TRENDS
RDX review: KGF stunt directors Anbariv pack too much action in a simplistic martial arts film that doesn’t quite cut it
Also, Sam CS’s background score pumps up the energy - there’s lots of sound and fury, but not much calculation or intelligence.
TRENDS
I learn every day to become a better actor: PS-2 actor Sarathkumar on Por Thozhil
Why actor Sarathkumar believes the best is yet to come, how he picks his films, working with Ashok Selvan and playing Loganathan in Por Thozhil, and his top 5 films starring him.
ENTERTAINMENT
Jailer review: Rajinikanth bounces back in a 'paisa vasool' entertainer
This is a quieter Rajinikanth who hardly raises his voice. He isn’t kicking and throwing punches, and the punch line itself is just three words 'Tiger ka hukum'.
TRENDS
Will Rajinikanth reinvent himself with ‘Jailer’?
Kamal Haasan’s reinvention with Vikram means that the clash of the senior Titans in Kollywood is still alive. There is a lot riding on Jailer - Rajinikanth’s superstardom depends on his reinvention.
TRENDS
Bro review: Pawan Kalyan plays Time in a dated fantasy film
None of the characters in Bro are developed properly, and some of the arcs are so dated that you want to pinch yourself and ask if you’ve accidentally walked into an '80s movie.
TRENDS
Sweet Kaaram Coffee review: Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy shine in a predictable series
Lakshmi is masterful in her performance as Sundari who has secrets of her own. Watch her gaze at herself and touch her hair or cringe at her son’s assumptions about her attitude towards life.
TRENDS
Maamannan review: Vadivelu, Fahadh Faasil are fantastic in Selvaraj’s rewrite of Thevar Magan
A.R. Rahman’s background score works well. The songs, though, are not as stirring as they usually are in Mari Selvaraj’s films.
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Por Thozhil’ director Vignesh Raja on the making of his Tamil serial-killer blockbuster film
The audience appreciates vulnerability on screen now, says Vignesh Raja, the director of the Ashok Selvan-starrer ‘Por Thozhil’, while speaking about the Tamil blockbuster which released in theatres on June 9.
ENTERTAINMENT
8 Tovino Thomas films to watch online as 2018 becomes Malayalam cinema’s highest grosser ever
Earnest, vulnerable or despicable, Tovino Thomas wears many faces. Among the stars of his generation, nobody has mixed things up as well as he has, keeping the audience guessing.
TRENDS
Mumbaikar review: Despite Vijay Sethupathi, this Maanagaram remake offers nothing new
Mumbaikar, directed by Santosh Sivan, marks Vijay Sethupathi’s Hindi film debut, after he was seen in the Hindi web series Farzi earlier this year.
TRENDS
How Shashank Soghal made Daredevil Musthafa, a labour of love about hate
Based on Poornachandra Tejaswi’s short story, Shashank Soghal's Kannada feature is a little film with a big heart.
TRENDS
Thrishanku review: Anna Ben and Arjun Ashokan star in a fun, breezy romcom
Thrishanku is a lite version of what happens when a young woman calls the shots in her love life.
TRENDS
Modern Love Chennai review: Six films that explore love across divides
Modern Love Chennai, the third Indian iteration of the Modern Love series, stars Ritu Varma, Ashok Selvan, Ramya Nambessan, Wamiqa, Sri Gouri Priya, and Vasudevan Murali, among others.
TRENDS
Custody review: Naga Chaitanya’s thriller is all action, let down by weak writing
Custody has several familiar faces in pivotal roles, including Sarathkumar, Priyamani, Ramki, Sampath Raj, YG Mahendran, Jiiva and Anandhi, but the writing is too predictable to really make use of the talent on board.
TRENDS
From Tamil cinema’s boy-next-door to Ponniyin Selvan, Jayam Ravi’s journey
Over the years, Jayam Ravi has built himself a steady reputation for doing script-driven films in a star-driven industry.
TRENDS
Agent review: Mammootty and Akhil Akkineni’s spy thriller is a trainwreck
When Mammootty is speaking and Akhil Akkineni is reacting, you see an acting masterclass on what to do and what not to do.
TRENDS
How Vaikom Basheer’s short story ‘Neelavelicham’ differs from its film versions
Aashiq Abu’s remake makes good use of Basheer’s blue light, creating a magical experience for the audience. However, the intimacy that the reader shares with the narrator of the short story is lost in the screenplay.
TRENDS
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan review: Salman Khan’s ‘Veeram’ remake is excruciating
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan might well be a feature-length commercial, seeing as it is full of brand placements – from Pepsi to PVR and Salman Khan’s own brands like Being Human and Being Strong.
TRENDS
Making of Ponniyin Selvan: How Mani Ratnam translated Kalki’s vision into film
With help from writers Jeyamohan and Elango Kumaravel, art director Thota Tharani (Bombay), cinematographer Ravi Varman, A.R. Rahman and actors Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Trisha, among others.
TRENDS
How Kalki Krishnamurthy used a royal murder to write the intriguing Ponniyin Selvan
India was a newly independent country in the early ’50s when Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy was writing ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, and there was great interest in telling stories to evoke a sense of cultural pride and contribute to nation-building.
TRENDS
Ravanasura review: Ravi Teja’s vigilante thriller is a tiring exercise in misogyny
Director Sudheer Varma's Ravanasura tries desperately to be a smart, sophisticated thriller with “mass” moments... what it amounts to, however, is flashy action, unintentional comedy, and songs and sequences that occur for no apparent reason.
TRENDS
The age of Innocent: The legendary comedian’s contributions to cinema, through 10 films
Innocent was nothing short of a legend in the Malayalam film industry, having worked with stars across generations and leaving behind so many memorable films...
TRENDS
Viduthalai Part 1 review: Vetrimaaran’s hard-hitting film questions police violence and the state
Soori pulls off a career-defining performance. Vijay Sethupathi owns the screen like only he can. And Ilaiyaraaja’s stirring background score lends the film a bittersweet ache.
TRENDS
Purusha Pretham review: Darshana Rajendran & Krishand give us a darkly funny, realistic police procedural
The strength of Purusha Pretham lies in its character sketches for each police officer, without reducing them to a khaki blur. Example: Jeo Baby plays a pot-bellied cop who claims the bulk is just gas.
