At one point in Shaji Azeez’s Wolf, Asha, played by Samyuktha Menon, is vehemently arguing with her male chauvinist fiancé Sanjay on why she should have his approval on everything she does with her life. The way Asha counters each patriarchal statement by Sanjay was a refreshing site to watch, and I even thought I… Continue reading Wolf
Ajeeb Daastaans
The new Netflix original film Ajeeb Daastaans is a package of saddening or shocking stories. The movies focus on a variety of themes like revenge, class, caste, and true love. Barring Shashank Khaitan’s Majnu, I found all the other films in the movie compelling. Neeraj Ghaywan’s Geeli Pucchi and Kayoze Irani’s Ankahi were the most… Continue reading Ajeeb Daastaans
Paramapadham Vilayattu
In Paramapadham Vilayattu, the villain tells our leading lady in the climax that politics is a snake and ladder game. And when you hear that, you know that it is the director trying to justify the title given to this movie. Because in a film that claims to be a political thriller and has the… Continue reading Paramapadham Vilayattu
Kho-Kho
The hurdle in front of any filmmaker who wants to create a sports drama is that he or she has to surprise or indulge an audience who knows the movie’s structure. An underdog team coming up as victorious is possibly the story of almost every other sports drama. But when craft in making and smartness… Continue reading Kho-Kho
The Big Bull
In the debate about the co-existence of OTT platforms and theatres, one can really use the example of The Big Bull and Scam 1992 to show how the medium matters. Both these creations are based on the real-life of Harshad Mehta. But The Big Bull is a two and half hour long movie, and Scam… Continue reading The Big Bull
Krishnankutty Pani Thudangi
When the script isn’t really providing you anything that looks interesting and unique, the efforts in the treatment to attain nobility won’t really reflect. The issue with the new Sooraj Tom film Krishnankutty Pani Thudangi is precisely that. The script written by Anand Madhusoodanan wants to create a space where there are a lot of… Continue reading Krishnankutty Pani Thudangi
Karnan
With his first film Pariyerum Perumal, Mari Selvaraj had made it very clear that he will be approaching his movies with brutal honesty. His new movie Karnan, starring Dhanush in the title role, is an exhilarating drama with so many layers. The caste-based oppression is the theme that drives the story forward. But Mari Selvaraj… Continue reading Karnan
Nizhal
The core idea in Nizhal is actually a very interesting one. The space of mystery they created gets a very natural build-up. And even though it has intentions of being supernatural, the film is not trying to enter that space. The effort to be coherent is evident in the treatment of Nizhal. But somewhere, I… Continue reading Nizhal