Friday, 18 July 2025
Friday, 18 July 2025
Ananya Panday’s cousin Ahaan Panday makes his big Bollywood debut this week with a romantic drama produced by Yash Raj Films. But there’s a lot more on offer at Indian theatres this weekend besides the much-anticipated Mohit Suri directorial that is already making waves with its music.
From a reboot of a popular slasher franchise to a murder mystery shot in Bengal, here’s a look at the films hitting theatres this Friday.
Saiyaara (Hindi)
Directed by: Mohit Suri
Cast: Ahaan Panday, Aneeta Padda
A creative collaboration between debutant Ahaan Panday’s ill-tempered rockstar Krissh Kapoor and Aneeta Padda’s songwriter Vaani slowly transitions into a tale of love and heartbreak in Saiyaara, a romantic drama marking the big screen comeback of director Mohit Suri. Though Krissh and Vaani initially clash and rarely agree on anything, their constant friction gradually paves the way for a blossoming romance. But they soon part ways.
Tanvi: The Great (Hindi)
Directed by: Anupam Kher
Cast: Anupam Kher, Shubhangi Dutt, Iain Glen, Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff
Debutant Shubangi Dutt’s Tanvi, a neurodivergent girl, pursues her dream of joining the Indian Army in Anupam Kher’s second directorial Tanvi The Great. An ex-army officer’s (played by Karan Tacker) daughter, Tanvi stands out in her own remarkable way. From immersing herself in nature’s beauty to navigating tasks independently, Tanvi explores life through her own lens in the film. The story also delves into Tanvi’s strained relationship with her grandfather (played by Anupam Kher), who finds it difficult to accept her the way she is.
Nikita Roy (Hindi)
Directed by: Kussh Sinha
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal, Sammy Jonas Heaney, Kallirroi Tziafeta, Nina Kumar, Atul Sharma
Sonakshi Sinha and Arjun Rampal face off against sinister forces in supernatural thriller Nikita Roy, which marks the directorial debut of Sonakshi’s brother Kussh Sinha. Sonakshi and Arjun’s characters set out to uncover the truth behind a series of disturbing events, centred around Paresh Rawal’s mysterious exorcist, who appears to help possessed women rid themselves of evil spirits. As suspicions arise about the exorcist’s true intentions, Sonakshi and Arjun’s characters dig deeper, uncovering disturbing videos, cryptic diagrams and clues that point to a terrifying secret.
Murderbaad (Hindi)
Directed by: Arnab Chatterjee
Cast: Sharib Hashmi, Nakul Roshan Sahadev, Anjan Srivastav, Saloni Batra, Kanikka Kapur
What starts as a peaceful tour ends in mystery when one guest (played by Saloni Batra) goes missing in Arnab Chatterjee’s upcoming Hindi debut romantic thriller Murderbaad. Anjan Srivastav’s Gupta ji hires English-speaking guide Jayesh Madnani (Nakul Roshan Sahadev), referred by Maqsood (Sharib Hashmi), the cab driver assigned to their seven-day city tour of Jaipur. During the journey, Jayesh and Maqsood cross paths with guests Isabella (Kanikka Kapur) and Shaili (Saloni Batra). As Jayesh and Isabella grow closer, the tour takes a dark turn when Shaili mysteriously disappears one night. What begins as a simple missing-person case soon unravels into a chilling web of secrets and hidden motives.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (English)
Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Cast: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Haur-King, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr
I Know What You Did Last Summer, the fourth instalment in the slasher franchise, follows five friends who cover up a fatal car accident, only to be hunted a year later by someone who knows their secret. As the killings begin, the group realises the incidents follow the same pattern as the infamous 1997 Southport Massacre. Desperate for answers, they seek help from the only two survivors of the previous incident. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return as Julie James and Ray Bronson in this film.
Smurfs (English)
Directed by: Chris Miller and Matt Landon
Cast: Rihanna, James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Dan Levy, Amy
Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer.
Rihanna’s Smurfette, the ‘coolest character’ of the Smurfs colony, enjoys her days in her village where “every day is a party”. However, the peaceful villagers are thrown into a quandary when Papa Smurf is abducted by what appears to be a UFO, forcing Smurfette and her friends to set out on a rescue mission. The Smurfs movie is based on comic book characters created by Belgian comic writer Pierre Culliford.
Dear Maa (Bengali)
Directed by: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Cast: Jaya Ahsan, Saswata Chatterjee
Jaya Ahsan’s Brinda Mitra races against time to search for her missing stepdaughter Sohini Mitra (Ahana) in Dear Maa, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s first Bengali film in 10 years. During the investigation it is revealed that Sohini shared a fractured relationship with her stepmother. While Jaya’s character wanted to embrace Sohini as her own daughter, the latter refused to accept her overtures.
JSK — Janaki V v/s State of Kerala (Malayalam)
Directed by: Pravin Narayanan
Cast: Suresh Gopi, Anupama Parameswaran, Madhav Suresh, Shruthi Ramachandran
Mired in controversy over its title, JSK — Janaki V v/s State of Kerala is a legal drama revolving around a rape survivor, played by Anupama Parameswaran, with Suresh Gopi as her defence lawyer. The film, produced by J Phanindra Kumar and Sethuraman Nair Kankol, sparked controversy after the Censor Board objected to the use of ‘Janaki’, an alternative name for Goddess Sita, for a rape survivor's character, prompting a title change. The film depicts how Gopi’s firebrand lawyer fights against the judicial system to get justice for Janaki.
Nintama Rantaro: Invincible Master of the Dokutake Ninja (Japanese)
Directed by: Masaya Fujimori
Cast: Minami Takayama, Mayumi Tanaka, Toshihiko Seki
Doi (Toshihiko Seki) is an instructor who trains young ninjas called Nintama at the Ninjutsu Academy. During a mission against a rival clan, he mysteriously disappears, leaving the Nintamas, especially Kirimaru (Mayumi Tanaka), a war orphan who lives with him, worried. Meanwhile, the Academy suspects a plot brewing at Dokutake Castle. Senior ninjas set out to investigate but are blocked by a formidable enemy named Tenki, who looks exactly like Doi.
