Maara Movie Review: A grounded remake of Charlie with quite a bit of heart

“The film is a reinforcement of the power of stories, of the stories each of our lives are. This is why there are multiple characters with their own short stories, including those of Selvi (Abhirami), the sex worker, and Kani (Sshivada), the guilt-ridden doctor. The implication is that no one story is necessarily more important than another.”

Tamil cinema in a year of tumult

“How long this year has been, and how short its filmography. Tamil films came out in a trickle this year—largely those that were either made for OTT platforms or those that couldn’t afford to wait for theatres to be opened again—and yet, there were still some good films, some useful patterns…”

Oru Pakka Kathai Movie Review: A fairly enjoyable modern interpretation of virgin birth

“It turns out that there’s a fantastic modern interpretation in there somewhere, an idea that is the genesis of Balaji Tharaneetharan’s Oru Pakka Kathai. The film is wonderfully unpredictable for the most part, and I enjoyed that Balaji desists from going the usual sentimental route in handling the uncomfortable topic of an unmarried middle-class girl finding that she’s pregnant.”