This review was written for the news portal The News Minute and was published on 21st Oct, 2022. It can be read here: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/palthu-janwar-delectably-sweet-malayalam-film-has-animals-its-centre-169094 Directed by Sangeeth P Rajan, Malayalam film Palthu Janwar does not have a ‘star’ at its heart but animals, that too livestock. It is only in Malayalam cinema that we can expect such... Continue Reading →
Venthu Thanindathu Kaadu – My Flash Review!
Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather might have inspired quite a few films in the gangster genre all over the world but in South Indian cinema, it is Mani Ratnam’s Nayagan that has inspired filmmakers to try that genre. Promising filmmakers in the post-Nayagan era have made at least one film based on the Mumbai Don story,... Continue Reading →
Ponniyin Selvan and its aftermath!
This piece was originally written for the news portal “The News Minute” and was carried on 7th Oct, 2022. The link to the piece is here: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/mani-ratnam-s-ponniyin-selvan-and-its-four-types-audience-168671 It has been a week since Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan-I hit theatres across the globe, and the chatter around the film on social media remains unabated. By and large, the... Continue Reading →
Ponniyin Selvan -1 – My Flash Review!
A friend who knew I was watching Ponniyin Selvan today, called me to check on the film and this is how the conversation went: Friend: Before asking you for your views, tell me if you have read the book? Me: Well, I purchased the book 2 months back and started reading as if I was... Continue Reading →
Sita Ramam – My Flash Review!
Sita Ramam is originally a Telugu film and is now available in multiple languages on OTT. The presence of Dulquer Salman who of late is making some interesting choices in his films was the main hook for me to watch the film. I watched the Tamil version and it reminded me a lot of another... Continue Reading →
Laal Singh Chaddha – My Flash Review!
First the disclosures. I have not watched Forrest Gump. I watched Laal Singh Chaddha (LSC) in isolation as a film and my review has no comparative references to the original. I have also attempted to look at the film filtering the surround sound that preceded the release. The film opens with the longest disclaimer I... Continue Reading →
Darlings – My Flash Review
There are films which you find interesting and look forward to writing about them. And there are those that are ordinary and you go through the motions of writing a review. Darlings starring Alia Bhatt that dropped on OTT (skipping a theatrical release surprisingly) falls in the first category. So, right there, you have got... Continue Reading →
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect – My Flash Review!
In a sense, this film – Rocketry is very much like The Kashmir Files! It is a subject that we are privy to, but only in parts. It’s a subject that needs to be told to the public at large. Again, it’s a subject that leads to catharsis for the people involved and brings a... Continue Reading →
Vikram – My (late) Flash Review!
I had missed watching Vikram when it was released in theatres and so caught up with it this weekend when it dropped on Disney-Hotstar! The best part of the film is, it unabashedly sticks to just action as a genre and doesn’t even attempt to go anywhere else. But is that enough to keep you... Continue Reading →
12th Man – My Flash Review!
12th Man which has been released exclusively on OTT is the latest one from the Mohanlal – Jeethu Joseph combo of the Drishyam franchise fame. So, naturally a certain sense of expectation precedes the release. Having demonstrated that Drishyam-1 was not a fluke by making an equally engaging Drishyam -2, Jeethu had upped the ante... Continue Reading →