Lost and Found

The 2000s can be described as the most unremarkable decade in Malayalam cinema. A slew of over-the-top films with problematic themes passed for flag bearers of the industry. But then there were a few films that bucked this trend such as Kazcha, Thanmatra, and the 2003 Sathyan Anthikad film Manassinakkare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bhramaram: Even before Drishyam, here’s a Mohanlal mystery about a deceptive man with a shady past Malayalam cinema’s most prolific actor and undisputed superstar, Mohanlal has featured in a fair share of tragedies over the years. Most notably, in films such as Thalavattam, Ennishtam Ninnishtam, Kireedam, Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam, Moonam Pakkam, and Thanmathra. Filmmaker Blessy’s Thanmathra, whi...

The 2015 Bengali film narrates the fictionalised story of Kadambari Devi, who is better known as Jyotirindranath Tagore’s wife or Rabindranath Tagore’s sister-in-law. The unfortunate tale of her premature demise has been the subject of great intrigue for many years. And people have always been curious about the woman who was the inspiration behind several of Tagore’s works. Learn more about your a...

Feel-good films can singularly serve as mood-lifters when you’re feeling low. But there are those that can draw you in with a compelling narrative and evoke a range of emotions. Rituparno Ghosh’s National Award-winning Raincoat is one such film and is considered among the late legendary filmmaker’s seminal works. His vision is realised on the screen with much conviction by Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya...

Joel Schumacher will, unfortunately, forever be remembered as the man who directed the universally-panned Batman films from the 90s, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Nevertheless, the late filmmaker did helm a few cult classics such as Phone Booth, The Lost Boys, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Client. A Time to Kill, which was released in 1996 and is arguably one of his best films. Learn more...

For several decades, till the late 80s, Disney’s animation studio failed to recreate the magic and glory the company had managed during its early days. However, between 1989 to 1999, the studio enjoyed a resurgence popularly dubbed the Disney Renaissance with commercially and critically-successful animated films such as The Lion King, Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahontas, Beauty and the Beast and many more...

Robert Rodriguez has become one of the most celebrated filmmakers over the years thanks to his unique filmmaking style and signature visual aesthetics. Some of his biggest hits such as The Mexico trilogy, Planet Terror, Spy Kids, Sin City, and From Dusk Till Dawn have earned widespread acclaim over the years. But one might even argue that these titles are cult classics. However, if there is a film...

Before the 90s economic boom in India, there was a mass exodus of people migrating illegally to the Arabian Gulf in search of employment. This dangerous trip across the Arabian Sea was very common among Malayalis and it helped several families earn a decent living. The 2015 film, Pathemari, directed by Salim Ahamed tells the story of a man named Pallikkal Narayanan who traveled to the ‘Gulf’ in th...

A story of three generations of women and an auspicious box of jewels, this riveting tale by Aparna Sen is aimed at annihilating centuries of social stigma and established draconian traditions. The women of the story each have their own inner demons to overcome, but unfortunately, it is a losing effort. However, a box of jewelry, interestingly enough, comes to their rescue. Today’s film for our Lo...

Films have forever portrayed law enforcement officers in India through a one-dimensional lens. They’ve either been portrayed as government servants who relentlessly serve and go beyond the call of duty or those who’ve let their morals slide in exchange for commercial gains. But Shimit Amin’s 2004 film Ab tak Chhappan is one that depicts the precarious position that encounter cops find themselves i...

Most films that depict mental illnesses are focussed on the condition alone. Illustrating the symptoms and idiosyncratic behavioral patterns, they end up exaggerating the patient’s affliction and coloring them as dysfunctional beings unable to integrate with society. But few films have managed to sensitively portray mental patients through a lens that doesn’t underplay their compromised faculties...

Films that trigger nostalgia are a portrait of the past. They teleport us to a certain time, allowing a glimpse of dated social norms. And significantly, they alter the way we perceive the world and navigate the circumstances presented to us. Anjan Dutt’s compelling family drama Dutta VS Dutta is surely one such gem and it’s our Lost and Found for today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

The 80s and 90s was the golden age for buddy cop films in Hollywood, with hits such as Beverly Hills Cop, Rush Hour, Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon, and 48 Hours revered as some of the best in the genre. But one film that may be slightly lesser known these days is the 1999 film Blue Streak and that's the Lost and Found film for today's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

Every once in a while we chance upon a romcom that’s so delicious it just sweeps us off our feet. The true test for a romcom lies in its ability to engage the audience to such an extent… that we’re compelled to root for the couple on the screen as they tide over all obstacles that test their relationship. Laurent Tirard’s Franco-Belgian romantic comedy Up for love is definitely one such ride. And...

Detective shows such as Elementary and The Mentalist had a good run, exceeding over a 100 episodes, and building a fan base that loves detective fiction. But Scorpion, which has largely been eclipsed by comparatively popular shows, has remained buried in the OTTverse. Loosely based on real-life experiences of its producer Walter O’Brien who is also one of the protagonists in the show, this one giv...

In recent years, few stoner comedies have been memorable enough to be lauded. Most would consider films such as Harold and Kumar go to White Castle and Pineapple Express for effectively and hilariously translating accounts of getting high in films. But Nima Nourizadeh’s American Ultra which stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Topher Grace among others is a rare stoner comedy that slipped th...

In recent years, movies and shows about time travel such as The Paper Girls and even the grossly-underrated JL50 have challenged the possibilities that the genre has to offer. From allowing one to envision an opportunity to alter the past to accepting a future which seems too convoluted, perplexing and beyond one’s imagination. There’s never been a better time to go down the sci-fi rabbit hole. Bu...

There are few films that have managed to capture the desperation and dread that some folks in the world of entertainment go through in their quest for ultimate glory. The exhausting journey of trying to nab that one big break has been detailed to some degree in many films and shows. But the extreme lengths that one can go to in an attempt to achieve one’s showbiz dreams, has been most accurately p...

If you’re a sucker for whodunits, it’s impossible you’ve not kept up with the works of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Their contributions to the world of amateur and professional sleuths has defined the debilitating role of detectives in contemporary literature and popular culture. Many author-backed screen iterations have managed to realize the mood and mayhem of the written word while s...

Lost & Found- Bridge of Spies - episode 77 Steven Spielberg is possibly one of the most popular filmmakers in the world. He has helmed critically acclaimed films across genres and formats for more than 60 years. However, there are few films that have slipped through the cracks in terms of mainstream popularity, and one such film is the 2015 Cold War drama film,  Bridge of Spies.  This carefully cr...

Lost and Found  - Good Girls (Netflix) - Episode 76 Shows where those who keep to the straight and narrow decide to (cough) break bad, have forever clicked on streaming platforms. Well, there’s just something deliciously dangerous about dropping regular folks into extraordinary situations where they must strive to survive, and the payoff just makes it worth the ride. Today’s Lost and Found, the Ne...

Lost and Found - Community - series (Netflix) -  Episode 75 Before Dan Harmon attained cult status for creating the black comedy satire animated series, Rick and Morty, he was known for a relatively lesser-known comedy television series called Community. That's the Lost and Found for today's episode, I'm your host Nikhil Set in Colorado in the fictional city of Greedale, a disbarred lawyer named J...

Stories about Artificial Intelligence becoming self-aware have always been a matter of great interest ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 was sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor in James Cameron’s Terminator in 1984, just a couple of years after Rutger Hauer’s Ray Batty delivered the iconic ‘Tears in the rain’ monologue in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.  The idea of self-aware robots have si...

The Malayalam film industry’s poster boy for its new wave of cinema is undoubtedly Fahadh Faasil. The acclaimed actor has amassed a cult following in Kerala, and across India, for riveting performances in recent films such as Kumbalangi Nights, Trance, Joji, and Malik. The 2016 film Maheshinte Prathikaaram is a relatively lesser-known classic and features one of the most well-written protagonists...

The Malayalam film industry has produced some iconic films based on the state’s complex political structure. Political satire such as Sandesam remains one of the best Malayalam films ever created for its use of humour to tell a compelling tale of family, society, and politics. However, the more serious political films have often been tainted by over-the-top dialogues and larger-than-life character...