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Kotha Lokah chapter 1(Chandra): Indian Cinema’s Wonder Woman

Actor and producer Dulquer Salmaan deserves major appreciation for backing a female centric project like this. The film is a good mix of western tropes with strong folklore. At times the film bears a striking resemblance to the Tripti Dimri starrer Bulbbul too, in terms of the men targeted by the protagonists coupled with the strong personalities.

Starcast: Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen, Sandy, Arun Kurian, Chandu Salimkumar and others

Genre: Fantasy/action

Story, direction and screenplay: Dominic Arun

Additional screenplay: Santhy Balachandran

Producer: Dulquer Salmaan

Production house: Wayfare Films

Music: Jakes Bejoy

Cinematography: Nimish Ravi

Running time: 2 hours and 29 minutes

Before dissecting Kotha Lokah Part 1 (Chandra) a major appreciation should be given to actor and producer Dulquer Salmaan. Backing a female superhero subject on a big scale takes a different kind of thought process and Dulquer deserves every bit of appreciation for making sure that the film doesn’t come across as a compromised product. Technically speaking Kotha Lokah Part 1 (Chandra) is far ahead of the many big budget extravagances specially a movie like War 2 with its shabby VFX. Fortunately Kotha Lokah Part 1 is much more than just the visuals. It has a strong plot with the right fusion of west meets east. The film also benefits from Kalyani Priyadarshan’s strong act something which I will get to later.

Dulquer Salmaan the producer of the movie along with a small cameo

The storyline of Kotha Lokha Part 1 (Chandra) focuses on the mysterious Kalyani Priyadarshan She lands in Banglore and soon finds work in a coffee shop. Chandra is asked to maintain a low profile by a mystifying man Moothon (voice over given by Mammootty). Chandra tries her best to maintain a low profile but the past catches up soon due to the neighbor Sunny (Naslen of Premalu fame). Sunny is very curious about Chandra’s real identity and this leads to a stunning revelation. Parallelly the city of Bangalore is witnessing cases of organ trafficking, how these two tracks collide forms the centric basis of Kotha Lokha Part 1 (Chandra).

A strong aspect of the movie is the efficient world building done by Dominic Arun and Santhy Balachandran. Unlike the many big screen extravagances focusing on elevations this one takes its time to establish the world of Chandra and Sunny. The portions of Sunny with his wastrel friends may seem to be an unnecessary subplot in the beginning but how the director connects the two worlds is brilliant.

The integration of Chandra’s origin story with actor Vijayaraghavan’s narration is also fantastic. It comes in at the right moment giving a solid emotional touch. The haunting visuals of Nimish Ravi coupled with Jakes Bejoy’s music elevates this stretch further. The touch of Kerala Folklore with the template of modern superhero will be a delight for fans of sci fi and superhero movies.

A growing bond between Sunny and Chandra with an undercurrent of romance is also a treat to watch. By the ending you wish the two had met in different circumstances. As Sunny Naslen is an absolute riot with his expressions and one liners. There is an inherent sweetness to the part in spite of a certain lazy nature and Naslen does a very fine job in bringing that out. Mention must also be made of Chandu Salimkumar, he also brings in a fair share of laughs sharing a perfect chemistry with Naslen.

What also makes the film click are the real world issues through a conservative a police inspector Nachiyappa Gowda (a despicable Sandy). Nachiyappa Gowda is a traditionalist who doesn’t like women with modern traits. This comes out visibly in different occasions. So the character of Chandra represents a superwoman taking on patriarchal structures while standing up against the organ trafficking ring.

The major ace for the film apart from the visuals is Kalyani Priyadarshan’s strong act. She is absolutely wonderful in the action sequences bringing in a strong agility. Apart from the physicality the actress is also good in bringing an emotional depth specially in the second half scenes with Sunny. In a short its a performance which has the right mixture of fierceness and vulnerability.

Talking about the cameos Tovino Thomas has an extended special appearance and the actor seems to be having a ball enjoying the whacky characterization. Dulquer Salmaan comes at the end, he has a stylish entry. In spite of the limited screen time the swag is unmissable.

Final word: Kotha Lokha Part 1 (Chandra) is a big scale experiment worth appreciating in theatres.

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Songs of Paradise: An important tale of breaking social conventions

Taking inspiration from Kashmir’s first female singer director Danish Renzu tells a relevant tale of resilience and rebelling against the social norms. The fight of Saba Azad’s Zeeba Akhtar holds relevance even today. Not everything lands but Songs of Paradise is an important watch

Starcast: Saba Azad, Soni Razdan, Zain Khan Dhurrani, Sheeba Chadda, Taaruk Raina and others

Genre: Musical

Director and writer: Danish Renzu

Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Danish Renzu, Farhan Akhtar and Shafat Qazi

Production Companies: Excel Entertainment, Apple Tree Pictures and Renzu Films

Music: Abhay Sopori

Cinematography: Vincenzo Condorelli

Running time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

Streaming site: Amazon Prime

Raj Begum born in the year 1927 became popular as the Melody Queen of Kashmir. She was honored with Sangeet Natak Akademi award along with the Padma Shri. Raj Begum became a singer at the time of major restrictions. Danish Renzu’s Songs of Paradise is an earnest effort at celebrating her defiance.

Saba Azad as the younger version of Raj Begum

In brief the storyline traces the life of Saba Azad’s Zeeba Akhtar, a young woman blessed with an extraordinary voice. How she breaks the rigid traditions with the help of supportive men forms the basic arc of the film.

A major strength of the film are the acting performances coupled with the music. Both Saba Azad and Soni Razdan playing Zeeba at different ages are a delight to watch. As a young Zeeba Saba brings the perfect mix of vulnerability and resilience. The journey of Zeeba in navigating the world of patriarchal mindset in spite of a support system is both well written and enacted. Saba conveys the determination and the persistence often times with the slightest expressions, specifically her eyes. A standout sequence involves Zeeba’s conversation with a man, “You are a male, you look for an opportunity to showcase your talent. We women seek excuses to pursue our hobbies.” Saba Azad’s background as a singer also comes in handy during the song portions.

Soni Razdan as the older Noor Begum is also wonderful with her moving portrayal. She becomes an emotional anchor often conveying a lot through silences. Zain Khan Durrani as the oxford educated poet is charm personified. The way he supports Zeeba in spite of the open hostility makes the viewers wish that the world has more men like him. Their love track has some adorable moments.

Sheeba Chadda playing an overbearing mother is also fantastic successfully making the viewers hate her. Shishir Sharma as Zeeba’s master also pitches in a good act. Taaruk Raina as a music student is fairly good too. What also adds to the performances is the perfect local dialect. The songs is another plus for the movie. The compositions of Abhay Sopori are deeply rooted in Kashmiri Folk giving a different flavor. The songs do a fine job in echoing Zeeba’s yearning for freedom.

A major problem with Songs of Paradise is the lack of sufficient dramatic tension. The socio and political turmoil in Kashmir needed to be explored more. The challenges faced by Zeeba specifically the societal backlash and the emotional toll have a rushed nature. There is a certain surface level approach sometimes distancing the viewers.

Final word: In spite of a certain surface level approach Songs of Paradise is a relevant tale of pursuing one’s hobby without giving into the society’s narrow minded thinking.

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Arabia Kadali: Satyadev and Anandhi bolster this rehash of Thandel

The Pakistani characters in Arabia Kadali have more depth in comparison to Thandel, they are written with more nuance. However, a sense of repetitiveness specifically for those who have seen Thandel plays a major spoilsport. The series is worth watching for how it handles the socio-political aspects. Fortunately, Satyadev’s Badri never becomes a larger-than-life hero, he wins over the enemies with humanness instead of fists

Starcast: Satyadev, Anandhi, Poonam Bajwa and others

Genre: Drama

Director: V. V Surya Kumar

Screenplay: Krish Jagarlamudi and Chintakindi Srinivasa Rao

Producers: Y Rajeev Reddy and J Sai Babu

Production Company: First Frame Entertainments

Music: Nagavelli Vidyasagar

Cinematography: Sameer Reddy

No of episodes: 8

Streaming site: Amazon Prime

The story of Arabia Kadali focuses on a group of fishermen from Srikakulam. They unknowingly wander into Pakistani waters in the year 2018. Satyadev is Nurgala Badri, among his people Badri is the most educated. He dreams of a better life with Ganga (Anandhi). Anandhi lives in a nearby village of Matsyawada. There is a major animosity between the villages of Badri and Ganga. Things take a massive turn when the fishermen are imprisoned in a foreign land. The rest of the story focuses on how they return home after a long ordeal and in process the hostility giving way to mutual cooperation and respect.

A strong aspect of Arabia Kadali is the world building done by director VV Surya Kumar along with Krish Jagarlamudi. The interpersonal dynamics between the two villages with the financial struggles has been shown in an engaging manner. It takes a while for the central conflict to kick in but because of the engaging world building the viewers care for the fishermen’s plight.

The gradual process of the hostility coming down has also been shown in a layered manner. There is no overnight transformation, instead it’s a step-by-step process. The web series is also refreshing in how it doesn’t paint Pakistan’s as complete caricatures. At one point you have a judge defending Indian Fishermen in front of Pakistani officials. Amit Tiwari as warden Saleem starts off as hugely evil but he too gets a credible redemption arc.

Poonam Bajwa as Dr Fathima also has a strong voice not afraid to express her opinions. She plays her part with the right balance of warmth and authority. The web series doesn’t confine itself just to the plight of Indian prisoners it also mentions the Pakistani ones languishing in Indian jails. The need for humanity across borders comes out in a strong manner.

Mention must also be made of how Anandhi’s Ganga shapes over the web series. Much like Sai Pallavi in Thandel she is also a woman of steel not letting the cynicism get to her. Anandhi does a fine job in capturing the inner strength.

The cinematography of Sameer Reddy is also good. He captures the numerous landscapes in an effective manner. There is an earthiness to the atmospherics. As Badri Satyadev does a good job in capturing the resilient nature of the man. He makes you believe in Badri’s almost saint like nature with his earnest acting, a particular sequence worthy of mention is when he talks about not writing any letter to Ganga. The reason doesn’t make complete sense still the emotional vulnerability makes the viewers feel for the man.

Talking about the flaws the VFX department leaves something to be desired. A key sequence involving a heavy storm comes across as rather cartoonish. The beats of Thandel also weigh down Arabia Kadali. A sense of boredom creeps in certain portions due to this. The track involving Harsh Rohan as the spoilt brother hasn’t been well integrated either, it comes across as jarring to say the least.

The love story while neatly done could have done with more intensity. The web series would have benefitted immensely with more scenes featuring Satyadev and Anandhi. As a result, the required emotional pang for two lovers is missing.

Final word: Arabia Kadali is a more grounded version of Thandel. Watch it for the performances and the message of humanity.

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Paradha: A powerful transformative journey questioning archaic practices

Paradha directed by Praveen Kandregula is a much needed social drama in the age of muscular heroes and pan India settings. The end portions do feel somewhat hurried as the resolution needed a more emotional high. Nevertheless Paradha is an important story celebrating feminism and sisterhood. Anupama Parameshwaran gets one of the best written female characters in 2025 and the actress absolutely nails it.

Starcast: Anupama Parameshwaran, Sangeetha, Darshana, Harshvardhan, Rag Mayur, Rajendra Prasad and others

Genre: Social

Story, screenplay and direction: Praveen Kandregula

Producers: Vijay Donkada, Sridhar Makkuva and Sreenivasulu P.V

Production Company: Ananda Media

Music: Gopi Sundar

Cinematography: Mridul Sujit Sen

Running time: 2 hours and 25 minutes

In today’s age of increasing pan masala stories strong women characters with agency is difficult to find. A good example of this are the latest independence day releases both Coolie and War 2. In Coolie Sruthi Hassan plays a perpetual damsel in distress either waiting to be rescued by Rajinikanth or becoming the object for violence. In War 2 Kiara is presented as a tough soldier doing hand to hand combat with Hrithik but the overall characterization leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that you also have films with strong women and these aren’t necessarily female centric. Good examples of these are Patralekha in Phule as Jyotiba Phule’s equal, also Tripti Dimri in Dhadak 2 an upper caste girl who fights for her love and questions the family members pretending to be modern. Also Ananya Pandey in Kesari Chapter 2 as the idealistic Dillret Kaur playing an important role in the courtroom proceedings.

Paradha directed by Praveen Kandregula is a significant addition to this list. The movie broadly tackles the themes of foolish traditions passed from generation to generation ad also the celebration of sisterhood. The film begins with the introduction of a fictional village. In this village all women must be strictly veiled outside the house. A woman who is seen without the paradha is considered to be a bad omen and the punishment for that is death only. This practice is linked to a village deity who is ironically a feisty warrior. Its hard to believe that places like these exist in 2025 but director and writer Praveen Kandregula makes the viewers buy into these archaic scenarios with a convincing build up. Anupama Parameswaran’s Subbalakshmi aka Subbu not surprisingly starts off as a young girl with firm belief in these outdated thoughts thanks to her mother. Things take a huge turn for Subbu when the veil gets blown away due to excessive wind. A wildlife photographer played by Gautham Vasudeva Menon clicks Subbu without her knowledge. On the day of her engagement a magazine with her photograph getting published as the front cover causes absolute mayhem. The rest of the story focuses on how Subbu gets out of this outdated thinking with the help of Sangeeta and Darshana along with a strong bond of sisterhood.

A strong aspect of Paradha is the characterization of these three women. Yes the transformation of Anupama Parameshwaran’s Subbu is the heart of Paradha, at the same time both Sangeeta and Darshana are crucial too with their individual journeys. Sangeeta plays a homemaker called Ratna. Ratna represents numerous homemakers who devote most of their energy and time on their husbands and children. On the other hand Darshana’s Amishti is a civil engineer. In a predominantly male dominated atmosphere Amishti is a rare exception. Amishti is a hugely ambitious woman with a solo focus on reaching top position, she is an Alpha male with a hot temper. Again many young girls/women would connect with the ways of Amishti.

How these three distinct backgrounds play out with their age gaps is very engaging. In the beginning on a trip to Dharmasala Amishti often Chides Subbalakshmi on her thought process which doesn’t go well with Subbu who complains to her aunt Ratna. On certain occasions Ratna becomes a referee between the two younger women.

How Subbu gradually let goes of the veil wearing after a haunting incident packs a strong emotional punch thanks to the powerful acting of Anupama. The conversation between the three women with Ratna and Amishti encouraging her to get out of this blind faith and the need to question practices makes a strong impact.

Paradha is a film which doesn’t completely resort to male bashing. Praveen Kandregula makes important points on how women can also be extremely judgmental about the choices of their fellow tribe. This comes out wonderfully in a sequence involving a woman cop. In a conversation with Amishti this woman talks about her love for shopping, make up and cooking while being a tough police officer. Amishti has a certain disregard for things like these which she considers as an obstacle.

The movie in a gentle but firm manner establishes the need to question practices and in the process bringing a perceptional change. Apart from the dramatic moments the movie also has some chuckle worthy scenes. This primarily includes Harshvardhan as the often exasperated husband unable to manage home duties with his job demands. The conversations between him and Sangeetha as she cooks up stories is a delight to watch. Sangeeta as the homemaker with new found freedom is first rate, specifically in the portion where she changes her voice as an old woman. Darshana as Amishti brings out both the feisty nature and the vulnerability in an impactful manner. Raj Mayur in his brief part as Subbu’s fiancée is good too. Rajendra Prasad in an extended cameo makes his presence amply felt, the scene where he narrates the tale of a bird wanting to discover the world is poignant, it adds to the transformative journey of Subbu.

Paradha ultimately belongs to Anupama Parameswaran. The young actress is a revelation taking on a complex part, she delivers a nuanced performance portraying the vulnerability and the eventual transformation in an excellent manner. Often times Anupama conveys a lot with her body language.

Gopi Sundar’s music goes well with the movie’s tone. Its not of a chartbuster material, nevertheless the songs do a fine job in elevating the key emotional moments. The cinematography of Mridul Sen is of a fine standard, whether its the village portions with the dark tonality or the Himalayan mountains in the latter half. The color pallet goes perfectly with the mood changes.

One of the minor issues with Paradha is the end resolution, its too simplistic lacking the fire specifically considering the build up. Also the three women mostly coming across Telugu speaking population in Dharamsala feels too much of a coincidence.

Final word: Keeping aside the minor niggles Paradha is an important tale of feminism and sisterhood which needs to be celebrated.

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Mayasabha (Rise of the Titans): A gripping socio-political drama

Aadi Pinishetty and Chaitanya Rao in roles inspired from Chandrababu Naidu and late YS Rajasekhara Reddy

Prasthanam director Deva Katta does a good job in engrossing the viewers, he successfully recreates the socio-political fabric with authenticity. The web series doesn’t shy away from wearing its politics on sleeves. The dialogues carry a lot of punch specifically those related to caste disparities

Starcast: Aadi Pinishetty, Chaitanya Rao, Divya Dutt, Sai Kumar, Srikanth Iyengar and others

Genre: Political drama

Creator: Deva Katta

Screenplay and direction: Deva Katta and Kiran Jay Kumar

Producers: Vijay Krishna Lingamaneni and Sree Harsha

Production Companies: Hitmen&Proodos, Productions LLP

Cinematography: Suresh Ragutu and Gnana Shekar V. S

Music: Shaktikanth Karthick

No of episodes: 9

Streaming site: SonyLIV

Pulling off a political drama and that too on real life personalities isn’t an easy task given how easily people can get offended. However, Deva Katta does an excellent job in not just capturing the political atmosphere but he along with Kiran Jay Kumar also pack in some strong social commentary. The web series doesn’t shy away from dwelling into thorny topics like caste, the longer format of a web show also helps Mayasabha given the journey of the primary characters. Mayasabha begins with the usual disclaimer: any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental, however it doesn’t take long for the viewers to understand from whom the primary and also the secondary characters have been inspired.

In simple terms the plot of Mayasabha focuses on Karakala Krishnam Naidu (Aadi Pinisetty) and Dr MS Rami Reddy (Chaitanya Rao). How the paths of these two intertwine from former friends to political rivals forms the basic premise of Mayasabha.

A strong aspect of Mayasabha is undoubtedly the dynamics between the two principal characters. The journey of the two leads are intermingled with both of them starting off as idealists. They want to transcend the social divisions and create a new kind of society however its easier said than done. The inequalities in social systems coupled with faction violence prove to be a major deterrent.

Their differing responses to societal pressures have been written and enacted with nuance. Mention must also be made of how Deva Katta and Kiran Jay Kumar have depicted the ideological disagreements between the two. It never borders on being venomous offering a fresh take on political rivalaries.

The two directors also deserve huge credit for bringing the voice of marginalized. People often caught in a major crossfire to power hungry politicians. Ravindra Vijay as the man wanting to shield his family from violence does an excellent job in representing this.

The emergency period through the characters of Divya Dutta and others also comes out in an impactful manner. Divya Dutta has a commanding presence perfectly embodying the attitude of the role. There is an important line by an official regarding the emergency, it goes like this. “You will give birth to a line of dictators who will use your methods, impose emergency and not even call it one”. This sentence offers a scathing critique of how the present dictators have taken inspiration from this.

Sai Kumar has a late entry playing a role moddled on the legendary NT Rama Rao. The veteran actor as expected shines with his voice modulation and strong presence. Srikant Iyengar too as the power hungry and insecure politician also does a fine job delivering an entertaining performance.

Ultimately Mayasabha belongs to its two leads. Aadi Pinishetty and Chaitanya Rao get into the skin of their respective roles passing with flying colors. The talented Aadi Pinishetty finally gets a part to showcase his acting range, and he doesn’t disappoint. He does a first-rate job in portraying the different facets whether it’s the stammering part or the later stages he doesn’t miss a beat. Chaitanya Rao also provides good support in convincingly portraying the ideological shifts.

The cinematography of Suresh Ragutu and Gnana Shekhar V. S is extremely commendable. They successfully bring alive the period of 1970’s and 1990’s transporting the viewers back to those times. The musical score of Shaktikanth Karthick is also of a good order, the tunes uplift the scenes without proving to be a distraction.

Coming to the flaws the romantic portions and the college days needed better writing and also a tighter edit.

Final word: Keeping aside the minor flaws Mayasabha is a must watch for political buffs.

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The Beast Within: A gripping police procedural reflecting society

Rudraniel Sengupta’s The Beast Within reminds the readers of the acclaimed web series Delhi Crime on more than one occasion, the humanization of the police officer by intermingling the professional and personal lives has a striking resemblance to the Shefali Shah starrer. However, the novel is worth a read specifically for those who like slow burn thrillers taking their own sweet time.

The broad storyline of The Beast Within is set around the investigation of a young girl’s death, she is a domestic worker presumed to have committed suicide. But as Prashanth and his team dig deeper the mystery widens, “there’s more to it than meets the eye”. The investigation dwells into the social and political landscape of the city examining different themes running parallel to the main story.

A strong aspect of the novel is how Rudraniel Sengupta has combined the social aspects with the police procedural. Both go along smoothly never cutting into each other or feeling out of place. Through the death of a young domestic worker the books touches on the social hierarchies and systematic issues. Rudraniel Sengupta’s knowledge of being in journalism previously is very evident in the way he has depicted the different sections of Delhi, whether its the ultra rich or the marginalized.

Mention must also be made of how Rudraniel Sengupta has shown the investigation process, there is nothing flashy or larger than life in the way Prashanth and his team go about the proceedings. There are passages in the novel where the police officers don’t find evidence, its often a slow process connecting all the small dots to find the bigger picture. This gradual unraveling also makes the novel interesting even though the slow burn nature isn’t for all.

As already mentioned the novel intermingles the professional and personal challenges faced by the police while handling tough cases. This juxtaposition has been done well by Rudraniel Sengupta. The readers feel the psychological and emotional toll faced by the men and women. This aspect comes out even more strikingly in the portions where Rudraniel Sengupta talks about the heavy dependence on bureaucracy cooperation

Often times the novel goes into numerous directions focusing on matters other than the case at hand, but the way these diversions condense into something important keeps the readers hooked.

Among the police officers the one who stands out the most is SI Meera. A former wrestler who wants to do real investigation not letting inconsequential things effect, her determination to make a strong difference is very palpable. Its a major highlight of the novel.

The ending of The Beast Within talks about the importance of pursuing justice even if its delayed and not perfect. Unlike the usual novels the writer doesn’t tie up everything, he leaves you with numerous thoughts about the beast within the various structural systems. The word beast in the title doesn’t confine itself to a particular individual but a larger society.

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Coolie: A trademark Rajinikanth film with deliciously entertaining villains

Coolie directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj is a mixed cocktail combining numerous elements of previous Rajinikanth movies. There is a huge hangover of both Jailer and Baashha but the packaging is done right for most part, the film benefits immensely from powerful antagonists and also a strong emotional backstory for the titular protagonist

Starcast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Rachita Ram, Satyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Aamir Khan and others special appearance (Pooja Hedge)

Genre: Action/drama

Story, direction and screenplay: lokesh Kanagaraj

Additional screenplay: Chandhru Anabazghan

Producer: Kalanithi Maran

Production Company: Sun Pictures

Cinematography: Girish Gangadharan

Music: Anirudh

Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes

In a short span of time Lokesh Kanagaraj has established himself as a successful commercial director. In spite of working with major stars like Vijay Thalapathy and Kamal Haasan Lokesh has developed his distinctive style. There are certain trademark Lokesh Kanagaraj elements you will find in most of his films presenting his actors in a different light. His latest Coolie though is more of a Rajikinath film rather than what Lokesh is known for. The story beats harp to the numerous masala movies of Rajinikanth, however its to Lokesh’s credit that he manages to make the film engaging specifically in the way he presents Nagarjuna as an out and out villain. Kuberra had elements of grey with some moral dilemmas, however Coolie presents Nagarjuna in his most unhinged avatar and the senior actor embraces the hammy nature with absolute finesse.

Coolie opens with the introduction of Rajinikanth’s Deva. He runs a mansion like hostel for the college students. The students are given free meals, and the rent is affordable too, however drinking is strictly prohibited. Not surprisingly Deva has a violent past along the lines of 1995 Baashha and his numerous other movies. Satyaraj is Rajshekhar an old friend, the tragic death of Rajashekhar drastically changes the life of Deva. In a major turn of events Deva has to infiltrate the gang of Simon (Nagarjuna). Soubin Shahir plays Simon’s second in command Dayal. Sruthi Hassan on the other hand is the typical damsel in distress either waiting to be rescued or being the object of violence for both Simon and Dayal.

A strong aspect of Coolie is how Lokesh intermingles fan service with some strong emotional beats specifically in the latter half. The second half has some interesting twists shocking the viewers. The best twist comes from the character of Rachita Ram. In the first half she is presented as a supposed love interest to Simon’s son however her real identity turns out to be something else, it comes across as a pleasant shock. Rachita Ram is very good fully embracing the negative shades with absolute precision, she also gets a kick ass action sequence equal to the male counterparts.

Mention must also be made of how Lokesh integrates the character of Upendra as Deva’s right-hand man. Upendra exudes effortless swagger while taking on the baddies, he hasn’t got many dialogues still Upendra impresses with his strong screen presence. Satyaraj in his brief role adds an emotional gravitas. Aamir Khan though gets a raw deal, neither his look nor the presentation helps.

Lokesh also deserves credit for how he has shaped up the roles of Nagarjuna and Soubin Shahir. The roles have been crafted with the right amount of evilness proving to be formidable villains. The styling of Simon also adds to the character of Nagarjuna, he looks very dashing with the long hair. The best part of Nagarjuna’s performance is the way he performs with the eyes and overall body language. Soubin Shahir too is excellent too in portraying the different shades of Dayal, he specifically stands out in the pre-interval sequence with Rajinikanth changing colors like a chameleon. His dance in the special song Monica is fantastic too, there is an uninhibitedness to the steps. Pooja Hedge in a special appearance sparkles as well with her sensuous moves.

Sruthi Hassan in the role of Rajeshekhar’s daughter has a lengthy screen time but the one note characterization makes it irritating. There is a constant wide-eyed expression with little nuances. As Deva Rajinikanth is mostly there to do fan service barring some emotional moments. He pulls off the part with expected charismatic ease with some fine acting in the few emotional moments.

Anirudh’s background score is thumping adding to the elevation shots. The songs go with the flow of the movie. Monica with Pooja Hedge and Soubin stands out for the energetic picturization.

Final word: Coolie is an enjoyable star vehicle for Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna fans. For those looking for meaningful cinema though its a different matter.

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War 2: Watchable but doesn’t quite justify the tag of a popcorn entertainer

Hrithik Roshan and Junior NTR from War 2. The two stars lift the movie above the bumoy screenplay with their screen presence and performances

Ayan Mukherj’s War 2 is a significant improvement over the last spy installment Tiger 3 but the film relies heavily on gloss over substance. The absence of our neighbor and go to nation Pakistan is welcome but there is no escaping patriotism with the repletion of lines India first. Ayan’s direction shines best in the portions of high voltage clash between the two stars and also a poignant flashback in the second half

Starcast: Hrithik Roshan, Junior NTR, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor and others special appearance (Bobby Deol)

Genre: Action/thriller

Direction: Ayan Mukherji

Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan

Story and Production: Aditya Chopra

Dialogues: Abbas Tyrewala

Cinematography: Benjamin Jasper

Music: Pritam

Production House: Yash Raj Films

Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes

When EK Tha Tiger released in 2012 the movie was one of its kind, a love story between an Indian and Pakistani spy and how they have a happily ever after by crossing the various hurdles of both raw and ISI. There was a certain groundedness to the character of Salman while keeping the larger than life image intact. As the spy movies have increased with addition of new actors and larger set pieces the charm is somewhat reducing and the latest installment is a perfect example of this.

War 2’s director Ayan Mukherjee started his career with rom coms but Bramhastra Part 1 marked a significant shift with a larger than life scale and an ambitious plot. In spite of the striking visuals Ayan’s inability to handle a scale of that nature was very visible. In War 2 the director is more in control specifically in his handling of the two stars, but in terms of delivering a perfect popcorn movie Ayan still has miles to go.

The plot of War 2 focuses on Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) coming into contact with a deadly cartel called Kali. This syndicate consists of numerous individuals, they want to cause severe harm to the nation. In a shocking turn of events Kabir kills his father like figure and RAW chief Luthra (Ashutosh Rana). The assassination of Luthra leads to the introduction of Junior NTR’s Vikram. Vikram along with some more are assigned to bring Kabir down. This is the story in brief without giving away much of the twists and turns.

A strong aspect of War 2 are the twists and turns related to the characters of both Kabir and Vikram. In the beginning portions the audience have the feeling that Kabir has really gone rouge, an important dialogue featuring Ashutosh Rana and him spiting on Hrithik’s face saying that I had brought you up as a son and you turned into a betrayer raises the curiosity of the audiences.

Even in case of Junior NTR’s Vikram the role comes with different shades. He is shown to be a brave and a honest agent till the interval, at one point Kabir and Vikram team up as partners too after Kabir makes an important closure about why he is doing what he is doing.

The interval bang with a surprising reveal ends the first half on a high. The beginning portions of the second half featuring a key flashback has a strong emotional weight. This flashback establishes how Kabir and Vikram then known as Raghu came into contact developing a friendship bond. The two do stealing for a living, however one major incident in a remand home changes everything. The personalities of the two and how in the present they are up against each other has been well connected.

The film also benefits from the strong performances of both Hrithik and Junior NTR. As Kabir Hrithik combines his hunk like presence with emotional vulnerability. The actor specifically shines in the scenes of showcasing Kabir’s moral dilemmas and a certain loneliness from operating in the shadows. Junior NTR as Vikram/Raghu also does a fine job in his Bollywood Debut. He pulls off the grey shades convincingly, the actor clearly has a ball with the one liners chewing the scenery along with Hrithik. The high intense moments between the actors with the cat and mouse game leads to some engaging sequences.

A major problem with War 2 apart from the usual patriotism is the criminal underutilization of the supporting cast. Anil Kapoor replacing Girish Karnad from the Tiger movies has a strong beginning with just the right amount of mystery on whether he is good or bad, however as the movie progresses the character gets lost. The same applies to its leading Lady Kiara Advani. Kiara has shown her potential in a film like Satyaprem Ki Katha but here she is largely wasted except for the action sequences. She carries the required attitude of a tough woman but the role is too thinly written and the patchily written love story also doesn’t help matters.

Pritam’s music is another sore point for the movie, whether its the love ballad featuring Hrithik and Kiara or the dance face off between Hrithik and Junior NTR. The songs come across as major spreedbreakers. The VFX is also a mixed bag, it comes across as too shoddy for a film of this scale, sometimes the shoddy VFX becomes a major deterrent in enjoying the action set pieces too. The stunts of Bea Arreugui does provide some thrills more so in the climatic face off. Benjamin Jasper’s cinematography is also efficient. He does a fine job in capturing the large scale through his lens making it a good theatrical experience specially for the die hard fans of Hrithik and Junior NTR.

War 2 ends with an introduction to the world of Alpha through a deadly Bobby Deol. Here’s hoping the female centric spy movie later this year becomes a much needed game changer.

Final word: War 2 is a major mixed bag and personally quite a bummer after the mega success of YRF last production Saiyaara. Watch it if you are in the mood for some large scale action or want to see how Junior NTR fares in his Hindi debut.

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Mandala Murders: An almost perfect mythical thriller undone by a weak second act

The prime cast of Mandala Murders

Mandala Murders directed by Gopi Putharan and Manan Rawat has an ambitious scale with strong women characters and effective world building, but after an engaging start the series fizzles out at the finishing line. In spite of the somewhat limp ending the series deserves a watch for its portrayal of feminist rage specifically through the roles of Vaani Kapoor and Surveen Chawla. The latter absolutely chews the scenery with her portrayal of a shrewd woman.

Starcast: Vaani Kapoor, Surveen Chawla, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Jammel Khan and others

Genre: Thriller/crime

Creator: Gopi Puthran

Writers: Chirag Garg, Gopi Puthran, Avinash Dwivedi etc

Directors: Gopi Puthran and Manan Rawat

Based on: The Butcher of Benaraz novel

Cinematography: Shaz Mohammed

Music: Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara

Executive Producers: Aditya Chopra, Akshaye Widhani etc

Production Company: YRF Entertainment

No of episodes: 8

Streaming site: Netflix

Mandala Murders streaming on Netflix has a Mardaani spillover in terms of the world inhabited by the women characters. For example, Vaani Kapoor’s Rea is often snubbed by her male colleagues on the account of gender, at one point a junior officer is surprised that a female officer has come to investigative a series of murders. Similarly, Surveen Chawla’s Ananya has to deal with a disloyal husband conspiring against her, this makes her calculative and a tough soul with gray areas.

Lastly there is Shriya Pilgaonkar’s Rukmini. Rukmini is a hugely ambitious leader of a secret society; through her character the two directors highlight female agency in a mystical context. To this Gopi Puthran and Manan Rawat add a whole lot of things with hits and misses in equal measure.

Without giving much away Mandala Murders is set in the town of Charandsapur. A series of brutal murders have shaken up the community. Vaani Kapoor is CBI Agent Rea Thomas. Rea carries a certain emotional baggage related to a girl whom she couldn’t save. Vaibhav Raj Gupta is a suspended cop Vikram Singh; he comes with his own motives. The two team up to uncover certain dark truths. As they dig deeper many secrets tumble out about an ancient society wiped away by the locals. This is the story in brief.

A strong aspect of Mandala Murders is the wonderful cinematography complementing the eerie atmospherics. Shaz Mohammad’s work is of a very high order. The timeline moves between 1950 and 2025; however, the switching of timelines never comes across as jarring thanks to his work. The locations of mysterious tunnels and the hazy forests come across as a character in themselves heightening the investigative portions. Ankit Balhara and Sachet Balhara’s score also jells perfectly with the show’s atmospherics.

The dynamics between Rea and Vikram Singh has also been depicted well by the two directors and the numerous writers. The emotional portions involving Vaibhav Raj Gupta specifically in the scenes of grief and anger has been both wonderfully written and enacted.

The layered characterization of the female characters is also plus particularly Surveen Chawla whose role shifts like a chameleon changing colors. She isn’t always likeable with her actions specifically in a crucial reveal of the last episode, at the same time viewers understand from where the tough personality comes. Surveen absolutely aces the part playing the different shades of Ananya Bhardwaj with ease.

Vaani Kapoor in her OTT debut is also good. She is successful in bringing both the no nonsense persona along with the required vulnerability. Shriya Pilgaonkar has a prominent part in the last episodes, and she too registers a strong impact with a fiery persona.

Jammel Khan as a man obsessed with ancient symbols is endearing as well. He brings in the required lightness to the proceedings. The rest of the cast including Manu Rishi Chadda and Raghubhir Yadav are also fine in their respective parts.

A major problem with Mandala Murders is the final episodes solving the mystery. The character of Aditi Pohankar as Moksha sticks out like a sore thumb. This is due to the stale writing with repetitive shots belonging to a different universe rather than this web series. The connection of Surveen Chawla’s role to the central mystery though a surprise feels jarring as well. The integration needed some foreshadowing rather than just a random surprise for shock value.

The multiple arcs with the numerous subplots also don’t always land, some are more effective than the others. The series could have cut down on some exposition to make the proceedings crisper.

Final word: Mandala Murders is worth watching for fans of thrillers stepped in folklore coupled with the strong women characters.

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Dhadak 2: A visceral tale of caste horrors and rebellion

Tripti Dimri and Siddhanth Chaturvedi from Dhadak 2. Both deliver exceptional performances

Though a remake of Pariyerum Perumal Shazia Iqbal’s Dhadak 2 is a timely tale of how caste plays out in modern times. This spiritual sequel is far more bold than the first part taking a strong stand on thorny issues. The transformation of Siddhanth Chaturvedi’s Neelesh from a timid young Dalit man to fighting for his self respect is the best part of the movie. Mention must also be made of the feministic lens through which Tripti’s Vidhi is portrayed.

Starcast: Siddhanth Chaturvedi, Tripti Dimri, Saurabh Sachdeva, Zakir Hussain, Vipin Sharma and others

Genre: Romantic drama

Director and writer: Shazia Iqbal

Additional writer: Rahul Badwelkar

Based on: Pariyerum Perumal (Mari Selvraj)

Producers: Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Somen Mishra and others

Production Companies: Zee Studios, Dharma Productions and Cloud 9 Pics

Music: Rochak Kohli, Tanishk Bagchi etc

Cinematography: Sylvester Fonseca

Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Dhadak 2 begins with a powerful and necessary quote for today’s times. “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” this isn’t just a throwaway quote used for surface level but the core message of Dhadak 2. Through the tale of star crossed lovers Shazia Iqbal along with her co writer Rahul Badwelkar deliver a highly charged political reinterpretation of Pariyerum Perumal. Of course Dhadak 2 comes with a dash of mainstream Bollywood too in terms of the protagonists rebellion, nevertheless this is an important film and Kudos to Karan Johar for backing a movie like this which is not afraid to wear its politics on sleeves.

For those who haven’t seen the Mari Selvaraj directorial Dhadak 2 primarily focuses on the journey of Neelesh Ahirwar (Siddhanth Chaturvedi) he is a law student from an oppressed caste, Neelesh has big dreams and is very clear about steering away from campus politics and anything to to do with activism. Tripti Dimri is Vidhi an upper caste girl with a mind of her own and doesn’t shy away from asking uncomfortable questions. Soon friendship blossoms between the two with Vidhi becoming Neelesh’s confidante, she helps him a lot in his studies explaining things which he doesn’t understand. For Vidhi the struggles of Neelesh opens up a whole new understanding of the society. Soon love happens but a humiliating incident puts a major speed breaker. This is the story in brief.

The best part of Dhadak 2 is how Shazia Iqbal has retained the essence of the Tamil original with some additional elements. This specifically comes out in the character of Vidhi who has more agency than the one played by Anandhi. The film strongly critiques the idea of a so called family honor being attached to a woman’s behavior. On the surface Vidhi’s family may come across as modern but in actuality they are anything but that. A standout moment in Dhadak 2 is Tripti Dimri’s high voltage clash with her truly despicable brother Roonie (Saad Bilgrami). The way she tears into his patriarchal mindset gives goosebumps.

Mention must also be made of how the film tackles casteism head on whether it is Vidhi’s father leaving out Neelesh’s surname when she invites him for the sister’s wedding or the very disturbing moment of Neelesh being smeared with sludge just because he asserts his individuality. These scenes are packed with the required rawness.

Shazia Iqbal and Rahul Badwelkar also do a good job in touching upon the theme of reservation. The taunts faced by the lower castes mirrors numerous real life situations. There is an important dialogue in the movie where a character talks on how reservation came because of casteism and not the other way around. This small but important track also adds to the caste discrimination and violence faced by Neelesh.

The character arc of Neelesh has also been done well. His steady evolution from timid to more assertive happens gradually and not overnight. The pre climax portion where Neelesh chases Ronnie to his home and pours out his anguish is a treat to watch, it moves the viewers making them root for Neelesh and Vidhi to have a happy ending. Siddhanth Chaturvedi does a very fine job in bringing out the vulnerability of a Dalit man with a dream of better future. The actor specifically shines in the portions of rage using his eyes and overall body language to great effect. Tripti Dimri also makes a strong impact with her powerful performance. After a series of glamorous roles the young actress is back doing what she is best known for. Towards the end there is a scene where Vidhi lets out an animal like cry after an important revelation and Tripti absolutely aces it. Yes the ending may across as too mainstream Bollywood for the purists nevertheless it leaves the audiences on a high.

The supporting cast is also solid but the ones who stand out are Zakir Hussain and Saurabh Sachdeva. As the college principal Zakir Hussain lends a lot of warmth to his part. His conversation with Neelesh while opening up about his caste background and how he endured several taunts on his way in becoming a principal is very poignant. The portion ends with a motivational message giving further impetus to Neelesh’s fight. Saurabh Sachdeva as the self-appointed moral guardian is chilling too. His part is similar to the role of Bobby Deol’s equally chilling hit man in Love Hostel; both believe that they are doing some great social service. Saurabh Sachdeva does a very fine job in imbibing the character’s attitude and the way he meets his end is poetic justice done right.

The songs of Dhadak 2 don’t match up to Dhadak 1 nevertheless the compositions are soulful. Among the tunes Bas Ek Dhadak, Preet Re and Duniya Alag are good.