The film begins with a black screen and the sound of a bicycle bell and a man
catcalling are heard in the background. It is the sound of every terrified memory of making
one’s way through the dark of the night for most girls in India. Even before the visual of the
man stalking the woman on his bicycle is shown, the viewers are immersed in the tension of
the moment. <h2>The film refuses to force its messages down its audiences’ throat, relying instead
on the truth of the reality it depicts to resonate and shine through despite, or perhaps because,
of the subtle manner in which it is depicted. </h2>

Soni follows the lives of two police officers – the titular Soni (Geetika Vidya Ohlyan), and
senior superintendent Kalpana (Saloni Batra), as they struggle with hardships, dirty politics,
sexism and blatant discrimination in their personal and professional lives. They work
tirelessly to make the streets safer for women, but emerging victorious in the battles of their
own lives seems impossible. <br><br>

It doesn’t matter that Kalpana is a smart, successful superintendent – at home she is still
constantly reprimanded by her mother-in-law for not having a child, accused by her husband
of being too “weak” to be a good police officer, and her strong-willed, independent nature
blamed by family members on her being “a Capricorn”. It doesn’t matter that Soni is a
moralistic vigilante who is good at her job – her aggression and violent tendencies don’t fit
the image of a policewoman, and her strong morals don’t fit in a field simmering in
corruption. She is eventually confined by her male superiors to the control room.

<h2>It’s interesting to watch Kalpana’s juniors address her as “Sir ji” – a term commonly used to
address male superiors. The term being gender-neutral is a positive concept, but one cannot still overlook
the inherent sexism in a woman’s superiority being acknowledged through male terminology. </h2>

However, there is no attempt in Soni to grab its
audience’s attention through a crime or mystery to be solved as the central thread running
through the film, with the women’s lives playing out merely in the background. This is precisely why it does not fit neatly into the genre of a “crime drama”. The
operations their force is working on and the crimes they deal with are never explored in great
detail. Instead, the narrative, through its unhurried pace, long single-take scenes, and empathetic
lens, closely follows the two women – their daily routines, every angered expression, every
defeated sigh, every defiant turn of the head - both in and out of their uniforms. 

<h2>The film
refuses to indulge in a flashy story to convey its intent, reasserting that its
messages are honest and important enough for the film to lean solely on them. </h2>

The film then, is not one for a society trained to crave instant gratification,
quantity over quality, and mindless entertainment. It does not entertain the “art of
tension” as Hannah Gadsby calls the process of building tension and providing the audience
with a release. It constantly builds tension, with
every violent outburst Soni has or every tense conversation between Kalpana and her
husband, but provides no release. There is no moment of catharsis for the audience, because
there is no such moment for either the two women on screen, or the ones that they come to represent in the narrative.

<br/><br/>
<b><i>Written by <span class="text-gradient">Sanjana Bhagwat</span></i></b>

Soni|Netflix|Review

The point Moothon starts off at and the story it ventures into eventually are
so fundamentally different that any details would take away from the experience.There is no
question about the ambition of the film. It is hard to pin down the film to a particular genre or 
language. It is as much a Hindi film as it is Malayalam. It is a drama, a mob flick and a social
commentary. It should also be noted that Malayalam star Nivin Pauly has redefined himself to play a
challenging role that challenges conventions, both of the industry and how films are
made. <br><br>
Moothon is set in a peaceful part of Lakshadweep. However, we are quickly introduced to the world of the
protagonist Mulla, an introverted kid. Bullied at school and ready to be sent away from the island
by his caretaker, he yearns for an identity. The story of Mulla in itself is harrowing, but as
soon as the audience starts to settle with the lush cinematography and the tranquil, slow life of
the island, the film takes an interesting turn.<br><br>
From them on, it is a film that covers new ground constantly and very competently. Its focus is never on one place or a particular story. Ultimately, it tackles the life of the island and juxtaposes it with
Mumbai, its underbelly and crime syndicates.
<h2>Influences are easy to find in the narrative. The film evokes memories of Salaam Bombay. The mob children
run around like in City of Gods, the villains and heroes are active volcanoes like in Satya.
Additionally, Anurag Kashyap staples can be found as well, but not with the earnest heart they come with in his
directorial ventures. </h2>
Mumbai is seen at its darkest, dingiest and most volatile. The brilliant cinematography of Rajeev
Ravi keeps the claustrophobia of Mumbai’s crowded and coagulated spaces intact, while maintaining meticulous attention to detail. The editing is fine-tuned, but the pacing of the film takes a hit, no less thanks to its unorthodox script that goes back and forth between high octane chase
sequences to peaceful conversations on a beach. The background score
too is a nuisance in an otherwise smart film. It dictates the feeling a scene must have,
ultimately having the opposing effect. <h2>
The actors, however, drive the point home. Pauly can blow up and sit in silence with the
same effect, and Roshan Mathew stuns with his elegant vulnerability. The child actors work well
within the film and Shashank Arora delivers yet another great performance. </h2>
The narrative never unfolds in its entirety. Geetu Mohandas brilliantly withholds information and
introduces red herrings, visually and with the story. The film
ventures into themes that are unimaginable in its first act, and eventually provides the audience with memorable twists. However, despite being an ambitious film that will haunt you long after you are done watching it, Moothon remains a hard film to watch with no light
at the end of the tunnel. <br/><br/>
<b><i>Written by <span class="text-gradient">Nimish K Sharma</span></i></b>  

Moothon | Review | Anurag Kashyap, Nivin Pauly, Shashank Arora, Sobhita Dhulipala

Ahead of the release of the very anticipated second season of Sacred Games, Netflix has given fans of the show something to celebrate with its mini-episodes. The latest offering is about a single scene in Kanta Bai's restaurant where four men discuss attacking Gaitonde, but know their attempts would be futile. However, one of them has another plan up his sleeve. Does it mean that there indeed is a way to attack and kill the invincible Gaitonde, is it truly possible to kill God Himself?

Sacred Games Mini Episodes | Netflix India

Sacred Games | Mini Episodes | Netflix

The short film exhibits some very beautiful and creatively executed visual transitions to tell the story of its protagonist, Savio, an assassin. As he prepares to head out for another day of work, planning his next murder, something unexpected awaits him. <br><br> The visuals are constituted with several symbols and imagery linked to life, death and a search for the meaning of existence. They are plotted against a philosophical exploration of Dalai Lama's The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The book also comes to serve as the inspiration for much of the treatment of the story that plays out before the viewer. However, in a bid to experiment with its unpredictable and unique cinematography, the plot ends up becoming dense and vague. The film would have had more to gain if the narrative was a little less impenetrable. 

Savvy? | Short Film of the Day

The film exhibits efficient use of the same, limited space to convey emotions defined by thrill, horror and violence. The scene presented to us is of an interrogation. A senior forest official investigates a case where the main culprit, Raja, a bandit leader, was apprehended three months ago. <br><br> Soon after the arrest and taking Raja and his men into custody, however, some terrible developments came to be. It is simply by way of the conversation that follows between the two men that a sense of deep unease is created within the viewer, suggesting that a force more sinister than what you may have realized at first glance, plagues the world of the film. <br><br> The interrogation moves forth, as shadows continue to darken, threatening to overwhelm the characters before us. When the final revelation arrives, they have reached a point from where there is no turning back. It would be interesting to see subsequent parts of the story, or a longer project based on the same premise that would allow it to develop to its full potential.

Ondhu Kaadina Madhyadholage | Short Film of the Day

The film is about the struggles of an actor who has been trying to achieve fame and success for over a decade. However, with no such reward in sight, despite all his hard work and efforts, his domestic life is crumbling. Once a marriage of love, elopement and perhaps excitement, the household is now afflicted with poverty and the misery. <br><br> Matters come to a head after a humiliating interaction with an arrogant director and his team. Things unravel one after another, leading the protagonist to respond in a way that will leave the viewer surprised, at the least. The film does not exhibit extraordinary camerawork or storytelling, but is taken several notches higher by Ashutosh Rana's skilled performance.



Test Drive | Ashutosh Rana | Short Film of the Day

More than anything, Beediwaala is an exploration of different ideological ways in which you could approach the same situation. While a crime and the criminal committing it are never born in isolation, to what extent can society be blamed for it? Where does the responsibility of the collective end and that of the individual begin? <br><br> With strong performances by its two lead actors, the film delineates the story of a delinquent young boy and what happens when his path crosses with a ruthless police officer. With good writing, smooth flow of the narrative and deliberately dim-lit frames, against the background music of the bhajjans of a seemingly indifferent God, the film succeeds at being a satisfying product for its audience. Having said that, it could be added that it would have benefitted from a more sophisticated visual quality.

Beediwala | Short Film of the Day

The short film is an adept exploration of the cyclicality of life. Invoking images and symbols from different religions, it deals with the notion of karma and how events are often linked with each other. The same premise also earns the film its title Aavarta (circle or whirlpool). <br><br> The story is of a man who has sought his nemesis for fifteen years. However, when he finds him, will he finally attain peace? Is there any redemption to be found on the path to revenge? Supported by convincing performances of the two main characters, the narrative is weaved around the same questions, and offers a satisfying portrayal of the protagonist's struggle to answer them.

Aavarta | Short Film of the Day

‘Inni’ is a very sincere endeavor of a young team that exhibits deep promise. The story is about one night of absolute chaos that includes violence, assault, murder, rape, and four characters, , Indra, Inamika, Pratap and Nisha, located at the heart of it all.<br><br>As the investigating officers get to the business of cracking this case and finding the true culprit, the narrative invokes loss, regret, malice, cruelty, and an element of song and music to embellish the story. 
It also does a notable job of keeping the viewer guessing, and therefore engaged, throughout about who the true culprit is.  <br><br>The writing and visuals evidence skill, even if the casting of the actors exhibits a few hits and misses.
The film, however, remains marked by its storytelling and the intentions to weave it all together as a composite, balanced whole.

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