Film and TV

In Kochi, Kerala, the ‘Names of Gaza’ protest organised on Thursday by the Chinta Ravi Foundation and the Palestine Solidarity Forum united writers, activists, students and Malayalam cinema artists to read aloud the names of Palestinian children killed by Israeli occupation.

In Idli Kadai, its director and lead actor Dhanush attempts to fuse two contrasting narrative styles. One is a meditative exploration where the protagonist seeks connection with his true inner self. The other is a mindless masala entertainer, reliant on simplistic crowd-pleasing techniques.

Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, India’s official Oscar entry, arrives in cinemas today after enduring a bruising battle with the censor board that demanded 11 cuts, amounting to 77 seconds of deletions.

Homebound makes it worth the wait. His new film seems to have taken all this into account as it constructs a multidimensional image of India as it exists today, a place so wildly ambushed by right-wing majoritarianism that it is now a living hell for Dalit and Muslim communities. The story of Homebound is the story of India of the last decade.

The 2025 Malayalam film Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra claims to reimagine Kerala’s infamous female spirit Kalliyankattu Neeli through a contemporary feminist lens. Promoted as India’s first female-centred superhero...

Still, Athiyan Athirai’s willingness to centre the struggles of Adivasi communities and take aim at the State’s oppressive machinery is commendable. If nothing else, Thandakaaranyam sparks a conversation about voices too often left unheard in Tamil cinema.

At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards 2025, Hacks star Hannah Einbinder won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and made headlines by ending her speech with “free Palestine.”

Anuparna Roy, who made history at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win Best Director in the Orizzonti section, used her award-receiving speech as a powerful solidarity statement to the Palestinian children enduring the ongoing genocidal war by Israeli occupation.

Varsha Bharath's 'Bad Girl' is a delightful coming-of-age story. The film portrays the life of its main character, Ramya, a restless, confused, and rebellious young woman who gradually comes to terms with herself and learns to navigate the world around her.

A docudrama about Israel’s killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl during its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza has won the Silver Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Kaouther Ben Hania’s docu-drama The Voice of Hind Rajab premiered at the Venice Film Festival to thunderous acclaim, receiving a record 23-minute standing ovation and emerging as an early frontrunner for the Golden Lion.

Karinji (2024), a 24-minute short film written and directed by Sheethal N. S., has been officially selected for the 30th Busan International Film Festival under the Wide Angle – Asian Short Film Competition, a section dedicated to outstanding short films and documentaries that expand cinematic horizons through bold, distinctive perspectives.