Latest news with #YuddhakaandaChapter2
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Yash's mother ventures into production; first film ‘Kothalavadi' launched
KGF star Yash's mother Pushpa Arunkumar has begun a production house. Named PA Productions, the banner is set to produce its maiden project. On April 30, 2025 (Wednesday), the first movie under the banner will be Kothalavadi. The movie will star Pruthvi Ambaar of Dia fame in the lead role. Hello everyone , here is the first look of my upcoming film Kothalavadi prouduced by @paproductionsin , blessed to be part of this , and excited to step in to this exciting character❤️#PushpaAk@kavyashaiva#Gopalkrishnadeshpanda@ — Pruthvi Ambaar (@AmbarPruthvi) April 30, 2025 The makers released the first-look poster of the movie featuring Pruthvi. In the poster, Pruthvi appears in a rugged look. The film seems to be rural action action with Pruthvi playing the role of a common man. Kothalavadi will be helmed by Sriraj. ALSO READ:'Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2' movie review: Ajai Rao's courtroom drama is a smartly made crowd pleaser Dialogues for Kothalavadi will be written by Raghu Niduvalli. Vikash Vasishta will compose music for the movie while Abhinandan Kashyap will compose the background score. Karthik S is the cinematographer. Meanwhile, Pruthvi Ambaar had a busy 2024. The actor featured in For Regn, Juni, Matsyagandha and Bhuvanam Gaganam.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Ayyana Mane' series review: Khushee Ravi anchors this passable murder mystery
Ayyana Mane is out on Zee5, the streaming counterpart of ZeeTV, known for popular soap operas. It is directed by Ramesh Indira and produced by his wife, Shruti Naidu. The couple has vast experience in making television content, and this amalgamation has resulted in a web series that tries hard to come out of the hangover of a TV serial. Ayyana Mane is billed as the maiden Kannada web series on Zee5. However, with six episodes, each around 18 minutes, the murder mystery is essentially a mini-series that just about remains watchable. Set in the 90s of Chikkamagaluru, the series begins with Jaaji (Khushi Ravi) marrying Dushyantha (Akshay Nayak) and moving to Ayyana Mane, a large household headed by her mother-in-law Nagalambike (Manasi Sudhir). Ayyana Mane (Kannada) Director: Ramesh Indira Cast: Khushee Ravi, Manasi Sudhir, Anirudh Acharya, Akshay Nayak Runtime: 6 episodes, 18 minutes each Storyline: Jaaji arrives at her marital home on her wedding day, only to witness her father-in-law's sudden death. As she discovers more chilling secrets, Jaaji must find a way to survive in the house Jaaji's marital life begins on a wrong note when her father-in-law passes away the day she arrives at Ayyana Mane. Even as her husband supports her amid suspicion against her, Jaaji realises she is in a cursed house. One by one, daughter-in-laws die at Ayyana Mane under mysterious circumstances, and Jaaji fears her turn could come anytime. The series piques some curiosity by spotlighting multiple people to make us guess the murderer. Is Jaaji's husband, Dushyantha, really a kind-hearted man? Do Dushyantha's brothers have an ulterior motive? Is Nagalambike hiding some secrets? We wonder about these things, but the series doesn't have mind-boggling twists to keep us on the edge. Ayyana Mane doesn't carry the tension familiar with solid murder mysteries. Ayyana Mane will work for those wanting to watch a simple whodunnit. For ardent followers of TV soaps, the series is a better outing, thanks to its straightforwardness, one would expect from a TV serial, minus the zoom-in and zoom-out camera techniques, loud background scores, and caricaturish characters. ALSO READ:'Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2' movie review: Ajai Rao's courtroom drama is a smartly made crowd pleaser Cinematographer Rahul Roy creates an atmosphere suitable for the premise with his low-key lighting and slightly unconventional camera angles. Despite their limited character arcs, the ensemble cast is impressive, with Khushee Ravi and Manasi Sudhir being the standouts. The minor reveals in the few episodes give the series a decent closure, but Ayyana Mane has one too many subplots that could have had better arcs. There's the angle of people fearing the anger of daiva (god), and the plot has a touch of supernatural elements as well. There's a culture clash when an urban woman (Hita Chandrashekar) comes as a daughter-in-law. There's Jaaji's silent fortitude, which makes her unique. The series even tries to understand the psyche of the killer. But all these aspects never get fleshed out to give us a sense of fulfilment. Ayyana Mane is currently streaming on Zee5
The Hindu
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Firefly' movie review: Vamshi's debut is a visually experimental character study of a man fighting grief
How long does it take for us to overcome grief? The most sensible answer, perhaps, is that grief isn't the same for everyone. For Vicky (Vamshi), in Firefly, the tragedy of losing his loved ones puts him through phases of denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. Vicky returns to Mysuru from abroad for his cousin's wedding, only to land up in a coma after a devastating incident that leaves him without a family. Post-recovery, he is hit by insomnia, which forces him to adopt many methods, ranging from sensible to outrageous, to find a solution. ALSO READ:'Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2' movie review: Ajai Rao's courtroom drama is a smartly made crowd pleaser From binge eating to self-infliction of pain to trying to find reasons to smile, Vicky's life becomes a series of coping mechanisms. Vamshi, who has also directed the film, opts for an unconventional manner to present his protagonist's world. As a line from the trailer says, 'When reality feels unbearable, the quest for peace becomes surreal.' Firefly (Kannada) Director: Vamshi Cast: Vamshi, Rachana Inder, Achyuth Kumar, Sudharani Runtime: 135 minutes Storyline: A melancholic, surreal journey of Vicky as he deals with life's challenges and seeks the purpose of his life through bizarre adventures The obvious Wes Anderson-esque mood of Firefly is one of its biggest strengths. Serious and emotional scenes have comforting and warm colours, the contrasting palettes you see in Anderson's movies. Like in Anderson's films, characters in Firefly are framed symmetrically in several scenes, creating a visual balance. The quirky set design is another hat tip to the The Grand Budapest Hotel filmmaker. Firefly is a character study of Vicky, and the 4:3 aspect ratio of the movie attempts to provide an intimate view of the protagonist's journey. The film tries to create a vibe in every scene and tells its audience to overlook the logic of those moments. Cinematographer Abhilash Kalathi does well in making each frame appear interesting, a rare attempt in Kannada cinema in recent times. However, as with first-time filmmakers, Firefly is undone by the director's indulgence. Firefly is luminous with creative shots, but this template had to be matched with memorable characters. In Rajkumar Hirani's Munna Bhai MBBS, characters such as a terminally-ill patient (essayed by Jimmy Shergill) and a person in a paralysed state (called Anand bhai) tames Munna (Sanjay Dutt), a gangster who then begins to look at life with compassion. In Firefly, when Vicky joins a self-help group, I expected the arrival of similarly moving characters who could change his outlook to life. Instead, the film opts for a low-hanging fruit. Vicky takes his first step towards change when he comes across the perseverance of small-town people handling economic hardships, an overworked trope in commercial films. The ultra-serious nature of this portion doesn't fit well with the self-deprecating tone of the movie. ALSO READ:'Veera Chandrahasa' movie review: Ravi Basrur's film is a sincere ode to Yakshagana, but lacks cinematic zing Firefly could have benefited from good humour and engaging conversations. The film has tepid drama thanks to Vicky's flat conversations with his parents (Achyuth Kumar and Sudharani) and the girl he falls in love with at first sight (Rachana Inder). Even as Firefly breaks conventional visual grammar, supported by Charan Raj's appealing music, I wished the film focused on small and beautiful moments, like the one where Vicky gets a photo frame of his parents and the scene in which the girl he loves asks him to live in the moment. Vicky reminds you of Sid, who wakes up to love and life in Ayaan Mukerji's 2009 Hindi film. Both struggle hard to become a man of purpose. In fact, Firefly is yet another coming-of-age tale at its core. The attempt to tell this tale of self-discovery in an unorthodox manner is commendable. Consistent writing could have added depth to the film's highly relatable core. Firefly is currently running in theatres
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2' movie review: Ajai Rao's courtroom drama is a smartly made crowd pleaser
Ajai Rao-starrerYuddhakaanda Chapter 2 is a conventional legal drama with enough for those looking for complexities involved in a courtroom battle. The Pavan Bhat directorial is a deliberate crowd-pleaser, even as it does not trivialise a sensational case at its centre. The film never aims to be an intense drama. Despite the slow start, the early episodes ofYuddhakaanda Chapter 2 are an easy watch as we see an orphan (essayed by Ajai) who works as a cashier in a hotel graduating as a lawyer. The sad reality of an inexperienced lawyer struggling to make ends meet is quite relatable. The film doesn't milk the plight of an unpaid, young lawyer, as his dismal situation gets conveyed in a light manner. So, when our hero, Bharath Hanumanth, decides to go up against famous lawyer Robert D'Souza (Prakash Belawadi), he is belittled by his boss for taking up an 'open and shut case.' A single mother (Archana Jois) kills a youngster accused of molesting her school-going daughter. Police encounters are seen as a model of instant justice. But what if the accused gets shot by someone related to the victim in the presence of police and lawyers inside the court premises? Ajai Rao is credited for the film's screenplay, while Pavan has written the story and dialogues apart from direction. Throughout the movie, you feel the difference in the sensibilities of a yesteryear star and a new-gen filmmaker. While it's not a bad mix, it's not perfect, as we see how an over-dramatised villain can dent an intriguing plot. Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2 (Kannada) Director: Pavan Bhat Cast: Ajai Rao, Archana Jois, Prakash Belawadi, TS Nagabharana Runtimes: 146 minutes Storyline: The film explores the legal battles of a mother and child rape victim in courtroom dynamics The opposition lawyer is portrayed as a clown just because the makers want the audience to be disgusted with him. Prakash Belawadi doesn't need to be theatrical to be evil. His snarky smile and effortless ability to bring a sense of evil satire to his characters are enough to hate him on screen. Despite being a given stereotypical representation, Prakash still emerges as the best performer. Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2 offers enough challenges for both lawyers. The twists and turns in the case and the gripping exchanges between the lawyers keep the courtroom scenes engaging. The dignified presence of TS Nagabharana, who plays the judge, is a bonus. The dialogues are sharp, with a strong take on trial-by-media being one of the best. The film, like most of the Indian legal movies, takes cinematic liberty in its narration. The child victim's identity gets disclosed, contrary to the law, but the most obvious artistic expression is the heroic interpretation of the winning lawyer. Ajai, as a hard-working advocate with a big heart, is relatable. But he is wobbly, as this lawyer who has an emotional attachment to his case. His emotionally charged monologue in the climax is modeled on the tone of V Ravichandran's lead character in the film's predecessor, Yudhakaanda, released in 1989. However, that film was tailor-made for its time. More than two decades later, you expect less melodrama in a courtroom film, but Yudhakaanda Chapter 2 proves otherwise. The exaggerated performance of Ajai and Archana in the climax was a major shortcoming for me. ALSO READ:Ravi Basrur interview: Sounds of 'KGF' and 'Salaar' have become world famous Ajai's Bharath Hanumanth is a far cry from 'Lion' Jagapathi Rao, the titular character essayed by Vishnuvardhan in the 1991 movie. Even back then, the lead character was invincible, as Jagapathi is compared to a lion. However, Vishnuvardhan brings a sense of great control in his performance during the charged-up arguments inside the court. Even thespian Dr Rajkumar, in Dhruva Thare (1989), is brilliant as a lawyer with authoritative body language and effortless dialogue delivery. On the small screen, TN Seetharam's long-running Muktha appealed to a wide section of the audience for its interesting trials and emotionally resonating sub-plots. The massive popularity of the serial shows the demand for the genre from the family crowd. Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2 could well reignite the genre in Kannada cinema.
