We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Editor’s note: After braving countless delays, Vijay’s Jana Nayagan is finally releasing in theaters. There is also Max, Min and Meowzaki, a desi independent film out in theatres. The newest Panchayat derivative, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, is a timely take on students and the education system, while Milap Zaveri’s latest brainrot, Tera Yaar Hoon Main, is a puzzler.
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New Releases
Jana Nayagan (Tamil)
Some films are critic-proof. ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay’s swan song, before he plunged into full-time politics and was elected as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, is one such. Designed as a star vehicle, Jana Nayagan is a political entertainer that provides Vijay an opportunity to display his star power with its rousing narrative. A remake of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 2023 film Bhagavanth Kesari, Jana Nayagan is about a a cop-turned-convict, Thalapathy Vetri Kondan (Vijay), who braves adversity to look after a young woman and becomes her guardian. Through this premise, the film addresses themes of female empowerment.
The reviews, predictably, have singled out Vijay’s performance. NDTV writes, “Jana Nayagan is a Thalapathy Vijay show all the way. He dominates every frame he appears in and his screen presence remains the film's biggest strength, especially in sequences designed to evoke applause.”
Jana Nayagan was announced in 2024 and, although scheduled to be released in early 2026, it ran into censorship troubles. In the meantime, the film was leaked and pirated heavily. Braving all of this, H Vinoth’s film is finally having a theatrical release.
Where to watch: Theatres
Max, Min and Meowzaki (Hindi/English)
Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s Max, Min and Meowzaki is about a couple and their pet. Max (Siddharth Menon) and Min (Medha Shankr), the lead couple, are on the verge of splitting up and dividing everything they own. Then there is their cat, Meowzaki, named after Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary Japanese animation director whom they both love. Using this as a framework, the filmmaker addresses ideological differences stewing in families and the repercussions they might have.
Starring Adil Hussain and Nafisa Ali, the film has received mixed reviews. The Scroll writes, “The movie’s concerns about religious bigotry and poor governance give it topicality and urgency,” while also insisting that “[s]ome of the liberal messaging in Max, Min & Meowzaki feels forced.” Having said that, it is not every day that an independent film gets a theatrical release and this, more than other things, should be a persuasive enough reason to watch it.
Where to watch: Theatres
Musafir Cafe (Hindi)
Netflix originals, films and shows both, have garnered a bad reputation, and for good reasons. The neon-light aesthetic and template-driven narratives have become a genre unto itself as similar themes keep recycling in the roster. The latest to join the list is Musafir Cafe, the eight-episode series that revolves around a man torn between his past and present love(s).
Based on a novel by Divya Prakash Dubey, the series stars Vikrant Massey, Vedika Pinto, and Mahima Makwana, and melds the realism of the present with the magic of nostalgia. The reviews have largely been favourable.
The show has received praise for its nuanced take on relationships. The Hollywood Reporter India states, “...Musafir Cafe also does something rare for an Indian story about relationships. It doesn’t take sides in the contest between the individualism of romance and the romance of individualism.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya (Hindi)
Ever since the success of Panchayat, a keen-eyed look at rural India through the eyes of a city-bred man, there have been several iterations and imitations of this premise. Gram Chikitsalay, where a doctor is stationed at a neglected village and ushers in a change, is an example. Now, there is Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya. Starring heavyweights like KK Menon, Archana Puran Singh, Deven Bhojani, the show tracks a lackadaisical school principal and his attempts at fixing a public school, and in effect a broken system.
Given the times we’re in, with student-led protests raging across the country, it is hard to overlook the timeliness of a show like this. A review in Scroll reiterates this, stating, “Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya is uncannily well-timed. Beyond its unintended topicality, the series deftly uses an old device – comedy – to reveal why education in “New India” is a right royal mess.”
Where to watch: Prime Video
Chobiwala- A Journey Of An Artist (Bengali)
Shubhrajyoti Bappa’s film revolves around a misunderstood photographer (Rahul Arunoday Banerjee) perceived to be unsuccessful by others. But moved and compelled by art, he continues to persevere. His journey is further hindered by poverty and a marriage that threatens to crumble as life becomes untenable. Chobiwala stars Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, the actor who passed away on March 29 this year, marking his final screen appearance.
Where to watch: Theatres
The Dink (English)
Josh Greenbaum’s comedy is about a former tennis prodigy Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson) who teaches kids at his father’s country club. Years ago, he was defeated by Andy Roddick (yes, Andy Roddick), a loss that ruined his reputation and…well, his confidence. But life throws him an opportunity to regain respect, especially before his father’s eyes, through a pickleball match.
Starring Ben Stiller, Ed Harris, Aaron Chen, and Johnson, The Dink has been long anticipated given that Greenbaum has helmed it. The good news is that the film too has fared well. “Greenbaum's brand of comedy is defiantly wacky, welcoming, and humane, never mean. So The Dink is sure to please, whatever your age or interest in its central sport,” writes Mashable.
Where to watch: Apple TV
Tera Yaar Hoon Main (Hindi)
We can agree that standing in 2026, brainrot is a genre unto itself. And filmmaker Milap Zaveri has taken it upon himself to venture forth bravely into this with his new work. There is very little evidence to prove that Tera Yaar Hoon Main is an actual film. Granted there are actors (Aman Indra Kumar,director Indra Kumar’s son, is making his acting debut); there are songs; there are too many visuals of biceps flexing; and it is currently playing in theatres. But there are also scenes where a boy and a girl talk like this:
He: "Ladki ki life mein jab koi problem aati hain na toh use solve karne wala lover hi hota hain”. (“A lover is someone who solves the problems in a girl’s life”)
She: “par jo problem aane hi na de na, usse father kehte hain" (“But father is someone who doesn’t let problems come in the first place”).
AI had one job.
Where to watch: Theatres
Harish Durairaj’s thriller features at its heart a family living in Mangalore. The couple, Saravanan and Mithra, live together, but there’s an emotional distance that exists between them. What ties them together is their disabled son, Jeeva. Things go haywire when Jeeva goes missing and the investigation sheds light on the extraordinariness of the crime which eventually cracks open family secrets.
Starring Arjun Das and Anna Ben in lead roles, Con City has been praised for its inventive premise, although reviews have also pointed out the film’s inability to follow it through. “Con City is the latest addition to the long list of Tamil mid-budget flicks that rely too heavily on an interesting one-liner to squander away character depth and ingenuity,” writes The Hindu. Having said that, the presence of Anna Ben almost always makes for a case to watch something.
Where to watch: Netflix
Wandering Sombarais: A Gripping Real-Life Story
A breathtaking travel documentary series: two bikers, Shashank Nawani and Santhosh Vijay Kumar, get on their motorcycles and set off into the horizon, covering three countries and 11,000 km as they plan to ride all the way to Mongolia. An adventurous road trip that covers their personal experiences and encounters, set against the natural beauty the duo pass through.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Fresh off the big screen
Pallichattambi (Malayalam)
Dijo Jose Antony’s period action film is about an orphan in Kerala who is adopted by Hindu and Christian families after going through violent attacks. He grows up during the contentious period of the Liberation Struggle (1958–59) and is chosen by the Church to fight the Communists.
Starring Tovino Thomas, Pallichattambi takes a vital chapter in history but refuses to make up its mind about it. A review in The Hindu points out the same, stating, “However, the filmmaker, without taking a stand on either side, brings in a fictional external enemy, a powerful feudal lord from outside the State, and lays all the blame for the violence and bloodshed at his feet.”
Where to watch: SonyLiv
One more chapter
Ransom Canyons S2 (English)
The television show, based on Jodi Thomas’ book series, is a Western-themed drama about three ranching families and their interpersonal relations. Set against the backdrop of Texas Hill Country, it upholds the messy turns that the intersections take as love and control for land take centrestage. Created by April Blair, the first season opened with death and, despite the formulaic segues, unfolded as a potent portrait of grief, among other things.
Praising the first season, The Hollywood Reporter had stated, “It is featureless and formulaic, happy to borrow just a fraction of your attention while you mostly focus on other things. This is not entirely a net negative, or at least not for everyone; background shows can have their place in an omnivorous TV diet. But it can, the longer and more closely you try to watch it, make for a stultifying experience.” The new season, per Rogerebert.com, doesn’t take itself seriously, embracing its comfort show positioning: “...‘Ransom Canyon’ is finally free to lean into its soapiest and most over-the-top narrative tendencies without having to try and pretend there’s anything resembling prestige TV going on here.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S4
The scifi series created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet, part of the larger Star Trek universe, returns for its fourth season this week. While the third season was considered as somewhat a “mixed bag”, the new season kicks off with a bang, the Enterprise travelling 65 million years into the past to create life as we know it. And they also punch a dinosaur. Rest assured, there’s a lot going on here.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
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