Sudhir Srinivasan

Doctor Movie Review: This inventive black comedy features an all-new Sivakarthikeyan

I don’t remember the last time I laughed as loudly in a theatre as I did watching Doctor For a brief while, a few minutes into Sivakarthikeyan’s latest film, Doctor, I wasn’t sure if I’d stepped into a Selvaraghavan film by mistake. The protagonist, Varun (Sivakarthikeyan), sits quiet, staring mirthlessly at his fiancee, Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan),…

Laabam Movie Review: Lessons alone don’t make a movie

This Vijay Sethupathi film that attacks owners who prioritise profits above workers, prioritises messaging above entertainment I have admired the late SP Jhananathan’s films for the passion and utility of his anti-capitalistic ideology. His latest film, Laabam, comes after his passing away; so, I really wanted to like this one as it marks an unfortunately early…

Thalaivii Movie Review: Good writing makes this a fairly enjoyable, even if unsurprising, biopic

This film that interprets the rise of Jayalalithaa through the prism of myth, is a retelling of a familiar story, but this is done on a scale that is quite impressive Thalaivii is full of enjoyable echoes—some straightforward, some not so much. One of my favourite moments in the film comes just after Jaya (Kangana Ranaut,…

Bakasuran Movie Review: Mohan G’s latest film trains its furious, problematic gaze on women

The film identifies the right problems, offers superficial solutions, vilifies the wrong things, and exposes its own skewed perceptions The title, Bakasuran, is aglow in red flames, and the background music is simply a demonic scream. Director Mohan G is angry again, and this time, he is pissed off about young women and mobile phones. All…

Romanoff deserved a better send-off

“It’s really during its more contained moments—like that dinner conversation among Natasha’s damaged family—that you see a bit of heart. It’s in such a scene that you get a glimpse of the differences between Natasha and Yelena (an impressive Florence Pugh). But really, the big question we sought an answer to in this film was, what caused Natasha to transform from being a cold assassin capable of harming a child into a selfless woman capable of great sacrifice?”