Reviews of ‘Thug Life' and ‘Housefull 5'
>> HC hears case on Kamal Haasan's remark on Kannada; veteran actor postpones 'Thug Life' release in Karnataka
After a major controversy erupted last week surrounding veteran actor Kamal Haasan's remarks on Kannada at the audio launch of his latest film 'Thug Life,' the actor's banner Raaj Kamal Films International approached the Karnataka High Court for the release of 'Thug Life' without disruption in Karnataka. The petition further added that the banner is not willing to screen the movie in the state unless an encouraging dialogue takes place with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. Following the same, the HC suggested that Kamal apologise for his remark and end the controversy; however, the veteran stood his ground and refused to apologise, opting not to release the film in Karnataka on June 5. The 'Vikram' star asserted he has always stood for the equal dignity of all Indian languages and remains opposed to the dominance of any one language over another. According to trade analysts, the actor is set to face a loss of ₹35 crore to ₹40 crore in gross box office revenue and a loss of ₹12 crore to ₹15 crore in producer share due to the postponement of the film's release in the state.
>> Kerala Police drops Hema Committee report cases; Parvathy Thiruvothu slams CM over inaction
The Kerala Police, earlier this week, decided to drop the cases that emerged from the Hema Committee's findings on sexual exploitation and the misogyny within the Malayalam film industry. According to official sources, despite repeated summons by both the SIT and the court, the survivors declined to provide statements in connection with the cases. This came just a day after actor Parvathy Thiruvothu publicly criticised the Kerala government's handling of the Hema Committee report, mocking the administration's delay in implementing reforms promised more than five years ago.
Bollywood
Aamir Khan confirms 'big-scale' superhero action film with Lokesh Kanagaraj, to enter production in mid-2026
Ananya Panday joins Kartik Aaryan in 'Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri'
Aamir Khan says 'Mahabharata' could be his final film
Diljit Dosanjh's 'Punjab 95' stuck in censor board limbo with 127 demanded cuts
Dharma Productions issues statement after sexual misconduct allegations against 'Homebound' cinematographer Pratik Shah
Hollywood
Tom Cruise sets Guinness World Record with blazing parachute stunt in 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning'
Disney to lay off several hundred employees in film, TV, finance globally
Luca Guadagnino in talks to direct OpenAI drama 'Artificial' for Amazon MGM
Judge rules in favour of Justin Baldoni as Blake Lively's emotional distress case faces setback
'Stranger Things' Season 5 gets premiere date, split into three volumes
Regional Cinema
Nivin Pauly joins Lokesh Cinematic Universe with Raghava Lawrence's 'Benz'
Actor Akhil Akkineni ties the knot with Zainab Ravdjee
Prabhas' 'The Raja Saab' locks December release following multiple delays
Tamil director Vikram Sugumaran passes away at 47
World Cinema
'One Piece' Live-Action Season 2 unveils first look at fan-favorite Tony Tony Chopper
Kamal Haasan's 'Vikram' shines in Japan amid 'Thug Life' release
Trailers
'Wicked: For Good' trailer shows Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return for a grand finale at Oz
'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' teaser shows detective Benoit Blanc take on his 'most dangerous case yet.'
Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell revisit the past in 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' trailer
Jennifer Lopez steals the spotlight in trailer of Bill Condon's retelling of popular musical 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'
Trailer of Noah Hawley's FX series 'Alien: Earth' drops biggest Predator crossover tease
'Frankenstein' teaser shows Oscar Isaac in Guillermo del Toro's Mary Shelley adaptation
Teaser of 'Gen V' Season 2 adresses Chance Perdomo's death
Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan lead vignettes of urban love stories in trailer of 'Metro In Dino'
'Maareesan' teaser shows Fahadh Faasil, Vadivelu reuniting in an intriguing road thriller
Essential reading
1) Chinmayi interview on 'Thug Life' song: 'Despite praise, I feel numb'
>> The singer looks back at the 'Thug Life' experience and the last few years post the #MeToo movement
2) Jafar Panahi | The auteur of dissent
>> The Iranian filmmaker, whose 'It Was Just an Accident' won Palme d'Or at Cannes, says he stands in solidarity with the women who clashed with the country's orthodox moral system
3) When Kamal Haasan changed his movie's title after finding no support from Jayalalithaa
>> During a controversy over the title 'Sandiyar,' Kamal tried to meet the then Chief Minister, hoping to sort out the issue; however, she did not grant him an audience immediately
4) Darshana Rajendran interview: On how acting went from being a hobby to a full-fledged career
>> The actor speaks about her Malayalam play 'Bye Bye Bypass,' which she says resonated with her, as at its core lies the idea of what a home is
5) Want information about any Hindi or Tamil film song? Ask record-collector T.S. Gopal
>> An encyclopedia on music and a wizard at video editing, Gopal has been documenting film songs for the past 60 years
6) Five Kamal Haasan films that courted controversies
>> What sets the latest controversy surrounding 'Thug Life' apart is that, unlike past instances, the row has nothing to do with the movie itself
What to watch
1) Kamal Haasan's fiery performance aside, Mani Ratnam's gangster drama 'Thug Life' shoots blanks
Read the full review here
2) Housefull 5
Read the full review here
3) Abhishek Banerjee's road thriller 'Stolen' is gritty but not revelatory
Read the full review here
4) The Life of Chuck
Read the full review here
5) Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren preside over 'MobLand,' a messy, magnetic enterprise
Read the full review here
6) Radhika Apte elevates the punk black comedy 'Sister Midnight'
Read the full review here
7) Jon Hamm is riveting in the black satire series 'Your Friends & Neighbors'
Read the full review here
8) 'Moonwalk' is a heartfelt tribute to the breakdancing subculture
Read the full review here
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