L2 Empuraan - A Globally confusing Masala tale

L2 Empuraan - A Global Masala tale

Starring - Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Abhimanyu Singh, Indrajith Sukumaran, Karthikeya Dev, Eric Ebouney, Andrea Tivadar, etc

Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran

Story, Screenplay, Dialogues- Murali Gopy

Cinematography - Sujith Vaasudev

Music - Deepak Dev

Editing - Akhilesh Mohan

Story-Line: Post the events of Lucifer. Things have gone wrong, as CM Jathin Ramdas has unfortunately become a wayward leader and has joined hands with Akhanda Shakti Morcha, a Hindutva party. This results in Khureshi Abram deciding to return to save Kerala.

It has been a year since Empuraan was released, and I got a chance to watch it. Here's my review;

L2 Empuraan is like a mashup of genres. On one side, there is a political thriller. On the other side, there is a revenge thriller. On the other hand, there is a James Bond meets Mad Max angle. Murali Gopy delivered a script that was a mess in the genre.

Sujith Vasudev's visuals worked very well. Prithviraj did a good job as a director. I wonder why he chose Murali Gopy's most confusing script for a sequel to the best masala movie ever made. Deepak Dev made a killer soundtrack. Akhilesh Mohan impresses with his cuts. Stunts by Supreme Sundar are so violent and entertaining.

The Phir Zinda Sequence also happens to be my only highlight of the film

Performance-wise -

Mohanlal brings mystery and aura to his performance as KA, alias Stephen Nedumpally. Prithviraj, this time, brings his gravitas as Zayed Masood. Manju Warrier brings in his charisma as Priyadarshini Ramdas, a lady who turns into a bold politician. Tovino shows us that he can even play a villain. Abhimanyu Singh breathes in terror as the villainous Hindutva gangster turned politician, Balraj Patel. The international actors bring in such restraint. Indrajith also performs with a lot of clarity as Govardhan.

Overall,  A confusing global Masala tale.

IMO- I hope Murali Gopy finds his Mojo back as a screenwriter and delivers a good ending with L3 Azrael.

Dhurandhar Review - A Hyper violent historic retelling of India battling terrorism

Dhurandhar Review - A Hyper violent historic retelling of India battling terrorism

Written and Directed by Adithya Dhar

Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Adithya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Sara Arjun, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt.etc

Music: Shashwat Sachdev

Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha

Editing: Shivkumar V Panicker

Storyline: The story is about a death row convict who goes undercover to infiltrate Karachi's underworld to stop a terror network that targets India.

My Review:

Bollywood seems to have changed. Gone were the days of fanciful romances, it is time to bring the hyperviolent era inside. Adithya Dhar's Dhurandhar came out and I saw it.

Performances:

Ranveer Singh is on Beast Mode as Jaskiran Singh Rangi a.k.a Hamza Ali Mazari, a death row inmate turned undercover agent. R. Madhavan has brought in a sense of restraint as a strategic chief of RAW, Ajay Sanyal. Arjun Rampal has brought in a sense of villainy into his role as Major Iqbal, the chief of ISI. Akshaye Khanna breathes sadism in his role as Rahman Dacait. Sanjay Dutt, the Khalnayak of Bollywood lives up to the title as a tough cop Chaudhary Aslam. Sara Arjun, the girl who I saw in Deiva Thirumagal has grown into a ravishing and romantic damsel.

Technicalities: 

Adithya Dhar has brought together a marriage between Hyperviolence and History of Karachi's underworld which played a part in the terrorist attacks that shook India. The cinematography by Vikash has been made in a raw manner. Editing works well. The stunts were so brutal and so real that you could feel history is getting repeated again. The love scenes are seamlessly brought in. Script and story along with direction worked its charm. 

The music for the film seems to fit the grim, violent and brutal atmosphere that the film is set in. Shashwat Sachdev created a soundtrack of remixes and bass beats that literally compile a high octane soundtrack. The title track along with Gehra Hua and even Ishq Kalakar are the songs that run in my head. 

Overall, this isBollywood's hyperviolent historic saga.

IMO - I can't wait for the sequel which will promise us a gory but adventurous ride.

Dominic And the Ladies Purse Review

Dominic And the Ladies Purse Review

Written and Directed by - Gautham Vasudev Menon

Additional Screenplay - Neeraj Rajan - Sooraj Rajan

Produced by - Mammootty Kampany

Starring - Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Viji Venkatesh, Sushmita Bhat, Shine Tom Chacko, Vineeth and Vijay Babu

Editing - Anthony 

Music - Darbuka Siva

Cinematography - Vishnu Dev

One Liner - Charles Inashu Dominic an ex cop turned private detective is asked to investigate the missing owner of a purse and that case leads him to stumble upon a Pandora's Box.

Performances:

Mammootty brings in a balanced layer of a fun-filled and brilliant detective who is wanting to find a case that could prove his chutzpah. Gokul Suresh is an amazing sidekick who provides a much refreshing take in his performance. Viji Venkatesh as Mrs. Madhuri is an amazing performer who lives up to her potential as a fiercely independent and a close friend for Dominic. Sushmita Bhat provides the hints of a villain who reveals herself at the end of the movie. Shine Tom Chacko provides hilarious relief. Vineeth and Vijay Babu bring in some subtle villainous perks.

Technicalities-

We are often used to seeing investigation thrillers that often go on a serious note but this time Dominic and the Ladies Purse seems to have brought in a fresh change. GVM brings in a style of fun to the mystery. The scripts is amazingly polished. The Fight sequences are choreographed in a small but meaningful way so that the mystery looks intense but has some quirks. Cinematography and Editing work well. Darbuka Siva's first assignment in Mollywood works well. 

Overall - Gautham's decent Mallu debut

IMO - The most underrated thriller from the best filmmaker.

Sreenivasan - The Woody Allen of Malayalam Cinema

Sreenivasan - The Woody Allen of Malayalam Cinema

Eda Vijaya, Enthada Dasa. 

Ellathinum Athindhedhaya Samayamundu Mone

Polandunu kurichu oru aksharam mindaruthu.

Saadhanam Kayillundo

Angane Pavanayi Shavamaayi

Those dialogues were more than just dialogues but statements that suited the middle class and unemployed people perfectly. They were written by actor - scenarist and filmmaker Sreenivasan.

April 6th 1956, Patiam, Kannur district in Kerala witnessed the birth of a boy who would later go on to challenge societal problems by using humour. Sreenivasan went on to study acting at the Adyar Film Institute. He also befriended his super senior Shivaji Rao Gaekwad who would later become Superstar Rajinikanth.

Sreenivasan passed out of his acting course and later went on to appear in some movies as an actor. He also worked as a dubbing artist and even introduced Mammootty as an actor with Mela. It was at that time that Sreenivasan met Priyadarshan who told him about a film named Odaruthammava Aalariyam in which he would cast him for the lead role, but the problem was that there was no script and thus asked him to write it. Sreeni was compelled into writing and with his script, the film became a success and Malayalam Cinema took notice of a talented writer in Sreenivasan.

His works with Sathyan Anthikkad from Gandhinagar 2nd Street till Njan Prakashan happened to make audiences laugh and think as well. Sreenivasan also wrote Sandesam which was a political satire that still stays relevant even today. His CID trilogy that featured Mohanlal and Sreenivasan as Ramdas and Vijayan who go from unemployed simpletons to police officers had its share of ROFL Moments. 

More than that, Sreenivasan unearthed his talents as a director with Vadakkunokkiyantram (1989) that spoke of insecurity complexes between a couple and Chinthavisyatha Shyamala (1998) that spoke of a teacher who is cynical about life but later comes to terms with it. It won him the National Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.

Even when the 21st century started, Sreenivasan never lost his sheen as an actor and writer. He went on to write Kadha Parayumbol which spoke of a friendship between a superstar and his barber friend who drifted apart due to differences in their occupation. That film moved everyone to tears. His work Udayananu Thaaram that introduced Roshan Andrews had brought about a satirical view point in Malayalam Cinema.

Sreenivasan's humour and social standing through his performances and scripts made him a writer to watch out for as his films were in tune with the 80s where people were experiencing rampant corruption and unemployment.

His work, Njan Prakashan marked his last collaboration and also his last script to be written and for the first time it starred Fahadh Faasil who represented the new wave movement. He had been ailing for quite sometime and his illness started to bring some fatigue in his life. On December 20, 2025, Sreenivasan died of Triple Vessel Disease leaving Malayalam Cinema shattered. Rest in Peace Sreeni Etta. Your humour made us laugh and think better. You converted pain into humour. With your demise, we have lost our conscience keeper.

My Views on the Actress Assault Case Verdict

My Views on the Actress Assault Case Verdict

It started out as a normal night on February 17, 2017 when an actress was wrapping up shoot. She was planning to head back home. Suddenly a car came from behind and a group of people abducted and assaulted her. That night turned into a harrowing incident in the history of not just Mollywood but also that of the society in Kerala. 

She filed a case against the criminals and then got such huge backing from the women of Mollywood who decided to form an organization named Women In Cinema Collective. Suddenly a twist arrived when one of the criminals named Pulsar Suni had a letter addressed to Actor and business tycoon Dileep who is termed as a powerful insider. This twist was a shock for the entire fraternity and marked his arrest. So many of his films were under scrutiny for the misogyny that has been hidden in the name of comedy.

Dileep was not just arrested but also suspended. But the newly elected body of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) reinstated Dileep who was set free. This was a setback for women members who decided to quit in protest. The decision to reinstate Dileep, the alleged mastermind shows that Dileep's star power could be enough to silence the public. 

The case suddenly discovered a twist in the tail when a director named Balachandra Kumar came forward with allegations against Dileep who accessed the assault footage many times. This showed that there was a whistle blower even in tough times. Dileep's career took a nosedive post the scandal but he still had such a clout which was too powerful to resist. He had a coterie of yes sir friends in his fanbase. 

And then, came the biggest shocker. The Hema Committee Report was released on August 2024 and had opened up a pandora's box of untold abuse tales that named people like Ranjith Balakrishnan, Thulasidas, Jayasurya, Nivin Pauly, Siddique and Mukesh. That was enough to cause a rift inside AMMA and its entire body got dissolved. The WCC termed the result as a pyrrhic victory. 

The Incident reached its breaking point this month when the verdict was announced; Pulsar Suni and the others were convicted on charges of assault while Dileep the alleged mastermind was acquitted. Dileep was a free man but displayed his true character as a villain by blaming his ex-wife Manju Warrier along with the Kerala Police.

In My Opinion; Kerala witnessed the Weinstein Effect take place. I feel that ultimately the truth will come out soon. But I say it as a son of a mother and as a brother of a sister, No woman deserves to be assaulted in any kind of workplace environment, be it cinema, stage or business. Misogyny will no longer be tolerated. 

#Avalkoppam   

Dil Chahta Hai - A Film that taught us about Friendship, Love and maturity

Dil Chahta Hai - A Film that taught us about Friendship, Love and maturity

Written and Directed by Farhan Akhtar

Produced by Ritesh Sidhwani

Starring: Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia

Music - Shankar - Ehsaan - Loy

Lyrics - Javed Akhtar

Cinematography - Ravi K Chandran 

Editing - Akkineni Sreekar Prasad

Sound Design - Nakul Kamte

Dil Chahta Hai has been close to my heart that I felt I wanted to write an article based on that. It is divided in 2 parts; Review of the film and Analysis of the film.

Review - 

I guess it's high time I went on a retro review phase. I watched Dil Chahta Hai yesterday with my mother since I was eager to watch it. Here's my review.

Performances - 

Aamir Khan a,ka Mr. Perfectionist impresses as Aakash Malhotra who is cynical and carefree but later grows up and experiences love for the first time. It's such a mammoth task to transform from the 19th century villager of Lagaan to a millennial kid but he treated it like a cake walk.

Saif Ali Khan literally portrayed Sameer who brings fun and also maturity together into his love. He also has brought a sense of innocence. 

Akshaye Khanna has handled the mature characterization of Sid Sinha who introspects and has a philosophical take on life.

Preity Zinta proves that she is more than a diva as she emotes well and brings in the vivacious beauty along with the conflict of loving someone and also wedding someone else. 

Sonali Kulkarni also has improved well as Sameer's prospective bride who ends up being his girlfriend.

Dimple Kapadia proves why she is already a powerhouse to reckon with when it comes to playing a alcoholic, divorced interior designer whom Sid loves by not confessing but rather empathizing with her.

A lot of supporting actors like Ayub Khan, Rajat Kapoor and Suhasini Mulay lend their gravitas to their performances.

Technicalities - 

Farhan Akhtar excels in his debut directorial by bringing in his dosti theme and bringing in the new cool with the funky hairdo with stylish costume. His script speaks of love, friendship and maturity which is covered in an episodic manner.

Akkineni Sreekar Prasad works his editorial magic and is a rock behind the visuals created by Ravi K Chandran. Nakul Kamte also impresses with his sync sound design making it so real. 

Shankar Ehsaan Loy are indeed the viziers of music who bring in the disco as well as melodies influenced from Hindustani Music. Javed Akhtar brings in the wordplay associated with the lyrics of each song based on the mood of each scene. 

Analysis:

The 3 friends who form the main heroes of the film represent modern culture and have some difference. Aakash Malhotra is defined as a cynical and carefree guy who doesn't believe in love and is not serious about life. Sameer Mulchandni is described as a person who acts as a bridge and is a confused lover but later finds a soulmate. Sid Sinha is described as a mature and philosophical artist. He exhibits a kind of love which is more of empathy than the usual love cliches. This makes him more of a green forest. 

The scene of the ship literally hit so hard as it spoke of how their friendship is often like a ship that sails for an unknown destination. Tara Jaiswal is described as an alcoholic and divorced woman who is navigating the complexities of life. Tara and Sid's love story is more about two humans understanding each other and being there for each other. Sonali's character comes across as a woman who is against arranged marriage who falls for a boyfriend who is so boring. Preity Zinta's character reflects the state of a woman forced into a wedding out of obligation.

More than a film, Dil Chahta Hai was a lesson on how to grow up and navigate life as an adult.

Dharmendra - Bollywood's He Man with a Poetic Heart

Dharmendra - Bollywood's He Man with a Poetic Heart

"Aj Bhi Ji Karda Hai, Pind Apne hu Janwa - It means My Heart yearns to return to my hometown. This line is about returning to own's own roots even despite the fame and sums up the legacy of Bollywood's Punjabi He - Man Dharmendra.

08/12/1935 - In the village of Nasrali located in Punjab's Ludhiana district, A Punjabi Hindu Jat family had reason to rejoice for they had a son. Living in Sahnewal, he studied at his dad's school. One day when he was 14 years of age, he saw a Hindi Movie named Shaheed that starred Dilip Kumar, the tragedy king. His admiration for Dilip Kumar lured him to the film industry which became his ambition. After convincing his parents, he left the lush fields of Punjab to make it to the city of dreams - Mumbai.

He appeared for a talent contest hosted by eminent filmmakers; Bimal Ray and Guru Dutt and won his way into their hearts. He got his first entry with Dil Bhi Tera, Hum Bhi Tere which starred Balraj Sahni - an esteemed theatre artist. He later balanced his acting with stardom and got his break with Bandini and later with Phool Aur Pathar that saw him work with tragedy queen Meena Kumari with whom he shared his love for poetry.

Dharmendra later appeared as a self sacrificing idealist in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Satyakam which won him so much love and he also had to compete with other actors such as Shammi Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar and Rajesh Khanna. He decided against getting typecast and worked in action movies requiring him to flex his muscles. This gave him a new name - Gharam Dharam Paaji. 

Dharam Paaji got recognized in 1975 when he appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan -the angry young man in 2 films; Sholay - A Trailblazing Curry Western by Salim-Javed and Chupke Chupke by Hrishikesh Mukherjee which saw him bring his comic brilliance to fore.

He was married 2 times; Prakash Kaur was his first wife while Hema Malini was his 2nd wife. He had 2 sons and 4 daughters; Sunny, Bobby, Vijayta, Ajeeta , Eesha and Ahana Deol. In the 80s, Dharmendra had also slowed down by appearing in B-Grade Action Potboilers that entertained the working class. He also launched his sons into Bollywood with Betaab being Sunny Deol's 1st and Barsaat being Bobby's debut. 

By the 2000s, Dharam ji while nursing a back injury started to awaken the poet in him with writing poems that reflected his solitary mood. He then appeared in character roles and starred alongside youngsters. He also made appearances in Life in a Metro bringing back the Romeo Vibes. He also started his political career as an MP from Bikaner but later left after completing his term since he was disillusioned with his job. 

He also appeared with his sons in Apne which brought the Deol Family together. In the 2020s, Dharam Paaji appeared in Karan Johar's Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani where he starred as an aged patriarch alongside Jaya Bachchan, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhat. His lip sync to a nostalgic song "Abhi naa jao chodh kar" won our hearts even now. 

On November 2025, Dharmendra was taken to hospital for health issues. Rumours of his death floated but were rebutted by Hema Malini and Esha Deol. Dharmendra recovered enough to go home but unfortunately, his health problems relapsed and he peacefully met his death on November 24, 2025 at the age of 89 leaving Bollywood broken. At the time of his death, he had completed work on Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis which was a biopic on Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal where he played Arun's Father. Ikkis was his last appearance.

Dharam was more than the He -Man of Bollywood. He was a poet with a large heart and the son of Punjab who made a cinematic empire for his family. Alvida Dharam Paaji, you will be immortal in our hearts. 

Dies Irae - A Gothic Horror Movie that scared me

Dies Irae - A Gothic Horror Movie that scared me

Written and Directed by Rahul Sadasivan

Producer - S.Sashikanth and Chakravathy Ramachandra

Music - Christo Xavier

Starring - Pranav Mohanlal, Gibin Gopinath, Sushmita Bhat, Shine Tom Chacko

Editor - Shafique Mohammad Ali

Cinematography - Shehnad Jalal

One Liner - Rohan, a playboy and rich architect gets news of his classmate's suicide. Post the tragedy, Rohan's affluent lifestyle spirals out of control with supernatural entities inside his home. 

Dies Irae is a latin phrase in the Bible which means; the day of wrath. This hymn resonates with Day of Judgement. No wonder Rahul Sadasivan selected this phrase as a title for his 4th directorial film. I saw the film on hotstar and here's my review.

Performances:

Pranav Mohanlal who is fresh off from his coming of age and action packed roles has once again impressed us with his performance as a playboy who transforms into a man who seeks answers to help fight the supernatural forces that scared him.

Gibin Gopinath makes an amazing impression as a builder who has the knowledge of exorcism and helps the main hero with exploring unexpected horrors.

Sushmita Bhat and Shine Tom Chacko shined in their creepiest appearance that made me jump out of the seat. This was an unexpected surprise attack from Rahul the director.

Technicalities - 

Rahul Sadasivan proves himself yet again why he is the master of Horror. He has made the scenes look real. The screenplay and direction were what made the film stand out from other horror films.

Shafique Mohammad Ali is a wizard when it comes to the editing techniques. Shehnad Jalal made spooky images that were so horrifying from the word go.

Christo Xavier impresses yet again with the soundtrack that blends hip hop and scary music.

The Production Design Department gets a thumbs up for the sets that were eerie enough to send a shiver down my spine. 

Overall - This is an art house horror film that scared me.

IMO - Rahul Sadasivan should win a National Award for giving us a scare with his work.

Bison Kaalamadan Review - A Movie that balanced Caste Segregation, Faction Violence and Kabaddi

Bison Kaalamadan Review - A Movie that balanced Caste Segregation, Faction Violence and Kabaddi

Written and Directed by - Mari Selvaraj

Produced by Pa. Ranjith, Aditi Anand, Deepak Sehgal and Sameer Nair

Starring - Dhruv Vikram, Anupama Parameshwaran, Rajisha Vijayan, Pasupathy, Lal, Ameer Sultan, K.Prapanjan

Music - Nivas K Prassana 

DOP - Ezhil K Arasu

Editor- Sakthi Thiru

Storyline- Kittan Velusamy dreams of becoming a Kabaddi player and has to overcome casteism, familial resistance and faction violence to make it big as a sportsman.

My Review -

Mari Selvaraj is recognized as a fresh voice in Tamil Cinema who made films that spoke about Uplifting Dalits. When he announced his next project with Dhruv Vikram, All eyes were on the duo to deliver something different. The project Bison Kaalamadan was announced as a sports biopic drama and the film released on Diwali. I saw it on Netflix and here's my review.

Performance-

Dhruv Vikram didn't just perform. He became the Kittan in my eyes as a person who decides to make it big in the sport of Kabaddi thus quashing the myth that Kabaddi leads to violence. He literally gave us a performance that was so original and so rooted

Pasupathy; Man, I have no words to say. You delivered a masterclass as a father who is ready to support his son in his dream and even shield him from the violent attacks that he was going to experience.

Rajisha Vijjayan - What a performance, My God. You played to your strengths as Kittan's Akka who is ready to go to any lengths to help him achieve his dream.

Anupama Parameshwaran- You nailed the character of Raani who is willing to wait just to marry Kittan. The romance scenes were so earthy and deep.

Ameer Sultan and Lal; What a monstrous performance and characterisation you guys did. The intense rivalry that you both pulled out was almost like a gang war that showed no signs of stopping.

K Prapanjan as the captain of Team India who recognizes Kittan's talent proves that Reality meets Fiction. He has also brought in his expertise into Kabaddi. 

Technicalities:

Mari Selvaraj has stuck to his guns and delivered an absolute cinema moment of a biopic. He also stayed true to his motifs of using animals as symbols in the movie. The direction aspect along with the script worked its charm once again and showed us that a sports biopic on Kabaddi need not be run of the mill. Balancing casteism, faction wars and Kabaddi was no easy feat but Mari proves that content is the king time and again.

The cinematography that blends black and white as well as colour is such a genuine thought from Ezhil K Arasu who brings transition in every shot. Editing by Shathi Thiru is well done.

Nivas K Prasanna has delivered a masterstroke in his bgm and soundtrack. The songs like Theekoluthi and Thennadu have proved to us music lovers that songs set in village are no more a thing of the past. If someone has to win a National Award in terms of Best Music Composer (Songs), Nivas K Prasanna should be the winner.

Overall - An Amazing Biopic that looked like a Kabaddi match.

IMO - This is Tamil Cinema's Lagaan.

Mozhi - A film that uses silence and music as a language in an effective way

Mozhi - A film that uses silence and music as a language in an effective way

Written and Directed by - Radha Mohan

Dialogues - Viji

Produced by - Prakash Raj

Starring - Prithviraj Sukumaran, Prakash Raj, Jyothika, Swarnamalya Ganesh, MS Bhaskar, Brahmanandam, Ramya Subramaniam. etc

Music - Vidyasagar

Editor - Kasi Vishwanathan

Cinematographer - KV Guhan

Storyline-

Karthik and Viji,  2 friends find love in unexpected ways. Karthik falls for Archana, a deaf and mute girl who resists marriage out of fear of abandonment. Viji finds love in a widow, Angeline Sheela who becomes their friend. 

My Review

Performances-

Prithviraj is so refreshing in his performance as Karthik as he knows so much about love and brings a sense of vulnerability to his character. 

Prakash Raj as Viji is so endearing. Beneath the hilarious joker lies a good friend with a golden heart. He brings in a lot of wisdom. I really wish everyone was like Viji.

Jyothika is such an amazing performer who used sign language to bring the authenticity of Archana to life. Her performance proved that we don't need any dialogues, just our expressions would be enough and she nailed it. It's so saddening that she didn't get a National Award for her performance which would be enough to move us to tears.

Swarnamalya Ganesh as Angeline Sheela is so vibrant and also acts as a bridge between a reluctant Archana and a lovesick guy like Karthik. She brings her emotions as a widow who tries to make peace with her life.

MS Bhaskar brings depth into his performance as a grief stricken professor who delves in his past and later starts to come to terms with his son's death on Karthik's insistence thus making him a true complete artist.

Brahmanandam's hilarious antics made us roll on the floor laughing. No wonder he is the king of comedy.

Technicalities -

Radha Mohan's Script and direction had so much magic that could make us feel like we are in their world. Viji's dialogues had so much of slice and life embedded in them. Vidyasagar never disappoints with his songs. His BGM that had silence and music weaved together make for a complete listening experience. KV Guhan's frames have an aesthetic quality. Kasi Vishwanathan scores a sixer with each edit that make us want to view it more and more. 

Bottomline - An amazing slice of life with music, humour and silence brought together.

IMO - We would love to see a reunion soon.

Kalki 2898 AD - A Dystopian Tribute to the Mahabharatha

Kalki 2898 AD - A Dystopian Tribute to the Mahabharatha

Written and Directed by - Nag Ashwin

Producer - C Aswani Dutt 

Starring - Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Hassan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Shobana, Anna Ben, Pasupathy, Disha Patani.etc

Cameos - Ram Gopal Varma, SS Rajamouli, Dulquer Salman, Vijay Devarakonda, KV Anudeep.etc

Music - Santhosh Narayanan

Cinematography - Djordje Stojiljkovic

Editor - Kotagiri Venkateshwara Rao

My Review -

2024 was the year which changed Indian Cinema. Hindi Cinema was literally in a damp squib, Kollywood was looking to develop more stories, Mollywood on the other hand was witnessing a Barbenheimer effect with movies like Bramayugam and Premalu hitting the screens and changing the tide. During that age, a film named Kalki 2898 AD came and took the entire Indian Cinema by a Mythological Storm. This film is directed by Nag Ashwin as a homage to the Indian Epic, Mahabharata. I saw the Hindi version with my friend Siddanth from Alchemy and here's my review.

Performances-

Amitabh Bachchan's performance as Ashwathama brings in a versatile range that no other actor could bring. Even at 82, he still dominates the screen with his aura and presence that reminds us that performance knows no age.

Kamal Hassan's performance as Supreme Yakshin, the God - King was so terrifying and I was amazed and even scared of him. 

Prabhas plays a double role as Bhairava and Karna. His performance appeared a bit wooden until the climax. That was the only drawback.

Deepika Padukone as Sumathi brings in a performance that is worthy of a cinematic spectacle.

Pasupathy, Anna Ben and Disha Patani did their parts well.

KK of Soorarai Pottru fame made an amazing but mysterious entry as Sri Krishna and also Arjun Das's voice for Krishna literally made me feel devoted.

Shobana also did an amazing part as a leader and could emote so well. 

Special Mention goes to Keerthy Suresh for bringing the voice of Bujji to life. Cameos by SS Rajamouli, RGV, KV Anudeep, Vijay Devarakonda and Dulquer Salmaan also help bring the story forward.

Technicalities -

Creating 2 worlds; A world set in Puranic Times and a world in a dystopian age is close to impossible but the production design team pulled out all stops to make this a reality.

Kotagiri Venkateshwara Rao never fails in his duties as an editor. 

Cinematography excels very well. 

The script and Direction aspects are so good that it makes you feel like you are travelling to the dystopian age of Kashi. Nag Ashwin, Take A Bow.

Andreas Nguyen excells in stunt choreography that made us witness a battle royale in a dystopian world.

Santhosh Narayanan went out of the box to create an interesting soundtrack. 

Costume Department brought some newness in dressing the costumes.

Special Credit goes to Legendary director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao for having mentored the team like a kingmaker.

IMO - An amazing and dystopian tribute to the Mahabharata.

Kantara Chapter 1 - A Prequel that hit the bull's eye

Kantara Chapter 1 - A Prequel that hit the bull's eye

Spoiler Alert 

Written and Directed by : Rishab Shetty

Starring: Rishab Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, Gulshan Deviah, Pramod Shetty.etc

Producer: Hombale Films

Stunts: Todor Lazarov and Arjun Raj with Vikram Mor and Mahesh Matthew

Music: B. Ajaneesh Loknath

Art Design: Dharani Gange Putra

Costumes: Pragathi Rishab Shetty

Cinematography : Aravind S Kashyap

Editor - Suresh Mallaiah 

Storyline:

This prequel is set in the theme of conflict between man and nature during the Kadamba Dynasty. It traces the origins of the Bhuta Kola worship that happened in the original.

My Review -

I saw Kantara Chapter 1 and here are my thoughts

Performances:

Rishab Shetty has stolen the show once again with his performance in a double role as Berme and Mayakara. Berme is shown to be a leader for the Kantara tribe and is energetic while Mayakara is depicted as an old fisherman who is wise and mature.  His performance in the last half hour and interval was so hauntingly amazing as he is possessed by Guliga in different forms as Agni Guliga, Swami Raja Guliga and later as Chamundeshwari. 

Jayaram brings in his power packed performance in his second Kannada film after Ghost. He plays King Rajashekara who is scared and traumatised but later faces his fears. 

Gulshan Devaiah as King Kulashekara brought in an amazing and the most hysterical performance as a ruthless tyrant. 

Rukmini Vasanth brought in a lot of complex layers into her performance as Kanakavathi who initially is Berme's girlfriend but later turns into the villain which was something I had never seen in my life.

Rakesh Poojari brought in neat doses of humour as Peppe in his first and only film. The most ironic part is that he died before he could see his performance. Rakesh will be sorely missed.

Pramod Shetty brought in a lot of ruthlessness which was also packed with humour when he played a Yes Sir character to Kulashekara.

Technicalities: 

The Screenplay and Dialogues that Rishab co-wrote with Shaneel Goutham and Anirudh Mahesh deserves a lot of credit for its entertaining but rooted manner. The Stunts by Todor Lazarov, Arjun Raj, Vikram Mor and Mahesh Matthew were neatly made to look like war sequences and fights in the jungle. The VFX for the Tiger and Brahma Rakshasa were well crafted. Pragathi proves her mettle time and again with the costumes. Dharani Gange Putra deserves special mention for handling the design of the palace taking us back to Banavasi in pre colonial Karnataka. 

B. Ajaneesh Loknath has once again proved to be the Musical Czar of Kantara as he painstakingly handled the music with so many research and brought in two throwback songs like Varaha Roopam and the Karma song while also bringing newness in the soundtrack. Brahmakalasha is one such trending song which gives us a devotional vibe as it is composed using the mantras. aalaps and vrittams that are well placed in Carnatic music that found its way much later. Composing a Vrittam that involves improvisations in the ragas and talas is not an easy task but Ajaneesh literally delivered a banger in the soundtrack. 

Aravind S Kashyap impresses again with his cinematography and the mocobots used for the battle segments were so intense and stylish. Suresh Mallaiah hits a sixer with the cuttings of the film. The only drawback that I have is that there is too much humour been brought in. The open ending of the story made me feel that there is yet another sequel on the cards.

Overall - The best prequel that I saw from the Kantaraverse.

IMO- I still am not over the Kantara effect.

Kantara - A cinematic retelling that made us rediscover the culture of Tulunadu

Kantara - A cinematic retelling that made us rediscover the culture of Tulunadu

Written and Directed - Rishab Shetty

Producer - Vijay Kirangadur 

Starring - Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Shine Shetty.etc

Music - B. Ajaneesh Loknath

Cinematographer - Arvind S Kashyap

Editor -K.M Prakash, Shobith Shetty

Stunts - Vikram Mor

Storyline - Kaadbettu Shiva, a Kambala Athlete has a beef with DRF Officer Murali. He is the son of Annappa, a Bhuta Kola performer who went missing and the trauma bars him from carrying on the legacy. 

My Review -

Hombale Films which has been based in Bangalore has become synonymous with resurrecting Kannada Cinema. From making the big gangster epic franchise KGF, they went a step ahead in producing a spiritual action drama film named Kantara - A Legend. Released on September 30, 2022, this film became a surprise hit at the box office and caught the attention of so many people across Karnataka and even South Indian states like Kerala, Tamilnadu, Andhra and Telangana. 

Performances -

Rishab Shetty stole the show as the actor in which he played to his strength. His performance turned out to be the highlight during the last half an hour that left me stunned. Sapthami Gowda impressed as Leela. Kishore brought in a neatly layered performance and his talent spoke volumes. Achyuth Kumar gave us an unexpected twist as a landlord who is revealed as the villain with a subtle but terrifying performance.

Technicalities - 

It is not easy to direct yourself as an actor but Rishab Shetty literally proved that this was a cakewalk for him. He pulled out all stops as a writer, director and actor bringing out a one man show. His wife Pragathi Shetty also played a role in designing the costumes that were so rooted to the 3 timelines that the film had been set in. 

Dharani Gange Putra might be a newcomer but the set design he did was so amazing that he reminds us of Sabu Cyril who designed the Bahubali Franchise. The stunts by Vikram Mor were so rooted but commercially well done. Aravind S Kashyap brought authenticity to the frames and shots. K,M Prakash and Shobith Shetty did a great job in handling the cuts of the film.

The script blended the old traditions of Tulu Nadu by integrating Bhuta Kola as a folk art of worship and Kambala as a sport together to project Shiva's rage. It brought out the ego tussles between Shiva and Murali to the forefront that we were rooting for him.  This film also portrayed the worship of Panjurli and Guliga Daivas so perfectly in a scene when the king asks for the deity which will grant him peace and the deity through a medium says that he will come and in return the king should grant the land where his voice carries and if any one of his decedents goes back on the word, they would be punished by Guliga Daiva who is ferocious.  

B Ajaneesh Loknath proves that he is the big daddy when it comes to making songs and bgm that blend folk music and carnatic music. Varaha Roopam deserves special mention as it blended carnatic music, hard rock and throat singing from Tibet.

Bottom Line - The best film ever made.

IMO - It deserves a rewatch. 

Dude Review - A well Balanced Socio - Romantic - Comedy

Dude Review - A well Balanced Socio - Romantic - Comedy

Movie Name: Dude

Story, Screenplay, Dialogues and Direction - Keerthiswaran

Produced By - Mythri Movie Makers

Starring - Pradeep Ranganathan, Mamitha Baiju, Sarathkumar, Rohini, Neha Shetty and Satya

Cinematography - Niketh Bommi

Editor - Bharath Vikraman

Music - Sai Abhyankar

Every Diwali, we see so many stars dominating the box office. Last year's Diwali saw Sivakarthikeyan take over with Amaran. This Diwali was different as it saw the new generation take over. 3 Films; Diesel, Dude and Bison hit the screens. I saw Dude yesterday and here are my thoughts.

A Hyderabad based producthon house Mythri Movie Makers well famed for Pushpa Series have already made their presence felt with their 1st release in 2025, Good Bad Ugly which was already a larger than life gangster comedy. Now they have produced this project and the way the film went made us feel that Mythri Movie Makers are known to bankroll films that have balanced content and commerce. 

Keerthiswaran's debut as a director with a socio-romantic-comedy shows a lot of promise with a daring script that blends the social issue of honour killings with love and hilarious comedy that left us rolling on the floor laughing. This comes from a fact that he has worked as an assistant under Sudha Kongara. No doubt Sudha Kongara would be proud of her disciple. 

Pradeep Ranganathan plays the lead role with great aplomb and adds his own style of comedy. In some scenes, he has displayed emotional maturity. Pradeep Ranganathan gave us an amazing performance. Mamitha Baiju has brought in her infectious energy and balanced it so well. Sarath Kumar, the supreme star has impressed with his hilarious villainy and has balanced his humour with emotions of anger and later redemption. Rohini no doubt impresses. Kudos to Neha Shetty and Satya for bringing in humour.

Niketh Bommi of Soorarai Pottru has given colourful frames with his captures. Bharath Vikraman impresses with his cuts. The fight choreography by Yannick Ben and Dhillip Subbrayan have added enough weight to make the fights seem massy but rooted with humorous elements. The script and dialogues are neat and well package. My favourite scenes are the intro scene where Pradeep's character ends up in a fight after accidentally removing the nuptial thread and the hospital scene where Pradeep tells Sarath that There should be respect for the girl's feelings before tying the knot. Sai Abhyankar who impressed with his indie hits makes a pucca entry into K-town and his music literally became a trend. Oorum Blood, the first single is indeed on the trend setting list of songs. Sai Abhyankar is a trendy maestro in the making.

Overall, A well balanced socio - romantic - comedy

IMO -This film is a daring attempt that hits the bull's eye

Vineeth Sreenivasan - Malayalam Cinema's Farhan Akhtar

Vineeth Sreenivasan - Malayalam Cinema's Farhan Akhtar

It all started on October 1st 1984 in North Kerala where screenwriter - actor - director Sreenivasan and his wife, Vimala were staying. Sreenivasan became a proud father as Vimala delivered a son who would soon become the multifaceted talent that Mollywood had gifted us. His name is Vineeth Sreenivasan.

It was in 2002 when Priyadarshan was on a lookout for a young vocalist and Vineeth Sreenivasan was recommended as a singer. He made his debut at the age of 18. He studied at KCG College of Engineering in Chennai for 4 years where he met his future wife Divya. 

Post his graduation, He met a youngster named Shaan Rahman and their friendship sparked with an album Coffee @ MG Road. He later made his entry as an actor with Cycle and went on to give spectacular performances in the films going forward.

But it was in 2010, that Vineeth proved that he could do more than singing and acting. He launched himself as a director with Malarvadi Arts Club where he brought in a new team of debutants such as Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese.etc This film became the forerunner of the New Age Movement that kickstarted with Traffic. 

If Malarvadi Arts Club was his 1st stepping stone into success, then his sophomore directorial Thattatin Maraythu was credited with telling a inter-religious love story with dosages of comedy. One such dialogue "Olu aa thattam ittu kazhinjaal Ente Saare, Pinne Chuttonum Kaanam Patulla" made us go Oh My Goodness.

His next Directorial Thira was his maiden attempt at making a thriller and it was the first Malayalam film to introduce a casting director. This film introduced his younger brother Dhyan Sreenivasan who later became famous as interview star. The thriller did Ok in the Box Office.

He later went on to handle the screenplay for Oru Vadakkan Selfie which was directed by G. Prajith and this film introduced former child actress Manjima Mohan who would later become famous in Tamil and Telugu Cinema. The comedy thriller focused on social Media Love and the disadvantages associated with it.

His next project Jacobinte Swargarajyam was set in Dubai and it brought out a sense of family togetherness. Based on real events that happened, This film focused on a son who decides to save his dad from a debt that he was trapped in. Thiruvavaniravu - the onam song literally celebrated Onam as a festive occasion which will forever be remembered.

He then moved on to his 5th directorial "Hridayam" which sparked the new age reminiscence of the golden trio from the 80s. This film was a career break for Pranav Mohanlal as an actor and Hesham Abdul Wahab as a music composer. It released at the time when Covid was almost close to dying out. He brought back the old trend of cassettes and Walkman. The songs and bgm were the biggest highlight along with the performances. This film was credited with reviving a long dead production house Merryland Cinemas which was founded by P. Subramanian and is currently headed by his grandson Vishak.

Post the success of Hridayam, Vineeth was back in the director's chair for Varshangalluku Shesham which was a period drama focusing on the 70s and 80s Madras Film Industry. It was credited with introducing Amrit Ramnath as a music Composer. This film revived Nivin Pauly's fortunes as he went through a brief slump in his career beside featuring Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan and Dhyan Sreenivasan. This film is termed as a desi tribute to Cinema Paradiso.

There was also a musical side which he explored during the lockdown as he made his debut as a composer with Uyarnu Parannu which introduced his wife as a playback singer. Now his next directorial Karam which is written by Noble Babu Thomas who also plays the lead role is a breakaway from his feel good style as it explores a violent and gritty side that Vineeth Sreenivasan never displayed in the screen.

Vineeth Etta, I am a big fan of your work and I can't wait to see what magic you have done.

Coolie Review - A Movie that is literally the most okayish work of Lokesh Kanagaraj

Coolie Review - A Movie that is literally the most okayish work of Lokesh Kanagaraj

Director - Lokesh Kanagaraj

Story, Screenplay and Dialogues: Lokesh Kanagaraj and Chandru Anbalagan

Starring : Rajinikanth, Shruthi Hassan, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Aamir Khan, Soubin Shahir, Rachitra Ram, Sathyaraj. etc.

Music: Anirudh Ravichander

Cinematography - Girish Gangadharan

Stunts - Anbariv

Storyline - Deva, an ex coolie union leader gets news of his friend's death and decides to unravel the mystery behind it and comes across a Heart Smuggling operation masterminded by Simon Xavier.

My Review:

Lokesh Kanagaraj is indeed a person who has changed the grammar of Action Cinema in Kollywood and his first collaboration with Rajinikanth was the most hyped up project. We went to watch the film and here's my review.

Performance - Rajinikanth scores yet another six in his performance as he is able to bring in the pain of loss and his motive of revenge as an actor. Sathyaraj's performance was literally a catalyst and he brings in his comical appeal. Soubin's role as Dayalan in his maiden Tamil attempt is amazing and the way he performed and also dance made me think - Damn, this guy could really pull off a performance of a lifetime like a seasoned pro. Shruthi Haasan brings in the gravitas as per the character of a grieving daughter. Nagarjuna's performance as a villain in yet another of his Tamil films showcases his versatility in choosing roles that have made him who he is. Aamir Khan's cameo might have worked but it can't even match the level of hype that Suriya gave with his role as Rolex in Vikram. Rachitra Ram in her first Tamil film rocked as a action packed boss lady that we were shocked. Upendra's performance as Kaalesha is equal to Chekov's Gun where his back is shown along with the room that he doesn't allow anyone to come until the climax.

Technicalities -

Lokesh has always gone against the usual tropes of Tamil Action cinema but in this film, he this time has succumbed to bringing out the tropes that he never wanted. An Item Song named Monica, It was like an unwanted inclusion in the story. There are signs of Lokesh's style that happens when he uses a retro song in a fight scene. This was honestly unexpected from Lokesh's work considering his previous works have broken the formulaic conventions.

Cinematography has this time excelled but, I had a feeling maybe we have been using too much Mocobots in films and I think we can do without them. Anbariv brought in the stunts that had a rustic yet mass appeal to the film. Editing by Philomin Raj is great. Anirudh is the asli hero of the movie with his bgm and songs that have now ruled the charts like Chikitu, Monica and Powerhouse. The new title card that celebrated Rajini's 50 years is so innovative. The script is like a revenge drama which is already tried and tested. It's like watching Thalapathi, Baasha and Thee together in one film. The De-aging technology has worked its charm. Adraa Kokki is just one punch dialogue which only runs in my head. The dialogue where he says "Avan unnaku appana irrundhirukalam aanal ava ennaku nanban" sounds like a throwback to those days when Rajini and Kamal had worked together.

Overall - Loki's not so great film

IMO - I feel we overhyped the film a bit too much

Chak De India - A story of Redemption worth telling

Chak De India - A story of Redemption worth telling

Director - Shimit Amin

Writer - Jaideep Saini

Producer - Aditya Chopra 

Cast - Shah Rukh Khan, Sagarika Ghagte, Chitrasri Rawat, Tanya Arbol, Shilpa Shukla, Anaitha Nair, Javed Khan Amrohi, Vibha Chibber, Vidya Malvade, Anjan Shrivatsav .etc

Music - Salim - Sulaiman

Storyline - Chak De India is a story of a disgraced former hockey player who is given a second chance as a coach for the Indian Woman's Hockey Team. He meets the team of rag - tag girls who have forgotten the thrills of holding a hockey stick and winning the cup.

Review -

SRK is a brand that speaks for the star that Shah Rukh Khan had become since his stardom came from the chocolate boy hero roles that he did in Bollywood. But there are some films where he ditched his stardom and chose to make content based films sell. One such film is Chak De India.

Chak De India focuses on the life of Kabir Khan, a once famous but now forgotten hockey player who gets a shot at redemption when he is assigned as the coach of the Indian Women's Hockey Team which exists in paper than reality. It takes a lot of guts for a star to play a coach who helps the ladies grow as a team and bring in a newfound cohesion. Shah Rukh Khan literally gave a mature and understated performance as a player who knows what it's like to rise from the ashes. He is the phoenix of the film which takes the story forward.

The Chak De Girls have given amazing performances that were more than enough to make me forget that they are young newcomers. Javed's performance as Sukhlalji deserves special mention for bringing in a warmth to the girls. Other actors like Anjan Shrivatsav and Vibha Chibber did well.

Jaideep Sahni's script and Shimit Amin's Direction made this movie like a real life hockey match where the audience became the spectators and were rooting for the girls. Cinematography and editing have brought about a beautiful wedding together. This movie taught us that Feminism is still alive and that it's about believing that we have the potential to do something that will contribute to the country's progress. Salim - Suleiman's music gave us a thrill and goosebumps we all have when we watch a game. The movie's title song brings in patriotic vibes that make us feel proud as Indians.

Bottomline - The Best Movie that came in the Independence week and made us feel proud.

IMO - It's time to say Chak De India.

Veer - Zaara - A Love Legend that stays evergreen

Veer - Zaara - A Love Legend that stays evergreen

Cast - Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherji, Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Manoj Bajpayee, Divya Dutta.

Directed by Yash Chopra

Produced by Yash Raj Films

Written By: Adithya Chopra

Cinematography: Anil Mehta

Music : Late Madan Mohan and his son Sanjeev Kohli

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

Storyline - Veer Pratap Singh a former pilot from India is in love with Zaara Haayat Khan, a Pakistani belle from a high standing political family but destiny separated them from each other. 22 years later, a budding lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui gets her first case of Prisoner no. 786 who is none other than Veer. How she manages to re-unite the star crossed lovers forms the crux of the tale.

My Review -

We have seen many movies that convey Patriotism in many ways. But Some of the filmmakers tend to thread on a jingoistic path. Some filmmakers tend to go beyond patriotism to bring in some love. One such filmmaker who has beautifully brought love and patriotism together in cinematic poetry is none other than the late Yash Chopra. 

Performance wise, SRK proves that he has got the talent and the emotive eyes to portray the character of an ex IAF Pilot who falls for a Pakistani girl. Preity Zinta brought out a realistic, grounded and elegant performance as Zaara Haayat Khan. Divya Dutta's performance as Shabbo deserves mention. Kirron Kher and Boman Irani both deliver amazing performance as a Pakistani Couple who only care about their reputation. Zohra Sehgal delivers an amazing performance with a child - like enthusiasm despite her age. Anupam Kher brings out his best as an egoistic lawyer. Rani Mukherji's versatility is well explored with a mature performance as the humanist lawyer who serves as a catalyst to bring the story to a happy ending. Special Mention to Amitabh Bachchan for an amazing performance as a Punjabi Farmer, Dream Girl Hema Malini doesn't disappoint. Manoj Bajpai delivers a subtle like villainous performance.

Technical Wise - Adithya Chopra's Story and screenplay along with Dialogues were translated effectively into the visuals of Yash Chopra. The art direction by Sharmistha Roy deserves special mention. The stunts by Allan Amin were neatly and subtly done. The dance choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant and Saroj Khan were graceful. Bringing back music from a bygone era was a tough task that the makers had but the late Madan Mohan's untouched compositions were brought back to life by his son Sanjeev Kohli which serves as a reminder that even when we chase trendy music, we should never forget such timeless classics. The soundtrack is literally enriching and that reminds us of a bygone era. Javed Akhtar deserves special mention for writing the lyrics. Anil Mehta created a visual painting of Punjab in India and Pakistan in tune with Yash Chopra's vision. 

Bottom Line - This Love Legend by Yash Chopra is always evergreen

In My Opinion - This film is the best romantic tale ever told in the history of celluloid. 

Baasha Effect and its influence on Kollywood

Baasha Effect and its influence on Kollywood

It was Pongal 1995, Superstar Rajinikanth's Project with Suresh Krissna; Baasha had arrived on the screens and it literally stunned every cinephile and even today, Baasha still holds a place in everyone's hearts for it made Superstar Rajinikanth a Demigod and also created a new method of storytelling named Baasha Effect. This film has had such an influence that some people had also made films using the same format out of which some have become successful. In this Article I am going to talk about 2 films that used the Baasha Effect in a successful manner.

Asuran (2019)

Asuran by Vetrimaaran was based on Novelist Poomani's novel Vekkai. It also retains the Baasha Effect in a skeletal format. The movie is about Sivaswami an old farmer who lives with his wife and 2 sons. When his eldest son talks against the crimes, The high caste people gang up and force Sivaswami to fall at their feet and apologise which he does humbly. Despite this, His eldest son is murdered and Sivaswami and his 2nd son plan to escape but are cornered by a group of thugs. Sivaswami then unleashes his violent side that no - one had witnessed before. This takes us to his past where he was a daily wage labourer and how he retaliated against the high caste feudal lords in a violent way forcing him to escape and start afresh. One of the dialogues which struck a chord with us was "If we have land, they will steal it from us and the same goes for money, but Education is the one thing that they can never snatch from. Study well and become a hero for us." This film won a national award for best film and best actor.

Leo (2023)

Leo by Lokesh Kanagaraj is a take on the Baasha Effect as the core plot is based on John Wagner's A History of Violence where the hero, a café owner turns into a sensational hero overnight after killing some robbers. This incident however triggers some old people that he thought that he had forgotten. This film had also become the 3rd entry of the LCU. Though I felt the LCU connection was not needed, I found that the story was a gory take on how the hero, a former gangster turned café owner starts to revisit his old life that he left behind. The dialogue "Leo apdinu oru aal sethuthar, Adhukku Modhalla Naan dhaan nanbanum" gave me goosebumps.

In my Opinion; If Japan had the Rashomon Effect then India has the Baasha Effect.   

Eleven - A Suspense Thriller that stunned me

Eleven - A Suspense Thriller that stunned me 

Written and Directed by Lokesh Ajils

Creative Producer - Prabhu Solomon

Produced by Reya Hari and Ajmal Khan

Starring: Naveen Chandra, Reya Hari, Rythvika, Abhirami, Aadukalam Naren.etc

Music : D. Imman

My Review -

Eleven is a 2025 mystery thriller film written and directed by Lokesh Ajils in his filmmaking debut. This film is produced by Reya Hari and Ajmal Khan with Prabhu Solomon also handling the creative production. This film stars Naveen Chandra, Reya Hari, Abhirami, Aadukalem Naren and Rythvika in the lead roles.

One - Liner: Aravindan, an ACP is handed the case of the murders of a person's twin and witnesses that the killer's motive is revenge for something that had happened in the past. Does he succeed?

Actors Wise - Naveen Chandra well known for his villainous role in Pattas has landed the role of a dual shaded cop on a mission to crack the case. His performance was a well blended mix of subtlety and revenge. Abhirami played the role of a teacher with a motherly instinct that brings out the best from her. Reya Hari's performance was good. All others did their parts well.

Technical Wise - The story and script are neatly packaged to make sure that the audience is well engaged with the suspense that builds up to the climax. The romantic portions are well and neatly done and they don't disturb the story's progression. D. Imman has once again proved why he is the Big Brother in Music with his songs that have gelled well. 2 Songs from the film have played in my mind ; Azhagaana Arrakana sung by Jonita Gandhi with lyrics by Vishnu Edavan and Vidiyadha Vaanam Engae Pochu written by Kabilan and sung by Mano. The flashbacks were literally emotional and bringing in the motifs of Chess as a game was a smart move. It also brought the use of twins in Kollywood to another level.

In my Opinion; Hands down, the best mystery thriller K-town has produced.

Bottom Line - I think that this film deserves a National Award.

Classmates- A Coming of age story that ages very well

Classmates- A Trendsetting Coming of age story that ages very well 

Director - Lal Jose

Writer - James Albert

Music - Alex Paul

Starring - Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indrajith Sukumaran, Kavya Madhavan, Narain, Jayasurya, Balachandra Menon, Shobha Menon, Suraj Venjaaramoodu, Jagathy Sreekumar and Radhika

My Review -

Lal Jose, a veteran filmmaker with a panache for feel good films has made an amazing coming of age film with subtle thriller elements. Classmates is one such film that has aged very well with the youngsters of today's generation. I saw the film with my Mother and Here's my review;

Cast Performances: 

Prithviraj breathes life into his character of P. Sukumaran who in his younger days is a firebrand character who tries to get even with his political rival. In his present days, he is a diamond trader who is carrying the pangs of guilt for something he did. His performance spoke so much volumes.

Indrajith's role of Pius brings in his inner Romeo character as a youngster who tries many ways to flirt with girls. In his present days, he is a matured guy who still remembers his old days.

Kavya Madhavan brought out an amazing performance as Thara Kurup, a dancer who was previously Suku's love interest.

Narain's Portrayal of Murali, a singer brings in the emotions to play and he has been in the moment as a guy who was also in love.

Balachandra and Shobha Menon played Mr. and Mrs Iyer who bring out their performances of a lifetime as a grieving couple who lost their own son.

Jayasurya brings in the sneering attitude as well as a helping behaviour in his performance as Satheesan his former rival who is now looking to make amends.

Radhika stole the show as Rezia who was Murali's lover and also the person who upon losing him has lost herself in her grief.

Others played their parts very well.

Technicality wise;

Alex Paul's Songs and BGM were literally the highlights of the film. One song that rules the hearts of every lover is Ente Khalbile by Vineeth Sreenivasan and Sujatha Mohan.

Cinematography and editing help to seamlessly balance the past and present of the movie so well that the marriage of the flashbacks and present day scenes are done in a neat manner.

James Albert's Writing and Lal Jose's craftsmanship as director come into play and bring in the subtlety of thriller elements while also bringing in the slice of life ideas to maintain a balance.

This film was a gamechanger in many ways as it kickstarted the trend of alumni people visiting their old colleges.

Overall; The best Mallu Slice of life film I ever saw.

Golam - The most underrated cop thriller

Golam - The most underrated cop thriller

Written and Directed by Samjad

Cast: Ranjith Sajeev, Dileesh Pothan, Sunny Wayne, Alancier Lay Lopez, Siddique, Karthik Shankar, Chinnu Chandini.

Music - Aby Salvin Thomas

One liner - A Police Cop is sent to investigate the murder of a businessman and opens up a pandora's box involving the ugly side of the Pharma Industry.

My Review

Malayalam Cinema has produced a lot of Police Films ranging from Mass Police Films to Art house Police thrillers. We have seen the cinematic cops domineering the pop culture of Mollywood like Bharatchandran IPS, Balram IPS, Baba Kalyani, Dasan and Vijayan, Sethuraman Iyer.etc. Mollywood has now presented another cop story named Golam an adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the orient Express which I saw yesterday night.

Performance: Ranjith Sajeev as ASP Sandeep Krishnan is a cop who is subtle and not over the top. Dileesh Pothan scored as a villainous character who brings out his evil side in the flashback. Sunny Wayne leaves an impact even when it is a small role. Alancier brings his sarcasm factor with a comical performance. Siddique gives a commendable performance as a nuerosurgeon. Karthik Shankar fresh off from his successful youtube comedy series landed a serious role and performs with great aplomb. Other characters performed very well.

Technical Wise - The Direction is very slick, Cinematography and editing take the story forward. The music and score by Aby Salvin Thomas is haunting and amazingly well done. The script has a beautiful premise and draws a similarity with Agatha Christie's novel Murder on the Orient Express; The novel was set in a train where 13 people aim to kill a gangster who caused them pain while Golam was about 13 people who join hands to murder their boss who caused them health problems for live. This film's open ending made me realise that the story is not going to end. 

Overall: An amazingly well executed thriller which is slick and not over the top.

Bottom Line: I felt that this film is very underrated and needs a lot of love. 

 

Tourist Family - A heartwarming Film

Tourist Family - A heartwarming Film

Cast: Sasikumar, Simran, Mithun Jai Shankar, Kamalesh Jagan, Ramesh Thilak, MS Baskar, Elango Kumaravel and Abishan Jeevinth

Written and Directed by Abishan Jeevinth

Producers: MRP Entertainment and Million Dollar Studios

Music Composer: Sean Roldan

Storyline - A Sri Lankan Tamil family go on a perilous journey to India in search of a better future following the economic fiasco in Sri Lanka

My Review

May1st is Labour Day. 2 Tamil Films released on that date. Retro and Tourist Family. Retro is a big star film while Tourist Family is a content based film. I decided to go and watch Tourist Family and Here's my review on this.

Performance Wise; Sasikumar as Dharmadas comes across as a likeable character who believes in hope and also brings warmth into every person's life. Simran breathes life into her character of Vasanthi and her performance is so very subtle and fresh. Mithun Jai Shankar of Aavesham fame brings out an amazing performance of their eldest son who is upset that he had to be uprooted from his identity. Kamlesh Jagan as Mulli is so energetic and brings in the comic relief which looks so fresh. MS Baskar, Ramesh Thilak and Elango Kumaravel bring in the energy. The director also made an amazing debut as an alcoholic youngster who is broken.

Technical Wise - For a debutant director, This film is such a well balanced tale of humour and drama. He perfectly captured the canvas of Sri Lankan Tamil People who try to make a living in other places. The script is neatly packaged and feels fresh. Cinematography and editing are so well made. Kudos to Sean Roldan for creating such a feel good soundtrack and OST that drives the film. There are some subtle elements of thriller set in the feel good script making this a feel good thriller without stunts and fighting. The dialogues are very crisp. The references of other movies seems to be amazing and they deliver well. MRP Entertainments and Million Dollar Studios have this time brought a much needed change in Tamil Cinema that has followed a mixed path of commercialising violence and stardom.

Overall: This feel good film deserves a lot of love from all quarters.

Bottomline - This movie is a must watch.

My Retrospective on A.R Murugadoss

My Retrospective on A.R Murugadoss

A.R Murugadoss - The name evokes a lot of nostalgia all across cinephiles. As a Filmmaker who balanced strong content and masala elements to make blockbusters. He is credited for having worked with many big stars in a lot of films spanning from Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

He started out as a storywriter for Vikatan Magazines and later entered the spotlight of Kollywood as a writer and assistant director for filmmakers like Gandhi Krishna and SJ Suryah. It was on the sets of Valee that A.R Murugadoss wrote a story about gangsterism and love and narrated it to its lead actor Ajith Kumar who decided to act in it.

The Story became a basis for a new script and was titled as Dheena which marked his first debut as a director. The music by Yuvan Shankar Raja worked so well in this film. Dheena's release turned out to be a stepping stone into stardom for Ajith who was coined the tagline Thala. 

He then did his sophomore directorial Ramanna that starred Vijayakanth in the lead role of a college professor who fights crime as a vigilante. This film was made at a time when Vijayakanth was in his 50s and was planning to start a political journey. It had a heart wrenching climax as the hero is hanged to death by the same corrupt system. 

His 3rd project Ghajini was a desi take on Memento by Christopher Nolan. This film featured Suriya as a stylish and suave business magnate who turns into an amnesiac serial killer after a devastating attack that destroyed his girlfriend. Featuring a Haunting BGM as well as a sexiest soundtrack from Harris Jayaraj, this film was credited with making Suriya a top level star. 

He then went straight to the heartland of Telugu Cinema with Stalin that featured Chiranjeevi in the lead role of a hot headed ex army man with a golden heart. This film was a resounding success and made Murugadoss a well known name in Telugu cinema. He later flew to Bollywood on a destination; Adapting Ghajini in Hindi. The Hindi version starred Aamir Khan, Asin and Jiah Khan in the lead roles and became a runaway hit with the original actor Suriya praising it further.

The Ghajini team reunited once again for 7aum Arivu which focused on understanding the history and culture of India. It also amalgamated Martial Arts and Science Fiction. It clashed with Vijay's Velayudham which was a superhero film. Both the films did well. 

When I think of A.R Murugadoss, I often get to see his works with actor Vijay. Their collaboration started off with Thuppaki that focused on combatting terrorism. This film was credited with giving Vijay's career a sudden resurgence and also bringing out a stylish version of Vijay. Harris as usual stunned us with a killer soundtrack. He would later remake it in Hindi as Holiday with Akshay Kumar that turned out to be a hit. 

Vijay reunited with A.R Murugadoss once again for Kaththi which focused on Corporate Enroachment of villages leading to water problems and farmer suicides. For the first time, he joined hands with Anirudh Ravichander who was slowly gaining fame for his works. The film made Anirudh a rockstar to reckon with and also kickstarted the Vijay and Anirudh Combination. This film was more than a movie but also a lesson on how we should always respect the farmers as our caregivers.

A.R Murugadoss went back to Bombay and directed Akira; A Hindi remake of Santhakumar's Mounaguru with a role reversal but unfortunately didn't work at the box office. He later made a spy - science fiction thriller bilingual named Spyder starring Mahesh Babu in his first and only Tamil movie till date. This film also starred his guru SJ Suryah playing a villain. Unfortunately the film tanked so severely at the box office. The most ironic part was that SJ Suryah's performance in a flop movie received praise.

He later worked on Sarkar in his 3rd collaboration with Vijay. This film focused on the theme of political governance and featured him as a corporate raider turned political activist. This film did average at the box office but had such an impact on the government leading to the formation of Section 49 P. 

A.R Murugadoss went on to direct Superstar Rajinikanth in Darbar which was about a cop who goes on a rampage to avenge the loss of his daughter at the hands of the drug mafia that he previously curbed. This film unfortunately turned out to be a box office dud and his career went kaput.

With his comeback feature Madharasi arriving on September 5th 2025, We are waiting to see the vintage Murugadoss back in action as the most wanted director who changed Kollywood in the 21st century.

Murali Gopy - An Underrated talent of Malayalam Cinema

Murali Gopy - An Underrated talent of Malayalam Cinema

1972 - It was the year when Swayamvaram by Adoor Gopalakrishnan released. It heralded the beginning of a new chapter in Malayalam Cinema and also brought National Recognition to actor Bharat Gopy. In his personal life also he was a happy man for his wife gave birth to a young boy. His name was V.G Muralikrishnan who later became Murali Gopy - The multifaceted actor, writer, singer, lyricist, composer and former jounalist.

When Bharat Gopy had a stroke, he started becoming irritable, Murali kept his father happy by writing stories with a hope to see a smile on his father's face. Little did Bharat Gopy know, that his son would bring out his creativity in full force as a writer.

Murali Gopy started his career as a journalist working with other newspapers. This led him into a calling from the film industry in 2004 when he started work on Dileep Starrer Rasikan. This film was also his debut in 3 fields as a writer, singer and actor. His performance as Theeliparambil Kaala Bhaskaran got him noticed as a menancing villain but its average run at the box office hindered his attempts at a cinematic journey. 

It was Blessy's Bhramaram that pulled Murali Gopy back as an actor and he went on to appear in a few films. His writing career was reignited with Ee Adutha Kaalathu by Arun Kumar Aravind which came at the time when Malayalam Cinema had witnessed a rebirth with the New Gen stories. Murali Gopy's works analysed the concepts of politics and other issues which no one had noticed. His background as news reporter made him relate with the stories he wrote. Left Right Left was credited with analysing the true meaning of Communism but was pulled out of theatres because of Political Pressure. His works were criminally underrated but his performances were appreciated over time. Lucifer was Murali Gopy's first attempt at scripting a Masala film which worked wonders and sparked the beginning of the L Franchise.   

More than as a writer, Murali Gopy deserves a lot of love for the songs he sung and also helped with boosting his popularity as a singer through a lot of live gigs. He also dabbled as a composer with Rathish Ambat's Theerpu which was unnoticed at the box office. He also has been a vocal critic of politics as well as censoring which he deems as an anti democratic process.

In My Opinion - Murali Gopy is an underrated artist who deserves more recognition and love from all quarters.

Lucifer - A Masterclass on How to make a Masala Film that works very well

Lucifer - A Masterclass on How to make a Masala Film that works very well 

Director - Prithviraj Sukumaran

Producer - Antony Perumbavoor

Writer - Murali Gopy

Cinematographer - Sujith Vasudev

Editing - Samjith Mohammad

Music - Deepak Dev

Starring - Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indrajith Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Kalabhavan Shahjohn, Vivek Oberoi, Tovino Thomas, Saniya Iyappan, Fazil, Sachin Khedekar, etc

One-Liner - When Ruling CM P.K Ramdas dies, there is a battle at stake over who will succeed him in the next political term. Stephen Nedumpally, a mysterious stranger, comes in to save Kerala Politics.

Review:

Blood, Brotherhood, and Betrayal. This was the tagline of Aashiravad Cinemas' next project, Lucifer, written by Murali Gopy and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and featuring Mohanlal. The story with a political background was more than just a regular masala fare, but it also brought out the political undercurrents in Kerala. The script was neatly written, and the dialogues have been well placed in each goosebumps worthy moment. The cinematography complemented and captured the political background beautifully. The music by Deepak Dev has a beautiful amalgamation of epic orchestration and Trance beats with Mallu Style Music. The stunts by Stunt Silva looked so fresh. For a star like Prithviraj to make his entry into direction, I would say, He really cooked something of a political masala thriller. There was no humor inserted in the film. 

Performance-wise, Mohanlal scores like a Boss when he steps onto the screen as Stephen Nedumpally aka Khureshi Ab'ram. Prithviraj strikes a sudden punch at Zayed Masood. Vivek Oberoi exudes style and sadism as the villain. Sachin Khedekar's role of P.K Ramdas is the catalyst behind the story's progress.  Manju Warrier delivered a powerful performance as Priyadarshini Ramdas, a conflicted mother. Tovino delivered a rock-solid role as Jathin Ramdas, who goes from a American educated guy to becoming a politician. Kalabhavan Shahjohn delivered a superlative performance as Aloshy, a double agent. All the others performed really well.

Dialogues: There are some dialogues that have a lot of recall value.

Yudham Nanmai, ThinmThammil Allalla, Thinmai Thinmai Thammil Aanu. VeliyaThinmaiyumm Cheriya Thinmaiyum.

Naan Thalai illa da. Thalai edukkaravan Da.

Nee Chuguthande vedam vaaichu nu vicharichu undo?

Ore Oru Rajavu

Abram, Khureshi Ab'ram

Bas ek ishaara, Bhaijaan. Bas Ek, Intezaar Rahega. Khuda Hafiz.

IMO; A Masterclass on Rewriting Masala Cinema.

Bottomline: Honestly, I am waiting to witness the story of Khureshi Abram come to the screens with its sequel,  Empuraan, tomorrow.

Why have today's love stories become problematic?

Why have today's love stories become problematic?

With the release of Love Today in 2022, I came to see that the film was technically acclaimed for its use of visual comedy, but one thing I found to be messed up was the way the love story between Pradeep and Nikitha had been treated. It was described as if Pradeep is revealed to be misogynistic character who doubts everything about the girls and tries to claim that he has done nothing wrong. The love stories of today have started to become problematic as the romantic heroes are described to be toxic characters while the heroines are long suffering under the toxicism that men have. Movies like Arjun Reddy, Animal and Kabir Singh are known to describe the heroes' flaws while in reality they encourage such people to become more masculine which is to just make girlfriends bear their brunt of their choices. 

Speaking of which, the old school love stories are described to be better as the heroes are known to be gentlemen and their courteous behaviors with girlfriends are amazing. The ideas of love stories centered with coffee dates and even walks in beaches and parks were always better at that time. Speaking of which Once More by Vignesh Srikanth is hitting the screens very soon. I can't wait to see the old school love story come back to life.

Vikram Vedha - An Adaptation from a folktale series that never disappointed

Vikram Vedha - An Adaptation from a folktale series that never disappointed

Directors: Pushkar - Gayathri

Writers: Pushkar- Gayathri, K. Manikandan

Music: Sam CS

Producers: YNot Studios and Trident Arts

Cast: Madhavan, Vijay Sethupathi, Shraddha Srinath, Kathir, Hareesh Peradi, Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, Prem Kumar, Achyuth Kumar, Vivek Prassana and Others

Storyline: Vikram Vedha focuses on a cat and mouse chase between a police officer and a criminal who tells him the stories that mark a change in his binary thought of good and evil.

Review: Adapting a Sanskrit Epic like Baital Pachisi into a film was never an easy job. It was already adapted in Hindi way back in 1950s keeping in time with the traditions. This time a husband-and-wife duo of filmmakers set out to attain the impossibility. Marrying the essence of the folktales with a contemporary crime setup in the screenplay was indeed the best choice they made. 

Sam CS's music set the stage on fire with the theme "Karuppu Vellai" dominating the story and characters. Vijay Sethupathi breathed life into the character Vedha and the dialogue "Oru Kadhai Sollata" gave us goosebumps like anything. Maddy's performance as Vikram was amazingly well done. The rest of the cast did so well. The flashback scenes that were shaped from the stories were brilliantly executed. The script presented the morally ambiguous characters that made us learn that circumstances make them who they are. 

Bottomline: Pushkar- Gayathri adapted the folktale into a contemporary scenario and this time they hit a bull's Eye target.

IMO: This film taught me that not all is black or white and that we need to keep an eye on the grey shades that all of us tend to have.

Fazil - The Grandfather of The New Generation Movement

Fazil - The Grandfather of The New Generation Movement

Njan mumbu orikil chodichillatha oru chodyam chodichal, Nee Uthram Parayu? Pathinanchu vayasil kaanathayi nee, pinne iruvathu aaru varshangal, evide aayirunu? This dialogue is something that hits us way back to those days when life was like in the 80s. At that time Malayalam cinema was going through a tectonic shift as industry veterans were starting to age. On December 25th, 1980, Manjil Virinja Pookal from Navodaya had released. It was credited with introducing a new face who later became the thespian of Malayalam Cinema, Mohanlal. This was made possible by a 31-year-old filmmaker named Fazil who also made his sole directorial debut.

Since then, Fazil has gone on to make films that have experimented with stories within the commercial format. He also made minor appearances in the films that he directed. One of his films Nokkethu Kaanum Doorathu had him play the role of Alexi who happens to be a friend. He also introduced Nadia Moidu in the lead role as an actress. He also entered Tamil Cinema and introduced actresses like Kushbhu Sundar and Shalini. It was with Aniyathipravu that he spotted the talent of Kunchacko Boban who went from Chocolate Box Heroes to becoming the face of thrillers. In Kaiyethyum Doorathu, He even introduced his son Fahadh Faasil and Nikitha Thukral. This film was an unexpected failure in the box office. Fazil directed his last film; Living together in which he introduced Sshivada Nair. Out of all the films he directed, Manichitrathazhu was the best film I ever watched as he gave the audiences the revival of a horror genre. Nobody can forget the Oru Murai Vandhu Paathaya song that still remains in our hearts. The Gange Scene seems to have entered pop culture sentiments and people still re-enact that scene.

Fazil is still active as an actor and people still associate him with the character Father Nedumpally from the Lucifer Trilogy. I am hoping for Fazil to make a comeback as a director very soon.

Rang De Basanti - A Film That became a Movement.

Rang De Basanti - A Film That became a Movement.

Disclaimer: In an earlier article, I wrote about Rang De Basanti being the case study of corruption, but I felt this was not enough, so I decided to write an in-depth analysis into what made this film so endearing to the Indian Diaspora. I would honestly call this a sequel Article.

This film is a story of Sue McKinley, a young Documentary Filmmaker who sets out to make a film based on her Grandfather's Encounter with the revolutionaries which served as an inspiration. With the motive in mind, she sets out on a journey to Delhi and finds the people who are suited in Daljeet Singh, Karan Singhania, Sukhi Ram, Aslam and Lakshman Pandey along with Sonia. Their work on the documentary results in them imbibing a strong sense of Patriotism. Their Patriotism which was asleep at that time had just woken up with the documentary serving as a catalyst and also the demise of one of their friends, a flight pilot in a MIG- 21 crash which the corrupt government used excuses to cover up the crime. A candlelight vigil is held but is broken up. They decide that they have had enough and take law in their hands by killing the corrupt defense minister as well as Karan's Dad who was also complicit in this case. They go and confess their crime to the people and are murdered by the same government whom they were fighting against.

Character Sketches:

Daljeet Singh alias DJ is described in just one line - There are 2 ways to live life. One is to accept things the way they are and the second is to assume responsibility to make changes.

Karan Singhania: He is a frustrated Playboy son of a rich businessman who is corrupt to the core. The feeling of patriotism is so strong for Karan that he ends up confronting his father for his role in the death of his friend which is similar to Chris's confrontation with his dad over his shady past in all my sons.

Laxman Pandey is a Hindutva Activist who initially starts out as a person who fights for his own party but later gets disillusioned by its corrupt tactics and leaves to join the boys in their fight for the truth.

Sukhi Ram is described as a bachelor who is hoping to find a girlfriend for himself later decides to join his buddies in their mission to kill the corrupt system. He is initially afraid of death but later embraces it with a smile.

Aslam Khan is a Muslim guy who comes from a rigid family as his father and brother are against forming alliance with people from other religions. Aslam is different as he is shown to be radical.

Legacy: 

The film not only set the box office registers ringing but it also awakened the youngsters who were entirely fed up with the system. Rakeysh Mehra who directed the film didn't expect that it would cause a social impact on the Indian Diaspora. At the time of its release, The Jessica Lal case witnessed an acquittal of her killer. This resulted in angry people marching off to India Gate and also organizing candlelight vigils to get justice for Jessica Lal and Priyadarshini Mathoo who was also killed. This film inspired youngsters to fight for their rights as citizens of this country. 

In My Opinion, Rang De Basanti is a film that brought out Patriotism and amalgamated it with the youngster life. There was no trace of Jingoism in the film. This has become a class apart on how to bring out the meaning of Patriotism without being too preachy.

Traffic - A Well -Made Hyperlink Thriller

Traffic - A Well -Made Hyperlink Thriller

Written by Bobby-Sanjay

Director - Rajesh Pillai 

Producer - Listen Stephen

Music - Mejo Joseph

Cast- Sreenivasan, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Kunchacko Boban, Roma Asrani, Sandhya, Saikumar, Asif Ali, Rahman, Anoop Menon and Others

One Line- Based on a true incident in Chennai, this film focuses on an Arduous journey from Kochi to Palakkad to donate a dead Journalist's heart to a heart patient.

My Review: 

Traffic is one such film that deserves a rewatch for the way it was made. The film came at the time when Mollywood was going through a phase where Superstardom was higher, and content was going down. It was a time when Malayalam Heroes became well known for their testosterone characters. This film came in like a breeze of fresh air.

Technicality Wise - The script by Bobby Sanjay works wonders and has been beautifully communicated in a visual sense. The cinematography and the music work so well that we are transported on a fast drive. The direction is so intricately done and the nuances in each scene are portrayed very well.

Performance Wise: Sreenivasan has downplayed his character very well as a person who is looking to redeem himself for a mistake that he had committed. Vineeth brought in his freshness as an aspiring tv journalist. Anoop Menon performed so well as a cop who initiates the dangerous mission. Kunchacko's performance was so new and fresh. It was a relief seeing him out of his chocolate boy image. Saikumar plays a father who grieves the loss of his son but at the same time also helps to donate the heart. It shows the power of sacrifice. Asif Ali brought life to his character who helps to keep his friend's memory alive. Kadhal Sandhya's role was meaty enough as a divorcee. All the other actors performed very well. Jose Prakash's Last appearance was amazingly well done and the energy he brought serves as a reminder for artists who are aging but still raring to go.

In My Opinion, Traffic is one such film that signaled the beginning of the New Age Movement in Malayalam Cinema. It's a pity that Rajesh Pillai is not here with us anymore. But he will be remembered for his cult classics.

My Retrospective on KS Ravikumar

My Retrospective on KS Ravikumar

It was in the 90s that Kollywood was starting to experience a change of Filmmaking. Many young people entered and managed to leave such an imprint on the marks of K-Town. One such filmmaker happened to be K.S Ravikumar. He started out as an assistant under Director Vikraman for a romantic film. In 1990, He made his entry into the Film Industry with Puriyatha Puthir which was a thriller. It was an adaptation of Sunil Kumar Desai's Tarka. This was his only film outside the masala genre for which he later became well known.

He then went on to direct action dramas set in villages. His collaborations with Erode Soundar and Sarathkumar made their films timeless. Through this works, Sarathkumar who had been struggling at that time got a break. One such Film Nattamai was credited with redefining Masala Movies in Villages. One such dialogue "Nattamai Theerpu Matti Sollu" entered pop culture phenomena. He then collaborated with Superstar Rajinikanth for 3 films: Muthu, Padayappa and Lingaa with music composed by A.R Rahman. Thus, the collaboration was called as Tamil Cinema's RRR. 

His collaborations with Kamal Hassan involved the witty writeups of Crazy Mohan who was called the P.G Wodehouse of Tamil Humor. People said that men alone could play villains and women could be restricted to side parts and heroine roles that added to the glamour of a film. K.S Ravikumar gave the audiences an Irunga Bhai Moment by creating a villainous character Neelambari which was played by Small Screen Legend Ramya Krishnan. This film is termed as The Baahubali of the 90s. Padayappa's legacy resulted in K.S Ravikumar making a different film named Minsara Kanna (Based on the song of the same name) which starred Vijay in the lead role. His films mainly focused on the themes of greed, love, betrayal. etc. He has often worked with established veterans who have experienced the stardom as actors.

From the 1990s till the 2010s, K.S Ravikumar's films were known for their experimental style within the commercial format. His work, Lingaa with Rajini turned out to be a dud at the box office. He then went on to direct a few more films that unfortunately missed the BO Mark. His cameo appearances in the films that he directed served as training ground for his acting career. He transitioned from Mass ka Baap Director to Character Artist. He is active as an actor but when it comes to filmmaking, he is close to retirement. We are still missing the entertainment that the director in him gave. What K-Town needs is the vintage K.S Ravikumar Stamp as a director to make a comeback.

My Retrospective on S.Shankar as a filmmaker

My Retrospective on S.Shankar as a filmmaker 

Once upon a time, there lived a ghost named S.Shankar. Once, termed as a filmmaker with a Midas touch, his current films have now become flops in terms of box office ability and content. 

In the 90s till 2010, Shankar was well known for bringing in his unique style as a director with ideas that warranted Large Scale extravaganza and big budget visuals. His collaborations with late novelist and screenwriter Sujatha were the common factor that worked well with the audiences. When it comes to music, Shankar has often worked with Madras's Mozart A.R Rahman. His stories held a lot of reverence with the common man. 

The works that solidified Shankar as India's Steven Spielberg were Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Boys, Anniyan, Sivaji the boss and Enthiran. Gentleman was a desi take on Robin Hood, Kadhalan was a love story set in a political angle of deceit and terrorism, Indian revolved around an ex- freedom fighter's war against corruption, Jeans focused on a love story between twins, Mudhalvan spoke of a journalist who took up a challenge to become a Chief Minister for 24 hours, Boys was a coming-of-age love story, Anniyan was about a meek lawyer who assumes an alter ego of a grim reaper to punish corrupt criminals to change the system, Sivaji the Boss focused on an Software Engineer who fought against a corrupt businessman to start an NGO while Enthiran was a story of a robot. 

Even despite the demise of Sujatha, Shankar went on to make another successful film named Nanban which was adapted from Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots which in turn was loosely adapted from Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone. This movie was a big hit. But later the subsequent films he made showed that his contents were not cohesive enough. I was a desi adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, but it focused on a Model who is deformed by his enemies. Though the songs were good, the storyline was a bit too meandering, 2.0 focused on a war between Birds and Phone users. The content was cohesive enough for a sequel to do so good.

Indian 2 was the most awaited sequel but unfortunately became a sequel we didn't ask for as the story was not the hero. It was made from old cartoons that combined to create a mismatch. He himself parodied his earlier works as well. While the original had soul, the sequel had become a stale affair, and it was like having an undercooked dinner. His next work Game Changer also was termed boring by the people. This film also warranted too much of Mocobots that in turn ruined the film's story. In My Opinion Shankar's Vintage style of a filmmaker needs a comeback.      

Amaran- A real life story that had me go Wow

Amaran- A real life story that had me go Wow

Cast: Siva Karthikeyan, Sai Pallavi, Rahul Bose, Shyama Prasad, Shyam Mohan and Others

Director: Rajkumar Periyasamy

Music: G.V Prakash Kumar 

I saw Amaran today and here goes my review.

Performance: Sivakarthikeyan has brought out a performance of a lifetime as Major Mukund Vardharajan. He breathed life into his role as a husband, father, son and army officer.

Sai Pallavi - OMG, She delivered a performance worthy of a national award. She lived as Indhu Rebecca Varghese. I must say; she never acted as the character. She lived it so well.

Rahul Bose did amazing as the commanding officer. Shyam Mohan Etta delivered an outstanding performance fresh off from his role as JK Adhi in Premalu. Shyamaprasad did well.

Technical aspects: The stunts were so real and custom made for the army. GV Prakash Kumar delivered the best soundtrack for the film and one such song Hey minnale is running through my mind.

The story and screenplay were so lively. Rajkumar Periyasamy has scored a blockbuster hit.

My Favourite scene: SK's Character sings Achamillai Achamillai to the child artist who played Ashreya. 

IMO; An amazing film that brings up the story of Mukund Vardharajan to life.

Vettaiyan - A risky attempt that paid off

Vettaiyan - A Risky Attempt that paid off 

Director - T.J Gnanavel

Written by TJ Gnanavel and B Krithika 

Starting - Superstar Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Manju Warrier, Dushara Vijayan, Rana Daggubati, Rithika Singh and Asal Kolaar.

Music: Anirudh 

Producer: Lyca Productions 

Storyline: An encounter specialist accidentally kills an innocent while investigating a rape and murder of a teacher whom he knew.

Performance wise

Rajini's performance had some mass movements but this time he let the content dominate the film. He has started to become more subtle in his performance.

Big B's Tamil Debut is amazing. He is given a role in which he does justice. The combination scenes between bachchan and rajini bring out the difference of opinion over encounters. 

Fahadh Faasil has excelled once again in this film. He brings in his natural comic style as Patrick.

Manju Warrier plays a social media influencer who helps Rajini rectify his mistake. Her performance as a wife is motivation enough.

Rana Daggubati is an amazing villain who could ooze his charm and bring his suave attitude in his villainism. His performance reminds us of people who try to scam us by looting people's money in the name of offering jobs.

Dushara Vijayan's performance as a whistle blower who pays with her life is a reminder of how corrupt people kill honesty. It was an amazing work done.

Rithika Singh's performance as a cop is a performance that I felt was not utilised properly.

Asal Kolaar was a relevation for his acting chops as an innocent guy was flexed to the maximum.

Technical wise: 

The story and screenplay was real but it had some moments that diluted it. TJ Gnanavel struck gold as a director after Jai Bhim. This film focused on the difference between hasty justice and speedy justice.

Anirudh 's music was the key factor that worked so well in the film. Kudos to him for bringing back the voice of Malaysia Vasudevan.

Anbariv's stunts were also subtle and not high octane. Cinematography by S.R Kathir was neat and crisp.

Overall: The film is a content oriented film that Rajinikanth chose as a risk and that fortunately paid off.

IMO, Rajini delivered a subtly stylish performance in a content oriented film. In his own words; Kuri Vecha, Erai Vizhanum

The Legacy of Thalapathy Vijay

The Legacy of Thalapathy Vijay

It is 2024, Tamil cinema has been going through a brief lull as big star films have not made enough successes. When Ghillie re-released, it was a special day for every thalapathy fan as they were looking at the re-release as a trend to get Kollywood back and running. Post which, Thalapathy Vijay's 68th film GOAT had released.

This was indeed his penultimate film as an actor as he had announced his retirement from the film industry to focus on politics. A lot of us were shocked at the decision that he took at the peak of his career but we had to accept the truth. Some of the fans were not surprised as he had been preparing for his political career by meeting politicians.

Now, as GOAT is doing well in the box office, Thalapathy 69 was announced by a Karnataka based production house, KVN Productions. This has been billed as the last film that Vijay is acting. 

It was during the COVID 19 pandemic, Vijay announced that he will release Master on Pongal 2021 in theatres. This was to save the multiplex industry which was on a massive shutdown and had lost business. This decision proved to be the saviour as it released with 50% occupancy. 

This showed that Vijay has helped many workers in the film industry such as Welders, assistant managers of production and lightboys as well. 

So more than a blog, this is an emotional tribute to the legacy that Vijay leaves behind with his last film going on the floors. 

Un Ratham , En Ratham vearum illai. Uthirathai vidaithaayi en anbin sollai. 

Thank you Thalapathy Vijay for the entertainment that your films gave. We will forever be obliged for your works. 

Love you Thalapathy Vijay 

With Nostalgic love 

From a Thalapathy Veriyan

Review Of Raayan

Review Of Raayan

Raayan - A Gangster film that could have been better

Written and directed by Dhanush

Music - A.R Rahman 

Editor - Prassana GK

Cinematographer- Om Prakash

Cast: Dhanush, Kalidas Jayaram, Sundeep Kishen, Aparna Balamurali, Dushara Vijayan, Prakash Raj and Selvaraghavan

Review

Dhanush's filmography seems to be on a mixed track. His 50th film was announced as his 2nd directorial. This film is a gangster project that focused on a family of 3 brothers and 1 sister who survive in North Madras. The performances of Dhanush was a show stealer. The other actors played their roles to neat perfection. Selvaraghavan's performance of a father figure towards Raayan was so good. It had some resemblance to Valmiki's Ramayana on the perspective of Ravana and his brothers.

Prakash Raj's role as Commissioner Sargunam is not so over-the-top like Commissioner Prabhakar from Anniyan. He believes in Negotiation to the role and that was a neat and subtle performance from a thespian of his calibre.

Dushara Vijayan's performance as the sister was literally different. She played a sister who would not hesitate to kill anyone who harms her brother. She is like a manifestation of Mother Kali

Technical side: The cinematography from Om Prakash was so good. The famous highlight was the mocobot shot action sequence. Editing was amazing. It was so amazing to see A.R Rahman make a roaring comeback. His songs elevated him to God Level.

Writing side: The script was a bit half baked in the second half while the 1st half had goosebumps. This made us feel that there was a lot of major areas that needed some improvement.  The stunt choreography was so violent and the dances were done neatly. I actually felt the placement of Water Bucket Song was not needed. 

Overall: This film could have been better in the second half.

Bottom Line: This film is a one time watch.