No Bed of Roses aka Doob (2017) - 105 min

Country: BANGLADESH, INDIA
Director: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Rokeya Prachy & Parno Mittra.
മകളുടെ കൂട്ടുകാരിയോട് തോന്നുന്ന അടുപ്പം കാരണം Javed ന് ജീവിതത്തിൽ നേരിടേണ്ടിവരുന്ന പ്രശ്നങ്ങളും അതിനെയെല്ലാം അതിജീവിക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നതുമാണ് Doob എന്ന സിനിമയിലൂടെ സംവിധായകൻ കാണിച്ചുതരുന്നത്.
ബംഗ്ലാദേശ് സിനിമകളെ സംബന്ധിച്ചിടത്തോളം ഈ ചിത്രം സംസാരിക്കുന്നത് വളരെ സെൻസിറ്റീവായ ഒരു കാര്യമാണ്. പക്ഷേ വിദേശസിനിമകൾ ഒക്കെ കാണുന്ന ഒരു വ്യക്തിയാണെങ്കിൽ ഇതുപോലെയുള്ള പല സന്ദർഭങ്ങൾ വരുന്ന സിനിമകൾ കാണാൻ കഴിയും. അച്ഛന്റെ അടുത്ത സ്നേഹിതനോട് തോന്നുന്ന ഇഷ്ടമാണ് One Wild Moment (2015) എന്ന ഫ്രഞ്ച് സിനിമയുടെ കഥാസാരം. ഇതുപോലെ തന്നെയാണ് കൂട്ടുകാരിയുടെ മകനോട് തോന്നുന്ന സ്നേഹത്തിന്റെ കഥ പറയുന്ന Adore (2013) എന്ന സിനിമയും. മരണത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് മനോഹരമായി വർണ്ണിക്കുന്നുണ്ട് ഈ സിനിമയുടെ പല സ്ഥലത്തും. Irrfan Khan കരയുന്ന രംഗം മനസ്സിൽ ഇപ്പോഴും തങ്ങിനിൽക്കുന്നു.
Verdict: Good

Memories (2013) - 143 min

Country: INDIA
Director: Jeethu Joseph
Cast: Prithviraj, Miya, Vijayaraghavan & Meghana Raj.
Victims:
ഇരകൾ കാണപ്പെടുന്ന രീതിയിലാണ് 2007ൽ ഇറങ്ങിയ Our Town എന്ന കൊറിയൻ സിനിമയുമായി മെമ്മറീസിന് സാമ്യം വരുന്നത്. കൊറിയൻ സിനിമയിൽ സ്ത്രീകളെ കൊല്ലുമ്പോൾ മെമ്മറീസിൽ പുരുഷന്മാരാണ് ഇരകൾ. അവർ ടൗണിൽ പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കാരണം ഒന്നും പറയുന്നില്ല ഇങ്ങനെ ശരീരങ്ങൾ കെട്ടിത്തൂക്കിയിടാൻ. അവിടെയാണ് മെമ്മറീസ് കൊറിയൻ സിനിമയെ നിഷ്പ്രഭമാക്കുന്നത് Christian mythology അതിലേക്ക് കൊണ്ടുവന്നപ്പോൾ ആണ് ആ രംഗങ്ങൾക്ക് കൂടുതൽ അർത്ഥം ഉണ്ടായത്.
Foot Chase Scene:
ഈ സിനിമയിലെ ഏറ്റവും സുപ്രധാനമായ സീൻ. നായകൻ തോറ്റുപോകുന്നത് കാണാൻ അല്ലെങ്കിലും ഒരു രസമാണ്. The Crimson Rivers എന്ന ഫ്രഞ്ച് സിനിമയിൽ നിന്നാണ് ഈ രംഗം വരുന്നത്. നല്ല മഴയുള്ള രാത്രിയിൽ തന്നെയാണ് രണ്ട് സ്ഥലത്തും ഈ ഓട്ടം ചിത്രീകരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ഇവിടെയും ഒരു ചെറിയ വ്യത്യാസം ഉണ്ട്. ഫ്രഞ്ച് സിനിമയിൽ പുറകെ ഓടുന്ന പോലീസ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥൻ തോൽക്കുമെങ്കിലും അവിടെ വില്ലൻ അയാളെക്കാലും ശക്തൻ ആണെന്നാണ് കാണിക്കുന്നത്, എന്നാൽ മെമ്മറീസിൽ സംഗതി വ്യത്യാസമാണ് ഇവിടെ നായകൻ തോൽക്കുന്നതിന്റെ കാരണം അയാളുടെ മദ്യപാനമാണ്. അതുകൊണ്ട് മാത്രമാണ് അയാൾക്ക് അവനെ പിടിക്കാൻ പറ്റാതിരുന്നത്.
Climax:
കൂടുതൽ പേർ സംസാരിച്ച ഒരു വിഷയമാണ് ഈ സിനിമയിലെ ക്ലൈമാക്സ്. നായകന്റെ ബുദ്ധിപരമായ നീക്കത്തിലൂടെ വില്ലനെ കീഴ്പ്പെടുത്തുന്നത്. ഈ സീൻ പക്ഷേ Kiss The Girls (1997) എന്ന അമേരിക്കൻ സിനിമയിൽനിന്നും എടുത്തതാണ്. Morgan Freeman പാലിന്റെ സഹായത്തോടെ വെടി വച്ചപ്പോൾ Prithviraj വെള്ളത്തിലൂടെ ആക്കിയെന്ന് മാത്രം.
ജിത്തു ജോസഫ് കുറെ വിദേശസിനിമകൾ കാണുന്ന ഒരു വ്യക്തിയായിരിക്കും, എന്തൊക്കെയാണെങ്കിലും ഈ മൂന്ന് സീൻസും നന്നായി തന്നെ മലയാളത്തിൽ കൊണ്ടുവന്നിട്ടുണ്ട്. അതിനൊപ്പം നമുക്ക് കിട്ടിയത് നല്ലൊരു സിനിമ കൂടിയാണ്.
Verdict: Brilliant

Ivide (2015) - 144 min

Country: INDIA
Director: Shyamaprasad
Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nivin Pauly & Bhavana.
ഇന്ത്യൻ വംശജരെ മാത്രം കൊല്ലുന്ന ഒരു സീരിയൽ കില്ലർ അറ്റ്ലാന്റയിൽ ഉണ്ടെന്നാണ് കേസ് അന്വേഷിക്കുന്ന Varun Blake ന്റെ നിഗമനം. ഒപ്പമുള്ള ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥർ അതിനോട് യോജിക്കുന്നില്ലങ്കിലും അയാൾ ആ നിഗമനത്തിൽ തന്നെ ഉറച്ചു നിന്നു. ഈ കൊലപാതകങ്ങളിൽ ഉള്ള ഒരു സാദൃശ്യം Varun Blake കണ്ടെത്തുന്നതോടെ അന്വേഷണത്തിൽ വഴിത്തിരിവുണ്ടാക്കുന്ന.
ഇതും പ്രേമം സിനിമയും ഒരു ദിവസമാണ് ഇറങ്ങിയത്, തിയറ്ററിൽ ആദ്യദിവസം തന്നെ ഈ സിനിമ കാണണമെന്ന് ആഗ്രഹം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നതുകൊണ്ട് ഈ സിനിമയ്ക്കാണ് അന്ന് കയറിയത്. ഇതുപോലെയുള്ള സിനിമകൾ ഇഷ്ടമുള്ളത് കൊണ്ടായിരിക്കും ഈ സിനിമയും ആസ്വദിച്ചു കണ്ട് ഇറങ്ങാൻ സാധിച്ചു. ഇന്നലെ വെറുതെ ഇരുന്നപ്പോൾ ഇവിടെ ഒന്നൂടെ കാണാൻ തോന്നി, ഈ തവണ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെ കൂടുതൽ അടുത്തറിയാനാണ് ശ്രമിച്ചത്. ഉദാഹരണത്തിന് Kate Brown എന്ന കഥാപാത്രം ചൂടുള്ള വാർത്തകൾ കിട്ടാനായി ശാരീരിക പീഡനങ്ങൾ സഹിക്കുന്നത് ഇതിൽ കാണാൻ സാധിക്കും. അങ്ങനെ ഓരോ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങൾക്കുമുണ്ട് പറയാൻ ഒരുപാട് കാര്യങ്ങൾ. The Silence (2010), Marshland (2014), Jar City (2006) ഈ സിനിമകളെല്ലാം സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നത് ഇതേ പാതയിലാണ് പിന്നെ ഒരു വ്യത്യാസം ഇവയെല്ലാം വിദേശസിനിമകൾ ആണെന്നുള്ളതാണ്.
Verdict: Good

Mumbai Police (2013) - 145 min

Country: INDIA
Director: Rosshan Andrrews
Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jayasurya & Rahman.
എങ്ങനെ??? എന്തിന്??? ആര്???
ഈ മൂന്ന് ചോദ്യങ്ങൾക്കുള്ള ഉത്തരം ACP Antony Moses കണ്ടുപിടിച്ചിരുന്നു അപകടം സംഭവിക്കുന്നതിന് തൊട്ടുമുൻപ്. പക്ഷേ ആ അപകടത്തിൽ അയാളുടെ ഓർമ്മ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു, ഇപ്പോ അയാൾക്ക് മുന്നിൽ ഒറ്റ ചോദ്യം താൻ ആരാണ്. മുൻപിൽ വന്ന് നിൽക്കുന്നത് ശത്രുവാണോ മിത്രമാണെന്ന് പോലും തിരിച്ചറിയാൻ കഴിയാത്ത അവസ്ഥ.
കഴിഞ്ഞ ദിവസം ടിവിയിൽ ചാനൽ മാറ്റി കൊണ്ടിരുന്നപ്പോൾ യാദൃശ്ചികമായി ഈ സിനിമയിലെ ഒരു രംഗം കാണാൻ ഇടയായി, അപ്പോൾ തുടങ്ങിയ ആഗ്രഹമാണ് ഈ സിനിമ ഒന്നൂടെ കാണണമെന്നുള്ളത്. തിയേറ്ററിൽ നിന്നാണ് ഈ സിനിമ ആദ്യമായി കാണുന്നത് ആ സമയത്ത് പക്ഷേ സസ്പെൻസ് ഒക്കെ ഉള്ള സിനിമയാണെങ്കിൽ ആദ്യ ഷോ കഴിയുമ്പോൾ തന്നെ ആരെങ്കിലുമൊക്കെ മെസ്സേജ് അയച്ചു തരും വില്ലൻ ആരാണെന്നുള്ളത്. കഥയൊക്കെ അറിഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെയാണ് തിയേറ്ററിൽ പോയത്, എല്ലാം അറിഞ്ഞിട്ട് സിനിമ കാണുന്നതും ഒരു വെറൈറ്റി അനുഭവമാണ്. ഓരോ സംഭാഷണങ്ങളിൽ സംവിധായകൻ ഒളിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന രഹസ്യങ്ങൾ മനസ്സിലാക്കുമ്പോൾ കിട്ടുന്ന സുഖം അതൊന്നു വേറെ തന്നെയാണ്. Jason Bourne കഥാപാത്രത്തെ ഓർമ്മപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന രംഗം ഒക്കെ സിനിമയിലെ ഹൈലൈറ്റ് സീൻസ് ആയിരുന്നു. Rosshan Andrrews സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത സിനിമകളിൽ ഏറ്റവും ഇഷ്ടമുള്ള സിനിമയും ഇതാണ്. ഇഷ്ട സിനിമകളുടെ ലിസ്റ്റിൽ ഒരു സ്ഥാനം അത് മുംബൈ പോലീസിന് ഉള്ളതാണ്.
Verdict: Great

Mukti Bhawan (2016) - 102 min

Country: India
Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
Cast: Adil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh & Navnindra Behl.
77-year-old patriarch Dayanand Kumar believes his time has home and wants to spend his last days at Mukti Bhawan in Varanasi as his father did. His son Rajiv decides to take his father on his last journey.
Mukti Bhawan is a real hotel situated in Varanasi where people check-in to attain moksha. They can stay there for two weeks and if they don't die within two weeks they need to vacate from the hotel. Shubhashish Bhutiani is a gifted filmmaker for sure and does a script like this at the age of 25 is truly amazing. The main theme of the film is the awareness of one’s mortality. Turns out it's a father-son story filled with some beautiful conversations. Bhutiani chooses to tell the story through the eyes of Rajiv, played by Adil Hussain. Talking about Hussain's performance, he leaves an unforgettable mark as a beloved son and his combination scenes with Lalit Behl were the best you could ever get from this kind of films. Overall, Mukti Bhawan falls into the category of films that stick to you for a long period of time with good memories and a must-watch.
Verdict: Great

Lucifer (2019) - 175 min

Lucifer is an Indian film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.
Starring Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vivek Oberoi, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas & Indrajith Sukumaran.
The sudden demise of PK Ramdas opens the possibility of a new business proposition for Ramdas’ son-in-law Bobby. All his ideas shatter when Stephen Nedumpally stood against him to follow his political mentor Ramdas footsteps.
It's a 'mass entertainer’ from actor-turned-filmmaker Prithviraj in his directorial debut Lucifer. Lalettan with his amazing dialogue delivery captivates every single scene and expressions of a devil also boost his body language. Vivek Oberoi, who plays the villain role is menacing and Vineeth's dubbing suits him perfectly. The item song and its background scenes all fall short. Also, Prithvi's Zayed Masood character was not up to the mark. The cast looks rich so do the setup of certain premises. Sujit Vasudev's frames look damn awesome, especially the close-up shots. Murali Gopy's script is not a brain squeezer this time. Overall, It's a fanboy tribute to Mohanlal that can easily please the fans and has enough moments to capture an audience's attention.
Verdict: Good

Kumbalangi Nights (2019) - 135 min

Kumbalangi Nights is an Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Madhu C. Narayanan.
Starring Shane Nigam, Soubin Shahir, Fahadh Faasil, Sreenath Bhasi & Mathew Thomas.
The story of four brothers who live in a shed-like house in Kumbalangi. Saji & bobby were the losers among the four. The flow of their lifestyle changes when Bobby falls in love and Saji takes the responsibility of the family.
"Raymond, a complete man"
The mysterious Shammy creates a lot of tension and Fahadh Faasil makes you laugh nervously with that smile. Till date, this is the best performance from Soubin Shahir and his chemistry with Shane Nigam also helps to boost the story. The first half is dedicated to showing the equations of each character and called it as a character-driven process with a lot of humorous moments. The second half you need to feel that thing. Shyam Pushkaran's script shows the women as hope in the life of men. Ace cinematographer Shyju Khalid's visuals look real with the beautiful music sounds from Sushin Shyam. Overall, it's a simple movie that may or may not happen once in a blue moon.
Verdict: Good

9 (2019) - 158 min

9 is an Indian Malayalam-language science fiction horror thriller film directed by Jenuse Mohamed.
Starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Wamiqa Gabbi, Mamta Mohandas, Prakash Raj & Master Alok.
Like a doomsday, A red comet is going to passes over Earth which results in an electric shut down for nine days. On the other hand Albert Lewis, an Astrophysicist needs to save his son Adam from this event.
It tells the story of nine days with a scientific backdrop and more over a psychological spin of all things. The first half is more engaging with the way it presented than the second half. Performance wise, Prithviraj fails to break Koode benchmark. Wamiqa Gabbi looks gorgeous as Ava and Master Alok handles the Adam character with ease. Sound department outshines everything in the movie and all credits go to Sekhar Menon. Jenuse Mohamed uses the dark sky and red trail to represent another dimension. The visuals were frighteningly eye-catchy. Overall, it is very confusing if you go deep into the plot but at the core, it discusses the universal theme father-son bond in an entirely different way.
Verdict: Good

K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018) - 155 min

K.G.F: Chapter 1 is an Indian Kannada-language period action film directed by Prashanth Neel.
Starring Yash, Ramachandra Raju, Anant Nag & Vasishta N. Simha.
The story is about a young boy named Rocky, who wants to fulfill his mother's last words which are getting rich by any means necessary. To achieve that goal, he needs to become more powerful and show the world who he is. Chapter 1 story kicks off like that and Rocky is everywhere.
The first thing you notice about filmmaker Prashanth Neel's is how he uses Yash's stardom in K.G.F movie. He knows what viewers will expect from this kind of action movie and he delivers it successfully. Apart from a few characters, the remaining cast was used to establish Rocky's strength and praising his greatness. By using a non-linear narrative style Neel has provided a different gesture to the story. The theme music is excellent and wishes to hear it more in the plot. Some actions scenes were purely inspired by mad max movie and it all works fine in the movie. The visuals were stunning and Yash's mass scenes timing were perfectly balanced from the beginning. Overall, it's good to see a mass entertainer and loved it.
Verdict: Good

Andhadhun (2018) - 138 min

Andhadhun is an Indian black comedy crime thriller film directed by Sriram Raghavan.
Starring Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana & Radhika Apte.
Inspired by a French short film L'Accordeur aka The Piano Tuner (2010) by Olivier Treiner, Andhadhun tells the story of a blind pianist who is called to perform a private concert at the residence of a yesteryear, now-faded actor Pramod Sinha.
"What is life? It depends on the liver."
This is a blockbuster year for Ayushmann Khurrana and back to back box office one after another. One of the most definitive roles of his career so far and still plays safe with his limitations. The one actually shines throughout the movie is Tabu and talking about her character she is unpredictable in every scene that's the way she performed it, No clue what's on her mind. The background score is interesting and is a tribute to 1970s Hindi cinema. Radhika Apte delivered a refreshingly natural performance like she did it in Sacred Games and sadly nothing much to boost her acting carrier. In fact, she kicks starts the chain of events happened in the movie. Overall, Andhadhun is an enjoyable movie to watch alone and a fine attempt when it comes to the black comedy genre.
Verdict: Great

Tumbbad (2018) - 104 min

Tumbbad is a fantasy horror film directed by debutant Rahi Anil Barve.
Starring Sohum Shah, Harish Khanna, Ronjini Chakraborty & Anita Date.
The story took place in Tumbbad, a village in Maharashtra where a mother with her two sons lives. Due to some reasons they leave the village and relocate to Pune. There are stories about some hidden treasure inside the village and after fifteen years the older boy came back for the treasure.
Soja, Warna Hastar Aa Jaaega!!!
Based on the stories of Marathi horror writer Narayan Dharap, Tumbbad looks gorgeous in every aspect of the movie. The atmosphere of the movie is ominous and rich cinematography recreates the old period beautifully in the screen. The background score puts you in a horror mood from the beginning with a single jump scare scene on the plate. The film opens with a quote of Mahatma Gandhi "The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed". Sohum Shah fills into the character of Vinayak with complete conviction. Overall, it's a fairy tale story about greed with some grotesque moments in the plot and it will give you a feeling of watching a foreign language movie.
Verdict: Great

96 (2018) - 157 min

96 is a romantic drama film directed by C. Prem Kumar.
Starring Vijay Sethupathi, Trisha Krishnan, Adithya Bhaskar & Gouri G Kishan.
Ram, a travel photographer got a chance to visit his hometown Tanjavur and old school where he studied. The visit triggers him to meet his old schoolmates and a reunion of class '96 idea pops up. At the event, he meets Janaki after a gap of 22 years.
The first half of 96 means nostalgia and the second half is a reality, which means present life if you had a genuine love story. This film really touches my heart or emotions of lost love. I too had a love story which we never confronted and that story also took place when I was studying in the 9th std. Anyway back to the movie, the natural way of expressing the feelings of Ram and Janu makes the story feels like reading an old love letter and the violin theme from Govind Vasantha is a gift to hear. The first few shots prove the cinematography by Mahendran Jeyaraju and N. Shanmugha Sundaram will be a visual treat. Both Adhitya and Gauri performed exceptionally well as the younger version of Ram and Janu. Overall, Prem Kumar invites you to a roller coaster ride of emotions and old memories, loved it and recommend this movie to my special friend and her husband.
Verdict: Great

Ratsasan (2018) - 170 min

Ratsasan is a psychological thriller film directed by Ramkumar.
Starring Vishnu Vishal, Amala Paul, Radha Ravi & Kaali Venkat.
Arun is an ordinary guy who ends up in police uniform due to family pressure and his ambition was to become something else. Somehow he eventually drags into a serial killer case who targets school girls as the victims.
"What happens when a psycho killer story fan meets a real psycho killer"
Ratsasan is a thriller with no lag factor and you don't feel like you just spent around 3 hours in the theatre. Like any other thriller movie, some things are easily predictable and it took time to explain each scene in detail, which is a plus point. The mentioning of all the serial killings that have taken place in real life was a masterstroke from the director and a small introduction of his serial killer figure. This is the second Vishnu Vishal movie am watching and he carries the role of Arun with ease and conviction. Overall, It's an extremely well-packed thriller movie with effective background score by Ghibran (one theme is inspired by the interstellar movie) and a must watch from the theatre.
Verdict: Great

Varathan (2018) - 130 min

Varathan is a Malayalam-language, thriller film directed by Amal Neerad.
Starring Fahadh Faasil, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sharaf U Dheen & Dileesh Pothan.
The story starts with Abin losing his job and decides to relocate to his wife's native village. To the villagers, Abin is an outsider and they treat him like an outsider.
The unofficial remake of the movie Straw dogs(1971). Amal Neerad opts a prismatic narrative style and the outcome is even tiny colors looks bright. The plot is easily predictable if you have seen straw dogs, still, the final showdown looks far better than the original version. The screenplay by Suhas-Sharfu tries their best to make a few changes to the plot rather than rip off scene by scene. Like any Amal Neerad's movie, this film also contains slow-motions that stick to the story and sometimes you don't feel the difference between normal and slow-motion scenes.  After Chaappa Kurishu, this is the second time I like Fahadh's attitude more than his performance and is complemented by Aishwarya Lekshmi. Sharaf U Dheen intro is simple yet powerful one and Sushin Shyam's bgm creates the dark side of villagers. Overall, Varathan is rich in every department and personally, I like this movie more than it's original version.
Verdict: Good

Ghoul (2018) - TV series

Ghoul is a horror web miniseries directed by Patrick Graham.
Starring Radhika Apte, Manav Kaul, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee & Mahesh Baleaj.
Season: 1
No. of episodes: 3
Running time: 44–49 minutes
Set in a dystopian future, Nida is posted in a covert detention center where military officials interrogate terrorists. With the arrival of Ali Saeed things get nasty.
Ghoul means evil spirit and it is based on the Arabic folklore of the myth of jinns which trades one's soul. The first episode was a major let down and somehow manages to show energy towards the end. The second and third episode contains a few good moments. Still, the story unfolds in a way that you can easily guess where it is going to end. Performance wise, Apte's Nida character shines and remaining supporting cast fades away in the dark. Overall, Ghoul fits right into supernatural horror category and it actually reminds me of a Korean movie "The guard post(2008)".
Verdict: Average

Amen (2013) - 165 min

Amen is a Malayalam-language film directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery.
Starring Fahadh Faasil, Indrajith Sukumaran, Natasha Sahgal & Swathi Reddy.
Solomon is a nervous guy while playing clarinet in front of others and Sosanna, his lover is the only person actually motivates him. His dream is to achieve a place in St. George's church band and with the arrival of Father Vattoly, Solomon's life starts to change.
This is a surprise pack from Lijo Jose Pellissery and Like a fairy tale story, it's a journey through the village Kumarankari. Lijo Pellissery makes sure that there is something new to encounter each time we look into the characters. The comic situations lie mostly in dialogues and he even tries to introduce comic characters like Vikraman and Muttu into the big screen. Both Fahadh and Indrajith delivers a stellar performance in the movie with a lot of support from the supporting characters. Swathi as Shoshanna shines every moment she appears. The outstanding cinematography from Abhinandan captures every single detail of Kumarankari. Overall, It's a fantasy version of the Romeo and Juliet story which took place in a village.
Verdict: Good

Sila Samayangalil (2018) - 92 min

Sila Samayangalil is a drama film directed by Priyadarshan.
Starring Prakash Raj, Sriya Reddy, Ashok Selvan & Nassar.
The film revolves around seven people who wait in a medical testing center to check if they are HIV positive or not. From a hospital worker, they hear one of them is HIV positive prior to scheduled time of results.
Like Aruvi, this film also tried to provide awareness about 'HIV'. We can sense their tension and that's the way Priyadarshan created the movie. The final shots were equally brilliant and thought-provoking one from Priyadarshan. He uses Ashok Selvan as his medium to connect with each character who cannot stop talking. The sound department is perfect even the speaker that calls out the token number can provide tension sometimes. Prakash Raj and Ashok Selvan get more opportunity to perform and they both done a remarkable job. Overall, the concept of the movie catches my attention and like each character waits for their name to be called, we need to wait with them to find who is affected by HIV.
Verdict: Great

Rangasthalam (2018) - 170 min

Rangasthalam is an action film directed by Sukumar.
Starring Ram Charan, Samantha Akkineni, Jagapati Babu & Prakash Raj.
Chitti Babu, who has a hearing impairment is our hero. Things changed when his brother Kumar Babu returns from Dubai and decides to go against the ruthless president, Bhupathi in the upcoming election.
Chitti Babu, a character that will stay for a long time in the memory. Finally, Ram Charan comes out of his safe zone and he was so adorable as Chitti Babu, you will love it for sure. The length of the movie can be a problem for some viewers. Jagapati Babu shines in the role of president with fewer dialogues. It's hard to figure out what Sukumar trying to express and it has every element for an entertaining movie. The beauty of Rangasthalam village keeps you in the business from the moment it kicks off. Overall, it's a treat for a common audience and finally a genuine performance by Ram Charan.
Verdict: Great

Sacred Games(2018) -TV series

Sacred Games is an Indian web television series directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane.
Starring Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Elnaaz Norouzi &Surveen Chawla.
Season: 1
No. of episodes: 8
Running time: 45–55 minutes
After hiding for the past 15 years, Gangster Ganesh Gaitonde calls inspector Sartaj Singh to inform him something big going to happen within 25 days in Mumbai.
The energetic performance of Nawazuddin Siddiqui gives another memorable character to remember him for years and years. The strength he shows while acting is commendable. After a long time, finally seen old swag of Saif Ali Khan and it's good to see him in back in form. Radhika Apte puts forward a complementing job throughout the season. Showing historical milestones and what to say more they even hit hard to some political parties. The interesting thing about the story is Nawazuddin's part was handled by Anurag Kashyap and you can imagine how much bloodshed is going to be. Overall, Anything can happen in the series and some nude scenes also included in the story. Stay alert.
Verdict: Good

Parava (2017) - 147 min

Parava is a drama film directed by Soubin Shahir.
Starring Amal Shah, Govind V. Pai, Shane Nigam & Dulquer Salmaan.
Ichappi and Haseeb were fond of pigeons and they train them for flying competition. Ichappi's brother Shaine leads a silent life who stays in the room all the time.
The directional debut of Soubin Shahir is rich in every aspect of the movie. The originality level of presenting the matter makes it interesting from the opening scene and you will not get bored with the characters. The screen presence of lead two kids make you feel like it's your own story. Dulquer's extended cameo adds positive energy to the plot and the look doesn't fit him. The last straw increase your adrenaline level for sure and the slow music puts you in a killer spot. Shane Nigam, Srinath Bhasi, Arjun Ashokan and the remaining cast all performed well. Overall, I enjoyed it and going to watch it again.
Verdict: Good