Entertainment

Manoj Bajpayee in ‘Inspector Zende’. | Photo Credit: Netflix India/YouTube In the pantheon of real-life criminals that Indian filmmakers love to recreate on screen, Charles Sobhraj perhaps tops the list. The serial killer’s exploits are expounded with such reverence that the law enforcers appear pygmies in front of him. The latest being Black Warrant on Netflix. Debutant director Chinmay Mandlekar’s Inspector Zende finally…

Stills from ‘Orb: On the Movements of the Earth’ and ‘Mussolini: Son of the Century’ | Photo Credit: Netflix/ MUBI Whether you’re an old hand at arthouse or just dipping a toe into the rising otaku subculture of anime aficionados around the world, this column lists curated titles that challenge, comfort, and occasionally combust your…

During the pandemic, a booster dose of the vaccine became a common term. It was intended to boost the immune system’s response to the virus. This week, Vivek Agnihotri injects a booster dose of cinematic virus that he unleashed with The Kashmir Files lest people develop immunity against communal politics. Once again, blending a discriminating version of the past…

Can a horror film be a comfort watch? The Conjuring: Last Rites, the ninth and supposedly final film in the first phase of The Conjuring universeww (Marvel has a lot to answer for), proves that it most certainly can. With all the real-world terrors, bombings and dismemberments, having random demons glower from mirrors or demented…

Spike Lee’s latest Cannes-premiering joint has been hand-rolled with the air of a remix album, brazenly borrowing the bones of a classic, flipping the beats, and layering in a few unexpected features until the old thing feels like something new, if not always seamless. The source, of course, is Akira Kurosawa’s bleak 1963 classic, High…

It’s never pleasant to see good filmmakers repeatedly miss the bullseye, their signatures depleting in effect, and their own success formulas becoming recipes for failures. That’s precisely how it has been to watch AR Murugadoss post Kaththi; none of his films in the last ten years turned out as cohesive and complete as his two…

As the end credits of Ghaati rolled, the words “The Queen – Anushka Shetty” appeared on screen. It felt apt. Anushka carries a regal presence and has proven across her 20-year career that she can embody powerful characters. Directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, this Telugu film is an action-heavy spectacle, with Anushka playing a woman seeking…

In India, the buzz around Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) feels different this time. The posters for the anticipated Infinity Castle Arc movie are already gracing massive billboards; cosplayers are busy sewing fabric into colourful haoris for Comic Cons; and theatres now prepare for an ocean of weebs wielding plastic nichirin katanas to flood their…

A still from ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Part 2 | Photo Credit: Netflix It has been nearly a month since Netflix’s Wednesday commenced its anticipated second season. Now, with its final four episodes airing to close out another spooky season at Nevermore Academy, it has never been less clear as to why this season was broken…

Raanna and Priyanka Achar in ‘Elumale’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Elumale (reportedly based on true events)is a romantic thriller and director Punit Rangaswamy has seamlessly blended both the genres in his debut effort. Powered by earnest performances from Raanna and Priyanka Achar, the movie is a triumphant product of a clever script. Revathi (Priyanka…