James Gunn's Superman & The American Burden Of Being Human | This is #CineFile, where our critic Rahul Desai goes beyond the obvious takes, to dissect movies and shows that are in the news.
| SUPERHEROES HAVE ONE JOB: they save people. This job profile is fairly uncomplicated. It does not discriminate between the people being saved, as long as they don’t deserve to die. As long as they’re innocent, in one way or the other. American superheroes have forever used this macro profile — of focusing on all of humanity, the universe, the past, the future — as a front for their micro aversions and distinctly apolitical identities. It’s easier to put the ‘petty disputes’ within a planet in perspective when all-time baddies like Thanos and co. threaten mass extinction. At best, our dark friend Batman mined the more systemic problems; politicians have been his adversaries more than once, but he has no time for politics itself. Creators and screenwriters have often shied away from contemporary cracks in favour of big pictures and bigger fish to fry. Stream live sports, blockbuster films and hit shows with OTTplay Premium's Power Play monthly pack, for only Rs 149. So it says something that James Gunn’s first DC outing — which features the most famous of those noble-minded aliens — is perhaps a rare modern comic-book movie to ask one simple question: What does it mean to be a superhero in this world? There’s no point pretending that the crises we face now — in the moment, across countries and cultures — are lesser than the ones imagined in comics. What was once an escape is a reckoning. The future is here. Something as generic as preventing civilian deaths requires specific interventions. It requires the stoppage of state-sponsored wars, communal riots and genocides. | IND vs ENG, 3rd Test: On Day 1, Nitish Reddy Strikes as England Stumble | A double-wicket burst from debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy jolted England’s openers, as both sides braced for battle on the iconic slope of Lord’s. Karan Pradhan reports.
| THERE’S SOMETHING TO BE SAID about Indian medium-pacers and their knack for chipping in with useful wickets at Lord’s. In 1990, it was Sanjeev Sharma. In 1996, it was Sourav Ganguly and in 2025, the honour went to Nitish Kumar Reddy. Introduced into the attack right after the drinks break (14th over), Reddy not only broke the opening partnership of 43 runs by dismissing Ben Duckett, but also removed his partner Zak Crawley in the same over. Forty-three runs might not seem like much, particularly in the context of this high-scoring series (more on that later), but it’s worth noting that those runs came after the English openers had weathered a fairly torrid first hour. Earlier in the day, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and surprised everyone (well, those familiar with the hosts’ recent decision-making anyway) by electing to bat first. And the move almost backfired instantly. Off the fourth ball of the day, Duckett feathered a swinging Bumrah delivery that fell agonisingly short of Indian wicketkeeper’s Rishabh Pant’s gloves. A few swings and misses followed, a handful of balls shaped back sharply into batters and there were a couple of close LBW shouts. However, the openers stuck around resolutely, if not entirely convincingly, until the drinks interval and appeared well-set. | Wimbledon 2025: Świątek, Bencic, Sinner & Djoko Book Semi-Final Spots | The second slate of quarter-finals brought compelling tennis to Centre Court. Harsh Pareek writes.
| Fritz tore through the opening set 6-3, and while the second was a little more cagey, he managed to close it without much trouble at 6-4. Then the pendulum swung rather dramatically, with Khachanov coming out on top 6-1 in the third. Fritz had a dip and things didn't look quite so routine anymore. To add to the see-sawing spectacle was another malfunction by the newly introduced electronic line-calling system, received by boos around the court. But Fritz dug in and put on a fight as he managed to capture the fourth set for the final score of 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4). The American, who has lost two quarter-finals here previously, made it to the semi-finals for the first time. "It's an amazing feeling," said Fritz in the post-match interview. "Having played the quarter-finals here twice and lost in five twice, I don't think I could have taken another one." | Like what you read? Get more of what you like. Visit the OTTplay website or download the app to stay up-to-date with news, recommendations and special offers on streaming content. Plus: always get the latest reviews. Sign up for our newsletters. Already a subscriber? Forward this email to a friend, or use the share buttons below. | | | This weekly newsletter compiles a list of the latest (and most important) reviews from OTTplay so you can figure what to watch or ditch over the weekend ahead. | | Each week, our editors pick one long-form, writerly piece that they think it worthy of your attention, and dice it into easily digestible bits for you to mull over. | | In which we invite a scholar of cinema, devotee of the moving image, to write a prose poem dedicated to their poison of choice. Expect to spend an
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