The Gone Game is available on Voot Select.The world is still battling the coronavirus pandemic, which means the return to movie halls is still a distant dream. Thankfully, we have various OTT platforms to save the day. Streaming services such as ZEE5, Netflix, Disney Plus Hotstar, SonyLIV, Amazon Prime Video, Voot Select among others have been regularly releasing new content.
Recently, the Pakistani show Churails, which is streaming on ZEE5, has been at the receiving end of plaudits. The series has managed to grab many eyeballs for its portrayal of the leading female characters and the performances of the artistes. The show features Sarwat Gilani, Nimra Bucha, Meher Bano and Yasra Rizvi in the lead roles. It has been directed by Asim Abbasi.
The Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta praised the actors and the dialogue-writing of the show. “Good performances, sparkly dialogue (I want to die in Dior, says Jugnu; and all the other lines in the delicious Urdu intonations, so familiar to us from those Pakistani serials we have watched so avidly), a well-judged, muted background score (a couple of Hindi movie songs pop up, too) and a strong emotional core in its better parts: the series paints a vivid picture of the place it is set in, and you come away knowing what makes its characters tick,” a section of her review read.
Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl also premiered last week on Netflix. The Janvhi Kapoor starrer received mixed reviews. While Janhvi Kapoor and Pankaj Tripathi were praised for their performances, the story received negative feedback for the cinematic liberties it took. However, Netflix is not looking too beat up about the whole debacle as it continues to churn out content on a daily basis. For now, the streaming giant is looking forward to the release of the Bobby Deol drama Class of ’83.
An engaging whodunnit, the show sees a lot of veteran figures taking the centre stage. The main selling point of The Raikar Case is its able cast. Atul Kulkarni, who plays the family patriarch, is as good as he has always been. He plays both the suspect of a murder and a victim of politics convincingly. Ashvini Bhave’s experience shows in her performance as she plays Kulkarni’s wife Sakshi. Neil Bhoopalam fits well in the role of a non-corrupt cop, and Parul Gulati with her role of Etasha gives voice to the doubts of the viewers as layers of truth and lies unwind.
Also read | The Raikar Case review
American History is one of those rare films where different elements of the movie come together to form a near-perfect whole. Edward Norton stars as a neo-nazi in this polarising film about modern America. Strongly recommended. Read more about the film here.
A tale of love and self-actualisation, Thappad stars Taapsee Pannu in the lead. It has been directed by Anubhav Sinha. For more details, click here.
Sushmita Sen's comeback performance in web series Arya has been the talk of the town for quite sometime now. In the show, she plays a dead, corrupt businessman's wife who decides to take things into her own hands. The series also stars Namit Das, Sikander Kher among others.
Also read | Arya review: A slick web show
Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd starrer is a whimsical, fun, American take on Jane Austen's Emma about a girl who likes playing the match-making guru. It is essentially a rom-com with less romance, and more comedy.
Are you a lover of romantic comedies? Well then this Netflix movie is for you. While the plot is wholly predictable, the treatment of the content is novel. Plus the chemistry of lead stars Zoey Deutch and Glenn Powell also helps. Also starring Lucy Liu, Set it Up is a feel-good movie that does its job well.
A few friends get together and form a detective agency. There is fun, drama, lies and deception involved. While also entertaining its audience, Churails makes some serious statements about our patriarchal society. The Pakistani show is currently streaming on ZEE5. Read more about it here.