Rajkummar Rao's Stree, Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se, Imaikkaa Nodigal, Searching: Know Your Releases

The offerings for this week are a mixed bag. With two major releases in Bollywood namely Stree and Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se, the South brings in its share of double-dose with Imaikkaa Nodigal and Commando which release in Tamil and Kannada respectively while Hollywood presents the much-awaited Searching to top off the list. Here’s a guide of why and what to watch. Stree

What it’s About: Set in the village of Chanderi, Stree deals with the urban legend of Nale Ba, popularised in Karnataka in 1990s. The story claims, that a witch would roam the streets of villages, knocking on doors and captivating gullible people by imitating the voices of their kin. The horror comedy has been helmed by Amar Kaushik and written by Go Goa Gone writers Raj and DK. Who’s in it: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana Why it may work: With a unique backdrop, audiences are in for a surprise as Rao slips into the genre of comedy. Tripathi’s screen presence will also add on to the rustic and interesting canvas of Stree. Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se

What it’s about: The third instalment in the Yamla Pagla Deewana franchise, the film marks the reunion of the famous Deol trio. In the third film, a ‘Vajrakavach’ takes the adventures of Kaala and Pooran to Gujarat with the help of the sharp and witty Casanova Parmar who is also their housemate of almost 25 years. Who’s in it: Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Kriti Kharbanda Why it may work: With Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se, the Deols bring their Punjabi swagger to Gujarat. Playing the role of the ultimate erstwhile playboy, Dharmendra will be seen as a true-blue entertainer. Imaikkaa Nodigal

What it’s about: The narrative revolves around the female protagonist who is a CID officer and her quest for a psychotic serial killer on the loose. Who’s in it: Nayanthara, Anurag Kashyap, Atharvaa Murali, Raashi Khanna. Why it may work: Marking Kashyap’s Tamil acting debut, the film will portray him as the antagonist. It will be interesting to see how Kashyap depicts the character having himself had a filmography dealing with macabre portrayals of people. Nayanthara will be seen in the film after her smashing hit Kolamavu Kokila.   Commando

What it’s about: Commando’s narrative deals with a counter-terrorist squad field commander who launches a mission to destroy an international European syndicate with the help of an internet hacker who possesses an instrument which is able to create artificial earthquakes. Who’s in it: Ajith Kumar, Vivek Oberoi, Kajal Aggarwal, Akshara Hassan Why it may work: Ajith brings in his inevitable charm to the fore with this action thriller. Vivek’s portrayal of the antagonist will also be a crowd puller for Commando. Searching

What it’s about: This mystery thriller traces David, as he tries to locate his missing daughter through her digital footprints. Searching takes a deeper look into the world of internet and its omnipresence in the lives of millennials. Who’s in it: John Cho, Debra Messing, Sara Sohn, Michelle La Why it may work: David Kim’s (Cho) narrative is a novel take on stories based on tracking missing individuals. With the inclusion of hyper modern technology, this Aneesh Chaganty directorial will interest audiences.