Martin, starring Kannada star Dhruva Sarja in a dual role, hit the screens on October 11, 2024, under the direction of A.P. Arjun. Featuring Vaibhavi Shandilya as the female lead, with music by Mani Sharma and Ravi Basrur, the film offers a mix of intense action and emotional drama. However, despite its grand production values and high-energy sequences, the film struggles to deliver a cohesive and engaging narrative.

Now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video from November 15, Martin is an ambitious attempt at blending action and thrills but leaves the audience with mixed feelings due to its underwhelming storytelling.

Plot Overview
The story begins in Pakistan, where Arjun (Dhruva Sarja), injured during a gangster conflict, finds himself hospitalized. Under mysterious orders from an unidentified figure in New York, he is injected with a drug that erases his memory. As he realizes he’s in danger, Arjun escapes and slowly uncovers fragments of his past.

Through a series of encounters, Arjun learns that his real name is Arjun and he hails from India. He sets out to meet Regina, a young woman whose address he obtains. However, upon reaching her home, he discovers she has been murdered. Regina’s cryptic clues lead Arjun to learn about his nemesis, Martin (also played by Dhruva Sarja). When Arjun contacts a mysterious number, he understands that his mission to capture Martin has brought him to Pakistan.

As the story unfolds, Arjun returns to India with plans to save his friends Parashuram and Vivek, as well as his fiancée Preethi (Vaibhavi Shandilya). But his path is fraught with dangers from Martin and a villain named Mustaq. How Arjun confronts Martin, uncovers Mustaq’s motives, and navigates the chaotic circumstances forms the crux of the narrative.

Analysis
Martin marks Dhruva Sarja’s foray into dual roles, with the first half focusing on one character and the second half introducing the other. While the premise of a gangster-versus-navy officer conflict involving illicit arms worth ₹12,000 crores has potential, the execution falls short.

Strengths
High Production Values: The film boasts grand visuals, including tanks, helicopters, and large-scale action set pieces, which are visually impressive.
Dhruva Sarja’s Presence: Known for his mass appeal, Dhruva Sarja brings a commanding screen presence, but the lack of depth in his characters hinders emotional engagement.

Weaknesses
Complex Narrative: The film’s non-linear storytelling, filled with flashbacks, leaves the audience confused and disconnected.
One-Dimensional Characters: Both the hero and the villain lack emotional depth, making their confrontations feel hollow.
Overloaded Action: Excessive fight scenes, chases, and explosions dilute the narrative, causing fatigue rather than excitement.
Inadequate Supporting Roles: The absence of strong supporting characters diminishes the impact of the story.
Underwhelming Music: Despite big names like Mani Sharma and Ravi Basrur, the music and background score fail to leave a lasting impression.
The film’s pacing suffers due to prolonged action sequences and insufficient focus on building a strong narrative backbone.

Performances
Dhruva Sarja: While his dual roles showcase his versatility, the lack of compelling character arcs limits his performance.
Vaibhavi Shandilya: Has minimal scope to shine, as the film sidelines romance and emotional subplots in favor of action.
Supporting Cast: Achyuth Kumar and Anveshi Jain are underutilized, with no memorable moments to contribute to the story.

Technical Aspects
Cinematography: Sathya Hegde captures the action sequences effectively, but the lack of strong narrative visuals diminishes its impact.
Editing: The film’s runtime could have been trimmed significantly, particularly the overlong action scenes.
Direction: A.P. Arjun’s attempt to create a high-stakes thriller is commendable, but the lack of clarity in storytelling undermines the film’s potential.

Verdict
Martin aims to be a thrilling action spectacle but is marred by a convoluted plot, excessive action, and underwhelming emotional depth. While fans of Dhruva Sarja may enjoy his powerful screen presence, the film fails to connect with a broader audience due to its lack of cohesion.

Comcast Corp. is cleaving off a huge chunk of its television portfolio to create a new company composed of its cable channels, including MSNBC and CNBC.

The Philadelphia-based cable giant plans to unveil the spinoff as well as a new corporate structure for NBCUniversal on Wednesday morning, according to three people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly.

The $7-billion spinoff comes as traditional media companies grapple with the diminishing value of what was once an economic pillar of the entertainment business. For years, NBCUniversal’s cable channels — including USA, Bravo, Syfy, Golf Channel and E! — provided the company’s most reliable profits.

But as consumers shift to on-demand streaming platforms, the future of cable channels looks increasingly bleak. Comcast is taking an exit ramp on cable programming by creating a new company, comprising nearly all of NBCUniversal’s current cable networks with the exception of Bravo, home of the “Real Housewives.”

The legacy NBCUniversal also will hold onto the Universal Pictures film studio as well as the NBC broadcast network, NBC Sports and streaming service Peacock. Keeping Bravo is an interesting twist, but its content has been a potent driver for Peacock, and the linear channel still achieves healthy ratings.

Comcast’s current shareholders will be given stock in the new company.

Mark Lazarus, who has presided over NBC Sports and NBCUniversal’s networks business for about a decade, will lead the new company, the knowledgeable people said. Lazarus, a former Turner Broadcasting executive, joined Comcast in 2010 and assumed control of NBC Sports the following year after Comcast took control of NBCUniversal from General Electric and installed its own management team.

Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts is expected to control one-third of the new company’s voting stock.

The separation, which will likely close in about a year, has already prompted a new management structure for NBCUniversal.

NBCUniversal Chief Content Officer Donna Langley will assume greater responsibilities as NBCUniversal chairman of entertainment and studios, which will include oversight of NBC Entertainment, the Universal film and television studios and marketing of entertainment programming, the sources said.

Langley has long been a respected tastemaker in Hollywood, but her profile within the company has grown dramatically since taking over the film studio five years ago.

Universal Pictures now is one of the most stable and prolific studios around. During Langley’s tenure, Universal has produced two of the most profitable years in its 112-year history, with “Oppenheimer,” directed by Christopher Nolan, generating nearly $1 billion in ticket sales and winning the Oscar for best picture.

The studio also scored with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “M3GAN.” This year, Universal produced hits such as “Twisters” and the upcoming first installment of “Wicked,” which is expected to be another box office juggernaut.

Comcast President Mike Cavanagh, who runs NBCUniversal, is expected to unveil the changes to his leadership team.

Longtime Comcast executive Matt Strauss will get a big promotion to partner with Langley. Strauss is expected to oversee NBC Sports and business-side functions, including distribution and ad sales. Strauss has served as chairman of NBCUniversal international operations and direct-to-consumer offerings for the last four years.

The Wall Street Journal first reported news of the spinoff.

Cavanagh hinted at the new structure late last month, during its most recent earnings call with analysts. He said such a move could allow the cable channels “to take advantage of opportunities in the changing media landscape and create value for our shareholders.”

Sources familiar with the plan said that NBCU’s cable channels still generate considerable cash flow and that the new entity could use some of those profits to scoop other cable outlets to consolidate its clout in the marketplace.

However, NBCUniversal distribution executives have long packaged NBC, which boasts “Sunday Night Football,” with the company’s cable channels to maintain its cable programming fees.

Staff writer Stephen Battaglio contributed to this report.

The last time we saw anything Wizard of Oz related on the cinematic stage was more than a decade ago, with Sam Raimi’s often overlooked prequel effort, ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’. What folks have managed to remember about that one, they usually recall between groans and mumble through palmed faces.

That was a film that was, and still is, criticized for lackluster special effects, a suspect cast, and an adhesion to a corny tone that bled into the film’s visuals, as well as impacted the screenplay. Raimi, in accordance with his cinematic character, preferred kinetic camera movements and sharp colors and lighting over other such worries about tonal cohesion and character, at least in that instance.

What’s become odd in retrospect, factoring in the release of the topic at hand, ‘Wicked’, is that the new film struggles with the same issue in a slightly different way. Sure, Wicked’s computer generated elements are cleaner, and much glossier, than anything the world of Oz had to offer in 2013.

But the new film doesn’t just utilize those effects — it relies on them. Wicked has become yet another unintentional bastion for slapping CGI on every single scene, and every little thing. Impressive practical sets here are washed out with brown and grey digital overlays; the sunshine has lost the colorful aura which defines it, and the moon emits only a flat blue hue.

Where is the true middle ground for bringing Oz to life on the visual front, then? That still isn’t clear, but in the case of the newer film, we’ve taken a step in the right direction with many new merits.