14 films to watch in theatres, for an action-packed October

Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated 'Killers of the Flower Moon', starring Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, will release in the theatres on October 20.

Last month belonged to Shah Rukh Khan with the blockbuster Jawan breaking all sorts of records. October seems to be shining bright as well with a number of releases in Hindi, English, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu to spice up the month. From films based on books to biopics, there is a lot to choose from. Go ahead, take your pick:

Not only the lead pair, even the director of the film is a newcomer. Filmmaker Sooraj R Barjatya’s son Avnish S Barjatya is making his debut as a director with Sunny Deol’s son Rajveer Deol and Poonam Dhillon’s daughter Paloma Thakeria. The love story follows the lives of two strangers who meet at a destination wedding of their friends and find themselves attracted to each other. With music by Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa and a story of two heartbroken lovers, this one is bound to appeal to the youth.

After directing a few episodes of the thriller television show 24 and the Netflix series Selection Day, Karan Boolani’s first feature film has already left an impression at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023. Starring Bhumi Pednekar, as a 30-something who has never experienced an orgasm in her life, the film also stars Shehnaaz Gill and content creators Kusha Kapila, Dolly Singh and Shibani Bedi. Anil Kapoor has a cameo in the comedy movie as well.

A direct sequel to 1973’s cult classic The Exorcist, the supernatural film is the sixth instalment in the franchise. Director David Gordon Green has revealed that unlike the original, this one will see two girls undergoing demonic possession. Ellen Burstyn who starred in the original as the mother of the formerly possessed Regan MacNeil returns to the franchise with the new movie which is set to be the first of the three new The Exorcist films.

The biopic of renowned spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will not just delve deep into the Sri Lankan cricketer’s life but will provide an insight into other topics including the Sri Lankan civil war and the 2009 terror attack on their cricket team. The trailer of the film was unveiled recently by Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar along with Muralitharan and former Sri Lankan cricket captain Sanath Jayasuriya. Muralitharan has shared that he is glad that the film has depicted the truth of his journey without adding any extra masala to it. Actor Madhur Mittal is portraying the role of the protagonist.

Parineeti Chopra’s first film after marriage sees her and Akshay Kumar in a survival thriller based on the Raniganj Coalfields collapse of 1989 in West Bengal. Kumar is playing the role of Jaswant Singh Gill, the brave mining engineer who rescued 65 miners trapped in the coalfields. Kumud Mishra and Ravi Kishan, too, play pivotal roles in the story. The film is directed by Tinu Suresh Desai.

A still from 'Dhak Dhak'.

Taapsee Pannu has proved herself as an adept actor and now, she is out to prove herself as a producer as well. Although she made her debut as a producer with Blurr (2022), which was released on an OTT platform, this is her first production to release in theatres. Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza and Sanjana Sanghi star in the film as four women who decide to take a road trip from Delhi to Khardung La in Leh. It gives them a new perspective about their lives. The film is directed by Tarun Dudeja.

Thalapathy Vijay’s actioner also starring Sanjay Dutt is touted to become one of the biggest films not just in India but also globally, according to film trade experts. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film was initially slated to be titled Thalapathy 67 as it is Vijay’s 67th film but the title was changed later to Leo. Reportedly, the movie has a number of memorable action sequences, including one which shows a shirtless Vijay in minus-20 degrees temperatures. The film is part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe which consists of Kaithi (2019) and Vikram (2022). Trisha is the female lead in the movie, reuniting with her Kuruvi (2008) co-star after 14 years while Dutt is making his Tamil film debut with Leo.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, this western crime drama by Martin Scorsese is based on a book of the same name by David Grann. The plot centres around a series of murders taking place in Oklahoma during the Osage Nation in the 1920s after oil was discovered on the tribal land. The film has been delayed many times because of the pandemic and even changed directors before Scorsese came on board. The highly-anticipated film sees DiCaprio play the role of Ernest Burkhart who comes seeking good fortune along with his uncle William Hale, played by De Niro. This will also mark De Niro’s 10th film with Scorsese.

High on action and VFX, Ganapath marks the coming together of Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon who started their film journeys with Heropanti in 2014. The futuristic drama set in 2070 AD is set in a dystopian world where there is no hope with Shroff’s character coming as the redeemer. Amitabh Bachchan plays a pivotal role in the film directed by Vikas Bahl. Also releasing in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, the film’s teaser ends with Shroff mouthing the dialogue, “Jab apno par baat aati hai, tab apan ki hat jaati hai (One can only fully comprehend when one's house is on fire)”. With seeti-maar (whistle-worthy) dialogues and high-flying action, this one promises to be an entertainer.

Kangna Ranaut plays Air Force officer Tejas Gill in the inspirational film directed by Sarvesh Mewara. Initially slated for release on October 20, the release of the film was delayed by a week in order to avoid clash with Ganapath. Initial reports suggested that Tejas is a biopic but it is not so. The actress has been vocal about her excitement for this film and has been sharing glimpses of her journey in the film on her social media, including meeting Air Force pilots during the shoot.

Divya Khosla Kumar directed the first Yaariyan but in its sequel, she stars as the lead Laadli whose marriage is going through an upheaval. The remake of the 2014 Malayalam movie Bangalore Days, Yaariyan 2 revolves around Laadli and her two cousins who have problems in their romantic relationships as well. Meezaan Jafri and Pearl V Puri play the respective cousins in the film which was shot in Simla, Mumbai and the UK. The film marks the debut of popular television actor Pearl who has starred in shows such as Naagin 3 and Bepanah Pyaar.

One of the highest paid Telugu actors, Ravi Teja stars as the protagonist in the film based on the life of the notorious bandit ‘Tiger’ Nageswara Rao. The action-thriller written and directed by Vamsee gives an insight into the life of the infamous thief whose name had become synonymous with heists in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi among other places in the ’70s. Kriti Sanon’s sister Nupur Sanon plays Nageswara’s love interest while Jisshu Sengupta stars as the antagonist in the pan-India film.

Based on Anurag Pathak’s best-selling novel about the incredible journey of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS officer Shraddha Joshi, 12th Fail has been directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film stars Vikrant Massey in the lead and shows the life of students preparing for UPSC exams and the enduring bonds of friendship that are formed during the time. As his prep, Massey roamed the streets of Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi and mingled with the students there. The film will be released in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.

Laughter, drama and emotions are dialled up in director Umesh Shukla’s film which has some hilarious moments thanks to the two mismatched families that are coming together for a wedding. Mrunal Thakur is a girl looking to marry but her night blindness comes in the way each time. Her family, headed by her father played by Paresh Rawal, hide her illness from Abhimanyu Dassani and his family, resulting in some crazy moments. Sharman Joshi and Abhishek Bannerjee are part of the ensemble cast.