Aisha is fleshed out with charm and conviction by Zaira. Farhan provides the perfect foil to the poised Priyanka.

This Portrait Of A Villain Leans On Joaquin Phoenix’s Astounding Brilliance…As a portrait of anxiety and nihilism stemming from poverty and systemic oppression, it is magnificent.

This isn’t Mission Magnificent. But it isn’t Mission Mangled either. Mission Mangal is watchable, if not always exhilarating, if you can get over its excesses.

The character-driven, female-centric film looks erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and low sperm motility in the eye.

What is commendable is that Judgementall Hai Kya delivers the message without turning preachy or self-conscious. The breezy flow of the narrative, which isn’t broken until parts of the second half begin to seem a tad indulgent, ensures that we are invested in the plight of the characters all the way through.

Sinha draws many of its plot elements from newspaper headlines of recent years, the principal one related to the 2014 Badaun gangrape and killing of two girls and the 2016 Una flogging of Dalit men and employs them methodically to probe caste and gender fissures and fault lines. It remains true to the demands of the plot without losing control over its principal purpose – administering a bitter pill with just a hint of a sugar coating. It works wonderfully well. Article 15 is a not to be missed film.

Game Over, which is presented by Anurag Kashyap, is not without its share of failings, but director Saravanan is clearly endowed with an exceptional sense of the potential of the cinematic medium to probe complex aspects of humanity. Taapsee Pannu, as she has been in her recent outings, is never less than convincing. While she may be the primary reason why you must go out a watch this film, it certainly isn’t devoid of other intrinsic merits in terms of substance and execution.

Avengers: Endgame strikes emotional chords more frequently than superhero movies usually do. It is almost as if the passing away of the universe that this remarkable franchise has created and sustained over the past decade is leaving behind a massive void. Mercifully, we know that in endings lie many beginnings. If this is how magnificently one cycle has ended, there is every reason to hope that the ones that are in the works will be worth the wait.

Rafi tells his customers that it is the sunlight in the Photographs that they will remember long after their visit to the tourist spot. That is true of this film as well. The languid grace and unswerving geniality inherent in the making stand out. They enhance the radiance of the overall cinematic composition and make Photograph a film that will stay etched in our memories awhile.

Badla is a crime thriller that lifts itself out of the limitations of the form by spotlighting questions of guilt and retribution without diluting its edgy quality. The film’s multiple twists and turns will work best if you haven’t seen Contratiempo. But even if you have, the quality of the acting and the technical finesse on show – Avik Mukhopadhyay’s unobtrusive yet effective camerawork is especially noteworthy – make Badla an unmissable film.