[dailydriver]

Case of Kondana

Some films should be multilingual. Had this too been one, I am sure it would have gained traction and be spoken of in laudatory terms. But alas!

A Kannada whodunnit that slowly and steadily gets transformed into an apocalyptic thriller, this movie is a gripping but violent watch. Good acting. (bar one or two), neat editing and scene-appropriate background score enhance the watching experience.

Available on Amazon Prime, for free.

[deehunk]

I made my dubbing debut for 2 web series and the Kannada-dubbed version of Sasikumar's Freedom movie in 2024. The first work that appeared on OTT was "Call Me Bae." It had a few small dialogues for the Pool Singh character; I got a good chance for crowd dubbing in the movie "Freedom." I got paid well for this work, but there is not much audience for Kannada dubbing. I look forward to a chance to dub for a Malayalam-Kannada movie this year

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by deehunk

I made my dubbing debut for 2 web series and the Kannada-dubbed version of Sasikumar's Freedom movie in 2024....I look forward to a chance to dub for a Malayalam-Kannada movie this year

Oh, good to know. Please tell us a bit more about how you got into this hobby/career. Will be interesting to learn.

Contrary to your belief I see a lot of/almost all successful Indian movies being voice-overed to Kannada - although in terrible and unsuitable (for the character) tones mouthing unrealistic, 'google-translate' kind of words. The thing is that films that are conceptualised as multilingual are better at reaching the audience than ones that are dubbed as an afterthought.

[Rajeevraj]

Identity-Tovino, Trisha-Malayalam-Theater:

Good start to Malayalam Cinema in 2025 with Identity. It is again a crime related movie- First half is more cerebral and has a nice core plot around which the story is built. 2nd half becomes more of a mass action film with fights and chases, but overall a good watch. A lot of twists and turns- some of them good, some expected.

Rating: 3/5

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by Samba

With a lot of hope, I watched Feludar Goyendagiri: Bhuswargo Bhoyonkawr in Hoichoi.

In one word it was a disappointment. Even if I leave apart the Feluda Series directed by the legendary Satyajit Ray, the other Feluda movies were also a very good watch. But this one lacked in every aspect. I will rate it 2/5. I would have rated it 1/5, but I am rating it 2/5 just for the background scenery of Kashmir.

Yes, Srijit is really disappearing up his own backside of over-intellectualization. Unnecessary sermons, political point scoring rather than just simple storytelling. The tautness of Zulfiqar or Baishe Srabon is long gone. Pity because his idol (Satyajit Ray) retained tautness in his storytelling right up to Shakhaprashakha / Ganashatru days.

[mobike008]

Aattam- Malayalam Movie
OTT : Amazon Prime
4/5

This was recommended by a friend. Story of a group of theatre artists (about 12 of them and there is only 1 girl in that group).

They have a party to celebrate a play and that night the girl gets sexually assaulted by one of the male members.

How they investigate and in due course open skeletons from the closet makes an interesting premise of for this movie.

It was a nice and enjoyable movie.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

Oh, good to know. Please tell us a bit more about how you got into this hobby/career. Will be interesting to learn.

The thing is that films that are conceptualised as multilingual are better at reaching the audience than ones that are dubbed as an afterthought.

I attended a workshop for 21 days conducted by Mimicry Mahesh and later gave voice samples to a few dubbing studios. My first opportunity was courtesy of a former student of Mimicry Mahesh for Sasikumar's Freedom movie, which is yet to be released.

To answer the second part of your question, we neither have good editors and dialogue writers for dubbing movies nor do we have well-trained voice actors. Whoever is doing it now lacks the expertise to either train or find the talent in KFI. The translated dialogues for one of the web series came from a US-based company, but they were textbook-like words and cut off from our daily conversation. There is enough talent in Kannada, but finding them and training them is not being done by experts.

[DigitalOne]

Kishkindha Kaandam | Malayalam | Disney Hotstar | 5/5

This movie, in my opinion, is the best Indian movie of 2024. From a strong emotional story that tugs your heart, a suite of actors, tight screenplay and the right running time, superb locations/ambience that adds to the mystery this movie has it all.

It is a wonder how Malayalam Cinema consistently brings us these gems .

ps - A couple of scenes reminded me of Memento, the movie that brought Christopher Nolan into the mainstream limelight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jR7lL-o7js

[Marshall]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upohlfTPDYg

Sookshamadarshini /Malayalam(Original) / Hotstar/ 4out of 5

Racy and very well conceived thriller.

One does get an idea as to what is happening but why gets answered only in the last 30 minutes.

Pop corn muncher for the Pongal holidays.

[GeneralJazz]

Rekhachithram
Language : Malayalam
Rating : 4/5

A crime investigation thriller of the Alt-History genre, this is Asif Ali at his best. Loved how the movie seamlessly switches between the two time periods. The senior actors played their cameo roles wonderfully too. Anaswara was brilliant, Siddique was phenomenal as usual. A must watch, especially for the fans of 80s Malayalam cinema.

[sachinayak]

Some regional movies that I have seen in recent times


Kishkindha Kaandam
Malayalam / Disney+ Hotstar
Loved the movie. Slow boil, takes some time to get the audience engrossed, but brilliant story telling and a fantastic climax. Not necessarily a typical whodunnit movie, but the great glimpse into human psychology behind events and our actions. Must watch.
5 / 5


All We Imagine as Light
Malayalam / Disney+ Hotstar
Just didn't make the cut for me. Felt like a documentary more than a film. For someone born and brought up in Bombay, it just felt like a glimpse into someone's day-to-day life. Realistic for sure, but just could not understand the hype. Perhaps just not my cup of tea, I guess.
2 / 5


Bloody Beggar
Tamil / Prime Video
Crazy, outlandish and unapologetically nonsensical. But nonsensical done right, rather than pretend to be clever. Wasn't able to complete in one-go, but would still say its a 1-time watch for sure. Out of the box, but may not be for everyone.
2.5 / 5


Sookshmadarshini
Malayalam / Disney+ Hotstar
I was waiting for the OTT release for a few weeks now and as soon as it launched yesterday saw it. Certainly didn't live up to the hype/reviews for both my wife and me. The plot twists could be anticipated way ahead and while it wasn't bad, would call it great either. Passable. Perhaps my hopes were too high, after reading all great reviews.
3 / 5


Golam
Malayalam / Prime Video
Not a typical whodunnit movie as you know "who" mid-way through the movie. Its the "how" which kept the movie engrossing. The movie had the right ingredients, but was let down by the execution. Too much focus on the protagonist, who really did not do much anyways. It actually felt like a Bollywood remake of a Malayalam movie. After watching multiple "down-to-earth" and "rooted-in-reality" movies from the Malayalam film industry, this just felt over the top. Still worth a watch.
3.5 / 5

[naveen.raju]

Rekhachithram



Asif Ali is doing what Mammootty in 2024 - choosing the right movies. I didn't wait for any reviews/feedback. Just booked the ticket after seeing the poster and it didn't disappoint.
Asif did a great job here and so did the supporting cast. There are quite a few reputed stars in this with short roles and the director did a great job syncing the story with some real life elements. Sort of reminded me of the old KG George movies. Will keeping you guessing till the end.

Rating - 4/5 (Theater)
Highly recommended.

PS - I recommend not to read/watch the reviews. Most of it will reveal couple of key elements/instances.

All We Imagine As Light



Don't waste your time on this one. Wonder how it won many international awards. A documentary styled movie that goes really slow with a common storyline. There are many brilliant movies that go unnoticed.

Rating - 1/5 (Hotstar). Can avoid.

[ghodlur]

Sookshmadarshini (Malayalam)

Streaming: Hotstar

It certainly did not live to the hype it created on this thread. An Okayish movie but not to the leagues of thriller movies which Malayalam movies have been churning out. Quite a straight forward plot with no twists or edge of the seat surprises. I found Nazriya voice quite hoarse and different from what she sounded in other movies.

Rating: 2/5

[jomyboy]

Sookshmadarshini (Malayalam)

Streaming: Hotstar

Got bored sitting through it. The writers tried hard to keep the audience guessing, but in the end its still a mix of things that we have already seen.


Maru (Malayalam)

Streaming: Amazon Prime

Fantastic movie, albeit the end being a little abrupt. Kept me hooked onto the end. Hats off to Suraj. He seems to really nail any and every part that he gets. One of the most versatile actors in the country I'd say.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by jomyboy

Maru (Malayalam)

Streaming: Amazon Prime

Fantastic movie, albeit the end being a little abrupt. Kept me hooked onto the end. Hats off to Suraj. He seems to really nail any and every part that he gets. One of the most versatile actors in the country I'd say.

I assume you meant "Mura" starring Suraj streaming on Prime. "Maru" means chest in malayalam and I could not find such a movie starring Suraj.