity takes that uncertainty and turns it into a psychological thriller filled with secrets, complicated relationships and questions about whom to trust. Starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett in lead roles, the Colleen Hoover's adaptation has an intriguing premise and a cast capable of bringing plenty of intensity to it. But does the mystery manage to stay gripping once the secrets begin to unfold? Plot of Verity The story begins with Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway), a renowned author, giving an interview before the scene suddenly shifts two years later to Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a struggling writer attending a session at a bookshop. Corey (Ismael Cruz Cordova), who handles her projects, tells her that a publishing group wants to bring her on board. On her way to the publishing company's office, Lowen meets Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett) under unusual circumstances. Also Read: Verity New York Premiere: Anne Hathaway takes charge as Dakota Johnson joins the fun | Watch Things take an unexpected turn when Lowen meets Jeremy again and learns that she has been approached to write for his wife, Verity Crawford, who is unable to work after suffering a serious accident. After some hesitation and persuasion, Lowen agrees to take up the project and stays at the Crawford family's home to go through Verity's notes for the upcoming novel. While looking through Verity's belongings, Lowen discovers what appears to be a private autobiographical manuscript. Its contents are deeply disturbing and present a very different picture of Verity from the one known to the outside world. As Lowen becomes more involved with Jeremy and the family, questions surrounding Verity's past begin to grow. What initially appears to be a straightforward writing assignment slowly turns into a psychological mystery involving attraction, manipulation, grief and competing versions of the truth. The central question becomes increasingly difficult to answer: How much of what Lowen has discovered is actually true? Also Read: Anne Hathaway reveals why she hasn’t done Hot Ones despite her Verity character taking the challenge What works? Anne Hathaway is arguably one of the film's biggest strengths. Her performance allows Verity to remain an unsettling presence even when she is physically unable to communicate in the conventional sense. While Dakota Johnson's understated approach gives Lowen an ambiguous quality, Josh Hartnett keeps Jeremy difficult to read. In addition, Dakota Johnson, Hathaway and Josh Hartnett make an interesting combination. Their shifting relationships are important because the story constantly asks viewers to reconsider whom they can trust. Moreover, the Crawford home, costumes and overall production design give Verity a polished visual identity. The lavish interiors and darker atmosphere suit the psychological thriller setting and create an appropriately isolated world for the characters. What does not work? One of the biggest problems is how long the film takes to build momentum. The movie takes too long to reach its dramatic payoff while also describing its structure as halting. For a thriller built around secrets and revelations, the slow progression can make some scenes feel more drawn out than suspenseful. Also Read: Theatrical releases in October 2026: Drishyam: The Conclusion, Jailer 2, Verity- 10 latest movies hitting cinemas this month The film keeps introducing questions and possible explanations, but some of its twists can feel more complicated than genuinely surprising. Instead of creating constant tension, the repeated attempts to misdirect the audience can make the story feel overworked. The screenplay occasionally leans heavily into melodrama, making certain conversations feel unnatural. Final verdict Verity has all the ingredients of a juicy psychological thriller — a bestselling source novel, a mysterious mansion, complicated relationships and three recognisable stars. Unfortunately, the execution is not consistently strong enough to turn those ingredients into a gripping film. Also Read: Verity trailer out: From Anne Hathaway to Dakota Johnson, here’s the cast’s net worth Anne Hathaway gives the movie much-needed energy, while Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett add ambiguity to the central relationship. The production design also gives the film a glossy, atmospheric quality. But the uneven pacing, melodramatic dialogue and increasingly complicated mystery hold it back. Overall, Verity is a mixed bag — watchable for its cast, atmosphere and outrageous twists, but not a particularly satisfying thriller.

<p>Verity is helmed by Michael Showalter and stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. The film works better when it embraces its melodramatic angle, but its mystery ultimately feels less satisfying than expected. Read to know more. The thriller releases on screens today.</p>

Verity movie review: Strong performances from Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett couldn't save this underwhelming thriller

<p>The makers unveiled yet another set of episodes of South Korean drama <i>Four Hands, Two Sonatas.</i> With every weekend, twists and turns have definitely kept the story going strong. Episodes 9 and 10 push Pi O and Jeong Yo's complicated relationship into darker territory. The result is an intense mix of classical music, resentment and unresolved friendship. Their preparation for the concerto gives the episodes a strong central conflict, allowing the piano to become a language through which both characters express feelings they struggle to say aloud.</p><h2>What happens in episodes 9 and 10 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas?</h2><p>In episode 9 of <i>Four Hands, Two Sonatas</i>, Kang Pi O discovers that his mother, Kang Ji Hye, ordered Choi Jeong Yo's kidnapping in 2017 to eliminate competition so Pi O could win the Harmonie Competition. Detective Martin sends Pi O a photograph showing his mother talking to the kidnapper ahead of the Prague competition. A furious Pi O confronts a drunken Ji Hye at home; she confesses to the crime, claiming it was an act of maternal love to secure his future.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260928/image-1790588927247.jpg"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/four-hands-two-sonatas-ep-5-8-review-song-kang-lee-jun-young-elevate-the-emotional-stakes-after-a-tragic-turn-1790012683132"><strong>Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (5-8) review: Song Kang Lee, Jun Young elevate the emotional stakes after a tragic turn</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When Pi O begs to come clean and apologise to Jeong Yeo, Ji Hye threatens to take her own life if the truth comes to light. Consumed by guilt and trapped in a moral dilemma, Pi O vents his frustration thorugh the piano before going to see Jeong Yo the next morning to apologise.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/four-hands-two-sonata-ep-1-4-review-song-kang-lee-jun-young-s-show-showcases-a-slow-burning-story-of-music-rivalry-and-friendship-1788766277409"><strong>Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (1-4) review: Song Kang-Lee Jun Young's show showcases a slow-burning story of music, rivalry and friendship</strong></a></p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260928/image-1790588914170.jpg"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In the episode 10 of the show, Kang Pi O first thing confronts Jeong Yo about faking amnesia after realising Jeong Yo has been working on their concerto piece since high school. Jeong Yo reveals he saw Pi O with the kidnapper from nine years ago. Pi O chooses to accept the blame to protect Ji Hye (his mother). Jeong Yo rejects letting Pi O take the easy way out and threatens to expose Ji Hye's involvement if Pi O turns himself in.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ji Hye searches for Jeong Yo's father and encounters General Manager Kim, who claims Mr Choi is a drug addict and offers help. After a talk with his grandfather about trusting his own musical rhythm, Pi O asks Jeong Yo for another chance to perform the piece Nemesis.</p><h2>What works?</h2><p>The music is one of the strong core concepts of the show. The piano and Nemesis are not simply background elements; they become part of the characters' emotional language. Pi O's emotional collapse gives Song Kang some of his most vulnerable material in the series. His physicality during the difficult piano scenes makes the character's struggle feel immediate.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/weak-hero-class-2-actor-lee-jun-young-announces-his-military-enlistment-1781504179257"><strong>Weak Hero Class 2 actor Lee Jun Young announces his military enlistment</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Jeong Yo remains fascinating because his anger never completely erases the person he used to be. His controlled expressions and sudden flashes of intensity make the character difficult to read.Their relationship continues to be the heart of the show. Friendship, resentment, guilt and affection exist simultaneously, which prevents their conflict from becoming a simple revenge story.</p><h2>What does not work?</h2><p>The revenge storyline can occasionally feel stretched. The central conflict is compelling, but some scenes spend a little too long circling around the same emotional tension. These episodes lean heavily into anguish and self-destructive behaviour, which works for the story but occasionally leaves little breathing room between major confrontations. Still, these issues do not overwhelm the stronger musical and character-driven material.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260928/image-1790588957731.jpg"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-my-demon-to-sweet-home-top-6-k-dramas-of-song-kang-to-watch-on-netflix-and-other-ott-platforms-1776833044443"><strong>From My Demon to Sweet Home: Top 6 K-Dramas of Song Kang to watch on Netflix and other OTT platforms</strong></a></p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p>With the truth about Jeong Yo's disappearance getting closer to the surface, the final two episodes have plenty of emotional groundwork to pay off. Most importantly, the drama understands that Pi O and Jeong Yo's greatest conversations do not always need words; sometimes the piano says everything. Overall, <i>Four Hands, Two Sonatas</i> finds its strongest rhythm in Episodes 9 and 10 by making music the centre of its emotional conflict.</p>

Episodes 9 and 10 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas successfully bring the drama's musical and emotional conflicts together. Jeong Yo's return is revealed to be far more complicated than a simple reunion. Read to know more. 

The makers unveiled yet another set of episodes of South Korean drama Four Hands, Two Sonatas. With every weekend, twists and turns have definitely kept the story going strong. Episodes 9 and 10 push Pi O and Jeong Yo's complicated relationship into darker territory. The result is an intense mix of classical music, resentment and unresolved friendship. Their preparation for the concerto gives the episodes a strong central conflict, allowing the piano to become a language through which both characters express feelings they struggle to say aloud. What happens in episodes 9 and 10 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas? In episode 9 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas, Kang Pi O discovers that his mother, Kang Ji Hye, ordered Choi Jeong Yo's kidnapping in 2017 to eliminate competition so Pi O could win the Harmonie Competition. Detective Martin sends Pi O a photograph showing his mother talking to the kidnapper ahead of the Prague competition. A furious Pi O confronts a drunken Ji Hye at home; she confesses to the crime, claiming it was an act of maternal love to secure his future. Also Read: Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (5-8) review: Song Kang Lee, Jun Young elevate the emotional stakes after a tragic turn When Pi O begs to come clean and apologise to Jeong Yeo, Ji Hye threatens to take her own life if the truth comes to light. Consumed by guilt and trapped in a moral dilemma, Pi O vents his frustration thorugh the piano before going to see Jeong Yo the next morning to apologise. Also Read: Four Hands, Two Sonatas ep (1-4) review: Song Kang-Lee Jun Young's show showcases a slow-burning story of music, rivalry and friendship In the episode 10 of the show, Kang Pi O first thing confronts Jeong Yo about faking amnesia after realising Jeong Yo has been working on their concerto piece since high school. Jeong Yo reveals he saw Pi O with the kidnapper from nine years ago. Pi O chooses to accept the blame to protect Ji Hye (his mother). Jeong Yo rejects letting Pi O take the easy way out and threatens to expose Ji Hye's involvement if Pi O turns himself in. Ji Hye searches for Jeong Yo's father and encounters General Manager Kim, who claims Mr Choi is a drug addict and offers help. After a talk with his grandfather about trusting his own musical rhythm, Pi O asks Jeong Yo for another chance to perform the piece Nemesis. What works? The music is one of the strong core concepts of the show. The piano and Nemesis are not simply background elements; they become part of the characters' emotional language. Pi O's emotional collapse gives Song Kang some of his most vulnerable material in the series. His physicality during the difficult piano scenes makes the character's struggle feel immediate. Also Read: Weak Hero Class 2 actor Lee Jun Young announces his military enlistment Jeong Yo remains fascinating because his anger never completely erases the person he used to be. His controlled expressions and sudden flashes of intensity make the character difficult to read.Their relationship continues to be the heart of the show. Friendship, resentment, guilt and affection exist simultaneously, which prevents their conflict from becoming a simple revenge story. What does not work? The revenge storyline can occasionally feel stretched. The central conflict is compelling, but some scenes spend a little too long circling around the same emotional tension. These episodes lean heavily into anguish and self-destructive behaviour, which works for the story but occasionally leaves little breathing room between major confrontations. Still, these issues do not overwhelm the stronger musical and character-driven material. Also Read: From My Demon to Sweet Home: Top 6 K-Dramas of Song Kang to watch on Netflix and other OTT platforms Final verdict With the truth about Jeong Yo's disappearance getting closer to the surface, the final two episodes have plenty of emotional groundwork to pay off. Most importantly, the drama understands that Pi O and Jeong Yo's greatest conversations do not always need words; sometimes the piano says everything. Overall, Four Hands, Two Sonatas finds its strongest rhythm in Episodes 9 and 10 by making music the centre of its emotional conflict.

<p>Episodes 9 and 10 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas successfully bring the drama's musical and emotional conflicts together. Jeong Yo's return is revealed to be far more complicated than a simple reunion. Read to know more.&nbsp;</p>

Four Hands, Two Sonatas Ep (9-10) review: Music, revenge and raw emotions shine in Song Kang, Lee Jun Young’s K-drama

<p>Brad Pitt ventures into the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness with an unlikely but unforgettable companion in <i>Heart of the Beast.</i> Directed by David Ayer, the survival thriller combines harsh landscapes, physical danger and emotional vulnerability to tell a story that ultimately goes beyond simply making it out alive. At its centre is the relationship between former Special Forces soldier James Belmont and his retired combat dog, Odin.</p><h2>Plot of Heart of the Beast</h2><p>Brad Pitt plays the role of retired Special Forces veteran James Belmont and his four-legged companion, combat veteran German Shepherd Odin, who share a quiet, solitary life, following the decades of military service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Facing several battles together, the duo carry physical and emotional scars, including PTSD nightmares, with Odin walking with the help of a prosthetic leg and titanium teeth.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/cindy-crawford-s-son-presley-gerber-cremated-as-death-probe-continues-1790387707759"><strong>Cindy Crawford’s son Presley Gerber cremated as death probe continues</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>However, for a simple break, the duo fly a small plane into the remote Alaskan wilderness for a peaceful camping and fly-fishing trip. However, things take a drastic turn when they were flying back amid the changing weather, James suffers a sudden heart attack, causing the plane to lose control and crash into the water. After the sudden hit, James manages to survive and rescue his stunned canine companion.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/the-paradise-actor-heartbroken-as-his-scenes-were-edited-out-still-backs-nani-s-film-if-you-keep-looking-for-logic-1790339022100"><strong>The Paradise actor speaks out as scenes were edited out, still backs Nani's film</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Stranded roughly 60 miles away from the nearest road or civilisation, James relies on his map, compass, and military training to map out a route to safety. Facing a ticking clock due to his failing heart and lack of rescue, James and Odin battle freezing terrain, a grizzly bear, a wolf pack, and a dangerous river sweep. How the duo push through the standard wilderness survival and the mutual dependence form the main crux of the story.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-paradise-box-office-collection-day-1-nani-starrer-makes-a-strong-start-earns-rs-76-90-crore-globally-1790334140396"><strong>The Paradise BO collection: Nani starrer makes a strong start on day 1</strong></a></p><h2>What works?</h2><p>Brad Pitt, as always, has shown his acting and versatality. His performance is largely built around restraint, physicality and small expressions, which suits a character accustomed to operating without much emotional display. Apart from Brad Pitt, his co-star, the German Shepherd communicates through movement, looks and reactions rather than dialogue or exaggerated human-like behaviour. That makes the relationship between James and Odin feel surprisingly natural.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film's strongest scenes aren't necessarily the ones involving bears, wolves or dangerous terrain. Its quieter moments, when James and Odin simply depend on one another, give the survival story its emotional meaning.</p><h2>What does not work?</h2><p>The film throws one obstacle after another at its protagonists. While this maintains momentum, the repeated cycle of danger, escape and another danger can eventually become predictable. The central idea, a tough veteran and his loyal dog facing nature together, isn't particularly unfamiliar. The film doesn't completely reinvent the survival genre; instead, it relies on the execution and the relationship between its two central characters.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p><i>Heart of the Beast </i>may not reinvent the survival genre, but it doesn't need to. Instead, its biggest strength is the simple relationship between a human being and a dog. Brad Pitt brings maturity and restraint to James, while Odin provides the warmth and emotional expression that keeps the journey engaging.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/park-ji-hyun-makes-history-as-first-korean-actress-nominated-for-international-emmy-1790330703802"><strong>Park Ji Hyun makes history with first Korean actress International Emmy nod</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Some repetitive obstacles and exaggerated survival moments hold it back from being a completely seamless thriller, but the emotional connection between James and Odin makes the journey worthwhile. Overall,<i> Heart of the Beast</i> is a gripping and heartfelt survival drama because Brad Pitt was part of it, plus his bond with his four-legged companion made it better.&nbsp;</p>

Helmed by David Ayer, Heart of the Beast stars Brad Pitt in the lead role with an unforgettable companion and shows how the duo go beyond to survive the wilderness. Read to know more.

Brad Pitt ventures into the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness with an unlikely but unforgettable companion in Heart of the Beast. Directed by David Ayer, the survival thriller combines harsh landscapes, physical danger and emotional vulnerability to tell a story that ultimately goes beyond simply making it out alive. At its centre is the relationship between former Special Forces soldier James Belmont and his retired combat dog, Odin. Plot of Heart of the Beast Brad Pitt plays the role of retired Special Forces veteran James Belmont and his four-legged companion, combat veteran German Shepherd Odin, who share a quiet, solitary life, following the decades of military service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Facing several battles together, the duo carry physical and emotional scars, including PTSD nightmares, with Odin walking with the help of a prosthetic leg and titanium teeth. Also Read: Cindy Crawford’s son Presley Gerber cremated as death probe continues However, for a simple break, the duo fly a small plane into the remote Alaskan wilderness for a peaceful camping and fly-fishing trip. However, things take a drastic turn when they were flying back amid the changing weather, James suffers a sudden heart attack, causing the plane to lose control and crash into the water. After the sudden hit, James manages to survive and rescue his stunned canine companion. Also Read: The Paradise actor speaks out as scenes were edited out, still backs Nani's film Stranded roughly 60 miles away from the nearest road or civilisation, James relies on his map, compass, and military training to map out a route to safety. Facing a ticking clock due to his failing heart and lack of rescue, James and Odin battle freezing terrain, a grizzly bear, a wolf pack, and a dangerous river sweep. How the duo push through the standard wilderness survival and the mutual dependence form the main crux of the story. Also Read: The Paradise BO collection: Nani starrer makes a strong start on day 1 What works? Brad Pitt, as always, has shown his acting and versatality. His performance is largely built around restraint, physicality and small expressions, which suits a character accustomed to operating without much emotional display. Apart from Brad Pitt, his co-star, the German Shepherd communicates through movement, looks and reactions rather than dialogue or exaggerated human-like behaviour. That makes the relationship between James and Odin feel surprisingly natural. The film's strongest scenes aren't necessarily the ones involving bears, wolves or dangerous terrain. Its quieter moments, when James and Odin simply depend on one another, give the survival story its emotional meaning. What does not work? The film throws one obstacle after another at its protagonists. While this maintains momentum, the repeated cycle of danger, escape and another danger can eventually become predictable. The central idea, a tough veteran and his loyal dog facing nature together, isn't particularly unfamiliar. The film doesn't completely reinvent the survival genre; instead, it relies on the execution and the relationship between its two central characters. Final verdict Heart of the Beast may not reinvent the survival genre, but it doesn't need to. Instead, its biggest strength is the simple relationship between a human being and a dog. Brad Pitt brings maturity and restraint to James, while Odin provides the warmth and emotional expression that keeps the journey engaging. Also Read: Park Ji Hyun makes history with first Korean actress International Emmy nod Some repetitive obstacles and exaggerated survival moments hold it back from being a completely seamless thriller, but the emotional connection between James and Odin makes the journey worthwhile. Overall, Heart of the Beast is a gripping and heartfelt survival drama because Brad Pitt was part of it, plus his bond with his four-legged companion made it better.

<p>Helmed by David Ayer, Heart of the Beast stars Brad Pitt in the lead role with an unforgettable companion and shows how the duo go beyond to survive the wilderness. Read to know more.</p>

Heart of the Beast review: Brad Pitt leads a gripping tale of survival and loyalty

<p>Ever so often, Bollywood wants to speak the language of the youth. However, in an attempt to address their issues and growing pains, the industry often ends up stereotyping Gen Z and making them look superfluous. In Don’t Be Shy, director Sriti Mukerji attempts to tell a Gen Z story, but sets it in the early 2000s and delivers a very run-of-the-mill, coming-of-age campus tale. While it begins on a promising note, the film eventually becomes predictable and rather silly by the end.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy introduces fresh faces to the film industry. The cast delivers credible performances, but does that salvage the film? Only in parts.</p><h2>What’s the story of Don’t Be Shy?</h2><p><br>The film revolves around Sharmili ‘Shy’ Das (Aarushi Bajaj), an ambitious, controlling teenager who has her entire life mapped out: an internship at a big company owned by her boyfriend Mayank’s (Piyush Khati) family, a scholarship at IIM, marrying Mayank, having two children, and eventually becoming the CEO of the family business. While Shy thinks she has everything under control, life has other plans.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Heartbroken and panic-stricken after Mayank breaks up with her, Shy plots various ways to win him back while their college is on a tour for an inter-college fest. Things get complicated when Mayank starts dating the new girl, Tara (Bianca Arora), who surprisingly strikes up an unusual friendship with Shy. Meanwhile, Dhruv (Ansh Duggal), Shy’s childhood friend and neighbour, completes this quadrangle love story.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Amid fest competitions and tournaments, these 20-somethings navigate true friendship, loyalty, and body-image issues—all while pursuing their individual goals.</p><h2>What works and what doesn't</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Newcomer Aarushi Bajaj is effective as Shy. Although several moments feel downright silly, Bajaj’s charm and performance keep you hooked. Written by Mukerji alongside Sehaj Kaur Maini, the film’s biggest strength is the friendship between Tara and Shy. Movies often pit two women against each other when they share a love interest, but here, Tara is portrayed positively, making her bond with Shy endearing. Both Bianca Arora and Aarushi Bajaj play their roles convincingly, making their shared scenes stand out. I only wish the writers had gone the extra mile to explore their friendship in greater depth, as it was easy to get invested in their dynamic.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While the story centres on Shy and her interactions, she is also shown as a flawed protagonist who takes time to come of age and learn from her mistakes. Among the supporting cast, Ansh Duggal delivers a restrained performance as the quiet, nonchalant Dhruv. He and Aarushi share strong chemistry that elevates their scenes together. Piyush Khati, last seen in the web series Class, plays the confused, delusional Mayank with ease. Anurag Basu (playing Shy’s dad), Kunal Roy Kapur, and Neha Dhupia feature in minor cameo roles.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Despite a credible ensemble cast, Don’t Be Shy suffers heavily from weak writing. It borrows heavily from popular shows and movies like Clueless and Fleabag, delivering a plot that is predictable from the start. Themes like body image, insecurities, ambition, and the pressure to appear composed are only addressed in passing, leaving the movie feeling superficial. There is nothing wrong with a lighthearted film, but it begs the question: why touch upon these sensitive topics if they aren't going to be explored meaningfully?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Don’t Be Shy fails to offer anything new. The protagonist is a typical high-strung, popular girl terrified of failure, flanked by two sidekicks, dating the campus rich boy while a childhood friend waits in the wings. We have seen this trope many times before.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>The film would have benefited had the director focused more on female friendship and Shy’s ambition to achieve her dreams on her own merit, rather than relying on a rich boy's status. That would have yielded a refreshing coming-of-age story that Gen Z could truly resonate with. Instead, the current plot makes Gen Z look rather superficial—which they are not.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Don’t Be Shy isn't a bad film; it is well-intended and backed by a solid lead cast who know their craft well. Its main flaw is that it plays it too safe and succumbs to predictability.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Don’t Be Shy is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.</p>

Don't Be Shy, backed by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, and directed by Sriti Mukerji, tells the story of an ambitious and controlling Shy. While the film is well-intended, the makers never go the extra mile to tell an effective story. 

Ever so often, Bollywood wants to speak the language of the youth. However, in an attempt to address their issues and growing pains, the industry often ends up stereotyping Gen Z and making them look superfluous. In Don’t Be Shy, director Sriti Mukerji attempts to tell a Gen Z story, but sets it in the early 2000s and delivers a very run-of-the-mill, coming-of-age campus tale. While it begins on a promising note, the film eventually becomes predictable and rather silly by the end. Produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy introduces fresh faces to the film industry. The cast delivers credible performances, but does that salvage the film? Only in parts. What’s the story of Don’t Be Shy? The film revolves around Sharmili ‘Shy’ Das (Aarushi Bajaj), an ambitious, controlling teenager who has her entire life mapped out: an internship at a big company owned by her boyfriend Mayank’s (Piyush Khati) family, a scholarship at IIM, marrying Mayank, having two children, and eventually becoming the CEO of the family business. While Shy thinks she has everything under control, life has other plans. Heartbroken and panic-stricken after Mayank breaks up with her, Shy plots various ways to win him back while their college is on a tour for an inter-college fest. Things get complicated when Mayank starts dating the new girl, Tara (Bianca Arora), who surprisingly strikes up an unusual friendship with Shy. Meanwhile, Dhruv (Ansh Duggal), Shy’s childhood friend and neighbour, completes this quadrangle love story. Amid fest competitions and tournaments, these 20-somethings navigate true friendship, loyalty, and body-image issues—all while pursuing their individual goals. What works and what doesn't Newcomer Aarushi Bajaj is effective as Shy. Although several moments feel downright silly, Bajaj’s charm and performance keep you hooked. Written by Mukerji alongside Sehaj Kaur Maini, the film’s biggest strength is the friendship between Tara and Shy. Movies often pit two women against each other when they share a love interest, but here, Tara is portrayed positively, making her bond with Shy endearing. Both Bianca Arora and Aarushi Bajaj play their roles convincingly, making their shared scenes stand out. I only wish the writers had gone the extra mile to explore their friendship in greater depth, as it was easy to get invested in their dynamic. While the story centres on Shy and her interactions, she is also shown as a flawed protagonist who takes time to come of age and learn from her mistakes. Among the supporting cast, Ansh Duggal delivers a restrained performance as the quiet, nonchalant Dhruv. He and Aarushi share strong chemistry that elevates their scenes together. Piyush Khati, last seen in the web series Class, plays the confused, delusional Mayank with ease. Anurag Basu (playing Shy’s dad), Kunal Roy Kapur, and Neha Dhupia feature in minor cameo roles. Despite a credible ensemble cast, Don’t Be Shy suffers heavily from weak writing. It borrows heavily from popular shows and movies like Clueless and Fleabag, delivering a plot that is predictable from the start. Themes like body image, insecurities, ambition, and the pressure to appear composed are only addressed in passing, leaving the movie feeling superficial. There is nothing wrong with a lighthearted film, but it begs the question: why touch upon these sensitive topics if they aren't going to be explored meaningfully? Don’t Be Shy fails to offer anything new. The protagonist is a typical high-strung, popular girl terrified of failure, flanked by two sidekicks, dating the campus rich boy while a childhood friend waits in the wings. We have seen this trope many times before.

<p>Don't Be Shy, backed by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, and directed by Sriti Mukerji, tells the story of an ambitious and controlling Shy. While the film is well-intended, the makers never go the extra mile to tell an effective story.&nbsp;</p>

Don't Be Shy movie review: A frothy coming-of-age tale that is too shy to experiment

<p>Do you ever get those butterflies in your stomach when you start feeling something for someone or even just sense a little spark of attraction? <i>The Love Hypothesis</i> brings exactly that feeling to the screen, with Tom Bateman and Lili Reinhart creating a chemistry that makes their romance hard to look away from. As Olive and Adam navigate a fake-dating arrangement that slowly becomes more complicated, the film delivers the kind of romantic tension that can leave you smiling at the screen.</p><h2>Plot of The Love Hypothesis</h2><p>The film opens with Olive arriving at Stanford for her PhD research interview. She is nervous, has trouble with her expired contact lenses and ends up in a laboratory bathroom. She hears a male voice telling her to leave. Unable to see him properly, she assumes he is simply a rude scientist, and the interaction ends with him encouraging her before she leaves.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://th-i.thgim.com/public/entertainment/movies/u392hk/article71494553.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/Screenshot%202026-09-22%20124608.png" alt="Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman interview: On 'The Love Hypothesis' and the  science of romance - The Hindu"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/welcome-actor-mushtaq-khan-dies-at-56-after-battling-cancer-1790260049477"><strong>Welcome actor Mushtaq Khan dies at 56 after battling cancer</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The story fast-forwards to two years, showcasing Olive, a PhD candidate at Stanford researching pancreatic cancer. She is ambitious but somewhat insecure, especially compared with her confident best friend and fellow researcher, Anh. Olive is also interested in Jeremy, a man she has liked for years.</p><p>Olive begins noticing that Jeremy and Anh have obvious chemistry. Anh, however, refuses to act on her feelings because she believes Olive still likes Jeremy. Olive doesn't want her best friend to hold herself back because of her. So Olive tells Anh that she has moved on and is seeing someone else. Except she isn't. Anh becomes suspicious when Olive claims she is going on a date. When Anh comes looking for her at the lab, Olive needs to prove that she really has a boyfriend. She spots Adam near a water fountain and impulsively asks him to kiss her. Adam agrees. Anh sees them, believes Olive's story and leaves. Olive has no idea that the man she has just kissed is the notoriously intimidating professor everyone calls "Dr Evil".</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As Olive and Adam stage public appearances, coffee dates, and lab interactions to fool their peers and faculty, their strict business arrangement begins to blur. Behind his stern exterior, Adam shows surprising attentiveness, while Olive—who identifies on the asexual spectrum, grows emotionally close to him. The dynamic shifts during deeply vulnerable moments and extended private sequences, cementing a genuine emotional and physical connection between the two scientists.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://statcdn.fandango.com/MPX/image/NBCU_Fandango/705/907/thumb_A510551B-D364-4FFA-83E6-7A64A8619141.jpg" alt="The Love Hypothesis: Trailer 1"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/ayushmann-khurrana-reacts-to-pakistan-zindabad-dialogue-in-udta-teer-it-s-part-of-the-script-1790237576536"><strong>Ayushmann Khurrana reacts to ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ dialogue in Udta Teer</strong></a></p><h2>How different is the film from the novel?</h2><p>In the book, Olive plays an audio recording of Tom sexually harassing her during a heated public confrontation between Tom and Adam. In the movie, Anh is the one who fills Adam in on Tom's behaviour, leading Adam to confront Tom directly, and the film jumps ahead two years to show Olive as a Stanford professor nicknamed "Dr Smite".</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Anh’s background is changed from Vietnamese in the book to Filipina in the movie, complete with a touching floating lantern scene in Michigan during Christmas break. Meanwhile, Adam’s childhood best friend and foil, Holden Rodrigues, is completely cut from the film.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://images.travelandleisureasia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/22140821/The-Love-Hypothesis-FI-1600x900.jpg" alt="The Love Hypothesis' Filming Locations You Can Visit"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The movie changes this part from the novel: Jeremy and Olive were previously a couple in the book, but in the film they have never dated, and he has simply been Olive's long-time crush.</p><h2>What works?</h2><p>The main takeaway from this film is definitely the chemistry between Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman. Lili Reinhart brings Olive an appealing combination of intelligence, awkwardness and emotional vulnerability. She makes the character feel more than just the typical rom-com heroine, particularly in the quieter moments when Olive is trying to work out what she actually wants. While Tom Bateman embraces Adam's grumpy, intimidating exterior while allowing glimpses of the softer character underneath. His performance works particularly well once Adam's relationship with Olive begins moving beyond the rules of their fake arrangement. As a couple, their exchanges have enough humour and tension to make the familiar fake-dating setup enjoyable rather than predictable.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/radhika-apte-recalls-being-unable-to-leave-home-after-leaked-clip-incident-i-was-really-scared-1790248724750"><strong>Radhika Apte recalls being unable to leave home after leaked clip incident</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The premise may be familiar, but the academic setting gives it a slightly different flavour. Olive and Adam are surrounded by research, laboratories, career ambitions and the competitive environment of academia, which gives the story more texture than a standard workplace rom-com.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In addition, Olive's decision to start the fake relationship is rooted in her friendship with Anh rather than simply her own romantic ambitions. That friendship remains an important emotional thread throughout the film.</p><h2>What does not work?</h2><p>The novel's slow-burn romance part is slightly reduced. The adaptation makes several cuts and changes to characters and scenes from the novel. One of the most noticeable is the absence of Holden, whose presence in the book adds another layer to Olive and Adam's wider social and academic world.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/dolly-parton-s-favourite-nephew-allegedly-sold-27m-in-ammo-sought-to-extract-money-from-her-estate-1790247469612"><strong>Dolly Parton's favourite nephew allegedly sold $27M ammunition</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film also introduces some new scenes while shortening or removing others, making the adaptation more compact and focused on the central romance.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p><i>The Love Hypothesis</i> doesn't reinvent the romantic-comedy formula, but it doesn't need to. Cinephiles, who haven't read the novel, definitely give you an idea of their characters and how they are as individuals in detail. Overall, Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman gave this adaptation enough chemistry and heart to make it a fun watch for both rom-com fans and viewers discovering Olive and Adam for the first time.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><i>The Love Hypothesis</i> is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.</p>

The Love Hypothesis stars Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, playing the roles of Olive and Adam with the premise of fake dating. The movie is based on Ali Hazelwood's novel.

Do you ever get those butterflies in your stomach when you start feeling something for someone or even just sense a little spark of attraction? The Love Hypothesis brings exactly that feeling to the screen, with Tom Bateman and Lili Reinhart creating a chemistry that makes their romance hard to look away from. As Olive and Adam navigate a fake-dating arrangement that slowly becomes more complicated, the film delivers the kind of romantic tension that can leave you smiling at the screen. Plot of The Love Hypothesis The film opens with Olive arriving at Stanford for her PhD research interview. She is nervous, has trouble with her expired contact lenses and ends up in a laboratory bathroom. She hears a male voice telling her to leave. Unable to see him properly, she assumes he is simply a rude scientist, and the interaction ends with him encouraging her before she leaves. Also Read: Welcome actor Mushtaq Khan dies at 56 after battling cancer The story fast-forwards to two years, showcasing Olive, a PhD candidate at Stanford researching pancreatic cancer. She is ambitious but somewhat insecure, especially compared with her confident best friend and fellow researcher, Anh. Olive is also interested in Jeremy, a man she has liked for years. Olive begins noticing that Jeremy and Anh have obvious chemistry. Anh, however, refuses to act on her feelings because she believes Olive still likes Jeremy. Olive doesn't want her best friend to hold herself back because of her. So Olive tells Anh that she has moved on and is seeing someone else. Except she isn't. Anh becomes suspicious when Olive claims she is going on a date. When Anh comes looking for her at the lab, Olive needs to prove that she really has a boyfriend. She spots Adam near a water fountain and impulsively asks him to kiss her. Adam agrees. Anh sees them, believes Olive's story and leaves. Olive has no idea that the man she has just kissed is the notoriously intimidating professor everyone calls "Dr Evil". As Olive and Adam stage public appearances, coffee dates, and lab interactions to fool their peers and faculty, their strict business arrangement begins to blur. Behind his stern exterior, Adam shows surprising attentiveness, while Olive—who identifies on the asexual spectrum, grows emotionally close to him. The dynamic shifts during deeply vulnerable moments and extended private sequences, cementing a genuine emotional and physical connection between the two scientists. Also Read: Ayushmann Khurrana reacts to ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ dialogue in Udta Teer How different is the film from the novel? In the book, Olive plays an audio recording of Tom sexually harassing her during a heated public confrontation between Tom and Adam. In the movie, Anh is the one who fills Adam in on Tom's behaviour, leading Adam to confront Tom directly, and the film jumps ahead two years to show Olive as a Stanford professor nicknamed "Dr Smite". Anh’s background is changed from Vietnamese in the book to Filipina in the movie, complete with a touching floating lantern scene in Michigan during Christmas break. Meanwhile, Adam’s childhood best friend and foil, Holden Rodrigues, is completely cut from the film. The movie changes this part from the novel: Jeremy and Olive were previously a couple in the book, but in the film they have never dated, and he has simply been Olive's long-time crush. What works? The main takeaway from this film is definitely the chemistry between Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman. Lili Reinhart brings Olive an appealing combination of intelligence, awkwardness and emotional vulnerability. She makes the character feel more than just the typical rom-com heroine, particularly in the quieter moments when Olive is trying to work out what she actually wants. While Tom Bateman embraces Adam's grumpy, intimidating exterior while allowing glimpses of the softer character underneath. His performance works particularly well once Adam's relationship with Olive begins moving beyond the rules of their fake arrangement. As a couple, their exchanges have enough humour and tension to make the familiar fake-dating setup enjoyable rather than predictable. Also Read: Radhika Apte recalls being unable to leave home after leaked clip incident The premise may be familiar, but the academic setting gives it a slightly different flavour. Olive and Adam are surrounded by research, laboratories, career ambitions and the competitive environment of academia, which gives the story more texture than a standard workplace rom-com. In addition, Olive's decision to start the fake relationship is rooted in her friendship with Anh rather than simply her own romantic ambitions. That friendship remains an important emotional thread throughout the film. What does not work? The novel's slow-burn romance part is slightly reduced. The adaptation makes several cuts and changes to characters and scenes from the novel. One of the most noticeable is the absence of Holden, whose presence in the book adds another layer to Olive and Adam's wider social and academic world. Also Read: Dolly Parton's favourite nephew allegedly sold $27M ammunition The film also introduces some new scenes while shortening or removing others, making the adaptation more compact and focused on the central romance. Final verdict The Love Hypothesis doesn't reinvent the romantic-comedy formula, but it doesn't need to. Cinephiles, who haven't read the novel, definitely give you an idea of their characters and how they are as individuals in detail. Overall, Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman gave this adaptation enough chemistry and heart to make it a fun watch for both rom-com fans and viewers discovering Olive and Adam for the first time. The Love Hypothesis is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

<p>The Love Hypothesis stars Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, playing the roles of Olive and Adam with the premise of fake dating. The movie is based on Ali Hazelwood's novel.</p>

The Love Hypothesis review: Lili Reinhart-Tom Bateman's chemistry makes this fake-dating trope feel brand new

<p>Family drama is a genre that can be explored in endless ways, and Anshuman Jha's Om Ka Hari explores a side of family life we already know and have lived with.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The good thing about family dramas is that we have seen a lot of similar content, yet every story still feels different. The essence is often very similar, but how everyone perceives it depends entirely on the individual, and the newest addition tells the story of a father and son and their dysfunctional relationship. Who will win, who loses - but the case here is totally different.</p><h3>Om Ka Hari: What is the story of this film</h3><p>Set in the heart of Bhopal, the movie tells the story of the Sharmas, who have been living in the city for decades. The father, Hari Prasad Sharma (Raghubir Yadav), like most old-generation fathers, believes he is always right and that whatever he is doing is for the betterment of his wife and children. His wife, played by Soni Razdan, and their two daughters have adjusted to his ways. But his son, Om (Anshuman Jha), is the rebellious one who refuses to live by his father's choices. He has left the house with his wife Priya, (Ayesha Kapur), but remains very much attached to the rest of the family. However, the twist comes when, due to a health emergency, Hari starts to believe that he has only six days left to live and wishes to take his last breath in Kashi. He travels there with his son, and what follows is a series of disagreements and the realisation. Whether and how they will both come on the same boat forms the rest of the story.</p>

Stills from Om Ka Hari

<h3>Heavy on message, less on feel</h3><p>The theme has been explored before in different ways, and this film makes a worthy comment on the fathers who will think a hundred times before admitting their fault, no matter what. The story is relatable and deserves to be told, but the real challenge is not the message itself, but its execution. Family dramas have been one of the most loved themes, which have been admired for their groundedness and innocence. But the challenge also comes up in how to keep the audience engaged during the tedious phases in the two hours. In this film, there are a lot of those moments.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In Om Ka Hari, the message is certainly strong, but the way it is presented feels tedious. For example, take Hari's constant shouting and explaining to his family about everything he has done for them. At one point, it feels overwhelming and irritating. But as the story progresses, it becomes clear when and why he is the way he is; it is life that has shaped him, and the realisation that comes with it is understandable. But the journey to understand the character is not smooth, and it overwhelms you with emotions that often feel unnecessary. In this almost two-hour film, until the climax and the Kashi sequence that I enjoyed, things get jaded for the viewer. As I said, after a point, it feels excessive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The film's true realisation comes in the climax between Jagat Rawat's Atmaram and Yadav's character, a poignant moment that wraps up the message of the film in five minutes.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The characters are well-crafted and well-performed, and you can't question Yadav's performance, who, with a simple glare, expresses hundreds of emotions. As for Jha, he has also done a decent job, but the realness is missing. Soni Razdan and Ayesha Kapur do their best within their limits. However, in Om Ka Hari, there is a repetition that brings monotony and takes away your attention, especially when you can already predict how the story will pan out. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>What matters is not just the messaging in the film, but also how it is conveyed, which is equally important. While it succeeds on the first front, it fails to impress on the second. With its story, performances, and setting, the film does try to impress through its dialogues and sweet family moments, but it all feels very staged and fails to build empathy for the characters.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Despite its strong messaging, Om Ka Hari falls short of the expectations that the film begins with. Special mention for the late Asha Bhosle, whose voice makes the climax feel complete.&nbsp;</p>

Om Ka Hari, starring Anshuman Jha and Raghubir Yadav,  has been released theatrically on September 18, 2026. Directed by Harish Vyas, the film also stars Soni Razdan, Samta Sudiksha and Ayesha Kapur in key roles. 

Family drama is a genre that can be explored in endless ways, and Anshuman Jha's Om Ka Hari explores a side of family life we already know and have lived with. The good thing about family dramas is that we have seen a lot of similar content, yet every story still feels different. The essence is often very similar, but how everyone perceives it depends entirely on the individual, and the newest addition tells the story of a father and son and their dysfunctional relationship. Who will win, who loses - but the case here is totally different. Om Ka Hari: What is the story of this film Set in the heart of Bhopal, the movie tells the story of the Sharmas, who have been living in the city for decades. The father, Hari Prasad Sharma (Raghubir Yadav), like most old-generation fathers, believes he is always right and that whatever he is doing is for the betterment of his wife and children. His wife, played by Soni Razdan, and their two daughters have adjusted to his ways. But his son, Om (Anshuman Jha), is the rebellious one who refuses to live by his father's choices. He has left the house with his wife Priya, (Ayesha Kapur), but remains very much attached to the rest of the family. However, the twist comes when, due to a health emergency, Hari starts to believe that he has only six days left to live and wishes to take his last breath in Kashi. He travels there with his son, and what follows is a series of disagreements and the realisation. Whether and how they will both come on the same boat forms the rest of the story.

<p>Om Ka Hari, starring Anshuman Jha and Raghubir Yadav, &nbsp;has been released theatrically on September 18, 2026. Directed by Harish Vyas, the film also stars Soni Razdan, Samta Sudiksha and Ayesha Kapur in key roles.&nbsp;</p>

Om Ka Hari review: Raghubir Yadav gives honest performance, film falls short on execution

<p>Lust Stories, right from the beginning, when the first part was released in 2020, raised eyebrows. Since then, several other similar films and series have come up on OTT- all exploring female sexual desires- some landed, some did not, but the charm of Lust Stories and subsequently of Lust Stories 2 has had a different effect on the audience. How many mainstream filmmakers have attempted to explore what women want and ultimately got it right? In Lust Stories 3, filmmakers Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj speak of Lust, an emotion that often brings out the best and worst in any human being.</p><h2>What is Lust Stories 3 about?</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Lust Stories 3 starts with a bang as Vikramaditya Motwane introduces Paddy (Radhika Apte) and Shona(Konkona Sen Sharma), two women in their 40s wanting reiginiate the sex lives in their marraige. They are office colleagues and neighbours and best friends. They watch Korean dramas together and would want their husbands, Hemant (Vijay Verma) and Debu (Abhishek Banerjee) to be more active in bed. A plan is hatched during a weekend trip with family to Khandala so that the women get what they want. Shona takes the lead even as Paddy reminds her that they are not in Korea but Kandivili. While the two friends finally act upon the plan, which involves their unsuspecting husbands, it doesn’t go the way it was envisioned for the two couples.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Kiran Rao’s story takes the viewers to a very busy spot in Mumbai where a pizza delivery guy (Gurfateh Pirzada) and a nail artist (Sana Thampi) hook up in the latter’s empty flat even as the man and his identical twin sell drugs at night on the sly. He thinks her house is a perfect alibi and hideout for the stash and cash, but things are not quite as simple as they seem.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Shakun Batra takes a theme that he is known to ace- familial complexities- in his film that features Ali Fazal and Radikka Madan as a divorcing couple. Love was at the centre of their relationship as they had built a life together but at present they are slowly trying to separate and be civil about it. But the wounds are deep and separating amicably is not so easy, as they find sex as a way to communicate amid all the fighting. “Is Lust the cure or the painkiller?” asks the therapist, only to expose the two and show them the mirror about what they are running away from.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The final film, by Vishal Bhardwaj, makes the female gaze the core theme of the plot. Real-life couple Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth play married couple Saira and Badru, settled in Hyderabad. Saira is a professor of literature, while her husband Badru is a homoeopathic doctor. They look like a much-in-love and lustful couple to the outside world, but Badru isn’t ever able to fully satisfy Saira in bed. What makes Bhardwaj’s film stand out as how the man is objectified in this story, with Saira writing an explicit novel on lust while imagining her husband as an object of desire. Siddharth, wrapped in a tiny white cloth, and sporting a mop on his head and a handlebar moustache, serenades his wife in her dreams, even as Badru in reality isn’t able to fully understand his wife’s needs. The plot twist comes when the two realise that they are a perfect match made in heaven, yearning the same things but just too shy to openly communicate.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>I am sold when any filmmaker is willing to write a story featuring Radhika Apte and Konkona Sen Sharma in it. The two women are fantastic, and the chemistry is hard to miss. Motwane’s segment, while talking of female desire, is comical in the beginning with a retrospective end and the actors deliver well. Sen Sharma and Apte together are a house on fire with perfect comic timing. But the men- Vijay Verma and Abhishek Banerjee- one slightly clueless and the other slightly sly-aren’t bad either. The four actors uplift a known story well- with comic timing and that dance on Marathi wrap- making their film the most fun of them all.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Fazal, who is riding high on Mirzapur: The Movie’s success, and Radhikka Madan share a great on-screen chemistry. But their story worked the least for me. It's a conversational drama where there is a lot of emotional baggage to offload for both the characters and a lot to take in for the viewers.</p>

<p>Rao’s film has relatively newer faces and a fresh pairing of Pirzada and Thampi who add the extra zing to their onscreen romance. Rao, of course, gives the film an interesting feminist spin, making the girl appear more in power and more in tune with what exactly she wants and at what time, leaving the men high and dry.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The most elaborate is Bhardwaj’s film that is dramatic, quirky and set in a backdrop that is slightly unfamiliar to us all. As the married couple whose communication takes a hit on bed, Aditi and Siddharth are fantastic. Kudos to the filmmaker and Siddharth for presenting the man as the sex object and flipping the narrative. Aditi and Siddharth share crackling chemistry and deliver to a slightly over-the-top screenplay, ably. Special mention for Gajraj Rao, who plays the empathic father-in-law to Aditi and adds the right amount of humour to the story.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The plot, though, harps on female desires a bit too much and gives a simplistic resolution to the plot.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Lust Stories 3 caters to women more and wants the men to take note. While female desires remain the core theme of the anthology, it also talks of human emotions well and the complexities that come along with it. It may not shy away from talking about sexual desire, but it very obviously states how Indian society is still reluctant to talk about sex openly. In Lust Stories 2, sex is used for seeking revenge, communicating, taking control of things, having fun, and even for redemption.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Lust Stories 3 is now streaming on Netflix.</p>

Lust Stories 3 sticks to the format of the previous films in the franchise, keeping female desire at the core of all the films. The anthology film has four distinctive stories which are propelled by great performances.

Lust Stories, right from the beginning, when the first part was released in 2020, raised eyebrows. Since then, several other similar films and series have come up on OTT- all exploring female sexual desires- some landed, some did not, but the charm of Lust Stories and subsequently of Lust Stories 2 has had a different effect on the audience. How many mainstream filmmakers have attempted to explore what women want and ultimately got it right? In Lust Stories 3, filmmakers Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj speak of Lust, an emotion that often brings out the best and worst in any human being. What is Lust Stories 3 about? Lust Stories 3 starts with a bang as Vikramaditya Motwane introduces Paddy (Radhika Apte) and Shona(Konkona Sen Sharma), two women in their 40s wanting reiginiate the sex lives in their marraige. They are office colleagues and neighbours and best friends. They watch Korean dramas together and would want their husbands, Hemant (Vijay Verma) and Debu (Abhishek Banerjee) to be more active in bed. A plan is hatched during a weekend trip with family to Khandala so that the women get what they want. Shona takes the lead even as Paddy reminds her that they are not in Korea but Kandivili. While the two friends finally act upon the plan, which involves their unsuspecting husbands, it doesn’t go the way it was envisioned for the two couples. Kiran Rao’s story takes the viewers to a very busy spot in Mumbai where a pizza delivery guy (Gurfateh Pirzada) and a nail artist (Sana Thampi) hook up in the latter’s empty flat even as the man and his identical twin sell drugs at night on the sly. He thinks her house is a perfect alibi and hideout for the stash and cash, but things are not quite as simple as they seem. Shakun Batra takes a theme that he is known to ace- familial complexities- in his film that features Ali Fazal and Radikka Madan as a divorcing couple. Love was at the centre of their relationship as they had built a life together but at present they are slowly trying to separate and be civil about it. But the wounds are deep and separating amicably is not so easy, as they find sex as a way to communicate amid all the fighting. “Is Lust the cure or the painkiller?” asks the therapist, only to expose the two and show them the mirror about what they are running away from. The final film, by Vishal Bhardwaj, makes the female gaze the core theme of the plot. Real-life couple Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth play married couple Saira and Badru, settled in Hyderabad. Saira is a professor of literature, while her husband Badru is a homoeopathic doctor. They look like a much-in-love and lustful couple to the outside world, but Badru isn’t ever able to fully satisfy Saira in bed. What makes Bhardwaj’s film stand out as how the man is objectified in this story, with Saira writing an explicit novel on lust while imagining her husband as an object of desire. Siddharth, wrapped in a tiny white cloth, and sporting a mop on his head and a handlebar moustache, serenades his wife in her dreams, even as Badru in reality isn’t able to fully understand his wife’s needs. The plot twist comes when the two realise that they are a perfect match made in heaven, yearning the same things but just too shy to openly communicate. What works and what does not I am sold when any filmmaker is willing to write a story featuring Radhika Apte and Konkona Sen Sharma in it. The two women are fantastic, and the chemistry is hard to miss. Motwane’s segment, while talking of female desire, is comical in the beginning with a retrospective end and the actors deliver well. Sen Sharma and Apte together are a house on fire with perfect comic timing. But the men- Vijay Verma and Abhishek Banerjee- one slightly clueless and the other slightly sly-aren’t bad either. The four actors uplift a known story well- with comic timing and that dance on Marathi wrap- making their film the most fun of them all. Fazal, who is riding high on Mirzapur: The Movie’s success, and Radhikka Madan share a great on-screen chemistry. But their story worked the least for me. It's a conversational drama where there is a lot of emotional baggage to offload for both the characters and a lot to take in for the viewers.

<p>Lust Stories 3 sticks to the format of the previous films in the franchise, keeping female desire at the core of all the films. The anthology film has four distinctive stories which are propelled by great performances.</p>

Lust Stories 3 review: Konkona-Radhika’s crackling chemistry & Vishal Bhardwaj’s bold role reversal steal the show

<p>Have you ever tried too hard to look cool or prove yourself, only to realise that it can backfire in the most unexpected way? Sometimes, one decision made just to impress others can land you in a situation you never saw coming. <i>Vibe</i> plays around with this idea as two ordinary friends, who find themselves caught in a chaotic spy adventure that is far beyond their comfort zone. Starring Kunal Kemmu, Sparsh Shrivastava and Preity Zinta, the film blends comedy, action and plenty of unpredictable moments.</p><h2>What is the plot of Vibe?</h2><p>The movie begins with Bugs, aka Bhagirath Bhargav (Sparsh Shrivastava), at his office, where he asks his boss for 10 days off so he can spend time with his best friend Hardik (Kunal Kemmu), who is returning from rehab. Bugs lovingly refers to Hardik as his elder brother and seems genuinely excited about his return. But when the story shifts to Hardik, we see a completely different side of the man Bugs has described — someone reckless, carefree and seemingly unconcerned about where his life is headed. While Bugs’ boss listens to him talk about Hardik, he decides to give his friend a chance at the company, but not without a warning: he must not mess it up. Bugs, meanwhile, has his own warning for Hardik: he tells him not to ruin his professional life over a girl.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/south-cinema/rashmika-mandanna-meets-ms-subbulakshmi-s-family-after-biopic-launch-watch-video-1789641434633"><strong>Rashmika Mandanna meets MS Subbulakshmi’s family after biopic launch, watch video</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Hardik, however, soon finds himself falling for Kareena, a new intern working on the same floor. Despite Bugs’ advice, the two grow closer with each passing day. But after a date with Kareena (Vanshika Dhir), Hardik’s life takes a dramatic turn when Indian secret agents take him into custody over his alleged connection to a terrorist network, something he knows nothing about. Things become even more complicated when Madam H (Preity Zinta) receives intelligence revealing that Kareena is actually Huma Sayeed, whose father and brother have links to terrorism. After some hesitation, Madam H decides to give Hardik a chance to prove his innocence rather than immediately treating him as an accomplice.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/divyenndu-confirms-madgaon-express-sequel-kunal-kemmu-is-working-on-the-script-1777268080943"><strong>Divyenndu confirms Madgaon Express sequel: 'Kunal Kemmu is working on the script'</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>But Hardik is no longer the only one caught in the mess. Bugs also gets pulled into the investigation, forcing the unlikely duo to work together as they try to uncover the truth behind Kareena’s identity and the larger mystery surrounding the case. But the mission takes a drastic turn when Kareena, aka Huma, dies in a blast. Soon after, her brother invites Hardik and Bugs to Thailand for her funeral, asking them to join the family in celebrating her life.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260918/image-1789706150676.jpg"></figure><p>Once the duo reaches Thailand, however, things are far from what they expected. New mysteries begin to unfold, pulling Hardik and Bugs deeper into the situation. What follows is a chaotic mix of action, comedy and unexpected twists as the two friends try to make sense of everything happening around them.&nbsp;</p><h2>What works?</h2><p>The biggest attraction of <i>Vibe</i> is the film's attempt to put ordinary, unprepared characters in an extraordinary spy situation. That contrast gives the story its comic energy. Kunal Kemmu's role as actor and director leans into his strength for situational humour and self-aware comedy. The friendship between Hardik and Bugs gives the film an emotional and comic centre instead of making it only about the action.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/vibe-trailer-out-kunal-kemmu-sparsh-shrivastava-face-chaos-danger-and-bad-decisions-preity-zinta-gets-a-new-avatar-watch-1788357663684"><strong>Vibe trailer out: Kunal Kemmu, Sparsh Shrivastava face chaos, danger and bad decisions; Preity Zinta gets a new avatar | Watch</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Coming to Preity Zinta's role as Madam H gives the film another layer, particularly because she plays someone on the more capable side of the chaotic mission. In addition, debutant Vanshika Dhir's role as Kareena makes a promising debut, bringing a fresh presence to the film and holding her own in her role.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film appears willing to poke fun at the larger-than-life spy genre rather than taking itself too seriously. That self-awareness could work particularly well for viewers who enjoy films that play with familiar Bollywood tropes. The film also features a couple of interesting cameo appearances that add an extra surprise to the already chaotic storyline.</p><h2>What does not work?</h2><p>The film has a fairly long running time for a comedy-driven spy caper. If the humour or action loses momentum, the length could become noticeable. Because the film relies heavily on situational comedy and Bollywood references, the humour may work differently for different viewers. The antagonist, however, falls flat. Despite being central to the conflict, the character lacks the impact and depth needed to make the threat feel truly compelling.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/zhao-lusi-to-direct-and-star-in-new-c-drama-farewell-letter-fans-react-1789654805708"><strong>Zhao Lusi to direct and star in new C-drama Farewell Letter, fans react</strong></a></p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p><i>Vibe</i> is definitely an easy-going Bollywood entertainer that combines friendship, action and comedy rather than taking the spy genre too seriously. Its biggest strength is the unusual pairing of ordinary men with a mission far beyond their abilities, while Kunal Kemmu's comic sensibility gives the film its distinct flavour.&nbsp;</p>

Vibe is written, produced and directed by Kunal Khemu, who also stars in the film alongside Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava and Vanshika Dhir in her debut role. The film has released in cinemas today.

Have you ever tried too hard to look cool or prove yourself, only to realise that it can backfire in the most unexpected way? Sometimes, one decision made just to impress others can land you in a situation you never saw coming. Vibe plays around with this idea as two ordinary friends, who find themselves caught in a chaotic spy adventure that is far beyond their comfort zone. Starring Kunal Kemmu, Sparsh Shrivastava and Preity Zinta, the film blends comedy, action and plenty of unpredictable moments. What is the plot of Vibe? The movie begins with Bugs, aka Bhagirath Bhargav (Sparsh Shrivastava), at his office, where he asks his boss for 10 days off so he can spend time with his best friend Hardik (Kunal Kemmu), who is returning from rehab. Bugs lovingly refers to Hardik as his elder brother and seems genuinely excited about his return. But when the story shifts to Hardik, we see a completely different side of the man Bugs has described — someone reckless, carefree and seemingly unconcerned about where his life is headed. While Bugs’ boss listens to him talk about Hardik, he decides to give his friend a chance at the company, but not without a warning: he must not mess it up. Bugs, meanwhile, has his own warning for Hardik: he tells him not to ruin his professional life over a girl. Also Read: Rashmika Mandanna meets MS Subbulakshmi’s family after biopic launch, watch video Hardik, however, soon finds himself falling for Kareena, a new intern working on the same floor. Despite Bugs’ advice, the two grow closer with each passing day. But after a date with Kareena (Vanshika Dhir), Hardik’s life takes a dramatic turn when Indian secret agents take him into custody over his alleged connection to a terrorist network, something he knows nothing about. Things become even more complicated when Madam H (Preity Zinta) receives intelligence revealing that Kareena is actually Huma Sayeed, whose father and brother have links to terrorism. After some hesitation, Madam H decides to give Hardik a chance to prove his innocence rather than immediately treating him as an accomplice. Also Read: Divyenndu confirms Madgaon Express sequel: 'Kunal Kemmu is working on the script' But Hardik is no longer the only one caught in the mess. Bugs also gets pulled into the investigation, forcing the unlikely duo to work together as they try to uncover the truth behind Kareena’s identity and the larger mystery surrounding the case. But the mission takes a drastic turn when Kareena, aka Huma, dies in a blast. Soon after, her brother invites Hardik and Bugs to Thailand for her funeral, asking them to join the family in celebrating her life. Once the duo reaches Thailand, however, things are far from what they expected. New mysteries begin to unfold, pulling Hardik and Bugs deeper into the situation. What follows is a chaotic mix of action, comedy and unexpected twists as the two friends try to make sense of everything happening around them. What works? The biggest attraction of Vibe is the film's attempt to put ordinary, unprepared characters in an extraordinary spy situation. That contrast gives the story its comic energy. Kunal Kemmu's role as actor and director leans into his strength for situational humour and self-aware comedy. The friendship between Hardik and Bugs gives the film an emotional and comic centre instead of making it only about the action. Also Read: Vibe trailer out: Kunal Kemmu, Sparsh Shrivastava face chaos, danger and bad decisions; Preity Zinta gets a new avatar | Watch Coming to Preity Zinta's role as Madam H gives the film another layer, particularly because she plays someone on the more capable side of the chaotic mission. In addition, debutant Vanshika Dhir's role as Kareena makes a promising debut, bringing a fresh presence to the film and holding her own in her role. The film appears willing to poke fun at the larger-than-life spy genre rather than taking itself too seriously. That self-awareness could work particularly well for viewers who enjoy films that play with familiar Bollywood tropes. The film also features a couple of interesting cameo appearances that add an extra surprise to the already chaotic storyline. What does not work? The film has a fairly long running time for a comedy-driven spy caper. If the humour or action loses momentum, the length could become noticeable. Because the film relies heavily on situational comedy and Bollywood references, the humour may work differently for different viewers. The antagonist, however, falls flat. Despite being central to the conflict, the character lacks the impact and depth needed to make the threat feel truly compelling. Also Read: Zhao Lusi to direct and star in new C-drama Farewell Letter, fans react Final verdict Vibe is definitely an easy-going Bollywood entertainer that combines friendship, action and comedy rather than taking the spy genre too seriously. Its biggest strength is the unusual pairing of ordinary men with a mission far beyond their abilities, while Kunal Kemmu's comic sensibility gives the film its distinct flavour.

<p>Vibe is written, produced and directed by Kunal Khemu, who also stars in the film alongside Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava and Vanshika Dhir in her debut role. The film has released in cinemas today.</p>

Vibe movie review: Kunal Kemmu, Sparsh Shrivastava, Preity Zinta's spy adventure delivers plenty of laughs and unexpected chaos

<p>When Mirzapur: The Movie was announced, I have to admit I was sceptical. The film, an extension of the hugely popular web series Mirzapur, was supposed to take audiences back in time, somewhere in the middle of the first season. Loyal audiences of the series have, over the years, already progressed a lot into the Mirzapur universe. Some key characters are now long dead in the series, and the trajectories of Munna, Guddu, Golu, and Kaleen Bhaiyaa have also taken very different turns. Was it necessary to make a movie and go back to the origin story again, I wondered. Happy to report that my doubts and scepticism were pleasantly put to rest as I watched Mirzapur the movie. The film takes you back in time, somewhere in the middle of the first season and introduces new characters and adds a fresh twist to the story. The result is a deeply engaging story of power and greed, but also of validation and fighting for love.</p><h2>The plot of Mirzapur</h2><p><br>Most are aware of the premise, but let's refresh your memories. Akhandanand Tripathi (Pankaj Tripathi) urf Kaleen Bhaiya runs Mirzapur. The man wields power through his legal and illegal businesses and dictates terms of the state of Purvanchal. His son, Munna (Divyenndu), pines for his father's love and validation, which seldom comes. Kaleen has more trust in Guddu and Bablu Pandit. Guddu, with his might, is the formidable shield that Kaleen needs, while Bablu's calculative and sharp brain is what the master admires. Naturally, Munna is envious of the brothers, who will go lengths to prove their loyalty just in order to get more power in the state.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While the tussle for power with the neighbouring Jaunpur continues, a new entrant in the form of Babban Babua (Ravi Kishan) adds more drama to the power tussle. Babban wants to rule Mirzapur and wants to eliminate Kaleen and his clan. Disguised as a big seller of drugs, Babban makes an entry into Mirzapur, but will it be that easy to eliminate the formidable Akhandanand Tripathi from the throne of Mirzapur?</p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Nostalgia works majorly for Mirzapur: The Movie. The film brings back almost all the actors from the first season except Vikrant Massey, who is replaced by Jeetendra Kumar as the calculative Bablu Pandit. Jeetendra fills the big shoes well and appears at home in the ensemble film. Pankaj Tripathi once again reiterates how his performance as Kaleen Bhaiya is one for the history books. Years later, Tripathi, with a stupendous repertoire of work, will still be remembered for playing the ice-cool, calculative Mafia boss in this series.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Divyenndu

<p>But Mirzapur doesn’t belong to Tripathi alone. It is just as much Ali Fazal's and Divyenndu's. Both actors are stunning in their performances. Ali plays the beast Guddu Pandit with such nonchalance that you forget the actor behind the character. Similarly, Divyendu as the angsty, witty Munna Bhaiya is also brilliant. Mirzapur, the series, worked for these three actors, and the film too belongs to them.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Man of the moment and the internet’s favourite meme inspiration, Ravi Kishan, too is splendid as the scheming Babban. A man who is a lover, who appears to be respectful towards women but is evil in his own way, Kishan’s character is the most interesting addition to the Mirzapur universe, and the actor makes it his own.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Mirzapur the movie also works for its ensemble cast. From Mohit Malik to Rasika Duggal, to Kulbhushan Kharbanda to Sheeba Chaddha- all the actors make the film and the universe of Mirzapur alive. Even the tiniest cameos (including one by Priyanshu Painyuli) and brief appearances are all well etched out.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Written by Puneet Krishna, the film captures the heartland and its dynamics well. You have to be familiar with the colloquial language and the way people speak in the heartland to fully enjoy the Mirzapur universe. But punchlines are in galore, and amid the violence there is sly humour that keeps you entertained.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I wish the women had more to do. Shriya Pilagoankar, Shweta Tripathi, Harshita Gaur, and Sonal Chauhan have very little to do. Unlike the series, Shweta Tripathi’s role in the film is a limited one. The makers also don’t use Rasika Duggal to her full potential.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Mirzapur is an easy ride but becomes chaotic at the climax. You know how the story will pan out because you have watched the series, so the predictability can kill the surprise element slightly. The film, though, ends on a note of a possible sequel and perhaps expansion of the franchise on the big screen.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Mirzapur: The Movie gives a fresh perspective to a known story. The film takes a fresh spin on love, validation, and brotherhood even as the main plot centres around the fight for the throne of Mirzapur. The film works for its music, its engaging plot and above all, its fabulous cast. Kudos to director Gurmeet Singh for making each actor deliver their best in the film.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It doesn't matter if you are a fan of the series or not; go watch Mirzapur: The Movie. It's full <i>paisa vasool</i> entertainment.</p>

Mirzapur: The Movie brings back nostalgia and high-stakes drama to the big screen. It's a film that you will enjoy despite knowing its story, primarily because of its fabulous cast and a gripping screenplay. 

When Mirzapur: The Movie was announced, I have to admit I was sceptical. The film, an extension of the hugely popular web series Mirzapur, was supposed to take audiences back in time, somewhere in the middle of the first season. Loyal audiences of the series have, over the years, already progressed a lot into the Mirzapur universe. Some key characters are now long dead in the series, and the trajectories of Munna, Guddu, Golu, and Kaleen Bhaiyaa have also taken very different turns. Was it necessary to make a movie and go back to the origin story again, I wondered. Happy to report that my doubts and scepticism were pleasantly put to rest as I watched Mirzapur the movie. The film takes you back in time, somewhere in the middle of the first season and introduces new characters and adds a fresh twist to the story. The result is a deeply engaging story of power and greed, but also of validation and fighting for love. The plot of Mirzapur Most are aware of the premise, but let's refresh your memories. Akhandanand Tripathi (Pankaj Tripathi) urf Kaleen Bhaiya runs Mirzapur. The man wields power through his legal and illegal businesses and dictates terms of the state of Purvanchal. His son, Munna (Divyenndu), pines for his father's love and validation, which seldom comes. Kaleen has more trust in Guddu and Bablu Pandit. Guddu, with his might, is the formidable shield that Kaleen needs, while Bablu's calculative and sharp brain is what the master admires. Naturally, Munna is envious of the brothers, who will go lengths to prove their loyalty just in order to get more power in the state. While the tussle for power with the neighbouring Jaunpur continues, a new entrant in the form of Babban Babua (Ravi Kishan) adds more drama to the power tussle. Babban wants to rule Mirzapur and wants to eliminate Kaleen and his clan. Disguised as a big seller of drugs, Babban makes an entry into Mirzapur, but will it be that easy to eliminate the formidable Akhandanand Tripathi from the throne of Mirzapur? What works and what does not Nostalgia works majorly for Mirzapur: The Movie. The film brings back almost all the actors from the first season except Vikrant Massey, who is replaced by Jeetendra Kumar as the calculative Bablu Pandit. Jeetendra fills the big shoes well and appears at home in the ensemble film. Pankaj Tripathi once again reiterates how his performance as Kaleen Bhaiya is one for the history books. Years later, Tripathi, with a stupendous repertoire of work, will still be remembered for playing the ice-cool, calculative Mafia boss in this series.

<p>Mirzapur: The Movie brings back nostalgia and high-stakes drama to the big screen. It's a film that you will enjoy despite knowing its story, primarily because of its fabulous cast and a gripping screenplay.&nbsp;</p>

Mirzapur: The Movie review: Nostalgia meets high-stakes 'bhaukaal' as Kaleen Bhaiya and company take over theatres

<p>Human trafficking, a grim reality of our present time, has become a favourite theme for Bollywood. After Mardaani and Delhi Crime Season 2, Netflix’s new film Gandhari, featuring Taapsee Pannu, delves into the same theme. Written by Kanika Dhillon and directed by Devashish Makhija, Gandhari has Pannu playing a blind mother in search of her missing daughter in a fictitious town in Bengal. While looking for her daughter, she stumbles upon a larger network of child trafficking. And while the premise of Gandhari is very real and thus makes for an engaging thriller, in reality, the film’s execution makes it falter ever so often.</p><h2>What’s the story of Gandhari</h2><p>Bani (Pannu), Gopal (Ishwak Singh) and their daughter set out from their home for a summer vacation somewhere in West Bengal. As the train halts at Joypura, a small town in the state, their daughter gets kidnapped at a crowded station. Bani attempts to stop the kidnapper, running through a crowded station, but gets hit by a steel rod and goes blind.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Gopal and Bani lodge a complaint at the local police station; however, after days of waiting at the thana for some leads, they decide to stay back in the town to find their daughter. For Bani, it is an uphill task initially, having to know and acclimatise herself to new city and surroundings and become a part of the crowd, to get information about her daughter.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Gopal meanwhile takes up a job at the local toll booth, hoping to get a trace of his daughter.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While the distressed couple try their best to look for their daughter, Kabir (Jatin Sarna), a special investigative officer, comes to Joypura to investigate the case of missing children.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As the investigation deepens, an unsettling truth emerges: virtually everyone is hiding something. Joypura is a town built on disguise, where residents seamlessly slip between personas and play-act their roles. Beneath these carefully crafted masks lies a dark, intricate web of secrets—invisible to the outside world, yet driving everything from the shadows. Everyone appears suspicious, from the NGO head (Swastika Mukherjee) to the friendly neighbour (Chhaya Kadam) to the local cops- all seem to be hiding something and even reporting to Bhaiji (Prashant Narayan), who remains in the shadows.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>If Kanika Dhillon had set out to make a film on a heroine fighting a lonely battle against a powerful nexus, Gandhari does a fairly decent job of serving that narrative. Taapsee Pannu plays a lone warrior who will go to any lengths to find her daughter- even play act to be blind, just to avoid being spotted. While the screenplay gives ample opportunity to Taapsee Pannu to showcase her talent as an actor, the story and logic take a back seat.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While the film shows Bani hunting for clues and going into uncharted and dangerous territories in order to find her daughter, in reality, clues come to Bani. Twists in the narrative are manufactured, and writers do not attempt to make the story logical and plausible.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Actors like Ishwak Singh, Mita Vashisht, and Swastika Mukherjee. Chhaya Kadam are all wasted in a poorly written story. So much of the narrative is in flashback, and the twists in the tale are plain random.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I also hate the cultural appropriation that Bollywood indulges in when portraying a specific community. Once it is established that the story is based in Bengal, one doesn't have to forcefully add Bengali words in Hindi dialogues. Or use an extra ‘O’ in all words. Or make the community worship the occult just to make them appear dark and mysterious.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A portion of the film has the entire town, dressed in disguise, worshipping a Chaumukhi Ma. The scene is near the climax and has key characters dressed in masks and paint just to blend into the crowd. So unnecessary and so cringe- it adds nothing to the narrative.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Watching Gandhari is a deeply frustrating exercise. It takes up a theme that has already been talked about it films and series before, adds a bit of Kahaani flavour with Bengal serving as a backdrop while a mother goes around looking for her missing daughter, adds pointless twists that do not help the narrative and ultimately makes the film overdramatic.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It is a pity that the film has Devasish Makhija as a director who has in the past made brilliant films like Ajji and Bhonsle. So many of the film’s subplots have loose ends, and so much is left unexplained. In the end, it is one woman show- fighting the odds, solving a murky case- all alone.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Gandhaari is streaming on Netflix.</p>

In her latest release, Gandhari, Taapsee Pannu turns in a strong solo performance as a mother fighting against a massive nexus. However, the film falls flat due to illogical plot twists, heavy-handed cultural stereotypes, and manufactured drama.

Human trafficking, a grim reality of our present time, has become a favourite theme for Bollywood. After Mardaani and Delhi Crime Season 2, Netflix’s new film Gandhari, featuring Taapsee Pannu, delves into the same theme. Written by Kanika Dhillon and directed by Devashish Makhija, Gandhari has Pannu playing a blind mother in search of her missing daughter in a fictitious town in Bengal. While looking for her daughter, she stumbles upon a larger network of child trafficking. And while the premise of Gandhari is very real and thus makes for an engaging thriller, in reality, the film’s execution makes it falter ever so often. What’s the story of Gandhari Bani (Pannu), Gopal (Ishwak Singh) and their daughter set out from their home for a summer vacation somewhere in West Bengal. As the train halts at Joypura, a small town in the state, their daughter gets kidnapped at a crowded station. Bani attempts to stop the kidnapper, running through a crowded station, but gets hit by a steel rod and goes blind. Gopal and Bani lodge a complaint at the local police station; however, after days of waiting at the thana for some leads, they decide to stay back in the town to find their daughter. For Bani, it is an uphill task initially, having to know and acclimatise herself to new city and surroundings and become a part of the crowd, to get information about her daughter. Gopal meanwhile takes up a job at the local toll booth, hoping to get a trace of his daughter. While the distressed couple try their best to look for their daughter, Kabir (Jatin Sarna), a special investigative officer, comes to Joypura to investigate the case of missing children. As the investigation deepens, an unsettling truth emerges: virtually everyone is hiding something. Joypura is a town built on disguise, where residents seamlessly slip between personas and play-act their roles. Beneath these carefully crafted masks lies a dark, intricate web of secrets—invisible to the outside world, yet driving everything from the shadows. Everyone appears suspicious, from the NGO head (Swastika Mukherjee) to the friendly neighbour (Chhaya Kadam) to the local cops- all seem to be hiding something and even reporting to Bhaiji (Prashant Narayan), who remains in the shadows.

<p>In her latest release, Gandhari, Taapsee Pannu turns in a strong solo performance as a mother fighting against a massive nexus. However, the film falls flat due to illogical plot twists, heavy-handed cultural stereotypes, and manufactured drama.</p>

Gandhari review: Taapsee Pannu’s thriller is too dramatic to work

<p>There are very few films that live up to their title, and Geetu Mohandas’ latest directorial venture, Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown Ups, is one of them. The film is more toxic than your red-flag ex and more a tale of horror than a fairy tale, even for grown-ups. Featuring Yash in an all-encompassing role, Toxic numbs you from the very beginning with its over-the-top drama, VFX, and too much screeching. Nothing in the film is subtle; everything and everyone is loud. And with a plot that is hard to fathom, Toxic feels a bit too much- much like its crowded star cast.</p><h2>What’s the plot of Toxic</h2><p>Set in Goa in 1947, Yash plays Raaya, a ruthless gangster who, along with his sister Ganga (Nayanthara) wants to rule over the entire state even as the Portuguese continue to rule in post-Independent India. Raaya either kills people ruthlessly or fornicates. These are the only two jobs that the man knows. At some point, he gets engaged to Rebecca (Tara Sutaria), the daughter of a Mafia don. The relationship is merely a means to climb up the power ladder for Raaya.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As a circus comes to town, he falls in love with one of its star performers, Nadia (Kiara Advani). But loving a man who was orphaned at a young age and who has parental issues is tough. Nadia and Raaya too have a complicated love story. They part ways over a misunderstanding, leaving Nadia with their love child, Ticket. As Ticket grows up, he is consumed by hatred for his father, who now lives in deep guilt and regret. Amid multiple gang wars spanning two decades, the story ultimately culminates in a standoff between the father and son. Both are consumed by hatred and anger and are desperate to kill each other.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Too many characters spoil the plot!</h2><p>I must tell you that the film’s story, written by Mohandas and Yash, is very complicated and hard to keep up. It takes a special kind of patience to understand the film in its entirety and then retell it. They say too many cooks spoil the broth. In Toxic’s case, too many characters spoil the plot! The first half is chaotic and takes ages to establish the story. Too many names are thrown in, and the maker takes huge artistic liberties in creating a world that feels distinctly removed from the society that India was in 1947.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It also doesn’t help that none of them speaks normally in the film. In Geetu Mohandas’ make-believe world, they exchange manufactured dialogues. The atmospheric film is heavy on the eyes and ears, where action sequences are thrown in arbitrarily.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p> </p><p> </p><p>A scene where Yash and Kiara meet for a dinner date (as if it was a thing in 1947 India) at a local pub is soon hijacked by a bunch of Russian female assassins, all dressed as nuns. At some point, they walk in, strip to their bare minimum and start attacking Yash from all sides. He, of course, tackles all of them single-handedly while others in the room run for refuge. No one explains why the women are attacking him and why they are all dressed as nuns!</p><p> </p><p>There are plenty of scenes like these. The second half of the story shifts to Goa 1967 but also has Yash dealing with Chinese gangsters. At some point, the story shifts to a snowy mountain area where gang war looks like a proper battlefield. Who is permitting them to launch bombs in such areas? Where is the army? Why is the younger Yash in a vest and cargo pants while the older one is in an overcoat? Why does a kid keep screaming ‘Daddy?’ Why was this film made? Questions that will remain with me forever, along with the trauma of watching it.</p><h2>Kiara Advani stands out</h2><p>If at all there is something to look forward to in Toxic, it is Kiara Advani’s performance. Among a plethora of actors that also includes the likes of Nayanthara and Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth, Kiara’s emotional arc as the sad, love-lorn Nadia stands out. Her scenes with Yash serve as the emotional anchor to a crazy plot where killing comes as an easy option for everyone.</p><p> </p><p>I wish I had seen Nayanthara in a meatier role. Her background story is so strong, yet the actress is reduced to playing a sister, enabling her brother throughout.</p><p> </p><p>Huma Qureshi, who is otherwise such a powerful performer, is reduced to playing a woman similar to Cruella de Vil.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone speaks in a deep baritone, trying desperately to sound menacing. But turns out to be more comical than evil.</p><h2>It's a Yash show</h2><p>If one sets aside the absurdities, Toxic is ultimately a Yash show. The man serves as a writer and a producer of the film, and thus it is completely about him. The scenes that have the actor in a double role are well enacted; the actor, especially, is good as the menacing son Ticket, who only seeks revenge. However, the screenplay, which overtly stylises his character Raaya, becomes overbearing after a point in time.</p><p> </p><p>By the time of the climax, Yash’s heavily accented dialogue delivery pierces through your ears and hits your brain, not in a very good way. You try to comprehend what he is saying amid all the screaming and shouting, much like you have spent most of the three hours and twenty minutes inside the hall.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Toxic tries to be a redemption story, but it gets lost in its own huge scale. There is simply too much of everything—excessive violence, endless screaming, unnecessary sexualization of female characters, and the gimmick of having two Yashs. Instead of making the movie better, all this over-the-top drama just ruins the story.</p><p>Toxic: A Fairytale For Grownups is now running in theatres.</p>

Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown Ups is the big release of the week. Starring Yash, Nayanthara, and Kiara Advani in the lead, the film is mounted on a huge scale. But its overindulgent plot and over the top drama mar the film completely. 

There are very few films that live up to their title, and Geetu Mohandas’ latest directorial venture, Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown Ups, is one of them. The film is more toxic than your red-flag ex and more a tale of horror than a fairy tale, even for grown-ups. Featuring Yash in an all-encompassing role, Toxic numbs you from the very beginning with its over-the-top drama, VFX, and too much screeching. Nothing in the film is subtle; everything and everyone is loud. And with a plot that is hard to fathom, Toxic feels a bit too much- much like its crowded star cast. What’s the plot of Toxic Set in Goa in 1947, Yash plays Raaya, a ruthless gangster who, along with his sister Ganga (Nayanthara) wants to rule over the entire state even as the Portuguese continue to rule in post-Independent India. Raaya either kills people ruthlessly or fornicates. These are the only two jobs that the man knows. At some point, he gets engaged to Rebecca (Tara Sutaria), the daughter of a Mafia don. The relationship is merely a means to climb up the power ladder for Raaya. As a circus comes to town, he falls in love with one of its star performers, Nadia (Kiara Advani). But loving a man who was orphaned at a young age and who has parental issues is tough. Nadia and Raaya too have a complicated love story. They part ways over a misunderstanding, leaving Nadia with their love child, Ticket. As Ticket grows up, he is consumed by hatred for his father, who now lives in deep guilt and regret. Amid multiple gang wars spanning two decades, the story ultimately culminates in a standoff between the father and son. Both are consumed by hatred and anger and are desperate to kill each other. Too many characters spoil the plot! I must tell you that the film’s story, written by Mohandas and Yash, is very complicated and hard to keep up. It takes a special kind of patience to understand the film in its entirety and then retell it. They say too many cooks spoil the broth. In Toxic’s case, too many characters spoil the plot! The first half is chaotic and takes ages to establish the story. Too many names are thrown in, and the maker takes huge artistic liberties in creating a world that feels distinctly removed from the society that India was in 1947. It also doesn’t help that none of them speaks normally in the film. In Geetu Mohandas’ make-believe world, they exchange manufactured dialogues. The atmospheric film is heavy on the eyes and ears, where action sequences are thrown in arbitrarily.

<p>Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown Ups is the big release of the week. Starring Yash, Nayanthara, and Kiara Advani in the lead, the film is mounted on a huge scale. But its overindulgent plot and over the top drama mar the film completely.&nbsp;</p>

Toxic movie review: Yash's high-decibel action drama is a circus of absurdities

<p>India’s independence from British rule came at a price. As the British left India, they ravaged and divided the country - emotionally, based on religion and geographically. The happiness of independence was far less on 15 August 1947, as so many families were destroyed; people were separated from their loved ones, their homes, and their motherland. The Partition led to the birth of Pakistan but also to a great Hindu-Muslim divide, an enmity that continues to this day between the two countries. Bollywood has made innumerable stories on India’s Independence and the partition. Most have narrated stories of brutality and riots that preceded partition. Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi’s latest release, Batwara 1947, flips the narrative a bit- telling the story of a Muslim family in Lahore in the aftermath of partition. Santoshi teams up with Sunny Deol, with whom he has delivered iconic films like Damini, Ghatak and more. Deol and Santoshi collaborate after decades, making Batwara 1947 special. The film also features Shabana Azmi, marks Preity Zinta’s comeback to Bollywood after a long time and has Aamir Khan as the producer. With such impressive names attached to the project, expectations are bound to be high for Batwara 1947. So, does it deliver? Let’s find out.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>The Plot of Batwara 1947</h2><p>Sunny Deol plays Sikandar Mirza, a Meerut businessman who is forced to move to Lahore during partition after being targetted by Hindu rioters. 2 months later, he is allotted a huge haveli in the heart of Lahore when he moves in with wife Hamida (Preity Zinta) and daughter Tanno, only to discover that the house is not completely vacant but a certain Durgavati Johri (Shabana Azmi) still lives in the upper story, waiting for her son to come and fetch her. She refuses to vacate the house, despite the family’s repeated request. Instead, she wants to co-inhabit and wait till her son arrives.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>New to Lahore, Sikandar has plenty of troubles. His son Javed (Karan Deol) and the rest of the family are missing. He is unable to find a space to restart his business, and local goon/councillor Yaqub (Abhimanyu Singh) has eyes on the giant haveli. Durgavati’s refusal to leave the premises only adds more to Sikander’s woes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/father-s-film-on-15-august-1947-son-s-film-in-2026-can-you-guess-this-father-son-duo-p-l-santoshi-rajkumar-santoshi-1786621563652"><strong>Did You Know? Batwara 1947 director Rajkumar Santoshi's father made India's first film after Independence</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Yaqub is also a fanatic who wants to get rid of the neighbourhood’s Hindu past, and as soon as he realises that a Hindu woman is still in a Muslim-dominated Pakistan, he wants her out at any cost. But with time, the Mirzas get used to Durga’s presence in the family. Having lost his mother at a young age, Sikander eventually warms up to Durga, and then is willing to fight the world to keep her at his home. But amid tensions and hostility, including some from his son Javed, will he be able to keep her at his new home?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/awarapan-2-vs-batwara-1947-which-film-is-leading-the-advance-booking-battle-1786634460471"><strong>Awarapan 2 vs Batwara 1947: Which film is leading the advance booking battle?</strong></a></p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>Santoshi, along with Asghar Wajahat, writes a film that delivers a very powerful message. ‘Insaniyat se bada koi dharm nahi hota (no religion is greater than humanity). In the polarised world that we live in, Batwara 1947 effectively talks of humanity over religious divides set in the backdrop of partition. Santoshi also extracts the best performances from Sunny Deol, who isn’t a loud, angry, chest-thumping patriot like Tara Singh from Gadar. Sure, even in Batwara, he takes on five or six goons in one go and uproots heavy wooden carts, but Deol’s Sikandar Mirza is a quiet man who doesn’t lose his temper that often. He is kind, generous and always willing to see the point of view of the person in front.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>One of Deol’s finest performances was in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Damini, which fetched him a National Award. Batwara’s Sikandar Mirza is not quite similar, but Deol manages to deliver a fine performance. The other star who stands out is Shabana Azmi. A helpless, vulnerable old woman left behind amid the riots and atrocities- Azmi’s act makes you emotional. Because her off screen persona is well known - that of a confident actor who always speaks her mind- her performance as a starkly different character in Batwara is truly outstanding, reminding us again why she is considered a powerful performer.</p><p>The film has some very defining moments. One has an entire neighbourhood coming together to bid one of its old occupants a final goodbye. A scene featuring Ali Fazal and Karan Deol sitting and discussing the Hindu-Muslim divide, where a man calls the Hindu’s rioters and violent, to which Fazal asks, ‘And what are we doing?” is special.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Another scene has Sunny Deol declaring that Islam does not teach us to break temples is a very loaded sentence, particularly for the times we live in.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While Batwara 1947 has its heart in the right place, it is still flawed. Apart from Deol and Azmi, most performances are very theatrical. Preity Zinta seems to be still stuck in the Veer Zara phase. Come rain or sunshine, or even a mob breaking the door, she is seen running every time with one arm stretched out, as her dupatta cascades down the stairs. Karan Deol needs to work on his dialogue delivery, and Abhimanyu Singh hams through his part.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The screenplay is adapted from an acclaimed play, Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai, and it shows. Certain scenes can easily be visualised on stage and are not necessarily written for a film. The editing is too patchy, and the narrative is slightly dull.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Coming on the heels of Imtiaz Ali’s <i>Mani Vaapas Aaunga</i>—which laid bare the raw, impartial tragedy of Partition—<i>Batwaara 1947</i> delivers a sharp, defiant plea for secularism.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>At its core is a Muslim man standing alone against his own community to shield a Hindu woman. The film could have probed deeper into the staggering human tragedy of the era, which it doesn't, but it reiterates that there is no greater religion than human good. Unlike partition films, this story is not as impactful as it ideally sets out to be, but it has its moments.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/the-play-about-lahore-that-pakistan-banned-is-now-sunny-deol-s-baatwara-1947-1786600842498">The play about Lahore that Pakistan banned is now Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Against all odds, Batwara 1947 champions tolerance when it matters most. Arriving right on India’s 80th Independence Day, it offers an essential, heartwarming reminder that humanity must always triumph over religious divides.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Batwara 1947 is now in theatres.</p>

Batwara 1947 is a timely reminder about the secular fabric of India. Set against the backdrop of partition, Rajkumar Santoshi's film delivers a sharp message on communal harmony and has Shabana Azmi delivering a class act. 

India’s independence from British rule came at a price. As the British left India, they ravaged and divided the country - emotionally, based on religion and geographically. The happiness of independence was far less on 15 August 1947, as so many families were destroyed; people were separated from their loved ones, their homes, and their motherland. The Partition led to the birth of Pakistan but also to a great Hindu-Muslim divide, an enmity that continues to this day between the two countries. Bollywood has made innumerable stories on India’s Independence and the partition. Most have narrated stories of brutality and riots that preceded partition. Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi’s latest release, Batwara 1947, flips the narrative a bit- telling the story of a Muslim family in Lahore in the aftermath of partition. Santoshi teams up with Sunny Deol, with whom he has delivered iconic films like Damini, Ghatak and more. Deol and Santoshi collaborate after decades, making Batwara 1947 special. The film also features Shabana Azmi, marks Preity Zinta’s comeback to Bollywood after a long time and has Aamir Khan as the producer. With such impressive names attached to the project, expectations are bound to be high for Batwara 1947. So, does it deliver? Let’s find out. The Plot of Batwara 1947 Sunny Deol plays Sikandar Mirza, a Meerut businessman who is forced to move to Lahore during partition after being targetted by Hindu rioters. 2 months later, he is allotted a huge haveli in the heart of Lahore when he moves in with wife Hamida (Preity Zinta) and daughter Tanno, only to discover that the house is not completely vacant but a certain Durgavati Johri (Shabana Azmi) still lives in the upper story, waiting for her son to come and fetch her. She refuses to vacate the house, despite the family’s repeated request. Instead, she wants to co-inhabit and wait till her son arrives. New to Lahore, Sikandar has plenty of troubles. His son Javed (Karan Deol) and the rest of the family are missing. He is unable to find a space to restart his business, and local goon/councillor Yaqub (Abhimanyu Singh) has eyes on the giant haveli. Durgavati’s refusal to leave the premises only adds more to Sikander’s woes. Also read: Did You Know? Batwara 1947 director Rajkumar Santoshi's father made India's first film after Independence Yaqub is also a fanatic who wants to get rid of the neighbourhood’s Hindu past, and as soon as he realises that a Hindu woman is still in a Muslim-dominated Pakistan, he wants her out at any cost. But with time, the Mirzas get used to Durga’s presence in the family. Having lost his mother at a young age, Sikander eventually warms up to Durga, and then is willing to fight the world to keep her at his home. But amid tensions and hostility, including some from his son Javed, will he be able to keep her at his new home? Also read: Awarapan 2 vs Batwara 1947: Which film is leading the advance booking battle? What works and what does not Santoshi, along with Asghar Wajahat, writes a film that delivers a very powerful message. ‘Insaniyat se bada koi dharm nahi hota (no religion is greater than humanity). In the polarised world that we live in, Batwara 1947 effectively talks of humanity over religious divides set in the backdrop of partition. Santoshi also extracts the best performances from Sunny Deol, who isn’t a loud, angry, chest-thumping patriot like Tara Singh from Gadar. Sure, even in Batwara, he takes on five or six goons in one go and uproots heavy wooden carts, but Deol’s Sikandar Mirza is a quiet man who doesn’t lose his temper that often. He is kind, generous and always willing to see the point of view of the person in front. One of Deol’s finest performances was in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Damini, which fetched him a National Award. Batwara’s Sikandar Mirza is not quite similar, but Deol manages to deliver a fine performance. The other star who stands out is Shabana Azmi. A helpless, vulnerable old woman left behind amid the riots and atrocities- Azmi’s act makes you emotional. Because her off screen persona is well known - that of a confident actor who always speaks her mind- her performance as a starkly different character in Batwara is truly outstanding, reminding us again why she is considered a powerful performer. The film has some very defining moments. One has an entire neighbourhood coming together to bid one of its old occupants a final goodbye. A scene featuring Ali Fazal and Karan Deol sitting and discussing the Hindu-Muslim divide, where a man calls the Hindu’s rioters and violent, to which Fazal asks, ‘And what are we doing?” is special.

<p>Batwara 1947 is a timely reminder about the secular fabric of India. Set against the backdrop of partition, Rajkumar Santoshi's film delivers a sharp message on communal harmony and has Shabana Azmi delivering a class act.&nbsp;</p>

Batwara 1947 movie review: Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi's film delivers a powerful message on secularism

<p>The Kargil War remains one of the most crucial and difficult wars that Indian forces fought and won. Since then, numerous films and shows have highlighted the valour of the Indian Army, who bravely reclaimed key peaks in the Kargil sector from the Pakistani army, but not much is known about the role that the Indian Air Force played in the war. Netflix's new series, Operation Safed Sagar, retells an important chapter in history where the IAF fought in the toughest and highest altitudes in history and successfully bombed key hideouts of the Pakistani army in the Kargil and Drass sector, thereby enabling the Indian Army to capture the peaks for India.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Directed by Oni Sen, Operation Safed Sagar doesn’t glorify war but the men and their sacrifice more. It steers clear of the jingoism that is often attached to such war dramas, yet it leaves you with a sense of pride and a sense of the belongingness for the country like India. While the backdrop is that of war, Operation Safed Sagar, successfully gives a 360-degree picture of the situation that prevailed in both Pakistan and India. It also humanises its war heroes, making it an emotional watch where, once again, it is reiterated that the sacrifices the men in uniform and their families have made time and again for the safety of our country.</p><h2>The plot of Operation Safed Sagar</h2><p>Months before the Kargil War in 1999, Squadron leader Ajay Ahuja (Siddharth) is called in by B.S Dhanoa Tony (Jimmy Shergill) to an IAF base in Bhatinda to train a bunch of young officers for a special complex formation of their fighter jets, which involves team coordination and alignment. The officers, all raring to go, initially have issues understanding Ahuja’s strategy and following it. Dhali (Abhay Verma) is a risk taker and slightly brazen about flouting rules. He often clashes with Baldy (Mihir Ahuja) who is more of a calculative risk taker. Baldy also has personal battles to fight as his girlfriend Madhvi (Prajakta Koli ) arrives unannounced at the base, keen to elope and marry him.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As Ahuja and his wife Alka (Amrita Bagchi) slowly warm up to the young officers, making them a part of their family at the base, war breaks out in Kargil. They are all asked to report to Srinagar. The Indian Air Force is initially assigned to click photos of crucial checkposts in high altitude captured by the Pakistani Army. The aerial images are to help the Indian Army understand what and who they are fighting high up in the mountains. However, soon the IAF’s Golden Arrows play a strategic role in bombing these captured posts, aiding the army in reclaiming what's ours.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While the first few episodes establish the various characters and their bonding, the later part of the six-part series gives a detailed account of how the IAF made strategic moves to drop bombs in targeted areas, without jeopardising the safety of our own men. Writers Sandeep Jain, Barun Kashyap, Abhijeet Singh Parmar, Nikhil Ravi, and Kushal Srivastava also give a detailed insight into the Pakistani side of the war where PM Nawaz Shariff (Vinay Pathak delivering strong performance) is shown to be at constant loggerheads with his father and General Musharaff ( Manu Rishi Chaddha delivering a class act) who manipulates and constantly lies and intructs the Pak army to infiltrate areas in Kargil, thereby disregarding the Shimla act.</p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>Operation Safed Sagar works primarily because of its story. It celebrates the men in uniform and how a bunch of them tactically strategised an operation that, by conventional standards, would have failed. Written with insights and inputs from the IAF, the series gets into the thick of things from the beginning, delivering a story that is riveting. It keeps the jargon at bay, instead projecting the story as it had happened, keeping the humane side of the war intact.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Actors Siddharth and Jimmy Shergill lead a formidable cast who are all pitch-perfect in their respective characters. It is a mystery why Siddharth is not seen in Hindi series as much as his fans would want to see him. The actor takes up the role of a brave officer Ahuja in the series, and one can’t help but recall Siddharth playing the rebel youth in Rang De Basanti. The heart cries when his character is held captive by the enemy camp. Shergill, Abhay Verma and Mihir Ahuja, along with Adil Hussain, are all fantastic in their respective roles.</p><p>The women- Dia Mirza, Amrita Bagchi and Prajakta Koli have less to do in the series apart from playing the support system to the men. Bagchi’s scenes in the second half stand out for their emotional quotient.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Since the series talks of fighter jets, the instant comparison to Top Gun is inevitable. The CGI is not the best and some of the technical terms and jargons force-fed to the layman viewer. Scenes in the second half, played out in Pakistan between Sharif and Musharraf, feel repetitive too after a point. There is also of course, some dramatisation of certain moments.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p> </p><p> </p><p>However, Operation Safed Sagar picks up pace in the final two episodes, giving a rousing tribute to the IAF and the role they played in the Kargil war. Original TV footage juxtaposed with the series adds more heft to the storytelling. Because Netflix has mounted the show on a big scale, there are prominent actors like Sanjay Suri, Barun Sobti, and Anjan Srivastava playing cameo roles in the series.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>While there are ample amount of shows and films based on the Kargil War, Operation Safed Sagar still stands out as it tells a story that is not so well known. IT also serves as a reminder to the audience that a story on the India-Pak war can be told without force-feeding patriotism. It can be told with sensitivity, factually, without glorifying brutality and killing. Operation Safed Sagar reinstates your belief in the defence forces who have time and again risen up to moments of crisis and protected India.</p><p> </p><p>Operation Safed Sagar is now streaming on Netflix.</p>

Operation Safed Sagar, the new Netflix web series, gives a detailed account of the crucial roles that the Indian Air Force played in capturing key points during the Kargil War in 1999. The war drama has deft writing and powerful performances from its cast. 

The Kargil War remains one of the most crucial and difficult wars that Indian forces fought and won. Since then, numerous films and shows have highlighted the valour of the Indian Army, who bravely reclaimed key peaks in the Kargil sector from the Pakistani army, but not much is known about the role that the Indian Air Force played in the war. Netflix's new series, Operation Safed Sagar, retells an important chapter in history where the IAF fought in the toughest and highest altitudes in history and successfully bombed key hideouts of the Pakistani army in the Kargil and Drass sector, thereby enabling the Indian Army to capture the peaks for India. Directed by Oni Sen, Operation Safed Sagar doesn’t glorify war but the men and their sacrifice more. It steers clear of the jingoism that is often attached to such war dramas, yet it leaves you with a sense of pride and a sense of the belongingness for the country like India. While the backdrop is that of war, Operation Safed Sagar, successfully gives a 360-degree picture of the situation that prevailed in both Pakistan and India. It also humanises its war heroes, making it an emotional watch where, once again, it is reiterated that the sacrifices the men in uniform and their families have made time and again for the safety of our country. The plot of Operation Safed Sagar Months before the Kargil War in 1999, Squadron leader Ajay Ahuja (Siddharth) is called in by B.S Dhanoa Tony (Jimmy Shergill) to an IAF base in Bhatinda to train a bunch of young officers for a special complex formation of their fighter jets, which involves team coordination and alignment. The officers, all raring to go, initially have issues understanding Ahuja’s strategy and following it. Dhali (Abhay Verma) is a risk taker and slightly brazen about flouting rules. He often clashes with Baldy (Mihir Ahuja) who is more of a calculative risk taker. Baldy also has personal battles to fight as his girlfriend Madhvi (Prajakta Koli ) arrives unannounced at the base, keen to elope and marry him. As Ahuja and his wife Alka (Amrita Bagchi) slowly warm up to the young officers, making them a part of their family at the base, war breaks out in Kargil. They are all asked to report to Srinagar. The Indian Air Force is initially assigned to click photos of crucial checkposts in high altitude captured by the Pakistani Army. The aerial images are to help the Indian Army understand what and who they are fighting high up in the mountains. However, soon the IAF’s Golden Arrows play a strategic role in bombing these captured posts, aiding the army in reclaiming what's ours. While the first few episodes establish the various characters and their bonding, the later part of the six-part series gives a detailed account of how the IAF made strategic moves to drop bombs in targeted areas, without jeopardising the safety of our own men. Writers Sandeep Jain, Barun Kashyap, Abhijeet Singh Parmar, Nikhil Ravi, and Kushal Srivastava also give a detailed insight into the Pakistani side of the war where PM Nawaz Shariff (Vinay Pathak delivering strong performance) is shown to be at constant loggerheads with his father and General Musharaff ( Manu Rishi Chaddha delivering a class act) who manipulates and constantly lies and intructs the Pak army to infiltrate areas in Kargil, thereby disregarding the Shimla act. What works and what does not Operation Safed Sagar works primarily because of its story. It celebrates the men in uniform and how a bunch of them tactically strategised an operation that, by conventional standards, would have failed. Written with insights and inputs from the IAF, the series gets into the thick of things from the beginning, delivering a story that is riveting. It keeps the jargon at bay, instead projecting the story as it had happened, keeping the humane side of the war intact. Actors Siddharth and Jimmy Shergill lead a formidable cast who are all pitch-perfect in their respective characters. It is a mystery why Siddharth is not seen in Hindi series as much as his fans would want to see him. The actor takes up the role of a brave officer Ahuja in the series, and one can’t help but recall Siddharth playing the rebel youth in Rang De Basanti. The heart cries when his character is held captive by the enemy camp. Shergill, Abhay Verma and Mihir Ahuja, along with Adil Hussain, are all fantastic in their respective roles. The women- Dia Mirza, Amrita Bagchi and Prajakta Koli have less to do in the series apart from playing the support system to the men. Bagchi’s scenes in the second half stand out for their emotional quotient. Since the series talks of fighter jets, the instant comparison to Top Gun is inevitable. The CGI is not the best and some of the technical terms and jargons force-fed to the layman viewer. Scenes in the second half, played out in Pakistan between Sharif and Musharraf, feel repetitive too after a point. There is also of course, some dramatisation of certain moments.

<p>Operation Safed Sagar, the new Netflix web series, gives a detailed account of the crucial roles that the Indian Air Force played in capturing key points during the Kargil War in 1999. The war drama has deft writing and powerful performances from its cast.&nbsp;</p>

Operation Safed Sagar review: Siddharth and Jimmy Shergill soar in a restrained Kargil war drama

<p>Not so long back, post the release of Avengers: Endgame, the world declared it was suffering from superhero fatigue. As Marvel Studios churned out stand alone shows of all its characters- heroes, side heroes and villains alike- and introduced new superheroes on screen, the audience felt jaded watching the same stories. Clearly, Marvel Studios took note of the fatigue, reassessed its content and then reinvented a new template. Films like Thunderbolts and the series Loki have all attempted to explore the inner demons more than villains in physical form. Thus, MCU’s latest Spider-Man: Brand New Day fits right into the same framework where the friendly neighbourhood superhero is no longer a funny, slightly reckless but humorous high schooler, but a grown-up man, fighting loneliness and warding off evil from New York City in equal measures. Tom Holland returns as the web-slinging superhero along with his wife, actress Zendaya, who plays MJ and Jacob Batalon as his buddy Ned Leeds. But the trio, unlike the previous films, are not together anymore thanks to Doctor Strange setting things differently in No Way Home.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Instead, Peter Parker is now just a vigilante who protects New York City and lives alone, far away from his friends just to protect them.</p><h2>What's the plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day?</h2><p>It's been a few years since Doctor Strange recalibrated the world order. MJ and Ned are now roommates in their final year of MIT- a dream that they had envisioned with Peter Parker back in high school. They do not remember Peter now, as their memory has been wiped clean. Peter, however, remembers them, quietly follows their life through social media and works full time as Spidey, keeping the crime rate at an all-time low in New York.</p><p>He is afraid to show his face to anyone, even to Punisher and General Rivera, the authorities who help him in fighting crime in the city.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/before-spider-man-brand-new-day-arrives-revisit-the-biggest-moments-from-no-way-home-1785324592192">Before Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives, revisit the biggest moments from No Way Home</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>One day Peter realises that he is fighting a crime that is beyond the human form and something that can manipulate the psyche of any human and make them do evil. The faceless evil soon catches up with Peter, who has been riddled with guilt ever since the death of Aunt May and even threatens to kill MJ. Peter now must fight his inner battles in order to protect the city he lives in and the love of his life.</p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Brand New Day has Peter Parker coming of age. You go in expecting a goofy superhero complete with his humour and punchlines. The humour is there, but Peter is now a grown-up man, responsible for the people of New York, guilty of his past work and terribly lonely, who keeps having imaginary conversations with MJ in his head. While he is now more brazen and unafraid to take risks, he is also constantly honing his skills and the technology that aids him.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Some of the funniest scenes involve Spidey letting go of his guard. A scene featuring him and the new Black Widow (Florence Pugh) having a serious discussion about saving the world inside a hamam stands out. They are stripped naked and submerged in the bath, but Spidey decides to keep the mask on, just to keep his identity a secret from Yalina. Then there is also a brief appearance of the Hulk in all his glory and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) never disappoints even if he has limited screen time.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/tom-holland-s-spider-man-brand-new-day-first-reactions-awe-inspiring-absolutely-spectacular-1785223809132"><strong>Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day first reactions&nbsp;</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I wish Holland and Zendaya had more screen time because the scenes involving the two are crackling with chemistry, despite the Indian censor board cutting their on-screen kiss completely.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Holland is undoubtedly the star of the film. He has grown up as an actor, projecting the right amount of restraint that is needed for this sad, melancholic Peter Parker who pines for MJ and a family of his own.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The other star of the film is Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, who possibly can be seen in future Spider-Man films. She plays a conflicting character and comes much after the film’s plot is established but leaves a lasting impression.</p><p>Since Thunderbolts also dealt with the fighting of inner demons, the plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels familiar and a tad formulaic. I wish it had explored more about the problem at hand, of Parker’s inner battles juxtaposed with the crisis at hand. But the film skims over it and leaves only half an impact compared to one that was created in Thunderbolts.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p>Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Holland’s best performance as the web-slinging superhero. He truly has come of age much like Peter Parker. This isn’t the best Spider-Man film in the franchise, but it still makes for an entertaining watch for its interesting cameos, Peter and MJ’s love story and the growth Peter shows as a superhero.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out in theatres now.</p>

Spider Man: Brand New Day movie review: Tom Holland is back playing the web-slinging superhero but this time Peter Parker is more mature and lonely who must fight his inner demons as well as the new faceless villain in town. 

Not so long back, post the release of Avengers: Endgame, the world declared it was suffering from superhero fatigue. As Marvel Studios churned out stand alone shows of all its characters- heroes, side heroes and villains alike- and introduced new superheroes on screen, the audience felt jaded watching the same stories. Clearly, Marvel Studios took note of the fatigue, reassessed its content and then reinvented a new template. Films like Thunderbolts and the series Loki have all attempted to explore the inner demons more than villains in physical form. Thus, MCU’s latest Spider-Man: Brand New Day fits right into the same framework where the friendly neighbourhood superhero is no longer a funny, slightly reckless but humorous high schooler, but a grown-up man, fighting loneliness and warding off evil from New York City in equal measures. Tom Holland returns as the web-slinging superhero along with his wife, actress Zendaya, who plays MJ and Jacob Batalon as his buddy Ned Leeds. But the trio, unlike the previous films, are not together anymore thanks to Doctor Strange setting things differently in No Way Home. Instead, Peter Parker is now just a vigilante who protects New York City and lives alone, far away from his friends just to protect them. What's the plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day? It's been a few years since Doctor Strange recalibrated the world order. MJ and Ned are now roommates in their final year of MIT- a dream that they had envisioned with Peter Parker back in high school. They do not remember Peter now, as their memory has been wiped clean. Peter, however, remembers them, quietly follows their life through social media and works full time as Spidey, keeping the crime rate at an all-time low in New York. He is afraid to show his face to anyone, even to Punisher and General Rivera, the authorities who help him in fighting crime in the city. Also read: Before Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives, revisit the biggest moments from No Way Home One day Peter realises that he is fighting a crime that is beyond the human form and something that can manipulate the psyche of any human and make them do evil. The faceless evil soon catches up with Peter, who has been riddled with guilt ever since the death of Aunt May and even threatens to kill MJ. Peter now must fight his inner battles in order to protect the city he lives in and the love of his life. What works and what does not Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Brand New Day has Peter Parker coming of age. You go in expecting a goofy superhero complete with his humour and punchlines. The humour is there, but Peter is now a grown-up man, responsible for the people of New York, guilty of his past work and terribly lonely, who keeps having imaginary conversations with MJ in his head. While he is now more brazen and unafraid to take risks, he is also constantly honing his skills and the technology that aids him. Some of the funniest scenes involve Spidey letting go of his guard. A scene featuring him and the new Black Widow (Florence Pugh) having a serious discussion about saving the world inside a hamam stands out. They are stripped naked and submerged in the bath, but Spidey decides to keep the mask on, just to keep his identity a secret from Yalina. Then there is also a brief appearance of the Hulk in all his glory and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) never disappoints even if he has limited screen time. Also read: Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day first reactions I wish Holland and Zendaya had more screen time because the scenes involving the two are crackling with chemistry, despite the Indian censor board cutting their on-screen kiss completely.

<p>Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie review: Tom Holland is back playing the web-slinging superhero but this time Peter Parker is more mature and lonely who must fight his inner demons as well as the new faceless villain in town.&nbsp;</p>

Spider-Man: Brand New Day review: A mature Peter Parker navigates heartbreak, loneliness and new evil

<p>Vikrant Massey’s Musafir Cafe, a slow romance drama, comes at a time when there is anger on the streets of India and spy thrillers and murder mysteries are dominating screens- big and small. The eight-part series, produced by Massey, who also plays the lead in the show, takes a practical approach to modern-day relationships, where love alone is not enough to make a relationship work. It reiterates that timing is everything, and that two right people can drift apart if the timing is not right. Created and written by Sharanya Rajgopal and based on Divya Prakash Dubey’s novel of the same name, Musafir Cafe is refreshing, real and breaks the clutter of action thrillers that have been releasing of late.</p><h2>What’s Musafir Cafe about?</h2><p>Chander (Massey) is a software engineer working in Bhopal, away from his family in Delhi. The man is an emotional being, always dreaming of a happy family and a slow life in the mountains. His calm meets the chaos of Sudha (Vedika Pinto), a divorce lawyer who is fiercely independent and wants to build a comfortable life for her mother. While Chander and Sudha are different as chalk and cheese, they are also each other’s cheerleaders.</p><p>Completing the triangle is Preeti (Mahima Makwana), a wanderlust who has made a life with Chander in the hills years after Sudha has walked out of it. But has Chander found closure from his past relationship? The eight-part series is set in Bhopal and Mussorie and narrates Chander’s story spanning over 8 years.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/pallichattambi-review-tovino-thomas-ambitious-political-saga-weighed-down-by-predictable-script-1784882492587">Pallichattambi review: Tovino Thomas' political saga falls short</a></p><h2>What works and what doesn’t</h2><p>Love is complicated, a fact that is constantly reiterated in Musafir Cafe. The show highlights that falling in love is easy; sparks fly, you end up having the best time with each other. However, that alone cannot make a relationship last. The eight episodes beautifully highlight that often relationships are messy and complicated, despite two people being deeply in love with each other.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Massey, who turns producer with this series, plays Chander with absolute earnestness. The cehmistyry that that he shares both with Pinto and Makwana feels organic. The women play their parts well, even with Makwana putting in the right amount of restraint to her character, Preeti. A woman who is aware of her man’s past and is patient enough to wait for him to get closure, no matter how long it takes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Musafir Cafe also highlights the conflicts that urban, career-oriented women have to go through, where they take responsibility of their own family and thus, often, resist marriage. The beauty of Musafir Cafe is that no one is wrong. The three characters are all strong individuals who want to make things right for their partners.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/adarsh-baal-vidyalaya-review-kay-menon-teaches-trolls-and-questions-our-education-systemjantar-menonprimevideo-1784882718568">Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya review: Kay Menon teaches, trolls, and questions our education system</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While Musafir Cafe is an easy, breezy romance, it, on many occasions, gives a sense of Deja Vu of Massey’s previous show Broken But Beautiful.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The supporting cast comprising Adil Hussain, Loveleen Mishra, Anubha Fatehpuri, Rajeev Siddhartha, and Sadiya Siddiqui only enable the core story, but the makers never delve into something deeper about these characters in the show. Wish they had.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Musafir Cafe could have also been a movie; it would have had the same impact.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Love is perhaps the most favoured genre in India. While most shows and films talk about the process of falling in love, not too many address the complexities of modern-day relationships. Musafir Cafe is real and takes a practical approach at relationships. It ends at a point which opens up possibilities of a sequel. Let’s hope the sequel- if it is made- creates a similar impact on viewers.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Musafir Cafe is streaming on Netflix.</p>

Musafir Cafe, the new show on Netflix, is refreshing and real. Organic chemistry among the trio, strong portrayal of urban women balancing career and family, and earnest performances from Massey, Pinto, and Makwana make this a must watch. 

Vikrant Massey’s Musafir Cafe, a slow romance drama, comes at a time when there is anger on the streets of India and spy thrillers and murder mysteries are dominating screens- big and small. The eight-part series, produced by Massey, who also plays the lead in the show, takes a practical approach to modern-day relationships, where love alone is not enough to make a relationship work. It reiterates that timing is everything, and that two right people can drift apart if the timing is not right. Created and written by Sharanya Rajgopal and based on Divya Prakash Dubey’s novel of the same name, Musafir Cafe is refreshing, real and breaks the clutter of action thrillers that have been releasing of late. What’s Musafir Cafe about? Chander (Massey) is a software engineer working in Bhopal, away from his family in Delhi. The man is an emotional being, always dreaming of a happy family and a slow life in the mountains. His calm meets the chaos of Sudha (Vedika Pinto), a divorce lawyer who is fiercely independent and wants to build a comfortable life for her mother. While Chander and Sudha are different as chalk and cheese, they are also each other’s cheerleaders. Completing the triangle is Preeti (Mahima Makwana), a wanderlust who has made a life with Chander in the hills years after Sudha has walked out of it. But has Chander found closure from his past relationship? The eight-part series is set in Bhopal and Mussorie and narrates Chander’s story spanning over 8 years. Also read: Pallichattambi review: Tovino Thomas' political saga falls short What works and what doesn’t Love is complicated, a fact that is constantly reiterated in Musafir Cafe. The show highlights that falling in love is easy; sparks fly, you end up having the best time with each other. However, that alone cannot make a relationship last. The eight episodes beautifully highlight that often relationships are messy and complicated, despite two people being deeply in love with each other. Massey, who turns producer with this series, plays Chander with absolute earnestness. The cehmistyry that that he shares both with Pinto and Makwana feels organic. The women play their parts well, even with Makwana putting in the right amount of restraint to her character, Preeti. A woman who is aware of her man’s past and is patient enough to wait for him to get closure, no matter how long it takes. Musafir Cafe also highlights the conflicts that urban, career-oriented women have to go through, where they take responsibility of their own family and thus, often, resist marriage. The beauty of Musafir Cafe is that no one is wrong. The three characters are all strong individuals who want to make things right for their partners. Also read: Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya review: Kay Menon teaches, trolls, and questions our education system While Musafir Cafe is an easy, breezy romance, it, on many occasions, gives a sense of Deja Vu of Massey’s previous show Broken But Beautiful. The supporting cast comprising Adil Hussain, Loveleen Mishra, Anubha Fatehpuri, Rajeev Siddhartha, and Sadiya Siddiqui only enable the core story, but the makers never delve into something deeper about these characters in the show. Wish they had. Musafir Cafe could have also been a movie; it would have had the same impact.

<p>Musafir Cafe, the new show on Netflix, is refreshing and real. Organic chemistry among the trio, strong portrayal of urban women balancing career and family, and earnest performances from Massey, Pinto, and Makwana make this a must watch.&nbsp;</p>

Musafir Cafe review: Vikrant Massey’s slow-burn romance proves timing is everything in love

<p>An evil mining mafia that is looking to loot mineral wealth and finish off indigenous people in India; Indian government officials that are insulted and betrayed by system that they work under; a weapon smuggling mafia that has tentacles spread across politico-business circles in India; Pakistani terrorists plotting against India, communal riots in Tamil Nadu; a fictional African nation that is destabilized into chaos and civil war by external forces; Terminator-like weaponized robots and drones. Roll all of these disparate themes and elements into a plot that spans over three hours and we get<i> Jana Nayagan</i>, the H Vinoth directorial, which is the farewell film of Tamil actor Vijay(popularly known as Thalapathy Vijay). Jana Nayagan is touted as Vijay's final film, bringing a close to a career that started when he was a child artist in 1984.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>No prizes for guessing that the solutions to all the aforementioned geopolitical and Indian politico-societal problems come from one man - Thalapathy Vetri Kondan(TVK) - the protagonist played by Vijay. Aside from being his final film, <i>Jana Nayagan</i> was also meant to be a political vehicle for actor-politician Vijay to gain further inroads into the hearts and minds of the people of his home state Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Context: Jana Nayagan was meant to hit the screens in January 2026, but its release was delayed due to a censor certificate hold-up, a legal battle, and an online leak of the film. Vijay was originally an actor-politician when the film was originally set for release in January 2026. With barely two years of experience in politics, Vijay's fledgling political party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam(TVK) won the April 2026 Assembly polls, and he assumed office as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in May 2026.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

A still from Jana Nayagan

<p> </p><p> </p><p>As much as the film is meant to give hardcore Vijay fans their money's worth in terms of action, these predominantly gory fight sequences are also interspersed with sentimental scenes or tragedies or triumphant moments. However, the central messaging is clear: protagonist Thalapathy Vetri Kondan has a magic bullet to address every issue that exists. Literally speaking, it need not always be a bullet. Often, the solution happens to in the form of a sword, a machete, a whip, a rusted iron pipe and what not! From ragtag rowdies to suit-boot baddies, Thalapathy Vetri Kondan beats them all, amply aided and abetted by the beats of Anirudh Ravichander's music. The score adds heft to all these sequences and helps adequately elevate them into fan-favourite "mass moments".</p>

<p>Seen from the perspective of a political film, <i>Jana Nayagan</i> also makes blatant attempts to position Vijay as a political successor of the late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran(popularly known as MGR), who is widely the most famous actor-politician in Tamil Nadu. There are scenes where the protagonist is prominently juxtaposed with MGR's image; the protagonist sings MGR songs while beating up corrupt politicians. Things even reach a point where a framed photo of MGR appears to speak to the protagonist, Thalapathy Vetri Kondan, and even hands him a whip to lash the baddies. Well, it just doesn't stop with the Late MGR. Even Ministers from Chief Minister Vijay's cabinet in Tamil Nadu are seen making appearances in song sequences or crucial moments.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Though the film did include a few themes related to women's empowerment, they too were based on the male protagonist's worldview and not based on the will and wishes of the female lead(played by Mamitha Baiju). Ironically, the same film features another female lead (played by Pooja Hegde), which lacked any depth or purpose, other than falling instantaneously in love with the protagonist. Another female lead(the IAS Officer character played by Priyamani) did have a role of some significance in the larger plot. However, her screen time lasted barely a few fleeting moments. It almost felt like a case of too little, too late.</p>

Vijay and Pooja Hegde in Jana Nayagan

<p> </p><p>While Bobby Deol played the villain character well, poor writing appeared not to do justice to his talent and ability. Though there is an attempt to showcase an elaborate backstory to establish this villain character, it tends to veer more towards tiresome territory. Similarly, Prakash Raj was made to play a corrupt politician, a role that he has played in innumerable films. However, that too felt inadequate because of the writing.</p><p> </p><p>For the Thalapathy Vijay maniacs(Thalapathy Veriyans, as they are called in Tamil), <i>Jana Nayagan</i> could certainly offer many big mass moments to celebrate while viewing on the big screen with the blaring BGM. However, even that grand celebration risks getting drowned in a plot that force-fits too many themes and too many characters.</p>

Jana Nayagan attempts to solve every conceivable issue—from local corruption and mining mafias to international terrorism and AI warfare—by framing Vijay’s character as the sole saviour for all problems. Is it a befitting finale to Vijay's acting career, though? Let's find out. 

An evil mining mafia that is looking to loot mineral wealth and finish off indigenous people in India; Indian government officials that are insulted and betrayed by system that they work under; a weapon smuggling mafia that has tentacles spread across politico-business circles in India; Pakistani terrorists plotting against India, communal riots in Tamil Nadu; a fictional African nation that is destabilized into chaos and civil war by external forces; Terminator-like weaponized robots and drones. Roll all of these disparate themes and elements into a plot that spans over three hours and we get Jana Nayagan, the H Vinoth directorial, which is the farewell film of Tamil actor Vijay(popularly known as Thalapathy Vijay). Jana Nayagan is touted as Vijay's final film, bringing a close to a career that started when he was a child artist in 1984. No prizes for guessing that the solutions to all the aforementioned geopolitical and Indian politico-societal problems come from one man - Thalapathy Vetri Kondan(TVK) - the protagonist played by Vijay. Aside from being his final film, Jana Nayagan was also meant to be a political vehicle for actor-politician Vijay to gain further inroads into the hearts and minds of the people of his home state Tamil Nadu. Context: Jana Nayagan was meant to hit the screens in January 2026, but its release was delayed due to a censor certificate hold-up, a legal battle, and an online leak of the film. Vijay was originally an actor-politician when the film was originally set for release in January 2026. With barely two years of experience in politics, Vijay's fledgling political party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam(TVK) won the April 2026 Assembly polls, and he assumed office as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in May 2026.

<p><i>Jana Nayagan</i> attempts to solve every conceivable issue—from local corruption and mining mafias to international terrorism and AI warfare—by framing Vijay’s character as the sole saviour for all problems. Is it a befitting finale to Vijay's acting career, though? Let's find out.&nbsp;</p>

Jana Nayagan movie review: Thalapathy Vijay deserved a sharper send-off

<p>Trust Christopher Nolan to deliver a strong message on the futility of war through an age-old story based on Greek mythology. Nolan, one of the greatest auteurs of our time, weaves the most beautiful and poignant story of homecoming and redemption in his latest, The Odyssey. Based on Homer’s age-old poem, the Odyssey, which is set after the Trojan War as King Odysseus and his men make their way back home, Nolan’s film looks beyond the mythology and delivers a story that astounds you from the word go. It is a story that may have its origin in Greek mythology, but its relevance to the present times is hard to miss. The release of the film feels timely as the world is engulfed in one war or the other. The Odyssey is not just about Odysseus' long journey back home but of realisation, of coming of age, of being just and fair - qualities that make a true leader stand out from the herd. The story is also about men and their lofty egos and ambition, which lead to mayhem and blind them to reality.</p><h2>What is the plot of The Odyssey?</h2><p>It's been 20 years since Odysseus (Matt Damon) set out with his army for Troy. His kingdom, Ithaca, is now in shambles with suitors lining up and feasting every night, eyeing to marry his wife, Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway). The kingdom knows about Odysseus’ victory at Troy, but he is now presumed dead as most of his men have made their way back home. Only Penelope, their son Telemachus (Tom Holland) and the blind Eumaeus(John Leguizamo), a trusted aide of Odysseus, still believe he's alive.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film relies on a non-linear format, where Odysseus, now living with nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron), is slowly getting his memory back. The film then goes back in time, where Odysseus slowly recalls the Trojan War and events that followed as he and his men made a long journey back home.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/the-odyssey-who-is-argos-the-heartbreaking-bond-between-king-odysseus-and-his-loyal-dog-explained-1784223634125"><strong>The Odyssey: Who is Argos? The bond between King Odysseus and his dog explained</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Meanwhile, tired of waiting, Telemachus sets out to Sparta to meet its king, Menelaus, who had served as a commander for Odysseus in the Trojan War, to seek answers about his father, whom he has never met. Back home, his mother Penelope continues to ward off suitors, including the conniving Antinous (Robert Pattinson), hoping that Odysseus will keep his promise and make his way back home.</p><h2>The Odyssey’s larger-than-life scale</h2><p>Touted as one of Nolan’s most expensive films to date and shot entirely on IMAX cameras, The Odyssey is set on a grand scale. To put together a long journey of Odysseus and his men, where he encounters gods, monsters, witches and cursed lands, is not an easy task. While many are familiar with Homer’s poem, which has dominated folklore and influenced cultures all over the world, it is still no mean feat to create that world and with such conviction. Nolan gathers some of the most well-known faces from British and American cinema to create the mythical world. The sets, the characters, and the vastness of the sea overwhelm you at times just the way it is intended to.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who is a frequent collaborator with Nolan in his films, brings alive the mythical world in all its grandeur. From the scenes inside the wooden horse to the men rampaging Troy to Odysseus and his men getting trapped in a cave with a giant Polyphemus, are visually stunning.</p><h2>Robert Pattinson, Matt Damon shine</h2><p>Nolan lines up stars like Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Jon Bernthal and others in prominent roles. They all deliver to their parts well. Zendaya and Theron are in cameo appearances; however, they make their presence felt with their strong performances. The film, however, belongs to Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson. Pattinson’s Antinous is a conving, sly man who is easy to hate amid all the bravado and heroism that the film narrates. He plays the character with such conviction that it is hard to separate the actor from the character. Pattinson should be earning a few nominations for his performance in the awards season next year.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-odysseus-to-athena-who-s-who-in-christopher-nolan-s-the-odyssey-full-cast-guide-1783691243528"><strong>From Odysseus to Athena: Who’s who in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey?</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film banks heavily on Matt Damon and his performance. It is, after all, a film on his character Odysseus. Damon plays the just, brave king with utmost conviction. The man who has time and again marvelled us with performances in iconic films humanises Odysseus. A man who fought and won a war, who dared death and tried to bring his army home, Odysseus is a man who has seen it all and lived to tell the tale. Damon makes the man human, who is flawed but is also eager for redemption.</p>

The Odyssey

<p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Nolan’s writing</h2><p>While the film is technically flawless, for me, The Odyssey wins for its brilliant messaging. Adapted for screen by Nolan, the film shows the flipside of war. Trojan War is a tale that we are all aware of. For centuries, the bravado of the men who fought the war has been talked about; it has been part of the folklore. But the film talks of the redemption of Odysseus, of a man whose valour and greatness were celebrated, but Nolan talks of how he felt guilty of violating what was sacred in Troy. A scene near the climax shows Odysseus talking of how he destroyed so much just to win a war, how he had repentance for the men who died along the way, for the destruction that was caused in Troy, for the fall of priestess Athena, who eventually became his guiding light back home. Those moments are so beautifully written than makes you emotional, poignant and question the current times where war and violence dominate headlines more than news of peace.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/don-t-know-what-the-odyssey-is-here-s-the-ancient-greek-myth-explained-simply-1783770575969"><strong>Don't know what The Odyssey is? Here's the ancient Greek myth explained simply</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>The director also talks of men and the evil side of loot and how, often, it's the women who are at the receiving end. As men plunder and loot, they violate women, those who resist and are quickly termed as witches. When men go to war, their wives are supposed to wait and hold the fort and even prove their loyalty years later when their husband make their way back home. The Odyssey is a story of not just Odysseus alone but of Penelope’s as well, who single-handedly brought up their son, took care of a failing kingdom, and never lost hope for her husband. It is also a tale of Circe, the witch and goddess from the island of Aeaea, who had to turn her sister into a crow just to keep her safe from prying, wandering men of the sea. It is a story of the young Sinon, who was wronged and sent to war as a kid, and also the story of Telemachus, a young man who grew up only on stories of his father but has never met him and yet has to protect his honour</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Cast of The Odyssey

<p>.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p>The Odyssey is 172 minutes long but has no dull moment. Christopher Nolan weaves a magical tale of mythical islands, of forbidden forests, of treacherous voyages and of a King desperate to go back home. At the same time, The Odyssey is a story of redemption, of penance, of loyalty, of learning from mistakes. Above all, it talks of the futility of war and that perhaps should be a good enough reason to watch this film.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If there is any film that you need to watch this weekend, it should be The Odyssey.</p>

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey lives up to its expectations and more. It's a moving tale of a man wanting to return home after winning a war and the lessons he learns during his long journey back home. The film has top performances by Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson and others. 

Trust Christopher Nolan to deliver a strong message on the futility of war through an age-old story based on Greek mythology. Nolan, one of the greatest auteurs of our time, weaves the most beautiful and poignant story of homecoming and redemption in his latest, The Odyssey. Based on Homer’s age-old poem, the Odyssey, which is set after the Trojan War as King Odysseus and his men make their way back home, Nolan’s film looks beyond the mythology and delivers a story that astounds you from the word go. It is a story that may have its origin in Greek mythology, but its relevance to the present times is hard to miss. The release of the film feels timely as the world is engulfed in one war or the other. The Odyssey is not just about Odysseus' long journey back home but of realisation, of coming of age, of being just and fair - qualities that make a true leader stand out from the herd. The story is also about men and their lofty egos and ambition, which lead to mayhem and blind them to reality. What is the plot of The Odyssey? It's been 20 years since Odysseus (Matt Damon) set out with his army for Troy. His kingdom, Ithaca, is now in shambles with suitors lining up and feasting every night, eyeing to marry his wife, Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway). The kingdom knows about Odysseus’ victory at Troy, but he is now presumed dead as most of his men have made their way back home. Only Penelope, their son Telemachus (Tom Holland) and the blind Eumaeus(John Leguizamo), a trusted aide of Odysseus, still believe he's alive. The film relies on a non-linear format, where Odysseus, now living with nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron), is slowly getting his memory back. The film then goes back in time, where Odysseus slowly recalls the Trojan War and events that followed as he and his men made a long journey back home. Also read: The Odyssey: Who is Argos? The bond between King Odysseus and his dog explained Meanwhile, tired of waiting, Telemachus sets out to Sparta to meet its king, Menelaus, who had served as a commander for Odysseus in the Trojan War, to seek answers about his father, whom he has never met. Back home, his mother Penelope continues to ward off suitors, including the conniving Antinous (Robert Pattinson), hoping that Odysseus will keep his promise and make his way back home. The Odyssey’s larger-than-life scale Touted as one of Nolan’s most expensive films to date and shot entirely on IMAX cameras, The Odyssey is set on a grand scale. To put together a long journey of Odysseus and his men, where he encounters gods, monsters, witches and cursed lands, is not an easy task. While many are familiar with Homer’s poem, which has dominated folklore and influenced cultures all over the world, it is still no mean feat to create that world and with such conviction. Nolan gathers some of the most well-known faces from British and American cinema to create the mythical world. The sets, the characters, and the vastness of the sea overwhelm you at times just the way it is intended to.

<p>Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey lives up to its expectations and more. It's a moving tale of a man wanting to return home after winning a war and the lessons he learns during his long journey back home. The film has top performances by Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson and others.&nbsp;</p>

The Odyssey movie review: Christopher Nolan crafts a visual masterpiece that strips the glory from war

<p>Sunny Deol and Tilottama Shome playing opposing lawyers in a very commercial thriller is a promising premise for an engaging watch. In Siddharth P Malhotra’s Ikka, Deol plays a hot-shot successful lawyer Arjun Mehra defending a murder accussed Shauryaman Gaur, played by Akshaye Khanna, while Shome plays the prosecutor of the case. The two come from very different schools of cinema, and thus, seeing them share screen space in a film holds a lot of promise. But does Ikka, a Netflix film, deliver? Let’s find out.</p><h2>What’s the plot of Ikka</h2><p>A young woman in a semi-conscious state is thrown out of a black car in the middle of the night, and Shouryaman Gaur (Khanna) is arrested on charges of attempted murder. The woman was last seen exiting a nightclub with Shourya and all evidence, as well as eyewitnesses, indicates that he is the culprit. Hotshot lawyer Arjun Mehra is hired to defend Shourya. Arjun is a man known to crack the toughest of cases, but is also very righteous. Mehra, initially reluctant to take up Shourya’s case, ends up defending him in court due to some personal reasons.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While he is defending a criminal in court, he is also battling personal issues at home. He and his wife (Dia Mirza) have to cope with their daughter’s terminal illness, which needs urgent treatment. Shourya, a manipulative man, compels Arjun to fight his case, knowing very well about Arjun’s personal crisis.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Meanwhile, public prosecutor Madhura Banerj (Shome) is aware of the public pressure the case carries. Having admired Arjun Mehra from a distance all her career, she is nervous to be fighting the case against him but also curious to understand the motive behind his taking up an open-and-shut case.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Arjun, known as ‘Ikka’ for his sharp mind and his ability to twist an obvious case, has to not only defend a man who he knows is wrong but also win a case that seems impossible to turn around. He also has to fight morality and what he deems to be right because he has a family to protect.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>Siddharth P Malhotra, who has made films like Maharaj and Hichki in the past, is known to present layered stories. His films are social, delivering strong messages. His characters have backstories and layers which enrich the narrative.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In Ikka too, the principal characters all have backstories, which made them the way they are. A working wife is struggling to strike a balance between home and work, being the sole earning member of the family. Her husband has lost his job in Covid and at home, struggling to keep the house running. Another woman has to bury a traumatic past and a toxic relationship to build a safe future. Ikka’s characters are all dealing with personal demons, making the plot more twisted and compelling.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Writers Althea Kaushal and Mayank Tewari build a compelling premise, where a successful lawyer has to ignore the foundation of morality on which he has built his career just to protect his family and defend a man he loathes. It's complicated, but he must deliver just for his daughter. The plot thickens when the prosecution presents one credible witness after another, yet Arjun has to fight the truth and nail it to prove the case otherwise.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Tilottama Shome plays the nervous Madhura Banerjee to a T. She is awestruck in the presence of Deol’s Arjun Mathur and has to constantly struggle to keep her act together. No false note of Madhura at any point.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Khanna, who has been rediscovered by the nation after Dhurandhar, plays a mean, manipulative, entitled brat to perfection. But in many scenes, Khanna is just existing, in the court, sitting quietly with not much to do.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film is centred around Deol, who is part convincing as Arjun Mathur. The actor resorts to theatrics at some moments, which is synonymous with the actor. Those moments, where he is angrily banging on tables and other hard surfaces, seem rather out of place. But it is still refreshing to see him playing an ordinary man and not an angry soldier defending his motherland for a change.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Since it is intended to be a hardcore commercial masala thriller, logic sometimes takes flight and melodrama seeps in. At one point near the climax, Shome is seen rampwalking down with an entourage of policemen, just to arrest a man. Unnecessary and overdramatic.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Then Deol’s dynamics with his wife, Dia Mirza and his daughter seem half-baked. You are showing the man going great lengths in order to save his daughter, yet there is zero chemistry between the father and daughter on screen. The film promises to be a courtroom drama, but the makers take ample liberty and make Ikka more a story of complex relationships.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Ikka is not as engaging as a courtroom drama should be. It is sans any peak moment of revelations or twists. However, the film isn’t a snooze fest either. I wish the actors were better utilised with a better screenplay in place, but Ikka has its moments, with the last 30 minutes of the film being the most engaging.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ikka is now streaming on Netflix.</p>

Ikka film review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Tillotama Shome starrer courtroom drama isn't all quiet perfect and thrilling but the film isn't a snooze fest either. It lacks the legal sparkle and concentrates more on the drama. 

Sunny Deol and Tilottama Shome playing opposing lawyers in a very commercial thriller is a promising premise for an engaging watch. In Siddharth P Malhotra’s Ikka, Deol plays a hot-shot successful lawyer Arjun Mehra defending a murder accussed Shauryaman Gaur, played by Akshaye Khanna, while Shome plays the prosecutor of the case. The two come from very different schools of cinema, and thus, seeing them share screen space in a film holds a lot of promise. But does Ikka, a Netflix film, deliver? Let’s find out. What’s the plot of Ikka A young woman in a semi-conscious state is thrown out of a black car in the middle of the night, and Shouryaman Gaur (Khanna) is arrested on charges of attempted murder. The woman was last seen exiting a nightclub with Shourya and all evidence, as well as eyewitnesses, indicates that he is the culprit. Hotshot lawyer Arjun Mehra is hired to defend Shourya. Arjun is a man known to crack the toughest of cases, but is also very righteous. Mehra, initially reluctant to take up Shourya’s case, ends up defending him in court due to some personal reasons. While he is defending a criminal in court, he is also battling personal issues at home. He and his wife (Dia Mirza) have to cope with their daughter’s terminal illness, which needs urgent treatment. Shourya, a manipulative man, compels Arjun to fight his case, knowing very well about Arjun’s personal crisis. Meanwhile, public prosecutor Madhura Banerj (Shome) is aware of the public pressure the case carries. Having admired Arjun Mehra from a distance all her career, she is nervous to be fighting the case against him but also curious to understand the motive behind his taking up an open-and-shut case. Arjun, known as ‘Ikka’ for his sharp mind and his ability to twist an obvious case, has to not only defend a man who he knows is wrong but also win a case that seems impossible to turn around. He also has to fight morality and what he deems to be right because he has a family to protect. What works and what does not Siddharth P Malhotra, who has made films like Maharaj and Hichki in the past, is known to present layered stories. His films are social, delivering strong messages. His characters have backstories and layers which enrich the narrative. In Ikka too, the principal characters all have backstories, which made them the way they are. A working wife is struggling to strike a balance between home and work, being the sole earning member of the family. Her husband has lost his job in Covid and at home, struggling to keep the house running. Another woman has to bury a traumatic past and a toxic relationship to build a safe future. Ikka’s characters are all dealing with personal demons, making the plot more twisted and compelling. Writers Althea Kaushal and Mayank Tewari build a compelling premise, where a successful lawyer has to ignore the foundation of morality on which he has built his career just to protect his family and defend a man he loathes. It's complicated, but he must deliver just for his daughter. The plot thickens when the prosecution presents one credible witness after another, yet Arjun has to fight the truth and nail it to prove the case otherwise. Tilottama Shome plays the nervous Madhura Banerjee to a T. She is awestruck in the presence of Deol’s Arjun Mathur and has to constantly struggle to keep her act together. No false note of Madhura at any point. Khanna, who has been rediscovered by the nation after Dhurandhar, plays a mean, manipulative, entitled brat to perfection. But in many scenes, Khanna is just existing, in the court, sitting quietly with not much to do. The film is centred around Deol, who is part convincing as Arjun Mathur. The actor resorts to theatrics at some moments, which is synonymous with the actor. Those moments, where he is angrily banging on tables and other hard surfaces, seem rather out of place. But it is still refreshing to see him playing an ordinary man and not an angry soldier defending his motherland for a change. Since it is intended to be a hardcore commercial masala thriller, logic sometimes takes flight and melodrama seeps in. At one point near the climax, Shome is seen rampwalking down with an entourage of policemen, just to arrest a man. Unnecessary and overdramatic. Then Deol’s dynamics with his wife, Dia Mirza and his daughter seem half-baked. You are showing the man going great lengths in order to save his daughter, yet there is zero chemistry between the father and daughter on screen. The film promises to be a courtroom drama, but the makers take ample liberty and make Ikka more a story of complex relationships. Final Verdict Ikka is not as engaging as a courtroom drama should be. It is sans any peak moment of revelations or twists. However, the film isn’t a snooze fest either. I wish the actors were better utilised with a better screenplay in place, but Ikka has its moments, with the last 30 minutes of the film being the most engaging. Ikka is now streaming on Netflix.

<p>Ikka film review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Tillotama Shome starrer courtroom drama isn't all quiet perfect and thrilling but the film isn't a snooze fest either. It lacks the legal sparkle and concentrates more on the drama.&nbsp;</p>

Ikka movie review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna's film lacks real legal spark, delivers drama instead

<p>First things first. Alia Bhatt is no Lara Croft and YRF is no Marvel. The studio’s latest release, Alpha, projects Alia Bhatt as a deadly assassin, treated like a lab rat since her birth, who goes rogue and turns against her mentor, played by Bobby Deol. On paper, the film may have felt like a brilliant idea. After all, YRF pitches two heroines as the lead, flexing muscles, killing bad guys without any male superstar. However, the film's execution is shoddy and stereotypical, making Alpha a slow-paced, cleaner reverse of Dhurandhar. Confused? Let me explain</p><h2>Plot of Alpha</h2><p>Alia Bhatt is estranged from her biological father, Colonel Luthra (Anil Kapoor) right at her birth. Kidnapped by Lt Colonel Fateh Singh Shekhawat (Bobby Deol), Sita grows up in a run-down oil refinery where she is weekly tested for Shekhawat’s secret mission called Project Alpha. Alpha was a life-changing serum developed to help soldiers heal quickly. The secret mission was carried out under Luthra’s leadership soon after the Kargil war to create a special task force. Sita, being the only human on whom the serum had worked, is trained by Shekhawat to be a deadly assassin, but at the cost of being completely isolated from her family, unaware of her father and a twin sister, Durga (Sharvari).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>20 years later, Sita turns rogue and decides to eliminate the man whom she fondly called Baba all her life. On the way, she reconnects with family, sister and dad, who is now the R&amp;AW chief, and together they have to eliminate Shekhawat and his army of masked men. Shekhawat is not who he seems to be. Let's just say he is Ranveer Singh from Dhurandhar, but reverse. Get it?</p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>Helmed by Shiv Rawail and written by Soumil Shukla and Shridhar Raghavan, ALpha sets out to be a story of personal vendetta but somewhere along the way becomes a spy thriller. It is a known fact that Alia Bhatt has great screen presence and is a good actor. Give her any role, and she delivers. In Alpha, we see her in a very different avatar, that of a cold-blooded assassin who kills before talking. While she kicks and punches with utmost conviction, Alia still feels out of place in most of the action sequences. Call it conditioning of one’s mind, but somehow a petite Alia does not really fit the bill of a deadly spy who takes on men double her size with complete nonchalance.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There is Sharvari, who is introduced in a completely unncesary song sequence which looks like a long advertorial of Puma or Nike or a similar brand. Sharvari , who impressed one and all with her performance in Main Vaapas Aaunga a few weeks back, plays the chirpy counterpart of Sita in Alpha. The scenes of the two women, exploring the wilderness of what we are told is Kashmir, while on the run, are nice even though limited. Wish they had shown the two actresses learning and discovering more about each other, reconnecting after being separated at birth. But writers spent too much time establishing how deadly Shekhawat is and a very convoluted Project Alpha and thus skipped the good parts.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When you have good actors on board, the makers waste them in mind-numbing action sequences and random skin show. At one point, the two sisters jump off a cliff but first strip to funky swimwear and then dive in. On the run, with limited means and food, the girls somehow manage to keep changing their outfits throughout- all very stylish tank tops and cargos. But logic and continuity are not Alpha’s strong points.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Hrithik Roshan pops up in between, doing a mandala in a monastery quietly. While the sequence is well choreographed, it is completely forced.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>By the time the interval happens, the film has nose-dived into an illogical mess. At some point, Sharvari is shot and is recuperating in Leh. In the next scene, she is leading a group of Indian commandos in Cherapunji to eliminate Shekhawat and his boys. The climax is just a lot of action sequence which make no sense. What begins as Sita’s journey slowly becomes a story of saving India and India’s honour. The country is even described as the ‘best boss’ in the world!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol are there to flex their muscles. Both play father figures to Alia, but their roles are so badly written that you don't feel any emotion for them- not even for the villain. Deol mostly speaks slowly, in a low baritone, which only makes one sleepy.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p>I am all for an all-women team of spies, killing, hitting and eliminating bad men. It is a different high to witness a film that has women taking charge and doing the heavy lifting. But Alpha messes up from the word go. Its execution is poor, its plot is wafer-thin. It bores you more than it thrills you. Alpha tries to use the same template that it had for the Tiger series and Pathaan, making the film feel jaded. It's an utter mess.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Two years back, audiences world over had felt superhero fatigue thanks to the multiple films and series that were being churned out by Marvel and DC. I am now suffering from Spy thriller fatigue. These high-octane action thrillers are all looking the same. YRF should give its spies some rest.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Alpha is out in cinemas worldwide.</p>

Alpha movie review: Alia Bhatt and Sharvari are not bad in YRF's spy thriller, but the film's wafer-thin plot and terrible screenplay make it a dull movie. YRF really should give their spies some rest. 

First things first. Alia Bhatt is no Lara Croft and YRF is no Marvel. The studio’s latest release, Alpha, projects Alia Bhatt as a deadly assassin, treated like a lab rat since her birth, who goes rogue and turns against her mentor, played by Bobby Deol. On paper, the film may have felt like a brilliant idea. After all, YRF pitches two heroines as the lead, flexing muscles, killing bad guys without any male superstar. However, the film's execution is shoddy and stereotypical, making Alpha a slow-paced, cleaner reverse of Dhurandhar. Confused? Let me explain Plot of Alpha Alia Bhatt is estranged from her biological father, Colonel Luthra (Anil Kapoor) right at her birth. Kidnapped by Lt Colonel Fateh Singh Shekhawat (Bobby Deol), Sita grows up in a run-down oil refinery where she is weekly tested for Shekhawat’s secret mission called Project Alpha. Alpha was a life-changing serum developed to help soldiers heal quickly. The secret mission was carried out under Luthra’s leadership soon after the Kargil war to create a special task force. Sita, being the only human on whom the serum had worked, is trained by Shekhawat to be a deadly assassin, but at the cost of being completely isolated from her family, unaware of her father and a twin sister, Durga (Sharvari). 20 years later, Sita turns rogue and decides to eliminate the man whom she fondly called Baba all her life. On the way, she reconnects with family, sister and dad, who is now the R&AW chief, and together they have to eliminate Shekhawat and his army of masked men. Shekhawat is not who he seems to be. Let's just say he is Ranveer Singh from Dhurandhar, but reverse. Get it? What works and what does not Helmed by Shiv Rawail and written by Soumil Shukla and Shridhar Raghavan, ALpha sets out to be a story of personal vendetta but somewhere along the way becomes a spy thriller. It is a known fact that Alia Bhatt has great screen presence and is a good actor. Give her any role, and she delivers. In Alpha, we see her in a very different avatar, that of a cold-blooded assassin who kills before talking. While she kicks and punches with utmost conviction, Alia still feels out of place in most of the action sequences. Call it conditioning of one’s mind, but somehow a petite Alia does not really fit the bill of a deadly spy who takes on men double her size with complete nonchalance. There is Sharvari, who is introduced in a completely unncesary song sequence which looks like a long advertorial of Puma or Nike or a similar brand. Sharvari , who impressed one and all with her performance in Main Vaapas Aaunga a few weeks back, plays the chirpy counterpart of Sita in Alpha. The scenes of the two women, exploring the wilderness of what we are told is Kashmir, while on the run, are nice even though limited. Wish they had shown the two actresses learning and discovering more about each other, reconnecting after being separated at birth. But writers spent too much time establishing how deadly Shekhawat is and a very convoluted Project Alpha and thus skipped the good parts. When you have good actors on board, the makers waste them in mind-numbing action sequences and random skin show. At one point, the two sisters jump off a cliff but first strip to funky swimwear and then dive in. On the run, with limited means and food, the girls somehow manage to keep changing their outfits throughout- all very stylish tank tops and cargos. But logic and continuity are not Alpha’s strong points. Hrithik Roshan pops up in between, doing a mandala in a monastery quietly. While the sequence is well choreographed, it is completely forced. By the time the interval happens, the film has nose-dived into an illogical mess. At some point, Sharvari is shot and is recuperating in Leh. In the next scene, she is leading a group of Indian commandos in Cherapunji to eliminate Shekhawat and his boys. The climax is just a lot of action sequence which make no sense. What begins as Sita’s journey slowly becomes a story of saving India and India’s honour. The country is even described as the ‘best boss’ in the world! Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol are there to flex their muscles. Both play father figures to Alia, but their roles are so badly written that you don't feel any emotion for them- not even for the villain. Deol mostly speaks slowly, in a low baritone, which only makes one sleepy. Final verdict I am all for an all-women team of spies, killing, hitting and eliminating bad men. It is a different high to witness a film that has women taking charge and doing the heavy lifting. But Alpha messes up from the word go. Its execution is poor, its plot is wafer-thin. It bores you more than it thrills you. Alpha tries to use the same template that it had for the Tiger series and Pathaan, making the film feel jaded. It's an utter mess. Two years back, audiences world over had felt superhero fatigue thanks to the multiple films and series that were being churned out by Marvel and DC. I am now suffering from Spy thriller fatigue. These high-octane action thrillers are all looking the same. YRF should give its spies some rest. Alpha is out in cinemas worldwide.

<p>Alpha movie review: Alia Bhatt and Sharvari are not bad in YRF's spy thriller, but the film's wafer-thin plot and terrible screenplay make it a dull movie. YRF really should give their spies some rest.&nbsp;</p>

Alpha movie review: Alia Bhatt, Sharvari's film is a flat, tedious addition to the spy universe

<p>There is a certain uneasiness inside you after you finish watching the Voice of Hind Rajab. The voice of five-year-old Hind Rajab, or Hanood as she was called fondly, continues to echo in your ears hours after the film is over. Directed by Kaouther Ben Henia, the docu-feature blends reality and fiction to deliver a heartwrenching account of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab and her urgent pleas on calls to Red Crescent volunteers to rescue her after her family was ambushed by the Israeli forces in January 2024. The Voice Of Hind Rajab is a film that is a testament to the times we live in. And while the semi-fictional semi-real film makes you uncomfortable, angry, emotional and ultimately numb, &nbsp;it is an important watch.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>What’s the story of Voice of Hind Rajab?</h2><p>Five of her family members, including her uncle, aunt and three cousins, were killed as the vehicle in which the family was fleeing Gaza city was shelled. Hind and her 15-year-old cousin Layan survived the first ambush and it was Layan who first made the call to Omar of Red Crescent, pleading for help. The brief call ends abruptly as Layan is shot dead, leaving Omar on the other side of the call, stunned at what he has heard. Minutes later, the Red Crescent gets a tip that there is still a survivor inside the car, hiding from the army, desperately in need of help. Hind, a five-year-old, calls for help, pleading constantly as “I'm so scared, please come. Come take me. Please, will you come?” even as Omar and his supervisor Rana try to soothe her and assure her that help is on the way.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Much like Omar and Rana, you find yourself feeling frustrated at the bureaucratic incompetence as their supervisor Mahdi, insists on following protocols to assure a safe route for the ambulance that is set to rescue Hind.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>‘They are all dead’</h2><p>Some moments are heartbreaking. Henia uses actual audio clippings from the incident and then uses actors to reimagine that day. At one point, Rana tries to soothe the frightened girl that the people next to her in the car, her family members, are all just sleeping because they are tired. Hind cries and blurts out, “They are all dead,” making her rescuers realise that the girl has grown up in a matter of minutes, understanding the gravity of the situation more than anyone could imagine.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Some may find the usage of actual audio clippings to re-tell the incident problematic. Why milk a tragedy as grave as this? But the film is a raw retelling of the war that has ravaged Palestine and left so many innocent people dead. The conflict did not spare the children, which was deeply criticised by the media world over. By using actual audio clips, Henia lays bare the situation for the audience and gives the film more gravitas.</p><h2>The bureaucratic delay</h2><p>At the centre of the story are lead actors Saja Kilani as Rana, Motaz Malhees as Omar, and Amer Hlehel as Mahdi, part of the Red Crescent, who are in constant touch with Hind. While Rana and Omar are shown to be deeply involved in getting the little girl out, Mahdi is shown as a man who tries a more practical approach, not wanting to jeopardise the lives of the ambulance drivers who have to get Hind out. While their ambulance is just 8 minutes away from the little girl, Mahdi insists on getting a green channel from the Red Cross and the Israeli army, which had ambushed the car in the first place. The complexity of the situation is grave and with every minute passing, everyone gets more and more anxious of Hind's safety.</p><h2>Why you should watch The Voice of Hind Rajab</h2><p>I am mostly conflicted about films that are based on real-life tragedies. While they help to reach out to a wider audience and make them aware of a said incident, it also feels uncomfortable to go witness it on screen. Yet, I would urge readers to step out to watch this film. It will make you tear up, it will make you angry and anxious, but such emotions are needed to understand the unending atrocities that the war has created in Gaza, where human lives have lost their value, schools, hospitals, homes and ambulances are ambushed, and children are killed.</p><p>Voice of Hind Rajab serves as a wake-up call to the world and forces you to sit up and take note of countless other children like Hind, who perhaps pleaded for help minutes before they were killed.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Voice of Hind Rajab has a limited release in India this Friday. Do not miss it.</p>

Based on an actual incident that took place in January 2024, The Voice of Hind Rajab bares open the atrocities that have ravaged Palestine due to the war. The docu-drama uses actual audio recordings of the five year old Hind Rajab, which makes the film all the more authentic and raw. 

There is a certain uneasiness inside you after you finish watching the Voice of Hind Rajab. The voice of five-year-old Hind Rajab, or Hanood as she was called fondly, continues to echo in your ears hours after the film is over. Directed by Kaouther Ben Henia, the docu-feature blends reality and fiction to deliver a heartwrenching account of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab and her urgent pleas on calls to Red Crescent volunteers to rescue her after her family was ambushed by the Israeli forces in January 2024. The Voice Of Hind Rajab is a film that is a testament to the times we live in. And while the semi-fictional semi-real film makes you uncomfortable, angry, emotional and ultimately numb, it is an important watch. What’s the story of Voice of Hind Rajab? Five of her family members, including her uncle, aunt and three cousins, were killed as the vehicle in which the family was fleeing Gaza city was shelled. Hind and her 15-year-old cousin Layan survived the first ambush and it was Layan who first made the call to Omar of Red Crescent, pleading for help. The brief call ends abruptly as Layan is shot dead, leaving Omar on the other side of the call, stunned at what he has heard. Minutes later, the Red Crescent gets a tip that there is still a survivor inside the car, hiding from the army, desperately in need of help. Hind, a five-year-old, calls for help, pleading constantly as “I'm so scared, please come. Come take me. Please, will you come?” even as Omar and his supervisor Rana try to soothe her and assure her that help is on the way. Much like Omar and Rana, you find yourself feeling frustrated at the bureaucratic incompetence as their supervisor Mahdi, insists on following protocols to assure a safe route for the ambulance that is set to rescue Hind.

<p>Based on an actual incident that took place in January 2024, The Voice of Hind Rajab bares open the atrocities that have ravaged Palestine due to the war. The docu-drama uses actual audio recordings of the five year old Hind Rajab, which makes the film all the more authentic and raw.&nbsp;</p>

The Voice Of Hind Rajab review: Kaouther Ben Henia’s heartwrenching film is an uncomfortable, vital wake-up call

<p>The 2012 film Cocktail, directed by Homi Adajania, received mixed responses from critics as well as at the box office on its release. The film’s story was termed problematic by some, where a man-child first has a passionate romance with a short-skirt-wearing, trouble-maker modern girl and then falls deeply in love with a homely girl, whom his mother approves of. Over the years, a certain age group gave the film a cult status. While Cocktail wasn’t anything great to write home about, it should be credited for giving great music, by Pritam, and presenting Deepika Padukone in a completely different avatar. Deepika was splendid in the film as the problematic Veronica, who has a heart of gold, even though she puts up an act of nonchalance all the time. In most scenes, Deepika shone more than her co-stars, Saif Ali Khan and debutant Diana Penty. More than a decade later, Adajania is back with a spiritual sequel, Cocktail 2, which also centres around three individuals entangled in love and complications. The original Cocktail was middling in any case, but the sequel makes the original look superior in terms of storytelling.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The first film was written by Imtiaz Ali, who is known to present women as strong individuals, as saviours of problematic men. Cocktail 2 has Luv Ranjan and Tarun Jain as writers. Ranjan usually presents women as selfish, controlling and conniving and men as the henpecked, innocent beings. So you can easily understand how Cocktail 2 pans out.</p><h2>What’s the plot of Cocktail 2</h2><p>Diya (Rashmika Mandanna) and Kunal (Shahid Kapoor) have been together for over a decade. Successful and comfortable with each other as live-in partners, they don't want to take the plunge and marry just because society wants a label on their relationship. As the marriage season dons upon Delhi, the two decide to escape questions about their plans to marry and head to Italy for a long vacation. There, they meet Ally(Kriti Sanon), Diya’s old friend from Uni days, who decides to be the third wheel in the relationship and show them around Italy.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ally is a person who gets bored easily, we are told. She is also constantly dressed for the beach and is very self-aware of her hotness. At one point, she admits that no man can ever resist her advances. That makes her friend, the mildly suspicious and very controlling Diya, hatch a plan to test her man and his loyalty for her. She asks Ally to seduce him to check his response. Ally mentions that the plan is risky, but Diya insists on it. What follows is a bizarre, long-drawn process of the two women pushing the man to the brink, just to test his loyalty to his longtime partner.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Things obviously get complicated as love happens by chance amid all the flirting and seducing, but relationships and friendships get complicated.</p>

<h2>What works</h2><p>Shot in parts of Italy, Cocktail 2 is visually stunning. Shot by cinematographer Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran, who, with his frames, sets the vibe of Italian summer well. A large part of the film has Kunal and Ally soaking in the sun on the beach, conversing and getting to know each other. Sicily comes alive in each frame where the story is set in the first half. Styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania, the film has the leads looking stunning, especially Kriti Sanon.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Much like the first film, Cocktail 2 is beutiful songs by Pritam, including a love ballad by Arijit Singh.</p><h2>What does not work</h2><p>The plot is wafer-thin and stretched over 150 minutes. It some point, one gets impatient at their trio’s first-world problems of infertility and relationship issues. The film labels the women, like most Luv Ranjan-written films do. The bohemian, hot girl falls for the man while seducing him just for fun. So much so that she is ready to break his marriage. The girlfriend is bossy and controlling everything, and constantly doubting her man, even though he hasn’t given her any reasons to feel that way. The man is shown to be henpecked, behaving like a doormat to his girlfriend. From the first glimpse of the three characters, you know their character traits.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Among the actors, Kriti Sanon gets the maximum scope to perform. It's not a very well-written script in any case, but Sanon delivers her flawed character of Ally in most parts of the film. The other parts, she is busy imitating Deepika from the original film. Rashmika’s strong accent gets in the way of her delivering a solid performance. Among the three leads, Shahid Kapoor is perhaps the most talented and seasoned. But the makers hardly make him perform to his best. In the greater part of the film, Shahid is shown to be a quiet observer who silently obeys his lady love. When you have an actor of Shahid’s calibre in the film, why waste him playing someone so quiet?</p>

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<h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Cocktail 2 aims to cater to the younger generation. Perhaps the problems and complexities shown in the film are more identifiable to the young audience. Unfortunately, the writer of this review does not belong to that age group. While the film attempts to highlight modern dar friendships and relationships, in times of social media, it fails to connect with a very poorly written story. The actors are all good, perform to their parts and look stunning on screen, but that doesn't alleviate a very mediocre film.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When the first teaser of Cocktail 2 had come out, there were rumours that the story would have Rashmika cheating on Shahid with Kriti. Had they actually explored that angle, that plot would have worked better.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Cocktail 2 is running in theatres across the country.</p>

Cocktail 2, directed by Homi Adajania, has Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna playing bossy women to a very henpecked Shahid Kapoor. The film's wafer thin plot dampens the performances by the leads.

The 2012 film Cocktail, directed by Homi Adajania, received mixed responses from critics as well as at the box office on its release. The film’s story was termed problematic by some, where a man-child first has a passionate romance with a short-skirt-wearing, trouble-maker modern girl and then falls deeply in love with a homely girl, whom his mother approves of. Over the years, a certain age group gave the film a cult status. While Cocktail wasn’t anything great to write home about, it should be credited for giving great music, by Pritam, and presenting Deepika Padukone in a completely different avatar. Deepika was splendid in the film as the problematic Veronica, who has a heart of gold, even though she puts up an act of nonchalance all the time. In most scenes, Deepika shone more than her co-stars, Saif Ali Khan and debutant Diana Penty. More than a decade later, Adajania is back with a spiritual sequel, Cocktail 2, which also centres around three individuals entangled in love and complications. The original Cocktail was middling in any case, but the sequel makes the original look superior in terms of storytelling. The first film was written by Imtiaz Ali, who is known to present women as strong individuals, as saviours of problematic men. Cocktail 2 has Luv Ranjan and Tarun Jain as writers. Ranjan usually presents women as selfish, controlling and conniving and men as the henpecked, innocent beings. So you can easily understand how Cocktail 2 pans out. What’s the plot of Cocktail 2 Diya (Rashmika Mandanna) and Kunal (Shahid Kapoor) have been together for over a decade. Successful and comfortable with each other as live-in partners, they don't want to take the plunge and marry just because society wants a label on their relationship. As the marriage season dons upon Delhi, the two decide to escape questions about their plans to marry and head to Italy for a long vacation. There, they meet Ally(Kriti Sanon), Diya’s old friend from Uni days, who decides to be the third wheel in the relationship and show them around Italy. Ally is a person who gets bored easily, we are told. She is also constantly dressed for the beach and is very self-aware of her hotness. At one point, she admits that no man can ever resist her advances. That makes her friend, the mildly suspicious and very controlling Diya, hatch a plan to test her man and his loyalty for her. She asks Ally to seduce him to check his response. Ally mentions that the plan is risky, but Diya insists on it. What follows is a bizarre, long-drawn process of the two women pushing the man to the brink, just to test his loyalty to his longtime partner. Things obviously get complicated as love happens by chance amid all the flirting and seducing, but relationships and friendships get complicated.

<p>Cocktail 2, directed by Homi Adajania, has Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna playing bossy women to a very henpecked Shahid Kapoor. The film's wafer thin plot dampens the performances by the leads.</p>

Cocktail 2 movie review: Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna’s glossy vacation drama is dragged down by a wafer-thin plot

<p>No one depicts love and longing as beautifully as Imtiaz Ali does. His coming-of-age dramas like Rockstar, Cocktail, Jab We Met, and even Jab Harry Met Sejal have had these two as central themes in the plot. In Amar Singh Chamkeela, Ali’s most political film to date, love made the two lead characters brave even as they longed to belong. His latest, Main Vapas Aaunga, is based on a similar theme, but Ali goes a step forward and talks of man-made borders, refugee crisis world over and how no particular community should be held responsible for the trauma that came with the partition of India in 1947. Featuring a stellar cast comprising Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Rajat Kapoor, and Sharvari, Main Vaapas Aaunga speaks the language of love in a polarised world.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Main Vaapas Aaunga marks Dosanjh’s second collaboration with Imtiaz Ali, and while the actor is effortlessly charming as Nirvair Grewal, a man who has commitment phobia but is a sensitive man deeply connected to his grandfather, Main Vaapas Aaunga belongs to the veteran Naseeruddin Shah, who is stunning in the film as the ailing man yearning to go back to the land that he called his home, at the fag end of his life.</p><h2>What’s the story of Main Vapas Aaunga</h2><p>Shah plays 95-year-old Ishar Singh Grewal, who is desperate to go to Sargodha. His age and health have made him delirious and he has forgotten that now Sargodha, where he grew up, and Chandigarh, where he now lives with his family, are separated by international borders. As he slips in and out of consciousness and is restricted to a hospital bed, he keeps wanting to go to Sargodha to meet someone. He is incoherent, and only his UK-returned grandson, Dosanjh, can understand his language.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>What many deem as gibberish turns out to be a story from the past involving the family’s migration to India, facing rioters on the way, losing their loved ones and leaving behind home and love. The narrative flip-flops from past and present and depicts an inter-religion love story featuring Vedang Raina (as the young Ishar) and Sharvari, a spirited young Afsana or Jiya, who are well aware of the growing tensions between the two communities but keep wanting to be together. Their story is juxtaposed with Niravir’s on-and-off relationship with his girlfriend (Banita Sandhu), a stark contrast from other love stories.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As Nirvair makes his way home, he realises he is unknown to a lot of family secrets and his father (Rajat Kapoor) is not willing to tell the full story. Kapoor’s character is shown to have a lot of resentment towards his own father (Shah), who has been a completely different man post partition, a phase that is not only mentioned but never shown on screen.</p><h2>What works</h2><p>The film is hauntingly beautiful. Written by Ali and Nayanika Mehtani, Main Vaapas Aaunga takes an interfaith love story to tell a story about belonging and about homecoming. It comes at a time when headlines all over are dominated by news of conflict and war. &nbsp;But the film, instead of pointing fingers at a community in particular, tries to look at the larger picture of loved lost, of passing on trauma through generations due to one tragic incident and blaming circumstances over the community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film’s cast is superb. Actors like Sanjay Suri, Dolly Ahluwalia, Vinod Nagpal, Mashhoor Amrohi and Manish Chaudhary play important characters which have limited screen time. You almost cannot recognise half of them, because they are there on screen but never in focus untill the climax. Dosanjh has always been easy on the eyes and likeable with his effortless charm and acting skills. It is always a treat to watch him on screen and this one is no different.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As Niravair, Dosanjh plays a sensitive man who can never settle and only finds answers when he starts digging deep into his grandfather’s history. Young on-screen pair Vedang Raina and Sharvari deliver to their part well. Sharvari, with her character, lights up the screen with grace and the right amount of naivety that her character requires. Raina, on the other hand, truly comes on his own. He shares screen space with some veteran faces but never slips and holds his own as the shy, loyal lover who is foolish to believe he will come back to take his love with him and in later years is riddled by guilt when he is unable to.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The star of the film, however, is Naseeruddin Shah, who is stunning as the ageing, delirious old man desperate to go back to Sargodha one last time. Shah balances his performance, as a man often speaking gibberish, but never overdoes it, making his performance truly stand out.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>AR Rahman and Imtiaz Ali, along with Irshad Kamil, are known for creating splendid musicals in the past, and this one is no different.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>What does not work</h2><p>The film hints at subplots but never gets into the details, leaving them slightly unfinished. There is a portion where Dosnajh is shown to help build something that can help the farmers, giving a hat tip to the actor’s personal support to the farmers’ movement in the past, but there is only one scene that shows him working on a technology to support them, but it doesn't dig deeper. I wish they had explored Rajat Kapoor and Shah’s strained relationship a bit more or given a conclusion to Dosanjh and Banita Sandhu’s relationship. The film is also uneven, and drags especially when Ali goes too much into detail to describe Shah’s outlandish descriptions.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>Main Vaapas Aaunga, despite its slightly uneven narrative, delivers and tugs at one’s heartstrings. It makes you wonder if the trauma of partition would ever go away because the generation which faced it buried it in their conscience and lived silently with trauma. And then later passed it on to the next generation. The hatred towards a certain community stems from the same incident. And thus, it is rather bold for Imtiaz Ali to talk of peace, healing and love on both sides of the border in a year like 2026 when the biggest hit has been based on anti-Pakistan views.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Main Vaapas Aaunga makes you tear up and reflect. It makes you believe in forever love in the age of dating apps and quick swipes and makes you yearn to go home.</p>

Main Vaapas Aunga, Imtiaz Ali's latest film, tells a beautiful love story based in the troubled times of India's partition. Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah delivers a masterclass in acting as an ageing man longing to go back to his motherland and meet the love of his life. 

No one depicts love and longing as beautifully as Imtiaz Ali does. His coming-of-age dramas like Rockstar, Cocktail, Jab We Met, and even Jab Harry Met Sejal have had these two as central themes in the plot. In Amar Singh Chamkeela, Ali’s most political film to date, love made the two lead characters brave even as they longed to belong. His latest, Main Vapas Aaunga, is based on a similar theme, but Ali goes a step forward and talks of man-made borders, refugee crisis world over and how no particular community should be held responsible for the trauma that came with the partition of India in 1947. Featuring a stellar cast comprising Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Rajat Kapoor, and Sharvari, Main Vaapas Aaunga speaks the language of love in a polarised world. Main Vaapas Aaunga marks Dosanjh’s second collaboration with Imtiaz Ali, and while the actor is effortlessly charming as Nirvair Grewal, a man who has commitment phobia but is a sensitive man deeply connected to his grandfather, Main Vaapas Aaunga belongs to the veteran Naseeruddin Shah, who is stunning in the film as the ailing man yearning to go back to the land that he called his home, at the fag end of his life. What’s the story of Main Vapas Aaunga Shah plays 95-year-old Ishar Singh Grewal, who is desperate to go to Sargodha. His age and health have made him delirious and he has forgotten that now Sargodha, where he grew up, and Chandigarh, where he now lives with his family, are separated by international borders. As he slips in and out of consciousness and is restricted to a hospital bed, he keeps wanting to go to Sargodha to meet someone. He is incoherent, and only his UK-returned grandson, Dosanjh, can understand his language. What many deem as gibberish turns out to be a story from the past involving the family’s migration to India, facing rioters on the way, losing their loved ones and leaving behind home and love. The narrative flip-flops from past and present and depicts an inter-religion love story featuring Vedang Raina (as the young Ishar) and Sharvari, a spirited young Afsana or Jiya, who are well aware of the growing tensions between the two communities but keep wanting to be together. Their story is juxtaposed with Niravir’s on-and-off relationship with his girlfriend (Banita Sandhu), a stark contrast from other love stories. As Nirvair makes his way home, he realises he is unknown to a lot of family secrets and his father (Rajat Kapoor) is not willing to tell the full story. Kapoor’s character is shown to have a lot of resentment towards his own father (Shah), who has been a completely different man post partition, a phase that is not only mentioned but never shown on screen. What works The film is hauntingly beautiful. Written by Ali and Nayanika Mehtani, Main Vaapas Aaunga takes an interfaith love story to tell a story about belonging and about homecoming. It comes at a time when headlines all over are dominated by news of conflict and war. But the film, instead of pointing fingers at a community in particular, tries to look at the larger picture of loved lost, of passing on trauma through generations due to one tragic incident and blaming circumstances over the community. The film’s cast is superb. Actors like Sanjay Suri, Dolly Ahluwalia, Vinod Nagpal, Mashhoor Amrohi and Manish Chaudhary play important characters which have limited screen time. You almost cannot recognise half of them, because they are there on screen but never in focus untill the climax. Dosanjh has always been easy on the eyes and likeable with his effortless charm and acting skills. It is always a treat to watch him on screen and this one is no different. As Niravair, Dosanjh plays a sensitive man who can never settle and only finds answers when he starts digging deep into his grandfather’s history. Young on-screen pair Vedang Raina and Sharvari deliver to their part well. Sharvari, with her character, lights up the screen with grace and the right amount of naivety that her character requires. Raina, on the other hand, truly comes on his own. He shares screen space with some veteran faces but never slips and holds his own as the shy, loyal lover who is foolish to believe he will come back to take his love with him and in later years is riddled by guilt when he is unable to. The star of the film, however, is Naseeruddin Shah, who is stunning as the ageing, delirious old man desperate to go back to Sargodha one last time. Shah balances his performance, as a man often speaking gibberish, but never overdoes it, making his performance truly stand out. AR Rahman and Imtiaz Ali, along with Irshad Kamil, are known for creating splendid musicals in the past, and this one is no different. What does not work The film hints at subplots but never gets into the details, leaving them slightly unfinished. There is a portion where Dosnajh is shown to help build something that can help the farmers, giving a hat tip to the actor’s personal support to the farmers’ movement in the past, but there is only one scene that shows him working on a technology to support them, but it doesn't dig deeper. I wish they had explored Rajat Kapoor and Shah’s strained relationship a bit more or given a conclusion to Dosanjh and Banita Sandhu’s relationship. The film is also uneven, and drags especially when Ali goes too much into detail to describe Shah’s outlandish descriptions. Final Verdict Main Vaapas Aaunga, despite its slightly uneven narrative, delivers and tugs at one’s heartstrings. It makes you wonder if the trauma of partition would ever go away because the generation which faced it buried it in their conscience and lived silently with trauma. And then later passed it on to the next generation. The hatred towards a certain community stems from the same incident. And thus, it is rather bold for Imtiaz Ali to talk of peace, healing and love on both sides of the border in a year like 2026 when the biggest hit has been based on anti-Pakistan views. Main Vaapas Aaunga makes you tear up and reflect. It makes you believe in forever love in the age of dating apps and quick swipes and makes you yearn to go home.

<p>Main Vaapas Aaunga, Imtiaz Ali's latest film, tells a beautiful love story based in the troubled times of India's partition. Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah delivers a masterclass in acting as an ageing man longing to go back to his motherland and meet the love of his life.&nbsp;</p>

Main Vaapas Aaunga review: Imtiaz Ali crafts a hauntingly beautiful tale of partition trauma, love, and longing

<p>First and foremost, it's great that Anurag Kashyap is back directing a film. Kashyap has, in the past, delivered some of the most iconic films of our time, which have been lauded for being gritty and real. The man has, in the last few years, forayed into acting (he is earning praises in that department, too) and has publicly admitted that he is disillusioned with Bollywood and its ways. Which is why his latest directorial venture, Bandar, featuring Bobby Deol in the lead, is a special film. The film has been written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, the men behind web series like Pataal Lok 2 and Kohhra. &nbsp;Expectations, thus, were high from Bandar. But does it live up to those expectations? Here’s what I thought.</p><h2>What's the plot of Bandar?</h2><p>Deol plays a has-been TV star, Samar Mehra. Much like his career, his finances and personal life are dwindling. He is falsely accussed of rape by a jilted ex (Sapna Pabbi) and taken into police custody at the middle of the night. And while his current girlfriend Khushi (Saba Azad), sister (Sanya Malhotra) and lawyer (Riddhi Sen) run pillar to post to get him out, Samar is put behind bars with other under-trial accused men.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Samar is a complicated man who is aware of his fading career but is too entitled to admit he needs to work hard and do better. He also has high self-esteem, so he doesn't want to ask his parents for help. He hates the idea of marriage and is on a dating app where he mostly swipes right to women much younger than him. All personality traits come to bite him as he is locked up in jail with some of the most hardened criminals. While initially he is at a loss and constantly harps that he is innocent, he eventually finds his way to survive, even as he waits to get bail.</p><h2>What works</h2><p>Much like Kashyap’s other films, there is a sly humour amid all the grim, intense thriller. Kashyap, along with writers Sharma and Banerjee, manages to find humour amid everyday mundanity. Casting couch is mispronounced at the heat of the moment as couch potato, a police officer gets into the nitty-gritty of swiping right or left, and a frustrated lawyer curses in Bengali under his breath.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Special compliments to the casting director of Bandar as the film not only features known faces from Bollywood but also has well-known actors from regional cinema playing key roles. There is Malayalam actor Indrajit Sukumaran playing gang leader Lijo who takes Samar in his gang, Kannada actor director Raj B Shetty as the inamte lizard man, theatre star Sukant Goel as another inmate, Marathi actor Jitendra Joshi as head cop and Bengali actor Riddhi Sen as Samar’s lawyer.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The film, however, centres on Deol, who delivers a fine performance as a delusional, entitled actor whose days of glory are in the past. Deol exudes the right amount of madness and vulnerability for Samar and plays an ageing man who refuses to accept his prime days are over.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/bobby-deol-s-radical-2026-lineup-from-yrf-s-alpha-to-anurag-kashyap-s-dark-drama-bandar-1780627803823">Bobby Deol’s radical 2026 lineup: From YRF’s Alpha to dark drama Bandar</a></p>

<p>The women in the film -Sapna Pabbi, Sanya Malhotra, and Saba Azad- are equally good, but their characters are there only to enable the lead character of Deol.</p><h2>What does not work</h2><p>The film begins with a lot of promise. It has an engaging narrative that jumps right into the plot. However, it lacks a clear stance. It is a prison drama which also looks at the problematic judiciary that delays justice for those who deserve it. It also gives a perspective of the other side of the #MeToo movement, the men who have unnecessarily been vilified. But the messaging is sketchy. At some point, you also feel Samar is an entitled prick who deserves the treatment in jail for not respecting the women in his life.</p>

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<p> </p><p>Bandar also suffers from the curse of the second half, where the story shifts to the jail and its way. Too many shots of the soiled toilets is also not appealing. I understand the intent but it is overtly shown far too many times.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p>Bandar delivers in parts. Bobby Deol and other actors are in good form. Deol in particular plays the flawed Samar with perfection. The narrative also raises pertinent questions about perception around rape accussed and how easily society puts a label on them without knowing the full story. But Bandar’s lack of clarity in the second half dampens an otherwise good narrative. Bandar, ultimately, is a middling affair.</p><p> </p><p>Bandar is running in theatres across the country.</p>

Bandar review: Good news is that Anurag Kashyap is back directing a film. Bad news is that Bandar is not Kashyap's finest. The film though, has Bobby Deol delivering a solid performance along with other cast members. 

First and foremost, it's great that Anurag Kashyap is back directing a film. Kashyap has, in the past, delivered some of the most iconic films of our time, which have been lauded for being gritty and real. The man has, in the last few years, forayed into acting (he is earning praises in that department, too) and has publicly admitted that he is disillusioned with Bollywood and its ways. Which is why his latest directorial venture, Bandar, featuring Bobby Deol in the lead, is a special film. The film has been written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, the men behind web series like Pataal Lok 2 and Kohhra. Expectations, thus, were high from Bandar. But does it live up to those expectations? Here’s what I thought. What's the plot of Bandar? Deol plays a has-been TV star, Samar Mehra. Much like his career, his finances and personal life are dwindling. He is falsely accussed of rape by a jilted ex (Sapna Pabbi) and taken into police custody at the middle of the night. And while his current girlfriend Khushi (Saba Azad), sister (Sanya Malhotra) and lawyer (Riddhi Sen) run pillar to post to get him out, Samar is put behind bars with other under-trial accused men. Samar is a complicated man who is aware of his fading career but is too entitled to admit he needs to work hard and do better. He also has high self-esteem, so he doesn't want to ask his parents for help. He hates the idea of marriage and is on a dating app where he mostly swipes right to women much younger than him. All personality traits come to bite him as he is locked up in jail with some of the most hardened criminals. While initially he is at a loss and constantly harps that he is innocent, he eventually finds his way to survive, even as he waits to get bail. What works Much like Kashyap’s other films, there is a sly humour amid all the grim, intense thriller. Kashyap, along with writers Sharma and Banerjee, manages to find humour amid everyday mundanity. Casting couch is mispronounced at the heat of the moment as couch potato, a police officer gets into the nitty-gritty of swiping right or left, and a frustrated lawyer curses in Bengali under his breath. Special compliments to the casting director of Bandar as the film not only features known faces from Bollywood but also has well-known actors from regional cinema playing key roles. There is Malayalam actor Indrajit Sukumaran playing gang leader Lijo who takes Samar in his gang, Kannada actor director Raj B Shetty as the inamte lizard man, theatre star Sukant Goel as another inmate, Marathi actor Jitendra Joshi as head cop and Bengali actor Riddhi Sen as Samar’s lawyer. The film, however, centres on Deol, who delivers a fine performance as a delusional, entitled actor whose days of glory are in the past. Deol exudes the right amount of madness and vulnerability for Samar and plays an ageing man who refuses to accept his prime days are over. Also read: Bobby Deol’s radical 2026 lineup: From YRF’s Alpha to dark drama Bandar

<p>Bandar review: Good news is that Anurag Kashyap is back directing a film. Bad news is that Bandar is not Kashyap's finest. The film though, has Bobby Deol delivering a solid performance along with other cast members.&nbsp;</p>

Bandar movie review: Bobby Deol’s prison drama fizzles out after the intermission

<p>Things fall quite easily in the lap of public prosecutor Neha Rajvansh (Sonakshi Sinha) in Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’s new film System. Neha may be working to get the underprivileged justice in the Delhi court as a public prosecutor, but she comes from a position of privilege. While she is out there to prove a point to her successful father, she is also aware of her limitations and thus takes the help of courtroom stenographer Satika Rawat (Jyotika). Two women headlining a courtroom drama in Bollywood is novel, even though the premise is a known one. But does Iyer Tiwari’s film deliver a sharp courtroom drama? Only in parts.</p><h2>What’s the plot of System?</h2><p>Sonakshi plays a public prosecutor, who is just waiting to fulfil her dad’s challenge of winning 10 cases on her own steam before she is inducted into the family law firm as a partner. Her father, Ravi Rajvansh (Ashutosh Gowarikar) is one of the most successful lawyers of the city, but wants his daughter to go through the grind of being a government lawyer in the court to value what she is born into. Neha is initially reluctant, but later takes it up as a challenge just to prove her father wrong. A shared ride to the court one morning leads Neha to Sarika Rawat, the court stenographer who is just a degree short of being a lawyer herself. Diligent and hardworking, Sarika seems to know and understand legal cases better than Neha.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Sonakshi Sinha plays Neha Rajvansh

<p> </p><p>When a passing tip helps Neha to win a case, she convinces Sarika to help her with her future cases, and Sarika agrees for the extra cash. Neha and Sarika win 9 cases smoothly, but it's the 10th case that becomes a turning point in their career. Neha has to face her father in court in a suspected murder case of an influencer. The accussed happens to be Ravi’s old client, real estate giant Vikram Bajral. Considering she is up against the invincible dad, who is ruthless in the courtroom, the odds are all against Neha and proving Bajral guilty seems like a herculean task. Will she be able to crack the final case as a public prosecutor and fulfil her dad’s wish for the rest of the story.</p><h2>What works and what does not</h2><p>Written by Harman Baweja and Akshat Ghildial, the film begins on a promising note. The screenplay is detailed and shows Neha as a privileged, frivolous soul who would rather scroll reels and check out new restaurant reccos in her free time than research. Then there is Sarika, a woman who is working double shifts to make ends meet and help her daughter get a good education and care for her paralysed husband. The two women come from strikingly different backgrounds, and it is Sarika who helps Neha get a foothold in the city as she steps out of her mansion after an argument with her father. Neha comes from privilege but is constantly mollycodled by father, brother or boyfriend. It is only the women who cheer for her, first the mother and then Sarika.</p><p> </p><p>Iyer Tiwari’s films have usually had very strong female leads. From Panga, to Bareilly Ki Barfi, to Nil Battey Sannata, all films have shown women coming of age and becoming independent individuals. System is no different, Sarika acts as an agent of change for Neha, who is initially in the game to win and prove her father wrong, not fighting for justice.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>The casting of Sonakshi feels meta (nepo baby playing legal nepo baby), and the actress cake walks through the role of Neha Rajvansh. She is your regular entitled heiress, who only grows a spine in the latter half of the film. There is Ashutosh Gowarikar playing a self-assured, slightly arrogant Ravi Rajvansh who seems preachy, always ready with a lesson or two for his children. Gowarikar and Sonakshi’s scenes, especially, the underlying tension between the two feels mechanical- as if both actors are only reading out the part and not feeling the emotions.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Jyotika, on the other hand, plays the observant, silent and calculative Sarika well. She has been wronged by society, but is always keen to work hard to build a comfortable life for her family. Jyotika, much like the character she plays on screen, seems earnest in her role.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Jyotika plays Sarika Rawat

<p> </p><p>While the film begins on a promising note, it ends in a whimper. You almost know who the killer is somewhere in the middle of the film. The narrative is clumpy and states the obvious things. Even the climax feels underwhelming because the film never builds a premise well for any of the characters. Instead, it takes too much time to establish the class divide. Things feel too easy for Neha right from the word go, but while the viewers get it, Neha takes a long time to understand that a lot of it is being served on a platter to her.</p><p> </p><p>I wish the makers had invested more in highlighting the performances of the two women. Iyer Tiwari’s films always have memorable moments and characters, but sadly, in the case of System, every character seems passable and forgettable after a point.</p><h2>Final Verdict</h2><p>System is well-intended but has too many flaws to leave a lasting impression. It begins with so much promise, it has two strong women cheering each other and helping each other in a man-eat-man world and the two actors even deliver credible performances. Yet, System never fully adds up. You are invested in the story, you wait for the punchlines or a major plot twist, but nothing overwhelms or shocks you by the end of it.</p><p> </p><p>System is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.</p>

System movie review: Ashwini Iyer Tiwari's latest film is a courtroom drama featuring Sonakshi Sinha, Jyotika and Ashutosh Gowarikar in key roles. While the film boasts of good performances from the leads, the narrative fails to create a lasting impression.

Things fall quite easily in the lap of public prosecutor Neha Rajvansh (Sonakshi Sinha) in Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’s new film System. Neha may be working to get the underprivileged justice in the Delhi court as a public prosecutor, but she comes from a position of privilege. While she is out there to prove a point to her successful father, she is also aware of her limitations and thus takes the help of courtroom stenographer Satika Rawat (Jyotika). Two women headlining a courtroom drama in Bollywood is novel, even though the premise is a known one. But does Iyer Tiwari’s film deliver a sharp courtroom drama? Only in parts. What’s the plot of System? Sonakshi plays a public prosecutor, who is just waiting to fulfil her dad’s challenge of winning 10 cases on her own steam before she is inducted into the family law firm as a partner. Her father, Ravi Rajvansh (Ashutosh Gowarikar) is one of the most successful lawyers of the city, but wants his daughter to go through the grind of being a government lawyer in the court to value what she is born into. Neha is initially reluctant, but later takes it up as a challenge just to prove her father wrong. A shared ride to the court one morning leads Neha to Sarika Rawat, the court stenographer who is just a degree short of being a lawyer herself. Diligent and hardworking, Sarika seems to know and understand legal cases better than Neha.

<p><strong>System movie review:</strong> Ashwini Iyer Tiwari's latest film is a courtroom drama featuring Sonakshi Sinha, Jyotika and Ashutosh Gowarikar in key roles. While the film boasts of good performances from the leads, the narrative fails to create a lasting impression.</p>

System movie review: Sonakshi Sinha, Jyotika’s courtroom drama begins on a promising note, then falters

<p>An entire generation has grown up watching, loving and taking inspiration from <i>The Devil Wears Prada.</i> The film, released in 2006, went on to achieve cult status in subsequent years. And so, when the sequel, <i>The Devil Wears Prada 2, </i>was announced, the news was welcomed with excitement and scepticism from ardent fans of the original. It is never easy to match up to a classic with sequels. The fact that the makers managed to bring back the majority of the original cast and crew - including the lead cast, director and writer- back on board for the sequel helped to keep the continuity. But the burden of expectation was huge right from the time the filming of <i>The Devil Wears Prada 2 </i>began, with social media flooding with BTS sequences from the film set. Some felt overexposure would kill the excitement way before the film even released, but instead, the images and some aggressive marketing before the film’s release have only piqued everyone’s curiosity about the film. The good news is that <i>The Devil Wears Prada 2 </i>delivers to a great extent. But if you channel your inner Miranda Preistly, part 2 of the iconic film is not ‘groundbreaking’.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If the first film gave a sneak peek into the world of fashion and publishing, the second part talks of the evolution of the press in the time of social media. Publishing in 20 years has taken a hit, and <i>The Devil Wears Prada 2 </i>is conscious of that fact and thus brilliantly incorporates the nitty-gritty details that come along the way while running a magazine in today’s world of digitisation.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/the-devil-wears-prada-2-a-quick-recap-of-the-original-film-s-most-unforgettable-moments-1777444841503">The Devil Wears Prada 2: Recap of the original film’s most unforgettable moments</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

The Devil Wears Prada 2

<p>&nbsp;</p><h2>What’s the story of The Devil Wears Prada 2</h2><p>Andy Sachs is now a well-known, award-winning journalist who writes human interest stories. An unexpected layoff and fiery speech post about corporates and profitability during an awards night by Andy goes viral. Meanwhile, Runway magazine has been firefighting after promoting a fake brand in its magazine. To regain their credibility, the owner of the magazine hires Andy back, this time as a features editor, to write ‘serious’ articles that can add more credibility to the fashion magazine. Of course, Miranda is not convinced that Andy is fit for the job, but in the two decades since the two worked together, a lot has changed. Miranda still has the sass, but now is more open to adapting to the changing times (she even hangs her own court). Andy finds herself in a familiar territory yet uncomfortable under Miranda’s (in)famous icy gaze. Nigel still remains an important figure at Runway, almost like a second in command to Miranda. Meanwhile, Emily has now moved to Dior as the communication head, who calls the shots about what should go and not go in the magazine as a primary advertiser.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>The magazine is evidently struggling to stay relevant and sell at a time when digital media has slowly permeated the collective consciousness of humans. Will Andy be able to change Runway’s course and save her and others' jobs, while reinstating the magazine’s reputation, forms the rest of the story.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/london-shines-in-style-best-dressed-looks-at-the-devil-wears-prada-2-london-premiere-1776939173294">Best-dressed looks from The Devil Wears Prada 2 London premiere</a></p><h2>What works</h2><p>Writer Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel throw in references from the original into the new film and merge them into the present scenario. Since the film has the original actors reprising their roles in the sequel, there is a sense of relatability for the viewers. Andy is now more confident, yet nervous around Miranda. Miranda is more conscious of what to say and what not to say, yet her sarcasm and sass remain intact. Nigel, too, remains brutal with his takes. And the actor too slip into their roles seamlessly, almost as if not a single day has gone by since the first film came out. Anne Hathaway is charming as Andy, someone you can walk up to and share your problems with. After the first film, one would have wanted Andy to evolve into this confident woman who is charming and strong-willed. Who is easily approachable but also someone who seeks validation secretly. And Andy is just that in part 2. Meryl Streep continues to play the steel, frosty editor to perfection.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>The scenes involving the two ‘Emilys’ - Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway- are such a joy to watch. They are limited, of course, but Blunt and Hathaway have an easy chemistry on screen, and it's always a delight to watch them perform together.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I do wish the two had more scenes together and as a trio along with Miranda.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/anne-hathaway-was-the-9th-choice-for-devil-wears-prada-the-behind-the-scenes-history-of-the-film-ahead-of-its-sequel-1776860069356"><strong>Anne Hathaway was the 9th choice for The Devil Wears Prada? The behind-the-scenes history of the film ahead of its sequel</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><i>The Devil Wears Prada 2</i> very effectively talks about the changing times in the media. Gen Z is now part of the workforce, and millennials are finding it hard to stay in touch with the changing times. Boomers, meanwhile, are struggling with social media. The film brilliantly highlights the pains of keeping print and human interest stories relevant at a time when the average human's attention is limited to a reel on social media.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As a journalist, I had a lot to resonate with. The fleeting triumph of writing a meaningful, original piece—only to see it buried by a lack of clicks—is a struggle shared by both Andy and every journalist who aspires to be more than a content creator. The film beautifully highlights the imposing threat of AI, talks of the growing authority of influencers, the perennial urge of the management to cut costs, the hunger for more views and traffic on the website and keeping fashion writing and journalism alive amid viral gimmicks.</p>

<p> </p><p>Look out for the cameos, including that of Lady Gaga's- some very prominent names from the world of fashion, casually stroll around across the screen adding more heft to the star studded film.</p><h2>What does not work</h2><p>While the film gives an inside view of how media houses are functioning, adapting and making desperate attempts to stay relevant in today’s time, it's a theme that perhaps may not resonate with all. As a journalist, I could relate to a lot of aspects, but the film in totality may not leave a defining impact on the audience at large.</p><p> </p><p>Andy's romance track with Peter (Patrick Brammall) seems unnecessary to the plot. Justin Theroux, as the maverick billionaire, seems too loud in the world of couture and almost like a caricature.</p>

<p> </p><p>The film is also more in-depth and goes easy on humour. Much like Miranda, the makers are conscious of what is politically correct and what’s not.</p><p> </p><p>The plot too isn’t very ‘groundbreaking’, and the narrative too moves ‘at a glacial pace’ - at least in the first twenty minutes.</p><h2>Final verdict</h2><p>Despite the flaws, <i>The Devil Wears Prada 2</i> works primarily because of its actors. They, once again, make you privy to the world of fashion, media and the complexities that come along. Of course, the first part was fresh and one of a kind and hence iconic. Expectations have doubled up since then, and perhaps that’s why the sequel isn’t as fun as one would think it to be. Yet, it manages to strike a chord, for it adapts to present times and gives a fresh perspective into the world of publishing.</p>

The Devil Wears Prada 2 looks beyond fashion and offers a nostalgic yet grounded look at how much the media landscape has shifted in the two decades since the original. The film still has the sass courtesy Merly Streep and charm, thanks to Anne Hathaway. 

An entire generation has grown up watching, loving and taking inspiration from The Devil Wears Prada. The film, released in 2006, went on to achieve cult status in subsequent years. And so, when the sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, was announced, the news was welcomed with excitement and scepticism from ardent fans of the original. It is never easy to match up to a classic with sequels. The fact that the makers managed to bring back the majority of the original cast and crew - including the lead cast, director and writer- back on board for the sequel helped to keep the continuity. But the burden of expectation was huge right from the time the filming of The Devil Wears Prada 2 began, with social media flooding with BTS sequences from the film set. Some felt overexposure would kill the excitement way before the film even released, but instead, the images and some aggressive marketing before the film’s release have only piqued everyone’s curiosity about the film. The good news is that The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers to a great extent. But if you channel your inner Miranda Preistly, part 2 of the iconic film is not ‘groundbreaking’. If the first film gave a sneak peek into the world of fashion and publishing, the second part talks of the evolution of the press in the time of social media. Publishing in 20 years has taken a hit, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 is conscious of that fact and thus brilliantly incorporates the nitty-gritty details that come along the way while running a magazine in today’s world of digitisation. Also read: The Devil Wears Prada 2: Recap of the original film’s most unforgettable moments

<p>The Devil Wears Prada 2 looks beyond fashion and offers a nostalgic yet grounded look at how much the media landscape has shifted in the two decades since the original. The film still has the sass courtesy Merly Streep and charm, thanks to Anne Hathaway.&nbsp;</p>

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