This week’s lineup of theatrical releases offers a bouquet of new films and returning fan favourites. Here’s a ready reckoner for you.
The Wild Robot (English)
Directed by: Chris Sanders
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Kit Connor, Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu
The Wild Robot is an animated adventure film based on Peter Brown’s bestselling novel. It follows Roz, an intelligent robot who washes ashore on a deserted island after a shipwreck. As she learns to adapt to the wild, Roz bonds with the island's animals and even becomes a surrogate mother to an orphaned gosling, Brightbill (Kit Connor). Directed by Chris Sanders, a multiple Oscar-nominee known for his emotional storytelling, the voice cast of The Wild Robot also features Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara and Ving Rhames.
Smile 2 (English)
Directed by: Parker Finn
Cast: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson
Smile 2 is a psychological supernatural horror film in which Naomi Scott stars as pop sensation Skye Riley, who begins to experience disturbing events as she prepares for a comeback tour. While coping with trauma, addiction and paranormal occurrences, Skye encounters the cursed ‘Smile Entity’, which drives its victims to madness and suicide. As her hallucinations intensify, Skye uncovers the entity's terrifying nature but fails to escape its grasp.
Goodrich (English)
Directed by: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Cast: Michael Keaton, Mila Kunis, Michael Urie, Vivien Lyra Blair, Laura Benanti, Andie MacDowell, Poorna Jagannathan
Goodrich tells the story of Andy Goodrich (Michael Keaton), who is thrust into single parenthood when his wife enters rehab. Struggling to care for his young twins, Andy turns to his estranged daughter Grace (Mila Kunis) for help, leading to a heartwarming and sometimes hilarious journey of reconciliation.
Bougainvillea (Malayalam)
Directed by: Amal Neerad
Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Jyothirmayi, Fahadh Faasil
Bougainvillea is a crime thriller where the plot revolves around Reethu (Jyothirmayi), a mother whose life unravels when she becomes a suspect in a string of tourist disappearances in Kerala.
Paani (Marathi)
Directed by: Adinath Kothare
Cast: Subodh Bhave, Kishor Kadam, Addinath Kothare, Rucha Vaidya
Produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paani tells the story of a man’s efforts to transform his drought-stricken village into a self-sustaining community. The film won the National Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation. At the heart of Paani is Hanumant Babu Kendre, a common man who is determined to make his arid village of Nagderwadi in Nanded water-independent.
Hanumant faces challenges from local goons in the midst of a budding romance with Suvarna. When Suvarna’s family cancels their wedding due to the water crisis, Hanumant vows to resolve the issue before they marry.
RE-RELEASES
Singham (2011): Relive the action-packed blockbuster starring Ajay Devgn as fearless cop Bajirao Singham. Directed by Rohit Shetty, this high-octane film is a fan favourite and a perfect lead-up to the upcoming Singham Again.
Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006): This beloved comedy, revolving around a middle-class family’s battle to reclaim their land from a crafty property dealer, is a timeless favourite. Directed by Dibakar Banerjee and starring Anupam Kher and Boman Irani, it’s a sharp, funny commentary on the struggles of middle-class life and the frustrations of dealing with corruption.
