This week, the major releases include Jimmy Sheirgill and Varun Badola starrer Your Honor. The suspense thriller is helmed by E Niwas and is streaming on SonyLIV. Our verdict of the web series reads, "It is an engrossing drama and writer Ishan Trivedi has built its narrative like puzzle boxes: the more you get closer, the more you are hooked. He has mashed-up the police procedural, the darkness of a criminal world and a father’s love for his son, and has created a twisted web of suspicion. You choose your hero and villain from the very first scene, still with every episode, you might get confused which is which and who to root for."
Former Miss Universe and actor Sushmita Sen is also making her debut on the digital platform with Ram Madhvani's web series Aarya. The series also stars Chandrachur Singh, Namit Das, Sikandar Kher, Manish Chaudhari, Vinod Rawat, Ankur Bhatia, Alexx O’Nell and Sugandha Garg among others.
Talking about the show, Chandrachur Singh told indianexpress.com, "On the sets of Aarya, we were addressed as our characters, both, on and off camera. That was Ram’s way of keeping us in character. When we walked on the set, we were addressed like ‘Tej walks on the set’ or ‘Aarya walks on the set’. Everyone on the set was so passionate that we just had to feed off each other’s energy. Also, all the tears and everything that you see in the series is real. There is no glycerine used. It is like one long scene happening, so you get involved in it entirely."
As the COVID-19 situation remains grim across India, filmmakers are forced to be pragmatic about exploring unconventional venues to release their new movies. While many fear that it would be difficult to bring back the audience to theaters, filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj believes there is no need to fear.
"People love to watch films in theaters. These are unprecedented times, and we can’t talk about the future based on the current situation. During the lockdown, people are watching a lot of movies on television and OTT platforms. But, I think everyone wonders when theaters will open. When things are normal, everybody will go to the theater. I think I will be the first person to go and watch any film that is available in theaters. I think people are longing for that movie-watching experience," Subbaraj told indianexpress.com
Few places in the world are as enigmatic and mysterious. While archaeologists and historians have theories, nobody knows for certain the story behind these prehistoric standing stones that make a rough circle.
Abhishek Chaubey’s dacoit drama Sonchiriya is one of the most underrated films of 2019. Set in the 1970s, the film is packed with some hard-hitting dialogues and noteworthy performances from Ranvir Shorey, Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar and Manoj Bajpayee.
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A YouTube series for Netflix hosted by internet stars Kusha Kapila and Srishti Dixit, this show mainly sees the presenters reviewing random shows and films. Guaranteed to provide you laughs and a somewhat fresh perspective on things.
If what you are looking for is a fun, romantic comedy with some passionate sequences, you should surely check out this Korean show. The case of the show is also helped significantly by the fact that the leads share a great chemistry.
In this engrossing tale of three siblings, the characters of Amol Parashar, Maanvi Gagroo and Sumeet Vyas develop a deeper bond as their journey together takes them to unexpected places.
As Baahubali 2 completes three years today, revisit the magnum opus by director SS Rajamouli in the comfort of your home. Watch the saga of Maahishmati as two princes battle for their their pride. Starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannah Bhatia, among others, the film is streaming on netflix and Disney+ Hotstar in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi.
My Neighbour Totoro is the mascot of Studio Ghibli. The fantasy-movie follows the story of two young girls and their interactions with friendly wood spirits, especially the giant, cuddly, furry “rabbit who loves to roar”. This is the best film to watch if you are having a particularly bad day. The script is simple, and there are no major conflicts, but the story-telling is guaranteed to make you feel unbridled joy. The film will definitely be a hit among children.
Watch Vicky Kaushal starrer Bhoot on Amazon Prime Video. Set inside a haunted ship 'Sea bird', this film follows Kaushal's Prithvi who finds himself in teh midst of some supernatural occurences as he is also trying to deal with the loss of his family.
An Amazon Original, Lore is based on a podcast of the same name. Every episode of the show tells the origins of a horror story and although it is more of a documentary than drama, it is a slickly produced show that is engaging enough for a binge. You might want to check out the podcast as well. It is sublime.
A prequel of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film, Bates Motel tells the story of Normal Bates from when he was a kid. The acting is superb, both by Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates and Vera Farmiga as his mother Norma Bates. There is uneasy, almost incestuous tension between the duo and that is the biggest strength of this show. Sometimes scary and sometimes creepy, Bates Motel is a worthy prequel.
A sitcom about a bunch of police officers in a New York precinct, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is continuously funny. The performances are great, and the uniquely written characters never let you get bored.
This Martin Scorsese directorial is about the rise and fall of mobster Henry Hill (a real figure) and stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta. The film is easily one of the best Scorsese film -- it is that good -- if not the best.
The Kid Who Would Be King is about a school kid who has nothing special about him. His fortunes change, however, when he pulls King Arthur’s famous sword Excalibur from the stone it is buried in. According to the Arthur stories, only the true king can draw the sword and wield it. The film is an enjoyable adventure for kids and adults alike.
Brightburn is a truly terrifying superhero (or supervillain?) horror film. It is an inversion of Superman’s lore. Just like Clarke Kent, Brandon Breyer came from outer space and fell in a Kansas farm. And just like Clarke, he found loving parents. But instead of being a kind, thoughtful individual, he submits before his darker proclivities and goes on a murder spree.
HBO miniseries Chernobyl streaming on Hotstar is a harrowing and meticulous dramatisation of the events leading up to and the immediate aftermath of the biggest nuclear disaster in history. Most of the plot across five taut episodes is about the superhuman efforts at containment by brave people without which millions would have perished.
Also Read | Chernobyl review: A captivating, bleak portrait of the biggest nuclear catastrophe in history
12 Years a Slave is Steve McQueen’s heart-wrenching adaptation of a memoir of a black slave Solomon Northup. Chiwetel Ejiofor essayed the lead role in the film which also starred Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, and Alfre Woodard. The film was a brutal depiction of slavery and is a hard movie to watch.
HBO’s Watchmen series is a sequel of sorts (called a “remix”) to Alan Moore’s graphic novel of the same name. It is created by Damon Lindelof, co-creator of Lost and HBO’s own The Leftovers. Just like how the English author boldly confronted the contemporary social and political issues in the United States in the late 1980s, Lindelof’s Watchmen deals with the present concerns: chiefly white supremacy and racism. And it does it amazingly well.
Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning feature The Shape of Water twists the traditional beauty-and-the-beast story and in the process tells a story that is gorgeous both visually and musically.
In 7500, Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the co-pilot of a flight that is hijacked by terrorists. Most of the film is just the main character trying to stop terrorists from taking control of the flight, and this means not allowing them to enter the cockpit, whatever the cost.
Also Read | 7500 movie review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines in claustrophobic thriller
Two hopeless tech geeks and one clueless dame together try to make through the hurdles of the job. Sometimes they fail, sometimes they succeed. And what do we get? Laughter in dozens.
This mini-series is just a tale of sweet nothings shared between two colleagues who share a beautiful bond. With the entire story getting wrapped up in three episodes with a run time of 20-minutes each, this is just the kind of content that makes us stick to YouTube over everything else.
Dealing with an illness can be hard, especially if that illness is life-threatening. Chances are that if you are making a movie around such a subject, that film would largely be an emotionally draining affair. But can such a feature be sweet, funny and endearing at the same time as well? As writer Will Reiser and filmmaker Jonathan Levine show us in 50/50, that can actually happen.
This Amazon Prime Video series starring Jaideep Ahlawat in the lead role was quick to impress the audience with its engaging storyline and stellar casting. The story of Paatal Lok revolves around a cop who has to swim against all odds to get to the bottom of a murder attempt.
With just six episodes, Cheapest Weddings is one of those shows where you don’t even realise that you have spent hours watching it. It’s dramatic and emotional, but if you are just a wee bit self-aware, you will have a ton of fun watching it.
Feel Good deals with mental health, LGBTQIA rights, addiction issues and of course, love. Basically, everything that you deem of significance is tackled during the show’s run. And tackled how! Here are some reasons why you should watch the series ASAP.
Why, what is so great about it, you ask? After all, the American movie came out in 1995, at a time when the visual effects were still jarring and there was nothing subtle about the comedy that was then being written into actioners. And it might even be true that the film has not aged well, especially when looked at it with technical lenses, but it does have that quintessential masala kick that we as Indians have grown to love, thanks to Bollywood.
This Malayalam gem is all about cousins finding their footing in the world. Of course, there is also oodles of romance and drama in store. The film features Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya among others in pivotal roles.
Based on a real-life story about a series of sexual assault and the investigation that followed, Unbelievable makes for a difficult but important watch. The performances, especially by Kaitlyn Dever, Merritt Wever, and Toni Collette, are so brilliant that you could watch the show for them alone. The mini-series received critical acclaim upon its release.
Rajinikanth plays a loyal servant, who can fly his horse-powered chariot between mountains, deliver an impromptu performance on stage and do a lot more. Not enough? There is also the father (Rajinikanth, again), the gold-hearted millionaire, who becomes a sage after being betrayed by his relative.
Euphoria, starring Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and Jacob Elordi, follows a group of high school students as they deal with drugs, sex, trauma, and social media. The show isn't afraid to get real and personal about the harsh realities of being a teen in 2019. Watch it for the music anf Zendaya’s performance.
Shajahan, starring Vijay, showed the 1990s kids the methods to approach a girl: make eye contact, don’t hesitate to seek help if needed, and tell all your friends about your crush just to weed out the competition and be patient. It taught us not to rush and do something stupid that we may regret our entire life. The subtext dealt with the issue of consent.
This show follows Nadia, played brilliantly by Natasha Lyonne, a game developer who repeatedly keeps dying and is forced to relive the same night on a loop. Co-written by Amy Poehler, Russian Doll received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and has also been renewed for a second season.
Most of us have seen an adult (or adult-ish) Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory where he talks about his upbringing and life in Texas. Young Sheldon, on Amazon Prime Video, captures that life around his father, mother, brother, sister and grandmother (‘meemaw’).
This Bhojpuri drama is a hard-hitting tale of a young man Manish, who sets out on a bloody rampage in Banaras to avenge his love, Puneeta who was violated by a gang of power-hungry men who ruled that small town city. Directed by Arvind Babbal, Madhuri Talkies stars Sagar Wahi, Aishwarya Sharma in the lead.
This light-hearted sitcom follows the story of Korean-Canadian family who run6 a convenience store. The show depicts how they deal with their customers and the evolving surroundings around them.
Starring Arjun Chakraborty, Madhumita Sarkar, Paoli Dam and Anindita Bose in the lead roles, Love Aaj Kal Porshu is a Bengali romantic drama that can be explained as a cross between Groundhog Day, The Truman’s Show and Love Aaj Kal. Click here for more deets.
The Tale of Nokdu is a hit South Korean series that is based on the webtoon of the same name. The official synopsis of the series reads, “Set in the Joseon dynasty, the series is about a man who disguises as a woman to enter a mysterious women-only village in search of the truth about his birth; and a young woman who does not want to become a kisaeng in pursuit of revenge for her family.”
Written and directed by Rajat Kapoor, Kadakh is set during the day of Diwali when an unexpected incident derails the course of a marriage and many friendships. The film stars Ranvir Shorey and Mansi Multani in the lead roles. To read the review, click here.
SonyLIV’s latest web series Your Honor, adapted from Israeli show Kvodo, stars Jimmy Sheirgill as an upright, honest and reputed judge Bishan Khosla. We see him oscillating between his ethics and love for his son Abeer (Pulkit Makol), who is involved in a hit-and-run case.
Read more | Your Honor first impression: Jimmy Sheirgill-starrer is a decent watch