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Thursday, December 4, 2025
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Reel Take

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke a perfect Bollywood comedy. Brings out the best of Sara and Vicky

The good thing about Laxman Utekar's Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is that it gets to the point quickly. The punch and humour draw plenty of laughter.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a true visual bonanza. Each frame is a work of art

The movie builds its own template of animation and innovation, using it to create pure magic on screen.

Ted Lasso’s last season a messy end to a brilliant show. Mind-numbing sub-plots make it worse

Ted Lasso’s third instalment grappled with filming delays, rewrites and reshoots, leading to an 18-month gap between the season two finale and the start of season three.

Writing reigns supreme in HBO’s Succession. Even Emmy-worthy performances come second

Everything is secondary to the sharp and pithy dialogues, which, when coupled with Succession’s masterful plot progression, create magic on screen.

Beau is Afraid a blood-curdling work of art. Joaquin Phoenix elevates horror to new heights

Pogorzelski’s brilliant camerawork ensures you feel every tick in the scenic backdrops Ari Aster’s films are known for, such as Midsommar and Hereditary.

The Little Mermaid’s unoriginality is hard to ignore. You’re better off watching the original

From flowing CG hair to funny aquarium-like reflections, director Rob Marshall’s visual effects lack appeal, impact and seriousness.

Jogira Sara Ra Ra is so confused and tired that even Nawazuddin Siddiqui can’t save it

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s mellifluous acting helps the movie chug along, which goes from 0 to 100 on the absurdity scale in just 40 minutes.

Jason Momoa steals the show in Fast X while Vin Diesel is stuck preaching about family

John Cena, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham and even Helen Mirren make an appearance in the latest instalment of the Fast and Furious series. But its not enough to save the film.

Netflix’s Kathal turns an absurd fruit robbery into an effective social satire on caste

Kathal and Amazon Prime’s Dahaad have striking similarities — female inspectors dealing with caste politics. But the former takes a satirical approach.

Modern Love Chennai is Tamil OTT’s most exciting offering. It’s a celebration of romance

Helmed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, the six-part anthology on Amazon Prime Video is inspired by a New York Times column. There are also Mumbai and Hyderabad versions of the show.

On Camera

Why Bihar migrates has a 500-year old answer — from Mughal taxpayers to peasant warriors

Migration in North India isn’t just due to lack of development today. It was shaped by the evolution of labour markets under Sher Shah, Mughals, and the East India Company.

India’s Russian oil imports are showing up in cryptic new places. The crude map stands redrawn

December oil imports from Russia may drop nearly 50%, but Indian buyers already shifting to non-designated Russian entities and opaque trading channels to keep Russian oil flowing.

From nuclear cooperation to defence, trade to oil, what is expected from Putin’s two-day India visit

New Delhi is interested in firming up bilateral agreements for increased trade, mobility, upgrade of Su-30 MKI fighters and the increased range of BrahMos supersonic missiles.

Gaali cricket: Bavuma stands tall, India’s Test ego cut to size

The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.