At a crucial point in the initial half of Officer on Duty , Kunchacko Bobans character Harishankar witnesses a horrific sight of a hanging dead body. It triggers in him flashes of his traumatic past, leading to a severe panic attack. When was the last time we saw a police officer experiencing a traumatic breakdown? Not sure. But if you notice, most of Shahi Kabirs works have one such disturbing scene. InJoseph(2018), the protagonist is never able to return to normal life after witnessing his ex-

Raghava (Dhanraj Koranani) in Ramam Raghavam is a hard man to empathise with. When we meet him, he is already down in the dumps. Theres barely anything he does later that makes us root for him. At the interval point, Raghava makes a decision that takes us by shock, despite a bar thats already too low. Such a choice might further distance us from him emotionally, but it creates space for a narrative where the protagonist is not necessarily the one we want to win. Its a fairly conventional templat

Ashwath Marimuthus Dragon sits on the fence in terms of its themes, and it lets the characters who are involved in their own battles fight it out in a system that benefits the smartest. When D Ragavan, an outstanding student in school, stands outside the traditional moral values in college, and is branded as a bad boy, it is too hard to like him. The director is not interested in making him likeable either, but he crafts an immensely enjoyable and relatable coming-of-age story of an extremely fl

Centuries of storytelling and the human race have always been enamoured by love. So, when Dhanush chose to call his third directorial a usual love story, it also reads as a playful reminder of the power of romance to reach beyond the bounds of familiarity and still tug at our hearts. However, Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam battles more than just familiarity, there are multiple issues that threaten to pull you away. The unidimensional performances, stale humour, plot conveniences, over-reliance on

There is a powerful idea at the heart of Baapu , written and directed by Daya. The film navigates a morally ambiguous terrain, where desperation forces people into decisions that defy ethical norms. It sets itself up as a biting dark comedy, holding a mirror to the struggles of the farming community, yet ultimately hesitates to embrace its own cynicism. Whats clear in Baapu is a lack of faith in its treatment. What should have been a relentless descent into amorality instead dithers, tangled in

Yello Jogappa Ninnaramane follows Adi (Anjan Nagendra), a young man whose travels across India are not merely about reaching a destination but about uncovering answers to deeper questions that have long been gnawing at him. Two important elements of his journey are his backpack and diary, both central to his quest. Director Hayavadanas debut film examines self-discovery, family expectations, and the conflict between personal desires and traditional values. Adi is a man who seeks independence and

The opening lines voiced by Yogaraj Bhat in Vishnu Priya evoke nostalgia and set the stage for a film that explores love in its purest, most innocent form. It goes like this: Kanasu kaanuva preethiya manasugalige preethiya namana, Preethi madodu tapenila, Preethi madhura thyaga amara, Noorondu Nenapu Eddelyaladinda... The narration effortlessly transports us to a time when love was simple, sincere, real, tender, and filled with unspoken moments. His words draw comparisons to the world of classro

Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who couldnt conceive. Then, with a sages magical intervention, they had 101 children. Thus begins Get-Set Baby , narrated in grandiose tones by Mohanlal, setting up a premise about fertility and miracles. But as the film unfolds, one wonders: did the scriptwriters rely on similar divine intervention to patch together the rest of the story? Vinay Govinds latest offering follows Arjun Balakrishnan (Unni Mukundan), a brilliant, ambitious gynaecologist wh

Fazil Razaks award-winning film Thadavu narrates an affecting tale of a middle-aged woman, who is chased by misery and misfortune. A humble Anganawadi teacher, Geetha (Beena R Chandran) is toughened by several harsh experiences in her life. In this 90-minute film, we see her being suffocated by a string of crises, yet she hardly breaks. We first see her trying to pledge an ornament to meet the legal expense of securing her childs custody. Though she fails in it because of her mental illness hist

Imagine a man with dreams far beyond his current station, an unemployed young man with no clear path ahead. His ambition? To pass his exams and secure a job at a bank, thereby solidifying his future. But Raju James Bond isnt just any ordinary journeyit borrows a bit of flair from the world of the infamous spy while creating its own brand of chaotic, local drama. Set against the backdrop of a small town, the film introduces Raju (Gurunandan), a man facing an extraordinary dilemma. His inheritance