This week, cinegoers had a versatile list of movies to choose from in theaters and below is a quick gist of how each of this films have fared:

• Shabaash Mithu (Hindi): A biopic on Tamil-origin cricketer Mithali Raj, who is the most famous name in women's cricket in India, Shabaash Mithu traces her life from her early entry into cricket to putting women's cricket on the spotlight. The movie is 3 hours long with impressionable performances by Taapsee, Inayat Verma (child actor) among others but it doesn't provide the edge for some of Mithali's most important games. 

• My Dear Bootham (Tamil): A father-less child with a stammer (child actor Ashwath) and a genie separated from his child (Prabhu Deva) cross paths and the emotional roller coaster they have together is what My Dear Bootham is about. The movie's target audience is children but has some psychologically triggering scenes for young viewers. 

• Hit: The First Case (Hindi): A Hindi remake of the 2020 Telugu thriller of the same name, this Rajkumar Rao, Sanya Malhotra starrer does not come with many changes from the original. A police officer with unresolved trauma and phobias is sucked into a case of two missing girls, one of which is his own girlfriend. A one time watch whodunit. 

• Iravin Nizhal (Tamil): Another experimental film from R. Parthiepan, Iravin Nizhal is a single shot non-linear film that traces the life of Nandhu, his sour past, the short-cuts he took to succeed and what he is upto now. A remarkable attempt in Indian cinema and the movie warrants a watch for that if not for its fairly engaging screenplay. [Review Here]

• The Warrior (Telugu): Directed by Lingusamy who once was synonymous with commercial hits, The Warrior starring Ram Pothineni, Krithi Shetty, Nadhiya and actor Aadhi (as the villain), is a tried and tested formula movie with nothing new or engaging to offer. 

• Gargi (Tamil): A school teacher's father who works as a security guard is implicated in the gang-rape of a minor. An underdog lawyer helps the teacher fight for her father in court but this immersive thriller is much more than what meets the eye. A must watch this week mainly for its content and also for impressive performances by Sai Pallavi and others. [Review Here]

• Nilai Marandhavan (Tamil): The Tamil dubbed version of Trance (2020) starring Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya, Gautham Menon, Soubin Shahir is now out in theaters. Nilai Marandhavan is a neo-noir thriller that deals with deals with the themes of depression, substance dependence and the commercialization of religion and makes for an engaging watch. Trance can also be streamed on Amazon Prime Video OTT platform. 

MC Pick: Gargi, Iravin Nizhal