The Long Take

Tere Ishk Mein, the new film from director Aanand L. Rai and his longtime writer Himanshu Sharma, might be more offensive than anything Sandeep Reddy Vanga has ever made.

A misogynist, hate-mongering pile of slop, the movie exists to validate its incel male audience’s opinions about all womankind.

It would be foolish to question why Dhanush and Kriti Sanon agreed to make this film, but for A.R. Rahman and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub to pa...

Kalamkaval—the new investigative thriller in which Mammootty plays a serial killer—is a dull, dour, and deeply frustrating film. 

We talk about director Jithin K. Jose’s indisciplined screenplay, which repeats the same information over and over again as if it knows audiences are going to tune out. We also discuss its lack of interest in the killer’s victims, whom it treats as mere plot devices.

We find that the performances of the tw...

Haq, the new propaganda movie starring Yami Gautam Dhar and Emraan Hashmi, is even more insidious than Dhurandhar.

We talk about the film’s harmful stereotypes, the irresponsibility of presenting an entire community as savages, and drawing a direct line between bad behaviour and faith.

We also discuss the film’s sloppy storytelling, childish approach to complex ideas, and its constant need to spoon-feed its audience.

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Hosted by Akhil ...

Is Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders more than just a way for director Honey Trehan to pay the rent, or is it actually worthwhile?

We talk about the film’s differences from and similarities to the first one, and the sociopolitical commentary that Trehan and writer Smita Singh are able to sneak into it.

We also discuss how the movie didn’t face any trouble despite naming and shaming the Uttar Pradesh administration.

Along the way, we ...

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the weakest instalment of James Cameron’s trilogy.

We discuss the many ways in which the movie betrays the franchise’s core values, the illogical directions that Cameron sends Jake Sully in, and the loose ends that the film ends with.

We also talk about the lack of humour and self-awareness, the poor dialogue, and the incomprehensible third act action sequences.

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Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long...

You cannot separate a film’s politics from its craft—you cannot separate your own politics from your opinion. To do so would be like judging a Dal Makhani on the basis of presentation but not taste.

Dhurandhar is vile propaganda whose influence will spread beyond even its target audience of unemployed youth and WhatsApp uncles. We discuss how objectionable every scene involving R. Madhavan is, how abrupt the climax feels, and why di...

The Girlfriend seems like a direct response to the widespread misogyny of Indian cinema, but it feels disingenuous because it stars someone who has defended that very misogyny.

We discuss the unintelligent character that Rashmika Mandanna has been saddled with, and wonder if the only path towards feminism that Indian filmmakers know involves taking a detour via humiliation.

We also talk about the film’s on-the-nose storytelling, whic...

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is more like a sitcom written by a Dharma committee than a proper movie.

We discuss Varun Dhawan’s seemingly stagnant evolution as an actor, Janhvi Kapoor moving in the opposite direction, and Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf happily accepting the paycheque.

We also talk about the film’s incoherent narrative, unimaginative plot, and strange lack of confidence.

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Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The L...

Nishaanchi: Part 2 features arguably the best climax that Anurag Kashyap has ever orchestrated.

We discuss the two-part experience as a whole, Kashyap’s modern update to old-school Bollywood tropes, and the magnetism of Monika Panwar’s Manjari.

We also discuss the film’s broader themes of revenge, the stylistic influences, and welcome Kashyap’s long-awaited return to form.

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Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is ...

Anurag Kashyap’s Nishaanchi: Part 1 is a welcome return to form, and the long-awaited spiritual successor to Gangs of Wasseypur that his fans have been waiting for.

We discuss the film’s complex approach to classic themes of revenge, betrayal, and jealousy, while also praising the central performances. Along the way, we commend Kashyap’s inimitable writing and inherent sympathy for the devil.

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Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, ...

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is perhaps the most overrated Indian movie of the year.

We discuss the film’s inert narrative, jarring action, and inelegant world-building that includes an unnecessary detour into Kantara territory.

We also talk about where the franchise could head next, and why it would immediately be better if merged with the Minnal Murali universe.

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Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrappe...

Param Sundari, the new film starring Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, seems to make things up as it goes along.

We discuss the offensive cultural appropriation in every frame of the film, the odd motivations of its protagonists, and the film’s reliance on cultural stereotypes.

We also talk about Janhvi Kapoor’s wardrobe, a potentially incendiary scene set inside a church, and how Bollywood filmmakers continue to fail upwards.

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Hos...

Homebound, Neeraj Ghaywan’s second feature film in a decade, is well worth the wait.

Already selected as India’s official entry for the 2026 Oscars, Homebound is just as moving as Ghaywan’s widely admired debut film, Masaan. We discuss its poetic storytelling, deeply empathetic eye, and the fabulous central performances of Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter. 

We also talk about its daring, humanist approach to spotlighting minority com...

Inspector Zende, the new spoof movie starring Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh, succeeds as a concept but fails in execution.

What could’ve been a homegrown homage to The Naked Gun comes across as a first draft in need of clever rewrites.

While Bajpayee is going full ham in the central role, matching the movie’s energy, Sarbh seems to have been told to tone it down. The result is a tonally uneven ride that could’ve been worse, but also b...

Songs of Paradise is like a 1950s movie that has time-traveled to the present day.

We discuss the film’s old-fashioned narrative and undemanding themes, the chasm of quality between Saba Azad and Sheeba Chaddha’s performances, and the limited ambition of writer-director Danish Renzu.

Songs of Paradise could’ve worked as a metaphor for post-Independence Kashmir, but instead, it’s like a bedtime story for five-year-olds.

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Hosted by Akhi...

In the Tamil-language film Maareesan, the plot twist comes not at the end, but midway through. 

We talk about the sudden change in tone, and how the film handles it. We also discuss Fahadh Faasil’s comedic performance, and wonder why the film is presented through the perspective of his character.

But mainly, we talk about the film’s shady morality, which seems to champion extrajudicial killings if the cause is perceived as noble enou...

Tehran—the new John Abraham political action thriller—literally cannot identify the country of Georgia on the map.

The movie also goes out of its way to make its protagonist an apolitical man who somehow annoys the governments of three nations, including his own.

We discuss the film’s muddled messaging, its bizarre third act, and the arrogance with which it thinks it can get away with claiming Scotland is Iran.

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Hosted by Akhil Arora ...

Sitaare Zameen Par—marketed as the spiritual sequel to Aamir Khan’s 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par—is a shoddily made, preachy, borderline insensitive film with a noble mission.

However, just because it aims to raise awareness about an admirable cause doesn’t excuse its cringeworthy tone, Khan and Genelia Deshmukh’s subpar performances, and its casual othering of the neurodivergent community.

We discuss the film’s many problems before fin...

Is Dharma trying to actively sabotage Ibrahim Ali Khan’s career? After the unwatchable Nadaaniyan, the studio has released the equally inept Sarzameen, a feature-length debut for director Kayoze Irani.

We discuss the film’s unintelligent characters and confusing narrative, and wonder if most of it was left on the cutting room floor. We also talk about some of its more harebrained twists and the unintentional political statements it ...