Srivathsan Nadadhur

Five years after the turbulence within the family, the powerful Atwals are at war among themselves. Papaji, after his jail time, still tries to pull strings to keep his crown. Meanwhile, Rinku teams up with his real father, Mahinder, to take over the family business. As their crimes grow darker, DSP Ghosh returns for one last mission to solve the mounting mysteries. The performances, just like the writing, are standard and basic. They work, but there is nothing special about them. Among the cast, Ankur Rathee’s acting style feels very modern compared to the rest. His expressions and responses are precise and stay true to the show’s world. Surya Sharma’s physique and personality make him an obvious choice to play Rinku, but the performance lacks vigour, which is partly due to the role itself.

Brothers Dev and Ravi return home to Shaktigarh to find the person who brutally attacked their sister Gudiya. In pursuit of truth, they have a hard time dealing with their cold, distant father, Raghubir Singh. Their search leads them through a dangerous world of rival boxing clubs, undercover missions, and police chases. As Ravi fights his way towards Olympic trials, they also uncover a web of secrets. The casting choices and the performances in the show are generally neat. Apart from the chocolate boy looks, Pulkit Samrat’s athleticism is a major advantage for his portrayal of Ravi; you naturally buy his zeal to succeed in the boxing ring. Divyenndu Sharma plays the troubled, disgruntled son with assurance. His body language and expressions suggest what the character may have endured for years.

Prashant and Jimmy both struggle for power in two different worlds. Prashant fights through the cutthroat Mumbai film industry to build an acting career after a personal setback. Meanwhile, Jimmy uses his skills as a master salesman to wage a bitter political war against his uncle. As their paths grow darker, both men must decide if they are victims of fate or masters of their lives. Ambrish Verma, also the director of the show, picks the messier role, stepping into the shoes of a roughened-up mard who is bleeding within. Besides portraying his massy, action side with ease, he mirrors the character’s vulnerabilities effectively. He depicts Jimmy as a broken man without going overboard.

A disappointing trend among Telugu filmmakers is the desperation to hold on to a specific genre or storytelling style and overuse it till the novelty wears off. It is like a magician relying on the same trick until the secret is laid bare. Director Ritesh Rana’s quirky, parody-style narratives set against crime — seen across the Mathu Vadalarafranchise and, to an extent, Happy Birthday — were one-of-a-kind when they first arrived, with the mark of a storyteller with a unique voice. With Jetlee, however, it appears as though his signature style has overstayed its welcome, struggling to offer anything new.

A small-time xerox shop owner, Prakasha, makes a shocking discovery: his machine can create living, breathing human duplicates. What begins as a simple trick quickly turns dangerous as these clones multiply and cause chaos. As the copies threaten his life and expose dark secrets, Prakasha must find a way to stop the madness before his reality is completely taken over by his own creations. There is a likeability that Nagabhushana brings to the role of the common man, Prakasha, internalising his little concerns, dilemmas, and conflicts. Payal Chengappa, as Sooji, gets a juicy part as a girl lost between two men, though the resolution to her conflict feels too simple and cinematic. Manju Pavagada is aptly cast as a cop, while Yashwanth Shetty displays his flair for comedy in a brief role. Thukali Santhu passes muster.

Brij Bhatti, a debt-ridden cotton worker, launches the Matka gambling game in Mumbai’s textile mills. As the operation expands nationwide, he faces intense pressure from media, cops and politicians alike. Internal betrayals by his kith and kin, interference from rivals, gradually threaten his empire. Amidst a massive city-wide mill strike, he goes all out to defend his fading legacy.

Frederick, an influential businessman, moves with his family to a mansion in the countryside. Despite multiple warnings from locals against demolishing an idol of the deity Pochamma on his premises, Frederick proceeds with it, only to invite ill luck upon his household. A series of eerie deaths and occurrences soon cripple the family’s happiness. Is this a supernatural curse, or a well-plotted conspiracy?

Actor Thiruveer’s latest Telugu outing, Papam Prathap, begins like a thematic sequel to his previous film, The Great Pre-Wedding Show. While the former focused on the drama prior to a wedding, this film opens with a marriage sequence, where protagonists Prathap (Thiruveer) and Bujjamma (Payal Radhakrishna), childhood sweethearts, tie the knot. At its core, the story is about the chaos that ensues when a personal problem between a couple balloons into a public spectacle. The drama begins on their wedding night, where something seems amiss with Bujjamma. When efforts to resolve the issue with her husband fail, she reaches out to the village elders for help. How far does Prathap go to address the elephant in the room and salvage his marriage?