‘Ghajinikanth’ review: The forgetful funnyman
As long as the tone is on the lines of a light-hearted comedy, Ghajinikanth goes along smoothly. But the portions in which it takes itself too seriously - there’s a cop (Lijeesh) who is besotted with Vandana and that leads to an unnecessary action sequence in the end – bog it down big time.
'Fanney Khan' review: Gone for a song
Can earnestness kill? Fanney Khan proves it and how. Despite the presence of a heavy duty cast the film is just not able to fly. So bogged down does it get with its predictable arc and overt sense of righteousness that it ends up flat and deadening; silly rather than scintillating.
‘Karwaan’ review: Cruising on a quirky road
Road movies come with defined tropes – journeys that alter perspectives, protagonists finding love, lost relationships and self realisation and seizing their dreams and life itself. Akarsh Khurana’s second feature, based on Bejoy Nambiar’s story, builds on the genre with its own quaint, quirky touch.
‘Mulk’ review: Anguish of the patriarch
Anubhav Sinha’s Mulk is a welcome addition to a triptych of films, all with Muslim patriarchs at the centre, bringing to light the community’s anguish and dilemmas in the face of divisive politics. At an aesthetic level Mulk may feels like a Garm Hava or a Naseem played to the gallery. The essential gravitas of its predecessors gets a solid dose of drama and old world dialoguebaazi in Mulk, which may seem simplistic, clichéd and broad but is fiery and rousing.
‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ review: When all is said and done
Directed by Ol Parker, Here We Go Again, is equal parts a sequel and prequel, where the ghost of the 2008 film — more specifically the spirit of Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) — lurks in the corner of every frame.
'Brand Babu' review: Of fetishes and follies
When the story takes off it looks silly and funny when their domestic help wipes a banana and serves it on a plate; as the help keeps slicing it, the hero eats it with a fork. A few such instances make you smile but as the story progresses the smile turns to a frown. There are too many sequences of the family’s fetish for brands and a high class lifestyle, and you can actually count the number of times Murali Sharma uses the word ‘brand’.
'Goodachari' review: Riveting story of a spy
It’s hard to pull off a spy thriller, especially when the team doesn’t have A-list names and therefore, the mammoth budgets. Goodachari is the work of a smart, gritty team that rises to the challenge and serves a riveting tale. To label this only a thriller would be doing it disservice. It’s also a coming-of-age story of a spy.
'Chi La Sow' review: Romance, as real as it gets
Chi La Sow takes us into its fold, nudging us to stay with its pace and understand the layers of its key characters and the whirlwind of emotions. Sushanth and Ruhani Sharma sparkle through their journey. In their brief parts, Rohini, Vidyu Raman and Rahul Ramakrishna are convincing while Vennela Kishore, within his limited screen time, brings in the much-needed humour as he goes through messy situations in his trademark poker-faced style.
