Sutan Gowda’s ‘Valavaara’ is an earnest, watchable tale about the importance of love and money
A family of four is headed by a farmer who is always angry with his older son. And then something happens that’s likely to make the father angrier […]
Kannada
Arjun Janya’s ‘45’ is a collection of good ideas that just don’t come together.
The film has a fantastic star cast, with Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra, and Raj B Shetty. The story is super-different, and there’s some genuine out-of-the-box thinking. But the writing
Arjun Janya’s ‘45’ is a collection of good ideas that just don’t come together. Read More
Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ expands the world of the predecessor in a mostly engaging way
The film goes back in time to tell a story set during the time of kings. The narrative suffers from “sequel-itis”. We know the template by now. But
Amartya Bhattacharya’s ‘Lahari’ (Odia) is a sweetly eccentric dramedy that comments on capitalism without forgetting to be fun
This feature is about a group of non-city folks who start an eco-resort, and deal with the eccentricities of tourists spoiled by capitalism. There is an enjoyable element
Sarthak Hegde’s ‘Green Girl’ is a poignant new take on the traditional Hindu-Muslim love story
At about 50 minutes, this is a featurette that shows young love amidst religious intolerance. Its strength lies in its quiet conviction. The rest of this review may
Janardhan Chikkanna’s ‘Agnyathavasi’ is an intriguing crime drama that goes beyond ‘whodunit’
The strength of the film comes from its screenplay structure, which gives us information in increments and adds an existential layer to the basic premise of a murder
Sumanth Bhat’s ‘Mithya’ is a superb series of insights into the mind of a troubled boy
This Kannada feature is not exactly a coming-of-age movie. It’s more like a bunch of X-rays that lay bare the workings of a mind grappling with the aftermath
Sumanth Bhat’s ‘Mithya’ is a superb series of insights into the mind of a troubled boy Read More
Natesh Hegde’s ‘Tiger’s Pond’ (Vagachipani), which world-premiered at the Berlinale, is an impressive follow-up to ‘Pedro’
The director’s second film stars Achyuth Kumar, Dileesh Pothan. It is the first Kannada feature to be selected for the Berlin Film Festival, and it contains many of
BSP Varma’s ‘Murphy’, starring Prabhu Mundkur, is a tasteful, emotional sci-fi drama about a man who finds a way to time-travel through a radio
The most interesting aspect of the film is its pace. The director is in no hurry. He savours every moment, and makes us feel the maximum impact. The rest
Prateek Prajosh’s ‘Chilli Chicken’, now on Prime Video, is a solid drama about Northeasterners in Bengaluru
The impressive thing is that a number of messages about assimilation and discrimination are put across without making it seem like a Message Movie. There are hardly any
Sahadev Kelvadi’s ‘Kenda’ is both muted and hard-hitting, a deep-dive into the life and mind of a “lowly” rowdy
The film is an impressionistic series of scenes that showcase the restlessness, the powerlessness, the confusion of an unprivileged man in a changing city. In Ram Gopal Varma’s
Mithilesh Edavalath’s ‘Roopanthara’ is a philosophical multi-threaded quilt, whose stories shine with humanity in the best possible way
The number of plot threads may make the film sound like some sort of anthology, but it’s more like a series of slow-burning fuses leading to an existential