Cinema, Karam, Kapi

It’s that time of the year when our walls and desks are replaced. This year, I bought one from Fully Filmy with every month having a montage of my matinee idol Superstar Rajinikanth.  The living room will have one or two large monthly calendars while the puja room with have a daily-sheet calendar, a culture that is very popular in the South, especially in Tamil Nadu.  The workdesks for all of us at home will have new desktop calendars, courtesy friends and family who ship their business calendars or send us one bearing photos of religious deities. This year, I am plannning to design my own desktop calendars on Zoomin with photos taken through 2024. But other than these little changes that we make, there is nothing that really changes between 31 Dec & 1 Jan. for most Indians.  Our personal / religious calendar is varied across the country and our ethnic backgrounds.  From Ugadi to Baisakhi and so many others for almost each state, our calendar for purposes of calc...

In the second instalment of Pushpa 2 – The Rule, the lead actor Allu Arjun doesn’t disappoint his fans one bit. From the first scene till the end, it’s Arjun who carries confidently, the might of the expectations of the much awaited film on his shoulders. And how he does it deftly, so easily, is something that’s worth appreciating. In the first part Pushpa - The Rise (2021), Pushpa Raj, a coolie who is involved in transporting red sanders smuggled from the forests, becomes a local thug and begins to be a part of the syndicate. Over time, he becomes a notorious criminal, by transporting truck loads of the well guarded tree logs, which are banned from hunting and transporting unofficially. In the sequel, we see Pushparaj continue his “raj” and this time, he is a lot more aggressive in his dealings with the cops. Pushparaj and Srivalli’s (Rashmika Mandanna) romance track goes on one side. They are married now and their overtures are – well over the top in some scenes (sic). Jagapathi Ba...

The much expected and hyped Kanguva feat. Actor Surya released on 14 Nov. amidst much fanfare. Will Kanguva be the saviour for the Tamil Box Office in 2024 is yet to be seen. The film will release in  Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and  over a dozen foreign languages worldwide.  Produced at an estimated budget of INR 300 – 350 Cr by Studio Green and Directed by Siva, known for his hatrick success with 3 back-to back films feat. Actor Ajith Kumar, this socio-fantasy drama is a thriller that doesn’t let down one’s expectations, neither is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that one wishes to see in Indian cinema. As the movie begins, a young boy escapes from a lab under mysterious circumstances and is being chased by the security guards. He boards a moving goods train.  The film begins in 2024 where Francis Theodore (Surya) and Angelina (Disha Patani), ex-lovers are bounty hunters helping the Goa Police to nab notorious criminals. The film opens with a beach party where everyone ...

Just finished watching Vettaiyan for the third time on Sunday.  As per a post by Lyca on social media, the film is said to have garnered atleast ₹240 Cr (Gross) at the worldwide BO during the 4-day festival weekend. Given that the reviews for the film have been fairly positive, Vettaiyan is expected to fill atleast 60% occupancy over weekdays and 100% on weekends until Deepavali. An Orange Alert for rains has been announced due to which occupancy during the week could reduce.  That’s a good 3 week run for the movie and is expected to earn around ₹350 - ₹400 Cr in collections, if not more. Given the ongoing tiff between Producers and Exhibitors, the movie is expected to hit Amazon Prime OTT platform only around November end, when the 7-week window ends. Theatres, on the other hand are a happy lot with F&B outlets overflowing with guests, a clear indication of family audiences.  The movie itself has earned great reviews from families except for 1or 2 scenes, which have...

The much anticipated Vettaiyan feat. Superstar Rajinikanth and Bollywood thespian Amitabh Bachchan released worldwide on 10 October. The cop story has a regular plot but with a twist.   And when two top stars of the country come together, it is sure to be a blockbuster in the making.   Athiyan (Rajinikanth) is a Superintendent of Police posted in Nagercoil district. His past reveals that the cop is a seasoned encounter specialist.   In the first few scenes, we see a very formulaic encounter of sorts which we have seen dime a dozen times in Indian cinema. That was for starters.  Saranya (Dushara Vijayan) is a teacher at a Government school and helps Athiyan nab drug peddlers. She is named among the Best Teachers in the State and gets a transfer to be posted in Chennai city as per long term wish.  Athiyan’s wife is Thara (Manju Warrier) who supports the cop in his duties while running a social media channel “Galatta Kitchen” along with their nephew.  Saranya ...