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A girl dies once when she is slain; if she is raped and lives, she dies every second of her life. Can we even think of what a rape victim goes through? Can we imagine the scale of the pain a girl can feel after a brutal rape? The film Kooki tries to answer such unanswered questions and is now ready to release in cinemas on June 28, 2024.

A few shocking scenes and strong punches in the Kooki trailer entice viewers to watch the movie. The trailer starts with the scene of a rape victim being questioned, followed by a discussion between a few teenage friends. A glimpse of an innocent teenage love story can also be seen. A brutally raped girl is taken to the hospital, investigations go on, and the public comes on the road demanding the justice of the rape victim. The trailer ends with lots of unanswered quotes.

The upcoming week on Ott platforms promises to be a delight for audiences, offering a diverse array of captivating stories ranging from the coming-of-age drama ‘All India Rank’ to ‘Tiger’, a tale of conflict, hunger, and survival.

Here’s a list of five titles that have piqued the interest of Ians —

‘All India Rank’:

Written and directed by Varun Grover, the coming-of-age comedy-drama ‘All India Rank’ is produced by Matchbox Shots. It stars Bodhisattva Sharma, Shashi Bhushan, Samta Sudiksha, Geeta Agarwal, and Sheeba Chaddha.

The film will be released on Netflix on April 19.

‘Rebel Moon-Part 2: The Scargiver’:

The American epic space opera film is directed by Zack Snyder. It continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their...

Having attended a missionary, all-girls school myself, Nitya Mehra’s new Amazon Prime series Big Girls Don’t Cry (Bgdc) has struck a deeply personal chord with me. It offers a glimpse into the lives of girls who have to obey the strict rules and regulations of their school, where even the smallest infractions are “Not Tolerated!” From sneaking chocolates and chewing gum to daring to wear lipstick or nail polish, the girls of Vandana Valley Girls’ School mirror my own teenage experiences. Like them, I remember the curiosity that bubbled within us—about boys, about breaking the rules and trying to find out who we really are while dealing with all the strict rules around us. Each girl in the series, much like each of us during our school days, is engaged in her own personal battle. Yet, there is a common thread: the quest for self-discovery, as “Atmanam Vidhi” or “Know Thyself.

Living up to the expectations of our parents and fulfilling their dreams has been an important component of Indian society since time immemorial. It has almost taken the form of a ritual that has been passed from one generation to the next, especially in a typical middle-class family where options to earn social status are limited. The protagonist of screenwriter, lyricist, and stand-up comedian Varun Grover‘s debut feature film, All India Rank, is an adolescent who is crushed under pressure from his parents to academically excel at the Iit exam and subsequently earn a reputation in society. His parents are worried about their child’s future and display concern. But their anticipation has put much strain on the young soul. But soon, the grueling journey provides him with an avenue to discover his identity and embrace the challenges that come with it. The film delves into the themes of the complexities of family dynamics,...

‘All India Rank’ aka ‘Air’ as used in the academic parlance, has released at a time when the immediate reference that comes to my mind, is a comparison with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ’12th Fail’ (released on 27 October 2023) but that too only for the genre of the narrative – lower middle class setting and competitive exams! Otherwise, both the films are poles apart in terms of the story telling, acting and everything else.

‘All India Rank’ tries to address issues close to the Indian middle-class milieu, but it gets lost through its multiple storylines that try to prove the point. Ultimately the audience remain clueless deriving the purpose after spending 94 minutes seeing things that neither entertain nor communicate. The last sentence of the film (about control in life) is what the director needs to think about very seriously.

‘All India Rank’ is about Vivek Singh (Bodhisattva Sharma), a 17-year-old boy who...

Mumbai, Feb 7 (Ians) Writer-lyricist-actor-comedian Varun Grover, who is known for his works in films such as ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Masaan’, ‘Newton’, ‘Monica, O My Darling’ and ‘Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar’, has turned director with the film ‘All India Rank’, which recently had its world premiere at The International Film Festival Of Rotterdam (IFFR).

Varun shared that the film is semi-autobiographical and his idea behind the film was to capture joy, confusion, love, doubt, hope and cynicism that comes at the age of 17 and the constant tussle between ambition and mediocrity.

Talking about his directorial debut as a feature film director, Varun said: “We all struggle when we are 17. The hormonal desires called love, the constant swinging between ‘ambition’ and ‘mediocrity’, the generational trauma of parents – all create a minor-key horror-comedy around us. With ‘All India Rank’, I want to capture exactly that phase of our lives, the phase of joy and confusion,...

It’s challenging making a film about a young adolescent’s coming-of-age tale submitting to being made into a conformist in a country like India. Not because it isn’t an ideal backdrop to tell the story, but because there’s already been well established and acclaimed shows/ films churned out of the similar struggle of persistence across the Indian diaspora. But Varun Grover is no ordinary writer, and with his latest – “All India Rank” – the artist now turns his eye into the directorial realm.

All India Rank is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam

There have been quite a few distinctive lyricists in India through the decades, most of whom have fruitfully shaped the course of Bollywood – the world’s largest film industry. Grover is also a scriptwriter, a comedian and now a director along with being a National Film Award winner for his lyrics.