Latest news with #Z5
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Before Son of Sardaar 2, stream these Mrunal Thakur films on OTT that showcase her versatility
Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur's awaited comedy film, Son of Sardaar 2, is gearing up to release on August 1. Before the chaos and mayhem of Son of Sardaar 2 hits the screens, revisit some of Mrunal's fine performances. From Sita Ramam to Love Sonia, here are some of her films that reflect her versatility. As Son of Sardaar 2 awaits theatrical release, stream these films on OTT platforms that prove her acting mettle and showcase why she is much more than just a pretty girl. Mrunal Thakur's Sita Ramam, Son of Sardaar 2 Mrunal Thakur films on OTT Sita Ramam (JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium) Mrunal Thakur is the heart of this poetic tale of love and emotions. She plays the titular role of Sita in this love story alongside Dulquer Salmaan. The plot of this period drama film centers on a beautiful love story and a bunch of letter letters. Rashmika Mandanna also plays a pivotal role in the film. Love Sonia (JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium) This emotionally charged drama film revolves around a young sister who embarks on a challenging journey to rescue her sister after their father sold her for money. Mrunal plays the titular role in the film, and despite being a newcomer, she delivers an impressive performance. The movie sheds light on human trafficking and takes you through the narrow roads of the red-light areas. Riya Sisodiya, Freida Pinto, Demi Moore, and many other formidable stars are part of the ensemble. Vitti Dandu (Z5 via OTTplay Premium) Not just Hindi and Telugu, but Mrunal has also showcased her craft in Marathi cinema. She plays a pivotal role in this drama film alongside Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ashok Samarth, and others. Set against the backdrop of the pre-Independence era, the story revolves around revolutionary fight and resistance, and is narrated by a grandfather to his grandson. Super 30 (JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium) Vikas Bahl's captivating biopic, Super 30, features Hrithik Roshan and Mrunal Thakur in the lead. The latter marked her Bollywood debut with the film as she plays the love interest of the lead character, Anand Kumar. Mrunal's warm acting profoundly impacts the viewers. The story centers around a kind-hearted mathematician who mentors poor children to follow their dreams against the odds. Hi Nanna (Netflix) Featuring Nani and Mrunal Thakur in the lead, the plot revolves around a doting father and his young daughter, Mahi. Things take a surprising turn when a beautiful woman gets entangled in their lives with a shared past. Kiara Khanna plays Nani's ill daughter and Jayaram also plays a pivotal role. Mrunal's performance in the movie gained her widespread attention and love.
Mint
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
OTT releases this week: New movies, web-series to watch this weekend; Kuberaa, Special Ops Season 2, The Bhootnii, more
OTT releases this week: A number of new movies and web-series will be available on OTT this weekend on platforms like Z5, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and JioHotstar. Let's have a look at the ones that are available to watch online. The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Story: Belly starts her junior year of college still dating Jeremiah. Meanwhile, Conrad is training to be a doctor. Trust issues arise after Jeremiah's spring break behaviour. Conrad returns, bringing back old feelings. Cast: Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavel Casalegno OTT release date: July 16 OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video Vir Das: Fool Volume Story: Vir Das's Netflix show Fool Volume talks about silence and self-doubt. He shares how losing his voice before filming changed the show. Through humour, Das encourages embracing foolishness and enjoying happiness, even after tough times. He also highlights the difference between inner and outer voices. OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: Netflix Kuberaa Story: Kuberaa is a crime drama about a kind beggar from Tirupati. He unknowingly gets trapped in a plot involving a secret oil reserve in the Bay of Bengal. Businessman Neeraj and ex-CBI officer Deepak use beggars for illegal deals. Deva escapes when he learns the truth. OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video Special Ops Season 2 Story: Special Ops Season 2 moves from terrorism to cyber warfare and AI threats. The story begins with the kidnapping of Dr. Piyush, a top scientist, and the murder of a senior officer. Sudheer, a cyber expert, plans a big attack on India's UPI system. RAW agent Himmat Singh and his team race to stop him. Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Prakash Raj, Tahir Raj Bhasin OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: JioHotstar Untamed Story: Untamed is about a park special agent. He investigates a murder in Yosemite National Park. A woman's body falls from El Capitan. At first, it looks like an accident. But, it turns out that she was already dead and had been shot before the fall. The clues suggest she was hunted. Cast: Eric Bana, Sam Neil, Lily Santiago OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: Netflix Bhairavam Story: Bhairavam is a Telugu action drama. It's a remake of the Tamil film Garudan. The story follows three childhood friends. Their strong bond is shaken when a corrupt minister targets temple funds. Cast: Sai Srinivas Bellamkonda, Aditi Shankar, Nara Rohith OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: Z5 Also Read | Mission Impossible Final Reckoning OTT release date: Expected timeline The Bhootnii Story: The story is set in St. Vincent College, Delhi. A legend says praying at the 'Virgin Tree' on Valentine's Day helps singles find love. But, the tree has a dark secret. Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Singh, Mouny Roy OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: Z5 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Story: Season 3 starts right after the Season 2 cliffhanger. The USS Enterprise is attacked by Gorn ships near a Federation colony. Captain Pike must choose between retreating and rescuing the captured crew. Cast: Martin Quinn, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: JioHotstar Sattamum Neethiyum Story: The Tamil web series follows Sundaramoorthy. The shy lawyer witnesses a father setting himself on fire outside the court while protesting his daughter's abduction. Moved by the act, Sundaramoorthy bravely takes up the case. Cast: Saravanan, Namritha Mv, Shanmugham OTT release date: July 18 OTT platform: Z5
Mint
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Kaalidhar Laapata Twitter review: Abhishek Bachchan's OTT release is an ‘endearing cinematic experience'
Kaalidhar Laapata was released on Z5 on July 4. Directed by Madhumita Sundararaman, the direct-to-OTT release stars Abhishek Bachchan as Kaalidhar, with Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and child actor Daivik Bhagela in key roles. The film is a Hindi remake of Madhumita's 2019 Tamil movie KD Engira Karuppudurai, starring Mu Ramaswamy. The story follows Kaalidhar, a middle-aged man who feels hurt and forgotten after overhearing his family's plan to leave him. The man decides to leave home. During his journey, he meets Ballu, an 8-year-old orphan. Together, they travel across India to complete Kaalidhar's bucket list. Kaalidhar Laapata has received positive reviews on Twitter (now X). Let's check out some of the comments. 'Some films entertain, a few stay with you -- Kaalidhar Laapata does both and more. Easily one of the most emotionally fulfilling and beautifully made films of the year,' wrote one user. Another wrote, 'Kaalidhar Laapata is an endearing cinematic experience that seamlessly weaves together humor and emotional depth. With Abhishek Bachchan once again showcasing his impeccable taste in scripts, this film is a testament to his commitment to meaningful storytelling.' 'I've seen many great actors, but very few make you forget you're watching a performance. AB Jr did just that in Kaalidhar Laapata. Utterly real and heartwarming,' came from another. One of them posted, 'Where simplicity meets excellence. Exquisite, unpretentious acting confirm once again Abhishek Bachchan's plasticity to perform demanding roles above and beyond benchmarks. Keep going where no one dares to.' 'Heart touching film, Junior Bachchan OUTSTANDING Keep shining AB. Great performance Daivik Baghela as Ballu, Zeeshan Ayyub, Nimrat Kaur Too good. Kudos to Madhumita & Entire TEAM,' commented another. Abhishek Bachchan's performance has been hailed by many critics. 'There is a fragility to the way he walks, talks, and smiles—making this one of his more nuanced performances in recent years,' Trisha Bhattacharya wrote on LiveMint. 'Ultimately, it is Abhishek Bachchan's moving performance that shoulder's the film's appeal. He subtly brings out Kaalidhar's vulnerable yet mature side which is central to the film's plot,' wrote Sreeparna Sengupta on The Times of India. Shubhra Gupta praised the child actor more, when compared to Abhishek Bachchan. 'If his child co-star wasn't such a sparkler, it wouldn't have shown up the contrast so much,' Gupta wrote on The Indian Express.
Tom's Guide
30-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
I think I'm in love — I just tested the Nikon Z5II and now there's no going back for me
The Nikon Z5II is a mid-range mirrorless camera and successor to the Nikon Z5. As with the original Z5, the new model is billed by Nikon as an 'entry-level full frame' camera, just like its main rival, the Canon EOS R8. 'Entry-level full frame' can be a little misleading, so allow me to quickly parse the camera lingo for you. Nikon and Canon use a (theoretical) customer pipeline — they funnel newbies onto their systems with cheaper APS-C models, then upsell pricier full frame models as upgrades. As such, while this is Nikon's 'entry level full frame' camera, it isn't a beginner camera. The Z5II is supposed to be your ticket into the full frame big leagues, and it's priced and specced accordingly. The Z5II sits mid-market in the overall mirrorless space. A stripped back version of the fantastic Nikon Z6III, it's relatively affordable to young and/or new-ish photographers who know what they want, while also offering enough features to suit serious photography — even paid commissions. So, is it worth the money? You'd better believe it. This is one of the best mirrorless cameras you can buy. Find out more in my full Nikon Z5II review. Specs Nikon Z5II MSRP (launch) $1,699 / £1,599 Sensor 24.5MP full frame Processor Nikon XPEED 7 Lens mount Nikon Z Mount Stabilization 5-Axis, 7.5 stops AF System 299-point Hybrid AF Viewfinder 0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, 3.69m dots Display 3.2-inch vari-angle TFT, 2.10m dots ISO range ISO100-64,000 Max video resolution 4K/60p Ports 2x SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II. USB-C; mic; headphone; Micro HDMI; hot shoe Wireless connectivity Yes Max shooting speed 15fps Max shutter speed 1/8,000 sec Battery life (CIPA) 390 frames Size 5.3 x 4 x 2.9 inches Weight 1.5lbs The Nikon Z5II costs $1,699 at Amazon, body only. As I mentioned above, this puts it firmly in the mid-range mirrorless market, and puts it into direct competition with Canon's entry-level full frame camera, the Canon EOS R8 ($1,499) — which also packs a 24-ish megapixel 35mm sensor. While slightly pricier than the EOS R8, though, the Z5II blows that camera out of the water with a roster of professional features you won't find on the Canon. There's IBIS, dual card slots and more remappable Fn buttons — better fitting the Z5II to the requirements of paid photography work. In fact, the Z5II's features pit it more against semi-pro bodies, like the Canon EOS R6 Mark II ($2,499) and Sony A7 IV ($2,499), both of which the Nikon undercuts (heavily) on price. If you're a budding pro, looking for your first full frame camera for commissions, the Z5II is a proper steal. The Nikon Z5II looks exactly like the Z5, and indeed virtually every other Nikon mirrorless camera, save the retro Nikon Z f ($2,000) and Nikon Z fc ($959). It isn't particularly exciting to look at. That said, its functional looks are matched by its handling, as I'll cover shortly. At 5.3 x 4 x 2.9 inches and 1.5lbs, the Z5II is no featherweight, although it certainly isn't cumbersome or heavy. Even with the chunky Nikkor S 28-70mm F2.8 lens, I had no issues carrying the Z5II around Frankfurt for several hours in 36°C / 97°F heat while on a press trip. As I mentioned above, I took the Z5II on a press trip to Frankfurt, using the camera to shoot product photography of a new piece of tech. It can often be rather chaotic trying to photograph a product that 10 other journalists are also trying to shoot. In those moments, you need a camera that handles intuitively, so you can get what you need, quickly. The Z5II handles sublimely. The chunky front grip and flip out display are ideal for handheld shooting at odd angles. Controls are almost all positioned on the right hand side of the rear and top panel, so you never need to stretch to reach anything. Almost everything is remappable, and the two Fn buttons are positioned within the grip recess, like the original Z5, and other cameras like the Fujifilm GFX100 II ($7,499). I love having two Fn buttons in the recess, where they're much easier to reach than on the top panel, or over on the left hand side of the camera, as with the Sony A7R V ($3,900) I tested recently. The Z5II features the original Z5's 3.69M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, which is higher than the 3.36M-dot EVF in the slightly cheaper EOS R8, and the same resolution as the EVFs in the pricier EOS R6 Mark II and Sony A7 IV. It's plenty bright and as sharp as you'll need for 24.5MP. The rear display is a 3.2-inch vari-angle LCD, with a 2.1M-dot resolution. This is a higher resolution than on all three of the rivals mentioned above. The display has 15 brightness levels, while the EVF has 18, including +/- boost levels on each. The bright boost levels on the rear display came in very handy while shooting in the blazing German sunshine during testing in Frankfurt. The Z5II is hooked up pretty well for the money. Most importantly, it features dual SD slots, so you can write backup files to a second card — an absolute necessity if you want to start taking paid commissions. The EOS R8 features only a single card slot, marking it distinctly as an amateur/enthusiast camera, and no more. Along the left hand size of the Z5II, you'll find a micro-HDMI, USB-C, mic and headphone ports, with a hot shoe on the EVF housing for flash hookup. Nikon promises 68% faster autofocusing speeds from the Z5II versus the original Z5, and focusing down to EV-10, both thanks to the latest XPEED 7 processor. I wasn't able to achieve reliable focus at EV-10 (a frankly crazy number — I'm not sure how you'd have enough contrast in a scene that dark for the AF to work), but I was impressed with how well the camera was able to focus in low light, around the EV-3 to EV-5 region (itself impressive). The new model also features subject detection modes for humans, animals and vehicles, with an automatic mode, so no need to switch manually, just like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II ($4,299) — I love this, as I've often missed shots while trying to flick between human and animal modes on other cameras. Looking at you, Fuji and Sony! Focusing is generally fairly snappy. The hybrid contrast-/phase-detection AF was able to detect and track stationary or slow-moving humans, dogs and birds, and with relative ease. In the portraits above, the camera had no issue locking onto the subjects' eyes. As with most cameras, the contrast detection struggled with my dogs' black fur and eyes, unable to locate their eyes due to the low contrast. Animal eye detection also sometimes focused around the eye, rather than on the pupil, leaving some shots a little softer than I'd like. You can see in the photo of the dog above, shot at f/5.6 using eye detection, that the eye is slightly softer than the surrounding fur. Moving targets were a whole different story. Using continuous AF and in high speed drive, I tried to photograph fast-moving dogs and birds. The Z5II was out of its depth, not fast enough to keep up with eyes or even bodies, often focusing behind the subject. I was able to get some reasonably sharp shots, as with the photo of the bird in the high speed drive section later on, but the hit rate was very low. The Z5II allows you to view focal points in playback mode. You can see in the screenshots above precisely where the camera was focusing throughout a series of images, and it's way off, focusing on the dog's back rather than its face, let alone its eye. The dog in those photos wasn't even moving fast. It's not a particularly impressive performance compared to the Canon and Sony AF systems, but then again, this is a $1,700 camera. I think the AF performance befits that price. If you'd like ultra-snappy AF at this price, I'd recommend an APS-C camera like the Canon EOS R7. The Nikon Z5II features 7.5-stop in-body image stabilization (IBIS). It's fairly effective, keeping handheld video relatively stable and allowing handheld stills shooting down to shutter speeds of around 1/5 sec before blur from camera shake affects the image. You can see an example of handheld panning in the video clip above. The gallery below shows images shot handheld at increasingly slow shutter speeds. The legends on the face of the scale stay sharp down to 1/10sec, but by 1/5sec the image is blurred from camera shake. This wasn't a show-stopping performance, by any means, but if you want better stabilization, you'll have to spend more on a full frame camera, or look at an APS-C camera like the Fujifilm X-T5 ($1,699) or Fujifilm X-S20 ($1,299), which can stabilize handheld shots down to 1 second. The Nikon Z5II's 24.5MP full frame sensor produces stunning images. 24.5MP is a relatively modest resolution these days, and lower than the 33MP of the Sony A7 IV — it won't give you as much headroom for cropping or large format printing than the Sony or other hi-res cameras. As you can see in the images above, the first of which is a crop into the second, there is a decent amount of detail on display. You can make out the intricacies of the flowers, including stigmas and petal ridges, and even a fine strand of what looks to be hair (probably dog fur!). These photos also demonstrate that you can get away with moderate crops without sacrificing too much resolution, although I wouldn't want to be cropping much further, as you can on a higher res cameras like the 61MP Sony A7R V ($3,900) or 100MP Fujifilm GFX100S II ($4,999). The Z5II features a wide array of color profiles, from the typical profiles you'd expect to see on a modern mirrorless, through to playful creative styles. The latter are nice to have, I guess, but a little garish — there isn't quite the refinement of Fujifilm's simulation profiles. Where the Nikon shines, though, is in the quality of the standard profiles, which is what most enthusiast/semi-pro photographers will be sticking to anyway. My favorite is the Vivid profile, which adds lots of saturation and vibrancy without feeling unnatural. The image below was shot in Vivid. There are also a range of monochrome profiles, and I'm a particular fan of the Deep Mono, with its sleek, modern look but bucketloads of contrast — high praise from a man who usually shoots everything in Fujifilm's Acros. Obviously, serious photographers will be shooting in RAW, where the Z5II can capture in 14-bit color, for over 4 trillion individual hues, giving high color accuracy and plenty of grading flexibility in post. The Z5II's high speed burst shooting is impressive, primarily thanks to the speed of the XPEED 7 processor. In high speed extended mode, the Z5II can shoot at 14fps, or 15fps with silent shutter on. Mileage will vary depending on the cards you're using, but using two Lexar Professional 1667x V60 UHS-II SDXC cards (RAW to slot 1; Fine JPEG to slot 2), I shot 136 frames at 14fps. Instead of grinding to a halt thereafter, the Z5II kept shooting at low continuous drive rates (3fps) virtually indefinitely, for hundreds of frames. Of course, continuous drive doesn't matter that much if your AF can't reliably keep up with fast-paced subjects, as I discovered in the autofocus section above. The Nikon Z5II's performance at high sensitivities is phenomenal. I was anticipating a good show regardless, as modest-megapixel full frame sensors usually do well here, thanks to their larger light receptors, which generate less digital noise. But still, even by modest megapixel full frame standards, the Nikon Z5II is impressive. Above you can see a set of images at ISO6400, 12,800, 25,600 and 51,200. These are exports of the RAW files, with no noise processing applied in post production. Even at ISO51,200, while there is noticeable noise and loss of definition in the subject, it's still a usable image. Above you can see the straight out of camera (SOOC) JPEG files, with the camera's standard level of noise reduction applied. Again, it's an astoundingly clean display. The smoothing of noise suppression becomes noticeable at ISO25,600, but even by ISO51,200, does not seriously impact the overall image. The Z5II also demonstrates strong performance in wide dynamic ranges. The first image below is shot at ISO100 and deliberately backlit. The second is the same file with shadows and exposure boosted and highlights reduced in post. Plenty of shadow detail has been retained and is visible in the second image. The shadows are very clean and free of noise. I placed several fake ice cubes in the softbox netting: these weren't totally blown out and the detail has been retained and was retrievable with reduced highlights. This is an extreme test, but demonstrates a very wide dynamic range. The Nikon Z5II can shoot video in up to 4K/60p which, combined with IBIS, make it a viable tool for hybrid shooters and content creation. It'll even shoot internal 12-bit N-RAW at 4032 x 2268 (which is +4K resolution, but not the standard 4K UHD aspect ratio of 3840 x 2160) and up to 30p. N-RAW can be shot in either SDR or N-Log for increased dynamic range capture. Also available internally is 10-bit or 8-bit H.265 .MOV recording in up to 4K/60p, with a choice of SDR, HLG for (almost) out of camera HDR footage, or N-Log for high dynamic range capture if grading in post. All of this is impressive in such an affordable camera, although if video is going to be one of your primary use cases, I'd recommend a more video-focused body such as the full frame Panasonic Lumix S5IIX (MSRP $2,199, but available much cheaper) or the micro-four-thirds Panasonic Lumix GH7 ($2,199) — these offer a plethora of shooting formats and data capture rates, and will both offer much more flexibility and control over video capture. Using energy saver mode and only the rear display, Nikon rates the Z5II's EN‑EL15c battery pack for 390 shots, dropping to 330 shots if using the viewfinder only. I was able to push the camera towards the 400 shot mark with general usage, including playback and using the menus. This battery life is on par with the 370-shot EOS R8, but isn't great, and you'll want to pack a spare battery if shooting all day. For the best battery life in this full frame price segment, the older Sony A7 III, is rated for over 600 shots, although that is an ageing camera now (Sony keeps its older bodies on sale). I can overlook the Z5II's minor foibles, of which there are only really two. Battery life is nothing to write home about, and despite its respectable 15fps shooting rate, the subject detection AF simply can't keep up. The thing is, the Z5II is a $1,700 full frame body, and in that context, this is a hell of a lot of camera for the money. AF performance is still respectable, and this isn't supposed to be a high speed sports/wildlife camera anyway. Anyway, the battery life isn't miles off the competition. The Z5II's imaging performance is brilliant. It produces beautiful stills, with excellent low light performance thanks to the modest resolution full frame sensor. And there's plenty of video potential on tap, too, for hybrid shooters. There are also some super handy pro features, including dual card slots and IBIS, and the camera handles like a professional body should. If you're an enthusiast or semi-pro looking to take your photography to the next level, I'm not sure you can do better than the Z5II without dumping a serious amount of cash.
Mint
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
OTT releases this week: New movies, web series to watch this weekend; Panchayat, Squid Game 3, Raid 2 and more
OTT releases this week: A number of new movies and web series will be available on OTT this weekend on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Z5. Let's have a look at the ones that are available to watch online. Plot: Honest income-tax officer Amay Patnaik, known for his daring raids, is transferred to Bhoj, Madhya Pradesh, for his 75th raid on corrupt politician Dada Manohar Bhai. Suspended during the raid, Amay returns later with his team's support. Cast: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Supriya Pathak Plot: As elections approach in Phulera, rival camps led by Pradhan and Bhushan engage in mind games, smear tactics and power struggles. Tensions rise from sabotage and emotional manipulation to family insults and power cuts. Both sides try hard to appear strong before the final vote. Cast: Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta OTT release: Amazon Prime Video Plot: The viral South Korean web series returns for one last time. In this season, Seong Gi-hun and other players struggle to survive dangerous games with deadly results. In-ho welcomes the rich VIPs watching the games. His brother Jun-ho secretly searches for the hidden island. But, Jun-ho doesn't know that someone close to him might be a traitor. Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon Plot: The web series follows Armaan Mistry, a smart but unusual detective with OCD. Suspended from Mumbai Police for unknown reasons, he still solves cases secretly. The web series slowly reveals the real reason behind his sudden suspension from duty. Cast: Ram Kapoor, Mona Singh, Shikha Talsania Plot: Set in the 1980s, the village of Viraatapalem suffers from a strange curse. Every bride dies on her wedding day. Because of this, no one has been married for years. When brave police constable Meena is posted there, she starts digging into the mystery. Cast: Abhignya Vuthaluru, Charan Lakkaraju, Lavanya Sahukara Genre: Supernatural/Thriller (Telugu) Plot: Sub-Inspector Bidhan Sen investigates strange cases in Birbhum: a theft, a missing person and a headless body. As he digs deeper, he finds the killer is someone he trusted. Cast: Soham Majumdar, Debchandrima Singha Roy, Amit Saha Genre: Crime/Thriller (Bengali)
