With Valentine’s Day around the corner, a remastered version of James Cameron’s epic romance drama Titanic is set to release in theatres this week. That apart, a number of films —right from psychological thrillers to slice-of-life drama— are hitting the big screens across India this Friday. Here’s a look.
Shiv Shastri Balboa (Hindi)
Directed by: Ajayan Venugopalan
Cast: Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Jugal Hansraj, Nargis Fakhri, Sharib Hashmi
Shiv Shastri (Anupam Kher) is a retired man from India who travels to the US to meet his son (Jugal Hansraj). He also happens to be a big fan of the Rocky movie franchise but is disappointed that his grandkids have not watched any of the Rocky films. In the US, Shiv befriends Elsa (Neena Gupta) and the two decide to go on a road trip together. Cinnamon Singh (Sharib Hashmi) and his girlfriend Sia (Nargis Fakhri) join Shiv and Elsa on this rollercoaster ride. By the end of the journey, Shiv realises it is never too late to reinvent oneself.
A Man Called Otto (English)
Directed by: Marc Forster
Cast: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
An adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel A Man Called Ove, the comedy drama film A Man Called Otto revolves around a 63-year-old widower Otto Anderson, who is contemplating suicide after the passing of his wife. But every time he attempts to take his life, either by hanging or through poisoning, he has flashbacks of the time he spent with his wife. He even ends up saving an old man during a suicide attempt on the rail tracks. Otto then becomes a viral internet sensation in his small town.
The Fabelmans (English)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Julia Butters, Judd Hirsch, David Lynch and Seth Rogen
Young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) falls in love with cinema after watching "The Greatest Show on Earth" with his parents. Sammy aspires to become a filmmaker and starts making his own films at home, with the support of his loving mother. The coming-of-age-film explores how the power of cinema helps Sammy come to terms with the existing problems in his family. The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical depiction of Spielberg’s own adolescent years.
Titanic (Remastered, English)
Directed by: James Cameron
Cast: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Zane, Gloria Stuart, Kathy Bates and Frances Fisher
James Cameron’s 1997 classic Titanic is hitting the theatres again in 3D 4K HDR with a high-frame-rate. The iconic romance disaster film is based on the real-life sinking of the ship RMS Titanic in 1912, and revolves around the love story of Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet). They meet on the ship and fall in love with each other despite belonging to different strata of the society. However, their budding romance remains incomplete as the ship hits an iceberg.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance (English)
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Juliette Motamed, Matthew McConaughey and Caitlin Gerard
Channing Tatum plays the titular character in this third installment of the Magic Mike trilogy. Magic Lane, now retired, is broke after a business deal goes wrong. This forces him to take up a bartending job in Florida. He moves to London after a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek) makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Magic takes the stage for one last time.
Mitthye Premer Gaan (Bengali)
Directed by: Paroma Neotia
Cast: Ishaa Saha, Anirban Bhattacharya, Arjun Chakrabarty, Soumya Banerjee and Anusha Biswanathan
Mitthye Premer Gaan is a melancholic love story about music and heartbreaks. A broken heart can often be the biggest inspiration for music, and it seems to be the case for Avik (Anirban Bhattacharya), an independent singer-songwriter. Aditya (Arjun Chakrabarty), a classical singer, is his rival. Avik harbours feelings for Anwesha (Ishaa Saha), a journalist. How their tumultuous love story ignites Avik’s journey of self-discovery is the crux of the film.
LSD: Laal Suitcase Ta Dekhechen? (Bengali)
Directed by: Sayantan Ghosal
Cast: Soham Chakraborty, Laboni Sarkar, Saayoni Ghosh and Abhijit Guha
LSD: Laal Suitcase Ta Dekhechen? is a black comedy directed by Sayantan Ghosal. Rupsha (Saayoni), a college student addicted to drugs, goes on a psychedelic trip with her college senior Trina (played by Soham) when her parents fix her marriage against her wishes. High on drugs, they end up killing their taxi driver. They hide his body in a red suitcase to avoid jail but law catches up with them.
