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News18
19 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Maargan Movie Review: Vijay Antony's Film Is A Solid Crime Thriller With Forgivable Flaws
Last Updated: Maargan is a great example of a genre film that engrosses its audience and makes one buy into the supernatural or pseudo-scientific framework. Kolai, Raththam, Mazhai Pidikathavum Manidhanum, Hitler… after such a barrage of misses, a sense of prejudice is expected to set in when Vijay Antony comes up with another crime thriller. But a few minutes into the film, Maargan assures you that the streak will be broken. It exhibits good craftsmanship despite ticking all the boxes of genre films and treads carefully without breaching the territory of clichés. To top it all, it sets up an engrossing supernatural premise involving Siddhars and astral projections that effortlessly win you over. Tamil cinema tends to get overly didactic and self-congratulatory when it ventures into such themes of ancient knowledge. However, Leo John Paul's success lies in the way he effortlessly sells you his ruse. The trick, after all, is not to convince you to believe but to entertain enough that you don't mind. To give the context, Maargan is an investigation thriller where an archetypical resigned police officer, Dhruv (Vijay Antony), takes up a case that looks similar to the murder of his daughter. A Chennai girl, on her birthday, is murdered by an unknown killer using a chemical cocktail which, when injected, burns the body from the inside, turning it black. Dhruv takes over the case unofficially and arrests a suspect named Tamilarivu (Ajay Dishan), a brilliantly written role. As Tamil is subjected to police interrogation, it is realised that he is innocent but has supernatural abilities that would aid the investigation. With his astral projection abilities, he puts himself at risk of finding the killer, which also turns out to be an effective surprise. While Ajay Dishan, the debutant, does a fairly effective job, it is the writing that makes him a memorable character. His emotional stakes and the character arc that ultimately convince him to unleash his powers fully are some of the flourishes that make Maargan effective. As opposed to the role of Tamilarivu, Dhruv seems to be a bit redundant, to the extent that one wonders whether the protagonist was added to the story as an afterthought. A story of a man with astral projection abilities hunting down a serial killer with a past would itself make for an interesting narrative. Hence, Dhruv here serves only as a bridge to connect these two interesting characters without having been one himself. This, however, is a nuanced problem that gets overlooked with the pace of the film, which, at any given point, is progressing without slacking. Guess this is where Leo John Paul–a well-known editor of films like Pizza and Maanagaram–complements the debutant director in him. His experience as an editor shows in the taut, structured, rarely meandering rhythm, even when dealing with outlandish concepts. Maybe the romantic story of Arivu ends up being a bit of a drag. Again, a forgivable problem. Maargan might not break new ground. It is largely a genre film about a serial killer, retaining all of its tropes. However, it proves that familiar genre tropes, when treated with sincerity and style, can still feel fresh. First Published:
France 24
20 minutes ago
- Health
- France 24
France imposes smoking ban on beaches, parks
Bus shelters and areas in the immediate vicinity of libraries, swimming pools and schools will also be affected by the ban, which is coming into force one day after its publication in the official government gazette on Saturday. The rule is being imposed one week before the beginning of the school holidays in France in a clear bid to immediately protect children from smoke on the beach. However, to the disappointment of some anti-tobacco activists, the ban does not cover the terraces of bars and restaurants where many French still happily light up. They are also unhappy that the ban does not apply to electronic cigarettes. The rules had initially been expected to come into force on Tuesday after a previous announcement by the health ministry but the publication in the official gazette means this has now been brought forward to Sunday. People should also not smoke within a 10 metres radius of schools, swimming pools, libraries and other places that hurt minors. The health ministry said it would announce the minimum distance for smoking in these areas in the coming days as well as reveal the sign used to designate such areas. Violators of the ban could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. However the health ministry is expecting an initial grace period as the new rules are explained. "Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children. A park, a beach, a school -- these are places to play, learn, and breathe. Not for smoking," Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin said. This is another step "towards a tobacco-free generation", she added, which France is targeting from 2032. 'It must be clear' The ban "is a step in the right direction, but remains insufficient," said Yves Martinet, president of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), criticising the continued permission to smoke on cafe terraces. "The minister points to the protection of children," but children "also go to the terraces," Martinet, a pulmonologist, said. He lamented the absence of e-cigarettes from the text, saying flavours are used to "hook young people". "For a measure to be effective, it must be clear -- no consumption of products containing tobacco or nicotine in public," Martinet said. But Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) for the Paris region, said a ban on smoking on cafe terraces "would only shift the problem because people on terraces would go smoke next to these establishments". "Smokers and non-smokers can coexist" on terraces, the "last places of conviviality and freedom," said Franck Trouet, of hospitality association Hotels and Restaurants of France (GHR). In France, passive exposure to tobacco smoke causes 3,000 to 5,000 deaths per year, according to official figures. Smoking is steadily declining in France with "the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000", according to France addiction agency the OFDT. Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 75 reported smoking daily in 2023, according to the agency. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths per year in France and, again according to the OFDT, costs society 156 billion euros annually, counting factors including lost lives, quality of life, productivity, prevention, law enforcement, and healthcare. According to a recent opinion survey, 62 percent of French people favour a smoking ban in public places. ch-ref-alu-sjw/gv/tc
France 24
20 minutes ago
- Sport
- France 24
Chelsea overcome Club World Cup weather delay, set up Palmeiras quarter-final
The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica. Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team's victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon. "I think it's a joke, it's not football," Maresca said. "For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed -- for me personally, it's not football." Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James' opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining. But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted. It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning. When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee. Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time. An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni's second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory. But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced. Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight. They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on Friday. Paulinho settles Brazilian derby The Brazilian club were grateful to an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho as they edged domestic rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling in the moment but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the tie despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. "That is why he came, so he could play for long enough to decide a game. He is going to have to stop again after the tournament," Ferreira said of Paulinho, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year. Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of their Brazilian rivals Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage. The last-16 action continues on Sunday when European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Atlanta. Later on Bayern Munich face Flamengo in Miami.
France 24
24 minutes ago
- Business
- France 24
Trump metal tariffs wreak havoc on US factory
At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14. Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task. "We're living in chaos right now," he told AFP. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and aluminum -- and then doubled the rate to 50 percent. This has weighed on operations at Independent Can, and Huether expects he eventually will have to raise prices. Not enough tinplate With the steady beat of presses, steel plates that have been coated with tin -- to prevent corrosion -- are turned into containers for cookies, dried fruit, coffee and milk powder at Huether's factory. But there is not enough of such American-made tinplate for companies like his. "In the United States, we can only make about 25 percent of the tinplate that's required to do what we do," in addition to what other manufacturers need, Huether said. "Those all require us to buy in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our steel outside of the United States," he added. While Huether is a proponent of growing the US manufacturing base, saying globalization has "gone almost a little bit too far," he expressed concern about Trump's methods. Trump has announced a stream of major tariffs only to later back off parts of them or postpone them, and also imposed duties on items the country does not produce. For now, Independent Can -- which employs nearly 400 people at four sites -- is ruling out any layoffs despite the current upheaval. But Huether said one of the company's plants in Iowa closed last year in part because of a previous increase in steel tariffs, during Trump's first presidential term. Price hikes With steel tariffs at 50 percent now, Huether expects he will ultimately have to raise his prices by more than 20 percent, given that tinplate represents a part of his production costs. Some buyers have already reduced their orders this year by 20 to 25 percent, over worries about the economy and about not having enough business themselves. Others now seem more inclined to buy American, but Huether expressed reservations over how long this trend might last, citing his experiences from the Covid-19 crisis. "During the pandemic, we took everybody in. As China shut down and the ports were locked up, our business went up 50 percent," he explained. But when the pandemic was over, customers turned back to purchasing from China, he said. "Today if people want to come to us, we'll take them in," he said, but added: "We need to have a two-year contract." Huether wants to believe that his company, which is almost a century old after being founded during the Great Depression, will weather the latest disruptions. © 2025 AFP
News18
33 minutes ago
- Sport
- News18
Luis Enrique Braces for 'Emotional' Reunion with Messi In Club World Cup Last 16
PSG coach Luis Enrique anticipates an emotional Club World Cup match against Inter Miami, facing Lionel Messi, whom he coached at Barcelona. Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique acknowledged that Sunday's Club World Cup clash with Inter Miami will be an emotional occasion—for both him and the club—as he prepares to face Lionel Messi, a player he once coached at Barcelona. Messi joined PSG in 2021 after leaving Barça, where he played under Enrique during one of the club's most successful eras. Though the Argentine won two Ligue 1 titles in Paris, he left in 2023 without delivering the coveted Champions League trophy. That same summer, Enrique took charge of PSG and led them to their first-ever European title, defeating Inter Milan in a commanding final on May 31. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Enrique reflected on the upcoming reunion. 'I think the game in an emotional sense is special for me, without a doubt, for the club too and the players who have been here with Messi," he said. The PSG boss also highlighted the emotional significance of facing several other familiar faces: Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano—all of whom Enrique managed during Barcelona's historic treble-winning 2014–15 season. 'It's beautiful to see these players, who are more than just players for me. It will be special—before and after the game," he said ahead of the match at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. While PSG enter the match as favorites, Enrique stressed that Messi's presence—and the strength of the Inter Miami squad—will serve as motivation rather than intimidation. 'If we can't get the ball off them it won't look good for us, because Busquets is still the same. Lionel Messi with the ball is unique," Enrique said. 'Luis Suárez—you saw the last goal he scored… and on top of that, they have a coach like Mascherano. 'For us, it's very motivating. We won the Champions League recently, but we still have the hunger to show that we can improve and compete. There's no better stage than this marvellous stadium, facing a team that includes a man called Leo Messi—a revered figure not just for Barcelona fans, but for everyone who enjoys the game." No 'Slip-Ups' Enrique confirmed that PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé had returned to training this week, but warned he would not take any risks with the French international in Sunday's last-16 fixture. Enrique was also clear about the approach needed to limit Messi's impact, acknowledging the futility of relying on a single defender. 'Messi can dribble past any player," he said. 'If we want to stop Leo Messi, we don't rely on just one player, because then we are dead. We need the collective." (with AFP inputs) About the Author Siddarth Sriram First Published: June 29, 2025, 09:51 IST
