Mahesh Manjrekar's Diagnosis of Love is now streaming on ZEE5. (Photo: ZEE5)With theaters still being shut due to coronavirus, streaming platforms have become our saviour as they are the sole source of entertainment. This week, the new releases include Netflix’s Enola Holmes, Voot Select’s Crackdown and Disney+ Hotstar’s PariWar.
Enola Holmes stars Millie Bobby Brown in the titular role. It also features Helena Bonham Carter and Henry Cavill. The film is based on the book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer. Enola is the younger sister of famous detective Sherlock Holmes. The story follows her as she turns 16 and finds that her mother (played by Carter) is missing. Her brother Sherlock expects her to be a traditional woman, whereas Enola is anything but that.
Voot Select’s Crackdown, starring Saqib Saleem, Iqbal Khan, Waluscha, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rajesh Tailang and Ankur Bhatia, has also started streaming. The series has been directed by Apoorva Lakhia of Shootout at Lokhandwala fame. This is a thriller series that hinges upon its nail-biting action sequences.
Also streaming from today is Disney+ Hotstar’s PariWar that stars Gajraj Rao, Vijay Raaz, Ranvir Shorey, Yashpal Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Nidhi Singh and Kumar Varun. The comedy series is set amid a joint family in Allahbad that is quarelling over the family property. The series will be available for free on the streaming platform.
Last week, we saw the release of Netflix film Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, ZEE5 original film London Confidential and the Netflix series Ratched.
Do we ever forget the people who once had our hearts? Is it possible to really move on after a loved one passes away, and especially if that loved one is the person you spent all your days and nights with? How long does it take to heal after suffering that kind of wound? The film touches upon all these subjects, but in a manner befitting the filmmaking style of the director — ‘deal with the tragic by suffusing it with some comedy and things will fall into place.’
There is a reason why Ratatouille won an Oscar in the Best Animated Feature category. Brad Bird. Bird who produced, wrote and helmed this delightful little tale of ambition and passion deserves most of the credit for the film’s success. Of course, having voice actors like Patton Oswalt and Lou Romano helps the case immensely. But everything would have not come together as smoothly as it had, had it not been for the captain of the ship. The concept of the film is, at its very base, brilliant but simple — a rat, who scurries about in the kitchen in the hopes of garbage as food, nurses the insane dream of becoming a chef? What is not to love? And human beings, who always turn up their noses in disgust at the very mention of the being, end up developing a special bond with one? This was a success to begin with, what it needed was the correct push, which it thankfully got from the big people at Disney. Ratatouille is not for kids, nor is it for adults. It doesn’t come with any label and the best thing about a ‘food movie’ is that ‘There is no such thing as a bad food film.’ (This is, of course, a personal adage).
Gory, intense and dramatic. This Netflix series by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Neeraj Ghaywan is a compelling tale of crime, religion and politics. It features Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead.
Two unconventional wedding planners trying to make matches in modern-day India, what could possibly go wrong? The Amazon Prime show has been directed by Alankrita Shrivastva, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Nitya Mehra in parts. It features Arjun Mathur and Sobhita Dhulipala in the lead. Mathur has been nominated for an International Emmy Award (2020) for his performance.
"Delhi Crime is a fictionalized crime drama, based on the painstaking investigation which led to the capture of the six men who attacked the couple. It works best when it sticks to the assembling of a team that the deputy commissioner of police Vartika Chaturvedi (Shah) can trust, led by the unflappable Tailang, and his band of men, crack trackers, investigators, informers, who fan out and nab the culprits, one by one," writes The Indian Express' Shubhra Gupta in her review of the show. Read more here.
Taapsee Pannu-starrer Thappad is an emotional and insightful drama which challenges our patriarchal structure. It has been directed by Anubhav Sinha.
"Watching Aarya reminds you of how well it incorporates that classic phrase, ‘even in the best families’. From the outside, Aarya Sareen, a supremely fit, still-stunning mother of three, seems to have everything: loving husband, luxe life, no problems other than to choose the outfit of the day from a seriously classy wardrobe. Scratch a little, though, and out spill several cans of wriggly worms, which keep us busy watching through the nine episodes of the web series, co-created by Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Modi. Yes, there’s dirt and grime under all that glitter, and that happens in the best of families," writes The Indian Express' critic Shubra Gupta in her review of the Sushmita Sen-starrer show. Click here to read the rest of the review.
The Matrix is one movie that cannot be simply categorised into a genre, only because it borrows so heavily and brilliantly from other genres — fantasy, comic books, action, sci-fi and even horror. It is a big-budget smart movie that knows its audience, but more than that, it knows itself. It doesn’t compromise or dumb down the narrative. Instead, it uses metaphors and hyperboles to say something its makers The Wachowskis believe in — to live for the truth and to know it in all its magnificence.
Also read | Hollywood Rewind: The Matrix
One of the best talk shows out there, this British show is cool, fun and thoroughly engaging. There are no games, no forced laughter. Just a lot of warmth and wine, and who doesn't like that?
"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. While Moore did not want to have anything to do with Zack Snyder’s slavish film adaptation of his creation, he has also distanced himself from the HBO series. He has made it clear that he is not going to watch it or any other film or TV adaptation of his works. But if he does take time to check out what Lindelof has done, I dare say he might have a change of mind," reads our review of the Emmy-winning show. Click here to continue reading.
"Churails, a ten-episode web series, gives us a Karachi-based band of women whose motto is to wreck revenge on the men who have made their lives miserable. Directed by Asim Abbasi, who made the engaging family drama Cake, Churails brims over with feisty, feminist, fast-paced fun. ‘Mard ko dard hoga’, they promise. And that’s exactly what they deliver," writes The Indian Express' film critic Shubhra Gupta. Read more here.
A YouTube show about food where a bunch of people try to ascertain whether a cuisine is worth its price or not? Bring it on!
Stand-up comedian Billy Eichner is the host of this freewheeling pop culture game show whose each episode spans not more than 10-12 minutes. Chris Evans, Paul Rudd, John Hamm, Anna Kendrick, Emma Stone are some of the several celebrities that have featured on this 'street show.'
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan starring the talented John Krasinski is action-packed, complex and dynamic. The themes it explores are interesting and topical and the performances are credible as well.
The Indian Express' film critic Shubra Gupta writes in her review of the Disney Plus Hotstar series, "The parivar is based in Prayagraj, aka Allahabad, so we get local colour by way of chatty ‘chat-walas’, tea-time offerings of dahi-jalebis, and mention of the sangam. A bit of Banarasi leheja shows up too, because Mahipal lives there, and some ‘tapori’ slang is slung in towards the end, because, well, maybe the writers thought it would be funny. And while it is a relief to get a series which is clearly trying to be light-hearted and family-friendly (the brothers show up with their wives – Anurita Jha and Sadiya Siddiqui – and kids), some novelty would have been welcome."
The Devil Wears Prada is based on the book of the same name penned by Lauren Weisberger, who chronicled her experiences as a personal assistant to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in a fictional format via the book. The assistant in the movie is played by Anna Hathaway, who wanted to work in the ‘real’ publishing world but somehow ends up at the fashion magazine Runway. Meryl Streep plays the Anna Wintour inspired character called Miranda Priestly who is an intimidating, powerful personality. Read more about the film here.
Stand-up comedian and host Abish Mathew's YouTube chat show is a fun talk show where celebrities speak their mind and play entertaining games. Until now, celebs like Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhasker, Radhika Apte, Irrfan Khan among others have featured on the show. You can stream it for free on YouTube.
Easy A is Emma Stone at her vibrant best. Loosley adapted from The Scarlet Letter, Easy A is a teen comedy that is entertaining from start to finish. Of course, tons of John Hughes' movie references also helps the matter.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is not plot-driven. It is its witty, vibrant charm that casts a spell. It is the moments, the dialogues and the characters that stay with you long after the film is over. They seem wholesome and lovable despite their idiosyncrasies. Read more here.
This highly acclaimed 2020 sports miniseries revolves around the career of basketball legend Michael Jordan. Watch it when you seek some inspiration and you won't be disappointed!