filmytown Archives - Filmy Town

Simplicity of writing & sincerity of emotions that always works for a film, says Jackky Bhagnani

May 5, 2025 Editorial

Wondering about how during the 70s, 80s and 90s, the filmmakers could come up with classics that had audience connection and emotional recall for moviegoers during that time and even in present times, Jackky Bhagnani delved into the subject of why classic films still matter and what makes a box office hit today, while speaking at WAVES Summit 2025 during…

For all you certified Mohanlal fans/ lovers this is his latest blockbuster offering of March 2025, part two of the Lucifer trilogy. L2 Empuraan courted a fair share of controversy even before it's release, the makers agreed to some cuts, however the audience flocked to see the uncut version before it was replaced in cinema halls. Apart from the controversies there are many other aspects of the film which make it the first superhit of Malayali cinema in 2025 which grossed over Rs 300 crores worldwide, for starters the thing that strikes you about the movie is that unlike any other south original non-dubbed movie this movie is generously interspersed with English and Hindi dialogues according to the requirement of the story. It starts with two independent storylines which then get entwined with the third, thus starting with the first story which involves the CIA and the internationa ....
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Raid 2 – movie review

The maverick director Raj Kumar Gupta applies the rules of larger-than-life heroes to the new chapter of the unsung Income Tax officer Amay Patnaik that he created almost seven years ago. The only major difference is that Ileana DCruz played Amay Patnaik's docile wife, in this version, Raid 2, his wife is played by Vaani Kapoor and while Taoji (Saurabh Shukla is now in jail, waiting for his parole. The role that he played earlier is now being enacted by none other than Riteish Deshmukh. If the first installment was set in the Indira Gandhi regime, the sequel unfolds during the V.P. Singh regime. Without overtly underlining the intent, the film finds faults in the politics of social justice and coalition governments. The honest hero is Amay Patnaik, while the nefarious villain hails from a backward group that emerged from the chappal business, and the shape-shifting official who touche ....
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HIT 3 – movie review

If you are a fan of suspense and thriller genres, 'HIT: The Third Case' - HIT 3 is not only taut and gripping but this PAN India thriller is also tailor-made for you. The film revolves around SP Arjun Sarkaar, a top police officer of the Telangana state's Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) officer is sent to Jammu and Kashmir to investigate a series of brutal murders by serial killers. The story is expected to be made to keep viewers on the edge of their seats with its intense and unpredictable twists. The trailer and teasers of HIT 3 revealed a dark, gripping storyline that delves deep into the psychological and physical challenges faced by the protagonist. Yes. This time, Arjun Sarkaar (Nani) replaces the level-headed Krishna Dev (Adivi Sesh) as SP of the fictional Homicide Intervention Team’s Visakhapatnam unit. His brutal reputation precedes him, and while he may appear to the ....
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The Bhootnii – movie review

Set against the eerie backdrop of a centuries-old haunted mansion, The Bhootnii blends humor with horror in a tacky and spooky narrative. At the heart of the story is a lingering spirit named Mohabbat, (Mouni Roy) whose soul remains trapped due to an unfulfilled tale of love. Mouni, as the ghost, portrays a haunting mix of vulnerability and resilience. Sanjay Dutt plays a quirky and spiritual baba who wants to help Mohabbat find peace. As he tries to free her soul, he faces many funny and frightening moments inside the mansion. The movie has plenty of scary scenes, which fail to scare you or make you laugh a lot. His journey through the haunted house is filled with hilarious encounters and eerie twists, making the film neither a rollercoaster of comedy nor a scary potboiler. Bollywood's obsession with following the same staid formula knows no bounds. When one period drama does well ....
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Jewel Thief – movie review

Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins movie review

Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins is the latest Bollywood film to be streaming on OTT platform, and being a Netflix presentation so it's available only on that platform. For beginning and to caution you it is far removed from the cult classic Jewel Thief of Dev Anand fame which had its own twists and was really appreciated when it was released way back in 1967. After all these years somebody thought about replanning a film with the same name but unfortunately it doesn't live up to the expectations. Shot on a good scale (one can give that much to it) however it leaves a lot to be desired, for starters it has got Saif Ali Khan a misfit in this role he doesn't look anything like his smooth talking self as one can see he is getting old for such roles, here you needed much younger Hero who is nimble and blithe in his demeanor as a Jewel thief (he tries hard to be that but is not convincing ....
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My Melbourne – movie review

Unlike any mainstream Bollywood film, My Melbourne is an anthology consisting of four unique stories, directed by renowned Bollywood filmmakers - Onir, Kabir Khan, Rima Das, and Imtiaz Ali. These collective stories explore themes of identity, diversity, resilience that are set against the multicultural and dynamic backdrop of Melbourne, Australia. Each of the four stories are universally relatable and they seamlessly transition into other through unique narratives. Two segments particularly stand out throughout this film and that are the stories, the first being that of Jules that is directed by Imtiaz Ali and Setara's struggle for her identity, that is by Kabir Khan. The first story directed by Onir and titled as Nandini is about an emotional reunion of Indraneel (Arka Das), a queer Indian man, and his estranged father, Mihir (Mouli Ganguly). It takes time to establish the charact ....
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Critics’ Choice Awards 2025 celebrates exceptional talent across short films, documentaries, web series and feature films

March 10, 2025 Editorial

GroupM Motion Entertainment, GroupM’s content investment, production, and distribution arm, and the Film Critics Guild, India’s first registered association of film critics, is thrilled to unveil the nominations for the highly anticipated 7th edition of the Critics’ Choice Awards 2025. This year, a new category for documentaries has been introduced, further expanding its recognition of excellence across all languages and…

Heartbreaks, victories in Bollywood in Rajan Lall’s Biography- I DID IT MY WAY: My life of love, betrayal, regret & wisdom

March 3, 2025March 3, 2025 Editorial

Jeetendra, Rakesh Roshan and Anupam Kher at Rajan Lall's Book launch

Growing up in the heart of Mumbai, Rajan Lall was exposed to the glittering world of Bollywood from an early age, attending the first-ever Filmfare Awards at Shanmukhananda Hall, courtesy of his uncle JC Jain, the visionary General Manager of The Times of India and the pioneer behind the Filmfare Awards. However, life had its script in store. A fateful…

Producers of the film Crazxy have marketed it as 'a film from the makers of Tumbbad' which raises the expectations form this one too, unfortunately Crazy lacks the scale, canvas and the engrossing storyline of Tumbbad. While the official trailer depicted it something like an out of the world film, this one-actor film turns out to be just a notch above other average films. Makers of Tumbbad have delivered a 'Paani kum chai' film, in comparison to the recent record breaking worldwide interest of their previous film Tumbbad on OTT platform, particularly as the filmmakers want us to believe. This solo actor movie centered around Dr Abhimanyu Sood (Sohum Shah) who finds himself into a high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase after receiving a chilling phone call seeking ransom for his kidnapped daughter. As he races against time, every road unravels shocking twists and turns, pulling hi ....
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