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Osiris review – Linda Hamilton drops in to rescue charmingly hokey space-horror

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The fella-in-a-suit aliens resembling past pop culture beasties are a strength of an entertaining abduction adventure An entertaining-enough space-horror, a mishmash of storylines and character types that sees some special forces commandos abducted by a gang (herd? flock? troop?) of aliens whose intentions are aligned more closely with the likes of the predator than lovely little ET the Extra-Terrestrial. The pop culture off-worlders these beasties most resemble physically, however, are the xenomorphs from James Cameron’s Aliens – and not the massive multi-limbed queen, mind you, but the smaller foot-soldier guys who can be played by a fella in a suit. This fella-in-a-suit aspect is the one of the film’s strengths. You might argue that it hinders the willing suspension of disbelief, because you always know you’re looking at a fella in a suit. But in truth there’s something about the physicality of even the hokiest practical effect that is more enjoyable than all but the most skilfull...
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Ranveer Singh gifts himself a ‘beast’: Rs 4.57 Crore Hummer EV 3X delivered to Mumbai home

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Ranveer Singh, Bollywood’s ever-energetic style icon, has just taken his love for flamboyance to a whole new (and greener) level. The actor has reportedly gifted himself the luxurious and powerful Hummer EV 3X, a high-end electric SUV that comes with a jaw-dropping on-road price tag of Rs. 4.57 crore. If reports are to be believed, the Hummer EV 3X, which marks Ranveer’s first electric car, was delivered to the actor and his wife Deepika Padukone’s Mumbai residence earlier this week. Paparazzi videos of the massive SUV being rolled into the couple’s driveway have now gone viral, sparking fan frenzy and admiration across social media. According to reports, while the ex-showroom price of the Hummer EV 3X is approximately Rs. 3.85 crore, the on-road price, including taxes and customisations, has bumped the total cost to around Rs. 4.57 crore. The delivery of this mean machine coincided with Ranveer’s birthday week, making it a grand personal celebration of sorts.   View this post ...
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"I still maintain that he DID NOT commit suicide" - The INSIDE story on the last 24 hours of Guru Dutt's life; a brother's emotional recollection

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The 100th birth anniversary of one of the greatest film personalities ever, Guru Dutt, is celebrated on July 9. He died at the age of just 38 but the contribution he made to cinema has been unforgettable. No wonder that 60 years after his passing, he continues to be talked about and remembered. Some believe that he committed suicide while some don’t believe this theory at all. Devi Dutt, brother of Guru Dutt, spoke at length with Filmfare 9 years ago about why he was sure that his brother didn’t end his own life. In the April 2016 issue, a detailed interview of Devi Dutt was published in which he talked about Guru Dutt’s beginnings, his relationship with Geeta Dutt and a lot more. At one point, he explained what happened on October 9, 1964, a day before Guru Dutt was found dead. Devi Dutt said, “After Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Guru Dutt and Bhabhi (Geeta Dutt) had patched up. It was decided that the entire family would stay together at 48 Pali Hill once it was redeveloped. On Oct...
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Pavements review – US indie rockers and their dream director run four ideas at once

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Alex Ross Perry’s intriguing documentary about 90s band Pavement offers a kind of cine-quadriptych, whose effect is to obscure clarity If ever a film-maker and a band were a match in indie heaven it is lo-fi writer-director Alex Ross Perry and 90s band Pavement, from Stockton, California (described here as “the Cleveland of California”); the latter made critically adored albums throughout the 1990s with comparisons to the Fall and Lou Reed, while never signing to a major label. Now Perry has made a film about Pavement and it seems to be his intention here to avoid, strenuously and at all costs, obviousness – and perhaps the most clunkingly obvious thing for any newbie to ask about is the name. Pavement as opposed to Sidewalk because of a Brit affectation? No: just a functional name chosen almost at random and one that sounded right. Intriguingly, but finally a bit frustratingly, Perry is running four ideas at once, a kind of cine-quadriptych with the plurality signalled by the title....
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Alia Bhatt's former assistant arrested for allegedly cheating her of Rs 77 lakh

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In a shocking breach of trust, Juhu police have arrested Vedika Prakash Shetty, the former personal assistant of Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt, for allegedly defrauding Bhatt of Rs.76.9 lakh. The fraud spanned from May 2022 to August 2024 and involved both the actress’s personal wallet and her company, Eternal Sunshine Productions Pvt Ltd. The complaint was lodged on January 23, 2025, by Alia’s mother, veteran actor-director Soni Razdan. A case was formally registered under sections pertaining to criminal breach of trust and cheating. Investigations led the Juhu police to initiate a nationwide manhunt for Vedika, who remained elusive for nearly five months. Finally, Shetty was located at her sister’s residence in Bengaluru earlier this week and promptly brought back to Mumbai on a transit warrant for further legal proceedings. Police allege that during her tenure from 2021 to 2024, Vedika prepared fake invoices and exaggerated expense claims—including travel, meetings, and logistical...
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Superman review – is it a bust? Is it a pain? James Gunn’s dim reboot is both

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The Man of Steel – played with square-faced soullessness by David Corenswet – has an uninteresting crisis of confidence in Gunn’s cluttered, pointless franchise restarter Here is a film occupying the heartsinking Venn diagram overlap between franchise exhaustion and AI soullessness: a film fatally unconvinced of the reason for its own existence. We’d all hoped that writer-director James Gunn, who was in charge of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie series, might put some wind back beneath Superman’s wings – or in his cape, or under his boots, or at any rate somewhere near his costumed person. The Man of Steel needed a fresh start after his self-cancelling contest in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, and getting muddled together with a lot of other utility superheroes in Justice League a year later – though I will admit to enjoying the pure hubristic craziness of the lengthy Zack Snyder cut of that movie when it saw the light of day. But this? If it was to be a reboot t...
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Salvable review – Shia LaBeouf unexpectedly on hand for gritty British boxing drama with melancholy feel

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Toby Kebbell is excellent as an ageing fighter (and care-home worker) getting sucked into crime, with a vivid LaBeouf as his childhood friend Blue-collar chancer gets drawn into criminal underworld; it must be one of the most well-worn plots in cinema, and if debut directors Bjorn Franklin and Johnny Marchetta don’t exactly make it fresh in this character study, then they undeniably lend it a heartfelt vividness. That’s thanks in no small part to lead actor Toby Kebbell, who as ageing boxer and care-home worker Sal holds our attention with a loquacious naivety, despite having been around the block many times. Yakking his way in and out of various marital, family and felonious situations, Sal is a man fundamentally in negotiation with himself. Living in a trailer, Sal is first and foremost trying to salvage his relationship with his 14-year-old daughter Molly (Kíla Lord Cassidy), irritating his ex-wife Elaine (Elaine Cassidy) in the process. Despite his thickening waist, he’s still a ...
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Sarah Jane Dias joins the cast of Lakadbaggha 2 – The Monkey Business as Anshuman Jha welcomes her into the expanding animal-lover vigilante universe

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Actor-filmmaker Anshuman Jha has officially announced that actor and former Miss India Sarah Jane Dias has officially joined the cast of the highly anticipated sequel, Lakadbaggha 2 – The Monkey Business. The news was confirmed on Jha’s social media, where he wrote that the Lakadbaggha pack is getting “fiercer and stronger” with Sarah's entry into what he has proudly created as India’s first-ever Animal Lover Vigilante Universe. Known for her striking screen presence and versatility, Sarah has delivered powerful performances in acclaimed projects like the recent Kankhajura, the hard-hitting sports drama Inside Edge, and the internationally celebrated Angry Indian Goddesses — India’s first female buddy film that resonated with audiences worldwide. Following the success of cult action in Lakadbaggha, which introduced audiences to a unique action world where justice is served with compassion towards animals, the sequel brings even more intensity, layered characters, and high-stakes ...
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Frankie Freako review – cheap and cheesy comedy horror channels 80s schlock

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Ineffectual office worker Conor calls on the services of a gremlin that looks like someone dipped a Muppet in latex, covered it in caustic soda, and ran a car over it a few times Canadian writer-director Steven Kostanski has been one of the creative forces behind a bunch of silly-sweet horror pictures such as The Void and PG: Psycho Goreman that appear to skew towards a younger demographic. Or perhaps his target audience is really the gen X crowd that never outgrew its affection for 1980s fare such as Critters or Gremlins, cheap and cheesy schlock reliant on practical special effects. Luckily, the latter happens to be Kostanski’s speciality; he’s also worked as a prosthetic FX artist on bigger budget films such as Crimson Peak and the TV series Hannibal. All of that comes together for this daft comedy horror farrago, seemingly set in the 80s, about a nebbishy Canadian office worker called Conor (Conor Sweeney). Conor’s beige jumper alone bespeaks a man deeply risk averse and afraid...
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Aamir Khan on why he said yes instantly to Rajinikanth’s film with Lokesh Kanagaraj; reveals, “The moment I heard his name, I said yes”

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Aamir Khan, whose most recent release Sitaare Zameen Par has cracked the success code, is now looking forward to his next screen appearance—this time, sharing the frame with none other than superstar Rajinikanth. Speaking for the first time about the project, Aamir reveals in an exclusive chat with this writer, “Mine is a cameo in a Tamil action thriller directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. I can’t tell you much about my role, but I come in at a crucial point in the plot.” On the experience of working alongside the Tamil cinema legend, Aamir adds, “It’s an important cameo—but it is still a cameo. When Lokesh approached me and I found out it was for Rajni Sir’s film, I jumped at it. I’m a huge fan of Rajni Sir. I really love him. The moment I heard it’s his film, I said yes—I’m in.” Aamir also shared a nostalgic throwback to the early ‘90s, “I worked with Rajni Sir long back in a film called Aatank Hi Aatank. That was an attempt at remaking The Godfather… an attempt that didn’t quite succeed...
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Dhurandhar sparks debate over 20-year age gap between Ranveer Singh and Sara Arjun

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Ranveer Singh revealed the first look of his next film, Dhurandhar, on his birthday, July 6. Although the visuals and Singh's strong screen presence received widespread praise, the 20-year age difference between him and the film's female lead, Sara Arjun, has sparked widespread discussion. Numerous social media users have criticized the casting choice. Dhurandhar’s striking visuals and Ranveer Singh's intense look captured everyone's attention and sparked curiosity. With the film set for a grand theatrical release on December 5, the first look promo is also gaining widespread attention and has ignited a debate over the 20-year age gap between Ranveer Singh and Sara Arjun, with many pointing out the unusual pairing. Sara Arjun is a well-known child artist in South Indian cinema and has also appeared in Hindi films. She has acted in several Tamil movies as a child artist and recently portrayed the younger version of Aishwarya Rai's character in Mani Ratnam's Pon...
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