Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam
Crime, Drama (Hindi)
Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam takes on one of the most high-profile criminal cases in India’s history, leading the prosecution in the trial of Ajmal Kasab following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. As he battles to uncover the truth and secure (more…)
Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar
Thriller, Drama (Malayalam)
Follows a woman constable who joins the police force through appointment after the death of her husband. (more…)
East of Eden
Drama (English)
In the early 1900s, a fiercely independent woman drives a rift between two brothers, igniting a saga that unfolds across two generations. (more…)
Pooja Meri Jaan
Thriller, Crime, Romance (Hindi)
After Pooja rejects Aniket’s romantic advances, his subsequent death by suicide leaves her facing accusations. As lawyer and friend Sana investigates the circumstances surrounding the incident, questions of obsession, consent, responsibility and the truth behind Pooja’s relationship with Aniket begin (more…)
Guild Reviews by Film
Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam
Crime, Drama (Hindi)
Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam takes on one of the most high-profile criminal cases in India’s history, leading the prosecution in the trial of Ajmal Kasab following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. As he battles to uncover the truth and secure justice, Nikam must confront the immense personal and professional burden of a case that will define his legacy.
Cast:
Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher, Lalit Prabhakar, Nassar, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Ritwik Sahore, Sandeep Kulkarni
Director:
Avinash Arun
Writer:
Vishal Tiwari
Sat, October 17 2026
‘प्रहार’-यह नाम लेते ही सबसे पहले याद आती है नाना पाटेकर के निर्देशन में 1991 में आई फिल्म ‘प्रहार-द फाइनल अटैक’ जिसमें आर्मी के मेजर चव्हाण बने नाना पाटेकर मुंबई शहर के कुछ गुंडों को मारने के बाद अदालत में पूछते हैं-देश का मतलब क्या है? सड़के, इमारतें, खेत, खलिहान, नदियां, पहाड़, बस इतना ही? और लोग, वो कहां हैं?’ अब आई अविनाश अरुण निर्देशित ‘प्रहार-द अनटोल्ड स्टोरी ऑफ उज्ज्वल निकम’ (Prahaar-The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam) इन्हीं ‘लोगों’ की बात करती है जिनसे यह देश बना है। अपने नाम से यह भले ही सरकारी वकील उज्ज्वल निकम की कहानी कहती मालूम होती हो लेकिन असल में यह फिल्म भारत के भारत होने का अर्थ बताती है। समझाती है कि एक देश तभी महान होता है जब वहां के लोग अपना ‘धर्म’ निभाते हैं।
Fri, October 16 2026
Rajkummar Rao plays Ujjwal Nikam as he prosecutes the 26/11 case. The film refuses to take refuge in jingoism, making the carnage a crime against humanity, not reducing it to a religious divide.
The case against Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist who was captured alive during the Mumbai attack on 26/11 was built by public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, whose painstaking methods left not a shred of doubt about the former’s guilt. Rajkummar Rao brings a dogged sincerity to his playing of Nikam, but the film never really shakes off its dominant quality — it is as by-the-numbers as it can get, in both re-creating the glimpses of that terrible night during which a terrorist group took Mumbai hostage, as well as the court-room proceedings in which defence lawyer Abbas Kazmi (Sikander Kher) works hard to dismantle the case, under the watchful eye of the judge (Ashish Vidyarthi).
Fri, October 16 2026
A compelling account of a landmark legal battle that reaffirms the values of democracy. Rajkummar Rao delivers the finest performance of the year
The gripping courtroom thriller centres on Ujjwal Nikam (Rajkummar Rao), India’s celebrated public prosecutor, revisiting his formidable legal battle against Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving gunman captured during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Tasked with securing justice by proving Kasab’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt, Nikam faces unprecedented challenges and makes immense personal sacrifices to build an airtight case in a trial that holds the nation’s attention. He handled the Kasab case from December 2008 until Kasab’s execution in November 2012, spanning nearly four years. The 26/11 terror attacks didn’t just shake the nation and the world; they drove a dagger into the beating heart of Mumbai, a city whose indomitable spirit and resilience have always defied its darkest hours. It remains one of the most painful chapters in the city’s history, one that continues to haunt and unsettle every Mumbaikar.
Nayyi Navelli
Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
A new bride's arrival turns a turbulent household in Meerut into a picture of domestic harmony, until her brother-in-law grows convinced that his seemingly perfect sister-in-law is secretly a witch.
Cast:
Yami Gautam Dhar, Anurag Thakur, Adinath Kothare, Sushmita Mukherjee, Prateek Pachori, Rajesh Dubeay, Suneel Sinha, Sunita Rajwar, Mita Vashisht, Aditya Kulshreshtha
Director:
Balaji Mohan
Writer:
Divy Nidhi Sharma
Tenzing
Drama, History (English)
A determined man embarks on a high-stakes quest—and defies seemingly impossible odds—to fulfill his dream of being the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Cast:
Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe, Caitríona Balfe, Thinley Lhamo, Tenzing Dalha
Director:
Jennifer Peedom
Fri, October 16 2026
Films like Tenzing don't come very often, because people like Tenzing Norgay don't come very often. A deeply moving portrait of the man who climbed many mountains before Everest.
Films like Tenzing don’t come very often, because people like Tenzing Norgay don’t come very often. Most of us know his biggest achievement. In 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. We know the historic story, we have seen the photographs, and we know how significant that climb was. But do we really know Tenzing? What did he have to go through before he finally reached the top of the world? That’s where this film makes a difference. Available on Apple TV, Tenzing, directed by Jennifer Peedom, takes us beyond the famous climb and tells us about the man behind it. And what I found most interesting is that Tenzing’s biggest challenges did not begin on Mount Everest. They began much earlier in his life.
Jailer 2
Action, Comedy (Tamil)
When a dangerous syndicate expands its reach to threaten his family's peace, retired jailer Tiger Muthuvel Pandian goes undercover as a driver. Operating from the shadows, he takes on ruthless new enemies to protect his home.
Cast:
Rajinikanth, S. J. Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Ramya Krishnan, Vidya Balan, Yogi Babu, Mirnaa, Rithvik, Jatin Sarna
Director:
Nelson
Writer:
Nelson
Fri, October 16 2026
Sharp first half, strained second, and a villain-proof hero whose real enemy is his own past: Jailer 2 is frivolous cinema with a surprisingly emotional core
Black and Blue, the fifth episode of the sixth season of Vince Gilligan’s Better Call Saul, begins—like a lot of cold openings typical of Gilligan’s work—with a silent montage of an artisan encasing a slide rule in a block of clear acrylic. The engraving reads, “In Liebe… Deine Jungs” (“With love… your boys”), and the piece is packed into a wooden box. (It becomes a cardinal sin to invoke the series without mentioning how criminally underwatched it is. So, here you go: it is criminally underwatched.) If you’ve managed to watch up to this episode, you already know that this setup will have a massive payoff. You also know that you will completely forget about it within a few minutes, as you get engrossed in the incredible writing of one of modern-day long-form geniuses. But when the payoff hits, the memory of the setup rains down on you!
Fri, October 16 2026
Director Nelson's Jailer 2, starring Rajinikanth, SJ Suryah and Vidya Balan, is a fitting sequel that is high on aura. With ample elevation scenes and Rajinikanth doing what he does best, Jailer 2 offers a memorable theatrical experience.
“Alapara Kelaparom. Thalaivar nirandharam.” These lines from Hukum, the chartbuster from Jailer, loosely translate to unleashing mayhem and declaring the Thalaivar eternal. They don’t just capture Rajinikanth’s larger-than-life aura; they also sum up the enduring appeal of a superstar who continues to command the big screen. Directing a sequel to a hit film is one thing. Following up a Rajinikanth blockbuster that grossed Rs 600 crore worldwide is an entirely different ball game. For Nelson Dilipkumar, Jailer 2 is a Himalayan task, with the filmmaker attempting to recreate the swagger, humour and mass appeal of its predecessor. He largely reaches the summit, even if the journey takes a few detours.
Fri, October 16 2026
Pooja Meri Jaan
Thriller, Crime, Romance (Hindi)
After Pooja rejects Aniket’s romantic advances, his subsequent death by suicide leaves her facing accusations. As lawyer and friend Sana investigates the circumstances surrounding the incident, questions of obsession, consent, responsibility and the truth behind Pooja’s relationship with Aniket begin to emerge.
Cast:
Mrunal Thakur, Huma Qureshi, Vikram Singh Chauhan, Vijay Raaz, Sunita Rajwar, Rajesh Jais, Suparna Marwah, Chaitanya Vyas, Nikhil Angrish, Madhu Sachdeva
Director:
Navjot Gulati
Writer:
Navjot Gulati, Kanishka Singh Deo, Niren Bhatt
Thu, October 15 2026
டெல்லியில் குடும்பத்துடன் வசித்துவரும் பூஜாவை (மிருணாள் தாகூர்), அனிகெட் (விக்ரம் சிங் சௌஹான்) ஒருதலைப்பட்சமாகத் துரத்தித் துரத்திக் காதலிக்கிறார். திடீரென அனிகெட் தற்கொலை செய்துகொள்ள அதற்கு பூஜாவே காரணம் எனக் குற்றம் சாட்டப்படுகிறது. இந்த வழக்கில் பூஜாவுக்கு ஆதரவாகக் களமிறங்குகிறார் வக்கீலான சனா மெஹ்ஃபூஸ் (ஹூமா குரேஷி). அனிகெட்டின் மரணத்துக்கு யார் காரணம் என்பதே இந்த ஜி5 இந்தி சினிமா. மொத்தப் படத்தையும் கிட்டத்தட்ட ‘ஒன்வுமன் ஆர்மி’யாகத் தாங்குகிறார் மிருணாள் தாகூர். பூஜாவின் அச்சம், கோபம், வேதனை, தன்னைக் காப்பாற்றிக்கொள்ள வேண்டிய போராட்டம் என நீதிமன்றக் காட்சிகளில் ஒவ்வோர் உணர்வையும் மிக இயல்பாகக் கடத்துகிறார். வழக்கறிஞர்களாக ஹூமா குரேஷி, விஜய் ராஸ் ஆகியோரின் வாதக் காட்சிகள் படத்தை அடுத்தகட்டத்துக்கு நகர்த்துகின்றன. பெண்களைப் பற்றிய சமூகத்தின் பார்வை, பாலினப் பாகுபாடு எனப் பல கேள்விகளை முன்வைக்கிறது படம். ஆனால், முக்கியமான அனிகெட்டின் பாத்திரத்தை இன்னும் ஆழமாகக் கட்டமைத்திருக்கலாம். இருந்தும் முக்கியமான கோர்ட் ரூம் டிராமா இது!
Sat, October 3 2026
Pooja and Aniket perform a play in front of a live audience. Right after it ends, Aniket proposes marriage, only to hear that Pooja is already in a relationship with another man, Vikram. Aniket is hellbent on earning a yes from her and keeps calling her. The next morning, Pooja receives the news that Aniket is no more. How far was Pooja responsible for Aniket’s death?
Fri, October 2 2026
The over-designed social drama struggles to stay mature about the premise of an ‘imperfect’ woman who is put on trial for the suicide of her boyfriend
Pooja Meri Jaan opens with a dramatic Romeo and Juliet rendition on a Delhi stage. The Shakespearean tragedy ends with both deaths, there is applause, and the lead actors proceed to hijack the spotlight: ‘Romeo’ Aniket (Vikram Singh Chauhan) proposes to ‘Juliet’ Pooja (Mrunal Thakur) in front of a packed theatre. Seconds later, she rejects him backstage. He is devastated, her words hurt, he rides home in the rain like a broken Vishesh Films hero — and kills himself. Pooja is soon booked for abetment of suicide, and the rest of the film revolves around her trial in the court of public opinion.
East of Eden
Drama (English)
In the early 1900s, a fiercely independent woman drives a rift between two brothers, igniting a saga that unfolds across two generations.
Cast:
Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Joseph Zada, Joe Anders, Tracy Letts, Ciarán Hinds, Hoon Lee, Martha Plimpton
Thu, October 15 2026
இருண்ட, சிக்கலான கேத்தி கதாபாத்திரத்தில் ஃபுளோரன்ஸ் பியூ (Florence Pugh) தனது அசாத்தியமான நடிப்பால் திரையை ஆக்கிரமிக்கிறார். கிறிஸ்டோபர் அபோட், மைக் ஃபெய்ஸ்ட் தங்களது எதார்த்தமான நடிப்பால் பெரும் தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்துகிறார்கள். காலகட்டத்தை அப்படியே கண்முன் நிறுத்தும் பிரமாண்டமான கலை இயக்கமும், நேர்த்தியான திரைக்கதையும், மனதைத் தொடும் பின்னணி இசையும் தொடரின் ஆகப்பெரும் பலம். நாவலின் ஆழமான தத்துவங்களைத் திரைக்குக் கொண்டுவரும் முயற்சியில், திரைக்கதையின் வேகம் பல இடங்களில் தடுமாறுவது பார்வையாளர்களுக்குச் சற்று சோர்வைத் தரலாம். இருப்பினும், மனித உணர்வுகளின் இருண்ட பக்கங்களை மிக நேர்த்தியாகப் பதிவுசெய்திருக்கும் ஒரு தரமான கிளாசிக் டிராமா!
Thu, October 1 2026
The latest retelling of John Steinbeck's classic novel by Zoe Kazan is an ambitious, sprawling saga that attempts to do justice to the author's work.
In 1955, Elia Kazan directed the James Dean starrer, East of Eden, which followed the last part of John Steinbeck’s semi-autobiographical 1952 novel. Dean played Cal Trask, who fights for his father’s love alongside his perfect brother Aron. A new Netflix limited series on the material, written and showrun by Elia’s granddaughter, Zoe Kazan, goes deep into the novel, exploring the Biblical themes, characters and the promise of America at the turn of the century. Backed by a strong cast, East of Eden follows the doomed marriage of Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Cathy (Florence Pugh) that spills over its sins to the next generation. Finely acted, the ambitious and largely faithful period drama really gets into the characterisation from the novel, while also immersing viewers into its self-righteous world.
Thu, October 1 2026
East of Eden broke my heart more often through its supposedly good father than its murderous mother. That’s where this uneven adaptation finds its strongest drama. Zoe Kazan’s departure from John Steinbeck’s treatment of Cathy is welcome, but the series spends too much time explaining cruelty that Florence Pugh makes compelling enough. It’s more affecting when it follows the damage parents pass to their children. Those family conflicts give its ideas about choice a force the explanations often lack. Let’s dive in.
#Love
Drama (Tamil)
The pragmatic creator of a dating app and her adventurous competitor test their theories about love in a 60-day challenge to find their ideal partner.
Cast:
Arjun Das, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Arjun Chidambaram, Gayatri Hariharan, Surya Rajeevan, Arjun Manohar, Abishek Joseph George, Harini Sundararajan, R. Badree
Director:
Balaji Mohan
Writer:
Nirmal Williams, Sharada Subramanian, Shweta chakravarthy
Thu, October 15 2026
AI மூலம் கேள்விகள் கேட்டு, ஜோடிகளின் ‘பொருத்தத்தை’ (Compatibility) மையமாகக் கொண்டு இயங்கும் ஃபவுண்ட் (Found) என்ற டேட்டிங் செயலியின் சி.இ.ஓ தாரா (ஐஸ்வர்யா லெஷ்மி). மறுபுறம், உள்ளுணர்வுக்கு முக்கியத்துவம் தந்து, ஜோடிகளின் ஈர்ப்பை (Chemistry) அடிப்படையாகக்கொண்டு இயங்கும் `ஃபைண்ட் மை பே’ (Find My Bae) என்ற செயலியின் முதலீட்டாளர் மேத்யூ (அர்ஜுன் தாஸ்). இரு வேறு சிந்தனைகளைக்கொண்ட இவர்கள் நேருக்கு நேர் சந்தித்துக்கொள்கிறார்கள். அதைத் தொடர்ந்து, நவீன காதலில் எது சிறந்தது என்பதை நிரூபிக்க 60 நாள்கள் நடக்கும் ஒரு சவாலும், அதில் மலரும் காதலுமே பாலாஜி மோகன் இயக்கியிருக்கும் இந்த நெட்ஃபிளிக்ஸ் தமிழ்த் தொடரின் சுவாரஸ்யமான கதைக்களம்.
Sat, October 3 2026
Tara, an ambitious startup founder, and Matthew, a disinterested investor backing a rival product, set each other a 60-day challenge. Their ideologies clash as they date through each other’s platforms. When a genuine romance emerges, they are caught between their feelings and their corporate careers.
Fri, October 2 2026
An uninspired, insipid Netflix drama where storytelling and romance — indeed, love itself — struggle to survive
Love is a risk we endure. In a sense, then, love stories become thrillers where the stakes are not of life, but of the self—will the self survive love? For love turns stone-faced, gruff voiced men into pouty mush pots and softens the hardened boundaries of women—you almost don’t recognise people in love. Love ruptures the self, and something new emerges out of it. The best love stories, then, tease out this tension, this emergence, and revel in it, goad it further, while the worst think of this tension, this emergence, as reluctant plot pushers.
Baththa
Thriller, Drama (Tamil)
In 1986 Madras, a timid eight-year-old boy accidentally traps a feared gangster inside a deserted school toilet. As the gangster is forced to confront hunger, loneliness and his own vulnerability, an unlikely bond begins to grow between the two, changing their lives forever.
Cast:
Vijay Sethupathi, Lijomol Jose, Santhy Balachandran, Vishnu Govindan, Arjun Chidambaram, Hari Krishnan, Ajay Ghosh
Director:
Balaji Tharaneetharan
Writer:
Balaji Tharaneetharan
Wed, October 14 2026
What if you eventually become what you feared most? The bullied becomes the bully. The abused becomes the abuser. The hunted becomes the hunter. In Balaji Tharaneetharan’s Tamil drama Baththa, a feared gangster (Vijay Sethupathi in the titular role) is locked inside a school restroom and shouts from inside, “I’ll kill you when I come out.” Terrified by his words, the one who accidentally locked him in, third-grader Sabari (Master Sai Prithviraj), refuses to open the door. He flees the scene, leaving the village to look for him while the school remains shut for summer vacation. Sabari is far from a delinquent. There’s a beach scene early on with his factory-worker father (Hari Krishnan) and his homemaker mother (Santhy Balachandran). He wants a toy that costs three rupees. In 1986, that isn’t nothing for them, but they buy it for him anyway. When the teacher takes it away during exams, the boy sneaks back into the empty school. He finds the pile of confiscated things and takes only his own. The moment is small and exact.
Sat, October 3 2026
Director Balaji Tharaneetharan's Baththa, starring Vijay Sethupathi, Lijomol Jose and Sai Prithvi Raj, is a moving comedy drama that's wholesome and beautiful. With minor shortcomings, the film brings laughter and emotion effortlessly.
A dreaded don sees life in a certain way — he wants everyone to be afraid of him and think twice before approaching him. He almost achieves it, too. But when he strips himself of his carefully built persona, who is he? Is he someone he can be proud of? And what happens when a child unintentionally gives him a reality check? Director Balaji Tharaneetharan’s Baththa takes this concept and turns it into a wholesome drama that is equally fun and emotional.
Fri, October 2 2026
Baththa, played by Vijay Sethupathi, is a frightening gangster. He is driven by ego, and no threat scares him. At home, he casually slaps his wife, throws a plate full of food, yells at his daughter. And he seems to be getting away with everything. So, you really wonder who’s gonna put him in his place. Balaji Tharaneetharan’s film hints that an assassination attempt is on the cards. But as it turns out, Baththa’s most dangerous adversary is not a gangster, not some man who defeats him in size and strength. Instead, it’s the opposite. His reckoning comes in the form of a little, meek boy. Baththa is full of such gorgeous ideas. The tender beauty of a child’s innocence serving as a mirror to such a gangster feels almost like a ‘pure cinema’ idea. For an entire half, Baththa is stuck in a school toilet, isolated and unable to get out. The premise seems almost like it might potentially get a bit too indulgent, a bit too static, maybe test your patience a bit. But Balaji’s Baththa is magnificently kinetic.
Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar
Thriller, Drama (Malayalam)
Follows a woman constable who joins the police force through appointment after the death of her husband.
Cast:
Parvathy Thiruvothu, Vijayaraghavan, Unnimaya Prasad, Mathew Thomas, Sidharth Bharathan, Azees Nedumangad, Vinay Forrt, R. Parthiban, Balaji Sarma, Vrindha Menon
Director:
Shahad Nilambur
Writer:
Vijesh Thottingal, P. S. Subramanian
Mon, October 12 2026
Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar is a frustratingly illogical police procedural that ruins an engaging premise by burying it under an avalanche of unearned twists. We discuss the film’s baffling disregard for realism, which repeatedly sacrifices basic police procedures just to serve its protagonist. We also talk about how the script bends backwards to transform Parvathy’s rookie character into an infallible mastermind, leading to absurd narrative leaps. Additionally, we point out how underdeveloped the entire cast feels, including the dull characterisation of Vijayaraghavan’s lead investigator.
Tue, September 15 2026
Shahad, who debuted with the forgettable coming-of-age drama ‘Prakashan Parakkatte’ (2022), ups his game here by several notches, aided by a taut screenplay
It may be one of cinema’s greatest tricks that it can twist one’s line of thinking about a person or an incident just with the perspective it chooses to present, the framing, editing choices, or the background score used. Reading a basic news report on the incident of crime at the centre of Shahad’s Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar might make one assume a particular stand on the culprits, knowing the long history of this kind of crime in the country and the stories that can be made up to save them. However, the film frames the incident, the events leading up to it, its aftermath and the people involved in such a way that not once do we wish for the culprits to be caught and punished. Of course, we have Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam (2013), in which we all collectively stood with those who committed the crime. The film also has quite a few parallels with Drishyam, but this one has very different concerns and approach to the crime.
Mon, September 14 2026
A quartet of cops orchestrate a cover-up in Shahad Nilambur’s occasionally thrilling ‘Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar’
The first few scenes of Shahad Nilambur’s Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar remind one of Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, in how undramatically we find out about the death of Aleena Abraham’s (Parvathy Thiruvothu) husband on duty. Aleena, with a child and the hopes of her husband’s family pinned on her, takes the police job on offer. There are no theatrics, no sad ballads or wave of sympathy for her, her baby or her situation. Theatrics is for later, but manufacturing sympathy almost never enters the picture, for Aleena is cut from a different cloth. The film then speedruns—a montage covers her training, a split-second encounter with her husband’s former colleague, her posting to a station in Kottayam and getting comfortable with the new workplace and her sufficiently leisurely colleagues, all of them in the lowest rungs of the police hierarchy. We realize that time has passed and the baby is now a toddler.
About an Intimate Matter
Drama (Bengali)
Swarna is a dedicated high school science teacher who relocates to a conservative suburban town with her same-sex partner, Driti. They attempt to build a quiet life together, blending into the community while keeping their relationship private. However, their world is completely upended when one of Swarna's high school students discovers personal, intimate photos of her on social media. The discovery quickly leaks, placing Swarna under intense public and institutional scrutiny.
Cast:
Sreya Bhattacharya, Shimli Basu, Sanjita Das
Director:
Sandeep Kumar Paul
Mon, October 12 2026
Busan Film Festival 2026 | In Sandeep Kumar Paul’s sobering debut, a female school teacher faces relentless moral policing as she negotiates her true freedom.
There’s something incredibly acute and sensitive in how Sandeep Kumar Paul’s debut, About An Intimate Matter, cuts through to scan a woman’s sense of self-worth amidst stifling social constraint. It knows the ever-morphing yardsticks foisted upon marginal bodies that are just thrust through one ring of damning perception after another. Financial autonomy preens itself as rescue but social gaping keeps jutting in. The heroine of Paul’s film, Swarna (Sreya Bhattacharya), is a self-possessed schoolteacher in a suburb in Bengal. She lives with her partner, Driti (Shimli Basu). Within the opening stretch, you get an inkling of her mettle, her quiet resolve. Amidst deliberations of her colleagues to petition for better working conditions, she dares to stand out.
Khoriya
Drama (Nepali)
Two Nepali half-brothers run a poultry farm on the outskirts of a city. The older brother wants to expand the farm, while the younger dreams of becoming a soldier and settling down with his girlfriend. When their livelihood is threatened by an outbreak of the avian flu, the older brother turns to the illegal trade of steroids by targeting military recruits, and drags his younger brother into the business. His girlfriend, who works in the beauty industry, decides to leave for Dubai in search of bigger opportunities.
Cast:
Nilesh Rai, Bhawana Rai, Suman Rai
Director:
Vishwendra Singh
Writer:
Vishwendra Singh
Mon, October 12 2026
Busan Film Festival 2026 | Vishwendra Singh’s debut trails two Nepali half-brothers hemmed between dire survival, vaster hopes and social prejudice.
In Vishwendra Singh’s debut feature, Khoriya, hope is a furtive, elusive thing. For migrants, their journeying is predicated on hope, which gets dashed again and again while they seize on some anchorage for the moment. The lives of such workers are fraught with abiding tension. What if the refuge shatters? The two Nepali half-brothers at Khoriya’s heart are up against India’s iron-grid social hierarchy that directs them to low expectations.
Reporting Live
Crime, Thriller (Hindi)
A young reporter and her reluctant cameraman chase a story, only to get entangled in an illegal sand-mining racket run by a ruthless syndicate.
Cast:
Parineeti Chopra, Deven Bhojani, Adil Hussain, Shekhar Suman, Amol Palekar, Nassar, Geeta Agrawal Sharma, Saswata Chatterjee, Prachee Shah, Pitobash
Director:
Dhruv Tripathi
Writer:
Dhruv Tripathi, Mihir Jadhav
Sat, October 10 2026
Despite its sharp observations, sincere performances, and noble intentions, ‘Reporting Live’ eventually becomes a safe, lukewarm watch.
At a time when investigative journalism is making news, Reporting Live exposes the high cost of illegal sand mining. The sand mafia has deep roots in the institutional architecture, but its corruption is often exposed by stringers and is buried in the inside pages of newspapers until a journalist is mowed down or a whistleblower is burnt alive. Drawing from real events, the film follows Sandhya Yadav (Parineeti Chopra), a field reporter for the Mumbai-based Hindi news channel Azaad Bharati, hunting for a primetime story. Alongside her pragmatic video journalist, Vinod Sharma (Deven Bhojani), she is dispatched to cover an infrastructure disaster in Visargaon, where the sudden collapse of a bridge claims the lives of school children.
Sat, October 10 2026
Good intentions alright, but tepid treatment saps whatever advantages the concept might have had on paper
As this review appears in a newspaper which has actively led a crusade against illegal mining, there is no denying the relevance of the subject. Or the significant role played by the media in unmasking it. Straight up, ‘Reporting Live’ takes us to a pressing concern: the eviction of fishermen from their ancestral land. In its place, a mall by a builder has been proposed. Reporting the protest and new development plan are journalist Sandhya (Parineeti Chopra) and photographer Vinod (Deven Bhojani) from television channel Azad Bharti. Those clued in on the affairs of television journalism know all too well, it’s anything but azad. Free press is fast becoming a chimera.
Sat, October 10 2026
This Parineeti Chopra outing coming so soon after the disappointing Shaque should have given us a chance to forget that one. But Chopra is, yet again, single-note here.
Illegal sand-mining continues to be the flavour of the season. Anil Kapoor’s ex-Armyman went up against the ruthless mafia controlling operations in the sepia-tinted hinterlands in Subedaar earlier this year. Now come Parineeti Chopra and Deven Bhojani as the intrepid reporter-camera duo from a TRP-hungry TV network (are there any other kinds?) who confront the bad guys. The nearly two-hour long duration is spent in watching Sandhya Yadav (Parineeti Chopra) and Vinod Sharma (Deven Bhojani) tracking the act itself on the banks of a river, being threatened both outside and inside the workplace, running the gamut of supportive types and unhelpful seniors, going sleuthing in tall unfinished buildings, and other dangerous places.