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Friday, November 7, 2025
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Reel Take

Vasan Bala’s Cinema Marte Dum Tak wants you to show some love to B-grade movies of the 90s

The Amazon Prime docu-series gives an ode to 90s films that were about dacoits, dangerous beauties and dungeons.

That ‘90s Show gives comfortable old-timey sitcom vibes. But it lacks punch of original

If matching up to the charm of That '70s Show was the creators' goal, then they were setting themselves up for failure.

Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam another absurd gem from Lijo Pellissery. Mammootty makes it better

Lijo Jose Pellissery, one of Malayalam cinema’s most ingenious filmmakers, has attempted to stray away from his ‘master of chaos’ image with this film.

Authentic and brilliant, The Test 2 is the cricket documentary we’ve all missed

In 2023, The Test has returned with a second season that blows its predecessor out of the water in every aspect, showing the value and appropriateness of brevity.

With Netflix’s Trial by Fire, OTTs finally get tragedies right

The impact of the series is that the fire isn't its highlight. Prashant Nair has shown the relentless struggle of the Krishnamoorthys with conviction.

Arjun Kapoor and Tabu starrer Kuttey is an assortment of guns, gangs and gaalis

Debutant director Aasmaan Bhardwaj holds the mix of performances and Gulzar’s stellar lyrics. But the best bit are the dialogues written by Vishal Bhardwaj.

Varisu is a long tribute to Vijay’s superstardom. Director Vamshi has nothing new to offer

Varisu repackages an old story and serves it using an outdated template. But fans of Vijay will get their money and time's worth.

Thunivu’s plot so wobbly you forget it at the end. But it’s a visual treat for Ajith fans

When two Tamil superstars go head-to-head against each other — Ajith in Thunivu and Vijay in Varisu — it warrants a celebration. But Thunivu disappoints on many levels.

Watch Mumbai Mafia if ‘D-Company’, encounters and the ‘terror’ of Bombay still intrigue you

Mumbai Mafia focuses on how a few cops became larger-than-life figures as they tackled the rising terror and Mumbai’s organised crime through encounters.

‘The Pale Blue Eye’ is a gothic mystery thriller brimming with potential. Until it nosedives

Scott Cooper has directed Christian Bale in a well-crafted mystery in Netflix's latest detective thriller, which is intriguing but lacks the final punch.

On Camera

Trump’s unpredictability is not the absence of strategy—it works on everyone but China

The Italian term sprezzatura—a studied nonchalance that conceals intention—best captures the spirit of Trump’s foreign policy so far. The pattern is unpredictability, transactionalism, and disruption as diplomacy.

Asia’s ‘weakest’ link: Yunus on a tightrope as Bangladesh tries to fix banks without breaking economy

With 20.2 percent of its total loans in default by the end of last year, Bangladesh had the weakest banking system in Asia. Despite reforms, it will take time to recover.

‘Let them see’: Putin says new nuclear-powered missiles in the making, in message to Washington

At a ceremony felicitating Russian military engineers, Putin highlights Moscow’s 'parity' in defence technologies for the next century.

Trump’s trade wars have rewritten powerplay, but India didn’t get the memo

This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.