Ashwini Chaudhary

A cat-and-mouse tale set in the Hindi heartland, where male friendships and rivalries unveil homoerotic tensions. Men on both sides of the law traverse arid lands, creating a sense of place where unexplored histories reside. Set in the ravines of central India, Ghamasaan tells the story of an uncompromising IPS officer, played by Pratik Gandhi, who is tasked with bringing order to a land torn between politics, law, and outlaw rule. His mission brings him into direct conflict with a charismatic and feared dacoit leader, portrayed by Arshad Warsi, whose authority among the marginalized blurs the lines between rebellion and crime. As the officer digs deeper, he finds himself entangled in the complex nexus of caste, politics, and survival that fuels the region's unrest. The battle between law and outlaw is not painted in black and white-both men carry conviction, both embody a kind of justice, and both are trapped in the inevitability of violence. What begins as a manhunt unfolds into a meditation on power, morality, and the human cost of conflict. The film culminates in a dust-choked confrontation where the ravines themselves seem to swallow ideals, leaving behind only the stark question of whether justice can ever truly prevail in such a fractured world. Tigmanshu Dhulia's Ghamasaan is a taut, immersive exploration of power, morality, and survival set against the rugged ravines of central India. At its core is the electrifying duel between an uncompromising IPS officer (Pratik Gandhi) and a charismatic, unpredictable dacoit leader (Arshad Warsi). Dhulia's direction is meticulous and controlled-he balances intense, high-stakes action with quiet, contemplative moments that reveal the ethical and political complexities of the story. Gandhi embodies steadfast resolve and moral tension, while Warsi brings layered menace and charisma, and the supporting cast adds subtle texture, making every interaction feel consequential. Visually, the film is dominated by Dev Agarwal's cinematography, which transforms the landscape into a character in its own right. Wide, expansive frames render the ravines epic yet oppressive, while interiors are sculpted with light and shadow to reflect the weight of each decision. The colour palette evolves with the narrative, moving from earthy realism to fiery ambers and reds, before culminating in dust-choked desaturation that mirrors the inevitability of conflict. Agarwal's deliberate camera movement-tracking long takes, lingering on silent confrontations-heightens tension and immerses the audience in both the immediacy and allegorical resonance of the story. The result is a film where direction, performance, and cinematography converge to create a cinematic experience that is as intellectually compelling as it is visually breathtaking-a modern dacoit saga that lingers long after the credits roll.

A thriller set in Benares, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi, Setters is about a racket profiteering from academic scams. The film follows a cat-and-mouse game between two good friends: one a cop, and the other a "setter" who arranges brilliant students in place of weak students to appear in examinations.

Two college students exchange their classes after the college management mixed their identical names by mistake. As a new principal of a college [of fairly bad reputation], Mr. Awasthi has to take steps which are stringent and yet, fruitful. He has a handful of problems: good students emigrating from the college, the bad ones disrupting the class and similar others. His corrective measures have changed the scenario drastically, except that it has a small glitch- There are two R. Malhotras. Rajan Malhotra is the nerdy "Good Boy", while the other R. Malhotra, Raju is the spoiled "bad Boy" of the campus. Their Identity cards are mixed up and somehow they find themselves in the opposite sections. The Good one in the bad boys' section and vice versa. Now the principal knows this, and he has proposed their name [real Raju- the bad boy] in the annual quiz and [real rajan- the good boy] dance competitions respectively. Time is short. It is now upon them to prove their mettle in the competitions, in the eyes of their parents... —Priyodit Born on April 18, 1985, Rajan Malhotra lives a wealthy lifestyle along with his disapproving dad, Prem and mom in Bandra, Mumbai. He studies in B.S.S. College of Arts & Science, is very studious, attains good marks in all subjects, except in sports. Fellow-collegian Raju Malhotra, born on February 21, 1985, lives a wealthy lifestyle along with his strict, disapproving dad, mom, and an unmarried sister, Kavita, in Mahim, Mumbai. Raju is the opposite of Rajan, does poorly in studies, but is a trouble-maker, a slacker but good in sports. When Diwan Chand Awasthi takes over the College as the new Principal he decides to separate the students into three groups, (A for ones who score 70% or more; B for those who score from 50% to 70%; and C for those who score under 50%). Raju clearly falls under 'C' but as he has given his heart to pretty Rashmi, who is an 'A' student, he decides to switch his photo Id. card with that of Rajan, who readily accepts this challenge as he is basically a nice guy. Raju wins over Rashmi's heart with Rajan's help, while Rajan slowly starts falling for 'C' student, Dinky Kapoor. Both Raju and Rajan will face new challenges when Dinky's boyfriend and his gang decide to get nasty, and to complicate matters further Principal Awasthi asks Raju and Rajan to participate in a quiz and dance competition respectively - knowing fully well that neither one is likely to succeed. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com) Rajan Malhotra and Raju Malhotra are poles apart. Rajan Malhotra is a proverbial bookworm, forever lost in studies and completely oblivious to the frolicking of a college dude. He hails from a well to do background and his parents are constantly worried due to his somber nature and his lack of interest in any extra curricular activities. While Raju Malhotra has absolutely no time for studies as playing notorious pranks on others takes up most of his time on a daily basis. His father constantly ridicules him for his wayward ways.. As fate would have it, both of them land up in the same college. And get swapped. And fun begins. —gavin@sunny_deol2009@yahoo.com B.S.S. College of Arts and science has a new principal Diwan Chand Awasthi who based upon the feedback he receive from some of his concern students decides to divide the college into three sections A for the students who score the highest marks, B for students who score average amount of marks while C is for the students who score the lowest marks. Unfortunately there is a mix up between the ID cards of Rajan and Raju Malhotra; while Rajan end up in C class Raju end up in A class. Rajan attempt to bring this to Awasthi's attention but he is approach by Raju who convince him to let it be as it is as his beloved Awasthi's daughter, Rashmi is studying in A class. While in C class Rajan happen to captivate the attention of his classmate, Dinky Kapoor and both fall in love; unfortunately Awasthi gets to find out about the mix-up between the Malhotras and decides to arrange for an examination that will bring their true colors to light but this does not help prompting Awasthi to enroll Rajan into a dancing competition and Raju into a quiz competition. With time against the Malhotras they must try and make the impossible possible in the eyes of their classmates, colleagues, teachers and loved ones. —gavin (racktoo@hotmail.com)