Friday, 20 December 2024
Friday, 20 December 2024
Mufasa: The Lion King (English)
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Cast: Aaron Pierre, John Kani, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen
The Pride Lands come alive once again in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, a visually stunning prequel to the 2019 remake of The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins. This emotionally-rich tale traces the journey of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) from an orphaned cub to the iconic king we know. Told through Rafiki’s (John Kani) flashbacks to Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), Simba’s daughter, the film explores Mufasa's bond with his brother, Taka aka Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Shah Rukh Khan has lent his voice to the Hindi dubbed version of Mufasa: The Lion King while Mahesh Babu voices the Telugu version.
Khadaan (Bengali)
Directed by: Soojit Rino Dutta
Cast: Dev, Jisshu Sengupta, Anirban Chakrabarti, Barkha Bisht, Idhika Paul
Set in the coalfields of Bengal, Khadaan follows the story of two friends, Mohan (Jisshu Sengupta) and Shyam (Dev), who rule the roost in the mines. However, Shyam is implicated in a crime and jailed, while Mohan rises through ranks to become a rich industrialist in the region. Shyam’s place is taken by his son (Dev) who vows to take revenge for the wrongs committed against his father.
Shontaan (Bengali)
Directed by: Raj Chakrabarty
Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Ritwick Chakraborty, Subhashree Ganguly, Anashua Majumdar
Directed by Raj Chakrabarty, Shontaan is a family drama that features Subhashree Ganguly as a lawyer. She represents Mithun Chakraborty’s character in a case of parental neglect against his son (Ritwick Chakraborty). The film depicts the insensitive treatment Mithun’s character and his wife (Anashua Majumdar) have been receiving from their son. Raj describes his film as a “reflection of the silent sacrifices, the strength of forgiveness, and the enduring love between parents and children”.
5 No. Swapnomoy Lane (Bengali)
Directed by: Manasi Sinha
Cast: Kharaj Mukherjee, Aparajita Adhya, Arjun Chakraborty, Chandan Sen, Soma Banerjee
After her superhit directorial debut Eta Amader Golpo, Manasi Sinha is back with her second film, 5 No. Swapnomoy Lane. In her sophomore venture, Manasi delves into the nostalgia of joint families, a rarity in today’s world of nuclear households and towering apartment complexes. The film revolves around a cheerful joint family that faces new challenges when their ancestral home for decades comes under threat from promoters.
Chaalchitro: The Frame Fatale (Bengali)
Directed by: Pratim D. Gupta
Cast: Tota Roy Choudhury, Shantanu Maheshwari, Anirban Chakrabarti, Raima Sen
Chaalchitro — The Frame Fatale, directed by Pratim D. Gupta, is a murder mystery revolving around a serial killer who gruesomely mounts his victims’ bodies as wall displays, driven by a twisted past. Leading the manhunt against this maniacal killer is police officer Kanishka Chatterjee (Tota Roy Choudhury), with Shantanu Maheshwari playing his assistant. Anirban Chakrabarti also plays a cop in this thriller. The ensemble cast includes Raima Sen, Swastika Dutta, Anindita Bose and Priya Banerjee.
Viduthalai Part 2 (Tamil)
Directed by: Vetrimaran
Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Manju Warrier, Soori, Rajiv Menon, Gautham Vasudev Menon
Viduthalai Part 2, directed by Vetrimaaran, is a Tamil crime thriller that continues the story from Viduthalai Part 1. The 2023 original followed the story of Kumaresan (Soori), a newly recruited police constable tasked with aiding Operation Ghosthunt, a mission to capture separatist leader Vaathiyar Perumal (Vijay Sethupathi). As Kumaresan unravels the truth about Perumal’s rebellion against state oppression, his empathy for the villagers clashes with his official duties, leading to a moral transformation. The sequel delves deeper into Vaathiyar’s ideological battles and features Manju Warrier as his wife.
Vanvaas (Hindi)
Directed by: Anil Sharma
Cast: Nana Patekar, Utkarsh Sharma, Simrat Kaur, Rajpal Yadav
Actor Nana Patekar returns to the big screen with Vanvaas, a family drama directed by Anil Sharma. Sharma also co-wrote and produced the film, which stars his son, Utkarsh Sharma, in a pivotal role. Set in Varanasi, the story follows Patekar as an ageing man struggling with memory issues after being abandoned by his children during a family trip. Utkarsh plays Veeru, a small-time con artist who comes to the old man’s aid, trying to convince him of his children’s betrayal. Despite Veeru’s warnings, Patekar’s character holds on to hope that his family will return. Meanwhile, his children hatch a plan to forge their father’s death certificate and claim his property.
