From a heartwarming romantic drama to thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seats, here’s everything you need to know about the movies releasing in theatres this Friday.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha (Hindi)
Directed by: Neeraj Pandey
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Saiee Manjrekar and Jimmy Sheirgill
Directed by Neeraj Pandey, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha is a romantic drama spanning the years 2002 to 2023. The story revolves around two lovers, portrayed by Ajay and Tabu, who are destined to reunite after two decades. Shantanu Maheshwari plays a younger Ajay, while Saiee Manjrekar portrays the younger version of Tabu. Additionally, Jimmy Sheirgill features as Tabu’s husband. Originally scheduled to hit theatres on July 5, the film’s release was delayed by the makers due to the box-office success of Kalki 2898 AD.
Ulajh (Hindi)
Directed by: Sudhanshu Saria
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Gulshan Devaiah, Roshan Mathew, Rajesh Tailang and Adil Hussain
Ulajh is a spy thriller revolving around a young IFS officer named Suhana (Janhvi Kapoor), who comes from a family with a history of patriotism. As Suhana embarks on a critical assignment far from home, she becomes entangled in a perilous personal conspiracy. Suhana faces numerous professional and personal obstacles, including being branded a traitor during a significant mission at the London embassy. The trailer provides a sneak peek into the complex, morally ambiguous characters and the betrayals that Suhana will encounter in her work.
Aliya Basu Gayab Hai (Hindi)
Directed by: Preeti Singh
Cast: Raima Sen, Vinay Pathak and Salim Diwan
Raima Sen plays the titular character in Aliya Basu Gayab Hai, a thriller in which the only daughter of a wealthy industrialist is kidnapped for a large ransom by two goons played by Vinay Pathak and Salim Diwan. When the kidnappers attempt to retrieve the ransom from a designated location, they discover it’s a hoax and no money is present. The situation deteriorates as Aliya suffers severe abuse, including having her finger severed, being confined to a small room and enduring sexual exploitation.
Mothers’ Instinct (English)
Directed by: Benoît Delhomme
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Anders Danielsen Lie and Josh Charles
Mothers’ Instinct, a remake of the 2018 French film of the same name, is a psychological thriller adapted from Barbara Abel’s novel Behind the Hatred. Set in 1960s suburban America, the story follows neighbours Alice (Jessica Chastain) and Céline (Anne Hathaway). The death of Céline’s son, Max (Baylen D. Bielitz), strains their friendship, leading to a series of suspicions and deadly confrontations. Céline grows closer to Alice’s son, Theo (Eamon O'Connell), arousing Alice’s suspicions of foul play. Tensions escalate as Alice’s family suffers mysterious health issues.
Trap (English)
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Alison Pill
A psychological thriller written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap tells the story of Cooper (Josh Hartnett), a serial killer known as The Butcher. He attends a concert with his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see pop star Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan). However, Cooper soon discovers that the event is a police setup designed to capture him.
Project Silence (Korean)
Directed by: Kim Tae-gon
Cast: Lee Sun-kyun, Ju Ji-hoon and Kim Hee-won
Project Silence is a South Korean disaster thriller film that premiered in the Midnight Screening section at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023. The story unfolds as an airport bridge teeters on the brink of collapse, isolating the survivors and making them vulnerable. The bridge, already destabilised by a series of collisions and an explosion, becomes even more precarious due to worsening weather conditions. Amid this turmoil, secret military experimental dogs from 'Project Silence' are inadvertently released, turning the survivors into their targets. The situation spirals out of control as these dogs launch indiscriminate attacks on the trapped individuals.
Kaliachak: Chapter 1 (Bengali)
Directed by: Ratool Mukherjee
Cast: Asim Aktar, Puja Saha, Deboprasad Halder, Rupanjana Mitra, Debapratim Dasgupta
A fictional tale based in the village of Kaliachak in Malda district of West Bengal, Kaliachak: Chapter 1 explores how poverty, lack of education, domestic abuse and the absence of proper upbringing push young adults into crime. The film also portrays how law enforcement officials are often caught in a relentless game of cat and mouse with various gangs and criminal syndicates.
