12 Years a Slave is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. (Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures)
While the production of films is set to restart, it will still take a while to get the audience back to cinema halls. Things have changed, and now the digital space has taken centrestage. With new players joining the streaming space, competition is on the rise.
At the home front, MX Player and Voot Select have taken bold steps to attract more users. Voot Select especially has done a stand-up job of bringing to its viewers a plethora of content. Marzi, Illegal, Asur among more have managed to impress the audience and critics alike.
Meanwhile, the veterans like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are looking to boost their user base by releasing highly-anticipated full-length features which were earlier supposed to grace the big screen. The Shoojit Sircar directorial Gulabo Sitabo, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, will begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video from June 12.
Apart from these Bollywood flicks, the audience will have a hard time looking away from the screen as shows like 13 Reasons Why Season 4, Kehne ko Humsafar Hai and Queer Eye among more have begun streaming.
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.
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 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.
This Krishna Marimuthu-directorial traces the story of an eligible bachelor Prabhu Govind (Harish Kalyan), who hates kids but ends up being the biological dad of 49 healthy children. The film is a Tamil rendition of Shoojit Sircar’s 2012 Hindi blockbuster Vicky Donor, and stars Harish Kalyan, Vivek and Tanya Hope in the lead.
MX Player's Mannphodganj Ki Binny is an adaptation of the book ‘Band Baaja Boys’ by Rachna Singh. It is a story of a small-town girl Binny Bajpai who is attractive, happy go lucky and has an attitude of being in it to win it. The slice of life comedy web series chronicles her big dreams and escapades to leave her small town.
Panchayat is an eight part-series set in the village of Phulera, Uttar Pradesh. Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) who is fresh out of college has somehow landed himself a government job, as Panchayat sachiv, which pays him Rs 20,000 a month. He goes straight from hanging out with his friends at the mall, talking about CTCs and instagramming to the dusty village of Phulera with daily power cuts and where he has to bathe in the open at the hand pump outside the panchayat office.
American actor-filmmaker John Krasinski has come up with his new show, in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is winning the hearts of audiences around the world. The show called Some Good News is hosted by Krasinski on his YouTube channel. With just two episodes, the channel already has over a million subscribers
The AltBalaji web series is an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women. It stars Rajeev Khandelwal and Surveen Chawla in the lead roles. It is a story of four sisters (Meher, Jannat, Amal and Bano) that focuses on the issues of society and how women are always judged and put to test. It also highlights the independent and strong mentality of today’s women.
Rajesh Khanna’s character of Anand while suffering from cancer makes you fall in love with him courtesy his ‘live life to its fullest’ attitude and the thought ’embrace death as much as you embrace life.’ Through the film, he, along with Amitabh Bachchan, give lessons on death and life to the audience. And, mind you, it’s done in such an entertaining way that not for a second you get bored with all the life philosophy thrown at you.
All you foodies who are missing outside food during the lockdown, don't worry! All the seasons of Masterchef Australia are available on Hotstar and it’ll keep you satiated till you can properly go out and indulge again.
True crime lovers, Jamtara: Sabka Number Aayega is a gem that’s hiding in the crevices of Netflix. Based on a true story, the series focuses on phishing operations in Jamtara district. Directed by Soumendra Padhi, the 10-part series garnered positive reviews upon its release. In an interview with Indian Express, Padhi said, “What drew me to this particular crime, as a concept, is that I feel it is a great equaliser. Most people there have not studied after class six. All they do is procure mobile phones and it’s like a family business, they’re all into conning.”
Mulk revolves around one joint Muslim family whose honour is at stake after a family member takes to terrorism. Set in the Indian heartland, Mulk features Taapsee Pannu, Manoj Pahwa, Neena Gupta and Rishi Kapoor.
A young bride is excited about moving into her in-laws' place, but the whole thing takes an unexpected turn when she is coerced into playing a game of hide and seek with her new family.
Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet feature in this moving drama about drug addiction and its consequences. Chalamet and Carell won critical acclaim for their performances in the movie. However, it unfortunately failed to woo the larger audience. Worth a watch.
If you are craving a bit of everything, then this drama should be your go-to. It has action, some thrill and the lead pair share a great chemistry. The show is currently streaming on Netflix.
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? Lots of LOLs.
Even though we missed the chance to catch Irrfan Khan’s comeback on the big screen, Angrezi Medium is now streaming on Hotstar. The Indian Express' film critic Shubhra Gupta wrote in her review, “Angrezi Medium could just as well have been called Irrfan Returns. Watching this terrific actor lighting up the screen, of knowing about his medical struggles, and the fact that he did this film while still in treatment, gives it a special bittersweet flavour.”
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.
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.
Remy, a rat, has a special talent – he’s a magnificent chef. He comes to the aid of restaurant staff member and serves up divine food. The movie is a great watch for people of all ages. It is packed with comedy, emotions and great food. The movie gets its name from a classic Ratatouille dish that Remy serves to a renowned food critic to remind him of his childhood days. Must watch!