Freedom Senapathy returns to the big screen after 28 years in Kamal Haasan-starrer Indian 2 this Friday to battle it out at the box office against Akshay Kumar’s 150th film Sarfira. This week’s theatrical releases also include a horror movie featuring Nicolas Cage, a romantic comedy starring Scarlett Johansson and a moving drama helmed by a debutant director. Here’s a look at every release at the weekend.
Indian 2 (Tamil, Hindi)
Directed by: Shankar
Cast: Kamal Haasan, Siddharth, S. J. Suryah, Rakul Preet Singh, Nedumudi Venu
Kamal Haasan returns as Senapathy, an elderly freedom fighter-turned-vigilante battling corruption, in Indian 2 (releasing as Hindustani 2 in Hindi), the sequel to his 1996 blockbuster Indian. In this instalment, Senapathy comes back from Hong Kong to support Chitra Aravindhan (played by Siddharth), who exposes corrupt politicians through online videos.
Sarfira (Hindi)
Directed by: Sudha Kongara
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal, R. Sarathkumar, Seema Goswami
Sarfira, helmed by Sudha Kongara, is a remake of Kongara’s Tamil hit Soorarai Pottru (2020), which itself was inspired by G. R. Gopinath’s autobiography Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey. The film charts the journey of a man determined to establish budget-friendly airlines for the underprivileged despite facing opposition from numerous adversaries. Sarfira marks Akshay Kumar’s 150th film as a leading man. He portrays Vir Mhatre, a former pilot-turned-entrepreneur who locks horns with businessman Paresh Goswami (played by Paresh Rawal).
Longlegs (English)
Directed by: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood and Kiernan Shipka
Helmed by Osgood Perkins, Longlegs is a horror movie set in the 1990s. Fresh FBI recruit Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) receives her first assignment: a cold case involving a notorious Satanic serial killer nicknamed Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). As she delves deeper into the investigation, uncovering occult clues, Harker discovers a startling connection to the killer and faces a race against time to thwart another tragic murder.
Fly Me to the Moon (English)
Directed by: Greg Berlanti
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jim Rash, Anna Garcia, Donald Elise Watkins
Fly Me to the Moon, a romantic comedy drama directed by Greg Berlanti, revolves around marketing specialist Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) and NASA project director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) amidst the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race. As tension escalates between the US and the Soviet Union, Cole is put in charge of the Apollo 11 mission and Kelly is tasked with improving NASA’s public perception and potentially staging a back-up Moon landing.
Manikbabur Megh (Bengali)
Directed by: Abhinandan Banerjee
Cast: Chandan Sen, Debesh Roy Chowdhury, Bratya Basu, Nimai Ghosh and Arun Guhathakurta
Manikbabur Megh, directed by debutante filmmaker Abhinandan Banerjee, tells the tale of Manik (Chandan Sen), a resident of Kolkata caring for his ailing father in an old house. When his father passes away and eviction looms, Manik’s mundane existence suddenly changes. Mistaking a cloud for a stalker, he finds an unexpected companion. Their unique bond unfolds into an extraordinary romance, transforming Manik's life with faith, betrayal and newfound warmth.
