Retro Review

Retro directed by Karthik Subbaraj and features actors like Suriya, Pooja Hegde, Joju George and Nassar. With a cast this strong and music composed by Santhosh Narayanan, the film promised a lot. Karthik Subbaraj is known for his unique style, strong narratives and creative visual storytelling. However Retro turns out to be a film that fails all regards. From the very beginning the film struggles to establish a consistent tone and direction.

The plot is the weakest aspect of the film. A well written story usually progresses with each scene born from the previous one, creating a natural flow. In Retro every scene feels artificially placed. It is as if the director had specific moments in mind and built disconnected scenes just to reach them. The film heavily relies on coincidences. While one or two coincidences can be overlooked, the entire film moves forward based on random events and connections. This kind of writing makes the narrative feel unconvincing.

The performances are decent. Suriya portrays a character that reminds me of roles often seen in Selvaraghavan's films. His body language, emotional shifts and even certain shots feel directly influenced by Selvaraghavan's style. Joju George and the rest of the cast perform well within the limits of the script, but the writing does not give them enough space to explore their characters deeply.

Technically, the film is disappointing. The screenplay feels flat. Cinematography is below average and the visual tone is off. CGI effects are poorly done also the colour grading and exposure seem inconsistent throughout the film. Only one scene that was shot in a single take stands out for its execution. Otherwise the film struggles to maintain visual interest.

The music by Santhosh Narayanan is the only element that brings some life into the film. His background score and songs elevate a few scenes and keep the film from falling apart completely. However even his work could not rescue several weak moments. The ideological angle the film tries to convey has been repeated in the director's previous works and now feels more like a lecture than an organic part of the story. Retro is a film that lacks the essence of a true Karthik Subbaraj creation. 

Rating:5/10 ⭐️

Operation Sindhoor: Is Vengeance Really the Answer?

The Pahalgam attack took 26 lives of innocent people including tourists. For a few days we mourned for this loss. But this mourning does not last long in a country like ours. Before we could process grief the government launched a counter strike called "Operation Sindhoor". Mourning was replaced by collective cheer for the retaliation. And just like that we moved on.

This pattern is becoming all too familiar. An attack happens, we mourn briefly, then a retaliation follows. The visuals are shared, the applause rises and we forget the pain. Another cycle. Another headline. Another loss. But how long can we keep repeating this? When will we ask ourselves what we are actually achieving with this response?

If retaliation really ensured safety, why do these attacks keep recurring? We have had Balakot, Uri and now Sindhoor. Still the threat returns. The people we call enemies today were once part of us. Long before the borders were drawn, before politics divided us, these were people we lived with. But now in the name of nationalism, we call them terrorists and label them as the enemy, forgetting the history and bond we once had.

The ones in power who make the decisions do not talk. They do not sit down and try to find common ground. Instead they choose to strike back. They are too far removed from the suffering that results from their actions. Too high up to feel the pain, too secure to understand the cost of war. Why do not they take off their shackles and talk? Why do not they step down meet the people and seek understanding?.

The truth is those in power benefit from these cycles. Every time there is an attack national anger rises. Political narratives tighten their grip. Questions about unemployment, inflation and corruption disappear from headlines. The focus shifts. Emotions get channelled turned to votes and Patriotism is reignited, but for whose benefit? When security becomes a spectacle people end up watching a performance while the system avoids real reform.

Let us also not ignore what this cycle does to us. We become numb. We stop questioning. The media packages grief and glory into a two minute reel. A life lost becomes just another number.

And what if this time it escalates? What if the next attack leads to something much larger, something beyond borders, beyond control? We live in a world where nuclear weapons are no longer just threats but real dangers in the wrong hands. One wrong move and everything could change. With the kind of destructive power we hold today, a single mistake could lead to the end of nations. Is that really the price of this cycle we have come to accept?

We have to ask ourselves. what are we doing? Are we really seeking justice or are we just stuck in a pattern that has no real end? Every time we respond with violence, we push the door to peace further away. Every time we applaud a strike, we forget that strength lies in building something better and not destroying what little we have left.

So here we are again. Mourning briefly, then applauding another strike and waiting for the next. This is not justice. It is just repetition. And if we do not stop to think. 

One day we may not have a voice left to raise.

Tourist Family Review

t has been a while since I found a film that blended satire, family and message driven storytelling this smoothly. "Tourist family" is a film directed by Abishan Jeevinth and starring Sasikumar, Simran and a strong supporting cast. It manages to carry a message without ever getting preachy and it does so while keeping the humour light and accessible.

The tone of the film is what sets it apart. It is a family friendly satire with no dark humour, no crude jokes. Every character carries a natural sense of humour that surfaces even in serious scenes, making the tension dissolve. It is one of those films where laughter does not come from punchlines but from the characters just being themselves.

Performance wise the cast delivers beautifully. Sasikumar and Simran bring warmth and realism, but the little boy who plays the youngest son is an absolute scene stealer. There is a softness in how each actor approaches their role which is subtle, controlled and also genuine. No one tries to outshine the other and that balance adds depth to even the simplest scenes.

Sean Roldan’s music is another major plus. The background score is immersive which is perfectly put into the film’s rhythm. It elevates the emotions and gently supports the satire. The songs too blend in with the story never feeling like detours, but rather extensions of the film’s tone.

The plot itself is short and simple and not necessarily packed with dramatic turns. But that is the point, it is not here to push a story forward. It is here to hold up an idea and it does that well. Whether it is about borders, identity or basic humanity, the film raises subtle questions. For a debut director, Abishan shows a lot of promise by daring to say something meaningful in such a grounded way. It might feel like a film built to carry thoughts but it is one that keeps you watching with a smile and leaves you with so much humanity.

Rating: 7.5/10⭐️

Thudarum Review

Hello people! It’s been a while since I wrote something but here we are. 

"Thudarum" is a film directed by Tharun Moorthy Casting Mohanlal, Shobana, Prakash varma and others. From the posters and initial impressions the film seemed like a family drama, but it quickly turned into something much more. What I ended up watching was a well crafted thriller that keeps you guessing similar to the way "Drishyam" does. The film cleverly deceives the audience with its seemingly simple premise, pulling you into a suspense that is throughout.

The casting is spot on with Mohanlal playing the protagonist. His performance is restrained but impactful. Then there is Prakash Varma, the antagonist who manages to stay in your head for a long time. His portrayal is exactly what the movie needed irritating, sinister and effective in creating tension against the strength of Mohanlal's character.

The suspense element in "Thudarum" is another strong point. Throughout the film, I found myself constantly asking "What?" "Who?" and "Why?"questions. The movie keeps you on your toes by never giving too much away too soon and that is what makes it so engaging.

The music in "Thudarum" also plays a key role in enhancing the mood. The background score is subtle yet effective that builds tension without overshadowing the story. The songs fit perfectly within the narrative that adds emotional depth where needed and complementing the film’s suspenseful atmosphere.

There is also a nice touch of satire in between which gives you small moments of relief in an otherwise tense narrative. Those moments do not feel out of place instead they make the film breathe a little by offering space between the intensity.

Spoilers ahead:

Now coming to the flaws. There are a few. One particular scene where the body is taken out of the trunk feels clumsy. Earlier shots show the trunk opened to sit and chill and suddenly the body appears later which feels like a continuity error. Possibly a cut paste issue in post production. And then there is the motive, while honor killings do exist, the way it is presented here feels weak. There is also a confusing bit where a guy ends up in the police station without explanation and another character goes missing with no follow up.

The second half leans a little too much into commercial territory. The tension and pace gets slow as it tries to mix in familiar mass elements. The director also seems unsure of how to close the story, which leads to an ending that relies on a commercial fight scene instead of a more fitting conclusion. Still with all that said "Thudarum" is a well made thriller with good performances. Definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 7/10 ⭐️

A World Without Lines

He never knew what colors looked like. They told him the sky was blue and the grass was green but those were just words to him. He imagined the world through sound and touch and in that world people were just voices. They were never black or white, tall or short, rich or poor. They were just people. 

He had never looked at someone and judged them before they spoke. He had never seen a face and assumed what kind of person they were. He only knew kindness by the way someone spoke and cruelty by the way someone stayed silent or when someone yelled. 

To him laughter had no shape and love had no face. He recognized people by the sincerity in their speech and the hesitation in their pauses. He understood honesty through steady voices and deceit through forced smiles. His world was not divided by appearances or controlled by assumptions. His world was just sound and movement and emotion.

Sometimes people felt sorry for him because he could not see but he wondered if they were the ones missing out. They saw too much and heard too little. They judged before they understood and divided before they connected. They fought over shades of skin and shapes of bodies while he only cared about the way someone made him feel.  

He would never see a sunrise or a rainbow or a field of flowers but he would also never see hatred in someone’s eyes or disgust in their expression. He would never see the lines that people drew between themselves and others. His world was not broken by difference or ruined by prejudice. His world was free.  

Maybe blindness was not the absence of sight but the absence of bias. Maybe the ones who could see were the ones who failed to look deeper.

How Much Explaining Is Too Much?

There is a certain exhaustion that comes with explaining yourself. At first it feels necessary because you do not want to be misunderstood. But after a while you start noticing that people are not interested in hearing it anymore. They say you explain too much and they ask you to stop. They get tired before you even finish. And that leaves you wondering if you should even explain.  

The need to explain does not come out of nowhere. Maybe it is because silence has worked against you before. Maybe people have misjudged you one too many times. Or maybe it is just how your mind works, You just want things to be clear. Or you want others to see what you see. But clarity is not always welcome. Some people do not want explanations. Some do not care enough to listen. And even those who do, will not have the patience forever.  

This dilemma can be understood through "Relevance theory", by scientists Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson within the field of pragmatics. Their theory argues that human communication is guided by the expectation of relevance, and so listeners naturally interpret information based on how useful and necessary it is to them. Over explaining happens when the speaker provides more detail than the listener finds relevant, leading to frustration. When people ask you to stop explaining, it is not always about the length of your words but their perceived usefulness. At some point, the effort to clarify becomes exhausting, not because the explanation is wrong, but because the listener has already decided how much they care to understand.

That is when you have to decide if it is worth it. Some things need to be said but not everything does. Some misunderstandings clear up with time. Others never will, no matter how much you try. And if people have already made up their minds about you no explanation will change that.  

So maybe the question is not whether you should explain, but who actually deserves an explanation. Because sometimes silence is not just an absence of words but a decision in itself.