What’s Bagheera about?

Little Vedanth dreams of becoming a superhero, but eventually becomes a cop like his father. But the twist is that he still has dreams of being a superhero. Though he knows he doesn’t have superpowers, he believes he can take on the biggest evil of them all (in this case, bad man Rana played by Garuda Ram). As an IPS officer, Vedanth combats the usual crimes, but as Bagheera, the superhero, he takes on an organised crime syndicate that is involved in illegal organ trade. Director Dr Suri has divided the film into seven chapters, and we are taken through how Vedanth becomes Bagheera and eventually succeeds in his mission.

Bagheera is Dr Suri’s Batman

Bagheera is clearly like Batman and the director Dr Suri has said that he intended it to be like the popular superhero character. Given that the director loves superhero films and comics, it is not surprising that he chose this theme. But it’s ace director Prashant Neel, who has written the story that Dr Suri has brought to the silver screen. The connection between them ends there as Dr Suri has given the film his own stamp and one can see that there are gaps in the execution style. For instance, in some scenes Bagheera has not really been amped up for those goosebumps-inducing moments and the romantic track brings down the pace of the film, unfortunately. Any romance has to seamlessly connect with the main story and here it’s a little jarring.

How do the performances fare?

Sriimurali comes back to the big screen after a gap of three years and the making of this film has not been easy on him either. He sustained serious injuries twice during the shoot, but he is the core of the film. His performance, especially in the action scenes, stands out. He has delivered the dual-shaded role with finesse, and his portrayal of Vedanth and Bagheera resonates with all as he is a common man-turned-superhero who wants to deliver justice. Rukmini Vasanth (who plays Dr Sneha) is a fine actor, but her character hasn’t been really explored and given ample weightage in the film. Also, a stronger and more terrifying villain than Garuda Ram would have added more gravitas to the film.

The verdict

Technically, the film is pretty sound and the cinematography by AJ Shetty and the music by B Ajaneesh Loknath are good but not outstanding, which is what is expected from a superhero film to elevate those key moments. The editing by Pranav Sri Prasad could have been tighter as well. Having said that, the action choreography by Chethan D Souza does stand out and makes the film enjoyable. The director has ensured that action scenes have been crafted and captured visually in a way that it keeps the audience invested in Bagheera’s victory and the film as well. On the whole, Bagheera is a homegrown Batman film that is mostly entertaining and a new genre for Kannada filmgoers to explore.

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY)

We Live in Time

This is a very good film.  It is very well acted. It is well crafted. It has emotional resonance, but it really doesn’t have a plot and barely a story.

If you like Andrew Garfield this film is a must. He is fantastic in this film. Every moment with him is authentic and well earned. Florence Pugh is also fantastic in this film.  If you love good acting and movies about love and relationships, then I highly recommend this.

Written by Nick Payne and Directed by John Crowley

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Sony Pictures Television, producer of the long-running “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” TV programs, is suing CBS, the game shows’ distributor, for breach of contract.

Sony claims that CBS entered into unauthorized licensing deals for the shows — two of the most popular and profitable TV programs — and then paid itself a commission on those deals, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court. It also alleges that CBS licensed the shows at below-market rates and failed to maximize advertising revenues.

“The reality is that CBS has been egregiously undercutting the value of these shows in favor of its own self-interest and in violation of its contractual obligations,” states the complaint.

According to the suit, CBS, a unit of Paramount Global, which is in the midst of being acquired by Skydance Media, receives 35% to 40% commission on the fees stations pay to carry the two shows.

However, Sony alleges that last year it learned that CBS entered into unauthorized deals to license the shows in New Zealand and Australia, in violation of its contract, and that the network then refused to turn over the money it received on those deals — worth more than $3.6 million — to Sony.

Sony called the breach “just the tip of the iceberg,” contending the network engaged in broader misconduct, including that it garnered below-market prices for the shows internationally and domestically, preferencing its own wholly owned shows in its licensing negotiations.

Sony further claims the turmoil at CBS, including a raft of layoffs, has negatively affected the ad sales, marketing and distribution teams responsible for the two game shows, as well as those charged with handling their foreign distribution obligations.

CBS refuted the allegations in a statement, saying, “Sony’s claims are rooted in the fact they simply don’t like the deal the parties agreed to decades ago.

“For more than 40 years, CBS and its predecessor company King World have been accomplished distribution partners and thoughtful stewards for ‘Wheel’ and ‘Jeopardy!’ in the syndication market,” CBS said in a statement. “This work has helped build shows into franchises, transform popular series into cultural icons and deliver Sony billions of dollars of revenue.”