‘First Day First Show | ‘Sky Force’ review, R Madhan interview
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Around Tinsel Town
>>Oscar nominations 2025: ‘Emilia Perez’ is the most nominated non-English film in Oscar history with 13 nods
Emilia Perez led the Oscar nominations with a record-breaking 13 nominations, the most ever for a non-English language film. The Spanish-language musical made history with Karla Sofia Gascon becoming the first transgender woman nominated for an acting Oscar.
Yet, Emilia Pérez’s path to victory is far from certain. Despite its nomination dominance, the film has polarised audiences, with Rotten Tomatoes scores reflecting both lukewarm critical reception and outright disdain from general audiences.
Meanwhile, Indian cinema celebrated another Oscar nomination as Anuja, a short film backed by Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga, secured a coveted spot in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Bollywood
I became drunk on my own success: Ram Gopal Varma on career after ‘Satya’

Tabu’s team slams demeaning articles carrying false statement from actress on marriage
TV actor Aman Jaiswal killed in road accident in Mumbai
Sunny Deol’s ‘Jaat’, directed by Gopichand Malineni, locks release date
Randeep Hooda joins John Cena in Sam Hargrave’s action thriller ‘Matchbox’
Hollywood
Writers Guild Awards 2025 nominations: ‘Anora’, ‘A Real Pain’, ‘Challengers’ make the cut

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ ropes in Jon Bernthal
Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese revive ‘Devil in the White City’ adaptation at 20th Century
‘The Brutalist’ director Brady Corbet breaks silence over AI use controversy
Ryan Gosling circling Shawn Levy’s standalone ‘Star Wars’ film
Regional Cinema
Vishal announces films with Gautham Menon, Ajay Gnanamuthu; wishes to reunite with Sundar C, Vijay Antony

Dhanush’s ‘Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam’ gets a new release date
First look of ‘Maaman’, Soori’s film with ‘Vilangu’ fame Prashanth Pandiyaraj, out
Nithiin-Sreeleela film ‘Robinhood’ gets new release date
Permission to crew of ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ will be revoked if conditions are found to be violated, says Forest Minister
Actor Vinayakan tenders apology after controversial video surfaces online
Trailers
Vicky Kaushal roars as Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in trailer of ‘Chhaava’
Sooraj R. Barjatya forays into streaming, reaches out to Gen-Z in the trailer of ‘Bada Naam Karenge’

Robert De Niro is America’s only hope in trailer of cyberattack thriller ‘Zero Day’
Teaser of ‘Dhoom Dhaam’ shows Pratik Gandhi, Yami Gautam Dhar in an odd-couple action comedy
Trailer of Soori, Nivin Pauly’s ‘Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai’ hints at an intriguing drama
Essential reading
1) ‘Vidaamuyarchi’ director Magizh Thirumeni: Ajith Kumar has said that we would collaborate on multiple films
>> The director also spoke about the inspiring message the star’s racing journey sends to youngsters, his cinematic influences, and more
2) R Madhavan did not like ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: ‘Hollywood of late has disappointed me’
>> The actor talks about his working philosophies and the strains on the average Indian taxpayer

3) The Cares of a Family Man: Manikandan on ‘Kudumbasthan’
>> The actor and writer also speaks about how we lost the genre of family films, his penchant for relatable characters, and returning to direction
4) Khushi Kapoor Interview : On ‘Loveyapa’, her style journey and more
>> A remake of the Tamil film ‘Love Today’, Khushi says she was instantly drawn to the fun and relatable story of ‘Loveyapa’ that deals with an important topic
5) Director Hariharan on his book on Kamal Haasan
>> The filmmaker-writer opens up on why he’ll be discussing Kamal Haasan’s works in ‘The Hindu Lit for Life’
6) Amid India’s long workweek debate, what ‘Severance’ teaches us about corporate indoctrination
>> The vision behind Apple TV’s biting fable of modern work culture feels uncomfortably proximate to the truths exposed in the ongoing work week debate in India
7) From aerospace to acting, how Rekha Kudligi became the charming late bloomer of Kannada cinema
>> Rekha’s plunge to pursue her passion for acting has yielded positive results, with her performances in Kannada films gaining praise
8) How ‘Gandhi Tatha Chettu’, a crowdsourced Telugu indie film, came to be
>> The film’s writer and debut director Padmavathi Malladi discusses its making
9) What lay beneath David Lynch’s unique approach to cinema?
>> Lynch’s evocative style reveals a deep understanding of gendered existence, exploring the complexities of women’s lives through empathy
10) Sukriti Veni Bandreddi: I want to be a music teacher someday
>> The 14-year-old actor, also the daughter of ‘Pushpa’ maker Sukumar, speaks about making her debut in ‘Gandhi Tatha Chettu’
11) A jailer who was once a don: the continuing Rajinikanth story
>> Released on January 12, 1995, Rajinikanth’ blockbuster turned 30 recently; here’s a deep-dive
12) Sanskrit movie ‘Dharmayodha’ by Kerala teacher breaks stereotypes about films made in the language
>> Schoolteacher Sruthi Simon says her Sanskrit film is an attempt to move Sanskrit into the mainstream and make it accessible
What to watch
1) Akshay Kumar hijacks this tale of valour, ‘Sky Force’
Read the full review here
2) Mark Wahlberg cruises along on silly thrills in ‘Flight Risk’
Read the full review here

3) Needless flab turns Gautham Menon-Mammootty film ‘Dominic And the Ladies’ Purse’ into average fare
Read the full review here
4) Manikandan maintains his winning streak with ‘Kudumbasthan’, an entertaining comedy caper
Read the full review here
5) Romance and chaos reign supreme in Anna Cathcart’s ‘XO, Kitty’ Season 2, a fun teenage drama
Read the full review here
6) R Madhavan does the math in toothless comedy, ‘Hisaab Barabar’
Read the full review here
7) Magnus von Horn’s evocative true crime thriller ‘The Girl with the Needle’ is a nightmarishly sordid affair
Read the full review here
8) Dinakar Thoogudeepa-Viraat’s ‘Royal’ is short on ideas
Read the full review here
9) Stakes move into the stratosphere in finale of Rebecca Ferguson’s taut, dystopian thriller ‘Silo’ Season 2
Read the full review here
10) ‘Gandhi Tatha Chettu’ is a heartfelt tribute to Gandhian principles and rural innocence
Read the full review here
11) Rishi gives his all in the tepid thriller, ‘Rudhra Garuda Purana’
Read the full review here
12) ‘Sivarapalli’ is a loyal remake uplifted by solid performances
Read the full review here
13) Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx attempt to anchor a facile action-comedy in ‘Back In Action’
Read the full review here
14) Anthony Robles’ biopic ‘Unstoppable’ finds rhythm after a false start
Read the full review here
15) Rachita Ram, Srinigara Kitty star in a soulless sequel, ‘Sanju Weds Geetha 2’
Read the full review here
16) Universal Pictures’ horror classic reboot ‘Wolf Man’ is a howling miss
Read the full review here
17) Aaman Devgan’s debut, ‘Azaad’, is a disappointing ride
Read the full review here
18) ‘A Real Pain’ is a show-stealing Kieran Culkin anchors Jesse Eisenberg’s tender comedy-drama
Read the full review here
Published – January 24, 2025 05:44 pm IST
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