Padman, The 15:17 to Paris, Kee, Savarakathi, Inttelligent: Know Your Releases

Film lovers this week have two big releases to look forward to — Padman and The 15:17 to Paris. R Balki’s film starring Akshay Kumar in the lead is based on the story of a real-life hero and addresses the issue of menstrual hygiene. Clint Eastwood’s film tells the story of the three Americans who foiled the Thalys train terror attack in France in 2015. There are also plenty of much-anticipated regional language films releasing this Friday. Padman

What’s it about: R Balki’s Padman is comedy-drama based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, who created a revolutionary machine that makes cheap sanitary pads. Nicknamed India’s “menstrual man” for transforming the lives of poor women forced to use items like old rags, sand and leaves during their periods, he has been lauded by the Indian government and is now getting the star treatment with Bollywood A-lister Akshay Kumar portraying him in the movie. Who is in it: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte, Sudhir Pandey, Maya Alagh and Amitabh Bachchan (cameo appearance) Why it may work: Padman will challenge taboos surrounding menstruation in a socially conservative society like India. The film’s promotion has seen a flurry of Bollywood celebrities posing with an open sanitary napkin as part of the #PadManChallenge to convey there’s nothing to be “ashamed” about something as “natural” as menstruation. While sure, it may be a marketing gimmick but it has got people talking and the film may break the taboo around the subject. The 15:17 to Paris

What’s it about: In 2015, three American soliders — Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos — pummelled a heavily-armed jihadist with their bare hands to foil the Thalys train terror attack in France in 2015. The three were hailed as heroes both in the United States and in France, where they were awarded the Legion of Honour, the country’s highest decoration. The film is based on their heroic efforts. Who is in it: Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer and Tony Hale Why it may work: Clint Eastwood directs these all-American heroes in a Hollywood reconstruction of the drama, where the three childhood friends play themselves. The film follows the course of the friends’ lives, from their childhood struggles to the series of unlikely events leading up to the thwarted attack. Kee

What’s it about: Kee is a Tamil psychological thriller written and directed by Kalees. Jiiva plays a student who hacks for fun and in the process, he uncovers something very dark. Who is in it: Jiiva, Govind Padmasoorya, Nikki Galrani, Anaika Soti, RJ Balaji Why it may work:  With Jiiva in the lead role and Nikki Galrani and Anaika Soti as female leads, the film has star power. He reportedly watched several documentaries on hacking to portray a more nuanced, ethical hacker. Savarakathi

Mysskin stars as a criminal out on parole for eight hours in this Tamil film, which is also written and produced by him. Who is in it: Ram, Mysskin, Poorna and Shaji Chen Inttelligent 

Inttelligent is a Telugu film directed by written and directed by VV Vinayak. Who is in it: Sai Dharam Tej, Lavanya Tripathi, Brahmanandam With inputs from agencies