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Thursday, December 4, 2025
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Reel Take

Watching Ab Dilli Dur Nahin is a struggle—just like the UPSC exam

The movie doesn’t do justice to how a UPSC aspirant’s life looks like. It doesn’t even offer any kind of comical relief or strong storytelling.

Reema Kagti’s Dahaad is a powerful portrait of caste oppression in small towns

Amazon Prime's Dahaad is made compelling and uncomfortable by its screenplay, written by Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar and Ritesh Shah.

Priyanka Chopra’s Love Again is gimmicky, badly written. But it’s an unapologetic rom-com

Celine Dion plays a fairy godmother-esque matchmaker who unites the two lovers played by Chopra and Sam Heughan.

Jaggi is not your average happy Punjabi film – it’s a tale of male abuse, homophobia

Jaggi doesn’t host any big stars or unnecessary mainstream vulgarity. It is driven solely by solid writing and a talented cast.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a tearful send-off to fans. Marvel finally gets it right

James Gunn’s Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 3 makes you laugh as much as it makes you cry.

Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo is not your average crime drama – it’s family politics on steroids

The raw and unapologetic action sequences with women thrashing men make for some of the web series’ defining scenes.

Queen Charlotte is better than Bridgerton. It’s about monarchy, race and mental health

Netflix’s Bridgerton made for a binge watch favourite but with Queen Charlotte, Shonda Rhimes has shown what she is truly capable of.

The Kerala Story is comically exaggerated propaganda made worse by graphic scenes, poor writing

Sudipto Sen used multiple graphic scenes of rape, gore, and mutilation, which were not just uncomfortable but also unnecessary. Bad CGI only made it worse.

Afwaah is Sudhir Mishra’s battle cry against WhatsApp rumors, viral videos and fake news

The central tension in the story is the chance meeting of a Muslim man and a Hindu woman. It becomes fodder for local politics.

The Song of Scorpions is an Irrfan Khan superfan movie. But the script is too weak

Film critics questioned why an accomplished Indian actress like Tillotama Shome wasn’t chosen for such a role. Farahani’s acting gives the answer.

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.