From a spin-off prequel of an Oscar-winning blockbuster to action entertainers featuring veteran actors in Hindi and Malayalam, an attractive lineup of new movies of different genres are set to hit the cinemas this week. Take a look.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (English)
Directed by: George Miller
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke and Alyla Browne
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure film that serves as the fifth instalment in the Mad Max series. A spin-off prequel to the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road, the film begins with the kidnapping of Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) from her homeland by the Horde of the Biker Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), who seeks her homeland's abundance. But Furiosa plans her escape and eventually allies with Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) to become a skilled soldier. Years later, Furiosa leads Immortan Joe’s wives to freedom, setting the stage for Mad Max: Fury Road.
Blue Giant (Japanese)
Directed by: Yuzuru Tachikawa
Cast: Yuki Yamada, Yusuke Kondo, Kenji Nomura
Based on the first 10 volumes of a long-running manga series by Shinichi Ishizuka, Blue Giant revolves around Dai Miyamoto (voiced by Yuki Yamada), a high school student from Sendai City who discovers a passion for jazz. He starts saving up for a saxophone before he gets a pleasant surprise from his brother Masayuki (Yusuke Kondo). Dai is invited to perform at a local music shop but faces criticism from a regular patron Yui (Kenji Nomura). Undeterred, he continues practising and improves under the guidance of a jazz bar master and a music instructor. After high school, Dai moves to Tokyo to pursue a career as a saxophonist and invites his initial critic to witness his growth.
Bhaiyya Ji (Hindi)
Directed by: Apoorv Singh Karki
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Vipin Sharma, Jatin Goswami, Suvinder Vicky
Manoj Bajpayee plays the titular role in Bhaiyya Ji, which marks the 100th film in his career. The action-packed film directed by Apoorv Singh Karki features Manoj in the role of an action hero who is out to take revenge for the murder of his brother. The actioner also features Vipin Sharma, Jatin Goswami, Suvinder Vicky in key roles.
Barah by Barah (Hindi)
Directed by: Gaurav Madan
Cast: Gyanendra Tripathi, Akash Sinha, Harish Khanna, Geetika Vidya OhlyanBhumika Dube
Gaurav Madan’s film Barah by Barah revolves around Sooraj (Gyanendra Tripathi), a man grappling with the gradual extinction of his profession. Sooraj works as a death photographer in Varanasi, capturing the final images of bodies before their cremation at the revered Manikarnika Ghat. However, with the advent of mobile phones, his once-essential services are becoming obsolete. This leaves him caught between the tides of tradition and modernity.
Tahader Katha (Bengali)
Directed by: Subrata Ghosh
Cast: Rishav Basu, Trisha Das, Rajnandini Paul, Anindya Sengupta, Biswanath Basu
In his directorial debut Tahader Katha, Subrata Ghosh pays homage to writers, both famous and unknown. The moving drama depicts how challenging the journey to fame is and goes on to show how the struggle deprives the world of remarkable narratives and memorable characters. In an age where reading habits are declining and books are often relegated to mere decorations in households, the film bares the lack of financial stability for many writers.
Khelaghar Bandhte Legechi (Bengali)
Directed by: Shibaji Dutta
Cast: Parthasarathi Deb, Plabon Deb, Joy Sengupta, Basabdatta Chattopadhyay
Helmed by Shibaji Dutta, Khelaghar Bandhte Legechi depicts the dangers of artificial intelligence and addiction to smartphones. It revolves around a dysfunctional family whose patriarch Prabodh Chandra (Parthasarathi Deb) keeps urging his grandson Megh (Plabon Deb) to spend less time on his phone. However, his addiction to the gadget leads him down a slippery slope. After Prabodh’s death, Megh blames his parents Amitava (Joy Sengupta) and Hemnalini (Basabdatta Chattopadhyay) for his troubled childhood.
Turbo (Malayalam)
Directed by: Vysakh
Cast: Mammootty, Raj B Shetty, Sunil, Anjana Jayaprakash, Kabir Duhan Singh, Siddique, Shabareesh Varma, and Dileesh Pothan
Malayalam star Mammootty is back in his massy avatar in Turbo, an action entertainer helmed by Vysakh. Mammootty plays a character named Jose who is renowned for his fighting skills. This earns him the moniker Turbo. However, Turbo’s authority is challenged by the arrival of a formidable figure (Raj B Shetty), leading to a confrontation between the two.