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In a time before pan-India movies became all the craze, a Tamil movie titled Vikram Vedha blew everyone's mind. Released in 2017, this film boasted of stellar performances by R Madhavan & Vijay Sethupathi as modern day versions of the Vikramadityan and Vetal. 5 years later, the directors of the movie, Pushkar Gayatri are at the helm of the Hindi remake starring Saif Ali Khan & Hrithik Roshan.

Set in Lucknow, Vikram is a law-abiding, honest cop, who believes that he is doing the right thing by killing gangsters. But when the dreaded Vedha willingly surrenders, Vikram is left baffled by the stories that he has to narrate.

When filmmakers remake their own movies, you are bound to wonder what can they do to make the remake different or standout. But for most part (99.5%), the remake is exactly the same. The shift from Chennai to Lucknow only changes the nature of the crimes & the language.

The remake gets the casting right. Hrithik Roshan is an actor worthy enough to step into Vijay Sethupathi's shoes as he brings his own charisma to the role. He is at his menacing best that will have you root for him from the moment he enters the frame. But on the flipside, Saif Ali Khan's Vikram is a stepdown from R Madhavan's rendition. Said & his onscreen wife, Radhika Apte's chemistry seems forced. The ideal combination would have seen Madhavan square off against Hrithik. Rohit Saraf, Yogita Bihani, Sharib Hashmi co-star.

For all those who have watched the original (in Tamil and not the dubbed version), this remake doesn't have much to offer unless you are a Hrithik fan (then do go for it). And if you haven't watched the original, then definitely go for it. Pushkar-Gayatri's story must be seen irrespective of the language.

Season 1

Shoojit Sircar's frequent collaborator, Juhi Chaturvedi & Writer-Director Tanuja Chandra (Qarib Qarib Single) join forces to give us Prime Video's latest thriller series, Hush Hush. Set in a posh apartment complex at Gurugram, Hush Hush is the story of a three women who get entangled in their friend's seemingly nefarious activities. Soon, their lives are under threat as well.

Hush Hush has an equally talented bunch in front of the camera as it does behind. The ensemble boasts of some fine performances as well. My personal favourites were Soha Ali Khan Pataudi & Karishma Tanna. The latter's restrained policewoman avatar was refreshing. Shahana Goswami & Kritika Kamra alongside veterans, Juhi Chawla & Ayesha Jhulka are worthy additions to the cast.

But Hush Hush does take its own sweet time to get to the crux of it all. It is like they purposefully delay the big reveal to the last 10 minutes of the final episode. The cliffhanger ending for the sake of one doesn't help because we know for a fact that the 2nd season will take a while to arrive. There was a lot that they could have done away with & dwelled a lot more into the person pulling the strings.

Nevertheless, Hush Hush makes up for it by giving us an excellent ensemble & scriptwriters Juhi Chaturvedi & Tanuja Chandra. Watch it for its performances and begin your wait for season 2.

Finally, getting a chance to write about this. I love slasher films and 2022 has been an iconic year for the genre. The resurrection of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series (pathetic to say the least), the forthcoming finale to the Halloween Movie series and the 6th entry in the Scream Movies (which also features Ortega). But what stands out in this crowded genre is Ti West's fabulous X.

Set in the late 70s, the film follows a crew of young filmmakers, who rent a farmhouse from an elderly couple to shoot an adult movie. But when they are caught in the act, the group is forced to run for their lives.

Ti West resurrects a genre that has gone through so many changes over the past 5 decades. X plays out as an homage to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which was also set in Texas and had a group of friends being hunted by the locals. West brings his own twisted but refreshing vision to X to give us a satisfying slasher flick.

Mia Goth, is stellar as Maxine, an aspiring adult film star. Joining her is Jenna Ortega as a crew member, Brittany Snow, Scott Mescudi, Martin Henderson & Owen Campbell.

Ti West shot a prequel back-to-back with X. Titled Pearl, the film released in theatres a week back. There is also a sequel to X that is currently in production.

X is definitely not for the faint hearted. West gets very creative with the kill scenes. But if you are a fan of slasher flicks, then X and it's prequel/upcoming sequel should be right up your alley.

Chup: Revenge of the Artist is director R. Balki's first film since Pad Man (2018). Barring Pad Man, Balki's films have all been offbeat, unique in some way or the other. And Chup ranks as one of his best.

Arvind Mathur, Inspector General of Crime Branch, Mumbai is tasked with catching a serial killer who is targetting film critics. Elsewhere in the city, Danny the florist is smitten by film journalist, Nila. But something seems off about Danny.

Dulquer Salmaan portrays Danny, who owns a flower shop in Mumbai. His character has its quirks like speaking to himself, having disagreements with himself. Dulquer delivers a stellar performance as the oddball florist. Danny will go down as one of his most impressive characters ever. Sunny Deol doesn't get to unleash his inner Hulk as his character requires him to be calm and composed. Shreya Dhanwanthary can never let you down. She is excellent as the aspiring film critic, who falls for Danny. Pooja Bhatt co-stars.

Chup is an ode to one of the greatest artists of Indian cinema; Guru Dutt. The entire plot revolves around him and his most decisive film; Kaagaz Ke Phool.

Chup does take tumble during its final act. Given the build-up in the first half, the final act seemed rushed. But nevertheless, that is just a minor hiccup in what is one of the best films by director Balki, performance by Dulquer and one of the best of the year.

Writer-Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson has had a busy year. She co-wrote the latest Thor adventure and yesterday, her second film as director landed on Netflix. Do Revenge, a movie that is reminiscent of teenage flicks from the 90s is actually good fun.

High school students, Drea and Eleanor face humiliating situations that tarnish their image. The two join forces to exact revenge or in their words: Do Revenge!

The foremost reason to watch this movie (for majority of the audience) is Maya Hawke. Stranger Things propelled her to stardom and now we just can't get enough of her. Maya Hawke plays Eleanor, a lesbian who was wronged. Drea is played by our favourite highschooler, Camila Mendes. It is a role Mendes can do in her sleep (Riverdale). And the two of them form the perfect onscreen pair. The movie also features popular teenage stars of the current generation: Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, Alisha Bø, Talia Ryder, Maia Reficco, Paris Berelc, Sophie Turner to name a few. And the biggest throwback to 90s teenage flicks is the casting of Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Do Revenge is pretty much been there done that but it gets full marks for its casting and the performances of it's lead pair: Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes. Like I said, it is good fun.

Simple fact - don't remake a thriller/whodunnit! Especially of widely acclaimed movies like Ratsasan. Two months ago, we had a similar situation with the Rajkummar Rao starrer HIT. Cuttputtli follows the same pattern by adopting the original scene by scene with no ingenuity whatsoever (except the massive cut).

Ratsasan's plot shifts to the scenic Himachal, where newly inducted SI Arjan (Akshay) has to hunt down a serial killer, who is targeting teenage girls.

The biggest issue with Cuttputtli is the timing. Dumped on OTT, just two weeks after Akshay Kumar's last release seems to convey how the expectations from the actor has dropped. The other one is obviously the rushed climax that destroys the movie. The antagonist is reduced to a two-dimensional (rather one) caricature of a character. The backstory is reduced to a 10 second montage (pathetic!).

Akshay Kumar doesn't seem like the right guy for this role. This could have done by a newcomer instead. At least it would have given them a good launchpad. The other actors don't matter here because they don't have to do much. Chandrachur SIngh's presence is welcoming though. His renaissance has been one of the better ones the industry has seen.

Cuttputtli is a miserable attempt at remaking a film. Akshay Kumar's choices are akin to those of Mohanlal or maybe he just has a lot of free time on his hands to do five films a year. Whatever it is, I have almost lost faith.

Khalidh Rahman returns to the director's chair with his most unique movie till date. Thallumaala is unique not just for the director but even for the entire film industry. Just as the subtitles read, Thallumaala is truly a Ballad of Fights; a Ballad that needs to be experienced on the best screen possible with the most amazing sound system (so --> theatres).

Thallumaala is the story of Wasim and his friends, who traverse life one fight after another. Wasim falls for blogger Beepathu and locks horns with newly promoted SI Reji to complicate matters even more.

Thallumaala is the type of movie that inspires you to enter into a brawl (but in a fun way like how you would enter a dance contest). Khalidh's vision for this movie is unique. Exploding with colour beyond the 256, complemented by funky beats and foot tapping songs; Thallumaala is one of a kind. The casting is excellent. Tovino Thomas is joined by Lukman Avaran, who knocks it out of the park; Swathi Das Prabhu, another stand-out; Adhri Joe & Austin Dan. Shine Tom Chacko mesmerises us with his performance yet again. Kalyani Priyadarshan is a perfect fit for Beepathu, the blogger. Binu Pappu, Johny Antony, Gokulan M S & Chemban Vinod Jose as Omega Babu co-star.

Thallumaala certainly met my expectations. The only drawback is its length. It could have been shorter. Apart from that, Thallumaala is an experience well-worth your time. From the production design to it's non-linear narrative and songs; this Ballad of Fights is one of the best of 2022.

Jordan Peele's third feature length film, Nope demands a big screen experience given its scale and theme. Peele is a visionary storyteller. His previous films, Get Out & Us were both excellent with underlying social commentary. Nope is the same as well but it is a lot more subtle given this it his most commercial movie till date.

Set at a ranch in California, Otis Jr. Aka OJ and his sister discover an unidentified flying object above their ranch and set out to capture it on film. Little do they know the implications of their actions.

Jordan Peele has hit the bullseye yet again. Nope is another epic albeit more commercial/bigger on scale in comparison to his previous releases. Daniel Kaluuya is back and he is in excellent form (when isn't he?). Keke Palmer stands out as OJ's sister, Em. She has the best lines in the movie. Steven Yeun stars as the owner of theme park. Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, Keith David & Wrenn Schmidt co-star.

To truly understand all the subtle references and messages, you need to watch Peele's movies multiple times. I can't dwell into further without spoiling it for you, so do not miss this and if possible watch it on the big screen because it was made for it.

Kaduva has been the news for many reasons. Controversy marred it's release and later upon release it received an above average consensus from audiences. I am all for the Prithviraj-Vivek Oberoi duo but Kaduva gave us the age old story of revenge over a mere piano. Pathetic, right?

Set in the "90s" (as if that mattered), Kaduvakunnel Kuriyachan aka Kaduva locks horn with I. G. Joseph Chandy, over some insignificant matter. This leads to multiple rounds of attacks on one another. Along the way, we are treated to multiple "template" slo-mo action sequences that are only worthy of being skipped.

Prithviraj Sukumaran is in his element; enjoying himself while he pulls off a Mohanlal-esque mass role. Vivek Anand Oberoi's dubbed voice (by Vineeth) doesn't bring out his true nature that is visible in his actions. The rivalry between the two heavyweights is pretty tepid as well. It felt like two deers locking antlers rather than tigers (Kaduva). Samyuktha Menon, Arjun Ashokan, Alencier Ley, Baiju Santhosh are wasted.

Except for the Pala Palli song, Kaduva is a wasted attempt at making a mass movie. This film should have been made in the 90s because that is where it belongs.

When you have Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval (Android Kunjappan) directing the movie & Kunchacko 2.0 starring it in; you are bound to flock to the cinemas to watch it. Nna Thaan Case Kodu (Sue Me) is yet another engrossing movie from the Malayalam film industry. A courtroom set satire that keeps you hooked and gives you hope that justice will be delivered in a similar manner even in the real world.

Rajeevan is a petty thief who has now mend his ways after falling in love. But one night, he is caught on camera while scaling the wall of a politician's house. Charged with a crime he hasn't committed, Rajeevan is determined to clear his name to prove his innocence to his wife.

Nna Thaan Case Kodu takes its own sweet time to deliver a verdict and that is good because that is how our judicial system functions. The poor get convicted with ease whereas the high & mighty don't even appear in court. Nna Thaan portrays this in a very hilarious yet effective manner. Kunchacko Boban's resurgence (post-chocolate boy days) continues as he delivers yet another exceptional performance. Kunchacko's act is supplemented by some memorable supporting acts by Gayathrie Shankar, Rajesh Madhavan, P P Kunhikrishnan, Unnimaya Prasad among others.

Nna Thaan Case Kodu delivers on all fronts and takes a jab at the lack of basic civic amenities in the state and gives us a verdict that we all dream of. Hats off to #RatheeshBalakrishnanPoduval, #kunchacks and others for this gem of a movie that addresses an important issue in the most hilarious way possible.

League of Super-Pets is much better than its trailer deemed it to be. I went in with zero expectations given the standard of animated films off late (Rise of Gru, Lightyear). But, the superpowered animals do pack a punch with a lot of clever references and witty dialogues.

Set in a universe where Superman is sent to earth along with his pup, Krypto, an evil Guinea Pig sets out for world domination by capturing the Justice League. Krypto with his super-powered friends comprising of a dog, a pig, a squirrel and a tortoise set out to save the world.

Super-Pets has a really good voice cast especially the lead pair of Dwayne The Rock Johnson (Krypto) and Kevin Hart (Ace). Johnson & Hart make for an excellent pair with all their past collaborations being memorable. Their banter makes all the difference. The film is also peppered with countless references and stabs at the DC universe and subtle ones at Marvel.

The voice cast also includes Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, John Krasinski, Keanu Reeves, Thomas Middleditch & Ben Schwartz among others.

League of Super-Pets is the best animated film to release in theatres this year. It has an excellent voice cast, witty dialogues and captures the human-dog relationship really well. This movie was pleasant surprise!

Darlings will come as a sigh of relief for both the Hindi film industry and Netflix India. Not only is it based on a original script (by Parveez Shaikh & Jasmeet Reen) but it is also a legit black comedy (a rarity in this part of the world) that will keep you hooked.

Badru is in love with Hamza. They get married but Badru's dream of a happy marriage and her 5 year plan post-marriage is shattered when Hamza becomes an abusive alcoholic & doesn't miss out on a chance to raise his hand. Badru & her mother, Shamshu hatch a plan to teach him a lesson.

Darlings marks Alia Bhatt's debut as a producer and it is evident she has the knack of choosing a good script. Her performance, of course is excellent (a little reminiscent of Gully Boy but better). Shefali Shah can't do no wrong. She is at her feisty best! Vijay Varma's character was meant to be hated and there isn't a single moment when you don't feel like slapping him. Roshan Matthew as the unsuspecting & smitten Zulfi is adorable. Vijay Maurya & Rajesh Sharma co-star.

Darlings is also writer Jasmeet K Reen's directorial debut & she nails it. Netflix India seems to have got something write finally because this Alia Bhatt-Shefali Shah starrer is definitely a must watch!

Writing about Abrid Shine's latest movie requires you to be in a certain frame of mind. I haven't been able to sit down for this one but I have made my mind to do so today. This period crossover film is not exactly experimental but requires a certain frame of mind to understand the proceedings.

Mahaveeryar is the story of how justice was & is delivered across two timelines. One set in during the present day and the other during a maharaja's rule.

The first half plays out like any other Malayalam film peppered with the subtle Abrid Shine humour. But the second half takes you by surprise as it transcends genres like never before. I couldn't bring myself to understand the gravity of the ordeals on display but some explainer videos came to my rescue post-movie - Unni Vlogs.

Nivin Pauly & Siddique steal the show with Asif Ali, Lal & Shanvi Srivastava forming a part of the supporting cast.

Mahaveeryar is definitely not everyone's cup of tea (or whatever Nivin's character consumes in the movie). It requires a particular mindset/frame of mind. I didn't have the strength to sit through it but do give it a try. Who knows, Mahaveeryar may appeal to you.

The sequel to Mohit Suri's own movie that opened to rave reviews from moviegoers (not critics) 8 years ago makes for a decent watch as it keeps you hooked despite some shoddy performances.

Set 8 years after the events of Ek Villain, another serial killer surfaces killing only women. When Aarvi, a singer goes missing/is presumed dead, Gautam Mehra becomes the prime suspect due to their prior relationship.

Ek Villain relies a lot on twists. The original had a pretty straightforward story but Mohit Suri introduces twists like he is the new Abbas-Mustan. Some of the twists are pretty predictable but one of them was kind of a shocker.

Among the performances, Disha Patani & John Abraham (despite his usual depressed avatar) get top marks (especially Disha). If I reveal anymore, I will spoil the movie for you. Tara Sutaria doesn't have much to do except lip sync to the songs and Arjun Kapoor keeps your eyes hooked on his long curls.

Mohit Suri is known to make movies that are extremely intense when it comes to love (all of his movies). Ek Villain Returns is no different. Despite it's glaring faults, this sequel gets full marks for trying and the Disha-John track!

I am speechless. As much as I love Hindi films, the track record for Hindi language films has been going downhill for a while now. One of the biggest contributors has been YRF - Yash Raj Films; back to back disasters. It's like they are living in the past and they are teleporting to the present to release the film. Shamshera; a film that has had a very patchy promotional run prior to release suffers big time due to it's dated script. Ranbir Kapoor's return after a 4 year hiatus is dated & excruciating.

Set in the 19th century (presumably in an alternate dimension), Shamshera is the title given to the leader of the Khameran people. 25 years after old man Shamshera (Ranbir) is stoned to death, his son Balli (also Ranbir) inherits the moniker of Shamshera and fights Sanjay Dutt's Daroga Singh to set his people free.

Shamshera is influenced by many films but what stands out is how difficult it is to sit through this film. In the department of atrocities inflicted on man by period feature films, Shamshera stands out (and you thought Samrat Prithviraj was bad). Vaani Kapoor atleast doesn't have a role as insignificant as Katrina Kaif's in ToH. Ranbir is charming but sadly charm doesn't make a film bearable. And it is high time that Sanjay Dutt dropped the evil guy persona. Honestly speaking it is getting tiring and irritating now.

The only saving grace is the film's soundtrack. It has some memorable original tracks and that is an achievement in itself in today's world.

Karan Malhotra helmed the remake of Agneepath, which was an epic but with Shamshera, it seems like the YRF bug bit him.

Shamshera feels more like a stop-gap release for Ranbir before his highly anticipated Brahmastra. But with the response Shamshera is receiving, I am not sure how audiences will receive Brahmastra. This is not the hate speaking (a lot of it going around against Hindi film actors and films), but Shamshera is genuinely bad. Ranbir's worst since Besharam.

With Ms. Marvel, we have got ourselves another authentic Asian superhero. Last year's, Shang-Chi nailed representation & earlier this year, Moon Knight came out as extremely satisfying and authentic.

Set in Jersey, Ms. Marvel is the story of Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American settled in the US. She inherits an ornate bangle from her grandmother that grants her superpowers. Season 1 chronicles her journey to the past as she learns more about her mysterious great-grandmother & the source of her powers.

Iman Vellani is aptly cast as the Captain Marvel fangirl. Vellani brings the right amount of teenage energy to the character and for her debut, she has done an excellent job. Majority of the supporting cast are of Indian or Pakistani origin. This gave the series a distinct (more homely) feel. Filmmakers in the west should take notes on how to get (South) Asian representation right. There are some standouts among the cast such as Yasmeen Fletcher, Fawad Afzal Khan, Zenobia Shroff ACTOR (mother's from the sub-continent haven't been better represented) & Mohan Kapur. Our very own Farhan Akhtar has a brief role in episode 4.

Apart from the cast & crew, credit should also be given to the soundtrack & score (Laura Karpman). A lot of South-Asian influence and they pair really well with theme/mood of the series (Coke Studio getting a lot of mileage).

Ms. Marvel is currently my favourite MCU series. And this is all because of how well the South-Asian community/culture has been depicted. The series was meant to be a clear tie-in to the The Marvels movie that comes out in July 2023. Do not miss this!

Director Gautham Ramachandran's (Richie) sophomore feature starring Sai Pallavi in the lead is without doubt one of the best films of the year. The film also marks actress Aishwarya Lekshmi's foray into production.

Set in Chennai, Sai Pallavi's Gargi is shocked to the core when her father is accussed of rape. Gargi then sets out to prove his innocence with the help of an inexperienced lawyer.

I am pretty sure this film is going to be remade in other languages (especially Hindi because the Telugu & Kannada dubbed versions already exist). And I am quite sure the casting will be disastrous because no one can match Sai Pallavi's performance as the devout daughter, Gargi. From her debut in Premam, Sai Pallavi has always been a treat to watch onscreen.

Her co-stars; Kaali Venkat plays her lawyer, Indrans. Inexperienced but the only who understands her plight. R S Shivaji as her father & Sudha S as the judge both excel in their roles. Aishwarya Lekshmi has a brief role as a journalist.

Gargi is a legal drama that rests on the very able shoulders of its cast (Sai Pallavi and Kaali Venkat) and the storytelling prowess of Hariharan Raju and Gautham Ramachandran. Do not miss this!

The first biopic on the life of a Indian Woman cricketer, Shabaash Mithu is finally here with Taapsee Pannu portraying the iconic character. To begin with, I was hoping to see Anushka Sharma make an appearance as Jhulan, who the former is set to portray in Chakda Xpress. But that was wishful thinking.

Shabaash Mithu chronicles the events from the life of one of the greatest female cricketers ever. From her childhood, when her friend Noorie introduced her to cricket to the glorious run at the 2017 Cricket World Cup.

Shabaash Mithu is like those football video games wherein the creators did not have the lisence to use the names of the players. Except for Mithali Raj, all her teammates have had their names changed. Even BCCI is renamed. Women's cricket had to go through a lot to reach where it is now. The film focuses a lot on the struggle of the women's team and rightfully so!

Taapsee Pannu features in her third sports biopic (after Rashmi Rocket & Saand Ki Aankh) and she does justice to her role. Brijendra kala has got a permanent position with the Cricket Board. The rest of the cast doesn't have the intended impact. The only tournament that is recaptured is the 2017 WC. But the events don't tug at your heartstrings despite Kailash Kher's patriotic number.

Shabaash Mithu could have been much better if they skipped the songs for the sake of the plot and used real names/places. But nevertheless, it does bring to light the struggles of the women's cricket in India and how Mithali Raj became an icon not just in India but across the globe.

Animated films that come from Illumination always suffer the same fate. They come out with something really unique and then they go and squander it with uninspired sequels/spin-offs. Despicable Me was unique but it's sequels and the Minions spin-off were tiring to watch. Sing and Secret Life of Pets suffered the same fate.

Rise of Gru is a sequel & prequel at the same time with more focus on our despicable villain, Gru's younger days. It sees him face-off against the Vicious 6; a supervillain team that are trying to take over the world. Gru's newly inducted henchmen, the Minions try their best to help their new master but with mixed results.

The problem with the Minions sequel is that it doesn't do much to improve on the original. Shifting the spotlight to Gru doesn't help either. The three lead Minions: Bob, Kevin & Stuart are joined by a fourth; Otto. But their antics don't crack you up anymore except for a few genuinely funny moments (the airport/aircraft bit).

Rise of Gru serves as a backstory for Gru with many incidents and characters from his future scattered throughout the film. With a fourth Despicable Me in the making, I feel it is time that they retired this series. Or I am getting too old for these kind of films.

If there ever was a list which had films that were better than its source material, then count The Black Phone in it. Based on a short story by Joe Hill, Black Phone 📞 doesn't give us something extraordinary but it is quite interesting to watch how Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister) expands on the rather miniscule plot.

Set in the late 70s, a small town in the States is on the lookout for the Grabber; a man who kidnaps kids and leaves black ballons at the scene of the crime. When Finney gets kidnapped, her sister helps the police track him down using her psychic abilities.

I don't know what the obsession with ballons is, but both father and son (King and Hill) have a masked villain with ballons. The masked guy here is played by none other than our favourite bad guy; Ethan Hawke. He is so intimidating! Even Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, who play Finney & his sister Gwen deliver solid performances.

Joe Hill's story is peppered with clues about Finney and his family. I love how they used those minor details to expand on the plot of film.

So, if you love horror films, then Black Phone should be on your watchlist.

The long awaited biopic of Nambi Narayanan, former scientist of ISRO has R Madhavan wearing multiple caps: screenwriter, dialogues, director, producer and actor. I can't say that he excels in all departments but he is stellar as Nambi Narayanan.

Rocketry is narrated by Nambi Narayanan (Madhavan) to Shah Rukh Khan over a TV interview wherein he covers his early days at Princeton to the time when he was wrongfully accussed of selling secrets to our neighbours.

Rocketry rests on the very capable hands of Madhavan. He is perfect as the man who led India's foray into space exploration. Many of the significant events of his life are covered in this 2.5 hour long film. His short tenure at Princeton & NASA, at the France Space Agency and for the most part under the suspicious eyes of his fellow countrymen. Simran (his onscreen wife), Rajit Kapur, Dinesh Prabhakar co-star.

Madhavan is a great actor but his filmmaking skills are still in the nascent stages. But given this is his directorial debut and the effort gone into making it, one must give the actor due credit. They could have done away with the TV interview with SRK/Suriya bit. A straight-forward storyline would have been absolutely fine.

Madhavan's Rocketry, which he calls his biggest film till date lives upto to the expectations (for most part). A no-nonsense story of a man the country wronged should be on your must watch list for this week.

This unnecessary sequel hit theatres a few weeks prior to Mammootty's critically acclaimed Puzhu. The fear everyone had with this sequel was the writer-director duo. The trailer, the film everything indicates that they have living under a rock since the 80s. My sympathies to Jagathy though. It was surreal watching him onscreen again but the film doesn't deserve his presence.

CBI 5 is set in 2012 (most probably in an alternate universe). The term 'Basket Killings' is thrown around as if it is a very commonly used term. The plot revolves around the CBI director (Renji) narrating an unsolvable case that baffled even the famous Sethurama Iyer and it all started with the death of minister in mid-air.

CBI 5 is pathetic (understatement) across all departments. Top spot goes to dialogues and dialogue delivery. There are random, illogical English words strewn around (with Renji Panicker & Anoop Menon, what else would you expect!).

Mammootty is fine as the legendary Sethu (despite his seniority in the department, Sethu has started driving unlike in the previous installments). Mukesh is barely there for 5 minutes as he has to rush to Velankanni (good for him). Idavela Babu's character is pointless but he literally solves the case. Renji Panicker swallowed the Oxford dictionary before shooting his scenes but strangely the words that come out are on shuffle. And don't get me started on Soubin Shahir! His character is connected with the Gandhi family killings but that is just mentioned in passing!!!!! Anoop Menon plays a police officer in yet another film wherein a man is killed when someone hacks his pacemaker!

The only saving grace is Sai Kumar's character. He embodies his onscreen father (Sukumaran) effortlessly.

So, "statistically" speaking, CBI 5 is a failed attempt at reviving a long dormant franchise. Jagathy Sreekumar deserved a better comeback.

Elvis is director Baz Luhrmann's first film in 9 years (first since Gatsby) and it is an excellent musician biopic; one of the best ever!

Narrated by Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's former manager; the film is the story of how Parker discovered the King of Rock and Roll up until his untimely death at the age of 42. The film focuses on the toxic relationship between Parker and Elvis.

Austin Butler steps into the blue suede shoes of the king and to say that he was awesome would be an understatement. Elvis's ex-wife, daughter and grand-daughter have expressed their appreciation for his performance as Elvis. Praises don't get bigger than these! The energy that Austin brings into the role of the gyrating phenom is exceptional. Tom Hanks plays his greedy manager. Unrecognisable in this avatar, Hanks proves that he can pull of negative characters with equal prowess. You will hate him for what he did to Elvis.

Elvis's life was really tragic. For someone who hasn't listened to many of his songs, I found the biopic quite informative and inspiring. Austin Butler's performance and Baz Luhrmann's unique style of filmmaking make this a must watch!

Highly Recommended!!!

Director Raj Mehta reunites with his Good Newwz actor Kiara Advani in his latest outing, Jugjugg Jeeyo; a film about marriages. If you look at it chronologically, Raj Mehta's next film should be about the stage prior to marriage. Jokes apart, this ensemble comedy will keep you entertained.

Kuku & Naina arrive in India for Kuku's sister's wedding. But Kuku & Naina are set to get divorced and they plan to wait till after the wedding. But in the days that lead up to the wedding, other marital issues crop up in the family that require their attention.

One of the issues with the film is its length. At 150 minutes, JJ does test your patience. But that is just a minor hiccup. The casting is pretty good and that is the film's strength. Anil S Kapoor and Maniesh Paul standout. They have the best dialogues in the film. Varun Dhawan & Kiara Advani give us commendable performances. Prajakta koli makes her big screen debut and Neetu Kapoor makes a comeback.

Jugjugg Jeeyo is another win for Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. Barring Kalank and SOTY2, Dharma has given us some memorable films in the past few years. JJ benefits from the casting and the mature (and the light hearted) take on divorces.

This one is very very late but with all the travelling in the last two weeks, I didn't find the time. But there is a reason why I had to write about Dominion. Because it is a disaster of Jurassic proportions!

Jurassic World: Dominion is set a few years after the events of Fallen Kingdom. The dinosaurs are living among humans now. Some are at peace but there are many who have been subjected to cruelty. Biosyn, a tech company provides a home in the mountains for the rehabilitated dinos but they do not seem to have the best interests in mind (read locusts).

Jurassic Park (the original, the one and only) was one of a kind. Despite being made in the 90s, the film is a marvel even today. None of the movies that came after could beat that. It has a lot to do with the novelty factor that the animals hold. You see it once and you are in awe (like Ellie Satler and Alan Grant were in the original). You watch it 5 more times and you are basically suffering from dino fatigue. Dominion makes it even worse by reducing the number of dinos onscreen in the finale.

The return of the legacy characters is a relief given the odd chemistry Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt share. Sam Neill and Laura Dern are the only redeeming factors of this sequel (apart from that perfectly choreographed bike chase scene in Malta). Even Jeff Goldblum seems to be lost. DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD WONG, Omar Sy & Isabella Sermon co-star.

In a year filled with sequels, Jurassic World: Dominion is extremely disappointing. I went in with zero expectations and came out realising that I should have gone in with lower.